Bent (The Gifted Series) (30 page)

              “Did you hear from Carter?” Leah asked Stuart.  Joss had been forced to stay overnight at Providence in Portland, and Carter hadn’t left her side.

              “I checked with him earlier this afternoon.  Joss is doing great, and Mattis had them speak to a cardiologist about removing the chip.  Looks like she can have it removed as early as next week.”

              Leah smiled wide, happy for her bro—Carter had always been that to her from the moment they’d met.  Her thoughts then turned to Jessie.  Carter Sr and Casey were destroyed to hear that Jessie had been taken elsewhere.  And Camille was a nuclear mess, ready to head out guns blazin’ and search alone.  Leah talked her down for over an hour, finally turning her over to Jamie who always knew just how to comfort.

              “That’s good news,” Leah said.  “Where are you off to now?”

              “Mattis wants me over at Providence to guard Sam.”

              “How’s he faring,” Tiago asked. 

             
 
At the mention of his name, Sam’s comment about Marnie shot into Leah’s mind. “She gave me something pure,” he’d said. 
What in Sam Hill had she given this guy
?  Leah knew that conversation was for another day, but she couldn’t fight the need to monitor Marnie’s actions.  “Who’s been guarding him?” Leah asked casually although she suspected that she already knew the answer.

              Stuart began walking toward the door.  “Uh, I think Marn’s been over there.  She’s been on guard a lot.”  With that, he exited the room, and Leah’s suspicions deepened.  What was that girl getting herself into?

              “What’s up with the scowl, baby?” Tiago asked.

              Leah instantly ditched it. “Nothing.” Her head shook from side to side as she sidled up to Tiago and straddled him on the comfy couch.  She knew it’d be mere minutes before someone walked in and ruined their fun, but she’d make the minutes count. “Busy brain.  That’s all.”

              Tiago’s eyes widened in total approval as she lowered herself on top of him.  He then slapped both palms on her butt cheeks, squeezing through her CK’s. “Then how about a distraction?”

              She placed her palms on his firm pecs, massaging and being mindful of his injured shoulder.  As she leaned in closer, she muttered, “You are a master of distraction.”  Their lips met, and her tummy did its usual flip upon hearing Tiago’s growl of satisfaction. 

              “Jaysus, why is it always me catchin’ you two in the act?”
 
Declan barked as he entered the room with Reagan, Jamie, Mattis, and Bowen in tow.

              Leah immediately slipped off, checking her watch while Tiago grumbled with complaints about shitty timing. 
 

 
We didn’t even get a full minute
, Leah noted.

              “I just got word from Patrice,” Mattis declared, all business.

              This brought Leah to attention, along with the rest of the room. 

              Felix, Smits, Casey, and Camille rounded the corner, joining them.  Carter Sr had been moved to headquarters but was bedridden for another week. “You got word?” Felix inquired.

              Mattis nodded. “It was an interesting conversation to say the least.” He wiped a tired hand through his disheveled hair.  “She wants to do an exchange.”

              Leah frowned. “Not Joss, Brett.  We can’t possibly consider such—”

              “No,” Mattis shut her down. “Not Joss.”

              “So who then?” Reagan asked sitting down along side Leah.

              “Well ... she wants Leah.”

              Shouts rendered the room, mainly from Tiago.  His hand clamped down on Leah’s thigh so tightly that she gave a slight yelp.  “I hope you told her where to shove that idea,” Tiago barked.

              Mattis shook his head, fatigued and frustrated.  “That’s just it, Tiago, I’m not really in a place to tell Patrice where to shove anything.” Mattis pointed to Casey. “She has the Thompson’s daughter, and I won’t risk them lashing out at Jessie because I can’t keep my emotions in check.”

              “Sorry,” Tiago grounded out, giving Casey an apologetic nod. “But the thought of them getting their hands on Leah.”

              “It’s not gonna happen,” Bowen stepped forward from where he’d been perched against a wall in the shadows. 

              Leah then darted up off the couch, stepping away from both Tiago and Reagan who wanted nothing more than to pull her back down. “I won’t let them harm or kill Jessie to protect me.”

              “Leah,” Bowen attempted to cut in, but she pressed. “No, Bowen.  Think of this strategically.  I get sucked into the Landon’s hold, and then I find a way to take them out.”

              Voices rose with instant chatter and retorts, along with more oaths of retribution if anyone touched Leah from Tiago.  It was Bowen’s booming voice that silenced the room.

              “Leah,” he began while stalking forward until he stood next to Mattis. “You’re out of this, so enough with your strategizing.”

              Casey then stepped forward on the verge of get-my-baby-back tears. “Leah, don’t take this the wrong way because I don’t want anyone sacrificing themselves,”—she then turned to Bowen—“but how will we get Jessie back?  What’s a plausible plan?”

              “They get me.”

              Leah’s mouth dropped as her head jerked in her cousin’s direction. 
Did he just say what she thought he did
?

              “What?” Reagan muttered.

              Bowen sighed. “I offered myself and Patrice accepted. It’s a done deal.”

              Casey surged forth, wrapping her arms around Bowen.  “Thank you,” she cried into his chest over and over while squeezing him tightly.  Clearly, Bowen was unsure how to maneuver through this showering of gratitude, but finally his arms went around the petite, blonde woman, and he hugged her back.

              Leah stood dumbstruck, not believing her ears as she stared at Bo awkwardly embracing a mom on the edge.  Finally, Casey pulled away, leaving the room with Camille—both wanting to share the news with Carter Sr.  Part of Leah wanted to be the next one in his arms, but part of her wanted to double up her fist and lay him out cold.  “You can’t do this for me,” she declared, her body ridged.

              He shrugged. “I can, and I will.”

              Leah stalked closer, exasperated by this plan and her cousin’s adamancy. “That’s not fair.  I should have a say so in this.  You can’t give yourself up for me, dammit.”

              “Leah,” Tiago rose from the couch.

              She spun back, finger pointed. “No, Gracen.  Not now.”  His hands raised in surrender and his lips pressed tightly, but he said nothing.  Oh, he wanted to go off, but he kept quiet.  Leah spun back around. “I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to you, Bowen. The suffering you’ll endure.  All the while, I do what?  Carry on my daily life, sick to my stomach over where you might be and what you might be forced to do?”

              Bowen reached out and clamped Leah’s shoulders. “Stop.” He offered a consoling smile. “Don’t go there,
little bit
, and as far as suffering goes, I’ve endured it before.  I know how to deal.”

             
Little bit
.  Leah hadn’t heard that term of endearment since her Grandma Fi was alive.  From a time during her simplistic, happy, contented life with Grandma Fi and her mom.  A life where there wasn’t a gifted world filled with magical abilities.  Only fairy tales held such marvels. Her eyes flitted to Gracen—her fairy tale ending.   Would she trade one moment of her current reality for the simplicity of her past? 
Never
!  Besides, even back then, it was all a cover.  Gram, her mother, her aunt—they’d lied to her.  Sure, some might call it “withholding information,” but that was just semantics.  They had lied to protect her.
 
Everyone was constantly protecting her, and now Bowen …

              “Listen to me,” Bowen ordered, drawing her back from her introspection. “You were Caroline’s miracle—a perfect gift from the worst hell she’d ever endured, and we all knew your heritage damned you from the start.  So it was our job to keep you safe.  I kept in contact with Caroline over the years—sent her cash, made sure wandering eyes kept wandering away from the both of you.”  His eyes darted to Reagan’s infuriated gaze and harumph.  Leah knew her aunt felt rejected; Reagan spent years searching high and low for Bowen. 

              “Come on, Ray,” he said practically. “You were always the agency cheerleader.  Caroline, like me, wanted no part of it.  She swore to me she would never give you my whereabouts. Hell, half the time she didn’t even know.”  He then centered his attention back on Leah. “So here’s the truth of it, Leah, I wouldn’t be able to live with a clear conscience knowing they had their clutches in you.”

              Leah’s head shook defeatedly, and tears burned her cheeks. “Reagan was warped for five fucking years because of me.  My mother died because of me.
 
A member in this agency was killed because of me and others injured.  What about my conscience?  I can’t take any more of this ... people constantly suffering because of
me
!”

              His hands cupped her jaw firmly.  Leah had never seen his expression so full of emotion.  His words were low and concise. “Yes, Caroline went to her grave protecting you,”—He paused for composure—“and I couldn’t save her, but I can do this, Leah.  I
can
save you.” 

              Her sob broke free and Bowen drew her in, holding her tight.  It was all too much.  Leah hated the Landons with every fiber of her being. Never had an emotion burned through her with such ferocity.  These people were destined to ruin her happiness at every turn.

              “They won’t break me,” Bowen whispered into her ear as her sobbing settled, leaving her shaken and rot with helplessness at what to do. “This isn’t the end, little bit.”

              “Promise me,” she said into his shoulder.

              He cupped her face once more. “On my mother’s grave, I swear it to you.”

    *     *     *     *

              Carter’s morning defined shit-tastic.  He, Mattis, and Felix had met Xandra at a private air strip in Portland, exchanging Bowen for Jessie, and as elated as he was to see his baby sis step off that plane with a beaming I’m-free smile intact, he also wanted to put his fist through the wall at having to hand over Bowen. 

              Naturally, Bowen played it down the entire drive there, claiming they wouldn’t get the best of him, and that he knew the agency wouldn’t leave him hanging to suffer for long, but it’s some tough shit exchanging one human life for another, especially when one’s destiny is turmoil and suffering.  And the looks on both Leah’s and Reagan’s faces when they pulled away from the lodge that morning ...
Ugh
! That was a direct kick to the gut-wrenching gonads.  

              So needless to say, picking up Joss from the hospital salvaged the day.  Her hand was healing nicely, although additional surgeries may be in her future, but for now on the mend.  The two picked up cheeseburgers on the way back to headquarters, and Carter had to admit watching Joss moan in ecstasy over a quarter-pounder with cheese about did him in.

              They weren’t met with a crowd as the two entered the lodge, just Smits and Declan, shooting the breeze in the TV room.  Declan beelined Joss the moment he saw her, even though he’d visited the hospital repeatedly during her stay.
 

 
Joss got them out of there quickly though, claiming tired, and now with his hand on the doorknob of his suite, Carter found himself nervous.  Other than the women who lived there, no other females had ever been in his room.

              Joss put her hand on his and twisted the knob. “I’m sure I’m going to love it, Carter, and if not,”—a shrug— “I can always change it,
roomie
.”

              The door swung wide and Joss entered.  Her green eyes narrowed to pinpoints taking it in.  Carter entered and quietly closed the door, but his eyes never wavered from her.  She sauntered around a bit.  He watched her chuckle at his collection of Bugs Bunny pint glasses—collectors items, passed down from Pops.  She picked up and studied a few of his Star Wars bobble heads, again he heard a muffled giggle that made him smile. She then halted in front of a rather large canvas that consumed a good majority of one wall.

              “Stunning,” she whispered as she gazed.  “Absolutely beautiful ... Who’s the artist?” she finally asked.

              Carter shrugged. “Just something I like to do when the feeling strikes.”

              Her eyes widened as she pointed at the abstract oil painting Carter had created using various shades of mainly greens but some reds.  However, it lacked any sort of holiday feel, with  burnt orange strokes that blended the piece.

              Her index finger absently ran across her lush bottom lip as she studied it some more. “There’s much I don’t know about you,” she said, seeming saddened by the notion.

              Carter stalked straight toward her, wanting nothing more than to toss her on top of his sage green comforter and show her just how well she did know him.  He figured he’d pace himself, though, and start with a kiss.

              “Sweets, there’s only one thing you need to know about me.  I love you!  No bones about it, Jocelyn Delilah, I feckin’ love you.”

              Deadpanned expression (which Carter noted she did very well—she'd be killer at cards), she grumbled, “I should have never told you my middle name.”

              He shook a cocky head. “No way, baby cakes. It’s just one more thing I can say I
know
about you.  So if knowing one another through and through is a big concern for you, then here’s how the rest of this day is gonna pan out.  You’re going to get that perfect ass completely naked; we’re going to go to town like jackrabbits, and in between, we’ll play our own rendition of twenty questions, until there isn’t anything else that we don’t know about each other.  Sound like a plan?”