he’ll
think she still has it and she’ll be in danger.” And God help the fucker if he
was stupid enough to come after her again.
“What else?”
Tanner shook his head. “Just take it and meet me
here at this time and give it to me.”
The Jumper nodded and reached behind him. “Easy
enough, dude,” he said. “Now my payment?”
“Okay, go ahead, but don’t change anything else,”
Tanner warned, knowing that wasn’t possible. All the Jumper wanted was to go
back and impregnate his wife before she got uterine cancer. They were childless
and it was a simple thing he wanted for his wife.
Tanner just hoped the kid wouldn’t be the next
Hitler.
“Here you go,” The Trapped said, pulling the
leather-bound journal from his bag.
Tanner blinked. Time travel hurt his brain, no
question about it.
“Now, I’ve gotta go. Little Joey is teething and
it’s wearing his mom out.”
Tanner flipped open the journal. “Thanks,” he
said. “Don’t tell anyone I was here.”
The Jumper chuckled. “Dude, they’ll never know it
wasn’t always this way.”
***
When Josie got out of the shower, the smell of
coffee filled her apartment, warm biscuits sat on the counter, and Tanner was
nowhere to be found. He’d left her a note under her mug:
So sorry I had to go. I need to take care of
something. I’ll check on you later.
She shook her head. She wanted him to do a lot
more than check on her, but that would have to wait.
She poured herself a cup of coffee and had taken a
single sip when the doorbell rang.
“That was fast,” she called, running to the door.
She was in nothing but her satin robe—which she’d
chosen because it matched her eyes and looked good with her complexion—and her
hair fell in damp waves around her shoulders. A quick glance down confirmed
that her nipples showed through the satin. Mission accomplished.
She was done playing games. She was done waiting.
She was ready for Tanner.
“I’m glad you didn’t make me wait,” she said,
pulling the door open. She froze.
Definitely not Tanner. Shit.
On the other side of her door stood the man Tanner
had decked in the fertility clinic.
“Can I help you?”
The gray-haired gentleman gave her a soft smile
and extended a hand. “My name is Dr. Martin. I believe we met in my office last
night.”
Her heart pounded. She looked at his hand but
didn’t take it. “I’m sorry?” Playing the dumb blonde worked nine times out of
ten, but even as she took up the act, she covered her breasts with her arms.
“I don’t mean to intrude, but I assume you were in
my lab because you wanted to know about your parents.”
Josie’s breath caught. This was the one. She’d
found him. “What do you know about my parents?”
Martin chewed on the inside of his cheek and
flashed a nervous glance over his shoulder. “May I come in?”
Her hands shook as she pulled the door open wider.
“Okay.”
She led him to the living room, and he lowered
himself into a chair.
“I’m so sorry about what happened to your family,”
he said.
“It was a long time ago.”
He shook his head. “It was senseless.”
“What do you know about my mother’s plans?” she
asked. She needed to know.
“I know she planned on running away, planned on
making you a different person before you ran.”
“Were you the one who was going to do the
conversion?”
He sighed. “The procedure is very dangerous.”
“But you can do it?”
“I was going to try.”
She swallowed. “Can you still do it?” The words
tasted bitter on her tongue. It didn’t matter that it was the right thing to
do. Part of her prayed he’d tell her it couldn’t be done.
He shifted in the chair, leaning forward so he was
looking at the floor. “I could, but I won’t.”
“Are you working for them?
“Who—what? No.” He shook his head. “I won’t do it
because it’s not necessary anymore.”
“Her journal said I would be the catalyst for the
Ascendants’ rise to power.
think she still has it and she’ll be in danger.” And God help the fucker if he
was stupid enough to come after her again.
“What else?”
Tanner shook his head. “Just take it and meet me
here at this time and give it to me.”
The Jumper nodded and reached behind him. “Easy
enough, dude,” he said. “Now my payment?”
“Okay, go ahead, but don’t change anything else,”
Tanner warned, knowing that wasn’t possible. All the Jumper wanted was to go
back and impregnate his wife before she got uterine cancer. They were childless
and it was a simple thing he wanted for his wife.
Tanner just hoped the kid wouldn’t be the next
Hitler.
“Here you go,” The Trapped said, pulling the
leather-bound journal from his bag.
Tanner blinked. Time travel hurt his brain, no
question about it.
“Now, I’ve gotta go. Little Joey is teething and
it’s wearing his mom out.”
Tanner flipped open the journal. “Thanks,” he
said. “Don’t tell anyone I was here.”
The Jumper chuckled. “Dude, they’ll never know it
wasn’t always this way.”
***
When Josie got out of the shower, the smell of
coffee filled her apartment, warm biscuits sat on the counter, and Tanner was
nowhere to be found. He’d left her a note under her mug:
So sorry I had to go. I need to take care of
something. I’ll check on you later.
She shook her head. She wanted him to do a lot
more than check on her, but that would have to wait.
She poured herself a cup of coffee and had taken a
single sip when the doorbell rang.
“That was fast,” she called, running to the door.
She was in nothing but her satin robe—which she’d
chosen because it matched her eyes and looked good with her complexion—and her
hair fell in damp waves around her shoulders. A quick glance down confirmed
that her nipples showed through the satin. Mission accomplished.
She was done playing games. She was done waiting.
She was ready for Tanner.
“I’m glad you didn’t make me wait,” she said,
pulling the door open. She froze.
Definitely not Tanner. Shit.
On the other side of her door stood the man Tanner
had decked in the fertility clinic.
“Can I help you?”
The gray-haired gentleman gave her a soft smile
and extended a hand. “My name is Dr. Martin. I believe we met in my office last
night.”
Her heart pounded. She looked at his hand but
didn’t take it. “I’m sorry?” Playing the dumb blonde worked nine times out of
ten, but even as she took up the act, she covered her breasts with her arms.
“I don’t mean to intrude, but I assume you were in
my lab because you wanted to know about your parents.”
Josie’s breath caught. This was the one. She’d
found him. “What do you know about my parents?”
Martin chewed on the inside of his cheek and
flashed a nervous glance over his shoulder. “May I come in?”
Her hands shook as she pulled the door open wider.
“Okay.”
She led him to the living room, and he lowered
himself into a chair.
“I’m so sorry about what happened to your family,”
he said.
“It was a long time ago.”
He shook his head. “It was senseless.”
“What do you know about my mother’s plans?” she
asked. She needed to know.
“I know she planned on running away, planned on
making you a different person before you ran.”
“Were you the one who was going to do the
conversion?”
He sighed. “The procedure is very dangerous.”
“But you can do it?”
“I was going to try.”
She swallowed. “Can you still do it?” The words
tasted bitter on her tongue. It didn’t matter that it was the right thing to
do. Part of her prayed he’d tell her it couldn’t be done.
He shifted in the chair, leaning forward so he was
looking at the floor. “I could, but I won’t.”
“Are you working for them?
“Who—what? No.” He shook his head. “I won’t do it
because it’s not necessary anymore.”
“Her journal said I would be the catalyst for the
Ascendants’ rise to power.