Page 132 of The Curse Trilogy

Chapter 11

Secrets Unlocked

My hands burn with the gift I rarely use. It’s not supposed to be connected to my emotions, but when it comes to Araya, all bets are off. I inject my veins with the olophine to calm the brewing storm, and I stare into the room where the scum is smugly relaxing with his hands cuffed to the table.

There hasn’t been a lead in two fucking years, and now this shit is going to start back up. It took me three years to get her back, and now I’ll probably never have her again. It’s for the best though. Her safety is far more important to me than having her love. The most painful thing I’ve ever done is walk away from her. Now I’ve had to do it twice. I broke her this time. I could see it in her eyes.

My phone buzzes, and I take a deep breath before looking to see who it is. I relax slightly when I see it’s Clay instead of her. She’ll probably never call again after what I said to her.

“How is she?” I say into the phone while answering.

“She’s gone. She took the lead interrogator position at Hershian, and Captain Hawkins drove her back earlier tonight. Where are you?”

“I’m here already. I stopped by the air hanger and took a chopper from there.”

“Choppers are dangerous. You know you could have been shot out of the sky by any one of our enemies.”

“I don’t give a fuck. The only thing I have worth living for is knowing I can keep her safe.”

“Hale, just tell her,” he sighs.

“No. If she knows, she’ll go back to living in fear. She may even go after them herself, and I wouldn’t be able to keep myself from going nuclear if it happened all over again. They still want her, Clay. You saw the fucking pictures. I should have put it together sooner. They attacked you guys the first time to get to Brazen. He was supposed to die, and it was supposed to bring out her savage. Javeline never needed to be attacked. They did it to destroy her emotional state, and it damn near worked. They’ve figured her out, and they came to Seminole to get her that night. They’re not dead, and you know it as well as I do.”

“Are you sure these are the same people? They’re not wearing the scorpion tattoo that shreds the bird. It’s possible you’re mistaken.”

“There’re two pictures you didn’t pay enough attention to. Go back and look at them closer. They’re still alive, and they’re coming for her. I’ll make sure they never get another fucking chance.”

“Let me come help you,” he exasperates.

“You know you can’t. If you join me, you have to tell the United where you are and what you’re doing. I can’t risk her finding out.”

I feel the burning once more, and I have to inject myself with more of the subduing medicine. This is so much harder than last time because I’ve just completely murdered any chance of ever feeling her love again.

“Then call Brazen. He’s damn good in the field, and he can help you. You don’t need to do this on your own. You almost died last time before you forced them underground.”

My jaw clenches as I stare at the picture of the girl I love more than my own life. The thought of her being with anyone else is enough to shred my heart to pieces, and I have to hold back the tears that try to breach my eyelids. She’ll always be mine, even if she goes back to him.

“I thought I killed them. If I had known they just went underground, I would have never drug her through this again. Brazen loves her almost as much as I do. He’ll come with me if I tell him, and he’ll hurt her when he lies to her about where he’s going - just like I always did. She needs someone there for her, and I can’t be. I hate that son of a full blooded bitch, but he loves her enough to keep her safe in my absence. I’m sure he’s already requested a transfer.”

“She wouldn’t tell him where she was going.”

I can’t help but smile upon hearing that, and I even let a small ghost of a laugh escape. She’s so amazing and stubborn. I’ll never love anyone else.

“He’ll find her,” I murmur with mixed emotions.

“Are you sure you want to gift wrap her and leave her for him? You worked pretty damn hard to get her back. If he succeeds in making her fall for him again, he won’t do anything to fuck it up. You could lose her forever, and I don’t think you really want that.”

“Of course I don’t want that, but I’d rather her be happy and oblivious than tormented and scared. You’ve seen her. She’s still battling the demons left behind from her abduction. She’s gone savage so many times from their strategic attacks. She might reach stage three if she learns they’re still out there.”

“She’s never gone stage three before.”

“Could you imagine what would happen if she did?” I almost whisper, and I shiver at the thought of how many she could destroy too easily. “It would be me times ten, if not worse. I don’t know if I could get close enough to bring her down.”

“I can’t transfer to Hershian to keep her safe like I did in Javeline. Seminole will need me in your absence since you won’t let me come help.”

“Brazen will take care of her,” I murmur, and then I feel the tense knot developing as the image of her with him sprawls out in my brain with such vivid pierces.

“She thinks you don’t love her anymore,” Clay releases with hesitance.