Forget Me Not (38 page)

Right. Shuffling back, deeper into the tree, I let the branches and leaves close around me.

Ha, get me now, Will Avery.

A wall of greenery blocks the view in front of me, but I can peer through the branches under me to the ground below where Jax still lazes back on his elbows. He looks straight at me and closes one eye in a slow steady wink, flooding my chest with delicious warmth. I shoot him a smile and hold my finger to my lips.

The leaves on the far side of where I am rustle. Damn, Will’s already passed.
Pay attention, Mae!
I swing down out of my hiding place and silently creep along in Will’s wake.

He pokes at the branches in front of him with his training stick, oblivious to me. “This isn’t a game of hide and seek, Mae.”

Holding the practice swordlike baton out in front, I creep so close if he spun around we’d both lose our balance and topple over the side of the ropes. My breath catches as I bring the stick around to my side, just below shoulder height. It whooshes through the air and thuds against his right leg, making the whole structure sway.

“Ahh.” His fingers spring open, letting go of the rope, and he grabs his leg, then, like he remembers, makes a grab for the handhold but it’s too late. He falls off the side, growling. “Cheat.”

The safety attached to his makeshift harness snaps taut, twanging the walkway under my feet and I clench my toes to hold on. Will isn’t so lucky. He topples over the side then dangles in the air held captive by his harness. It’s kind of hilarious. I have to clutch the rope handrail double handed to stop my laughter unbalancing me too. “I win and I didn’t cheat.”

“Don’t get too cocky.” He climbs back up the rope, hand over hand.

Still holding the handrail one handed, I reach out and haul him up beside me where he sits with his legs hanging over the side. “Let’s take a break, I’m beat.”

“Sure.”

I walk along the suspended path, my bouncy steps matching my light mood. Then jump down to the next and swing to the ground, my feet thudding on a large fallen log. I’m more confident in the crisscrossed rope training area than I was last month. The height no longer makes my stomach lurch or my eyes zoom in on ground.

“Nicely played,” Lilly says from her cross-legged position on the cleared forest floor.  She tosses a water bottle back and forth between her hands, her eyes glued to it. Probably to avoid accidentally meeting Jax’s gaze. Since finding out his true heritage, that he’s not only of Collective blood but Manvyke’s son, their whole friendship has changed. It’s like she doesn’t trust him anymore, like he’s not the same person he always was.

“Thanks,” I say, throwing my practice stick onto the ground and grabbing the drink from her outstretched hand. I swipe the back of my arm across my sweaty forehead and pop the top of the bottle, gulping water.

Will lands with an ungracious thud behind me. “You only won because my knee’s still not a hundred percent.” He snaps the elastic brace wrapped around the knee I didn’t hit.

“Whatever makes you feel better, Will. That’s why we’re training in the tree tops, less weight to rest on your bung knee, gives us even footing.” I smirk, tossing him the bottle.

“Some more even than others,” Jax says.

“I’ll take you on,” Will challenges.

Jax laughs.

He shouldn’t be so confident though, Will almost his match now. Will tips his head back and squirts water into his mouth. As he brings it back down, he grabs the bottle with his other hand and squeezes. A long steady stream of water spurts out and hits me in the face.

“Will!”

He snorts.

“That is not funny.”

Jax chuckles as he pushes himself up coming to join us, then shoots Lilly a wide smile. “Who’s next?”

Lilly doesn’t meet his gaze. Instead, she finds a stick which is picks up and idly drags through the dirt, clearly snubbing him. The silence lingers while Will eases himself onto the ground, without bending his leg then squirts me again.

Trying really hard not to laugh, I pin him with a glare. “I think it’s time you went home.”

He chuckles. “Nah, told Mom I’m staying for the weekend. Besides, it feels kind of strange with your house being empty and all.”

The thought of our abandoned house squeezes my heart. The photos of happier times, the memories of Mom, my dad knowing me are all mere haunting memories. I’ve only been back once and Dad hasn’t visited at all. It’s safer here while he’s still—

“I can’t believe you guys actually pulled that stunt off,” Lilly says.

“As if we couldn’t,” Jax says, and satisfaction strokes my conscience. Manvyke’s really off our case. Turns out he’s more scared of losing his council standing than going after me, but the thought of him makes the satisfaction slip. I’m not quite sure I trust him to keep his end of the deal.

“Who’s next?” Jax asks.

I meet his gaze and smile, trying to cover up Lilly’s snub. “I’ll go again.”

He shoots me a crooked smile and strides to the hanging rope. Grabbing a knot just above his head, he looks over his shoulder. “Let’s go,” he says then scurries up the trapeze like he’s half-monkey. Before I’ve had time to move he’s in the branches hopping along the walkways, making it look far easier than it really is. “I’ll make it fair, no weapons,” he shouts.

“I’m smarter than you, Jax. Weapons won’t make a difference.” I scale the dangling knotted rope, swinging my gaze in an attempt to follow his laughter as it moves through The Ring.

“Whatever, Cupcake.”

The nickname that once angered me brings a smile to my lips. I pull myself onto the lowest walkway and peer up. There he is. Sitting right at the top of the concaved canopy, where the tree tops all bend and wind together to create the domed roof. I blow out a long breath; to say this will be a challenge is an understatement. He’s so good.

“Come on, if you want to be good enough to go up against Manvyke, you have to push the limits.”

Manvyke
. His name never fails to sear my veins and make my head throb with anger. The empty shell that once held my father now holds a shattered man that doesn’t know his own daughter. The twined rope above me comes into focus, every fiber taunting me with his name. I grab it, swinging my legs up onto the twisted branch at its side, looking from left to right, then to the next walkway above. I need to figure out a way up. If I come straight at him, winding up the spiral-like twine ladders, I’ll be a sitting duck. He’ll see me coming and wait in ambush. That means that I need to use his high placed advantage against him.

Yes, that’s it. Abandoning the rope walkways and ladders, I duck into the cover of the thick branches, grateful that these trees aren’t deciduous. Then settle in for what could be a long wait by leaning against the trunk and letting the tang of crushed leaves and the frigid winter air numb my nose.
How to win? How to win?
Jax is so darn good. Will’s earlier complaint about cheating tickles my thoughts.

Tech!

I reach for my pendant again, but my hand catches only the bare skin at my neck. I’m so used to wearing it that now, I barely notice if it’s there or not. It’s almost like a part of me. My shoulders drop and a disappointed sigh gushes out. No invisibility today. I really do need to get my cover-up back from Marcus. Surely he’s almost finished figuring out what activates the protection bubble.

I reach for the next highest branch and pull myself up, trying to scale the tree like I was born to do it. My body tenses with each move, trying to make the least amount of noise possible yet stay hidden. It’s much easier than it looks though. I cringe at a slight rustle and suck in a breath when Jax taunts, “Tired of playing?”

Something clatters as it hits a branch above me, then another tap to my left and the noise continues falling, clacking against branch after branch until it thuds on the ground. Oops, I hope that wasn’t me. Frozen in place, I peer down at the thick stick and my heart doesn’t even race. At least I can control myself to stay calm. That’s something to be proud of.

“I’ll make it worthwhile.” Jax’s voice is closer now.

A tingle runs through me—a longing for the feel of him: our hands touching, his soft lips against mine, the warmth of his chest against my cheek. Leaning forward, I take a small step almost out of cover, then pull myself back.

Dirty cheat.

He knows the effect he has on me. My insides sing with an inward smile.
Not this time, Jax Belfry. I’m onto your sneaky tricks
. I wriggle back against the tree, dropping my legs over the branch with a newfound patience setting in. I can’t win this by reaching him, by climbing up to his exposed high position. The climb would make me a clear target. Best to wait, yes, make him come to me which I’m almost sure he’s already doing.

Will and Lilly’s chatter echoes up into the canopy in sharp contrast to the earlier silence between her and Jax.

Edging leaves back, I peek up through the leaves trying to see where he is, but they’re so dense I can’t see past them. My eyes close, the sounds around me becoming clearer and holding meaning as I concentrate with every ounce of my being. He’ll be moving—Jax can never stay in one spot for long. Especially now he realizes I’m not playing his game.

Leaves rustle. I knew it! My eyes spring open and I stare at the branches around me. Where is he? The only movement is a slight swaying that’s too rhythmic to be him; must be just the winter wind blowing. I try to focus on the other sounds, but it’s impossible to hear anything over Lilly who’s now laughing. I let my eyes drop closed again, silently urging her and Will to shut up.

Snap
. There it is, the dry crack of a small branch breaking underfoot. It comes from just above and I can’t help but smile. He’s coming. Then silence. My heart beats;
hurry up, come closer
. With my legs wrapped around the thick branch I’m sitting on, I edge away from the trunk shuffling forward until I’m just barely under cover. Waiting in the deafening silence. He’ll come soon. I can almost sense him in the air shifting a little with each step closer to me. I pull my legs up and crouch on the branch ready to pounce.

A soft thud and a small whoosh of expelled breath sound right near me. Grinning, I spring out of cover. His green eyes widen then narrow right in front of me, barely inches away. I move to push him to the side, but his hand darts to close around my wrist in a firm grip. My other arm comes around from the side ready to strike, but as it flies towards him his hand zips out faster than I can blink, snapping around my second wrist. No way! A frustrated grunt escapes me while a smirk tugs at the corner of his mouth.

“Found you.”

He leans in, pushing his firm chest against me, against my wrists bound by his grip, pushing them onto my chest which makes my feet give a few inches as I’m forced to step back. I shove against him, leaning all my weight into it, but it’s no use, he’s too strong. I stumble backward and have to give another step to regain my balance.

“Come on Mae, you can beat him,” Will yells.

Jax angles his mouth to my ear, “Ah, but does she want to?”

“That’s a stupid question.” I push again.

He chuckles and gives a slight shove. Then I’m stepping back again in an attempt to hold my ground.

“Give up?” he asks.

“No.”

Jax smiles, his eyes twinkling jade. His long finger pokes into my chest, prodding me back under the leaves. Which brush over me, closing first me then him in their wintry embrace. Each individual leaf tickles my skin or at least seems to, making me tingle all over. His hands, steady and firm and warm, grip my wrists loosely. He chuckles, leaning in and I know I’ve lost as his lips brush against mine. They suck the tingle in from the rest of my body to an intense focused burning where our mouths touch.

Giving up easily isn’t me, so I shove again, pushing him off me, my hands sharply digging into my chest where he holds them against it.
Argh, I can’t budge
. He’s too strong for me too. He pulls back with a teasing smile.

Two can play this game. I lean in, pressing my lips against his in more than a mere teasing brush. He responds, searing heat through my body as my mouth moves with his. Hard, needy, and urgent. I can still win this.

A tug against his grip releases my wrists. Pulling them back, I wrap my arms around him and our bodies pressed together, are closer than can be. Lips against lips, chest against chest, thigh against thigh, arms around waists. His hand moves to my cheek, runs down my jaw, holding me tighter. His tongue slips into my mouth and slides against mine. Sweet feelings, like warmed honey spread through my veins, totally erasing our game from my thoughts.

“Hey!” Will’s voice assaults my heightened senses. “We can’t see. Who’s winning?”

I sigh against Jax’s kiss, slowly, reluctantly, pulling away. These stolen moments are never long enough. Always cut short by someone or something. Jax smiles his crooked smile full of promises for later.

Strange noises draw my attention away and prick my hearing in another direction. Shouting, clashing, the bang of what could only be gunfire. Jax stiffens under my arms and his eyes meet mine, the desire in them morphing as they grow wide and still. His hand drops from my face, and he darts through the branches back onto the ropes of The Ring. I stand there, the heat of his touch a warm memory against my skin.