Repercussion: The Clandestine Saga Book 3 (17 page)

              "What did you do differently then?" Aaron asked, as if there might be a connection.

              "I... uh... I don't know," she said, obviously not telling the truth.

              Aaron and Elliott exchanged glances. ""Lie much?" Elliott questioned, calling her out.

"Nothing..." Cadence replied. "I don't know."

              "I think you do," Aaron said, squinting at her again.

Cadence folded her arms, and without making eye contact she quietly replied, "It was you."

"Pardon?" Aaron said, leaning forward even further in his chair.

              Cadence sighed. "I know, it sounds stupid--or like I'm awkwardly and publicly trying to seduce you," she admitted. Elliott burst out laughing and she threw him another elbow before finishing her sentence. "I slept really well that night you slept with me, in Lincoln. And I slept really well the other night, after I saw you at the hunt, but I guess I could have just been really tired that night."

Aaron was quiet for a moment before saying. "Well, I need you at the top of your game, so I guess I'll be staying here tonight."

              "I can't ask you to do that..."

"You're not. I'm telling you; I'm staying here tonight. You slept really well that night I spent with you in Paris, too," he reminded her.

              "Wait--what?" Elliott asked.

              They both ignored him. "I don't want to be a pain in the ass," Cadence said, shaking her head.

"It’s a little too late for that,” he said, clearly teasing her. “Look, as I explained to you earlier today, I'm still your boss. This is purely a business arrangement, nothing inappropriate; you can have Elliott sleep on the couch if you'd like, but I need you to get some rest, and anyone who doesn't understand that can come in and I'll explain it to him," he replied, matter-of-factly.

              Clearly, he meant Cale by that last part. Cadence didn't know the doctor that well yet, but she thought he could certainly understand how important it was that she get some sleep. At last, she quietly said, "Okay. But Elliott doesn't need to stay. I trust you."

              "Good," Aaron nodded. "I do have a few things I need to get done, so I'm going to run next door and finish up, and I'll be back in a little while."

Elliott told him goodbye, and he disappeared out the door to his apartment, the only other room on the floor.

              "What happened in Paris?" Elliott asked.

              "What happened in Tulsa?" she retorted.

"I'm guessing more than whatever happened in Paris," he admitted.

              "It doesn't matter," she replied. "It was nothing. Honestly. And nothing's going to happen tonight."

"Now, that I believe," he said, nodding. "Unfortunately. But, I'm gonna go. I'll see you tomorrow, kid."

              She followed him to the door, hugged him goodbye, and turned the lock, knowing Aaron would get in whether it was open or not.

***

It didn't bother Aaron that he found Cadence's door locked about an hour later when he returned to her apartment; there weren't too many locked doors he couldn't find his way through, and that included Cadence's.

              As he entered her bedroom, he could tell by her breathing that she wasn't asleep, although her steady breaths indicated she had been in bed for a while. He had changed into something more comfortable, though it wasn't the boxers he usually slept in, when he slept, which wasn't often. He did his best not to jostle her as he slid in bed beside her, leaving adequate room so she wouldn’t feel uncomfortable.

She opened her eyes and managed a meager smile before they fluttered closed again.

              "I'd ask if I woke you, but I guess, if that were possible, I wouldn't be here," he said, just above a whisper.

              "I'm still awake," she yawned. "Hopefully not for long, or I'm going to look like a manipulative bitch."

              He laughed, quietly. "I have no doubt this was your last resort." She didn't respond, so he took that as an affirmative. "We definitely need you well rested, though, if we're going through with this."

              "It's definitely tempting," she said without opening her eyes.

He studied her face for a moment. The more tired she became, the more serene her expression, the more angelic she appeared. She had one hand under the pillow, the other resting on top, her long brown tresses strewn out behind her across the pillow. "I agree," he finally replied. "I just hope I make the right decision."

              "We," she said quietly.

              "What's that?" he asked, not sure he heard her correctly.

"We--make the right decision. This is a team effort. If something goes wrong, all four of us are to blame, not just you," she explained, opening her eyes to look at him, but not lifting her head.

He considered her statement but dismissed it pretty quickly. "Ultimately, it's my responsibility," he replied.

She sighed and readjusted her pillow. "I know you feel that way, but it isn't true. None of us feel that way--well, maybe Eliza. But Elliott and I certainly don't. We're all in this together."

              As much as he wished her statement were accurate, he knew that if something went wrong, it would be his burden to bear. He didn't bother to argue with her about it, however, not when she was so tired and he was there to help her sleep. She seemed a bit more awake now, however, so he quickly mentioned, "Cale is open to the helicopter idea."

              "You talked to him?" she asked, perking up a bit more.

              Pushing the sting of her reaction away, he said, "I ran it by him a little while ago. He'll make sure their outfitted properly and ready to go."

              She raised an eyebrow. "You didn't talk to him about anything else did you?"

He laughed. "The topic of our sleeping arrangement didn't present itself. But, actually, he did ask me to--if I don't mind--refrain from kissing you again so long as the two of you are dating."

              She blushed. It was apparent, even in the dim light. "And what did you say to that?" she asked, a bit of sleepiness returning in her voice.

              "I said it was a valid request, and left it at that," he admitted.

Cadence shook her head slowly. "Boys..." she mumbled.

              "Are you going to tell him about this?" he asked leaning just a bit closer to her. Her eyes were closed again now, and he couldn't help but study her exquisite lips.

              Her eyes flew back open. "I don't know," she admitted. "What do you think?" Before he even had a chance to respond, she answered her own question. "I think I should. Surely, he'll understand, don't you think?"

              Aaron realized she must have moved a little closer herself with that pillow adjustment. There wasn't so much space between them now after all. "I'm not sure..." he replied, knowing it probably wouldn't go well.

"He's such a good guy," she gushed. "I think he'll be fine with it, once I explain. You'd understand, wouldn't you?"

"Uh..." he wasn't exactly sure how to respond to that. "I don't think it matters what I would say. Like you said, Cale's a good guy and I'm... me, so it really doesn't matter."

              "Shut up," she mumbled, eyes closed again. "You're a good guy, too. Sometimes." She opened one eye and grinned at him, almost a wink, and then closed it.

              Aaron studied her for a few moments. She absolutely deserved a man like Cale, a "good guy," someone who would realize exactly what he had in her. He slowly reached over and gently brushed a few strands of hair away from her face. She let out a soft moan but didn't open her eyes. "Cadence," he said quietly. She hummed an acknowledgement, so he continued. "Whatever you decide to tell Cale about me sleeping in your bed, I definitely don't think you should tell him about this." Closing the space between them, he placed his hand on the side of her face and lightly brushed his lips against hers, waiting to see how she would respond. He was a bit surprised when she returned the kiss, and then opened her mouth, encouraging him to continue to kiss her. He knew he needed to let her go to sleep, so after a moment, he released her, softly caressing her cheek. She moved toward him, and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her next to his body. She lifted her chin and he kissed her one more time before she nuzzled her head into his chest, falling fast asleep.

As he held her in his arms, he was absolutely certain that he wanted her back, that he needed her back. But before that could happen, he needed to make sure he was the kind of man that Cadence deserved. Cradling her in his embrace, he found himself drifting off to sleep as well, something he hadn't done in almost six months.

Chapter Six

             
"Cadence, are you awake?"

Her eyes flickered open for a second, confusion setting in before she promptly shut them. The room was bright--which meant it was morning. Her head wasn't pounding; rather than feeling like she had been hit by a truck, she felt like she could pick one up and throw it.

              But she was still confused. She buried her head beneath a pillow before asking,
"Why are you utilizing the IAC when you're here?"

"Because I left about three hours ago,"
he replied slowly.

              Cadence groaned, her hand shooting out to the empty space beside her. Of course he did. She glanced at the clock. She couldn't believe it was 10:30. She had actually slept for almost ten hours without waking up at all.

              And she really had to pee.

As she climbed out of bed and headed to the bathroom, she was absently grateful that IAC couldn't pick up on bodily functions. "
I'm awake now,"
she finally replied.

"Good. I need you in my office in thirty minutes
," he replied.

              She groaned. Even with her super speed, that was rushing it on her morning routine.
"Can you make it an hour?"

"No, Eliza made contact with Laura this morning, and she's going to dial back in at 11:30, so we need to talk as a group before then."
She didn't respond at first so he dangled a carrot.
"Starbucks hot chocolate and a blueberry muffin get you there?"

              He knew her too well.
"Venti?"

             
"Of course."

"All right. See you in a bit,"
she replied, flipping on the shower and setting about brushing her teeth.

She decided she needed to talk to Cale right away before he caught wind of what had transpired the night before. Even though he would never know what she was doing, she felt weird talking to him while she was in the shower, so she chose to wait until she was done with that and then see if she could get ahold of him. She was distinctly aware that Aaron had kissed her--and that she had kissed him back--but she was not unfamiliar enough with the Guardian Leader to think this changed anything between them. She was confident, however, that Cale would not mind the sleepover. She wasn't sure whether or not he could handle the rest--not yet anyway. Maybe she could tell him about that later, much later, like in forty or fifty years....

***

              "You saving that spot for someone?" Elliott laughed, eyeing the Starbucks order sitting at the table in front of where Cadence had sat the day before.

              "Had to do something to get her awake and over here," he replied, absently shuffling papers around on a side table nearby.

              Elliott sat down in the chair he'd been sitting in as well, sipping a cup of coffee courtesy of the Keurig machine next to Mrs. Carminati's desk. "How'd it go last night?" he asked nonchalantly.

              Aaron stopped and looked at his friend suspiciously. "Have you talked to her?" he asked.

              Elliott mirrored his shifty expression. "No, why?"

              Aaron eyed him cautiously for a moment to see if he was telling the truth before he replied. He decided he really hadn't spoken to her, so he answered, "It went fine. She slept," he shrugged, "I slept. There was a lot of sleeping. That's all."

              Now Elliott really was suspicious. "And?" he asked.

              "And... nothing," Aaron said dismissively.

              "Bull...shit..." Elliott mocked him.

              "Cadence," Aaron said nodding at the door.

"Huh?" Elliott asked, confused, as there was a knock on the office door. "Why does she knock?"

              "She's polite?" Aaron hazardously guessed.
"Come on in
," he told her through the IAC so he wouldn't have to shout.

              "Thanks," she said, as she swung the door shut behind her. She was shaking her head and looked very unhappy. She managed a small smile when she saw he had delivered on his breakfast promise, but then her face fell again. "Thanks," she repeated, gesturing at the Starbucks, as she pulled the chair out and sat down.

Aaron and Elliott looked at each other. "Everything okay, kid?" Elliott asked, a concerned expression on his face.

              Cadence opened her mouth, as if she were going to answer, but then clamped it shut again, with a heavy sigh. She shook her head sharply and then said, "No, it's nothing. It's just...I don't want to talk about it."

              "Cale?" Aaron asked, not wanting to pry but also highly interested in what Prince Charming thought about the sleeping arrangements.

              "Yes!" Cadence answered dropping her head into her hands momentarily before pounding on the table in frustration.

              "So, he didn't understand then?" Aaron continued to probe, taking his seat next to her at the end of the table.

              She shook her head. "No, not even a little bit."

              "What did you tell him?" Elliott asked.

Cadence looked at him in the same skeptical way Aaron had earlier. She glanced at Aaron, who shook his head a minuscule degree, indicating that he had said nothing. "I just told him that I was having trouble sleeping, that I knew I would be able to sleep if you were there," she gestured at Aaron, "and so we slept in the same bed. I told him it was no big deal, you know? But he seemed desperately hurt... and offended." She took a long swig of the hot chocolate, still shaking her head. "I don't know. I guess he has a right to be upset. I'd probably be upset if he was sleeping with some other girl, too."

              "An ex, nonetheless," Elliott pointed out.

She glared at him. "Thank you, Dr. Sanderson. I'm aware. I just... didn't expect him to react that way. That's all."

              "I'm sorry," Aaron said. He started to reach for her hand, but thought better of it, and nervously tapped the table instead.
"You didn't tell him anything else?"
he asked her privately. Cadence slowly shook her head no, subtly enough that Elliott did not see.

Elliott patted her on the shoulder. "I'm sorry, too, kid. I know that's upsetting.
But I'd be lying if I didn't say it makes me happy
," he added to her alone.

              She glared at him, saying nothing, before turning back to her breakfast, clearly annoyed at his glee.

              "Well, Eliza will be here in a few minutes," Aaron mentioned, changing the subject. "So, now that we've had a chance to... sleep on it, what do you think about the mission?"

"Honestly, I think we should go for it," Elliott said, leaning back in his chair. "If we put those contingencies in place the way we had discussed, hell, why not? I think we can pull this off, just get it over with."

              "Okay," Aaron nodded. "Cadence?"

              She was mid-chew, so she took a moment to swallow. "I have my reservations," she admitted. "But, if everything goes as planned, I think we can at least get this four ass hats out of the picture."

Aaron continued to nod, slowly and deliberately, as if he was actually making the decision to go through with the plan right then and there. After a moment, he said. "All right. Eliza's almost here. Let's let her direct this. That way, we'll make sure we don't add in any extra information."

              "I want to be there when you tell her she's off the hunt," Elliott said, a grin on his face.

              "I don't want to be there," Aaron admitted. "Why don't you do it?"

"Okay!" Elliott exclaimed, assuming he was kidding but still willing to take him up on it.

              Eliza threw the door open and entered like it was her own office. She looked a bit disheveled, but as well dressed as she had the day before in another black designer suite and heels. "Sorry I'm late," she said pulling the chair out at the far end again. "It's been a crazy morning. Ugh, so many fires to put out in San Fran."

As she sat down, Cadence glanced at Aaron, who was shaking his head, indicating there weren't really any fires.

Eliza was not deterred. "Oh, wow, Cadence--Starbucks. If I'd known you were going to make a run, I would have put in an order."

              "Oh, I'm sorry. Next time, let me know, so I can happily not bring you any," she replied smiling. Eliza gave her the evil eye, but Cadence was in no mood to bullshit. "But that's right. I didn't get this for myself. Your ex-boyfriend brought it for me," she said patting Aaron on the arm possessively.

Eliza's glare narrowed, but she said nothing.

"There's coffee in the lobby," Elliott pointed out to her.

              "Oh, great. Two sugars, thanks," she said, smartly.

              Elliott looked at his friends, eyebrows raised, not sure what to do. He had hated Eliza before Cadence even joined the team, but Aaron shrugged at him, and he decided to comply so as to keep the peace. Clearly, Cadence wasn't going to be doing anything to patch things over today.

              As Elliott went to get Eliza's coffee, she continued with her verbal explosion of too much information. "Oh, last night was crazy. I was out way too late catching up with some old friends--and some new ones. Woke up next to the hottest guy this morning," she added, as Elliott re-entered.

              "Oh, my God! Me, too!" Cadence exclaimed in her best valley girl impersonation. "But, mine brought me breakfast."

              "Stop!" Aaron cautioned her, but she could tell he was fighting to hold back a smile.

             
"I'm sorry,"
Cadence said only to him, an apologetic expression on her face, as Elliott burst out laughing next to her.

"What about Cale?" Eliza asked snidely. She took a sip of her coffee and made a face, as if to say it was awful.

              "What about him?" Cadence asked.

              Eliza guffawed. "Well, I thought you were seeing him."

              "Well, maybe the next time you two have a heart to heart you can mention it to him," she replied tartly.

              "Maybe I will," Eliza shot back.

              "As comical as this is," Elliott chimed in, "I think we should probably get some work done, so I can get the hell out of here and do something constructive, like watch videos on YouTube of cats falling down."

              "Eliza, we're going to let you take the lead on this discussion. We've decided to go ahead and commit to the mission," Aaron explained.

              "Perfect," Eliza said, smiling. "It's nice to hear that you are capable of committing to something," she added under her breath.

              Shaking his head and biting his tongue, he continued. "Just let her know that we're on board and see when she's expecting us. That's really about all we need to do."

"Sounds good," Eliza agreed. "She's calling on the phone, not Skype though, correct?"

"Yes. Let's keep it short and simple, all right?" he requested.

              Eliza nodded, and they waited for the phone to ring. However, once Laura was on the line, Eliza was anything but concise. She let the renegades know they were willing to work with them, and along with a myriad of other questions, asked Laura when she thought they should make their move. Laura's team was ready to go the next day, but LIGHTS decided they would need another full day to make sure they had all of their equipment in order. About thirty minutes after the call had began, Eliza finally hung up, a satisfied grin on her face. "Well, that went really well, don't you think?" she beamed.

"Good work, Eliza," Aaron said patronizingly. "I guess that's all we needed. You can head back to Cali whenever you're ready."

              "What?" she asked, her smile cracking a bit. "But, aren't you going to get the rest of the team together and strategize?"

              "Sure," Aaron shrugged, "but you don't need to stick around and wait for that. We'll fill you in. I know you've got a ton of... fires still burning out there. I'll arrange for a car to pick you up to take you to the airport in about an hour."

              "Fine," Eliza said, her smile completely gone now. She made her way out of the room without so much as a wave goodbye.

"Ding, dong the merry-oh," Elliott mumbled once she was gone. "When are we getting the band back together?" he asked in reference to the rest of the team that would be going with them.

              "I think we should meet this afternoon, make sure everyone's clear, give them a chance to reflect and ask questions. We can head out tomorrow afternoon, let Laura know where we are, and go from there."

"She mentioned meeting at Graegel. Where is that in relation to this Sierraville you were talking about, Cadence?"

              She had no idea, so she pulled up a map. "Pretty close," she confirmed. "So, the info that Cale had could very well be correct."