Chapter 88
EIGHTY-EIGHT
LAUREL
Jade nodded to Kaos and me, and together, we continued our advance down the dimly lit corridor.
Behind us, Finch stood at the entrance, guarding it.
I’d texted Jade, and she’d agreed to come with me after her shift had ended.
I was glad for the emotional support; I needed someone with me who understood as I faced whatever was at the end of this tunnel.
We were coming up on a heavy metal door, with a keypad set over the handle. Kaos dropped his tool bag and pulled on a pair of goggles, and set about unscrewing the cover from the locking device.
Jade and I were tense as he fiddled with the wires until the door opened with a beep.
I readied my gun, unsure if I should expect a guard. I thought it would be a storage room or a lockbox with a USB or documents inside. But warm light filtered into the corridor as I peered inside.
I stepped through the doors, looking around in slowly blooming hope. It was a living space complete with a small couch, rug, kitchenette, and TV.
Jade looked at me, eyes wide.
Because it was a living space.
“Stay on your guard,” Jade warned as we approached the closed door on the other side of the room. “We don’t know who’s down here.”
I didn’t voice my thoughts out loud; I didn’t want to say it in case I was wrong. She swung the door open, revealing a sparsely decorated bedroom.
“Did you have to make such a racket coming in?” a familiar drawling voice complained. “I was trying to nap.”
The voice came from a figure on the bed, a magazine covering his face. He wore a leopard-print nightgown and fluffy pink slippers. He let out a long-suffering sigh and sat up, the magazine falling off to reveal a head of golden-blond hair.
Golden eyes met mine, and we both froze as Jade let out a strangled gasp.
“Jule?” I choked out, lowering the gun.
He shook off his shock and settled into a smug smile that made my heart ache.
“Yes, well it’s Jewel, now. Expensive, brilliant, and sparkly; that’s me.
” he said, leaning back and raising an eyebrow.
His face was older now, and he’d matured into his angular bone structure, but looking at him still felt like looking in a mirror. Except for his eyes.
What had once been a blue-grey now shone a bright gold.
But golden eyes could only mean one thing.
My mind was racing, thoughts tumbling over each other as all the pieces slotted into place.
He hadn’t claimed his aura in his fight against Kaos; he had perfumed, stopping a rogue’s rage in its tracks.
He’d had to lie to my father, to keep up the ruse…even in front of me.
My father had sold him after locking him in the cages.
He was an omega.
Father had faked Jewel’s death because the alternative was admitting he’d had an omega son.
I stepped forward, but Jade was faster, in front of him before I was through the door.
There was a ringing crack as her palm made contact with his face.
Jewel leapt to his feet, clutching his cheek. “Um, ow! What the fuck, Jade?” he said, aghast.
“You lying bastard,” she hissed, her voice thick with tears, her hands balled into fists at her side.
“Yes, well, I suppose I might have anticipated that,” he said, wrinkling his nose. “Though I certainly didn’t deserve—”
But I cut him off, almost tackling him to the ground in a hug. He let out a breath, arms wrapping around me as he buried his face in my hair. I was sobbing onto his chest, and he rubbed my back.
“Hey, it’s okay,” he murmured as I gasped for air. “I’m okay.”
“Apparently,” Jade said, sounding disgusted.
Jewel guided me to the bed, grabbing a tissue and handing it to me. I grabbed his hand and didn’t let go.
“What are you doing down here?” Jade demanded. Her voice had steadied a bit, though her eyes were a little red.
“Ah, now, that’s quite a story. But I think we should probably save it. Dax is quite unhappy that Laurel’s gone missing, and I’d hate to have to kill him before my grand finale. You’ll have to leave and lock the door again.”
“Um, about that,” said Kaos, stepping in from outside. He raised his hand a little sheepishly. “Yeah, I may have broken it. Just a bit.”
Jewel’s eyebrows shot up.
“In my defense, it was a very smug lock,” he added.
“Why the fuck is Demon here, telling me he broke my door?” Jewel asked.
“Come with us,” I said, a plan starting to form in my head.
“Fine,” Jewel replied, sitting up with a sigh. “But we’re bringing my shoes. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find good men’s heels?”