Chapter 12

“Ican’t put my finger on what it is, but something feels off with Lara.”

“You mean something other than the fact she hates us?” Wilder asks, frustration evident in his voice.

“I don’t think she hates us. I think we hurt her more than we realized.”

“I’m not sure which is worse.”

“If she didn’t like us, we wouldn’t have been able to hurt her at all. I’ll take that over nothing any day. We’ll just need to work hard to redeem ourselves. But we’re going to have to listen to her and go slow. She looked tense, and I don’t want to make things worse than they already are.”

“I’m not sure we can make it worse.” Wilder shakes his head as we walk into the main house.

“Oh, it could be a hell of a lot worse. She could refuse to talk to us at all. Stay away from us. Leave when we enter the room?—”

“Fucking hell, I get it.”

I grin at him and head into the kitchen, which is surprisingly quiet.

“Where is everyone?”

I look around with a frown.

“Even the kids are gone.” I head up to Ev’s room with Wilder right behind me because Ev will be able to find everyone faster than I can.

I swing his door open without knocking. After I’ve done it, I realize my mistake. I’m just thankful he’s alone.

Ev spins around and glares at me as if knowing what I was thinking. “You ever come in here and catch Avery naked, I’ll cut off your balls.”

“Got it. I’m just so used to you being single that I didn’t think about it until I’d already opened the door.”

He turns back to the screens, and I walk over to sit in the chair beside him. A knock sounds at the open door.

I look over to find a grinning Wilder and flip him off. “Smart-ass.”

“What can I do for you both? I get the feeling you’re not here to help.”

“We can if you need it.”

Ev looks at me. And for a second, I think he’ll ask, but he sighs and shakes his head. “No, it’s fine.” He sighs again. “It’s stupid, but seeing all this shit… I feel like if it’s just me looking, I’m not totally invading their privacy. But if I get all of you looking, it’s a violation. It doesn’t usually bother me this much. I’m not sure why it’s bothering me now.”

“Maybe because before, they were just numbers. Now those files are people—Noah, Alfie, Delaney, Bella, and Lara.”

“And there’s a good chance there’s one on Avery, too,” Wilder says gently.

“I’m good with computers, not humans. This is a lot,” Ev admits.

“You’re better with humans than you realize. Just ask Avery. I’m not sure she would have worked things out with Hawk and Creed without you.”

“They would have figured it out eventually.”

“Maybe, but there’s no denying the Evander effect.”

Ev looks at me and laughs, his shoulders relaxing a little. “Sorry, it’s so easy to drown in this shit.”

“I believe it. Anyway, we came to ask if you knew where everyone was, but now I think you need a break.”

He looks at me, unsure.

“Come on, all this will still be here tomorrow.”

“I know, but if we don’t figure it out fast, we’ll be sitting ducks.”

“And if you don’t take a break, you’ll miss something that could be important. You’re only one person, Ev. Take the rest of the day off. Wilder and I will help you out tomorrow. Our last case is finished, and the books are clear for now while we figure this shit out. So put us to work before we do something stupid.”

I hold up my hand before he can say anything. “We’ll steer clear of the subject files. You’re right, it should just be you who sees them. If you find something you think will impact the rest of us, tell us. Otherwise, we don’t need to know.”

Ev blows out a breath. “Okay. You’re right. If I carry on like this, I’m going to miss something.”

“Good.” Wilder slaps his shoulder. “Now, do you know where the others are? The kitchen is like a ghost town.”

“Uh, yeah.” Ev taps on the keyboard, making one of the camera feeds pop up. “A gift from Hendrix and Nash. They’re sorry they can’t be here, but they have their own shit going down.”

I stare at the huge outdoor playset the guys are installing as the kids and women look on with excitement.

“Truthfully, I’m glad they’re not here. If shit goes sideways, we have them on standby,” I say, standing up.

“Yeah, but I don’t think it’ll be as easy as you think. They’ve been trying to pull out for months now, and something keeps pulling them back in. It shouldn’t be taking this long.”

“Russia is not a friendly place to be right now, with what’s going on between them and Ukraine and now NATO… No wonder they’re having a hard time pulling out. I’ve watched the news coverage.” I shake my head, my hands balling into fists at the thought.

Wilder looks from me to Ev, eyeing him before crossing his arms. “You think it’s more than just that, don’t you?”

“Hendrix and Nash are good at what they do. That’s why they were the ones stationed over there. We’ve severed our ties with our government after what happened to Salem, but that doesn’t mean they don’t know where Nash and Hendrix are.”

“And you think they’ll threaten to out them? Why?”

“To distract us maybe. Tensions are high over there right now. The last thing Hendrix and Nash want is to be considered traitors to our country. Or worse, spies.”

“Fuck, we need to talk to Zig about this.”

“We’ll do it after the kids are down for the night. And if anything is going to tire them out, it’s going to be that monstrosity.” Ev stands up.

“Well, let’s help those fuckers finish putting it together then.”

We turn toward the door. “Fuck, wait.” Ev grabs something from his desk. “Can’t forget Alfie’s iPad.”

“Yeah, that wouldn’t go over well.”

“Nope.”

We leave and head downstairs, Ev stops us when we reach the bottom. “You two go on outside. I’m going to leave this in the den and meet you out there.”

We both nod, and Wilder leads the way outside and around the back of what used to be Luna’s place, which is now where Hawk, Ev, Avery, and Creed are living. It has a large open space behind it, which is perfect for a playground.

When we get there, the excitement among the kids is plain to see. Even Noah and Alfie look excited, though they are much more reserved.

“Hendrix and Nash don’t know the meaning of the word subtle, do they?” I comment, making Oz laugh.

“Get over here and help before the kids spontaneously combust. Where’s Lara?”

“She needed a little while to chill on her own. As a group, we can be a lot to handle.”

“No shit.” Oz chuckles before cursing and jumping to the side when Zig throws a hammer at him.

“There are children present, dickface.”

I shake my head and chuckle as I watch the two of them.

“She’s coming over to eat later. I tempted her with Salem’s cooking, but if you’d rather order pizza or something, I don’t think anyone would object.”

Salem blows her hair away from her face, Aries cradled in her arms, as she steps closer.

“What do you say, little one? Want to cook or order in tonight?” Oz asks her, moving to press a kiss on his son’s head.

“As much as I like cooking for you all, I won’t say no to pizza. With the kids not sleeping well last night, I’m exhausted. How they still have so much energy is beyond me.”

“Ah, to be young again. Here, give little man to me and go lie down for a while. We can keep an eye on all the kids.”

“Are you sure?” she asks as I reach for Aries. She releases him, making sure I’m supporting his head as I cradle him in my arms, his little face scrunching in his sleep.

“Positive. Now shoo, woman.”

She kisses Aries’s head, then my cheek, ignoring Oz’s disgruntled protests, and heads inside.

“Oh, would you look at that? My hands are full. I’m going to go sit with the women and kids.”

“Hey, that’s my kid. If anyone should sit out with him, it should be me,” Oz protests, stepping closer.

I turn my back and walk away. “You snooze, you lose,” I say, walking over to squeeze myself between Avery and Astrid.

“No, please have a seat,” Astrid deadpans, rolling her eyes. They move over a little, giving me some space.

“I take it you sent Salem for a nap?” Avery asks, running her fingers over the top of Aries’s head.

“Yep. I don’t think she’s had a full night’s sleep since Aries made his appearance, but last night didn’t help.”

“Oz and Zig might be amazing at helping out, but until they grow boobs and start lactating, there’s only so much they can do,” Astrid says.

I grin. I like being one of the girls.

“What are you smirking about?” Wilder grumbles.

“Boobs.”

He looks from me to Avery and Astrid before he pouts like he’s missing out. He walks away with slumped shoulders, making Avery laugh.

“You are so bad. He looked like he was two seconds away from tackling you.”

“He’s just jealous he didn’t think of offering to look after Aries before me. How’s the move going?”

“Not bad. The guys wouldn’t let me help because of the baby, so I spent the day shopping online.” She smiles, and I can’t help but chuckle. I have a feeling those three won’t be letting her do much for the next nine months.

“How’s Lara doing? I kind of expected her to come back with the two of you.”

“She needed some time to herself after the day she had. All this is more than she’s used to.”

“The Division was always busy,” Avery starts. “But I only remember seeing Lara with the kids. I don’t think I can ever recall her interacting with another adult besides myself. It’s weird now that I think about it. Everyone moved around her like she was invisible unless they needed her to deal with one of the kids.”

“That’s fucked up,” I grunt.

“It’s sad,” Astrid adds. “And must have been incredibly lonely. I know what that feels like.”

“I was too wrapped up in my own issues to notice when I was there. But now…” Avery sighs. “I’ve been a shitty friend.”

“I get the feeling that if you had been better friends, it would have given the Division something else to use against you both. I feel like, after growing up there, she should have made more friends, even without trying. It makes me wonder if people kept their distance on purpose,” Astrid says.

“You mean they were ordered to stay away?” I ask, disgusted. “Is that something they would do?” I look at Avery, who has a sad look on her face.

“Yeah, that sounds exactly like something they would do.”

I glance over at the kids. They’re sitting together, the girls giggling and laughing, the boys holding back a little more. But all of them are watching the playground being assembled.

“I can’t get over how happy they all seem, considering what they’ve all gone through.” I look at Avery, who smiles softly.

“It’s the Lara touch. That’s what we called it at the Division. She has this way with kids that helps them blossom even when all they’ve known is darkness. The boys are quieter and hold themselves back more, but them sitting there and allowing themselves to be a part of this is all Lara. You don’t see the effect she has on them as much because they aren’t as outgoing as Bella and Delaney. But if you knew the details of what those boys have been through, you’d wonder how the fuck they’re still functioning at all. Lara is able to heal those broken parts. Not like Salem does. She’s not a healer. I mean, somehow, the way she is with them, loving them unconditionally and accepting them no matter what, smooths away the rough edges of their memories. They still remember what happened to them and still hurt because of it. But the softened edges don’t cause nearly as much pain as the sharp broken pieces do.”

“I wish Lara had someone like that,” Astrid says, leaning back on her elbows, her legs out straight in front of her. “We both grew up so isolated and cut off from love and yet somehow she managed to not only feel it but cultivate it in others. That’s a gift all in itself, if you ask me.”

We sit quietly for a moment watching the kids have fun.

“Wilder and I apologized, but I think it will take a lot more than that to earn forgiveness.”

“You know what they say: actions speak louder than words.”

Astrid looks at me and smiles. “Why do you look excited at the prospect?”

“Because I am. If Lara needs me to chase her, then that’s what I’ll do. After all, I’m an excellent hunter.”

Her age is the only thing holding me back. But once she turns eighteen, all bets are off.