Relentless (Option Zero 2)

“I’m surprised you didn’t go to New York University. They have an excellent visual and performing arts program.”

“I actually did go there for a short time.”

“Really?”

“Yes…I…” No, she would not go down that road. “It just didn’t work out, so I stayed out a semester and then enrolled at UConn.”

She sent another glance toward Liam, then returned her attention to Serena. “Why the interest in where I attended college?”

“Just part of our records. We have a file on everyone associated with OZ.”

In her blurred, stressed-out mind, it made sense, so she continued to answer the seemingly innocuous questions never once considering there was another reason for them.

Her eyes shifted to the man in the front row again. Why didn’t she just go up to him and blurt it out? What was wrong with her?

“Hey.” Serena snapped her fingers in front of Aubrey’s face. “You okay?”

“Yes…sorry. Did you say something?”

Serena glanced to where Aubrey’s eyes kept straying. “You seem very interested in Liam. Is there a reason?”

“No, I just…” She gave herself a mental kick. “The rescue was a success but he acts as though it wasn’t.”

“He’s not generally an ass. He’s just going through a rough time right now.”

“Why’s that?”

Serena stared at her for several seconds before giving her the oddest answer she could imagine. “He gave up on a dream today.”

Before Aubrey could explore further, Serena stood. “I’d better go check and make sure Sean hasn’t eaten his weight in peanuts. Get some rest.”

Leaning back in the seat, Aubrey tried to do just that. But her eyes wouldn’t leave the man in the front row. What dream had he given up?

Unable to keep her eyes open any longer, she closed them and felt herself drifting. A part of her brain told her not to sleep. It wanted to stay awake and dwell on the man only a few yards away.

Exhaustion won. As she entered into the twilight phase of sleep, Liam’s voice echoed in her mind, Forget about Syria.

Her soul whimpered, No.

Chapter Twenty-Six

St. Augustine, Florida

Aubrey sat in the backseat of the rental car as they drove through the quiet streets. No surprise they were deserted, as it was just after four in the morning. Eve had told her going in at this time would give her a better opportunity to not be seen. And apparently for the foreseeable future, that’s what needed to happen.

She was being taken to a safe house. How they’d managed to find one in such a short time frame wasn’t something she was going to ask. Probably just as well since she doubted either Eve or Gideon would tell her anyway.

She was grateful for the protection—really she was. If Lawrence Medford had been murdered because of his involvement in her project, then she definitely needed help. However, she had the distinct feeling that Eve and Gideon weren’t all too thrilled to be in charge of protecting her.

They had been professional and polite, but not especially friendly. She was being treated as a job and that was exactly what she was.

Silly, really, but she missed the warm companionship of Serena and Jazz. They’d both hugged her when she’d left OZ and told her they hoped to see her again soon. She hadn’t had the heart to tell them that that wasn’t likely. If she decided to scrap the project, there was no reason for any further contact.

No further contact. Was that really how she was going to leave it? Why hadn’t she just come right out and asked Liam Stryker if he was Lion? Even if he’d said no, at least she could know for sure. Instead, she was stuck in limbo, not knowing and hating herself for not having the courage to ask. She had always, always, prided herself on being the kind of person to take the bull by the horns and not back down. It was how she’d lived her life since returning from her ordeal in Syria. So why when it came to the most important moment in her life had she chickened out?

The car turned onto her street and Aubrey roused herself from her self-castigation. She was exhausted and even though she’d be sleeping in another strange bed for a while, she looked forward to being able to do that. In the past three days, she’d had minimal sleep and multiple shocks. Those fumes she’d been running on earlier no longer existed.

Gideon pulled into the drive and glanced over his shoulder. “Can you get what you need in half an hour?”