Uncontrollable (The Nature of Grace, Book 2) (28 page)

M
o and I melt into each other.

I’m not sure how much time passes, but in those moments, we make up for what we lost, hugging and laughing and talking and kissing. I almost don’t hear the floorboards creak until someone speaks.

“Well, I guess you’re safe.”

Mo jumps to his feet and pushes me behind him, shielding me. “Oy! Who are you?”

I peek around Mo’s side and see Wyn standing there with a sad look on his face. “Wyn? Jesus. What are you doing here?”

I step out next to Mo, who clutches my hand tightly.

Wyn glances at our joined hands and then looks at me. “You said you were coming over when you called from the house.” His face turns pink as if he’s either angry or embarrassed. “So, of course, when you didn’t show, I got worried.”

I smack my hands to my head. “Oh, God, Wyn. I’m so sorry. I totally forgot.”

“I see that.” He keeps talking as if my apology meant nothing. “Anyway, first I called Birdee.”

“At home?”

“On her cell. She was still at the Burrows’ house.”

I breathe a sigh of relief, thinking anyone who was stalking the house is probably gone by now after realizing no one is home. Wyn walks to the window and looks out, but I can tell he’s eyeing Mo’s reflection in the glass.

“When she didn’t know where you were, I called Agent Sweeney. He said you were up here. Now I see why he told me not to come. But I thought you were alone. I didn’t mean to intrude, though I can’t say I’m not happy about breaking up this little party.”

I ignore his jab and give him a hug. “I’m so sorry I worried you.”

When I touch him, his body is stiff at first, but he quickly relaxes.

“I got some nasty IMs and saw some guy sneaking around my house,” I explain. “I went out the back, and Mo found me. I totally forgot about…”

“About me?” Wyn glares at Mo. “Hmm,
that
never happens.”

Mo walks forward and sticks out his hand in a friendly gesture. He smiles that perfect smile that would surely win me over again instantly. “I should probably introduce myself. I’m Mo Cameron. It’s nice to finally meet you. Grace has talked a lot about you.”

“Funny.” Wyn stares at Mo’s hand without reciprocating. “Only thing I heard about you was that you were dead.”

Obviously the dashing smile doesn’t work on Wyn the way it does on me. I give Wyn a dirty look, and my voice comes out in a scolding tone. “Wyn.”

Mo comes to his defense. “It’s okay. I deserve that. I’m sure this is all very confusing.”

Wyn looks down at me. “Guess that part wasn’t true after all.”

I push him away a little. “Wait a minute. Don’t assume I’ve been lying to you. I thought Mo was dead, too, this whole time. I’m just as surprised as you are.”

I glance back at Mo who is standing tall, looking regal without knowing it.

Wyn moves around me. “Didn’t look that surprised.”

Guilty as charged. I cover my mouth as if that will conceal any kiss Wyn witnessed when he walked in. He walks over to a chair and sits with one leg up over his other knee.

“So unless we’re in a zombie apocalypse, you going to tell me what’s going on?”

I glance over at Mo, who jumps in before I can say anything. “Sure. I work with Agent Sweeney. We pretended I was dead to make sure Al didn’t come back for Grace. Sweeney thinks someone is out to get her. We just don’t know who exactly. It’s either Porter or Al. He asked me to bring her here and watch her. Keep her safe.”

Wyn nods and leans forward. He places both index fingers on his mouth as if he’s thinking. “Interesting. So you’re keeping her safe with your lips?”

I shriek. “Wyn!”

He glances at me. “What? It’s a valid question. I didn’t know lip-locking was a new, undercover security technique. Especially since this dude left the front door unlocked so pretty much anyone could walk right in. Seems he needs a
little
more training.” Wyn holds his fingers up an inch apart when he says “little.”

I rub my head. “Wyn, please.”

He sits back in the chair and bounces his foot. “Please, what? Understand? This? I don’t know if I can.”

I face Mo. “Can you let us talk for a second?”

Mo glances at Wyn and then kisses my forehead. “Sure, Blossom. I’ll have a look around. Make sure the house is secure.”

Wyn calls after him. “That’d be a first.”

I wait until Mo is out of earshot before sitting across from Wyn. “Look. I know you’re a little hurt.”

He scoffs. “Hurt? You make it sound like I just got a paper cut.”

“Okay. A lot hurt.”

Wyn rubs the crease between his eyes. “We kiss in the woods. I pretty much save your life. Then you call to talk and pull a no-show. The whole time, I’m worried sick about you, afraid something has happened, that you’re hurt. Meanwhile, you’re up here mugging with some dead guy, who, let’s face it, could be a soap opera star because he’s just that handsome. That kind of hurt?”

“Stop.”

He shakes his head. “I think it’s fair to say ‘hurt’ is not the word I would use. More like ‘devastated.’”

I sigh. Somehow I’ve managed to push Wyn away again — when I didn’t mean to. Again. I soften my voice and reach over to grab his hand.

“Wyn, we talked about this. That moment in the woods. I was out of it. I didn’t mean for it to happen.”

He looks at the ceiling. “Oh, so I forced you to kiss me like that?”

“I’m not saying that.” I still can’t tell him I was thinking of Mo. It’s just too cruel. I shake my head. “Let me finish. I’m not saying anything was your fault. I’m just saying it wasn’t the real me. I was delirious and hallucinating. Both are serious side effects of Stage Three hypothermia.”

“Um. You’re not helping my ego, and I don’t need a medical lesson.”

I kneel in front of him. “I love you, Wyn. You’re my best friend, and you’re a huge, important piece in my life. One of the biggest, I would say. The last few months without you have been almost unbearable.” I look up and try to grab his eyes with mine. “I’m sorry I can’t love you the way you want me to. But I don’t want to lose you.”

Wyn’s face softens, and he touches my face. “Grace, that day in the woods was the happiest and scariest day of my life. I thought we’d finally broken through all the walls we’d built up. That we had gotten back to where we were before your Dad went missing. I thought you were going to die, and I realized I couldn’t be without you. I love you.”

Tears spring into my eyes. “Please. Please. Be my friend. Please don’t push me away. Don’t make me choose.” My voice starts to shake. “I’ve lost so many people close to me. So have you. We both can lean on this friendship. We can start over.”

“I don’t want to start over. I want to move ahead.” His eyes tear up.

I bite my lip, not wanting to hurt him any more than I have, but needing to be totally honest, to be sure I don’t lead him on in any way.

“You asked me to always be honest with you, and I promised I would.” I pause, trying to form the words, afraid it might be the last sentence I say to him before he pulls away. “Wyn, I love him. I do. The last few months without Dad, thinking Mo was dead, have been horrible. Seeing Mo today was the first time in a long time, I’ve been truly happy. It gave me hope that all this darkness might have a small light at the end. For me. Please don’t let Mo come between us. Not now. Not after everything.”

He shakes his head and pulls his hands away. “He already has.”

“Wyn, please.”

He stares at me for a minute. “I don’t know if I can do this. Watch you two together. It’s not that I want to hurt you. I just don’t know if I have it in me. To watch the girl I love be happy with someone else.”

My voice is barely a whisper, and I hang my head. “I understand.”

He lifts my chin with his hand, and his eyes are sad. “But I’ll try. I promised I wouldn’t turn my back on you again, and I plan to keep my promise.”

He kisses my forehead and leaves his lips there for a few seconds too long.

I hug him hard. “Thank you.”

He sits back and takes a deep breath. “Doesn’t mean I have to like it.” He motions to Mo, who is in the other room checking the window locks. “Or him for that matter.”

I nod once and smile. “Deal.”

“Besides, I know my history. The English and Americans don’t like each other.”

I smile. “First of all, you hate history. Secondly, that was in the 1700s.”

“Welcome to your future.” He eyes Mo in the other room. “Doesn’t mean I can’t take jabs at him either.”

Mo speaks up from the doorway. “Right. I can take it.”

Wyn’s face turns red again, and he stands. “Listen, man. I didn’t mean to bust your–”

Mo walks over and pats Wyn on the back. “Sure you did. And I totally understand. Grace does that to men. Makes them crazy. I get it. Trust me.” He holds out his hand. “Truce?”

Wyn reluctantly takes it and looks at me before standing up straight to make himself taller. “For now. But just know, you hurt her or turn your back for once second, I’m gonna be there.”

Mo does one more shake and nods. “Sounds fair to me.”

Wyn snaps his fingers. “In a nanosecond.”

“I got it.” Mo raises his eyebrows.

I watch them bicker. “Hello, I’m in the room, you know. I get to make my own choices. So if we can leave Testosterone City, we–”

Before I can finish my sentence, the lights cut out.

Survival Skill #27

When facing danger, it is critical that your group stays together. Power travels in numbers
.

M
o pushes me down and ducks next to me. He places one finger to his lips.

Wyn looks down at us. “Didn’t know they played Duck-Duck-Goose in England.”

Mo frowns and puts his finger to his mouth.

Wyn kneels next to me. “Is he afraid of the dark?”

Mo hisses. “Shut up.”

I whisper, “Maybe it’s Sweeney?”

Mo shakes his head and keeps his voice low. “He wouldn’t tinker with the lights.”

“Maybe it’s just a fuse,” Wyn says. “It is winter, and the lights have been out in — ”

“Does he always chatter on this much?”

I nod as Wyn frowns.

Mo pops his head up and looks outside. “Let’s hope he’s right. I’ll check it out. I saw the fuse box in the kitchen.” He grips Wyn’s shoulder. “Watch her. Do not leave her side.”

Wyn smirks and hugs me. “Thought you’d never ask.”

Mo leaves the room in a crouch.

I take a huge breath and exhale when he’s out of sight. I can’t help a little panic whenever he leaves my side. It’s like he’s never coming back. “Maybe I should to go with him.”

Wyn sits next to me on the floor and rubs my back. “I’m sure he’ll be fine. He’s a big boy.”

I try to act confident even though fear is surging deep inside me. To be honest, it would be much better to have never gotten Mo back than to get him back only to somehow lose him all over again. I don’t think my heart could take it twice. I breathe in and out quietly and mentally talk myself down off the ledge.
Everything is fine. Mo is fine
.

The next few minutes go by so slow. Like time is crawling at a sloth’s pace. My legs start to cramp, so I shift on the floor. I keep checking my watch. I can sense Wyn watching me, but he doesn’t say anything.

Finally Mo comes back. “Fuses seem fine. It’s outside.”

I study his face, which is pinched tight. Worry lines create deep trenches across his forehead. “What does that mean?” I ask.

Mo raises his eyebrow to Wyn and then strokes my hair. “That someone is here.”

Wyn interrupts. “Or the power went out. Let’s not scare her completely if we don’t have to.”

“Rather have her scared and alert than have her drop her guard.”

Wyn rolls his eyes. “Spoken like a true hero.”

I sit back against the couch and start to breath heavy. All the feelings from hiding in the woods, being chased, the constant fear are swirling inside me. They all come rushing back. My breath quickens. “Oh, God.”

Wyn smirks. “Let’s hope it’s not. Unless he’s here for Mo. Then I can’t say I would object.”

I flash him a dirty look and face Mo. “What can we do?”

Mo pulls out his cell phone and punches in some numbers. “Let’s just make sure that on some odd planet, it’s not Sweeney.”

The phone rings. When Sweeney picks up, Mo puts it on speaker. Sweeney sounds groggy, tired. “Hey. I’m still about thirty minutes away. The weather is awful. Power lines down — ”

Mo butts in. “I think we have a visitor.”

Sweeney sounds perturbed. “Why? I told him to stay put.”

Wyn practically cowers in the corner like he’s hiding from the phone.

Mo looks frustrated at having to explain. “He’s here, but I’m talking someone else. I’m fairly sure they just cut the lights.”

Sweeney pauses, and I think I hear him hit the steering wheel. “Stay in the house. I bet it’s Porter trying to scare someone.”

I lean over and speak into the phone. “Wait. I thought you were with him at the hospital.”

“So did I. Evidently, he checked out about an hour before Reynolds and I got there.”

I’m confused so I’m silent for a second. “But why would Porter want to hurt me?”