making as she turned to Luca in a panic, stil unable to talk.
Horrified, Ari blurted out, “I command you to speak again.”
“Oh my… What the hel!” Yasmin shrieked in terror, her eyes wide on Ari. “What the hel is she? She’s not normal! She’s not right-”
“Calm yourself,” Luca snapped, grabbing the young woman by her arms. He cursed as she struggled and turned desperately to Ari. “You have to command her to
un-know what she knows, Ari. Now!”
Panic fluttering in her chest, Ari took a frantic step forward, ignoring Jai’s accusatory silence. “I command you, Yasmin Lenz, to never tel anyone, by any means of communication, of what happened here today between,” she glanced at her watch, “7.30 and 7.50pm. Ever.”
Yasmin’s mouth slammed shut and she shot Luca a look of anguished betrayal.
Luca, however, was frowning. “You sure you worded that right?”
Voice quiet and shaken, Ari explained, “If I’d worded it differently I might have left a loophole. This way she can’t bring up what she suspects about me without aluding to what happened in the last twenty minutes and she’s completely incapable of doing that now that I’ve commanded her otherwise.”
“Good.” Bitar turned to Yasmin. “Go back to my office. This is your own fault for interfering in something that had nothing to do with you.”
As soon as Yasmin was gone, Luca glared at Jai. “Yasmin Lenz. Realy?”
“Hugo deserved it.” Jai shrugged, stil unable it seemed to look at Ari.
Luca froze for a moment. “You know about Nicki.”
Jai stiffened and Ari gasped. Luca knew his wife had had an affair with Hugo Lenz? “You knew?”
“Of course I knew,” Luca replied bitterly. “I know everything that goes on in my tribe. And while I understand your motive was based on your sense of loyalty, I don’t appreciate your methods.”
Jai nodded, his jaw tight with tension. “It was over before it started.”
“Yes, wel… so was Hugo and Nicki’s affair.” Luca grew quiet before turning to eye Ari carefuly. “Try looking after Ms. Johnson without ‘looking after her’-”
“Father-”
“That’s al I wil say on the matter. Safe Guarding with the Roes. Goodbye.” He turned to Ari, his expression thoughtful. “Goodbye Ms. Johnson.”
Ari nodded her head in a vague gesture of goodbye and then sagged when he left. “Jai… I’m so sorry…I-”
“Stop.” Jai held up a hand, not looking at her. “We need to get the hel out of here.”
Feeling her chest squeeze in fear at his distant and cold tone, Ari asked softly, “What about Trey?”
“He’s on assignment. I’l cal him and let him know what’s happened.”
“Jai…” she tried again, her hand reaching out to gently brush his arm.
He stiffened, his shoulders hunching up to his ears. “Let’s just go.”
Fearful and anxious, Ari took a breath and fled into the Peripatos , heartbroken that she not only had to deal with the fact that the Seal was gaining more power over her, but also with the fact that Jai – unlike Ari – may be incapable of loving someone who was broken.
8 - Hope Dies Last
The feel of Ari’s energy beside him distracted Jai. She stil trembled a little beside him and despite the way he had reacted (like an idiot) to her loss of control and use of the Seal, Ari stil edged close to him, seeking comfort.
Jai wasn’t mad at her. He knew that’s what she thought, but he wasn’t mad. He was scared for her, and he didn’t know what to do for her other than to keep a careful watch over her. And that only made him feel impotent and angry at himself .
Making Ari feel like crap wasn’t helping. She was scared already too. He didn’t want her to think she was in this alone and yet… that’s what he’d done. Why?
Jai nodded at the man who greeted him, but his face seemed so far away.
Ari was screwing him up. She was destroying his focus and filing his mind until there was nothing in it but her. And last night… He
Horrified, Ari blurted out, “I command you to speak again.”
“Oh my… What the hel!” Yasmin shrieked in terror, her eyes wide on Ari. “What the hel is she? She’s not normal! She’s not right-”
“Calm yourself,” Luca snapped, grabbing the young woman by her arms. He cursed as she struggled and turned desperately to Ari. “You have to command her to
un-know what she knows, Ari. Now!”
Panic fluttering in her chest, Ari took a frantic step forward, ignoring Jai’s accusatory silence. “I command you, Yasmin Lenz, to never tel anyone, by any means of communication, of what happened here today between,” she glanced at her watch, “7.30 and 7.50pm. Ever.”
Yasmin’s mouth slammed shut and she shot Luca a look of anguished betrayal.
Luca, however, was frowning. “You sure you worded that right?”
Voice quiet and shaken, Ari explained, “If I’d worded it differently I might have left a loophole. This way she can’t bring up what she suspects about me without aluding to what happened in the last twenty minutes and she’s completely incapable of doing that now that I’ve commanded her otherwise.”
“Good.” Bitar turned to Yasmin. “Go back to my office. This is your own fault for interfering in something that had nothing to do with you.”
As soon as Yasmin was gone, Luca glared at Jai. “Yasmin Lenz. Realy?”
“Hugo deserved it.” Jai shrugged, stil unable it seemed to look at Ari.
Luca froze for a moment. “You know about Nicki.”
Jai stiffened and Ari gasped. Luca knew his wife had had an affair with Hugo Lenz? “You knew?”
“Of course I knew,” Luca replied bitterly. “I know everything that goes on in my tribe. And while I understand your motive was based on your sense of loyalty, I don’t appreciate your methods.”
Jai nodded, his jaw tight with tension. “It was over before it started.”
“Yes, wel… so was Hugo and Nicki’s affair.” Luca grew quiet before turning to eye Ari carefuly. “Try looking after Ms. Johnson without ‘looking after her’-”
“Father-”
“That’s al I wil say on the matter. Safe Guarding with the Roes. Goodbye.” He turned to Ari, his expression thoughtful. “Goodbye Ms. Johnson.”
Ari nodded her head in a vague gesture of goodbye and then sagged when he left. “Jai… I’m so sorry…I-”
“Stop.” Jai held up a hand, not looking at her. “We need to get the hel out of here.”
Feeling her chest squeeze in fear at his distant and cold tone, Ari asked softly, “What about Trey?”
“He’s on assignment. I’l cal him and let him know what’s happened.”
“Jai…” she tried again, her hand reaching out to gently brush his arm.
He stiffened, his shoulders hunching up to his ears. “Let’s just go.”
Fearful and anxious, Ari took a breath and fled into the Peripatos , heartbroken that she not only had to deal with the fact that the Seal was gaining more power over her, but also with the fact that Jai – unlike Ari – may be incapable of loving someone who was broken.
8 - Hope Dies Last
The feel of Ari’s energy beside him distracted Jai. She stil trembled a little beside him and despite the way he had reacted (like an idiot) to her loss of control and use of the Seal, Ari stil edged close to him, seeking comfort.
Jai wasn’t mad at her. He knew that’s what she thought, but he wasn’t mad. He was scared for her, and he didn’t know what to do for her other than to keep a careful watch over her. And that only made him feel impotent and angry at himself .
Making Ari feel like crap wasn’t helping. She was scared already too. He didn’t want her to think she was in this alone and yet… that’s what he’d done. Why?
Jai nodded at the man who greeted him, but his face seemed so far away.
Ari was screwing him up. She was destroying his focus and filing his mind until there was nothing in it but her. And last night… He
Similar Books
