The Secret (20 page)

“Chill out.” Jake let go of my hand and started jogging toward Karen’s room.

Marsha started from the mound of pillows piled behind her. Her hair was ratty and she rubbed her eyes. “Seriously—you have to come stomping in here right now?”

I followed Jake, knowing the only thing I was functioning on was adrenaline.

Flipping the light on, Jake scoured Karen’s room with his eyes.

I sought out Rob’s spot, the place he’d carved out on Karen’s long computer desk to do his work.

Nothing.

Karen put her hands on top of her head and walked in a little circle. “Someone stole it?”

Realization washed over her face and she looked at me, accusingly. “Dr. Luth—but how would he know? Unless there’s a spy?”

Reed walked into the room, Marsha dragging in behind him, knotting her pink bathrobe in front of her. “What are you guys talking about?”

Sinking into the large, black computer desk chair next to Rob’s spot, I tried not to react to her statement. The horror of it all started to sink deep inside of me. 

Dropping down into a push-up position, Jake looked under her bed before popping back up onto his feet. “Does he keep it anywhere else?”

Shaking her head, Karen sat on her bed.

Looking around bewildered, Reed watched Jake making short work of Karen’s room, pulling books off her bookcase and yanking the blankets from under Karen to pull them off the bed.

Visibly getting more agitated, Marsha stomped her foot. “Where is Sam? And what the hell is happening?”

I put my hand to my head, rubbing my temple. I’d had a pounding ache in my head since Sam and I had been inside my mom’s reality.

Jake went into Karen’s closet and started to rummage through her things. “It’s got to be here.”

My phone buzzed and I pulled it out of my pocket. It was a text from Sam, telling me he needed to take a drive. He asked if we’d found Rob’s computer. Annoyance flared through me. I did not understand him. He was taking a drive
now
? “Apparently your brother needs to take a drive at three in the morning.”

“Dude—hold still.” Reed reached out and stopped Jake from starting in on Karen’s dresser.

Jake glared at him. “You don’t get it.”

Reed held on to Jake. “Hold up, Bond—explain what, exactly, is making you act like this.”

Meeting my eyes, Jake sighed.

Shaking my head, I stood. We couldn’t tell them that Stewart was Nicholi—if one of them was working with Stewart, I didn’t want Stewart to know that we knew. Not until I could get Mom safely tucked away somewhere else.

I touched Karen’s shoulder. “We’re worried that Luth found out about Rob cracking the code for the book. Maybe he’s bugged the house or something.”

Reed crossed his arms and paused, looking between Jake and me. “Let me get this straight. We don’t know where Rob’s computer is? The computer that has the key to the existence of our powers?”

I nodded.

Pursing her lips in superiority, Marsha smiled. “I have it.”

“What?” Jake and I both said in unison.

Tilting her head down, Marsha took on a teacher voice. “Rob came to me before prom and told me that he had this nagging feeling that he needed to keep it safe. He said it was probably silly, but asked if I would put it in my safe.”

Reed smiled, nodding. “That’s my man. Did you stuff it in that steel box of yours?” He turned to me, laughter at the edges of his smile. “She has, like, diamond-studded shoes in there.”

Elbowing him, Marsha started for the door. “It looks like my safe is going to save us all.”

Following her to her room, which was covered in posters of the Eiffel Tower, I felt myself calming down. The computer was in the safe. It didn’t surprise me that Rob would take measures to protect it. That’s just how he was.

Disappearing into her long closet, Marsha turned the light on by pulling a string.

I dove in behind her, unable to control myself. I needed to see the computer for myself.

Marsha opened the lid on a steel box.

I saw his computer, safely tucked between a pair of diamond shoes and a couple of worn, brown books. My pulse started to slow and I couldn’t help laughing that the diamond-studded shoes really existed. “It’s here.”

Marsha dropped the lid and immediately reached for the heavy lock, slamming it back into place. She put the chain with the key back around her neck. “That’s right. Nothing goes in that safe and nothing comes out—without my key.”

We filed out of the closet and I smiled at the relief in Jake’s eyes.

Jake stepped beside me, touching the small of my back. “I’m taking the couch tonight. You need some sleep.”

I nodded, feeling exhaustion start to sweep over me with the assurance that Rob’s computer was safe.

Marsha poked me in the shoulder. “You’re welcome.”

Turning to her, I held her angry eyes for a second and then looked away. There was always more time to fight with Marsha, but it wasn’t tonight. I started out the door.

“Hey—are you going to text my brother and find out when he’s coming back?”

I glared at her. “Do it yourself.”

The sweatpants and T-shirt sagged on me, but the thick, white socks Jake had lent me felt warm and toasty. I padded down the hall to Jake’s room, ready to drop into bed.

Jake sat in a chair next to the bed. He’d changed into his pajama pants and a white T-shirt. He smiled. “I know being in my room with me makes you feel awkward.”

My heart sped up a notch. “I’m that easy to read?”

Gesturing for me to get into the bed, Jake shook his head from side to side. “No, you’ve been impossible to read the last couple of days.”

Feeling a little shy, I got in his bed.

As I pulled the blankets up to my chin, he sat down, scooting the chair closer. His eyes were tired, but he reached a hand out and laid it gently on my forehead. “I’ll just tuck you in.”

I sunk deeper into the bed and turned onto my side, facing him. It felt so perfect to be here with him. Breathing in deeply, I was filled with trace whispers of his fresh rain aftershave.

Jake leaned closer, laying his cheek next to mine and my whole body seemed to relax. I felt his soft lips tickle my ear. “I’m too tired to kiss you.”

I smiled.

He pulled back, watching my face.

The light from the hall shadowed him.

“I’m sorry about prom.”

Jake didn’t speak for a minute and then he kissed me softly on the lips. “This is a good end to prom night.”

My heart started to constrict and I sat up, a small laugh erupting from my throat. I pressed my hand against his cheek. “Yes, this
is
a good end to prom night.”

Jake smiled, touching my cheek gently with his thumb. “I missed you.”

Looking into his eyes, I couldn’t think of a more perfect moment. “Me, too.”

Jake stood from the chair. “Good night, Lanie.”

I leaned back into the pillows, smiling.

He turned toward the door.

“What do you think Stewart is trying to do? I mean, I know he’s gathering powers and stuff, but what do you think his ultimate goal is?”

Jake stopped, turning slowly. “I don’t know. But it’s been a long day, Lanie. We need some sleep. Don’t worry. We’re in this together.”

I closed my eyes. “Did Sam get back?”

I could hear the instant pain in his voice. “Do you care that much?”

My eyes felt gravelly and I squeezed them tighter, not wanting to look at Jake. “It just feels strange that he didn’t come back with us to check on Rob’s computer.”

Jake scoffed. “Turner…he never seems to do things that make sense. Believe me, he’s the least of your worries.”

I could feel myself already starting to pull toward the gravity of sleep, but I wanted to ask him. “How come you followed us after we left the jail?”

I heard Jake suck in his breath.

I opened my eyes. “I’m glad you did. But I worried you’d be so mad at me when I left with him…”

Jake crossed his arms. “I guess the honest answer is that I wanted to be angry. But it didn’t make sense. It just didn’t add up. It felt like, one minute, we were rock solid, and then the next, you were knifing me in the back. I couldn’t believe that you’d just turned into a different person all of a sudden. So I decided that I would fight for you. I need you, Lanie.”

A warm, glowing feeling spread through me. I smiled.

“What?” His voice sounded uncertain.

I reached my hand out from under the covers, holding it in the air.

He took it, the warmth of it making me happy.

“I need you, too.”

Episode 23: Missing

A dull knocking sound brought me to consciousness and I jerked upright in bed. The whole of the previous night went through my mind in little movie bites: Rob in jail, Stewart as Nicholi, the computer software. I rubbed my eyes, trying to both force away the unsettled feeling inside of me and to remember what I’d been dreaming about. It was like my subconscious had been on the edge of figuring out something important.

But it was gone.

Forcing myself to push the thick covers back, I looked at the clock on the night stand—9:43 AM.

“She’s here?” I heard the faint sound of Mr. Drake’s voice from downstairs.

Rushing out of Jake’s room, I ran to the loft overlook, feeling myself relax at the sight of him.

Jake walked out of the kitchen, holding a glass of orange juice in one hand while he handed another to Mr. Drake. “It’s been crazy.”

Nodding, Mr. Drake took a sip of the juice.

And then it hit me. How come Mr. Drake never seemed to be around when the important stuff happened—the confrontation with Dr. Luth, when Nicholi had been here as Stewart, and when Rob had gotten arrested? I glared at him, thinking.

He also didn’t seem like he was in a hurry to uproot his family and run. Why? Mr. Drake had to be working with Nicholi. That was it!

As if sensing I was thinking about him, Mr. Drake frowned up at me. “Hey, Lanie. Sorry to hear about your brother. But Jake was just telling me he has one of the best defense attorneys in Colorado on the case.”

I didn’t stop glaring at him. “
Are
you sorry?”

Spitting the orange juice back into his glass, Jake coughed.

I moved to the stairs, descending them thoughtfully.

Furrowing his eyebrows at me, Jake said, “Mr. Schneider just called. He wants us to meet him in front of the jail in an hour. He said he needs to discuss some things with us.”

Looking Mr. Drake up and down thoroughly, I nodded my head at Jake. Granted, Mr. Drake didn’t look like much—but the best spies were always the ones that you least suspected.

Rocking back onto his heels, Mr. Drake gave me an annoyed look.
“
How come I feel like you’re deciding something about me, Ms. Hart?
”

This overwhelming urge to punch him coursed through me. I crossed my arms to keep them down. “Are you feeling guilty about something, Mr. Drake?”

Mr. Drake looked between Jake and me. “What is she talking about?”

Giving me an exasperated look, Jake gently took my forearm, pulling me out of Mr. Drake’s view into the kitchen and out the little sliding door into the cold air. “Just a sec, Mr. Drake.” He shut the door. “What’s wrong?”

The wind bit into me and my heartbeat accelerated. “It’s Mr. Drake. Don’t you see? He’s Stewart’s spy.”

Jake shook his head and then stopped, the corners of his eyes creasing. “Maybe.”

Pulling away from him, I pushed back my thick hair. I knew the curls were totally out of control after having slept. “It’s him. Think about it. He’s the missing link. They were never together at the same time and Mr. Drake has refused to leave. He has to be Stewart’s lackey.”

Running his hand through his hair, Jake turned in a little circle away from me. “But why would my mother have contacted him? No. Think about it, Lanie. If Drake is with Stewart—he wouldn’t have had the book. Your own father wouldn’t have been led to him. No, it can’t be him.”

The seal of the sliding door yanked open. Marsha stuck her head out, hair and makeup perfectly in place, but a sour expression cancelled out her beauty. “Have either of you seen Sam?”