The Decaying Empire (The Vanishing Girl Series Book 2) (31 page)

My back crashed into a mirror. Glass buckled and cracked under the force of my weight, and my breath whooshed out of me. The gun fell out of my hand and into a nearby sink as I slid down the wall, my side landing painfully on the jutting waterspouts.

My attacker prowled after me. Oh-so-casually he reached into the sink and grabbed the gun. I couldn’t help but think of my dismal Weaponry score all those months ago. I really did suck when it came to handling guns.

Grabbing a handful of cloth, the teleporter dragged me off the counter, cocking the gun in his other hand.

While I was still busy catching my breath, my hand shot out, and I thrust my palm as hard as I could up against his nose. Something crunched, and warm liquid dripped against my hand. Guess Perfectly Symmetrical’s face wouldn’t be so perfect anymore.

With a howl he let me go. Bad idea on his part. My leg shot out, and I kicked him where it counted. His cry cut off sharply, and I almost felt bad for him. Almost.

He curled his body inward ever so slightly, giving me the opening I needed. My elbow slammed down on the back of his head, and his eyes rolled back. He crumpled to the floor, releasing his gun.

I kicked the weapon away from him and punted him in the head once more. I was thorough like that.

Breathing heavily, I finally glanced around. The woman had stopped screaming. In fact, she and everyone else who’d been in here had vanished while I’d been busy fighting for my life.

The stall door hung oddly from its hinges, still swaying slightly. The mirror behind me had a spiderweb of cracks, and the sink I’d been using only a minute before still sprayed out water. With shaking hands I approached it, washing the blood from them before turning it off.

I debated hauling my attacker’s body into one of the stalls, kicking the lid up, and dumping him ass-first into the toilet. In the end I decided against it. I might be vindictive, but self-preservation came first.

I left the bathroom as innocuously as possible. Out here the world slogged on, blissfully unaware that a ninja almost canned me. Well, everyone but the security guards who were rapidly approaching. I turned and sauntered away, allowing myself to get lost in the airport crowd.

Caden stood in the long-as-shit line he’d been in when I left him, and in all that time, he’d only marginally moved forward.

He turned from where he waited. He took one look at me, then the security guards behind me, and abandoned the line. Coming up to me, he cupped my face. “What happened?”

He read it in my features before I could respond. Letting me go, he began to storm past me.

I caught his arm. “I already knocked the teleporter out. But they now know we’re here.”

Caden’s eyes met mine. “We’re going to have to flee.”

I shook my head. “They’ll be waiting for us.” This was it. If we missed our opportunity now, we might never have another.

“Angel, staying here is suicide.”

“Not if I call in a favor.”

“Adrian?” Caden guessed.

“Yes.” I was still annoyed with Adrian, but he might be the only one capable of stalling the government.

Caden ran his hands through his wavy hair, then dropped them. He pinched his lips together and nodded.

I took off before Caden could change his mind. His footfalls echoed my own. I stopped in a duty-free shop and bought an international calling card, then headed to a phone booth at the end of the terminal. Caden said nothing behind me, but I could already sense his displeasure.

I didn’t know how much the government could trace from one of these phones, but chances were good that this call would be buried among all the other international calls. Safety in numbers.

I entered the card’s information and then dialed Adrian. Caden leaned against the wall next to me, studying my face.

“Hello?” Adrian answered on the second ring.

“It’s Ember.”

I heard his release of breath.

“We’re at SFO, headed to Mexico City. We leave in thirty minutes.” Even as I spoke I heard the boarding announcement called over the speakers.

A pause followed. “You managed to get a flight out of there without getting caught?”

“We have fake IDs, but that’s not why I’m calling.”

“What’s going on?”

I angled my body closer to the phone panel. “Listen, a teleporter just attacked me in the bathroom here. The Project now likely knows our location, but we can’t leave.”

“What’s your flight number and the names on your fake IDs?”

I rattled the information off to him. On the other end of the phone, I heard scribbling.

“I’ll see what I can do to stall them,” Adrian said once he’d finished writing. “Call me again when you land.”

“Will do.”

“And Ember?”

“Yeah?” I said.

“I’m sorry about yesterday.”

Caden’s eyes narrowed. Guess he overheard that.

“Mmm.” I pressed my lips together. “We can talk about that later.” Or never, really.

“Fine. Just
. . .
stay safe.”

Caden folded his arms and frowned.

“I’ll try.” I rolled my eyes at Caden while I spoke.

I hung up, and Caden pounced.

“How’s pretty boy doing?”

Stepping away from the phone, I shrugged. “I wouldn’t know—he’s too busy trying to save our asses.”

“Your ass,” Caden corrected. “You and I both know I’m just collateral.”

“Not true.”

“C’mon, angel,” he said as we approached our terminal and stepped in line, “the dude has a rager for you.”

I turned to him. “Why are we even talking about this?”

“Because emotions can cloud good judgment. You taught me that.”

Annoyance quickly rose within me. “What is with you?” I searched his face. And then I saw it.

I took a step back. “This isn’t about me or Adrian. It’s about you.”

“No—”

I put a hand up. “Don’t bother lying to me when I can read you.”

Caden’s brows furrowed, his eyes angry. Pain flared at the back of them.

“You worry that I’m deceiving you, don’t you?”

Some sick, horrible understanding fell into place as I saw my actions from his perspective. He’d been the man power during our journey here.

When I saw uncertainty flicker in his eyes, I knew I’d interpreted him correctly. He worried that I was using him. That called into question our entire relationship.

“Shit,” I breathed. Tears pricked at my eyes. I squared my jaw; I refused to cry here.

I glanced around, looking everywhere but at him.

“No,” he said, catching my face. I tried to pull away, but he didn’t let go.
“No,”
he repeated more empathically, forcing me to make eye contact with him. A few passengers glanced over at us curiously.

“What are you even saying no to?”

“No to you trying to run at the first sign of danger. That’s all you do, Ember. Convince me I’m an idiot—I’m begging you—but no more running, angel.”

It infuriated me that he was right. I wanted to run, even now when there was no place left to go.

“This might be it,” he continued. “The Project might swoop in and rip us apart. Don’t let me go so easily.” Now he gripped both of my arms. “Fight for me like I’ve fought for you.”

I searched his face, wondering how I could convince him of something this big. Caden could spin worlds out of words; I couldn’t. Mine would be wholly inadequate. Not to mention that I hid my feelings under layers and layers of facades. Voicing something real and deep would be like flexing an atrophied muscle.

“Excuse me, but are you going to move forward?”

Caden and I both turned to glare at the man who spoke behind us. He raised his hands and said, “Geez, sorry.”

I faced Caden again. Reaching up, I placed my hands on his cheeks. I took in his strong jaw, the blond whiskers that had grown since we’d been on the run, the angular planes of his face. Soft, sculpted lips that knew just how to pull me back from the precipice. Eyes that softened every time they looked at me.

This strong, complex man had exposed his vulnerabilities to me and me alone. I could do the same, even though this openness scared me.

“Caden,” I said, staring into his eyes, “when you hunted me down all those weeks ago, I didn’t choose to go back to the facility because it increased my chances of survival. Nor did I go back because I thought escape would be easier.”

I could already see some of his uncertainty recede with my words. Odd that for all our intelligence, we still couldn’t outwit emotions.

“I did it because I love you.”

He closed his eyes, savoring those words. When he opened them, they shone.

“You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” I said. “You’re the sun, a warm hug, my best friend and coconspirator. And I’m no good at this, but there is no future for me without you.”

Our fingers laced, and I tugged him forward. His lips met mine, and I kissed him like I was making a promise.

I drew away. “I’d never, ever betray you. I love you. You’re going to have to have faith in this.”

“Boarding passes?” the lady at the counter called out to us.

Caden held up his finger to silence her for a moment. His audacity had my lips twitching.

He gazed at me, his face serious, and then he engulfed me in a hug, lifting me so that I peered down at him.

There were times, like now, when words could only befuddle raw human emotion. As I stared into Caden’s eyes, they held no more uncertainty. Just deep, unconditional love. The kind that overcomes death. The kind that ballads are written about. The kind that people die for . . .

And live for.

CHAPTER 20

O
ur flight went without a hitch. Whether Adrian had intervened or we’d just gotten lucky, I had no idea. But as soon as we walked off the plane, I wanted to kiss the ground. We hadn’t gotten caught and I hadn’t teleported. Altogether that was a win.

“They didn’t come for us,” I said as we deplaned and headed toward baggage claim. I absently massaged my hand. Caden had held it in a death grip the entire flight. It didn’t matter that death grips couldn’t prevent teleportation.

He’d also all but force-fed me the flight’s watery coffee since there hadn’t been time to buy any at the airport. Now I felt twitchy from its effects.

“Don’t be so sure,” Caden said, glancing around us suspiciously.

Even as good as we both were at reading others, there’d be no way to tell whether one of the thousands of people who surrounded us was an agent.

But as we made our way out of the terminal and left the airport together, we momentarily let go of our paranoia. By the time Caden inserted our keycard into the door of the hotel room we’d rented, hesitant hope had bloomed.

Tomorrow, after a solid night’s sleep, we’d catch a flight from Mexico City to Zurich. Adrian had a safe house waiting for us there, and it would guard against future teleporter attacks.

I could hardly wait.

I collapsed onto the hotel bed, the glittering lights of the city shining from far below. “I want room service,” I said. “And then I want to watch a billion movies, and then I want to do the nasty with you—not necessarily in that order.”

“I like the sound of that, angel,” Caden said, returning to me after checking the locks on the door and windows. He’d done this on the way up too. Right after he’d insisted we take the stairs. Eight freaking flights. Because I might teleport in an elevator. My butt was not pleased, to say the least.

The bed dipped, and I felt that luxurious warmth that comes from the near contact of skin. Caden pressed a kiss behind my ear, then nuzzled my neck. Suddenly movies, food, and sleep all took a backseat. I flipped onto my back and stared up at him.

Caden ran the back of his hand down my cheek. “Tonight, no matter where we find ourselves”—images of that torture chamber with the chair and leather straps played behind my eyes—“know that I love you.”

Caden stared into Ember’s eyes. How were they going to survive this? He couldn’t tell her that he worried about protecting her. Going all he-man on Ember was one of her triggers, and as cute as pissed-off Ember was, he’d keep his thoughts to himself.

She reached up and smoothed out his brows. “No more fear, Caden.”

Perhaps he wasn’t keeping his thoughts to himself.

He removed her shirt and ran his hands over Ember’s tattoo. He’d never get enough of it, of her.

He undressed her and then himself, and then he wrapped her in his arms.

“Uh, Caden?”

His lips quirked. “It’s always sex, sex, sex with you, isn’t it?” He faux sighed. “Can’t you and I just cuddle for once?”

She stilled in his arms. Then high-pitched laughter burst out of her. “You are
such
a punk,” she said, squirming.

He bit back a groan. Hot damn, the way her body moved under his
. . .
“I know you’re a loose woman and all,” he said, “but I’m not sure I’m ready for you to take my innocence.”

Her eyes widened, and when she recovered, she spanked him for his comment.
Spanked
him. A wide, wolfish grin spread across his face. Oh, he was definitely going to push that button again in the future.

He pulled her closer to him, enjoying the sensation of their skin pressed together.
She’s real. And she’s in my arms.

Sometimes, like right now, he realized all over again that she lived.

Ember drew back. “Are you serious? Do you really just want to cuddle?” Curiosity burned in her eyes.

Like she couldn’t tell he had other plans for the two of them. He’d been rock hard since her naked skin touched his.

“Naw, I’m just messing with you.” He rolled them over, his lips meeting hers, and all thoughts of their problems flew far, far away.

When Caden opened his eyes, he’d expected several scenarios. But not the one in front of him.

Desiree sat with her back to him, her face focused on the computer.

“Finally decided to visit?” she said, swiveling around in her chair.

She looked beautiful as usual. Only now he could see how elusive that beauty was.

“Did Dane coordinate this?”

“Yes,” she said. “Though I started to think that you were never going to visit.” Her eyes narrowed. “How did you manage that?”

His jaw worked.

“Really? I’m your oldest friend, and you’re still not going to tell me?”

“Desiree, you set Ember up. You set my pair up.” After all the heartache she’d gone through after her pair died—after all those times he’d been there for her—she more than anyone should’ve known what Ember meant to him.

Desiree pushed out of her chair. “Whose side are you on anyway, Caden? You know why I did it. She would’ve exposed us—she’s still going to, and you’re helping her.”

“Why did Dane wake her up if he could’ve just killed her?”

She shook her head. “They don’t kill us. Not if they can help it.”

Caden never knew that. He wondered when and how Desiree had been given more security clearance than he had.

She looked away. “And he did it for you.”

He would’ve believed this a year ago. Maybe even a month ago. But now? He was a jaded motherfucker.

“Dane loves you.” Something vulnerable crept into Desiree’s expression, and for a moment, just a moment, she looked like the younger version of herself. “
I
love you.”

After all this time, she was still in love with him.

Caden controlled his reaction. “It’s too late for that, Desiree.”

She flinched as though he’d slapped her. What had she expected? That now, of all times, he’d fall for her? He’d had all those years to date her, and he had those past ten months to bury his grief in her warm body. He’d done neither.

“You’re not going to get another chance, Caden. As it is, Dane’s pulling strings to give you this opportunity.”

“Am I supposed to feel grateful, Desiree? You both fucking
set her up
.”

“You’ve never had a problem with it in the past.”

He ran his hands through his hair. It infuriated him that she was right. He’d turned a blind eye to some of the Project’s more unsavory deeds. “If you ever loved me, Desiree, then why would you hurt me?”

She sighed, and Caden tensed at the sound. After everything she’d put him through, she had the balls to
sigh
at him?

“It’s not just about you and me, or have you forgotten that?” she said.

“Hasn’t stopped you from trying to get exactly what you wanted.”

He could see hurt flare in her eyes. “Do you think I’ve ever gotten what I wanted?”

Desiree turned her back to him and walked to her nightstand. She reached over and grabbed the Glock 23 that rested there.

Caden’s eyes flickered to it, then returned to her face. His eyebrows inched up. “Really, Desiree?”

“I’m sorry,” she said, looking sincere. “It was never supposed to be this way.”

His hands fisted at his sides. “It still isn’t.”

She shook her head, collecting herself and then swinging to face him with the gun pointed.

Caden didn’t move. Normally he was fairly quick at assessing a situation, but this
. . .
this was so far removed from any possibility he’d considered that he couldn’t react.

She cocked the Glock, all the while her eyes held a world of pain. “Please, Caden. Come back to the facility. You’re the best extractor we have. Dane will forgive you. Don’t make me pull this trigger.”

He glanced from the gun to her face, his jaw clenching and unclenching. Instead of fear, anger burned through him. “No,” he said, “you don’t get to turn this on me. I’ve made my choices, and I take responsibility for them. You shoot me, and that’ll be on you and you alone. And trust me when I say that it will haunt you for the rest of your life.”

Desiree’s face contorted with grief, and the Glock trembled. She hadn’t pulled the trigger, and with every passing second, it became a more remote possibility.

And then the worst thing that could happen did: Ember materialized next to him.