Chapter 18
FLIGHT TO POLANCO
Never in Bryson’s wildest dreams had he imagined they would be heading to Vega’s—a man who had once wanted to buy him and someone who frankly he had never wanted to meet.
Now Adria was steering their ship in that exact direction.
On the plane, his gaze lingered on Adria. Her complexion was paler than he remembered, and dark circles shadowed her eyes. The entire trip had been taxing on all of them, but Bryson considered that Adria might be taking on more than her fair share.
He wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms, but every time he watched her, every time he tried to get close, Regan’s voice rang in his ear. It’s not very often you meet your equal.
“Okay wait,” Elena waved her hands in the air.
“So this Vega guy was the one who wanted to buy my brother and X, is it? He was trying to facilitate the transfer in exchange for a piece of land that could be used as a port. A port that would give you more leverage with the Triune and ultimately get your mother back, maybe? Did I get that right?”
Adria nodded.
Bryson watched Elena pace, arms slicing the air, dark eyes flashing with mistrust. His sister always wanted the straightest, simplest path. But life rarely allowed for those kinds of roads.
Elena continued, “And Maxim used to work for your father and, after you fired him, went to work for the FBI. But you don’t trust him, because he helped your mother escape, and she didn’t make it out?”
“That pretty much sums it up,” Adria said.
Bryson followed his sister’s pacing with his eyes. She was so different from the girl he had dropped off at a safe house six years ago. Strong willed sure, that was the Winters in her, but there was a fire that burned through her.
The strength in it, it was contagious.
“What could go wrong?” Elena said.
“Do you have any thoughts you would like to share with the class?” Adria said.
Elena narrowed her eyes. “I do actually. I think bringing my brother to the guy who tried to buy him, without understanding why, is insane.”
Bryson clenched his jaw with each of his sister’s protests. Should he interject on Adria’s behalf? Or let her handle his sister on her own?
Adria shifted uncomfortably. “He doesn’t want Bryson anymore. He wants something different now,” she said.
“What?” Elena asked, not willing to drop the subject.
“Because Vega has a new proposition for me.”
That got Bryson’s attention.
“Apparently, he has an heir. He is a little unruly. Vega heard about my work.” She paused and brought her beautiful green eyes to meet Bryson’s.
“So he wants you to get him in line just like you did my brother,” Elena said, sarcasm dripping.
Adria shrugged. “I guess so.”
“And you agreed to this?” Bryson said, his hands curling into fists.
“No, yes—I haven’t decided yet.” She shook her head.
Anger flared in Bryson’s chest.
“Okay, so you were just going to replace us,” Bryson snapped, and the plane fell quiet.
“I didn’t know that I wasn’t allowed to do my job,” Adria snapped back.
What the fuck, he hadn’t said that.
Bryson’s body protested as he punched the seat in front of him before standing and moving to the back of the plane.
“Just do what you want,” he said over his shoulder.
Footsteps sounded behind him, and Bryson could tell it was Kaydon. Flopping into the back row, Kaydon sat right beside him.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Bryson said.
“Then don’t,” Kaydon said.
“Nice color,” Bryson said after a few minutes of comfortable silence.
Kaydon ran a finger along the bit of purple on his neck. Bryson could see the outline of Adria’s teeth, and he admired how perfectly they fit around his family’s snowflake.
“If you want one of your own, you are going to have to talk to her,” Kaydon smirked.
Bryson glanced towards the front of the plane. Adria’s head was leaning on Seth’s shoulder. Elena was still pacing, and he wasn’t sure where Eric was.
“How am I supposed to talk to her now? I just yelled at her in front of everyone. Less than twenty-four hours with her and I’m already back to my same old shit,” Bryson said.
Kaydon just sat there. His soft brown eyes staring at him.
Bryson ran his fingers through his hair.
He needed a shower. Seth showered at the hotel, but Bryson just didn’t have the energy.
His chest hurt, and with everything going on, he didn’t want to bring it up.
He was afraid if he told anyone how much pain he was actually in, it might make Adria give him more blood, and she had done enough already.
Kaydon rubbed the inside of his already red forearm, and Bryson reached out, grasping Kaydon’s wrist. Kaydon froze. Bryson pulled, but Kaydon tensed, fighting him.
“Let me see,” Bryson said, leaving no room for argument.
Kaydon rolled his eyes but allowed Bryson to turn his palm up.
There were red scratch marks, some scabbed, some freshly healed. One was new with small crimson drops of blood growing on the surface.
Bryson pulled Kaydon’s palm to his face, kissing it.
“You have to stop doing that,” Bryson said. “You want to feel pain? Go to Adria. No more of this shit.”
Kaydon’s expression was new to Bryson. Guilt? Shame? Defiance? Bryson couldn’t place it.
“I shouldn’t come to you?” Kaydon said playfully.
“Just stop,” Bryson said. “Can you do that?”
Kaydon’s smile faded, and he nodded, tucking his hand back into his body.