The Decaying Empire (The Vanishing Girl Series Book 2) (26 page)

“Do you really think she was ever yours? All she cares about is escape. And she’ll use anyone to get it.”

Dane was treating him as though he’d been bewitched. As though Ember were not his pair but some femme fatale who had wrapped him around her pinky finger.

“Do you hate all women, Dane, or just Ember?”

The older man’s eyes narrowed, and he stepped toward Caden until hardly any space separated the two of them. “You think she hasn’t already screwed the enemy? Adrian Sumner?”

Hits had hurt less than that blow. Richards knew this insecurity of his, and he shamelessly exploited it.

“She’s playing you both.”

“I’m done speaking with you.”

Dane took a step forward. “Caden, the Project needs you. Come back to us.”

“I will never go back.”

“Son, we will find you both, we will bring you in. I hope by then you’ll be a little more cooperative.”

I woke up to the sound of distant voices, my heart hammering in my chest. Unease coiled in the pit of my stomach even before I remembered where I was and the circumstances that had led me here.

My head whipped to where Caden lay, and I sighed with relief when I saw him stretched out next to me, his shirt having ridden halfway up his torso. Hard, scarred abs peaked out.

I reached out and ran my fingers along his defined jaw, where already rough blond stubble began to grow. For one horrifying moment, I’d feared he’d been hurt.

That would have been
. . .
unbearable.

I drew my hand back and stared down at him. I’d have to sedate myself from now on to somewhat control where I teleported. Otherwise I might end up right back in that torture chamber. And I doubted the situation would turn out as favorable next time.

The voices continued to talk outside the door. Were we in someone’s room? Beyond the closed curtains, twilight had descended. It was about the time when people might check in. We were never supposed to sleep this long.

I rolled over and shook Caden. “Wake up,” I whispered.

He awoke with a jolt, his eyes snapping open. Reflexively, he flipped us, pinning me to the bed and pressing his forearm against my windpipe.

“Caden,” I rasped.

His eyes widened when he registered whom exactly he’d pinned to the bed. “Oh fuck.” He rolled off me in an instant. “I didn’t realize
. . .
Fuck,” he said again. “I’m sorry, angel.”

I rubbed my bruised throat. “’S fine,” I croaked out.

The voices outside faded away, and my muscles relaxed. False alarm.

Looking agonized, he reached for the hand that covered my neck. “Can I see?” he asked.

I let him pull my hand away and tenderly stroke my neck. His troubled eyes met mine. “You almost died.” He wasn’t talking about his actions just now.

My gaze traveled across his face. “You saved me.”

His hands cupped my cheeks and his stormy eyes drank me in. “I’m not losing you again. Not tonight, not tomorrow—not ever.”

My hands covered his, my fingers lacing through his. There are those moments when everything you’ve ever done leads you to this single point in time. Why now—in this musty motel room—was the decisive moment, I’ll never know. But staring into Caden’s eyes, I’d arrived at that precipice.

There’d never be anyone else for me, not if I searched the world over. Just him. The man who had fought for me, grieved for me. The man who had saved me more than once and in more ways than one.

We crashed together. Hands on cheeks, twisted through hair, reaching, grabbing, caressing. Our mouths rushed together, like touch was all that would save us. Our tongues met, and I savored the taste of Caden. His hands stroked the skin of my arms, over and over.

We yanked at our shirts, desperate to press skin against skin. My top came off, then his T-shirt, then my bra. Our bodies seemed to hum where they pressed together. I didn’t believe in the supernatural, didn’t believe in the inexplicable. That didn’t mean I didn’t believe in magic. This—his flesh against mine—was just that.

I’d never get over it. Caden rolled us over so that his chest pressed into mine.

This feeling, this consuming, earth-shattering feeling—nothing could satiate it. The more skin that touched and the deeper the kiss, the hungrier the need became.

“Angel, angel, angel . . .” Caden whispered against my lips.

She felt so damn good under him. How fucking close he had come to losing her. Losing this beloved woman again.

Caden scattered kisses down Ember’s neck. He wanted to peel her clothes off and thrust into her. But now wasn’t the time or the place. They needed to move.

His hands had different ideas. They skimmed over her body. Caden dipped a hand between her legs and stroked her through her clothing. She arched into his touch and moaned. The sound fueled his passion.

For a while now, he’d known the full extent of his feelings for her. But she hadn’t known the full extent of hers. Not until here in this motel room; he’d seen the realization in her eyes. And damn if he didn’t want to shout to the rafters like an idiot.

Caden hadn’t felt this ridiculously elated in a long time—not even when she’d appeared in his room after being dead to him for ten months. Then he couldn’t allow himself that kind of hope.

He removed his hand from between her legs and tunneled it through Ember’s hair. “I love you,” he said.

She lifted a hand and traced the thin scar above his eye. “I love you too.” Her eyes dropped to his. “The Project was right about one thing,” she whispered.

Caden waited for her to continue.

“It was always you for me.”

He leaned down and kissed her softly. “Always, angel,” he whispered. “Always.”

A short while later, Caden and I slipped out of the room hand in hand. I felt like Goldilocks, an interloper using someone else’s things and leaving.

And it was about to get worse.

By the time we walked outside, the sun had set.

Caden nodded toward the parking lot. “We probably shouldn’t steal a car from this parking lot. You know, don’t shit where you eat and all.”

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re eloquent?”

“I hear it all the Goddamn time.” His dimples appeared when he looked down at me. His hand cinched around mine, and as if he couldn’t help it, he leaned in and stole a kiss.

“Hey!” I said. “I’m so not rewarding bad behavior.”

“Too bad, angel,” he said, his mouth moving next to my ear. “You like it when I give you a run for your money.”

“You know, sometimes it’s downright infuriating how much you can read off of me.” He must’ve pulled that bit of information from my expression.

I cleared my throat, getting back to business. “We’ll want a car from here since chances are we’ll get at least several hours in it before the owner reports it stolen.” Optimally, someone wouldn’t realize we’d taken it until tomorrow morning.

Caden grunted in agreement.

“We’re about to make someone’s day real shitty,” he said several minutes later, when we’d picked out a beat-up truck.

My mouth thinned. “I know.”

Even worse, the owner had left the truck unlocked, probably because this was such a safe place. We’d be taking someone’s trust and throwing it in their face.

I blew out a breath. So be it.

As soon as I slid into the driver’s seat, my gaze turned to the cup holder, where someone had stashed their change. It was the first time I’d had access to money since we’d left the facility.

My eyes drifted to the end of the motel, where a weather-beaten pay phone stood. It looked more like a relic than something functional. “I need to make a call.”

“Now?” Caden said, climbing into the seat next to me.

I grabbed several quarters from the cup holder. “Yes, now.” I didn’t know when I’d next come across a public phone. “I’ll be right back.” I hurried out of the truck and headed for the pay phone.

I slotted the quarters and dialed the number Adrian had me memorize. He picked up on the first ring. “They’re patrolling the Canadian border,” he said by way of an answer. “You need to head south.”

I put a hand to my forehead. “Wait, what?”

“The Project is waiting for you along the US-Canada border.”

My stomach lurched. “How do you know?”

“Seriously, Ember?” His tone told me I should’ve known better. I guess if he could take out a power grid, he could get access to this information as well.

“What if we tried to head through the woods?”

“They’re patrolling those as well. Even if you get through, they’ll have airports on high alert for the two of you.”

I cursed. “We’re fifteen minutes from the border. You still think our odds of escape are better if we head south?” Mexico was over a thousand miles south of us. Even by car that was a several days’ journey. Several days during which we could be attacked, captured, killed.

A shadow fell over me. Caden folded his arms and leaned against the wall, his mouth set in a grim line. Guess he’d gotten tired of waiting in the truck.

“I do,” Adrian said. “The jet will be ready to go by the end of the week. Just stay one step ahead of the Project”—which was easier said than done—“and make your way down to Mexico in the meantime.”

I leaned my head against the booth’s sun-warped plastic paneling. “Okay,” I said, suddenly exhausted by the daunting task ahead of us. “Did Eric and Serena make the pickup?”

“They did.” I could hear typing in the background. “Listen, Ember, I’ve got to get off the phone. Call again when you have another update for me.”

“’Kay. Bye, Adrian.” The line clicked and I hung up.

“Angel, we’re going to have to go back to the facility,” Caden said.

“What?” My head whipped around so I could face him.

He put his hands up. “Big Sur, California. That’s where I stashed our passports.”

Our fake identities. Once we had those, we’d vanish from the Project’s radar. And we needed them now more than ever.

“California, here we come,” I said.

“. . . Right back where we started from,” Caden said, quoting Phantom Planet. He grinned at the look I shot him. “It was better than a dirty joke, right?”

CHAPTER 17

I
got back into the driver’s seat of the truck, and Caden slid into the passenger’s seat next to me. My jaw clenched as I waited for the owner to angrily storm out of their room and demand to know what we were doing. When it didn’t happen, I got down to work.

“Can you grab the screwdriver I packed and a pair of gloves?” I asked. Unlike when I’d first broken out of the hospital, we’d packed the exact tools I’d need to jump-start the car.

Caden rummaged around in our bag and pulled them out.

I took the items from him and removed one of my boots.

“Angel, what are you . . . ?”

“The steering column is currently locked.” Holding my boot in one hand, I fixed the flattened tip of the screwdriver into the keyhole.

I slammed the heel of my boot against the base of the screwdriver, and with a crack the steering column’s lock broke. I flashed Caden a devilish smile. “And now it isn’t.”

“You give me that grin again, and I can’t promise I’ll keep my hands to myself, angel.”

I bit the corner of my lip, and Caden’s eyes honed in on the motion. He rubbed a hand over his mouth and surveyed our surroundings. He muttered something about a distraction, and my focus returned to the work at hand.

I wiggled my hands into the gloves and reached for the bundle of wires.

Separating out the battery, ignition, and starter wires, I began to cut and strip them.

“Angel.”

“Hmm?” I said.

I looked up in time to see a police cruiser pull into the motel. The man who stepped out wore shades and cowboy boots, his gut hanging over the thick belt he wore.

I’d have said he appeared harmless, except for the way his eyes swept over the parking lot.

I cursed. Those voices outside our room might not have been so innocent after all. The sheriff reached back into the car and pulled out his cowboy hat.

Whatever business he had here, he wasn’t a man in a rush. I filed that information away.

Glancing back down at my work, I sparked the battery wires with the starter wire and the engine roared to life.

Caden whistled. “That is damn hot, angel. If we weren’t running for our lives, then I’d throw you into the backseat and—”

“Really, Caden?” I cut him off. “Of all the times to make a sexual reference, you choose now?” I grabbed my boot to pull it back on.

“Aw, don’t be a sour puss-puss.”

Forget putting the boot on; I threw it at him, somewhat disappointed when he ducked and it bounced off the window.

Caden straightened. “That’s the best you got? You’re surprisingly nonlethal for a government weapon.”

“I still have a screwdriver, and I’m running on very little sleep. Don’t tempt me.”

Caden held up his hands, grinning. “Okay, feisty thing, you win this round.” His eyes moved from me, and he swore. “Better get moving.”

I followed his gaze. The sheriff and one of the motel staff walked toward us, their faces stern.

I made quick work of covering the wires so that I wouldn’t accidentally electrocute myself.

“Like now,” Caden added.

“Thanks for the clarification,” I said, throwing the car into reverse.

Rather than trying to stop us, the two men walked by our car
. . .
only to enter the room we’d so recently vacated.

I backed out of the parking space and drove through the parking lot. The sheriff gave our car a passing glance, looking at the license plate number.

I held my breath as I pulled out of the motel.

“The sheriff might’ve gotten our plates,” I said.

“Then we’re going to have to steal some,” Caden said, unfazed.

I closed my eyes briefly. “Let’s just get the hell out of here first.”

It wasn’t until we’d been on the freeway for a good twenty minutes that my muscles began to relax.

Caden’s head lolled forward. He’d done that several times. I reached over and tenderly ran my fingers down the side of his face. A sleepy smile spread across it. “Mmm, feels good.”

“Get some sleep,” I said. “I’ve got this.” We’d need to sleep in rotation anyway, and thanks to teleporting back at the motel, Caden had almost a full day before he’d teleport again.

I drove through the evening, only stopping briefly to get gas. During the early hours of the morning I roused Caden long enough for us to steal another car and some separate license plates—which we fixed onto the back and front of our new loaned ride—and we dumped the truck along a dirt turnoff.

During that long, lonely drive across the state of Montana, I finally had time to really think about the events that had unfolded since we escaped.

The fact that the Project was willing to torture me meant one of two things. One, it was the Project’s twisted version of persuasion. A way for me to run back to the facility with my tail between my legs. Or two, the Project wanted something from me. And I could guess what—or rather
who
that was: Adrian. Unless
. . .
unless they knew about Stonehawk Enterprises.

If that was the case, then if I was captured, I risked ruining not just my own life
. . .
but many.

By midmorning we’d left Montana and were driving through Idaho.

“No one showed up,” I stated, turning off at an exit. Not since we were ambushed in the woods yesterday morning.

“Nope,” Caden agreed, his face troubled.

“Why not?” Ironic though it was, the lack of more attacks unsettled me.

Caden rubbed his lower lip. “He’s regrouping.”

“You think he knows where we are?” I glanced over at Caden.

Caden stared out the window, one of his legs jiggling. “Don’t know.”

My hands clenched the wheel. If Richards didn’t know yet, he still could figure it out. One slipup was all it took, and already the cars we stole left the Project a trail of bread crumbs to follow.

I swung our car into a shopping mall just off the freeway. We needed food and supplies.

Caden stretched, his shirt riding up. I caught a tantalizing glimpse of tanned skin, and my thoughts moved from survival to
Caden
.

He caught me looking and grinned. “Ready to do this, angel?”

I curled my upper lip. More stealing. It should’ve bothered me, but after all I’d done, this seemed like just another drop in the bucket. “As ever,” I said, stepping out of the car.

We entered a department store together and began tossing items into our cart. Flashlights, a Swiss Army knife, a GPS device, radios, electrical tape, soap, protein bars, bottled water, a change of clothes each, baseball caps, sunglasses.

When we passed the hunting section of the store, Caden stared longingly at the guns. Some guys were into motor sports, others into football or video games. Caden liked his weapons.

When he stared for a little too long, the man behind the counter gave him a hard look. I tugged Caden along. Any extra attention was negative attention.

Ahead of us a guy in his early thirties checked out camping equipment. Caden nodded to him. “He’s target number one,” Caden said to me.

The man in question studied the features of a fancy-looking tent. “I’m on it. Let’s reconvene in the pots and pans aisle.”

“We’re putting a whole new meaning to
domestic terrorism
,” Caden mumbled. “See you in the kitchen supplies.”

I waved him off and headed to the tent section, shaking out my hair a little as I went. I stepped up alongside our target, just a smidgen too close. As predicted, the man glanced over at me.

I bit my thumbnail as I stared up at the four-person tent. I made a point of looking a little lost before I spoke. “You wouldn’t happen to know anything about tents, would you?” I asked

The man next to me chuckled and smiled. “Probably not as much as I should.”

“My parents are avid campers,” I explained. “I wanted to surprise them with some new equipment for their anniversary, but I have no idea what to look for.”

“Well, a good place to start is finding one that’s easy to set up,” the man said. “See this one?” He pointed at the model he was looking at.

I used the opportunity to step in closer. “Uh-huh,” I said, pitching my voice low.

The man glanced over and stared at me for a beat too long before returning his attention to the tent. “The poles magnetically snap together, making it easy to bend and easy to store . . .”

I continued to ask questions, fully engaging with the poor man we were about to rob. I never saw Caden pass through, never heard him. Given my new friend’s increasing interest in me, I don’t think he did either.

At the end of the conversation, I grabbed the tent I’d been “convinced” to buy. “Thank you again for all your help,” I said, backing away.

“No problem. Hey, I hope they like it.”

“I think they will.” I smiled. I don’t know why my eyes dropped to the man’s waist, only that they did. His long flannel shirt hid a familiar bulge at his side.

Carrying a concealed weapon.

My eyes didn’t linger on it, and my body betrayed nothing. I backed even farther away, still smiling. My back bumped someone, and strong hands fell on my shoulders.

Agents. We’d walked right into their hands.

“Ember Pierce,” the man in front of me said, “you are being detained for crimes against the State. Please—”

I never let him finish. Drawing my foot back, I then smashed it down onto my captor’s instep. His hold on me loosened, and I threw the tent at the other man.

Two agents. I bet they were like rats too—there were always either one or an entire colony of them.

I thrust my elbow back, slamming it into the second man’s solar plexus. He groaned and caught my arm. I kicked out, my heel catching him right in his happy sac.

The first man yanked my other arm toward him. A woman and her young son passed by. She reflexively gasped when she saw us.

“Help!” I said. “They’re trying to kidnap me!” I pitched my voice to sound like innocent panic.

“Shut up,” Tent Man said, shaking my arm. The other agent was too busy holding himself and glaring at me to respond.

The woman hurried away. As soon as she did so, I twisted out of Tent Man’s hold. I socked him twice in the face. He stumbled back. I didn’t allow him time to recover. I stalked forward and spun, planting a roundhouse kick to his temple. Even with him partially blocking the kick, I still landed it.

He tripped and his head smashed into the metal shelving. His body hit the floor hard. At least for the moment, he was no longer a problem. I turned my attention back to the second agent.

The aisle behind me was empty.

My heart hammered in my chest.
Caden
. Fear mixed with anger at the thought of anything happening to him. I wouldn’t let it.

Crouching next to an unconscious Tent Guy, I yanked his Glock from his pocket. After checking that the safety was on, I stuck it into my waistband at the small of my back. His radio I clipped to my pocket.

It took most of my self-control not to sprint to the kitchen supplies section of the store.

Caden leaned against some shelving, a blender in his hand. He put it down when he saw me. “While you were busy flirting, I picked two other people’s pock—
what’s wrong
?” he asked, taking in my heaving chest.

“Agents are in here. I’ve been compromised.”

Caden swore.

“I’m drawing them out of here. Purchase the items we need and meet me at the car,” I said.

“No fucking way, angel—”

I left before he could finish. I walked out of the store, heading down the row of cars in front of me. Using the vehicles’ reflective surface, I watched the people behind me.

Halfway down the parking lot, I was almost convinced that I’d lost them until I spotted a woman and another man coming up from behind me, their gait too purposeful for a leisurely shopping trip.

I crossed into another row of cars. They followed. One pulled out a radio and spoke into it, and the one at my side crackled to life. “Suspect located on foot in the Riverrock parking lot.”

A black SUV drove up the next row.

Shit. I took a calming breath. I was going to need to hurt a lot more people to get us out of this.

The sound of a gunshot echoed throughout the parking lot. Immediately people ducked. I dropped down too, running in a crouch between two cars.