Code name firebolt the i.., p.13
Code Name: Firebolt (The Infinitum Series Book 6), page 13
He grins, raising an eyebrow. “Nothing at all? Hm. That’s strange because I seem to recall you smiling and laughing a lot.”
“You mean between all the crying?”
He stands, meeting me at the table, and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. “Yes. Between all the understandable crying,” he says, his voice pitched low only for me, and those flutters pummel my stomach.
Dylan clears his throat and we share a soft smile before we separate. “Fiona, we met a little early today and came up with a new plan. Let’s get you up to speed.”
I open my mouth to question why they met without me, but Dylan launches into this plan. “I’ve asked Arthur to meet with us. Would you agree he knows everyone in the department?”
“I would. He’s been a manager for years. Longer than he should if I’m being honest.”
They both stare at me. “Why is that?” Dylan asks.
“He wasn’t qualified. Still isn’t, if you ask me and at least half of the department.”
They share a knowing look, and Dylan nods at me. “Do you think Arthur will cooperate?”
“If it makes him look good, he’d do anything.”
“Excellent. Can I count on your discretion?”
“Of course.”
Arthur appears, knocking on the glass door. “You wanted to speak with me?”
Dylan stands. “Thank you for coming. Let’s head next door.”
Arthur frowns at me as he leaves and I ignore him, returning to my things to get set up for the day.
“What’s your history with Arthur?” Clay asks.
“Who said I have a history?” It pops out before I can stop it and I sigh. “Sorry. Old habits. He’s besties with my father.”
Clay raises an eyebrow. “That’s gotta be awkward.”
I shrug. “I’m used to it.”
“Why did you stay?”
“Stay where?”
“At Reilly Tech. With your credentials, you could have gone anywhere.”
He pulls the chair next to him out for me and I settle into the seat.
“For lack of a better term, Infinitum is a cult I was born into. It wasn’t until my excommunication that I saw the truth. I had no control over my life. My father selected everything for me, from the clothes I wore to the events I attended and who I was friends with. He even arranged my marriage to Andrew. But there was one thing he let me decide.”
He nods, understanding crossing his features. “Your job.”
“My father gave me a list of majors to choose from for college, and I wanted nothing more than to work at James Reilly’s empire. He started the church so he’s like a founding father.” My eyes widen as I glance around the room. We’re never supposed to talk about that in public.
Clay puts his hand on my arm, centering me. “It’s okay. It’s just me. The room is secure.”
“I’ve never said that out loud outside of the church before.”
“I see what you mean about control.”
“It’s only been eight months, so I’m still learning how to be a normal person.”
He shrugs. “Normal is overrated.”
I smile, despite the topic.
“Would you go back if you could?” he asks. I stare at him for a long moment. Nobody has ever asked me that.
I shake my head. “No. There’s no way I could go back. They did things…” I trail off, hesitant to explain how horrific my situation was when I remember something.
“You never explained your connection to the church.”
“Why did you friend zone me?” he asks instead of answering my question.
The deflection catches me off guard. “Clay…”
“There must be a reason. I want to hear it.”
He waits expectantly, and I let out a sigh. “Because we need to learn to walk before we can run.”
He grins. “So you’re saying there’s a chance?”
“A chance for what?”
“A little aggressive cuddling.”
He takes my hostile stare as a cue to continue.
“The mattress tango, the ol’ bedroom rodeo, a little gland-to-gland contact, making sure you have enough vitamin D, the clunge plunge, the–”
I slap my hand on his chest. “If those words ever come out of your mouth again, consider this friendship void.”
He laughs and I can’t help but smile. “I love getting you riled up.”
“I’ve noticed.”
“It’s even more fun when I know you’re no longer fantasizing about chopping my balls off.”
I raise an eyebrow. “You sure about that?”
“Can I tell you what I fantasized about last night, and the night before, and will again tonight?” He leans in close, and my heart races.
“What maturity would be like?”
He throws his head back and laughs. “Fuck. You’re perfect,” he whispers, and I grin.
“About time you noticed.”
He takes my chin between his thumb and index finger and his voice drops several octaves. “I’ve noticed everything about you from the moment we met.” His eyes sparkle and my breath catches. When he looks at me like that, I feel flayed open, but safe. It’s a heady mixture, and I want more.
“Clay…” I whisper, unable to articulate the chaos of emotions swirling inside of me.
I lean towards him and he drops his hand. “How are you holding up after the thing with Edgar?”
“I’m okay, but I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Fair enough.”
I chew my inner lip as he types on the computer. “But what you said. About the…” I grimace. “Mattress tango or whatever.”
He stops and raises an eyebrow at me and I do my best to not blush. “Is that really something you’ve…fantasized about?”
He smiles and takes my hand. “For the sake of our friendship, I won’t answer that.”
I turn away to hide my disappointment.
“But the second you want to ruin that friendship, you just let me know.” He winks and turns back to his laptop as Dylan appears.
“Don’t think I won’t use the firehose on either of you,” he says.
Clay barks a laugh. “Did you just make a joke?” He turns to me. “You heard that, right?”
I smile as Dylan rolls his eyes and flips open a laptop.
“I don’t think he was joking,” I whisper, and I’m treated with Clay’s genuine laughter that makes me feel warm inside.
Chapter 16
Clay
Fiona’s smile is like a hit of dopamine, and it’s become my obsession over the past few days to coax it out of her. Her reluctant smiles are my favorite, because it means I had to fight for them, and I’m winning.
She stands next to Dylan across the room, reading over his shoulder at some transactions he has questions about. She does a double take and sticks out her tongue when she catches me staring at her for the millionth time today. That makes her smile too, so you won’t see me stopping.
And don’t get me started on her patterns. They’ve always been captivating, but since we’ve shifted into this friendlier environment, every little line and curve fascinates me into an almost trace-like state. The flower-like patterns I named her after are sharper than ever. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she’s happy. Neither of us has put down our walls yet. I’d argue that I’m incapable, but we’re flirting with the idea. It’s terrifying as much as it is thrilling.
Her phone chimes with a notification and her patterns shift into the worry I saw in the car this weekend. I open my mouth to ask if she’s okay when Raven pipes up in my ear. “Fiona just received a text from that same unknown number from this weekend.”
The message was one of the many ridiculous quotes from the Infinitum bullshit they peddle, and she didn’t respond, so we weren’t worried about it.
“This one is encrypted. I can get through, but it will take—hold on.”
Fiona glances at me before she returns to her seat. I take a sip of my orange soda, choking on it when Raven barks into my ear. “Dr. Chen is inbound. Get out now.”
I meet Dylan’s gaze and he races towards the door to Emilia’s office to make sure Paul is clear.
“Are you okay?” Fiona asks as I cough up a lung. Voices carry down the hall, and I see my captor for the first time in almost a decade. My blood freezes and my body refuses to move.
“Clay?” Fiona asks, stepping in front of me and launching me into action. She’s not safe. I take her hand and sprint towards the coat closet.
She grunts as I push her against the back wall and yank the door shut behind me. She opens her mouth, but I put my palm over it. The whites of her eyes disappear and reappear as she blinks up at me. Danger lurks on the other side of the door, but I can’t help savoring the warmth of her body against mine. The closet is smaller than an old phone booth and my shoulders squeeze against the sides. I move my hand behind her head to give her some cushion and my other wraps around her waist. Her breath quickens and I struggle to focus on anything but our proximity. Her energy wraps around mine and it purrs with contentment, which only makes things worse.
“Hello, I’m looking for Fiona Edgewater,” a voice I don’t recognize says from the room, but Fiona’s sharp inhale tells me she does.
“I’m sorry, you’ve just missed her,” Dylan says.
“When will she return?”
“I'm not sure. I can tell her you stopped by. May I have your name?”
“Just tell her Andrew stopped by and that I'm…” he sighs. "Nevermind. Just forget I was here."
It goes quiet and I search for patterns, but they’re too far away.
“Hang tight. I’ll tell you when it’s clear,” Specter says in my implant.
“Why are we hiding?” she whispers.
Dylan could have distracted Fiona while I ducked out and sped away. I could have hidden in the closet without Fiona. But the thought of leaving her alone with that madman…I’d rather they take me again. She has no idea how big a favor Deanna did by stealing her fiancé.
“Andrew and Deanna are here,” I whisper.
“I figured.”
“I didn’t want you to have to deal with them.”
She goes quiet. “So you’d rather hide in this shoe box with me?”
I try to shrug. “Maybe I just wanted to be alone with you.”
“Your gun is digging into my hip.” She tries to move, but there’s nowhere to go.
“I wear a shoulder holster,” I say, a slow grin forming.
She pauses and reaches her hand up to flick my ear. “You’re such a pervert.”
“Listen, it’s time to point out the elephant in the closet. Well, the second elephant.”
She presses her lips together, but her chest bounces as she tries not to laugh.
“We’ve both got demons in our…closets.”
“You mean skeletons?”
“Those too.”
“And?”
“It means we’re both scared to see what’s on the other side of the door.”
“Are we still talking in metaphor?”
“Why don’t we open the door?” I pause. “Metaphorically.”
“I don’t know if I’m ready for that.”
I sigh and rest my lips on the side of her head for a moment. “You smell amazing.”
“Are you sniffing me, weirdo?”
“Absolutely I am.” Her chest bounces with restrained laughter again.
“You smell good, too.”
I grin and move my mouth to her ear, delighting in the lustful shift of her patterns that still dance with my energy. “I bet you taste even better.”
Her pulse speeds up and I feel her pressing her thighs together. My ‘gun’ digs harder into her hip, but I’m powerless to stop it.
“I’m flattered, Clay. But this is pointless.”
I take a deep breath, but my nostrils only fill with the scent of her arousal and my brain short circuits.
“This isn’t easy for me, Flowers. It’s not like I want to be entangled with someone in your position.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
I sigh and shake my head. “Nevermind.”
A knock on the door startles us. “We’re clear,” Dylan says. I push open the door and Dylan jumps aside as we both tumble from the closet. I make sure she’s steady before I release her.
“What do you mean? Someone in my position?” Fiona presses.
Paul enters the room, and the knots in my shoulders relax. He gives me the same look of relief.
“Clay. Answer me.”
“It’s nothing, Flowers. Just drop it.”
“No.”
Fucking hell. Apparently, I like the stubborn ones.
“Andrew was asking for you,” Dylan says, trying to help me out.
“Thank you for dealing with him. I’m sorry my personal drama keeps finding me at work.”
“Don’t worry about that. We know you’re not working for Edgar. You’re one of us now. We’ve got your back whether or not it’s work related,” Paul says.
I wince and slap my hand on my forehead. He’s a dead man. I’ll have to do it in his sleep when he least expects it, but I’m gonna kill him.
Fiona stares at him, and I brace for impact. “What do you mean, working for Edgar?”
Paul falters, looking at Dylan, who sighs. “Uh.” Paul swallows, taking a step back.
Fiona glances at Dylan, and her fiery gaze lands on me. “What is he talking about?”
“It’s not what you think.”
“You suspect Edgar is stealing from the company?”
“Okay, it’s exactly what you think.”
“And you assumed I was working for him?”
“Not the whole time.”
“I would never…” Her eyes widen. “Does Emilia think I’m stealing from the company?”
“No. In fact, she’s your biggest cheerleader.”
She relaxes a fraction, but the patterns of her anger lace with sadness.
“Is that why you were so eager to find out what happened with Edgar? You thought he gave me a directive or something?”
I nod, and the air in the room thickens.
“So it had nothing to do with how upset I was. You were using me in a vulnerable moment to squeeze information out of me?”
“No. That’s not what happened. Taking you to the bar cheered you up. I was trying to be your friend.”
“My fake friend.” She mutters a curse under her breath, before she barks a humorous laugh.
“You’re excellent at your job. Dylan, give him a raise,” she says.
“Fiona, please don’t take it personally. You fit a profile. That’s all. We were doing our jobs, including Clay,” Dylan says, and I add him to my murder list.
“Doing your jobs,” she whispers, and meets my gaze. I’m surprised the rage vibrating off her doesn’t slam me against the wall.
“Flowers, please. It’s not–”
“Don’t fucking call me Flowers,” she barks, and I wince.
“Calm down. You’re looking at this all wrong.”
Her silence might be the scariest thing I’ve ever encountered. “May I be excused for the day?” she asks Dylan, who nods. I watch helplessly as she gathers her things.
She tosses her bag over her shoulder and flies down the hall.
“I’m sorry, Clay,” Paul says.
“Next time you guys want to help, just don’t.”
I race after her, catching the elevator before it closes. “Take the next car,” she growls.
I ignore her and she moves as far away from me as possible as the car descends to the parking garage. We stand in volatile silence and she races through the doors the second they open.
“I should have told you.” I slam my palm on her car door so she can’t open it without facing me.
“Get away from me,” she snarls.
“Please, Fiona. What about the truce?”
“Your truce is bullshit. You’ve been lying to me from the moment we met. Was it hell for you, pretending to care when you held me in the elevator that day? And you sang that fucking song and I poured my heart out to you.”
I stare at her, at a loss for words. They only seem to make it worse, anyway.
“You’ve been flirting with me all week. You said all that stuff in the closet, and you even almost…” she trials off, swallowing hard as she drops her gaze. She squeezes her eyes shut and shoves my shoulder, but I don’t budge.
“I almost what?” I say.
“Fuck off,” she snarls, but she lets me guide her against the car and cage her in with my arms. I’m careful to keep my hands off of her.
“You mean those times I almost kissed you?” I ask, my voice low.
Her eyes narrow and her lips press together. “Please. Like I would have let you.”
Her vibrations erupt in lazy, looping swirls.
Lust. Need. Want.
My body responds, yearning for her touch, her taste, anything. It’s so potent, I almost miss the other patterns shifting underneath, but the look in her eyes tells me everything I need to know. I could kiss her right now, and she’d let me, but she’d hate herself for it. I don’t want that. It’s not fair that I have this advantage she knows nothing about.
I drop my head, taking a deep breath to center myself before I step away. “I was never pretending.”
She stares at me for a moment, and I shove my hands in my pockets so I don’t reach for her like I want to. Without a word, she slips into her car and drives away, our eyes catching for a beat in her rearview mirror before she turns the corner.
I heave a sigh.
“Did you really sing for her?” Paul’s deep baritone echoes in the garage.
“I did,” I say, staring at the far end of the garage where her car disappeared.
“You should go after her. Apologize.”
“She won’t listen.”
He puts his hand on my shoulder. “She will. You just have to prove that she can trust you.”
I rub the back of my neck as I consider. I could do what she accused me of and pretend she means nothing to me, but that’s impossible. Somewhere along the way, she became more important to me than I was willing to admit. But if I want her to trust me, that has to change.
“Don’t wait up,” I say, making my way towards the SUV.
