Madly & the Jackal (11 page)

 I felt a modicum of comfort from Aidan’s reasoning.  It seemed sound and logical.  I’d relay it all to Jackson later and see what he thought.  As far as I was concerned, his was the opinion that mattered most.

“Why not?  My life does,” Jersey offered.

“Your life is hardly a tragedy, Jersey,” Aidan rebutted.

“It is from my perspective.  I haven’t had a really good kiss in forever and all my girlie parts are gonna dry up if they don’t get some attention.  I thought an internship in Slumber was supposed to be like
rumspringa.
”

“I think ten thousand Amish people just passed out at that reference, Jersey,” Kellina giggled.  I couldn’t help but join her.  As far as tension breakers go, Jersey was a walking, talking ice pick.

The conversation lightened up considerably following her wildly inappropriate comment.  We chatted for a while.  Kellina’s yawn reminded me that even a fun visit was probably taxing.  I had all but forgotten what kind of an ordeal she’d been through.

“I guess we’re probably interrupting your rest.  I need to get this one back anyway,” I said, inclining my head toward Jersey, who looked at me with wide, innocent eyes.  “It will only go downhill from here.”

“What?” Jersey asked.  “What’d I say?”

Kellina giggled again, but didn’t argue.  I could see the fatigue dragging at the corners of her mouth and eyes.  Her skin was a bit paler than when we’d arrived, too.  She was still recovering and we weren’t helping.

CHAPTER NINE

Jackson must’ve been waiting for us to get back.  Jersey and I had just walked into our room when the adjoining door opened.  I felt my face flush with pleasure at the sight of him standing in the doorway.

We started to smile at one another, but it was as if, at the exact same moment, we both realized that Jersey was watching.  She hadn’t witnessed Jackson’s confession after we captured Wolfhardt, so she didn’t know that we were aware of each other’s feelings.  And that was no doubt for the best.  At least for the time being anyway.

Jackson cleared his throat and I turned away, busying myself with straightening my bed before I sat down on it.  I worked hard to school my features before turning back around.

“Where have you two been?”

“Visiting Aidan and Kellina.  Is that a problem?” Jersey asked drolly.

Jackson didn’t answer.  “Got some good news at Transport.”

Jackson looked from me to Jersey and back again.  “Go ahead.  She knows the gist of what’s going on.”

“No running your mouth, Jersey.  You can’t—”

“I know, I know,” she interrupted testily.  “We’ve been through this once before.  Remember?  I actually
helped
last time.”

Jackson grunted.  “That’s debatable.”

“Hey, don’t forget that it was me who—”

“All right, you two.  Enough.  Jersey’s fine.  Jackson, what did you find out?”

The two siblings glared at each other for several seconds longer before Jackson’s expression cleared and he turned to me.  “It looks like we might have a little bit of a break.”

I perked up instantly.  “Why do you say that?  Do you know who the descendant is?”

“Now Madly, would I have called that a ‘little’ break?”

I felt deflated.  “Good point.  So what is it?”

“When the first couple of Lore were released, Atlas’s systems tried to catch up.  The shields flickered for a couple of seconds three times.  Each time they did, it slowed the escape of the Lore.  What that means for us is that it should be longer between arrivals now.  We might have a little more time to think and plan between captures.”

“Time to plan?  That would be nice.  Maybe we could even find a way to free Atlas before the next one arrives.”  I paused.  “Provided, of course, that we can catch these two quickly.”

“That’s something else.  It’s supposed to rain later today. After I get back from my debriefing, maybe we could go out and let you conjure up all the science geeks before we hit the books tonight.”

Jackson’s eyes twinkled and my stomach muscles clenched.  I tried hard not to smile, to act normal.  Well, what Jersey knew as my normal anyway.

“Sounds good.  I don’t have any other plans.  Not that it would matter.  This is important,” I added for good measure.

“I can help,” Jersey chimed.  “You know how much I love to play in the rain.”

Jackson and I both turned to look at her, neither having expected her offer.  And I don’t know why.  Jersey wasn’t the type who liked to be left out of anything.

“Um, we, uh, I’m not sure if we could concentrate enough with you there, Jersey,” I stammered.  “We have to really focus to get our powers to work that well together.”

Much to my relief, Jersey shrugged.  “Okay, then I can help with the book part.  When do we start?  And what are we researching?  Three minds are better than two.”

She had us there.  Help with the research would be a benefit.  There was no denying it.

“We might have to pull an all-nighter, Jersey.  There’s no reason for all three of us to be sleep-deprived,” Jackson reasoned.

“You just don’t want me around.  Don’t think I can’t see right through you, Jackson Hamilton,” Jersey griped, hands fisted on her hips.

“It’s not that, Jersey.  I just know how you get when you’re sleepy.  Good god!  I’ve seen more temperate grizzlies.”

“And you’re always such a dream, right?  More like a porcupine.  Let me tell you something, Mr.—”

 “You guys, come on!  We’ve got better things to do than argue.  Jersey, we’d love to have your help with research.  Do you think you two can get along in order for us to get anything accomplished, though?”

There was a moment of silence before Jersey’s face split into a beatific smile.  She bounced over to Jackson and squeezed his arm, looking up at him adoringly. 

“Of course we can.  He’s my brother and I love him.”

Jackson rolled his eyes and I laughed.  She could really lay it on thick when the occasion called for it.

“That’s a little more like it,” I teased.

“Yay!” she squealed, clapping her hands excitedly.  “We can order pizza and stay up all night.  It’ll be so much fun.”

I had thought it would be—so much fun—but my plans for the night had been dependent on being alone with Jackson, which would not be the case with Jersey hanging around to help out.  I squelched my sigh of disappointment.

“That gives us time to watch at least one of those movies I rented the other night.  All hell broke loose and I’d all but forgotten about them.  Besides,” Jersey said, moving forward to link her arm through mine and turn me toward the door.  “I feel like we need to spend some quality time catching up.  Over ice cream.  Then popcorn.”  She licked her lips dramatically.

 Quickly, I glanced over Jersey’s shoulder at Jackson, who was frowning.  I could tell he didn’t like the situation any more than I did, but there was little either of us could do.  Jersey was…well, she was Jersey.  Enough said.

As she steered me through the door, I racked my brain for any excuse to go back to Jackson, but the plans had already been set.  There was little we could do until it rained.  For a few hours, I was stuck.  Jacksonless.

********

Jersey and I were sharing a bowl of popcorn as we watched a dramatic car chase on the television when the first rain drop pecked on the window.  I say we were watching, but what I really mean was Jersey was watching.  I was silently counting the minutes until I got to see Jackson again.  He had become like a drug to me, an addiction.  I needed his presence on a nearly visceral level.  Certainly on an emotional one.  I felt as though all was right with the world when he was near, even if it wasn’t. 

I sat up, almost toppling the half-empty bowl of fluffy kernels in my haste.  “Was that a rain drop?”

Shifting the bowl into Jersey’s surprised arms, I leapt from the bed and rushed to the window.  I swallowed my whoop of delight when I saw the fat drops peppering the glass.

“All this over rain?  Is there something I don’t know?”

I looked back at Jersey over my shoulder, carefully assessing her expression.  Although her question was peculiar, the look on her face was innocuous enough.  I shrugged and replied casually, “I’m just anxious to find and capture the Lore so we can make another attempt at Atlas.  I feel like I let everyone down.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Madly,” Jersey said, pausing the movie.  “You managed to get Wolfhardt out of Kellina and get that bastard back to prison.  That’s huge.  Huge!  How can you feel anything but proud?  It was as success.”

“Atlas isn’t free.  Our entire race, as well as who-knows-how-many humans, is still in danger.  I hardly consider that a success.”

“Eh,” she said, waving me off.  “You’re too hard on yourself.  Enjoy the victories, Madly.  There’s always tomorrow to win bigger wars.”

I smiled at my friend.  Sometimes she was surprisingly wise.

“You’d love me if I dyed my hair green, refused to shower and sat around watching
Our House
reruns, wouldn’t you, J?”

“No way!  I could never love someone who liked
Our House.”

Her grin was full of mischief.  Mine was full of love.  Jersey was family.  All we were missing was the blood.

A knock sounded at the door just then.  Although Jackson usually entered our room where it adjoined his, this time he was using the main door.  But that didn’t throw me.  I knew it was him.  I could feel him like static in the air, bringing every nerve in my body to attention.

 “Wow,” Jersey said after opening the door and stepping back to allow Jackson to enter.  “You must’ve been just waiting for that first drop to fall, too.”

Jackson’s eyes met mine across the room.  His expression didn’t change in the slightest, but I knew he was smiling on the inside.  Just like I was.

“You ready?”

I nodded, moving to get my shoes and a jacket from the closet.

“We’ll be back in a while, k?”

Jersey nodded, smothering a yawn with the back of her hand.  “If I’m asleep, wake me up.”

I sighed.

“I won’t bite,” she added with a giggle.  “I promise.”

I rolled my eyes.  “I’ve heard that before.  I’m just telling you, though, if you’re grouchy, no all-night research.  Got it?”

“Ma’am, yes ma’am!” she shouted, saluting me stiffly.

I shook my head and followed Jackson back out the door.

We walked in the manner one would expect a Sentinel and his charge to walk.  At least in Mer culture—Jackson slightly ahead and to my left, always on guard and scanning the area for danger.

Before I could ask where we were going, we had arrived at the mouth of the forest and Jackson spoke, answering my unvoiced question.  “I thought we’d go to that clearing right up here.  It’s private, but isn’t really covered by anything that will inhibit the rainfall.  If it doesn’t work as well as the creek, we can always go there next.  I didn’t know how much water you’d need.”

“As long as I get to spend time with you, I don’t care if it’s raining or snowing or near a creek or the ocean or a glass of ice water.”

“Princess!” he exclaimed in shock.  “How inappropriate of you, for I am just a lowly Sentinel, assigned to protect the—” I reached forward to slap Jackson’s arm playfully, but he continued.  “—delicate curves of the Mer’s most important female.  Why, I would never even consider laying a finger on her in a way that was—”

With a squeal, I jumped onto Jackson’s back, wrapping my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck.  Gently, I bit his earlobe.  “So you won’t be laying a finger on me, huh?”  With a throaty chuckle, I slid my tongue along the shell of his ear and then dipped it quickly inside.  Jackson shuddered.  “Is there anything I can do to change your mind?”

Jackson took off at a trot until we were fully immersed in the shadow of the trees.  Twisting, he dragged me off his back and into his arms, where he cradled me against his wide chest.  I looked up into his fathomless blue eyes, feeling more at home in them than I did anywhere else on the planet.

“Well there is something…”

Lowering his head, Jackson took my lips in a searing kiss that left me aching in all the right places.  When he tore his mouth away, we were both breathless.

“Jersey!” Jackson growled.  “Let’s pray that she gets sleepy and goes back to her room tonight.”

I laughed, thrilled that he was as put out about our botched plans as I was.  “Maybe we could spike her pizza,” I teased.

“Well, if she falls asleep, you’re mine.  And I don’t care where we are.  If she falls asleep in my room, we’ll just have to christen your room.”

Chills raced down my arms at the thought of Jackson making love to me in my own bed, in my own room, in my sanctuary.  It was so…intimate.  So personal.  So real. 

I reached up to trace the perfect curve of his mouth with my finger.  “You can have me anywhere you want me,” I whispered.

“Even in the rain?” he asked, his eyes burning with desire.

My heart sped up.  “Even in the rain.”

“I hope you mean that,” Jackson said, walking forward purposefully, his eyes never leaving mine. 

Anticipation curled in my stomach.  Heat crawled along my skin.  But just as he was turning to duck behind an enormous collection of boulders, several delighted squeals of laughter drifted to our ears.  We were not as alone as we’d thought. 

Jackson stopped and we both sighed.  “Rain check?” he asked.

I laughed.  “I’ll give you more than one.”

He growled and kissed me roughly before setting me on my feet.  “I guess we’ll have to keep it clean today.”

“You don’t have to sound so disappointed,” I giggled.

“Why not?  I
am
disappointed.”

I smiled broadly.  I loved that he wanted me.  I wondered if it was possible for him to want me as much as I wanted him.  I decided it was not.  I doubted anyone in the history of the world had ever wanted another person as much as I wanted Jackson.  If it came right down to it, he was the only thing I doubted I could live without.  He was all I ever wanted.

With a sigh, Jackson took my hand and pulled me along behind him.  “Come on.  I guess we’d better get something accomplished.”

We made our way through the trees until they parted to reveal a small clearing.  Even beneath the gloom of the overhanging clouds, it was easy to see what a beautiful spot it was.  The grass was a lush dark, dark green and it was dotted with clumps of tiny yellow flowers.  The rain glistened in the muted afternoon light as it fell in a soft sheet to the ground.  With the noise of the intruders having faded from the forest, it was absolutely silent but for the delicate patter of the light shower.