“Rowan who?” Valene’s archnemesis asked. Subtly, Valene tried to search her surroundings. If she saw a way to get away safely, she’d take it.
“I don’t know anybody named Rowan,” Daphne Charlene said.
Indigo frowned. His voice changed to a melodic tone. Valene closed her eyes and listened to the soothing cadence of his voice. It was mesmerizing. “Daphne, it’s me, Rowan. Don’t you remember who I am? We spent some lovely time together. You helped me change my looks. I pretended to be someone you cared about and you did me a favor. Do you remember?”
Valene’s mind filled with mist as he spoke, but this time she was aware of what was happening. This time she didn’t lose her recent realization. The fog didn’t take any of her precious memories of Wyatt.
There was a silence for several seconds before Daphne Charlene said, “Nope.” There was a loud click as she disconnected the call.
Indigo said a vile Alpha curse and shoved his cell phone back into his pocket. He stood and paced. Valene sat quietly staring at the bathroom doorknob.
Keep it together. Don’t let him know you aren’t under his spell.Valene forced herself to relax and keep a smile in place. “Is it time to go meet those friends?”
He stopped pacing. “Yes. But we need to make a stop first.”
Valene stood up, her stupid goofy smile held firm.Keep it together. I can do this.
Indigo stared then gave her a new sort of smile.
The same kind of smile that Wyatt had given her many times before. A smile of love.Oh no.
Indigo Smith stepped closer, leaning in as if he planned to kiss her.Not happening, dude.
The moment his lips brushed her cheek, she flinched.Space potatoes.
Indigo frowned and drew away. In his mesmerizing gaze, she saw that he knew.
Cue the fog machine.
Chapter Fourteen
Wyatt thought hard about recent events all the way to the Big Bang Truck Stop basement. Something didn’t add up. Well, lots of things didn’t add up, starting with aliens living in plain sight in Arkansas for the past umpteen years without him noticing, but something else had been nagging at him.
Nova’s bombshell announcement regarding wanting proof of Indigo Smith still being in his cryo-pod had spooked the others.
Diesel barked orders like a field marshal, sending Cam to Gage’s lab for an update. He then sent Axel, Bubba and Luther off to the gulag ship for additional information and an expressed wish they return soon with answers. No one even knew what answers to look for, but everyone did what their Fearless Leader ordered them to do.
“Wyatt,” Diesel said, obviously about to send him on a task.
“Wait. Before you send me off, hear me out. Something has been bothering me.”
“Only one thing?” Diesel said sarcastically.
Wyatt couldn’t help the grin. “Yes. I’m wondering about the timeline.”
“Timeline?”
“You sent Valene home. If she got there or not, there was a note pasted there, right?”
“Right.”
“Indigo Smith left the note that he wanted something we had to make a trade for Valene.”
“Yes. So?”
“So we only just now got the ID and altered Defender. He already had Valene by then. The question is, what didn’t he have that we are supposed to bring for the trade?”
