Grace Goodwin - Ascension Saga - 9

Tick. Tick. Tick. Worse than a metronome. Infinitely more annoying.

Die. Die. Die. That’s what I heard. The sound made my blood pound and my head hurt. Someone wanted everyone in this building dead. Someone wanted to destroy everyone who knew the truth about what happened to my mother all those years ago. Whoever it was held onto a grudge. Twenty-seven years. Twenty-seven!

People had been dropping like flies. One after the other, some psycho was killing people off. Fortunately, Trinity, Faith and I had survived. And Mom, too, since her spire was still lit. And now, this fucker—yeah, he was a total fucker—was planning on getting the rest with one bomb. A bomb was ticking down and here I was, looking like I was mingling at a cocktail party.

The risk didn’t bother me. No. What bothered me was knowing Nix was still in the building. My death? Not the end of the world. But if anything happened to him, I’d never forgive myself.

Was this what love was supposed to be? Gut wrenching anxiety?

I thought about how I felt any time I imagined Mom rotting in chains somewhere, or the times my sisters were hurt growing up.

Yep. Gut wrenching anxiety. Worry. Fear. Helplessness.

Love sucked. Why did we spend our whole lives chasing it?

“Morson, good to see you here. I knew you wouldn’t disappoint me.”

I wrenched my neck in the direction of that voice and spotted my prey, Morson, talking to an older woman who also wore the uniform of the Optimus Unit. I had no idea who she was, nor did I care. She’d be dead soon. And so would Morson, if I didn’t get him out of here.

But Nix. How would he know I’d found him? He was on the other side of the large room, dozens of bodies between us.

“It has been a long time,” Morson replied. “I am looking forward to hearing what the next steps are in taking the throne.”

If Trinity hadn’t said he was one of the good guys, I would have had a very hard time controlling myself. But this meeting said it all. The person who’d killed the king and tried to kill Mom was back at it. I didn’t linger to find out who the woman was. Clearly, she knew Morson well. But why was he undercover, and for how long? It couldn’t have been since the attack on my mother.

I looked at him one more time.

No. Too young. Maybe Leo’s age. He had probably been a child when Trinity’s father was killed. Still, he could have been at this for years.

Poor bastard. I could never pull that off. I was too impatient, and I knew it. Too prone to take risks. Sometimes, stupid risks. Like riding Nix’s cock in the high cleric’s office while she spoke to a warrior on the other side of a door.

But god, what a magnificent cock.

I looked for Nix. Found him. His eyes met mine and I dipped my chin so he’d know to start moving closer. And those eyes. Intense. Beautiful. Focused on me.

That was the answer. That look. That was what made love worth the pain.

The woman talking to Morson crossed her arms, her booted foot tapping the floor in obvious annoyance.

“I expected to be patient and wait for another attempt, but twenty-seven years?” the woman said, thinking the same as me. “I have to wonder if the king is actually dead. It would be just like him to pull a stunt like this, although I never knew him to wait this long for anything.”

That had me stopping in my tracks. The king might be alive? That meant… Holy shit. If it had been him behind the attempted coup, why wait so long to try again?

Morson looked as stunned as I felt. “Did you know him well?”

“Oh yes. We grew up chasing each other through the citadel gardens. He was just a few years younger than I. Always a selfish bastard. A bully. I never did understand what the queen saw in him.”

With my feet like steel welded to the floor and my brain in overdrive, I turned to look for Nix, my mate, the only man in the universe I cared about right now. Well, Morson, too, but not in the same way. Duh. But once he was safely away from this exploding building, he could do whatever the hell he wanted and Nix would still be mine.

Nix’s gaze bored into mine as he moved closer. Intent. I saw the same anguish I’d been feeling moments before in his gaze. He didn’t want me here. He was only in this room for me. Because I asked it of him. Because he respected me enough to give me what I needed even if it placed me in danger, although I’d probably be handcuffed to my bed if he’d known a bomb was involved.

I hadn’t understood what it cost him, until now. What letting me be reckless and wild on Earth had cost my sisters and parents. Danger meant nothing to me. Pain meant nothing. Death? Well, I’d prefer not to rush toward my end, but even that held no true cost to me. Until now. Now, I understood.

Fuck me six ways to Sunday. I was in love. Head over heels, do anything to keep him safe, anything to make him happy, love. With the gorgeous, growly guy moving through the room like a wild animal hunting his prey.

“Your timing sucks, Des.” I was talking to myself as I moved toward Morson, but I tilted my head at Nix, this time clearly indicating that I’d found our target and to get moving. He didn’t take his eyes off me, but changed direction, heading for the closest exit, which was a good twenty paces away. And Morson was big. If he didn’t cooperate, I’d have a hell of a time getting him out of here before the bomb went off.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

“Excuse me?”

Morson looked down in shock as I looped my small hand under his elbow and tugged him toward me. I offered a brilliant fake smile to the older female with whom he’d been speaking. Who’d shared some interesting intel.

“Excuse us for a moment?” I said, using my Trinity-diplomat voice. “I really need to speak to Morson about a”—I ran my fingertip down the front of his uniform, over his chest. I could practically hear Nix growling—“a very personal matter.” I tugged at him, my cheeks starting to hurt from my ridiculously big smile. “If I could have a moment of your time before the meeting begins?”

He blinked, eyes rounded with a mix of suspicion and surprise. He glanced at the elder out of respect and that seemed to be enough to put her at ease.

If he was working undercover, he was good. I had to give him that. Very, very good. That one glance had preserved the woman’s trust, despite the fact that something unexpected and strange was happening. Mainly, me. Maybe he was nudging information out of her and I’d interrupted. Well, it was break up the gab fest or die.

Her head tilted to the side like a cobra about to strike, but she nodded. “Of course.”

Morson allowed me to pull him away, and I moved toward the exit doors a good five steps before he stopped me. Cold.

Damn my small size. Why wasn’t I six-foot-six and two-hundred-fifty pounds? Then I could just throw him over my shoulder and make a run for it. It wouldn’t be subtle, but it would work.

“Who are you and what do you want?” While he spoke softly so as not to draw attention, he was rigid and uncooperative. I flicked a glance over my shoulder. Nix was moving closer, but still not close enough to help. Not yet.

I turned back to find Morson’s gaze drifting over my face, the look in his eyes one I would have equated with desire, if not for the lack of a rise in his pants. These Alerans and their dormant cocks. Made them much more difficult to bullshit or seduce. False flattery and flirting was going to get me nowhere, except over Nix’s knee for a hot, toe-curling spanking.

Reaching up, I wrapped my hand around his neck, up to the back of his head, and pulled him down so my lips were pressed to his ear. He allowed my bold touch, but it felt wrong. Wrong man. Wrong scent. Wrong face too close to mine.