Keep Me Close (Lazarus Rising Book 2)

  “Fuck, yes,” West muttered. He grabbed a bottle of whiskey and started pouring. A glass for him. A glass for Aaron. The men took the glasses, saluted, and drained the liquid.

  “I think we’re the only two normal ones in here,” Aaron said to West, shaking his head. “How the hell did all of this happen?”

  West’s gaze went back to Jay. “I told my brother he needed to confess his ties about Lazarus sooner.” He poured himself another drink. Drained it just as fast as the first. “I’m at fucking fault, too. I knew what he’d done.”

  “We’re not kids anymore, West!” Jay’s hands flew up. “You don’t need to clean up my messes anymore.”

  “Don’t be so sure about that,” West cautioned him. “You’re in some serious shit right now.”

  Jay’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “I was trying to make things right.” He pointed at Elizabeth. “Look, I helped you to get Flynn and Sawyer out of that place, didn’t I? And I’ve helped to try and find the other soldiers. That’s why I have those super soldier holding rooms—”

  “Cells,” Sawyer cut in. “Prisons.”

  “—all over the U.S. Because I don’t know how many subjects were in the experiments. And if we learned anything from Bryce, it’s that some of those soldiers are too dangerous to be allowed in the general population.”

  Yeah, okay, Cecelia knew he wasn’t wrong on that point.

  His hands fell. Jay’s shoulders straightened. “And I did originally think that Wyman was dead. Hell, we all thought that, remember?” His gaze flew around the room, landing on each person for just a moment. “But then I started hearing some chatter on the Dark Web. Some things that made me suspicious. A guy like Wyman, it wouldn’t be the first time he’s had to reinvent himself. And Lazarus was so valuable. Of course, he’d try to get Elizabeth back. She was the brains behind the operation. And, yes, he’d want his test subjects back. So I started making contingency plans. Like my chopper rescue, thank you very much. I might have been an asshole before, but I swear, I am trying to help. I want to make this all right! That’s what I’m doing!”

  Silence.

  Cecelia stared into his eyes, and she didn’t need Flynn or Sawyer to tell her whether or not Jay was telling the truth. She could see it for herself. “I believe you.”

  “So the fuck do I,” Flynn growled. “That doesn’t mean I like it.”

  West sat down his glass with a hard clink. “See? Told you they wouldn’t kill your dumb ass.”

  Jay still looked hesitant.

  And Sawyer appeared to be mulling his options.

  Cecelia cleared her throat. “Where is Wyman?”

  “I don’t know.” The reply came quickly from Jay. “I’m still attempting to find him. The guy is not going to be easy to catch. He made sure that he vanished from Arizona, and he isn’t going to want to rejoin the living without a fight.” Jay nodded briskly. “But I know we can find him. And I think Willow…I think she’s the key to that.”

  “How?” Flynn snapped.

  “She’s the control subject.”

  “What in the hell does that mean?” Flynn’s voice rose with anger.

  Cecelia touched his shoulder. With a sinking heart, she knew exactly what it meant. “She was isolated. Kept separate from the other subjects.” That was why Willow had been in a different facility. “She probably wasn’t allowed any communication with anyone but her doctor. Wyman knew that the Lazarus formula amped up the darker emotions in the test subjects, but he had the men in the Arizona facility working together, interacting and completing missions.”

  A furrow appeared between Flynn’s brows.

  Carefully, she continued, “He was seeing how you’d react in different environments. Seeing how you’d change. How you’d evolve.”

  Jay nodded quickly. “But Willow didn’t get any of that. From what I can tell…” Pain darkened his face. “She experienced total isolation. She wasn’t forgotten in that facility where Bryce found her. She was being protected there, secured. She was the test subject that wasn’t exposed to danger or any other variables that would have altered the experiment. She was the control. She was the key for Wyman. He’s going to want his key back.”

  And Cecelia knew exactly what Jay was planning. “You still want her to be bait.” She glared at Jay, disgusted.

  “She already is bait. You all are.” Jay lifted his bruised jaw and stood his ground. “I want to end this, okay? I want to make it all go away. Wyman’s team swarmed at Sin, and we have to be ready for them again. We know they are after us, but they’re also after any other Lazarus subjects who might be hiding out there.”

  “We have to get to those subjects first.” Elizabeth’s voice was strong and firm. She’d been quiet until that point, watching, observing. Scowling a bit at Jay. But now she stepped forward. “They need help. We can’t just turn our back on them. I did this. You might have provided the money, Jay, but I’m the one who made the formula. And if you think the guilt doesn’t still keep me up at night, you’re dead wrong.”

  Sawyer caught her hand in his. Brought it to his mouth. Kissed her knuckles.

  “We have to find those subjects.” Elizabeth appeared determined. “We can’t let Wyman or anyone else hurt them—we have to try and help them.”

  “Yes, we do—and that means we have a whole lot of work to do.” Jay appeared grimly determined. “Willow can assist us.”

  “Willow can also make us face our freaking worst fears!” West pointed out sharply. “Let’s not forget that shit. I get that you turn all moony-eyed over her, Jay, but you need to watch yourself.”

  Jay flushed a dark red.

  “She…tried to help me,” Aaron confessed to the group, voice halting. “I remember that, on the roof…she was there to help me.”

  “Yeah, well,” West lifted a brow. “Would Benjamin Larson say that she helped him?”

  “No,” Cecelia answered as she remembered how she’d found him at Sin. “Ben wouldn’t say that.” Her hands twisted in front of her. “Where is Ben?” He had to be freaking the hell out—he’d need someone to talk to, someone who understood—

  “He’s safe,” Jay assured her softly. “His bouncers got him out of Sin, and he’s keeping a low profile in D.C. The guy has total deniability. Wyman doesn’t want him—the guy isn’t enhanced. As long as we all stay away from him, Benjamin should continue to be safe.”

  There were many ways for a person to be safe, just as there were many, many ways for a person to be in danger. “I want to talk with Willow,” Cecelia announced. “Before anything else is decided, I need to speak with her.”

  Every eye flew to Cecelia.

  Flynn shook his head. “Baby, not a good idea. Not a good—”

  “Cecelia won’t be in any danger,” Jay spoke quickly, sliding through Flynn’s words. “I have a safe viewing room set up, she can talk to Willow right through the glass and be completely safe.”

  “I want to talk with her,” Cecelia said again. She gave Flynn a soft smile. “This is what I do. I want to help.”

  He exhaled. “You always do.” He strode forward and pulled her into his arms. “All right. You talk, but I’ll be right there.”

  Right next to you. It’s where I’ll always be.

  Because they weren’t just lovers. They were partners. They protected each other. Supported each other.

  That was the way it was supposed to be.

  “I’ll talk to her, I’ll see if she’s a danger to us, and I’ll see…” Now her gaze swung back to Jay. “I’ll find out how she feels about being bait.”

  His eyes widened. “You can’t tell her the plan!”

  “Watch the tone,” Flynn snapped at him.

  Cecelia didn’t take her gaze off Jay. “Yes, I can tell her. Because we aren’t going to use her. Aren’t going to lie. We aren’t the bad guys. We aren’t the monsters.”

  Jay’s eyes closed. “We’re screwed.”

  She wasn’t so certain. “Have a little faith, Jay. Sometimes, people
can surprise you.”

  ***

  Cecelia stared through the glass.

  Willow stood in the middle of the room, gazing straight at her.

  “I didn’t think she could see me,” Cecelia murmured.

  Willow’s lips twitched.

  “Right. She can see me and hear me.” She glanced over at a watchful Jay. “Can I hear her?”

  He pushed a button on the wall. “Now you can. Intercom and speakers are on in here.”

  “Great.” She pointed to the door. “Get the hell out.”

  “But—”

  Flynn shoved him out of the door. Then he slammed the door shut. Flynn put his body against the doorframe, blocking the entrance. He winked at Cecelia. “Don’t worry, baby. He won’t be getting back in.”

  No, she knew he wouldn’t. Cecelia glanced back at Willow. The other woman was frowning…

  “Hello, Willow. I’m sorry that I have to talk with you under these conditions, but given what happened, I’m not sure that there really is much alternative.” She might not like the containment room, but Jay wasn’t wrong. And West was right when he said that Willow could bring a person’s nightmares into reality so—

  “Bryce is dead, isn’t he?” Willow asked.

  “Yes.”

  Willow’s shoulders relaxed. “Good.” Her lips curled down. “He wasn’t a good person.”

  “Are you a good person, Willow?” In her sessions, she always first tried to learn how a patient saw herself.

  Willow shrugged. “I don’t think so.”

  “You hurt my friend Benjamin.”

  Willow’s eyes squeezed shut. “I just wanted to get to the roof. I knew what Bryce was going to do, and I had to stop him.” She rubbed her temples. “There was so much anger, so much pain, so much guilt—”

  “Did you know that Bryce could control the emotions of others?”

  Willow stilled. “Not at first. And by the time I did, he was already in my head.” Her lips trembled. “I think he’s still there.”

  Always…in…y-you. Goosebumps rose on Cecelia’s arms. “No, he isn’t. He’s gone.”

  Willow’s lips trembled. “Will you help me get him out? Will you help me to…not be like him?”

  Her pain was so strong—almost like a physical weight pulling down the other woman’s body. “I’ll help you,” Cecelia agreed. She’d try. “But, first, there’s something you should know.”

  Willow just stared at her.

  “Wyman Wright, he’s the man who—”

  “He’s Lazarus.” Willow’s voice had turned harder. “I know who he is.”

  “Have you ever met him?”

  “He’d watch me at the facility. I never saw him, but I’d hear him talking to my doctor. Dr. Gail. He’d come in, at least once a week.”

  Once a week? Cecelia felt surprise roll through her. He’d only checked in on the other test subjects when they were heading out for a mission. His interest in Willow had definitely been stronger. “Did you know that Bryce was working with him?”

  Willow flinched. “No.”

  “Wyman Wright is going to come after you. You realize that, don’t you? He’s going to come after you. He’s going to come after Flynn. After Sawyer.”

  Willow just stared straight ahead. “I won’t go back.”

  “Then will you work with us?”

  “How.” Not a question. A demand. Willow gestured angrily at her surroundings. “I’m locked up! I can’t hunt! I can’t attack! All I can do is sit here and—” Her eyes widened with realization. “Sit here and wait…for him to come after me?”

  Tread carefully. Cecelia was gauging Willow’s reactions. “Do you want to be bait?”

  “No.” Willow’s delicate jaw tightened. “I want to hunt.”

  “You tricked us before. Do you truly think this team will trust you so easily again?”

  Willow retreated a step. “You should never trust me. I’m not worth your trust.”

  Interesting. Cecelia absorbed that warning for a moment. “Do you want to be bait?” Cecelia asked again.

  Willow released a long, slow breath. “I’ll be…what you need me to be.”

  She’d been through hell. So much horrible pain. Cecelia could see the echoes of that pain in Willow’s eyes. “I’m going to help you,” Cecelia promised her. She grabbed a nearby chair and pulled it near the glass. Time to get to work.

  Willow crept toward the glass. Toward Cecelia. The faintest flicker of what could have been hope appeared in Willow’s eyes. “Just how are you going to help me? What do you think you can do for me? Talk to me and magically make me all better?”

  Cecelia smiled. For just a moment, Willow had reminded her of Flynn. “Consider this your first session.”

  Willow’s brow furrowed. “How can you help?” she demanded once more.

  “Soon enough,” Cecelia said, deliberately repeating the words she’d used in her very first session with Flynn—and she could feel his gaze on her right then. He’d been there all along, watching, waiting. “Soon enough, you’ll find out.”

  ***

  It was hours later before Cecelia and Flynn walked out onto the third floor balcony and stared at the mountains around them. A faint, white dusting of snow covered the tree tops. Cecelia pulled in a deep breath, enjoying the chill that slid into her lungs.

  “Do you think you’ll be able to bring her back?” Flynn asked her. His shoulder brushed against her, and then he was wrapping his jacket around her. She inhaled, loving that his scent was suddenly surrounding her.

  But Cecelia wasn’t sure she understood his question. “Bring her back? From where?”

  “From the edge. It’s the same edge I was on once. Sawyer was there, too. You know it. You saw us back then.” He turned his head and stared at her. “You really think you can save her?”

  “I can try.”

  He smiled at her. “Sweetheart, that’s what I love about you. You don’t give up, do you?”

  “No.” She hadn’t given up on him. She hadn’t given up on them.

  He caught the edges of the jacket and pulled her closer to him. He wrapped his arms around her. “Do you know how I pushed back the dark?”

  “Flynn…”

  “I pushed it back because I wanted to be a man you could respect, a man you could love. You made me want to be better. Stronger. Good enough.”

  Her heart ached for him. “You were always good enough. Always. And don’t you ever doubt that. You were a hero before Lazarus. You were a good man before Lazarus. And you were a good man after Lazarus, too.”

  He bent his head and his forehead pressed to hers.

  “You think I don’t know you?” Cecelia whispered. “Inside and out? I know all of you, just like you know all of me.”

  “Cecelia…”

  “Bryce thought he was going to destroy you.” She’d underestimated Bryce. A nearly fatal mistake. “He didn’t bring Aaron and Benjamin into his game just so that he could use them against me.”

  Flynn’s eyelashes flickered. “Jealousy.”

  “Yes. He knew exactly how jealousy would impact a Lazarus subject, and I think he put those men in your path because he wanted to set you off.”

  “He knew how I felt about you.”

  And since Bryce had been in her head…“He knew how I felt about you, too.” Even when she’d been too afraid to admit her feelings. “He wanted to rip us apart.” Cecelia shook her head. “But he didn’t. Because you were stronger than he realized. You didn’t let the dark emotions control you. You controlled them.”

  “I’m not perfect, baby.” His voice was hoarse. “So far the fuck from it—”

  But she just laughed. “Who wants perfect? I imagine that’s absolutely boring, and besides, perfect is never real. This—you and me—this is real. This is what I want.”

  He stared at her a moment, and then slowly—so slowly—a smile lifted his mouth. “You’re all I want.”

  “Then I guess you’re a lucky man. Because you’v
e got me.”

  He kissed her. Soft and sweet, then a little rougher, and she loved it. Loved the feel of his mouth against her. Loved every bit of him.

  Sure, the story wasn’t fully over. Bryce was dead, so she could finally put that particular demon to rest. But Willow’s fate—her trials were still to come. Cecelia would help Willow. Their team—hell, they were all becoming more of a family than a team—they would help each other. They would stand together and fight together.

  Wyman—wherever the hell he was—he wasn’t going to win.

  He could run, but he couldn’t hide…not from the Lazarus team.

  She pressed closer to Flynn, knowing that more danger would come. But for that moment, they were safe. They were happy.

  And that was what mattered.

  He lifted her into his arms and carried her back inside. Their bedroom waited just beyond the balcony. He left the door open and the cold air blew in after them. He kissed her as he carried her, and her heart raced even faster. Flynn put her on the bed and stared down at her with his gleaming eyes.

  Such gorgeous eyes.

  His eyes weren’t the eyes of a killer. She’d known that from the first glance. After all, killers were her business. She knew monsters. Flynn had never been a monster. He’d just been a man who’d gone through hell and come out stronger.

  Not a monster.

  Her man.

  The End

  Want another Lazarus fix? Then pre-order STAY WITH ME, a special Lazarus Rising holiday story that will be available December 12, 2017.

  Stay With Me

  Shelly Hampton intends to spend the holidays alone in her family’s mountain cabin, but when a snow-covered stranger appears on her door-step, her plans are shot straight to hell. The man before her seems oddly familiar, and he stirs a dark need within her.

  It’s soon apparent that John Smith is far more than a normal man—he’s too strong, too fast, and she could swear that he seems to read her thoughts…and know her most secret desires.

  But is John a man that she could love…or is he someone she should fear? Because even as the snow fall deepens, a deadly threat is closing in on her little cabin. And soon, Shelly will be trapped on the mountain with a dangerous man…a man who swears that he has come back from the dead, just to be with her.