supposed to have. Oh, my God, is he alive too?”
“No, Livvie, I’m sorry. Simon is dead. He was killed by the soldiers of Magnus One. He was ambushed.”
“Why are you doing this?” she said through her tears. “I can handle you being who you are, but why are you saying those things about my brother?”
“Livvie, come upstairs with me. You need to calm down,” he said, taking hold of her arms tightly now.
“Let me go. You’re a liar and a fraud. I trusted you!” She tried to hit him but he had her arms so she began to kick.
“Damn it, Livvie,” he said, shifting his hold on her so he trapped her back to his chest, holding her tight, allowing her minimal movement.
“It was almost six years ago when he joined with us,” Hayden said, forcing her to listen.
“I don’t want to hear your lies!” She struggled, but he kept her pinned to his chest.
“It was after they’d taken his friend Lisa to be an egg donor, a contributor you call it. But she didn’t survive, did she?”
It was all coming back. Memories that had been shadows, that had never really taken full form now rushed her. “Stop it!” Emotions collided and the very thought of her twin sister going through what Lisa had gone through, the possibility that she too wouldn’t survive, was too much.
“When she didn’t come back, he began to question. Some don’t come back at all, do they? And you’re so sedated you never even question it.”
She made some sound and sobbed, her struggles lessening.
“Simon sought us out; he was probably one of the bravest men I knew. And I considered him a friend, Livvie,” he said, his voice breaking at the end.
“Hayden,” she cried through her tears, her grip on him changing now, turning into a desperate hold.
“You should be proud of Simon,” he continued, turning her, holding her pressed into his chest as she wept.
“I’m sorry you found out like this. I should have told you earlier. I’m sorry.”
She made an unintelligible sound and went limp in his arms, this new knowledge too much.
She didn’t struggle when he lifted her and carried her up to the living room where he laid her on the couch. She curled up into a fetal position and wept for what seemed like ages as he covered her with thick blankets and sat with her, not saying a word but caressing her hair, her back.
* * *
She wasn’t sure when she’d fallen asleep, but when she opened her eyes again, she was tucked neatly into the bed and Hayden sat across the room watching her, his brow creased, the worry on his face seeming to have aged him.
“Hey,” she said, smiling weakly.
“Hey,” he replied, sitting up, studying her intently before getting up to walk toward the bed. “I called Jayne and told her you wouldn’t be in today,” he said, pushing her hair from her face.
“Did I sleep through the night?” she asked.
He nodded. “It’s almost lunchtime.”
“He never said anything, you know. Only to keep my thoughts to myself and keep my eyes open. When he left for his last mission, I remember thinking how strange it was how he hugged me and Katie. Told us he’d be back as soon as he could. It was weird, different from other missions.”
“He suspected Magnus was on to him toward the end. He made the ultimate sacrifice.”
“What’s going to happen to Katie?”
Hayden looked away and ran his hand through his hair. She noticed how the stubble along his jaw made him appear even rougher than usual.
“Let me think about it, Livvie.”
“What are you planning on doing? I mean, the ship I glimpsed…”
Hayden smiled. “Do you miss anything?”
“Not really,” she smiled wide.
“I should spank you for snooping, you know. Besides, you ruined my surprise.”
“What surprise?”
“I’ll tell you what—go have a shower while I make coffee. I’ll give you your surprise then.”
“I’m intrigued,” she said, pushing the blankets off.
He grinned a wicked grin. “You’ve got ten
“No, Livvie, I’m sorry. Simon is dead. He was killed by the soldiers of Magnus One. He was ambushed.”
“Why are you doing this?” she said through her tears. “I can handle you being who you are, but why are you saying those things about my brother?”
“Livvie, come upstairs with me. You need to calm down,” he said, taking hold of her arms tightly now.
“Let me go. You’re a liar and a fraud. I trusted you!” She tried to hit him but he had her arms so she began to kick.
“Damn it, Livvie,” he said, shifting his hold on her so he trapped her back to his chest, holding her tight, allowing her minimal movement.
“It was almost six years ago when he joined with us,” Hayden said, forcing her to listen.
“I don’t want to hear your lies!” She struggled, but he kept her pinned to his chest.
“It was after they’d taken his friend Lisa to be an egg donor, a contributor you call it. But she didn’t survive, did she?”
It was all coming back. Memories that had been shadows, that had never really taken full form now rushed her. “Stop it!” Emotions collided and the very thought of her twin sister going through what Lisa had gone through, the possibility that she too wouldn’t survive, was too much.
“When she didn’t come back, he began to question. Some don’t come back at all, do they? And you’re so sedated you never even question it.”
She made some sound and sobbed, her struggles lessening.
“Simon sought us out; he was probably one of the bravest men I knew. And I considered him a friend, Livvie,” he said, his voice breaking at the end.
“Hayden,” she cried through her tears, her grip on him changing now, turning into a desperate hold.
“You should be proud of Simon,” he continued, turning her, holding her pressed into his chest as she wept.
“I’m sorry you found out like this. I should have told you earlier. I’m sorry.”
She made an unintelligible sound and went limp in his arms, this new knowledge too much.
She didn’t struggle when he lifted her and carried her up to the living room where he laid her on the couch. She curled up into a fetal position and wept for what seemed like ages as he covered her with thick blankets and sat with her, not saying a word but caressing her hair, her back.
* * *
She wasn’t sure when she’d fallen asleep, but when she opened her eyes again, she was tucked neatly into the bed and Hayden sat across the room watching her, his brow creased, the worry on his face seeming to have aged him.
“Hey,” she said, smiling weakly.
“Hey,” he replied, sitting up, studying her intently before getting up to walk toward the bed. “I called Jayne and told her you wouldn’t be in today,” he said, pushing her hair from her face.
“Did I sleep through the night?” she asked.
He nodded. “It’s almost lunchtime.”
“He never said anything, you know. Only to keep my thoughts to myself and keep my eyes open. When he left for his last mission, I remember thinking how strange it was how he hugged me and Katie. Told us he’d be back as soon as he could. It was weird, different from other missions.”
“He suspected Magnus was on to him toward the end. He made the ultimate sacrifice.”
“What’s going to happen to Katie?”
Hayden looked away and ran his hand through his hair. She noticed how the stubble along his jaw made him appear even rougher than usual.
“Let me think about it, Livvie.”
“What are you planning on doing? I mean, the ship I glimpsed…”
Hayden smiled. “Do you miss anything?”
“Not really,” she smiled wide.
“I should spank you for snooping, you know. Besides, you ruined my surprise.”
“What surprise?”
“I’ll tell you what—go have a shower while I make coffee. I’ll give you your surprise then.”
“I’m intrigued,” she said, pushing the blankets off.
He grinned a wicked grin. “You’ve got ten
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