“Henley.”
I’m not surprised that it isn’t Gray. I’ve noticed it’s rare for more than one Authority member to be in the field at the same time.
“We’re stopping to rendezvous with Jasper first,” she says, arching a brow. “Thought you might like to see the lieutenant.”
That lifts my spirits. I haven’t seen or spoken to Xavier since we left him behind in the Hollow. I receive the occasional updates on him via Kitty, but I wouldn’t be against seeing his mocking smile and hearing his sarcastic voice in person.
“We’ll leave at twenty-three hundred hours,” Adrienne says.
After dinner, I sit with Gray in his quarters, but when I ask him about Adrienne’s meeting, he remains tight-lipped.
“You’re on need-to-know for Authority business,” he reminds me. “You’re only there for backup and support.”
“You’re really not going to tell me?” I gripe.
“Really.” Then he yanks me toward him and distracts me by kissing me senseless.
We still haven’t had sex. I don’t know why. We fool around all the time, but it seems like something is holding us back from taking it to the next level. I often think about what Karra said to me about Gray’s need to keep things on the surface, and I wonder if that extends to his sex life. We kiss and laugh and get each other off, but that deeper intimacy? He seems content to delay it. And I’m all right with that.
Because no matter how hard I fight it, it always feels…just a teeny, tiny bit…like I’m betraying Cross.
We meet at a cellar bar in Ward C, not far from the hospital where I stumbled onto a room full of fragmented minds. I wish Cross and I were still talking, that he would update me on the corruption cases he claims to have seen firsthand, but I gave up a long time ago on trying to link with him.
Cross is lost to me. So is Wolf. It’s agonizing to admit it, even harder to accept it, but I don’t think I have much of a choice now. He doesn’t reach out to me, and I’m not going to beg for his friendship. He’s made his choice.
Xavier envelops me in a warm hug, and I cling to him, not only because he’s my friend, but also because he feels like my last remaining link to Cross.
“How’s Faithful life treating you?” I ask. He looks great, his hair longer, his face covered in a sexy, scruffy beard. There’s a lightness in his eyes that I rarely saw at the Dagger.
“Oh, you don’t even know, Darlington.”
He proceeds to chat my ear off about how much he loves the Hollow. How often he gets laid, of course. And surprisingly, how he’s getting involved in Jasper’s supply business.
“So you’ve gone from a Silver Block lieutenant to a smuggler?” I say with a grin.
“Hey, it’s a fascinating line of work.”
“You just like the danger.”
“That too.”
Jasper comes over to say hello. We don’t hug, but he looks pleased to see me. I don’t bother to ask how he was able to have the entire bar cleared out just for him. The man has connections, and I appreciate the privacy.
As Jasper and Adrienne go to pour themselves some drinks, Xavier searches my face, lowering his voice as he asks, “Have you spoken to Cross?”
“No. He doesn’t reach out anymore.”
I see a flicker of…something in his eyes. I can’t quite figure out what. “You with the pilot still?”
“Sort of. Why? Are you angry about that?”
“No. As long as you’re happy.” He shrugs. “Maybe you’re better off.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing. You said so yourself. He’s not reaching out.”
“Yeah, but why? Haveyoubeen in contact with him?” I push.
