Turbulence (23 page)

Greyson walked on even as his feet hurt and legs ached. He
kept going in his pursuit to forget everything.

The crack of a branch made him stop in his tracks. A shiver
went down his spine. Greyson placed his hand on the dagger at his waist and
slowly turned around.

Nothing. Probably just a branch that fell from a tree. He
was too uptight right now. He probably should crash at Ross’s place for a
little while. His mind was overworked; his nerves were shot.

Greyson only took a couple of steps when he whirled around,
flinging the dagger in his hand. Philip O’Day ducked just in time to prevent
getting a knife through the forehead.

“What are you doing here?”

O’Day grinned, predatory. “Can’t a man visit his son?”

Greyson reached for his other dagger, ready to slice and
dice. “The sentries should have stopped you.”

“They would have if I had left the ones I ran into alive.”

Greyson schooled his features into a block of ice, slowed
the beat of his heart. He wouldn’t let O’Day see how much hearing more of his
people were dead bothered him.

“So, have you thought again about my proposal, son?”

“The answer is hell no. I told you that already. All you
accomplished by coming here was make it easier for me to kill you.”

O’Day threw his head back and laughed. “If you wanted to
kill me, you would have done it already. This little tough guy façade you put
on won’t work with me. Turn your people over to me and you can even have a
place within Department X by my side.”

How had he never seen how insane his father was before this?
“I wouldn’t work for Department X if my life depended on it. Anyway, your men
are either dead or arrested. You have no one to command.”

O’Day flicked his hand. “Minor inconvenience that can be
quickly overcome.”

The rage boiling within Greyson was close to erupting. “You took
my mate’s life and for that, you will die.”

 “Did she die? What a shame.” O’Day tsked.

“Thanks to you she didn’t get the antidote in time.”

“There was never an antidote. I lied.” He shrugged like it
was no big deal.

Though this was his father standing before him, his own
blood, Greyson felt no kinship. Philip O’Day was worse than a stranger. “I
can’t believe I ever looked up to you. Ross was right. You are a vile,
disgusting man. Answer me this. Did you kill mom?”

O’Day cracked his knuckles, not even bothering to look at
him when he replied, “She wouldn’t have survived the trip to Earth. You saw how
frail she was.”

Before Greyson could stop it, a powerful gust of wind
expelled from his body, knocking Philip O’Day backward and slamming him into
the trunk of a nearby tree.

He took hold of O’Day’s breath, watching with enjoyment as
the male pulled at the collar of his dress shirt like it would help. “Consider
Department X disbanded. Your days of terrorizing our people are over. There
will be no takeover, you selfish, traitorous asshole.”

With a flick of his hand, Greyson directed the hold on his
breath to release. O’Day sucked in greedy gulps of air.

“You’re…going to…pay.”

“I seriously doubt that, O’Day.”

Though he left his communicator device and cell phone somewhere
at the farmhouse, with nothing more than a holler, Greyson could have sentries
storming the place in seconds. He wasn’t nervous about O’Day’s threat.

A low buzzing sound reached Greyson’s ears before he
realized what was happening. An electric shock racked his body, rendering him
unable to move. Philip O’Day made his way over, staggering.

“Should have given me what I asked for when you had the
opportunity, son.”

Greyson fell to his knees, and then pitched forward. He was
incapacitated, unable to defend himself or even speak.

O’Day kicked him, using his foot to roll Greyson over to his
back. “No one here to help you. All that talk and you’re helpless.” He snatched
up the dagger Greyson had dropped when he fell. “Would you like a knife through
the heart? Maybe the throat? You know I really hate that I have to do this. In
my own way, I loved you, Greyson, more than I loved anyone. You’re my son.” He
blew out a breath. “It’s a shame things didn’t work out with us.”

The cold tip of the blade pressed into the fabric of the shirt
on Greyson’s chest. Greyson stared straight into his father’s face. He didn’t
fear death. He would be with his sunshine soon enough. His only regret was not
ending O’Day when he had the chance.

“Any last wishes? Guess you can’t say—”

Two gunshots rang out. O’Day’s eyes widened and he careened
forward, landing as a heavy weight on top of Greyson. He didn’t move again.

The paralyzing hold on Greyson’s body released, slinking off
like a slithering snake. With a grunt, he moved the dead and bloodied form of
his father off of him.

“What the hell just happened?” he muttered.

“I just saved your life.” A hand appeared in front of his
face to help him up. Ross.

“How did you know to come here?” Greyson got to his feet and
dusted himself off. He’d just had an extremely close call. He thought he was
ready to die, but now that he was still alive, Greyson felt relieved.

“Brotherly intuition,” Ross remarked.

“Thanks.”

“Trust me, it was my pleasure.” He bent down and pressed two
fingers to O’Day’s neck despite the bullet wounds in his chest. “Well, dear old
dad won’t be bothering anyone again.”

Greyson barely spared the body another glance. He leaned his
forehead against the trunk of a tree. Overloaded. That would describe his day.

“Greyson. Listen to me before you cut me off,” Ross said
from behind him. “It’s about Avalon.”

He couldn’t have stopped Ross from talking if he tried. What
was the use? “What is it? I’m not talking about a memorial service yet. I
can’t. I just can’t.” It would make her death too final. He really would have
to say goodbye.

“You don’t have to plan a memorial service. Avalon is alive,
Greyson.”

Faster than a blink, he had Ross’s shoulders between his
hands and gave his brother a hard shake. Something like this was nothing to
play around with. “What are you talking about?”

“Go to the infirmary. I’ve been trying to tell you all day.”

Greyson released him and ran as fast as his legs could take
him. Never mind the pain his body was in. He faintly heard Ross behind him, but
he didn’t stop for him to catch up. Greyson burst through the doors of the
infirmary, almost knocking Miriam down.

“Sir!”

“Where is Avalon?”

Miriam glanced at her clipboard then back at him with an
annoyed expression. “She’s sleeping right now. She’s in a delicate state.”

He had to take a seat, his legs no longer able to hold him
up. “How? I saw her die.”

“Her heart stopped beating, yes. But I got to her in time
and got her heart working again.”

“Why didn’t anyone tell me as soon as this occurred?” It
would have saved him from a world of grief.

“You left,” Ross piped in from just inside the door. “No one
could find you. Then when we tried to tell you, you wouldn’t listen.”

Greyson dragged a hand down his face. He was so shaken by
everything that had happened that day that his system found it difficult to
process this new information.

“Is the poison still in her body?”

“That’s the wonderful part,” Miriam replied, as if she
brought people back to life every day. “The poison is gone. The antidote seemed
to have worked through Avalon’s system before her heart stopped. I expect her
to recover. However, whether she’ll be as she once was is a mystery. I’d like
to keep her here for some time to monitor her health.”

“What room is she in?” he asked. He would stay in that
infirmary with Avalon for weeks, months as long as she was alive.         

“Visiting hours are over.” A rumble rose from deep within
his chest. “She’s in the first room, sir,” the woman hastily corrected.

Greyson pushed himself out of the chair and walked into the
room. Seeing Avalon in that bed as alive as he was broke him down. Tears ran
down his cheeks. He leaned over the bed, rained kisses over her warm, beautiful
face.

Crying two times in a matter of twenty-four hours was a
record for him. Hell, Greyson couldn’t remember ever crying like this. But he
always said this woman had a way of making him feel things.

“Are those tears for me?”

If his face weren’t so close to hers, he wouldn’t have heard
the soft, whispered voice. Avalon’s eyes were still closed, but Greyson knew
she’d spoken to him.

“Sunshine, don’t ever leave me again. I love you.”

That love would keep him whole. It would fuel him. Though Avalon’s
presence in his life brought a great deal of turbulence, Greyson wouldn’t
change it for the world. She lit up his life. His sunshine.

Epilogue

It took days before Avalon’s Jhetan genes kicked in and
healed her body beyond the antidote and even more days before she was able to
get out of bed. Her vision only returned about seventy-five percent, which was
pretty good for someone who had died and come back to life. Miriam had tried
her best but was unable to heal the rest.

Her eyesight was what had her and Greyson headed to the
human eye doctor’s office on her third day out of bed. He’d been so incredible
throughout her recovery, pampering her and supplying her every need. She had no
doubt his presence, his devotion helped her pull through.

He braked at a red light. “You wouldn’t believe how happy I
am right now.”

“What are you so happy about?”

“You’re with me. The fact that you’re alive and well enough
to ride in this vehicle and go to the eye doctor is a miracle.” He reached over
and squeezed her thigh.

Avalon grinned. She felt almost as good as new. “I’m here and
I don’t plan to go anywhere anytime soon.”

“Good. Because I have plans for us now that you’re feeling
better.” He slid her a heated glance.

For someone who was driving, Greyson had the expert skill to
be able to focus on that without crashing and slide his hand underneath the
skirt of her dress.

“Greyson!” Avalon batted at his hand. Fooling around was
unacceptable. Being in a vehicle was almost like being in public. Any stranger
could see them.

“What? I haven’t touched you or made love to you in so long that
I need to remember what you feel like.”

He slipped his hand beneath her panties to stroke her inner
folds. Avalon couldn’t stop from crying out. She spread her knees. Greyson
shouldn’t be doing this, but she couldn’t seem to remember why.

“Ahh, yes,” he said calmly, like he wasn’t using his fingers
to drive her crazy. “Just like I remember. Hot and very wet.”

He dipped a couple fingers into her core and proceeded to
slide them in and out. Avalon moaned. He knew how to make her feel so good.
Because of her sickness, it had been a while since they’d been together
intimately. She missed the pleasure of his body terribly.

The blowing of a truck horn snapped Avalon out of her
lustful haze. She clamped her thighs together and stilled his hand.

“Stop. We can’t.”

“I think we can,” he replied suggestively. Greyson certainly
wasn’t helping her resolve.

“No. We’re in a vehicle. You’re driving. It’s not safe.”

“I drive fine like this.”

She scowled. “Greyson.”

He sighed and gave her one last thrust of his fingers before
pulling out. Then he brought his fingers to his lips and licked them clean. A
sensual thrill traveled through Avalon with watching Greyson taste her so
openly.

“I won’t be stopping tonight, Lonnie Girl. I’m going to have
you every way imaginable and you’re going to like it.”

Well, she had news for him. She was more than ready and
willing. Plus, she had a few things she planned to do to pleasure him as well.

They arrived at the eye doctor’s office. The eye exam was a
piece of cake. Avalon made Greyson wait in the car while she tried on various
eyeglasses. She wanted to surprise him with her choice. And she was a little
nervous about wearing them. She always wanted to be attractive to him and hoped
her eyewear didn’t diminish her beauty in his eyes.

An hour later, they returned to pick up her glasses. Greyson
shoved a pair of red spectacles onto his face while they waited for the woman
to bring Avalon’s out.

“How do I look?”

“Still as good-looking as ever.” Which he did. It would take
a lot for Greyson to look unattractive to her.

He dropped a kiss onto her lips. “Answers like that are why
I love you. I’ll be filling your belly with my babies if you keep at it.”

“We said a year or two.”

“I know. But one day...”

She’d mentioned the dream she had to Greyson about them
playing with their children in the snow. He seemed to believe it was a vision
of their future. Avalon couldn’t say for sure, but she was optimistic. It was
nice to see him getting paternal. A man who never wanted a family of his own.

Nevertheless, children wouldn’t be happening for a while
yet. Even if they were ready to start a family now, Miriam suggested waiting. Avalon’s
body had gone through so much trauma recently that it needed time to
recuperate.

Besides, she enjoyed the alone time she had with her mate.
She wasn’t exactly ready to share him. And Greyson was still fighting the
demons of his alcohol addiction. He’d agreed to begin attending AA meetings and
Avalon couldn’t have been more proud. He’d made so much progress already.

His job as head of the Jhetan people kept him busy most
days, especially in the aftermath of the Department X situation. As far as
Avalon knew, everyone associated with the organization had been captured and
imprisoned or killed.

Barry Ward, Nile’s father, was finally told of his son’s
capture and transformation at the hands of their enemies. That didn’t stop him
from weeping over the return of his only child, even if he wasn’t able to see
him, with Nile being kept under close watch at a Homeland Security facility.
They were working with Dex on a plan to rehab Nile and the others. Only time
would tell whether it would work out.

With Department X taken care of, Ross was leaving in only a
few days’ time. He still didn’t know where he was moving. Avalon offered to see
the future for him, but he declined with a smile and told her figuring it out
for himself was half the adventure.

Both she and Greyson would miss him. The brothers shared a
heart to heart recently—as much as Greyson could have a heart to heart with
anyone. But he apologized to Ross for the way he’d treated him over the years. Avalon
felt it gave Ross much needed closure to start off his new life.

The woman returned with Avalon’s new pair of glasses. They
were rectangular and black. She put them on, her vision becoming clear and
sharp all at once. Tentatively, she turned to Greyson.

A grin spread on his lips. “I love them.”

She touched the frames, feeling self-conscious about them.
No one she knew wore glasses. Jhetans didn’t need them with their perfect
eyesight. “Really? You’re not just saying that?”

“No. You always look great to me. I can’t lie about that. Most
importantly, I can still see your beautiful eyes. They’re violet now.”

“That’s because I love you so much.” He made her feel
special every single day.

Greyson lowered his mouth to hers in a deep, passionate
kiss. “I love you too. I always will. Never doubt that.”

She wouldn’t. She hoped her eyes never stopped expressing
how much she cared about him. For the rest of her life, however long that may
be, Avalon would feel like the luckiest girl in the world thanks to her amazing
mate. He was more than her leader. He was her lover and her best friend.

****

Book 3 in the Jhetan
Chronicles coming soon!

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online:
http://www.elainajohn.com