Kyan and Cullen rallied to aid their brother-in-arms. The military’s flanking maneuvers, however, seemed not to have accounted for clueless families and rushing children that made Ella’s tiny form flicker in and out of view despite the SEALs’ best efforts.
Which was when Bumblebee—distraught over losing his charge—decided to add his services to the tracking efforts and launched into the crowd.
Ivy gasped as slow-on-the-uptake tourists who didn’t move for navy SEALs leaped out of the way for a German shepherd on a mission. Reaching Ella just as the toddler was about to run right through a knife-throwing game, Bumblebee leapt atop her, pinned the girl to the ground, and barked his victory.
Onlookers screamed.
Dani groaned.
Ella squealed in delight as the dog licked her face furiously. “Ice cweeam, Wumble. Ice cweam.”
“You still sure you want children?” Dani asked Sky, who smiled indulgently. They all knew she and Cullen both did and had been actively trying for some time.
At least Cullen, as bullheaded as he was, didn’t ever pretend that he and Sky weren’t having sex.
Leaving Cullen, Kyan, and Eli to deal with a dog, toddler, ice cream, and a bunch of frightened-out-of-their-minds fair visitors, the rest of them set course for the main stage, where Jaz was due in an hour for the results announcement. The closer they got, the fewer low rock-climbing walls, axe-throwing contests, and water-dunking booths they encountered, the vendors changing from family-friendly fun to the higher-end brands selling real equipment. Vector Ascent’s booth boasted a large photo of Jaz in midclimb, along with a quote about trusting her life to only the best gear.
“Nice shot,” Ivy said. “How did they get a camera up there?”
On another day, Jaz would have come up with something entertaining, but today she just shrugged. “They didn’t. I was maybe three feet off the ground. The rest is Photoshop. Publicity is the name of the game.”
Everything, wasn’t it? Vector Ascent’s promotion images, the whole pomp and circumstance around the competition, the way Liam maintained a constant distance from her in public. The reason Shadow Cove didn’t allow cell phones. It wasn’t about reality, it was about image. Perception. The need to put up a wartless front to the world.
“Speaking of publicity.” Sky put her hands into her back pockets as she eyed Liam. “Did you put out a press release on the Trident group doing Jaz’s security?”
Liam returned Sky’s gaze with a dark one, the lack of surprise at Sky’s question lending it gravity. “Of course I didn’t.”
“Hmm.” Sky pursed her lips. “Yeah. I didn’t think so.”
Jaz narrowed her eyes at her friend. An investigative journalist and brilliant woman, Sky usually had five thoughts in her head for each one she said aloud. “Why exactly do you ask? Is there an issue?”
“Probably not,” Sky hedged. “It’s just Trident’s security contract with Vector Ascent suddenly got picked up by several major news outlets, and I’m not sure why. The contract isn’t a secret, but it would have taken some digging to find, and given other more prominent events going on, I’m not sure why someone bothered. And I don’t like not knowing. Or at least not having a good guess.”
“Maybe someone just needed an interesting twist on a straight climbing competition?” Ivy suggested. “People are vultures. Tell them athletes are defying gravity and scaling cliffs, and they don’t care. Hint at something gruesome, and they’ll buy popcorn and set out lawn chairs to watch. You want to know how many patients I get in the ER who walked themselves into traffic while trying to take photos of someone else’s accident?”
“I don’t doubt it.” Sky nodded. “Like it or not, sensationalism sells. But if someone was going after cheap thrills and bothered to find the security contract, you’d think they’d have found Jaz’s mugging too. Or maybe I’m overthinking this and Vector Ascent just pitched the story themselves for publicity’s sake. Can you check with them?”
“No problem,” Jaz said quickly. With her mood still gray from Liam’s rejection, she welcomed the chance to get away from the others and brood in peace. “I need to check in with Vector Ascent anyway. Catch you guys at the announcement. You don’t want to be standing around for an hour while they work out the logistics.”
Giving the gang a wave over her shoulder, she started toward the main table, which was visible beyond the small forest of supply stalls. She’d just made it twenty yards, right to the middle of the labyrinth, when Liam—who dutifully changed direction to keep up with her—grabbed Jaz’s upper arm.
Towing her into the relative privacy between two stalls, he squared off, his arms crossed over his muscled chest. “What’s going on with you?” He glared down at her from his greater height, his gaze reproving. “You’ve been sulking for the past hour.”
“Sulking?” Seriously? He had the gall to be upset with her?
“You’re welcome to pick any word you like. So what’s happened? And God help you if you say ‘nothing.’”
“Nothing.” She stepped around him. “Excuse me. I don’t want to be late.”
Liam shifted his weight, blocking her path. Something he was all too skilled at doing. Of course he was getting all close and powerful and sexy now, when there was little risk of anyone seeing.
Jaz inhaled his clean male musk and blew it out in a short breath. “I’m not playing.”
“Good. That makes two of us.” He stepped closer still, the heat from his body spilling into the small space between them. “So stop pretending I can read your mind, and tell me why you’re suddenly pissed to high heaven.”
“Suddenly is such an interesting word, don’t you think? Let’s take your sudden interest in my state of mind, for example. Nothing about it bothered you earlier, but now, suddenly, you can’t bear for me to take another step without spilling my guts to you. Makes one wonder what changed exactly. Hmm… Oh! I think I got it.” She snapped her fingers. “Your friends can no longer see you. You couldn’t be seen sitting with the uncool kid in the cafeteria before, but now that no one is watching, it’s game on.”
“Did you want me to kiss you in front of your brother?” Liam demanded.
“I want my brother’s presence to not get a fucking vote.” She crossed her arms, her heart pounding against her ribs as the words spilled out of her. “Kiss me. Don’t kiss me. Fuck me. Don’t touch me. Do whatever the hell you want—but do it because of me, not because of whoever else happens to be around.”
Liam lifted his chin, a muscle pulsing along the stubborn angle of his jaw. “And did you tell your girlfriends about our extracurriculars? Do Ivy and Dani and Sky know the many new ways you like to use rope? A blow-by-blow account of last night, perhaps?”
A blaze of fury heated Jaz’s blood. “Not the same thing, and you know it.”
“Do I?” He grabbed the back of her neck hard, the way they discovered she enjoyed in the heat of passion—though it felt different now. Intrusive and infuriating. “Don’t you get it? When it comes to me, everyone will assume they know the blow by blow. Literally.” Liam’s words came in a quiet, forceful staccato, his chest heaving as if from a run. “Whatever it is they imagine, whatever they find dirty or distasteful or edgy, that is what you’ll be assumed to have enjoyed. It was your reputation with the cool kids I was protecting. Not mine.”