08-09-2018, 04:48 PM
Jay was rooted in place for fear the ferocity of Zacarias' silent interrogation would wash the feet from under him. He let the power sink into his soul like cement leadened heavy in his chest. It might crush his heart, but the power made no room for trivial things like terror. Zacarias knew who he was. If he didn't already, he would know Jay's name, identity, home, and family. The night he landed in his old house, a bare week after killing Amengual's brother, he stared out the window waiting for headlights to breech the horizon. Now, it was a matter of time before Amengual's revenge found the vulnerable. Jay wasn't naive. He knew the manner of revenge to expect. He took Zacarias' brother in the bloodiest way possible. Zacarias would want a sibling of Jay's in return. He must have contacts around the world. The Iowa countryside wouldn't protect mom, dad and Cayli any more than Jay could protect them from the other side of the planet.
It would be a matter of a phone call for Zacarias to find them. Luckily, morbid luck anyway, they were all holed up at the hospital. That would probably derail Zacarias' hounds a day or two. Maybe enough time for Jay to get there, get Cayli healed up, and move the family .. somewhere. Details to figure out later. Moscow wasn't even safe. Which brought up another disturbing question.
Why was he at this ball? Did Ascendancy know who this man was? Or did he care so long money flashed first?
All these thoughts and more flashed like lightning in the seconds stretched between them until Natalie's stumble crushed thumbs into his forearm. He pivoted swiftly, catching her before she collapsed. Jensen was rightly confused, but agreed, thank God, to leave Amengual behind. If the shark scented blood, whether Jay's, Cayli's or Natalie's, he would hunt it down. Jay had absolutely no doubt as to what this man was capable.
However, this man had no idea of what Jay was capable either.
He began to help Natalie walk away, but before they took more than a step, he paused. A daring smirk touched his lips, powered by the darkness roiling within. He looked the man dead in the eye as he said it: "I'm sorry for your loss."
Then he walked away, Natalie on his arm.
Once out of the ballroom, he helped deposit Natalie on a bench to ease the weight from her foot. For the first time in what felt like ten minutes, he exhaled, turned in a circle, and watched the door like Zacarias might come running out in some wild stampede.
When it was clear they weren't followed, he sank on the bench next to her, put his face in his hands and waited for Jensen to finish. They still had to tell the man they were going to Iowa rather than across town. They were racing against two clocks now.
It would be a matter of a phone call for Zacarias to find them. Luckily, morbid luck anyway, they were all holed up at the hospital. That would probably derail Zacarias' hounds a day or two. Maybe enough time for Jay to get there, get Cayli healed up, and move the family .. somewhere. Details to figure out later. Moscow wasn't even safe. Which brought up another disturbing question.
Why was he at this ball? Did Ascendancy know who this man was? Or did he care so long money flashed first?
All these thoughts and more flashed like lightning in the seconds stretched between them until Natalie's stumble crushed thumbs into his forearm. He pivoted swiftly, catching her before she collapsed. Jensen was rightly confused, but agreed, thank God, to leave Amengual behind. If the shark scented blood, whether Jay's, Cayli's or Natalie's, he would hunt it down. Jay had absolutely no doubt as to what this man was capable.
However, this man had no idea of what Jay was capable either.
He began to help Natalie walk away, but before they took more than a step, he paused. A daring smirk touched his lips, powered by the darkness roiling within. He looked the man dead in the eye as he said it: "I'm sorry for your loss."
Then he walked away, Natalie on his arm.
Once out of the ballroom, he helped deposit Natalie on a bench to ease the weight from her foot. For the first time in what felt like ten minutes, he exhaled, turned in a circle, and watched the door like Zacarias might come running out in some wild stampede.
When it was clear they weren't followed, he sank on the bench next to her, put his face in his hands and waited for Jensen to finish. They still had to tell the man they were going to Iowa rather than across town. They were racing against two clocks now.
Only darkness shows you the light.