Run To Me (Lazarus Rising #4)(41)

“I died,” Willow whispered.

“No, baby, you didn’t, you were having a dream, you—”

“Wyman was there. He said he’d bring me back. That he’d make sure I couldn’t ever be hurt again.” She shuddered again. “And then I was burning. Everything about me—everything was being torn away.”

He pulled her against his chest and held her, hating her pain. Hating the fact that this wasn’t just some bad dream. It was her life.

“It hurt. I thought I was in hell. Then it all changed. I opened my eyes, and I was strapped to a table. I was in a lab.”

And that was where she’d stayed. Locked up. A prisoner.

I made her a prisoner again.

“Screw this shit.” He scooped her into his arms. Carried her toward the door. Cecelia was there and when she saw him coming, with Willow cradled in his arms, Cecelia gave a frantic shake of her head.

“What are you doing?” Cecelia gasped.

“What I should have done in the first place.” His hold tightened on Willow. “She doesn’t belong in some cell. She’s not going to be locked up.”

“Jay, you know what happened before, you know—”

“I know she didn’t kill me. I know she won’t. And I know there is no way I’m leaving her locked up.” It hurt her. He’d hurt her. “Step aside, doctor.”

Cecelia hesitated, but she moved to the side.

“Thank you.” He pressed a kiss to Willow’s head. “We’re going upstairs, baby. I’ll open the blinds, let the light in. Just the way you like.” He kept talking to her as he made his way down the hallway, then up the stairs.

With every step he took, he could feel Cecelia watching him.

***

“I need to ask you a question.”

West Harper stared into the gleaming amber liquid. Whiskey. Not really his drink of choice, but it had been one hell of a day. Or, rather, night. After nearly being blown to hell and back, he could use something to take the edge off.

Cecelia cleared her throat. “West? Did you hear me? I need to ask you something.”

He downed the whiskey and turned toward her.

She nervously tucked a lock of red hair behind her ear. “It’s about Jay.”

“Figured as much.” He waited. When it came to Jay’s secrets, West wasn’t exactly the sharing sort. He liked Cecelia, she was good at her job, but he wasn’t going to betray his brother. Not for anyone.

“How long has he been in love with Willow?”

Not the question he’d anticipated. West gave a low laugh. “He isn’t.” Jay had never gotten serious about any woman. Sure, he loved women. In general. Loved them in all sorts of shapes and sizes, but to be in love with one particular woman? Not Jay’s style. Jay didn’t go for permanence. Not for commitment. His life was his tech. His inventions.

“Are you sure?” She stepped forward. “Because I’m afraid that Jay’s emotions may be blinding him to a danger that he shouldn’t ignore.”

Now tension swept through West. “You’d better elaborate on that danger.”

She glanced over her shoulder. “Willow is dangerous.”

“All of the super soldiers are dangerous.” He paused a beat. “Including your lover.”

“Flynn wouldn’t hurt me.” Her instant response.

“Yeah, but he’d sure destroy anyone who tried to come at you, wouldn’t he? And the guy wouldn’t hesitate.”

She nodded. “True.” Cecelia’s hands pressed to the front of her jeans. “I think the subjects need an anchor of sorts. Someone they can connect with. Someone to help them maintain their link to humanity.”

“That what you are to Flynn? His humanity?”

She glanced away from him. Her gaze swept around the room—Jay’s study. Some of the furniture was smashed. Broken glass littered the floor. “What if she hadn’t stopped?”

Like that question hadn’t already run through his head a dozen times. When Jay needed him, West hadn’t been there. Hadn’t been close enough to save his brother’s life. The guards outside had been unconscious. Jay had been on his own. “He was armed.”

“Do you think he’d ever shoot her?”

No, he didn’t. “She’s locked up for the time being,” West said, making sure he sounded confident and in control. The lady obviously needed some reassurance. “We can figure things out—”

“He’s not locking her up. I think he should. And you know I don’t say something like that lightly. Until we can figure out how that trigger worked, until we can figure out exactly what happened in this room, Willow should be secured. But he won’t lock her up. Jay just carried her back upstairs. Not a logical move for a man who lives his entire life based on logic.”

No, it wasn’t a fucking logical move. It was a suicidal one.

“I’ll ask again…how long has he been in love with her?”

West didn’t speak.

“I need your help, West. I’m trying to figure things out.” She began to pace. “If I could have just seen what happened here. Willow’s memories are spotty, and Jay is hell bent on protecting her. I need to know exactly what went down, I need—”