Run To Me (Lazarus Rising #4)(32)

You attacked first.

“I had a bad dream.” Willow’s voice. The first words she’d spoken. “I think…I think he was going to hurt me.” Her words were too low, almost child-like. Not his normal Willow at all. She wore one of Jay’s old t-shirts, and it covered her from shoulder to mid-thigh.

At her words, the rage inside of Jay flared even hotter. “Wyman, you won’t hurt her—”

“It wasn’t me, you bastard!” Wyman shouted back. “I never hurt her! I saved her! I picked up the pieces—I’m the one who found her broken body. I saved her! I protected her! Just like I’ll always protect her.”

The guy’s voice—his face, his eyes—everything about him was suddenly blazing, and for just a moment, Jay almost believed him.

Almost.

But then, Jay wasn’t an idiot.

Fool me once, shame on you.

Fool me twice…

Jay wasn’t about to buy Wyman’s lies again.

“He…found me.” Willow’s voice again, even softer than before. “You said he wouldn’t find me, but he did.”

She wasn’t making sense. They’d planned for Wyman to take the bait, but, shit, maybe she meant that Wyman shouldn’t have gotten in the house. “I’ll take care of him,” Jay swore grimly. “I’ll—”

“I’m sorry, Willow,” Wyman said, cutting through Jay’s words. Only Wyman’s voice was different. Almost gentle. Sad. “I thought I’d protected you. He was smarter than I anticipated. More determined. And he’s hunting you again. That’s why you need to come with me, right now. We need to get out of here tonight. I’ll make you disappear again. He won’t ever find you. I swear it. You’ll vanish, and you’ll be safe.”

The hell that was happening. “Willow isn’t leaving.” Jay shook his head. “Are you just insane, Wyman? You’re done. Either I’m putting a bullet in your heart,” the option he preferred, “or my secondary team will be bursting in here any moment. We’ll lock you up. And then you’ll be answering every question that Sawyer Cage and the others have for you. You’ll tell us how many super soldiers are out there. Where they are. What you’ve done—”

“It’s over.” Wyman’s voice was flat. “Willow…it’s time to bloom.”

What the fuck was that shit? Why was—

Willow attacked Jay. She burst forward and drove her body against him. They flew back, and the gun discharged, thundering in Jay’s ears. He landed on the floor, and Willow grabbed his hand. She twisted his wrist, and the gun flew from his fingers. She drew back her left hand, her fist swinging toward his face.

Then she stopped.

Jay stared up at her. He wasn’t fighting her. He couldn’t fight her. Not Willow. There was no way he’d raise his hand against her. And he didn’t understand what was happening. Why it was happening. Willow wasn’t on Wyman’s side.

“Finish him, Willow,” Wyman ordered. “We don’t have time to waste. Find out his fears. See them. End him. Then we’re getting the hell out of here.”

Wyman sounded as if he were controlling her. As if…as if he’d turned on some kind of weapon inside of her.

No, Willow is the weapon. It was more like…

Jay stared into Willow’s eyes. And he saw no trace of the lover he’d known. It was like he was staring at a blank canvas. His Willow was gone.

How? Why? His mind raced.

Her fist was still balled, still just inches from his face.

“It’s time to bloom,” Wyman threw out his words again.

Her breath came faster. Rougher.

And Jay knew what had happened. The bastard was activating Willow. Hypnotizing her. Controlling her. Getting into her head.

But she was fighting Wyman. If she hadn’t been, Jay knew her fist wouldn’t be inches away. She would have already driven her hand into his face.

“Force his fears onto him! Knock the bastard out—and then we are leaving!” Wyman was shouting now.

“No.” The one word burst from between Jay’s gritted teeth. He wasn’t going to fight Willow. He would never hurt her. But she wasn’t leaving. Wyman wasn’t taking her. “If you go with him, he’ll hurt you, Willow. He’ll lock you up again.”

“I’m protecting her!” Wyman roared.

Jay ignored the bastard. His eyes were on Willow. Only her. “You want to see my fears? Do it, baby. I know exactly what I fear. You can come into my head, any damn time, because I’m not going to hide myself from you. See what I fear. See what scares me the most.”

She blinked. Once. Twice. And a little of the cold blankness left her gaze.

“I can tell you what I fear,” Jay continued, his voice low now, soothing, because he wanted to soothe her. He wanted to protect her. Always. “I fear losing you. I fear that bastard taking you away. Locking you up. But if he does, know this, Willow. I’ll find you. I won’t give up. I won’t leave you locked up. You can trust me. You can count one me.”

“No, Willow, you can’t!” Wyman fired back. “He’s the one putting you in danger. I’ve been protecting you. Always protecting you. He’s using you for his own ends. You can’t trust him, you can’t ever trust him!”