Select (Select #1)(81)

I knew it was time to receive my punishment again, like I had after Barton Springs when I’d had the gall to act like one of them—worse, to be as powerful as one of them. But apparently that was a punishable offense for others as well. Even without proof of any wrongdoing this time, how would he not group me with Angus? It was what I deserved, regardless. Angus and his entire family would suffer because he’d stood up for me. I dragged my gaze upward to meet Novak’s eyes.

Novak shocked me by tilting his head to the side, his eyes gentle. “There’s no point discussing tonight. Any of it. In a few hours it will feel like it happened a lifetime ago.” I could feel him trying to manipulate my emotions by using that remarkable power he had. I was amazed he was looking at me like this, with love instead of disgust.

He reached out his hand. I stared at it for a second and then realized I had no choice but to take it. Grasping it, it felt so strong and reassuring. I could feel my heart rate slowing.

“We love you girls more than anything. You know that, right?” Novak asked. Why was he including me? And did he so overestimate my love for him that he didn’t realize he’d just broken my heart?

Victoria moved closer to Novak, interrupting the moment. “Look, the survival of this group is what’s most important, and we are all in danger right now. We need to leave,” she urged. It sounded like Victoria expected me to go with them. At that moment I didn’t know if I could make myself get in the car with them, regardless of any nirvana awaiting me on the other side.

Novak didn’t seem in any particular hurry as his gaze moved speculatively over me. Once Novak made the call, Relocation would spring into action, and he would have to admit defeat—that his hand had been forced by a kid he thought he had under control.

“When are they getting out?” Liv asked, referring to Angus and Lati. She still had no idea.

“Novak,” Victoria interrupted sharply. “Everyone’s been told they have two hours. We need to get inside our house. Now.” Victoria began to walk, expecting us to follow her.

“We shouldn’t leave a car here,” I said suddenly. “I’ll take Liv’s car home.”

“I want you to ride with us,” Victoria said to Liv. She wasn’t going to let Liv out of her sight.

“I need your keys,” I said to Liv.

“Julia,” Novak said. I froze. Then he said, “We’ll see you at home.” Novak turned, and the three of them walked into the dark, Liv looking back at me. She didn’t know she was being robbed of the chance to say good-bye.



I kept my head down and walked directly to his room. It was insane, but I couldn’t leave without seeing him.

Carefully, I opened the door without knocking, wanting to get out of the hall before someone stopped me. Immediately Lati snapped his head around and stared at me hard, quickly ending his phone call. The lights were dim. Lati sat on Angus’s bed, and Angus looked like he was asleep. I closed the door softly behind me.

“You can’t be in here, Julia,” Lati said.

“What happens next?” I asked quickly.

Unfazed, Lati accommodated. “Our ride will be here in ten minutes. My son will not be spending the rest of his life as an FBI lab rat.”

I wondered who was helping them. It was nice to know not everyone was abandoning them because Novak said so. “Where will you go?”

“Your father’s not the only one who can make plans,” he said.

“Can he be moved?” I asked, looking over at Angus.

“His foot has been reset. No internal injuries. So, yes. Amazing. Too amazing.” Lati shook his head, looking down at his son.

Lati brushed his knuckles against Angus’s arm, his relief palpable. He didn’t seem angry, in spite of what he was facing, all because of a spur-of-the-moment choice made by Angus—a kamikaze fuck-you to my father.

“Did you know my mother?” I asked, point-blank. Lati looked at me, realizing I had overheard the conversation. He hesitated.

“She was an outsider,” he said eventually. “I always thought it was unfair he wouldn’t tell you.”

“How?” I asked, incredulous. I knew this might be my only chance to get any information.

“I don’t know very much, in spite of the fact that we were close friends. Best friends.” Lati’s pause reflected how quickly things had changed. Angus stirred, and for a second I feared Lati wouldn’t say anything more. Then he looked up at me. He could probably see the desperation in my eyes, and he relented.

“The year before the Relocation to Austin, Novak started disappearing for long periods of time. Then one day he came to the group, telling us he’d found someone like us. Novak said she’d been searching for similar people, that she’d been drawn to us, and by being near him she’d developed some of our traits.

“Novak brought her to us only one time, and everyone was skeptical and suspicious of her. But Novak was hell-bent on convincing everyone she should be part of the group. It was clear he wanted to marry her. Then months later, with no warning, we needed to relocate. Novak showed up with an infant—you—and we were given strict orders never to question it.”

If Lati knew anything about her working with the FBI, he didn’t say a word. “How did he get away with it?”

“Novak was too valuable to let go.”