Chapter 27 #2
Nate glanced at Alex, his heart heavy, when he said, “Going through her was the quickest way to my goal. She was easy to manipulate. Don’t blame her for what happened. She was desperate for companionship, and I…” He stared at her, sealing his fate. “…happily filled that role.”
Alex gasped, covering her mouth. Her face went white, and tears welled in her eyes.
“Nathan…” she whispered. “Why?”
“Because I could,” he said, keeping his expression neutral.
Inside, his emotions were swirling, and he was sick to his stomach. Alex was his happiness. She was supposed to be his future. But he’d rather she be free and employed than the possibility that her life could be wrecked because of him. He’d play the bad guy. He was good at it.
“You son of a bitch,” Hunter growled.
Nate knew it was coming. The punch to his face knocked him over and into the van. Hunter jumped on top of him and landed another blow on his back. Nate wasn’t going to fight back or even dodge the punches. He deserved every hit.
“Jack! Stop!” someone yelled, and Nate could feel Hunter being pulled off him.
“I don’t give a shit,” Hunter growled.
“Keep it together,” Hale told him. “We’re all pissed, too, but Bryant’s going to have a shit if this guy comes back unconscious.”
Nate rolled himself over so he could see the group of men. Hunter glared at him. Logan wouldn’t even look his way.
“Yeah, sure,” Hunter finally said. “I can’t wait to interrogate this fucker.”
With that, Hale and Logan piled in the back with Nate. A black hood was placed over his head, and Nate waited for his fate, wondering how Alex was handling this.
? ? ?
John Stratton was driving back from the West Coast. He had been on the road for days and had been working on this mission for so long that it felt as if the last few weeks had blended into one big dream.
Yet, he had set out to accomplish his goal: there were no more X-suits on that side of the U.S.
There were very few left on Nathan’s end as well.
They were going to succeed. The Conglomerate would have a nice little kick in the balls, and Nathan would be able to live a free life.
In turn, that would make Keira happy, and he would do anything to make that happen.
Of course, she wanted him home, but that couldn’t happen yet.
Almost, he thought as he crossed the state line into Virginia.
His cell phone rang, and he glanced at it, seeing that Isaac, the man who had been doing the technical work behind John’s operation, was calling.
Isaac was a dangerous man, and John was glad that Isaac hated the Conglomerate just as much as he did.
If not, the man would have never agreed to help him.
“Yeah,” John answered.
“You have a huge problem,” Isaac stated bluntly.
A throbbing headache began to form as John asked, “What’s going on?”
“It’s such a clusterfuck that I don’t even know if it can be fixed.”
“Well, I’m going to try. What’s happening?”
As Isaac stated the details, John began to formulate a plan. It probably wasn’t going to work, but it was the best shot Nathan had at being free.
? ? ?
Alex snapped her eyes open, heart pounding. She was curled up in an unfamiliar bed and began panicking. It took her a few moments to reorient herself as she looked around the unappealing “greige” décor of a spare Gray Tower apartment bedroom.
She barely had any time to think before Kat popped her head into the bedroom and exclaimed, “You’re awake!”
“Uh, yeah,” Alex said, hanging her head.
The events of the past day flashed through her mind, and she realized how she had ended up in the bed of a Gray Tower apartment: She had cried herself to sleep after being transported from her house.
Her heart was broken. All trust was gone.
She didn’t think she’d ever heal after what Nathan had done.
She was desperate for companionship, and I happily filled that role.
Alex wrapped her arms around herself as Kat walked in the room cautiously.
Hurt and shame washed over her. She had gone against her mentor and her friends for a man who had been taking advantage of her.
It hadn’t meant anything to him, and everything was in jeopardy.
Tears began to fall as they had all night.
She looked at her watch and groaned when she realized it was already six in the morning.
At least she had gotten some sleep, but at the cost of everyone else’s comfort.
“It’ll be okay,” Kat said as she sat on the edge of the bed.
“No, it won’t,” Alex told her. “I’ve turned into this dishonest, horrible human being. Everybody hates me, and I don’t blame them.”
More tears fell freely, and Kat rubbed the outline of Alex’s legs through the tangle of blankets.
“No one is mad at you,” she said. “You were manipulated by a very hot, very convincing man.” She looked around the room and whispered, “Don’t tell Jack I said that.” A smile quirked on Alex’s lips. “We’re human. We do weird things for love.”
“I could have gotten someone killed. It would have been my fault. And I could have gotten hurt or killed just by hanging out with him, let alone helping him.”
“I have a feeling Nathan would have been doing those missions with or without you. And it wouldn’t be the first time one of us was in danger over a guy.
I followed Jack around like a lost puppy on my only field mission.
” Kat fumbled with her hands and frowned.
“Nathan was the one who saved our lives. There was no reason to doubt him.”
Alex nodded.
“It was why I helped him in the first place. He made it sound like he was protecting Gray Tower.”
“You could have told me. I’m not angry, but I am a bit hurt you didn’t come to me. How long have I been your best friend?
“We talked about letting you in on it. Nathan said you wouldn’t be able to keep it a secret because of Jack.”
“I could keep a secret,” Kat stated firmly.
“Really?” Alex asked, her eyebrow raising. “Because you couldn’t keep him from finding out about that time you accidentally misplaced your engagement ring, and it was only gone for three hours.”
“It wasn’t gone. It was misplaced. It never left our apartment. I just threw some crap over it after I was putting lotion on my hands.”
“He found out by looking at you. You crumbled like a tin can.”
“Ugh. Fine!” Kat grumbled. “You’re right. I can’t keep anything from that man. He’s very…persuasive. I’m now slightly less hurt.”
It felt like a weight had been lifted. At least her best friend didn’t hate her. Then, the realization hit her hard: she had kept her abduction from Kat secret for years. She had been so ashamed she couldn’t even tell her best friend.
“Oh, shit,” Alex said, biting her lip.
“What?”
“I have something else to tell you. Don’t be too mad at me.”
“As long as you didn’t bang my fiancé, I’m not going to be mad.”
Alex scrunched her nose and said, “Oh, hell no! You can keep your grump to yourself. This thing…it’s something that happened.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, so…”
Alex told Kat the story of what happened to her in college. She talked about the therapy, the PTSD, and about meeting Miles. She told her about her struggles and why she had never dated anyone because of it.
When she got to the end, Kat looked at her with tears in her eyes. “Alex, I’m so, so sorry. I had no idea. We’ve been teasing you about finding a man, and this whole time…”
Alex held up her hand.
“It’s fine. I should have told you much earlier.”
“I didn’t realize that’s how you and Miles met. I finally understand the weird relationship you two have.”
“Is it that weird? His wife knows a little bit about why we’re close. I never wanted anyone to assume there was more.”
Kat chuckled and said, “It’s okay. No one thought that. You seemed more like a daughter to him, which now I understand, given how you met.”
Alex hung her head and told Kat, “I bet he hates me now. He hasn’t been by to see me. I betrayed him…over a guy. How horrible is that?”
“He doesn’t hate you. He hasn’t stopped by because he knew you were sleeping, and he’s been coordinating so much right now. Give him a bit.”
“Okay,” Alex said.
Kat looked at her smartwatch and grimaced.
“I’m on a deadline. Will you be okay? Ashlen said she’d be here in a little bit.”
“Yeah. I’ll be fine.”
“There’s food out in the kitchen. Please eat something, okay?”
Alex nodded and attempted to smile. It didn’t work. As Kat left, a wave of sadness fell over her. Everything was messed up, and it was her fault. However, she had rebuilt her life before. She could do it now.