relax. The more you freak out, the more likely we’ll be caught. Act naturally.”
“Point taken. Let’s go.” Hagan adjusted the hat and sank low in the seat. He rode in silence, not really paying attention to their surroundings. If he had a heart, it would’ve been pounding. Good Goddess. They were going to the place that could be his salvation or their undoing. If caught, death lingered close behind. If Laing wasn’t on the level, death was imminent. Running and living in hiding was starting to sound pretty good.
“The level of intel I got on Laing is that he’s a Rogue fighting the Maslow faction of Rogues.” Emily gripped the steering wheel. “Seems like everyone is a Rogue.”
“Sounds like he’s not an actual rogue, but a Defender.”
“I agree. He’s got at least one other shifter who was originally in service as a Defender for a Seer. That’s probably what Ava found out. They’re trying to save Supers. If everything checks out, then we need to bring them the info you have, too.”
“Unless they’re connected to Maslow,” Emily said. “We have no real proof he is or isn’t.”
“True.”
“I remember when Maslow came onto the scene. Everyone thought he was nuts. Hunters only killed bad Supers. Checks and balances. Then he got to talking about how Supers could go bad. Not just from going mad because they’d lost their mate or because they’d been driven crazy, but because they were innately evil. People started questioning their best friends and all because he talked with such slickness. Who does that? Who convinces their friends that they’re all evil?”
“Someone with a sick mind. Paranoid people.” He slipped her hand into his and held on tight. She’d been fighting for too long and needed a break. He wanted to give her that break.
“Yeah.” Emily sighed.
His emotional heart went out to her. Thinking that what you had been trained to do was all wrong had to suck. She wasn’t doing anything wrong by keeping the evil off the streets, but if Maslow was interpreting good versus evil, they were all fucked.
“If it helps, not all the Supers are bad, just as not all of the Hunters are bad. You’re not evil.” He kissed her knuckles. “Promise.”
“But I could be.”
“I know you’re not.”
“No you don’t. For all you know, I could be an assassin sent to put you in your comfort zone before I destroy you and everyone you love.” Her hand trembled and she pulled away from him.
She was trying to be tough and sound harder than she needed to be. “Do you really want me to buy that? I’ve been in your head and seen your heart. You’re scared. You’re trying to prove yourself to the world because the world you know is falling apart.” He turned in his seat and faced her. “When I lost Ava, I thought that was it. I was done and couldn’t go on. Then I got this second chance with you. I’m not squandering it.”
“Hagan.”
“I’m serious. You’re pushing me away while every cell in your body wants to pull me close. You’ve been scarred by the past. Me, too. If we stay strong together, we can move forward.” Being honest with himself and her freed him. He wasn’t strapped to Ava’s memory or the things they’d done. He could forge a new future with Emily.
“You actually believe we can do this?”
How could she doubt him? He’d never been surer in his life or un-deadness. “I do. Completely.”
“Remember that when you see your girl.” She nodded. “We’re at the mansion.”
At the mansion? He glanced out the window. Sure enough, they were in the sweeping half moon driveway of a large home. He’d never seen a house so big. “Wow.”
Hagan drummed his fingers on the Jeep door. He didn’t understand what she meant about seeing his girl. He had his girl right next to him. Ava wasn’t his any longer. He’d been on the fence about her for so long, but the more he busted Emily into emotional pieces, the harder he fell for her. Ava didn’t
“Point taken. Let’s go.” Hagan adjusted the hat and sank low in the seat. He rode in silence, not really paying attention to their surroundings. If he had a heart, it would’ve been pounding. Good Goddess. They were going to the place that could be his salvation or their undoing. If caught, death lingered close behind. If Laing wasn’t on the level, death was imminent. Running and living in hiding was starting to sound pretty good.
“The level of intel I got on Laing is that he’s a Rogue fighting the Maslow faction of Rogues.” Emily gripped the steering wheel. “Seems like everyone is a Rogue.”
“Sounds like he’s not an actual rogue, but a Defender.”
“I agree. He’s got at least one other shifter who was originally in service as a Defender for a Seer. That’s probably what Ava found out. They’re trying to save Supers. If everything checks out, then we need to bring them the info you have, too.”
“Unless they’re connected to Maslow,” Emily said. “We have no real proof he is or isn’t.”
“True.”
“I remember when Maslow came onto the scene. Everyone thought he was nuts. Hunters only killed bad Supers. Checks and balances. Then he got to talking about how Supers could go bad. Not just from going mad because they’d lost their mate or because they’d been driven crazy, but because they were innately evil. People started questioning their best friends and all because he talked with such slickness. Who does that? Who convinces their friends that they’re all evil?”
“Someone with a sick mind. Paranoid people.” He slipped her hand into his and held on tight. She’d been fighting for too long and needed a break. He wanted to give her that break.
“Yeah.” Emily sighed.
His emotional heart went out to her. Thinking that what you had been trained to do was all wrong had to suck. She wasn’t doing anything wrong by keeping the evil off the streets, but if Maslow was interpreting good versus evil, they were all fucked.
“If it helps, not all the Supers are bad, just as not all of the Hunters are bad. You’re not evil.” He kissed her knuckles. “Promise.”
“But I could be.”
“I know you’re not.”
“No you don’t. For all you know, I could be an assassin sent to put you in your comfort zone before I destroy you and everyone you love.” Her hand trembled and she pulled away from him.
She was trying to be tough and sound harder than she needed to be. “Do you really want me to buy that? I’ve been in your head and seen your heart. You’re scared. You’re trying to prove yourself to the world because the world you know is falling apart.” He turned in his seat and faced her. “When I lost Ava, I thought that was it. I was done and couldn’t go on. Then I got this second chance with you. I’m not squandering it.”
“Hagan.”
“I’m serious. You’re pushing me away while every cell in your body wants to pull me close. You’ve been scarred by the past. Me, too. If we stay strong together, we can move forward.” Being honest with himself and her freed him. He wasn’t strapped to Ava’s memory or the things they’d done. He could forge a new future with Emily.
“You actually believe we can do this?”
How could she doubt him? He’d never been surer in his life or un-deadness. “I do. Completely.”
“Remember that when you see your girl.” She nodded. “We’re at the mansion.”
At the mansion? He glanced out the window. Sure enough, they were in the sweeping half moon driveway of a large home. He’d never seen a house so big. “Wow.”
Hagan drummed his fingers on the Jeep door. He didn’t understand what she meant about seeing his girl. He had his girl right next to him. Ava wasn’t his any longer. He’d been on the fence about her for so long, but the more he busted Emily into emotional pieces, the harder he fell for her. Ava didn’t
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