going to start letting the man think I obeyed his orders. Inside, the house looked as if a tornado had come through and ripped it apart. Windows were broken. Furniture was turned over. Our kitchen had vomited the contents of all its cupboards onto the floor. The place was trashed.
Judging from the mess, Tony had used his telekinesis to put up quite a fight. I hoped he managed to get to the basement bunker somehow, but the tranquilizer darts littered throughout the house gave me little faith.
As I headed toward my bedroom, Ryan fell into step beside me. He kept looking around as if he were trying to solve a very complicated puzzle. “It’s not usually such a mess,” I deadpanned.
Chuckling, Ryan shook his head. “I guess I just expected something more from the place you used to refer to as ‘The Lair.’”
It was such a simple statement, but it caused a flurry of emotion inside me. Right after the explosion I used to ask Tony all kinds of questions, but he never really had any good answers for me. He told me what life was like at the labs and how we lived there together, but his stories always felt hollow because he couldn’t flesh them out with the simple details—like how I would refer to the bunker as “The Lair.” I’d always assumed Tony’s stories felt that way because I didn’t remember them myself, but somehow I doubted Ryan’s memories would feel as empty.
My brain exploded with curiosity, and my heart pounded with excitement and hope. This guy held the keys to my past. There was so much I wanted to know, so much I wished I could ask him. Before I could ask anything, Major Wilks stepped up to us. “Let’s go. The house is clear. He’s not here. Let’s move, before Donovan’s supersoldiers decide to come back.”
Ryan nodded and started to head out.
“Wait. I have to check the office first. I doubt Tony made it, but I still have to check. The walls are thick enough that I can’t hear him when he’s down there.”
Both Ryan and Major Wilks glanced around the bedroom with a frown, looking for the office they’d never find without my help.
“Office?” Major Wilks asked.
“I’ve heard it’s been referred to as ‘The Lair.’”
I finally cracked a smile Ryan’s way. It was the first time I’d let my guard down with him since I’d learned we had a past, and it completely disarmed him. He paused mid-stride to stand there and smile at me like a lovesick fool. His whole face lit up, as if I’d just given him the greatest gift in the universe. His eyes freaking twinkled . And that smile… The reaction made my heart melt a little toward the stranger, and that terrified me. “Um.” Clearing my throat, I stepped around Major Wilks and led them to the closet. “It’s this way.”
I pushed aside a wall of clothes hanging on a rack. It looked like any other wall, but when I twisted the pole that the clothes hung on, the wall slid back to reveal a steel door that could only be opened by handprint scan. Ryan’s jaw hit the floor as I scanned my palm. “No. Way. That is awesome .”
“Dude!” Tyson echoed.
I was startled to see that most of the ACEs had followed us. “This used to be a bomb shelter,” I explained, feeling like a tour guide as we descended the secret stairs down into Teddy’s office. “The Lair” was actually the perfect name for it. It definitely could have been used as a base of operations for someone looking to take over the world—not that that had been Teddy’s intention. At least, I didn’t think it was, but I guess who really knew what he was doing down here? Obviously not searching databases for missing persons fitting my description, like he said he was doing. Stupid liar. I was going to save him if only so I could kill him.
The door clicked open, releasing a soft whoosh of air. The shelter was, of course, airtight with its own filtration system. It always felt a little stale to me, but I usually adjusted quickly. I shoved the door wide and waved
Judging from the mess, Tony had used his telekinesis to put up quite a fight. I hoped he managed to get to the basement bunker somehow, but the tranquilizer darts littered throughout the house gave me little faith.
As I headed toward my bedroom, Ryan fell into step beside me. He kept looking around as if he were trying to solve a very complicated puzzle. “It’s not usually such a mess,” I deadpanned.
Chuckling, Ryan shook his head. “I guess I just expected something more from the place you used to refer to as ‘The Lair.’”
It was such a simple statement, but it caused a flurry of emotion inside me. Right after the explosion I used to ask Tony all kinds of questions, but he never really had any good answers for me. He told me what life was like at the labs and how we lived there together, but his stories always felt hollow because he couldn’t flesh them out with the simple details—like how I would refer to the bunker as “The Lair.” I’d always assumed Tony’s stories felt that way because I didn’t remember them myself, but somehow I doubted Ryan’s memories would feel as empty.
My brain exploded with curiosity, and my heart pounded with excitement and hope. This guy held the keys to my past. There was so much I wanted to know, so much I wished I could ask him. Before I could ask anything, Major Wilks stepped up to us. “Let’s go. The house is clear. He’s not here. Let’s move, before Donovan’s supersoldiers decide to come back.”
Ryan nodded and started to head out.
“Wait. I have to check the office first. I doubt Tony made it, but I still have to check. The walls are thick enough that I can’t hear him when he’s down there.”
Both Ryan and Major Wilks glanced around the bedroom with a frown, looking for the office they’d never find without my help.
“Office?” Major Wilks asked.
“I’ve heard it’s been referred to as ‘The Lair.’”
I finally cracked a smile Ryan’s way. It was the first time I’d let my guard down with him since I’d learned we had a past, and it completely disarmed him. He paused mid-stride to stand there and smile at me like a lovesick fool. His whole face lit up, as if I’d just given him the greatest gift in the universe. His eyes freaking twinkled . And that smile… The reaction made my heart melt a little toward the stranger, and that terrified me. “Um.” Clearing my throat, I stepped around Major Wilks and led them to the closet. “It’s this way.”
I pushed aside a wall of clothes hanging on a rack. It looked like any other wall, but when I twisted the pole that the clothes hung on, the wall slid back to reveal a steel door that could only be opened by handprint scan. Ryan’s jaw hit the floor as I scanned my palm. “No. Way. That is awesome .”
“Dude!” Tyson echoed.
I was startled to see that most of the ACEs had followed us. “This used to be a bomb shelter,” I explained, feeling like a tour guide as we descended the secret stairs down into Teddy’s office. “The Lair” was actually the perfect name for it. It definitely could have been used as a base of operations for someone looking to take over the world—not that that had been Teddy’s intention. At least, I didn’t think it was, but I guess who really knew what he was doing down here? Obviously not searching databases for missing persons fitting my description, like he said he was doing. Stupid liar. I was going to save him if only so I could kill him.
The door clicked open, releasing a soft whoosh of air. The shelter was, of course, airtight with its own filtration system. It always felt a little stale to me, but I usually adjusted quickly. I shoved the door wide and waved
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