Chapter 2
Chapter two
Julian
My eyes followed Jack as she walked away. The urge to bring her back and tell her how much I wished things could be different between us pushed against my well-trained restraint.
“Wish I didn’t have to clean up,” Ives grumbled beside me, picking up around the living area, then chuckled. “Nice to be the boss’ goddaughter, huh?”
I shot him a flat look. “You don’t want her helping clean up, Ives. Did you forget about the boat incident?”
Ives’ face paled. “Oh, right. Yeah.” He laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head. “Better to keep her stabbing and slashing; Durand is good at that.”
Though I didn’t need to explain myself to my underling, none of us needed to be cleaning up an even bigger mess on top of our own. Jack did many things, but being efficient wasn’t one of them.
“Finish up and then report back,” I commanded the group. “I’ll head back first to give our report to the president.”
A chorus of acknowledgements followed me as I jogged away from the scene toward where one of our vehicles was parked. With me and Jack gone, they would all fit into the one vehicle, leaving me to go back early.
The ride back to headquarters was a quick one, since our squadrons only took care of supernaturals in a hundred-mile radius. There were other chapters of the Hunter’s Guild spread throughout the state and country, each handling their own territory.
I parked in the back and made my way into the hunter’s barracks. President West would want to hear from me soon, but I had time to shower and change first. I nodded to a few hunters on my way to the locker room, not bothering to stop to chat.
Finding my assigned locker, I worked the lock and then proceeded to disrobe.
One benefit of having Jack on my team was how quickly she took out each vampire, leaving me with barely anything to do and less laundry.
I unzipped my flak jacket, shoved it in my locker, then tossed my remaining clothes into the bulk laundry basket.
Before heading to the shower stalls, I grabbed my toiletry bag.
A handful of the stalls were filled but, with full-length doors on each of them, we had a faux sense of privacy. I flicked the water on and hooked my toiletry bag on the nearby hook. After I washed, my hand brushed against something inside my toiletry bag.
Something I had promised I would get rid of.
My eyes closed, and I gripped it in my hand before drawing it out. A thin white triangle with three straps connecting it tangled in my fingers. Just looking at it, the feel of it in my hand, brought back memories of that night.
Turning my back on the water, I brought the material to my nose, breathing the fading scent of Jack’s arousal. My hand wrapped around my hardened length, stroking it as I let my mind drift.
Her shy smile. The flutter of her lashes as I leaned over her, tipping her head back to look at me. That first press of our lips together. Fuck, I could taste her on my tongue like it was yesterday.
The small cries she made for me. She’d been so tight. Fuck. Squeezing me until I swore I’d pop. I memorized every inch of her body with my hands and mouth. We had all night, after all. Plenty of time for me to know every part of her and for her to know me.
My hand moved faster, the material pressed to my nose and mouth, muffling the sounds of my pants. Body tensing, I doubled over as I released all over the shower stall wall.
Once my senses came back to me, I took one look at her panties and tossed them to the side of the stall. Disgusted with my lack of self-control, I turned back to the cooling water and rinsed away my release.
After I’d turned the water off and toweled dry, I paused at the stall entrance. Then, without letting myself think about it too much, I picked the white cloth back up and shoved it in my bag again.
Irritated at myself, I quickly dressed in a pair of slacks and a plain white t-shirt. People moved out of my way as I slammed my locker door and peeled out of the locker room, my mind swirling with thoughts of someone I wasn’t supposed to be thinking about.
I wanted Jack so badly, but then it all went to shit. That one night together had turned from a breath of relief to pure agony within mere hours. Sometimes I wished I’d never known the touch, the taste of her, at all.
The receptionist waved me in as I approached President West’s office. When I stepped in and I saw co-president Saito there, I knew something was going to happen. I just didn’t know if it was something I would like.
“Fawley,” President West greeted from his seat behind his desk, his office a mahogany lover’s dream. His eyes crinkled in a genuine smile, showing his age across his wrinkling skin.
Saito stood behind him looking more like a bodyguard, with her black hair cut short and her two silver swords crisscrossing over her back.
Standing before his desk, I laced my hands behind my back. “I’m here to report on tonight’s hunt.”
“Yes, yes.” West gestured for me to continue.
“All hostiles were killed, the building housing them destroyed.”
“That’s it?” West arched a brow. “No comment on Jack’s behavior tonight?”
I remained silent.
He drew in a breath and shifted in his seat, glancing at Saito. “Well, that’s a new one.”
“The job was completed. From what you’ve told me before, that’s all that matters.”
West threw his head back and laughed. “Spoken like a real leader.” He cleared his throat and flicked his gaze to Saito once more, making my skin start to prickle with awareness.
“We have a new mission for you, Fawley.” He adjusted some papers on his desk, not offering me a new folder like he would normally do for a new assignment.
“Whatever you need, sir.”
“There have been reports of rogues at the new supernatural academy,” West began, his gaze moving around the room, never quite looking at me.
“We want you and a hunter to go undercover there to sniff out the rogues and report back. This is purely a reconnaissance mission. No going in and taking care of the problem, since we don’t know how many there are or their reach. ”
“Of course, sir.” I nodded, waiting for the proverbial other shoe to drop. “And you want me to pose as a student?”
West chuckled. “No, of course not. You couldn’t pass as one of the human servants or even a witch. You’ll be teaching a class on Supernatural Law and Enforcement.”
I snorted before I could resist.
“I know teaching the supernaturals about hunters and how to avoid getting on our list is a bit pointless, but even the head of the vampire council thinks it’s a good idea.” West glanced over at Saito, who had barely moved from her spot behind him.
“If that’s your order, then I will do my best.” I paused. “While I’m gone, someone will need to take charge of my team. Durand—”
“Don’t worry about Jack,” West interrupted, a small smile on his lips. “She’s going with you.”
My brows lifted as my heart raced in my chest. Jack and me on a mission together? Alone? The last time that had happened…
I shoved the memory down, now not being the time or the place.
“Can you handle that, Fawley?” The accusation in President West’s tone reminded me that while he didn’t know what happened between Jack and me, he suspected.
They allowed us to remain on the same team because I told them that our personal feelings wouldn’t get in the way of our jobs.
And, for a year now, that had been true.
I wasn’t sure how true that would be after this mission.
Clearing my throat, I nodded. “Yes, of course. No problem.”
“Good.” West twisted in his chair, eyes on his computer. “You leave tomorrow. The academy has already been made aware of your arrival.”
Dismissed, I forced myself to walk slowly out of the room.
To say working alongside Jack this last year had been hard was putting it lightly. Keeping my distance, making sure not to treat her any differently than the others, watching her confusion and hurt at my every brush off and excuse, all while putting on a face of disinterest had been torture.
But this…
We wouldn’t be around other hunters. No one would be around to tell us to keep our distance — a reminder to be professional.
Relying completely on my own restraint to keep me away from her? Why, that was going to be some of the worst hell I’d ever endured.
There was no way I’d ever make it, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to.