Page 21 of Resolve
Once I think I’m safe, I look around the room and notice one of them is missing. “Where’s Dane?” I ask, trying not to panic that he’s out of sight again.
I’m not losing anyone else.
“Waiting in the hall,” Aiden replies, standing at the edge of the corridor to the entry door so he can see both spaces.
“Is she still asleep?” Kell asks, crossing his arms and staring at the closed door.
I nod, walking toward Aiden with Jackson close behind. He’d used his gift to help me carry her into the room, staying with me until we were out before giving me some space. I love he can sense that about me. When I need him, he’s right there. When I need time,he’s out of sight. I can’t say he’s completely gone; he probably had been watching me from somewhere close, but as long as I have the illusion of being alone at that time, that’s all I need.
“Do you want to return to the Loft? You’re still recovering from the fight and your gift,” Aiden croons, almost a lulling sound as if to ease me into agreeing with him.
Unfortunately for him, it has the opposite effect, bringing out my disagreeable side to dig in my imaginary heels as I step in close to him. “And you’re recovering from near-death. If anyone’s going back to the Loft to rest, it should be you.”
“I'll sleep after the Tower’s secure. We’re lucky we found her. There could be others.”
“And how the heck am I supposed to relax when you say something like that? No, I’m coming with you. We’re doing this together. When you rest, I’ll rest.”
Aiden slides his hand around my neck, lifting my chin with his thumb. He leans in close. “You’re always testing my patience. Especially when I try to look after your well-being,” he murmurs, an edge to his tone.
“Pot calling the kettle black?” I challenge and catch the ghost of a smile before he releases me and heads to the door.
“Let’s go.”
“Did I just win that one?” I ask in shock to Kell.
He laughs and catches me with an arm to bring me out of the apartment with him. “That’s what I heard.”
Dane’s waiting with his back to the opposite wall, his head down and face shadowed.
“Dane?” I trot out of Kell’s arm to reach him, and he swings his head up at the sound of my voice. Whatever expression was thereclears to a smile.
“Hey. All good in there?”
Jack closes the door as the last to leave while Aiden taps his phone several times. There are a couple of clicks and booms that tell me he’s locking up.
“Yeah. What are you doing out here?”
“I forgot my laptop,” he says casually, lifting it in one hand. I don’t buy it. There’s something off about him. I can’t see anything specifically to call him out on it, but I can feel it.
Is it Harvey? Harvey's sister?
Fuck.
Hissister.
Vera.
How? How could I have forgotten? I was so worried about Aiden, about what’s happening next with GE, that she didn’t even cross my mind until now.
Every time he’s looked at me since I woke up, his smile has been so tender. So comforting.
Guilt eats at my chest. “Dane...”
“Elevator’s here,” he says at the same time, taking my hand and pulling me inside. “Did you say something?” He looks at me, his amber gaze warm, and the tufts of hair at the top of his head sticking out haphazardly as usual. Or maybe a bit more. The blond is fading at the roots, filling in with his natural brown, so more than half of its length is brown. He’s wearing a loose shirt and jeans, exposing the sleeve of tattoos on his left arm and crawling up the side and back of his neck.
“You eye-fucking him, beautiful?” Kellan calls me out. “As much as I’ve been waiting for my time to shine against these three, Ican’t say I’ll perform my best crammed in an elevator with them unless we all get real comfortable with each other’s dicks real quick.”
Dane scoffs, rolling his eyes. “Shut the fuck up, man.”
