Repercussion: The Clandestine Saga Book 3

Chapter 5-6

"I don't know..." Cadence began, "I have a lot of reservations about working with those people, especially Laura."

"Didn't buy the apology, huh?" Elliott asked, laughing.

"Uh, no," Cadence replied. "She's a lying bitch."

"Believe me, I have my reservations, as well," Aaron admitted. "If we decide to do it, I think we go ahead and let them think Eliza's leading it--even let her believe that--then yank her at the last minute. And I don’t want any of her people on the ground either. Meanwhile, Cadence, you'd have to coordinate with Cale's team in secret. The renegades use only weapons we issue to them and we do pat downs looking for titanium bullets beforehand. And, when this is over, I'll let them re-Transform if that's what they want, but Laura will either do the same, or spend some time in the makeshift cells in the basement of the staging building."

"So you do have a Hunter prison," Cadence asked, narrowing her left eye at him sheepishly.

He grinned at her, returned the expression and said, "Maybe. I don't tell all of my secrets, lady."

"Works for me," Elliott shrugged, interrupting their staring contest.

"But, wait a minute," Cadence said, finger in the air, "they need titanium to kill Hunters, but you guys are vulnerable to regular bullets. What about that?"

"Bulletproof vests?" Elliott suggested.

"Head shot?" she replied sharply.

"I've been thinking about that, too," Aaron admitted. "Why do they have to be armed at all?"

"Good point," Cadence agreed. "Take their guns away, or at least limit their bullet count, cut down on the vulnerability--I mean they still might over-power some of our weaker members," she said slyly, winking at Elliott, who just shook his head at her, "and I think we've minimized the risk. Haven't we?"

"Hey, I'm just here for the pizza," Elliott replied, right before she elbowed him in the ribs.

"I think this might actually work," Aaron said, the look of contemplation still on his face.

"Tell you what, let's sleep on it--not that any of us will--and talk it over in the morning, and then we'll let Ms. Sassy Pants produce the phone number she doesn't have, to call the person she doesn't like," Elliott proclaimed.

Cadence nodded in agreement. "Sounds good to me."

"Why aren't you sleeping?" Aaron asked, a worried expression on his face.

As much as Cadence wanted to give a sarcastic answer, she was too tired to think of one. "I don't know. I guess my mind thinks I should start transitioning to needing less sleep already while my body completely disagrees. But then, even when I do fall asleep, I always dream about Jack."

"I'm sorry," he said, clearly genuinely concerned. "That's not good. If we go on this hunt in a few days, it's not going to go well if you are exhausted."

"I know," she admitted. "But I can only think of two nights since Jack died, besides when Elliott put me out, when I slept for more than a few hours--tops."

"What did you do differently then?" Aaron asked, as if there might be a connection.

"I... uh... I don't know," she said, obviously not telling the truth.

Aaron and Elliott exchanged glances. ""Lie much?" Elliott questioned, calling her out.

"Nothing..." Cadence replied. "I don't know."

"I think you do," Aaron said, squinting at her again.

Cadence folded her arms, and without making eye contact she quietly replied, "It was you."

"Pardon?" Aaron said, leaning forward even further in his chair.

Cadence sighed. "I know, it sounds stupid--or like I'm awkwardly and publicly trying to seduce you," she admitted. Elliott burst out laughing and she threw him another elbow before finishing her sentence. "I slept really well that night you slept with me, in Lincoln. And I slept really well the other night, after I saw you at the hunt, but I guess I could have just been really tired that night."

Aaron was quiet for a moment before saying. "Well, I need you at the top of your game, so I guess I'll be staying here tonight."

"I can't ask you to do that..."

"You're not. I'm telling you; I'm staying here tonight. You slept really well that night I spent with you in Paris, too," he reminded her.

"Wait--what?" Elliott asked.

They both ignored him. "I don't want to be a pain in the a*s," Cadence said, shaking her head.

"It’s a little too late for that,” he said, clearly teasing her. “Look, as I explained to you earlier today, I'm still your boss. This is purely a business arrangement, nothing inappropriate; you can have Elliott sleep on the couch if you'd like, but I need you to get some rest, and anyone who doesn't understand that can come in and I'll explain it to him," he replied, matter-of-factly.

Clearly, he meant Cale by that last part. Cadence didn't know the doctor that well yet, but she thought he could certainly understand how important it was that she get some sleep. At last, she quietly said, "Okay. But Elliott doesn't need to stay. I trust you."

"Good," Aaron nodded. "I do have a few things I need to get done, so I'm going to run next door and finish up, and I'll be back in a little while."

Elliott told him goodbye, and he disappeared out the door to his apartment, the only other room on the floor.

"What happened in Paris?" Elliott asked.

"What happened in Tulsa?" she retorted.

"I'm guessing more than whatever happened in Paris," he admitted.

"It doesn't matter," she replied. "It was nothing. Honestly. And nothing's going to happen tonight."

"Now, that I believe," he said, nodding. "Unfortunately. But, I'm gonna go. I'll see you tomorrow, kid."

She followed him to the door, hugged him goodbye, and turned the lock, knowing Aaron would get in whether it was open or not.

It didn't bother Aaron that he found Cadence's door locked about an hour later when he returned to her apartment; there weren't too many locked doors he couldn't find his way through, and that included Cadence's.

As he entered her bedroom, he could tell by her breathing that she wasn't asleep, although her steady breaths indicated she had been in bed for a while. He had changed into something more comfortable, though it wasn't the boxers he usually slept in, when he slept, which wasn't often. He did his best not to jostle her as he slid in bed beside her, leaving adequate room so she wouldn’t feel uncomfortable.

She opened her eyes and managed a meager smile before they fluttered closed again.

"I'd ask if I woke you, but I guess, if that were possible, I wouldn't be here," he said, just above a whisper.

"I'm still awake," she yawned. "Hopefully not for long, or I'm going to look like a manipulative bitch."

He laughed, quietly. "I have no doubt this was your last resort." She didn't respond, so he took that as an affirmative. "We definitely need you well rested, though, if we're going through with this."

"It's definitely tempting," she said without opening her eyes.

He studied her face for a moment. The more tired she became, the more serene her expression, the more angelic she appeared. She had one hand under the pillow, the other resting on top, her long brown tresses strewn out behind her across the pillow. "I agree," he finally replied. "I just hope I make the right decision."

"We," she said quietly.

"What's that?" he asked, not sure he heard her correctly.

"We--make the right decision. This is a team effort. If something goes wrong, all four of us are to blame, not just you," she explained, opening her eyes to look at him, but not lifting her head.

He considered her statement but dismissed it pretty quickly. "Ultimately, it's my responsibility," he replied.

She sighed and readjusted her pillow. "I know you feel that way, but it isn't true. None of us feel that way--well, maybe Eliza. But Elliott and I certainly don't. We're all in this together."

As much as he wished her statement were accurate, he knew that if something went wrong, it would be his burden to bear. He didn't bother to argue with her about it, however, not when she was so tired and he was there to help her sleep. She seemed a bit more awake now, however, so he quickly mentioned, "Cale is open to the helicopter idea."

"You talked to him?" she asked, perking up a bit more.

Pushing the sting of her reaction away, he said, "I ran it by him a little while ago. He'll make sure their outfitted properly and ready to go."

She raised an eyebrow. "You didn't talk to him about anything else did you?"

He laughed. "The topic of our sleeping arrangement didn't present itself. But, actually, he did ask me to--if I don't mind--refrain from kissing you again so long as the two of you are dating."

She blushed. It was apparent, even in the dim light. "And what did you say to that?" she asked, a bit of sleepiness returning in her voice.

"I said it was a valid request, and left it at that," he admitted.

Cadence shook her head slowly. "Boys..." she mumbled.

"Are you going to tell him about this?" he asked leaning just a bit closer to her. Her eyes were closed again now, and he couldn't help but study her exquisite lips.

Her eyes flew back open. "I don't know," she admitted. "What do you think?" Before he even had a chance to respond, she answered her own question. "I think I should. Surely, he'll understand, don't you think?"

Aaron realized she must have moved a little closer herself with that pillow adjustment. There wasn't so much space between them now after all. "I'm not sure..." he replied, knowing it probably wouldn't go well.

"He's such a good guy," she gushed. "I think he'll be fine with it, once I explain. You'd understand, wouldn't you?"

"Uh..." he wasn't exactly sure how to respond to that. "I don't think it matters what I would say. Like you said, Cale's a good guy and I'm... me, so it really doesn't matter."

"Shut up," she mumbled, eyes closed again. "You're a good guy, too. Sometimes." She opened one eye and grinned at him, almost a wink, and then closed it.

Aaron studied her for a few moments. She absolutely deserved a man like Cale, a "good guy," someone who would realize exactly what he had in her. He slowly reached over and gently brushed a few strands of hair away from her face. She let out a soft moan but didn't open her eyes. "Cadence," he said quietly. She hummed an acknowledgement, so he continued. "Whatever you decide to tell Cale about me sleeping in your bed, I definitely don't think you should tell him about this." Closing the space between them, he placed his hand on the side of her face and lightly brushed his lips against hers, waiting to see how she would respond. He was a bit surprised when she returned the kiss, and then opened her mouth, encouraging him to continue to kiss her. He knew he needed to let her go to sleep, so after a moment, he released her, softly caressing her cheek. She moved toward him, and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her next to his body. She lifted her chin and he kissed her one more time before she nuzzled her head into his chest, falling fast asleep.

As he held her in his arms, he was absolutely certain that he wanted her back, that he needed her back. But before that could happen, he needed to make sure he was the kind of man that Cadence deserved. Cradling her in his embrace, he found himself drifting off to sleep as well, something he hadn't done in almost six months.