Chapter 14
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
HAYES
"Who are you?"
The accusatory tone scared the shit out of me and had me dropping the dumbbell on the mat before I spun around to find a teenage girl staring at me. Her black hair was tied back in a braid with a few pieces sticking out randomly. She stared me down with her hazel eyes, waiting for me to answer.
"Ummmm, I'm Hayes. And who are you?"
The girl didn't answer. Instead, she continued her interrogation like it was her job. "Well, Hayes. Why are you here?"
I looked around the small gym. "In this room specifically or here in general?" I pointed down to where I stood.
The girl––who I assumed was Krista, now that I had time to think about it––rolled her eyes. I didn't know much about teenage girls, but based on what I was seeing, they were sassy.
"Here at the compound." There was a silent “duh” tacked on to that. I was sure of it. "Obviously, you're in the gym to work out." She crossed her arms over her body and popped a hip. A move I was sure she imitated from an adult. That or the female genes came programmed with that particular move.
"Shouldn't you be in school?" I wanted to move the conversation away from me, and the best way to do that was deflection. Besides, it was the middle of the day, during the week, and not summertime, so really this girl should be in school. It wasn't a far-fetched question for me to ask.
"I attend online school, and I'm currently between classes. I live here, so what's your excuse?"
I cleared my throat. I didn't think admitting that I was kidnapped was the best route to take. I wasn't sure how much this girl knew about what Sloane and her team did, so I wasn't about to be the one outing them.
"I'm staying with Sloane for the time being." There, that was a safe answer.
"Why?"
What the hell was with the third degree? Was this what it was like to have a child? I didn't remember being this obnoxious, but then again, my parents would've had to give a shit about me or even be around for me to ask them questions.
In case I didn't make it clear yet, they weren't.
"Because she asked me to?"
I phrased that like a question, and damn if she didn't call me out on it.
"You don't sound so sure about that."
"I'm sorry. I don't think you told me your name."
"I'm not supposed to tell strange men my name, and you, sir, are strange."
Wow. Okay. I mean point taken, but geesh. That was a bit harsh.
"You're right. Whoever taught you that lesson was smart."
A sadness like I never wanted to see again clouded her eyes. "My mom was the one to tell me that."
Well, fuck. If this was in fact Krista, then from what Sloane had said, the girl had no family.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."
The girl sniffled, and it looked like she was about to say something else but was cut off when another one of Sloane's teammates walked in––Lilith I believe.
"Krista." The young girl snapped her head around. "Class starts soon. You should get back to your desk."
Krista threw a "see you around" over her shoulder before doing as she was told.
As soon as the door slammed shut behind Krista, Lilith started in on me. "You need to stay away from her. I know Sloane trusts you to be here, but that doesn't give you the right to talk to that girl."
"I'm sorry." I held my hands up in front of me. "She walked in while I was working out. I didn't intentionally go looking for her."
"Yeah, well, next time, if she walks into a room, you walk out."
Damn! Was this what people meant by mama bears protecting their young? This woman looked ready to tear my heart out with her bare hands. Based on what I knew about this team, she probably could.
"Look, I'm not here to cause trouble. I'm not sure what Sloane told you, but I swear I just want to help."
"We'll see about that." Lilith ended the conversation at that and walked right back out.
I took a moment to look around the room. What the hell was I even doing here? It was clear Anita didn't want me around and now Lilith. I had no idea what Sloane's other teammate thought, but so far, my batting average wasn't great.
The only one who seemed to like me was Sloane, and that was precarious at best. There was no telling when her mood could change.
I wanted to believe she wouldn't toss me out like yesterday's garbage again, but I wasn't about to get comfortable either.
It was best if I kept one foot out the door at all times.
I was halfway through my workout when I got interrupted again. Only this time, by the third teammate––Nyx maybe? I really needed to get better at remembering people's names when I was introduced to them.
I slowly set the barbell down and sat up on the bench. "Are you here to read me the riot act as well?" I appreciated Sloane's teammates for their dedication to her, but come on. I didn't exactly show up on my own. I was kidnapped, damn it.
"Hell no. I'm on team Hayes all the way."
I quirked my brow and let my surprise show. I wasn't expecting that.
Nyx was quick to chuckle. "You should see your face."
"I'm not going to lie. I don't have the slightest clue what to think about that."
"That's fair." She walked over to the punching bag and started to give it some light taps.
There was no force behind her punches but her form proved she was just as deadly as Sloane.
"Considering the less than stellar circumstances that brought you here, it's expected that you would be suspicious of my motives. "
Suspicious was certainly a good way to describe how I was feeling.
I kept my mouth shut. Nyx didn't need me to participate anyway. She seemed to have a good handle on holding a one-sided conversation.
"So why am I on team Hayes?" she mused out loud.
"That's a good question, and I guess the simplest way to put it is, Sloane needs a man already.
In all the years I've known her, and trust me that's a lot, she never once even hinted at having a guy around.
Oh and I don't mean a relationship. None of us have that.
Nothing serious anyway. Well, except Anita, but that's pretty new.
No, I'm talking no man in general. No sneaking out for sexcapades like the rest of us.
No finding some random dick when we have a moment of downtime on an assignment.
Zilch, nada, zero. I was actually starting to worry she was a virgin, but then you show up, and she tells us you two used to be engaged, so that's got to mean something, right?
There was at least some point in her life that she was getting dick. "
Nyx didn't stop there, and I didn't bother to correct her that Sloane and I never made it that far. If she didn't want her teammates to know about her sex life, then it wasn't my position to do so.
Besides, it made me extremely happy to know there wasn't some other guy or several in her past. I didn't know what that said about me, considering I wasn't exactly celibate since she’d left, but I also didn't screw anything with legs and a pussy. I was a hell of a lot more selective than that.
"Unless you suck in bed, and that's why she hasn't been with anyone since. Is that it? Are you a lousy lay, Hayes? Maybe have a micro penis? That would certainly do it."
I cleared my throat. "I've never had any complaints, and no, I definitely don't have a micro penis as you like to call it. I'm not about to get into detail about the size of my cock with one of Sloane's friends, but I can assure you it's not micro."
Nyx spun around to face me. "See and that's another reason I'm on your side. You're not showy. You're not trying to impress us. From what I can tell, you're a good guy. I have no idea what caused Sloane to walk away from you, but you're here and not being a dick about it."
"Well, I'm not exactly here of my own free will, and I won't lie and say seeing Sloane again after all these years didn't hurt. I want to be pissed at her and hurt her the way she hurt me, but at the end of the day, I can't do that."
"Exactly!" Nyx was nearly vibrating with excitement.
She was nothing like her other teammates, and I didn't know what to make of that.
"You care about her, and that's why I want you around.
Sloane needs that. She's been sad. Not angry or withdrawn like some of the others but genuinely sad.
It tells me something happened, and it's your job to figure out what it was.
To dig that poison out and help her heal.
Are you the man for the job, or do I need to find someone else? "
Was I the man for it? I wasn't sure. Sloane and I had a history, but damn if it didn't make me want to pound my chest like a caveman just thinking about another man stepping in.
Sloane was mine.
Always was. And always would be.
So, hell yes, I felt the truth in my bones when I answered, "Nope, I'll do it."
Nyx smiled like the cat who got the cream. "Good. She's going to fight you on it, but something tells me you're going to enjoy that fight." She winked and walked out the door.
Once I was alone again and had a moment to think, something Nyx said struck a chord with me. There was no way beautiful and smart Sloane was still a virgin.
Right?