Page 23

MARA

“ D id you get lost? I almost sent in a search and rescue team to find you.” Edith sat by the fireplace, already nibbling on…french fries? Is that what they were called?

“Ha, ha,” I deadpanned. I wasn’t in the mood. My heart felt heavy, and it was a weight I knew I had to carry myself. I towel dried my hair, glad to be in comfy sweatpants and a loose-fitting, long-sleeved shirt.

“Well, come eat something. You look like a raisin, by the way,” she added.

“Thank you for boosting my already shit self-esteem,” I groused.

She cocked a brow. “You’d think sleeping for fourteen days would make you more of a peach.”

I glared at her as I tossed the towel on the bed and then made myself comfortable in the chair opposite her by the fire. A tray sat with a small bowl of chicken noodle soup. I lifted it to my face as I curled my legs up on the chair. “So, who’s here?”

She shoved another fry in her mouth. “Well, me for starters, and then Matias, Chelsea—”

I choked, spitting my soup back into my bowl. “Chelsea? Is she—”

“Doing awesome!” Edith’s eyes lit up .

“But how?”

“Your brother. Before we left, he told Giza how the signal could be jammed, counteracting the Telvian transmissions. She has to keep this little device with her at all times, but as long as she’s within range of it, the frequency jams Raúl’s. It gives her complete control of her mind again.”

I shifted my gaze to the floor, mouth hanging open in shock. Chelsea was okay…well, not exactly okay , but better at least. She was able to function again. I closed my eyes, feeling the sting returning in my throat. You redeemed yourself, Jacob. You gave Chelsea back her life.

I blinked rapidly, trying to push back the tears threatening to fall again. I didn’t want to cry anymore…not today. “Matias must be so happy.”

Edith snorted, gnawing on the end of another fry. “That’s an understatement. The dude’s over the moon. When Sasha had him assigned to the estate, he begged that Chelsea be assigned with him. And you know Sasha…she wasn’t going to tell him no. So she’s here, and Rincon—”

Rincon? Why did that name sound so familiar? “Was he at Base Camp?”

“Yup,” she confirmed as she swung a leg over the armrest, slouching back. “He was one of Wes’s bunkmates.”

Yes, I remembered him. He was one of the guys that taught me how to play Stallion. “Glasses?”

Edith nodded as she shoved two more fries in her mouth and then rattled on. “There’s Geo, and Jay…”

I took another bite of soup, which was lukewarm at best, and frowned. So much for a decent meal.

“A bunch of other people you don’t know, and there’s Calista—”

“ What! ” Soup dribbled out of my mouth as I started coughing.

Edith sighed, watching me choke. “Yeah, I didn’t think you’d like that one much. ”

I grabbed the glass of water beside me and guzzled it, trying to cease my coughing fit. After a moment, I was able to breathe again.

Of all the freaking people… Her . It had to be her . I couldn’t believe this. As if life wasn’t craptastic enough.

“Trust me,” Edith said as she sat up, “I wasn’t happy about it either.

But Wes wanted people he knew personally to be stationed here.

Like it or not, she’s on his list of people he trusts.

So, surprise ,” she said, drawing out the last word sardonically and giving me jazz hands. “You get to live with the bitch.”

My whole body sagged. Freaking hell … Blondie was living here. I put my bowl on the side table. Suddenly, I wasn’t hungry anymore.

***

WES

I was racing up the steps, my boots pounding each one as my heart throbbed from an ache that could only be cured by one thing.

Eyes.

Bottomless, beautiful, endless brown eyes.

Her eyes.

I needed to see them. I needed to hear them sing to me. I needed to watch her lashes flutter, and her mouth smile, and her lips part so that the sound of her voice could say my name.

I turned, jogged down the hall, not caring how the maids looked at me as they flattened themselves against the walls. I didn’t care how the soldiers stared, or how the security team scrutinized my approach. None of it mattered. The moment my tab binged, and I saw Edith’s message…

She’s awake .

I flew. I was a fucking tornado and nothing my mother or Krous said changed my mind. In that moment, I didn’t care about soldiers or war or shaking hands or smiling and waving to the troops.

To hell with all that.

I cared about Mara . I wanted Mara . I fucking needed Mara.

She was awake, and I wasn’t anywhere nearby. And I was pissed off, like a tiger poked in a cage, because it was the one thing I argued over and over again when Mother and Krous told me to visit the bases: What if she wakes up?

But everyone insisted I go. My mother reminded me that I was the president now, and I had a duty to the people.

It was like fucking chains wrapped around my arms, and weights of steel and lead tied to my ankles.

And I was pulling and tugging and marching forward, dragging my new burdens with me, being held back and forced to remain grounded when all I wanted to do was soar.

Fuck being the president. I didn’t want it. I just wanted one thing…and she was finally awake.

My chest heaved as I stopped in front of Mara’s door.

I closed my eyes, tipping my chin to my chest as I tried to steady my racing heart.

Several breaths, in and out. The warmth blooming inside me—anxiety, anticipation, eagerness—felt like lapping waves of warm water over heated sand.

I looked down at myself, making sure I looked somewhat acceptable in my standard-issued cadet uniform—olive-green shirt, tan cargos, black boots—that every soldier wore.

My mother kept telling me I needed to dress the part.

“You need to dress for success, my darling. Wear a suit.” That’s what she told me. And how did I respond? I wore my cadet uniform instead. Why? Because I was a soldier, not a leader. I slayed a president and declared myself king, but I knew in my heart that wasn’t who I was.

That’s who Chase was.

But I wasn’t Chase…not anymore.

I didn’t knock—though I probably should have—and I opened the door.