“I will, if you promise not to sacrifice yourself to end all this.” She’d done it once before, when Kennedy escaped. And after hearing how Katie had died, Kennedy worried her cousin might take the same path and end it all.
Charlie gave a weak laugh. “Oh no. I’m done taking one for the team. Trust me. I want out of here, and I want this evil stopped.” Something shrieked in the background. “Shit. I have to go.”
The phone disconnected.
Kennedy stared at it, trusting her cousin, but not sure about the loose “plan” Charlie had outlined. Get captured? Be tortured? Lie to Alex and don’t bring backup? It felt…wrong. And it sounded completely stupid. But Charlie had never lied to her before.
What if she’s been compromised? What if she’s now working for the enemy?her beast forced her to consider.
Kennedy didn’t know what to do. Charlie’s predictions always came true. And the smart woman typically hedged her instructions so that erring in any one step wouldn’t have disastrous consequences, only mild ones. But Charlie had been pretty emphatic about her conditions. Alex dying? God, no.
The thought of lying to him bothered her more than anything, especially after the bonds they’d forged. But to keep him alive, she’d do anything.
She couldn’t see him letting rogue Circs take him back, even to save her cousin. So she couldn’t tell him. She’d keep true to that point. But she didn’t think she could deliver him to the enemy without some kind of warning.
Or could she?
God, she didn’t know what to do. Just moments ago she’d been so happy, in love with a man she could envision herself with for the long term, and now this. They’d hurt him? What exactly did that mean? She didn’t worry for herself, choosing not to think about what “hurt her” actually meant. But Alex didn’t deserve to die for something he’d had no part in. Saving her cousin was up to Kennedy.
No. She’d go herself. She’d find some way to save Charlie without hurting Alex in the process. She just had to figure out a way to get free and not let anyone know of the turmoil within her. Not easy to do considering her connection to Alex and Bailey’s empathic abilities.
Eli and Gideon weren’t a threat, psychically. Oh, Gideon could do that mind blast thing, but he couldn’t read her thoughts or emotions. She’d seen little of Carter, but he seemed more interested in security than dealing with her, which she found just fine. She hadn’t gotten a handle on his psychic ability, but she had feeling it was similar to the shielding Eli swore he couldn’t do.
She’d make sure to avoid him just in case. Perhaps feign an illness until she could borrow a car?
Alex walked through the doorway. “You okay?”
She took one look at him and burst into tears.Great, Kennedy. Now he’ll know for sure something’s up.Her beast grumbled, disappointed in the game. No chance of a secret chase now.
He hurried to embrace her. “Sweetheart, what’s wrong?”
Kennedy burrowed deeper into Alex’s warmth, determined to do nothing to put him in harm’s way.
He growled. “Hell, no. I’ve gone through this once. Not again. Now tell me what fool thing that cousin of yours wants you to do.”
She stared up at him in shock.
He gave her a mean smile, one that had her libido and her guard way up. “You’re not the only one getting something out of our connection.” She glanced down and saw his hand on her phone. “Now talk, Kennedy. And don’t leave anything out.”
