Run To Me (Lazarus Rising #4)(28)

Beside her, Jay stiffened. “You don’t have bad dreams.”

No, she didn’t. Not bad dreams. Not good dreams. Not since she’d woken in that lab. Or at least, she didn’t usually remember the dreams when she woke up. Things were changing now.

“Willow.” Jay seemed hesitant. “Was it a dream or a memory?”

She shook her head. Nothing had been clear in the dream. She hadn’t seen the man’s face. She’d just felt him. His strength. His anger.

And she’d been afraid.

Willow jumped from the bed, pulling the covers with her. Suddenly, she felt far too exposed. “I need a shower.” Sweat still clung to her body. For a bit there, she hadn’t even realized she was dreaming. “It seemed so real,” she mumbled. Her feet padded across the floor as she headed for the bathroom.

“Willow.”

His low voice stopped her.

“Do you want to tell me about it?”

She wanted to pretend it hadn’t happened. Not at all. “Shower first.” Because she wanted to wash away the fear. It clung to her skin like the sweat. She hesitated. “Join me?” Willow realized that she didn’t want to be alone. Not then.

He nodded and started to climb from the bed.

His phone rang. The phone she’d forgotten all about during the, um, activities of the night before. The phone was on the nightstand, and it vibrated, lighting up.

His private line. Calling this late? “Must be important,” she said, forcing her lips to smile. “Maybe we’ll take a raincheck.” She hurried into the bathroom and shut the door behind her. For a moment, she just stood there, trying to catch her breath.

Her gaze slid to the mirror. She stared at her reflection.

She hadn’t been a virgin. Jay wasn’t her first lover.

You belong to me. I belong to you…

The low voice from her dream—memory?—swept through her mind once more, and Willow shivered.

***

There was no damn way he’d take a raincheck on joining Willow in the shower. Did he look like a dumbass? Jay grabbed his phone, not even checking the screen. His gaze was locked on the bathroom door. Willow hadn’t turned on the water yet. He’d join her before she could.

His finger swiped over the screen. Only a handful of people had this particular number, and whoever this caller was—“Not now,” he bit off. “Unless there is a fire, a shooting, or a death, you call me back—”

“There will be a death.”

Jay stilled. “Who the hell is this?” Now he did look at the screen.

Unknown caller.

What kind of bullshit was that? What—

“You put her at risk. This is your fault.” The voice was low, gruff, but familiar. Jay just couldn’t quite place it.

“Who the hell is this?” Jay barked once more.

“Did you ever think that she was hidden for a reason?”

Willow. The sonofabitch is talking about Willow. And suddenly, that oddly familiar voice… “Wyman?” He could hardly believe it. “Wyman Wright?”

Silence.

Every muscle in Jay’s body locked down. “You sound amazingly alive for a dead man.” Only Jay had known the guy hadn’t died. Wyman had just made himself vanish. The fellow was one powerful player in the U.S. and abroad. Wyman had been trying to make his own freaking army of super soldiers, and he hadn’t even cared how he got his test subjects.

Sawyer Cage was killed and put into the program. Wyman didn’t have a conscience. The guy was a psychopath. He was also the man Jay had wanted to lure into the open, and his plan had worked. Absolutely freaking perfectly.

Wyman had just made his first mistake.

“She was supposed to be dead.” Wyman’s response came slowly. “But you messed that up.”

Jay leapt out of the bed. “Willow isn’t dead. She won’t be dead. You’ll never get your hands on her again.”

A sharp inhale. “I’m not the threat to her.”

“Bullshit. You and your freaking torture labs nearly destroyed all of the test subjects. But it’s done, you hear me? You’re done. You won’t hurt Willow again. You won’t hurt any of them. Because I’m going to destroy you and your operatives. You’re not the only one with power and connections. I’m—”

“You’re the threat to her.”

The hell he was. “You’re done, Wyman,” Jay repeated flatly.

The call ended.

Jay could hear the roar of water in the bathroom. Willow had gotten into the shower. He dialed quickly, putting the phone to his ear. West answered on the second ring.

“Jay,” West sounded slightly annoyed, “do you have any idea what I’m—”

“Wyman just called. And I’ve got the sonofabitch’s location. You know I can trace every fucking call I get.” No one could match his tech, not even Uncle Sam. Hell, he’d given Uncle Sam the best products the government had. Jay’s voice was low as he continued, “I’m texting the info to your team. If we can get the bastard tonight, if we can track him to his hole…”

“Oh, hell, yes.” Now West didn’t sound annoyed at all.

“I’ll text Sawyer and Flynn, too. They’ll want to be in on the hunt,” Jay added.