He breathes hard through his nostrils. He looks like he’s in pain. And then he hangs his head between his shoulders, his hands braced on the glass.
“Jaxon,” I say as I raise my hands and match them with his. “I know this is hard. I can’t imagine what this is like, being surrounded on all sides by darklings. But I believe in you. I know you can do this. Please,” I whisper, “come back to me.”
Slowly, he raises his head back up, and he fixes his green eyes on me. I see a perplexed look in his expression. He’s trying to fight this. But he is also still in all-out ultralight form.
My heart soars though, when he whispers one word.
“Serena.”
Emotions pull at the back of my eyes. I’ve been suffocating them for two weeks, but in this moment, I can’t fight them anymore. I let the tears come. They streak down my face.
I watch the expression on Jaxon’s face break, too. The pain in his eyes doubles.
He brushes his hand over mine through the glass.
The flames shrink, just a fraction.
“Serena,” he says quietly once more.
I lean forward, and rest my forehead against the glass, mirroring his position.
“I believe in you,” I say quietly.
Chapter Four
Now that I’m in one location all day every day, and now that I’m not an active field agent, I don’t get any phone calls.
So I rip from sleep with a start when something vibrates loudly on my nightstand.
Confused, I grapple for my cell phone. I don’t recognize the number, but I answer anyway.
“Hello?”
“Serena,” a familiar voice comes through, crystal clear. “You’re a difficult woman to track down.”
“Vivian,” I say, even as a chill works its way down my spine. I’m not afraid of Jaxon’s mother, but the ramifications of what this woman can do are infinite.
“I hope you are well, my dear,” she says. But the genuine meaning behind the sentiment is completely missing.
“I’m doing great, thank you for asking,” I say as I sit up in my bed and sit on the edge.
“That’s wonderful to hear,” she says in that calm, monotone way of hers. “I was wondering if my son was nearby? I haven’t been able to reach him since the two of you left town a few weeks ago.”
I knew this was coming. Vivian Gray keeps close tabs on her children because they all work for her, collecting her money and bashing in the skulls of those who cannot pay.
“He’s actually out with my dad right now,” I lie. “They went fishing at the river.”
Vivian pauses a moment, evaluating what I’ve said. “The visit with your family must be going well.”
“It is,” I say, keeping my tone firm and calm. “My parents love Jaxon. He certainly knows how to turn on the charm, doesn’t he?”
Vivian makes this amused hmm sound, and I can just imagine the controlled but annoyed smile on her face, the way her lips would purse slightly, and her eyes would narrow a bit. “Yes, he does. Can you tell me, Serena, when can I expect the two of you back in the city?”
I reach up and scratch my forehead, fighting off a sigh. I knew Jaxon would have to see his family, that we couldn’t completely walk away. But Jaxon’s manifestation hasn’t been what I expected at all. “I’m not sure, Vivian. My parents are getting older, and they’ve needed our help the last few weeks. I don’t think I can feel good leaving them high and dry until things are wrapped up. It’s probably going to be two more weeks or so.”
Another pause. Vivian doesn’t like my answer. “My Jaxon has always had a good heart, but I hope he hasn’t already forgotten that blood is thicker than water. I need my son back, soon, Serena.”
“I need him too, Vivian,” I say, sharper than I should. “And considering he’s going to be my husband as soon as we get back, I should hope I hold the greatest sway right now.”
Oh, I’ve gone and done it.
That was a mistake.
But I don’t regret a single word.
Vivian pauses again. Three seconds pass by. “I’ve been planning your wedding party for the past two weeks. I’m truly looking forward to it. But I realized that I have no idea what full name to put on the announcement. And I’m having a difficult time finding any record of you, or your last name.”
Cold ice washes through my veins. Because the reality hits me hard.
I did have a last name.
But I’m not even sure I remember what it was. It hasn’t been important in so long.
Jaxon hasn’t ever even asked for it.
“White,” I spit out the lie, going for the irony of it.
“Serena White,” Vivian Gray repeats, and I can hear that she knows this is a lie from her tone. “Well, please tell my son to call me as soon as possible. I need to have a word with him.”
“I’ll do that.” And I hope she can hear the lie in my tone. “Goodbye, Vivian.”
“Goodbye, Serena,” she says in that chilly tone of hers, and she hangs up.
I give a frustrated huff as I click my phone off. As if I needed one more thing to stress over. Now the crime lord mama is anxious for her baby boy to return to work.
Only he’s in a tunnel underground, and he’s on fire.
I get up and get dressed. I pull on a pair of tight black pants and a v-cut t-shirt. I brush my fingers through my hair and call it good.
The passageway is quiet and empty when I walk out. It looks like half of our darklings moved out yesterday. Guess everyone else was feeling just as crowded. I’m simply relieved.
I walk up to the vault. Jaxon is pacing back and forth. He’s still on fire, but it’s literally half of what it was yesterday.
Excitement surges in my veins. Stars above, this is taking so long.
“We have a problem,” I say. I stop right in front of the glass, putting my hands on my hips. I’m sick of walking on eggshells lately. I don’t know who I’m walking on them for. I need to talk to Jaxon, and I need to talk to him now. “Your mother just called me.”
Jaxon instantly stops in his tracks, and for just a second, his light surges. His eyes are wide with dread.
“Yeah,” I say with a sigh. “She’s not exactly happy that she hasn’t been able to reach you since we left the casino. And she definitely wasn’t happy when I told her it will probably be a few weeks until we come back.”
“Shit.”
It’s literally only the second word he’s spoken since he manifested, and it’s a curse.
A laugh huffs out of me.
“Yeah,” I say again. “I made up a story, said that my parents needed our help and that I didn’t feel good about leaving them ‘cause they’re old.”
A laugh cracks a little bit of a smile in one corner of his beautiful mouth. Some of the barbs of anxiety that are wrapped around my heart loosen just a little bit at seeing it.
It’s funny, because my parents are old. As in they have been dead for well over a hundred years.
“And I might have said some sharp things about how she’s not the only woman who can tell you to jump anymore. I told her you’re mine, and that you’ll go home when I say so.”