Book Cover created in acrylic by the extremely talented @therealpaul
If you have not read the first book of the series, "Reborn", it is advisable you do so before reading "Renewal" or you will be lost. This link will provide you with a series summary as well as all sixty-eight chapters of Reborn
Table of Contents for Fifty Five chapters of Renewal, created by @bashadow
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter Sixty-One
Jess took a sip of her margarita and pretended to listen to Caroline as she chattered on about the latest Hollywood gossip. Today was the day she was supposed to come clean with the Brothers Three and she’d tossed and turned the entire previous night as she’d imagined the conversation. She thought she’d finally come to terms with it by the time she’d fallen asleep, but once again her “chicken” nature was rearing its ugly head.
She’d seen the Brothers briefly this morning and they’d taken turns being ridiculously sweet to her as always, causing her confession to lodge in her throat. The thought of shattering their affection toward her was just too awful. She kept trying to convince herself they would understand, but there was always the possibility they wouldn’t. Not that it mattered, if she didn’t do it today it would have to be tomorrow, she doubted Austin’s threat was an idle one.
“Oh look, there’s the masters of the house now,” Caroline chirped, catching Jess’s attention.
She turned and watched as the brothers walked out onto the patio followed by three large men, and as her eyes lit on a very familiar face her heart stopped.
Michael?? She thought wildly, and on the heels of that-Oh God, what am I going to do now?
She ducked her head and looked down at her drink, trying not to panic. How did the Brothers Three know Michael? Damn it, she hadn’t even considered that kind of possibility! And suddenly her plan was shot to hell. There was no way she could come clean like this, it would be too devastating. She would have to pretend not to know him then call Austin later and beg him not to tell anyone he’d seen her.
She grabbed a lock of her hair and forced her heart to stop racing. It would work, Austin might not approve but he’d agree to it, and there was no reason for anyone to suspect anything different.
A second later she felt a hand clasp her shoulder and she forced a smile on her face as she turned. Aerik smiled warmly back and just as he opened his mouth she heard.
“JESS?”
She forced her head to turn towards the voice and found herself staring into vivid blue eyes, round with shock. She managed to change her expression to one of confusion just before all hell broke loose.
Michael was momentarily immobilized by the sight of her. A half second later his brain went from stuck in neutral to overdrive and white hot fury shot up from his feet to his head. He grabbed hold of Aerik by the front of his shirt and slammed him into the counter of the bar.
He heard shouts and felt arms grabbing and pulling him back, but there was a roaring in his ears drowning everything else out.
A moment later Jess’s panicked cry broke through the barrier and he abruptly released Aerik who appeared utterly bewildered. They had attracted a good deal of attention, the party effectively coming to a standstill, and Michael watched in a detached way as one of the brothers forced the onlookers back. He whipped his head in Jess’s direction and saw she was folded into the arms of the one called Jay, and realized his own arms were being held by his companions.
“What’s going on,” Samuel hissed in his ear, “You think you know her?”
He looked up at Aerik who was now standing before him, arms folded, waiting for an explanation.
He spoke through clenched teeth. “I don’t think I know her, I do know her.” Jay was attempting to turn her in his direction but she was resisting.
What the hell is going on? He thought in growing confusion.
“Jess?” he said again, but she didn’t look at him.
Aerik leaned forward. “How do you know her?”
He took a breath and got himself under control then gently shook his friends loose of their hold. The other two brothers gave him a warning look and he held up his hands to show he was done attacking. For the moment anyway. He took a deep calming breath before answering.
“The real question,” he gritted, “is whether or not I should kill you for what you’ve done to her.” He bared his teeth at Aerik who blinked in surprise.
“Hold on a second, we didn’t do anything. We stumbled across her in the arms of a twisted fuck named Paulo and killed the bastard.” He glanced sideways at Liz who still had her head buried in Jay’s shirt and lowered his voice further. “We initially intended to-end her suffering, but found we didn’t have the heart. For six days we waited, torn a-fucking-part by the feeling that we were participants in her torture since from everything we knew she was either going to die or wake up rabid.”
Michael started to say something, but Aerik put a hand up to stop him. “As you can see neither of those things happened, however she doesn’t remember who she is.” He took a breath before continuing. “Her past is a complete blank, so I’m warning you to go easy here.”
Michael’s eyes widened as he looked back at Jess.
Aerik glanced around the patio and turned back to Michael. “We should go inside, sit down and sort this out.”
Jess trembled as Jay gently urged her towards the house. She had absolutely no idea how to proceed from here. She needed to get somewhere alone where she could think.
“I want to go to my room,” she whispered shakily.
Jay looked down at her, his grey-blue eyes filled with concern. “Okay sweetheart.”
They were coming through the kitchen and there were no people around, so the moment he let her arm go she blurred.
She flopped onto her bed deciding to first listen in on the conversation taking place downstairs before deciding what to do. She heard Michael’s voice clearly and felt a chill move through her as he began telling the Brothers Three who she was and where she’d come from.
While Jess was listening to the story unfolding downstairs she determined two things. Under no circumstances could the brothers ever know she’d been lying. She now knew how they had come to have her and…they were her heroes. They’d rescued her and then taken her in and treated her like a treasured sister. She couldn’t bear the thought that they might ever feel differently. She blinked away the sting of tears that threatened to fall.
She also had to act as if Michael was familiar but she couldn’t quite place it. That way she could pretend to be remembering things in increments which would make things easier when the girls got there.
She heard them making their way towards her and her heart rose to her throat. When the knock came she chose not to respond, letting Aerik crack open the door and peer inside.
She was seated on her bed with her blankets crinkled in her hands and she looked down as he carefully entered.
“Sweetheart,” he said gently, “Michael would like to talk to you for a moment if that’s all right.”
She nodded slightly and he moved aside to let Michael by.
“We’ll be right outside if you need us,” Aerik reassured her and gently shut the door.
She avoided looking at Michael’s face, not trusting her expression. She listened to him move towards her and the creak at the foot of the bed as he sat down.
He was so quiet she eventually had to look up to make sure he was still there and caught him staring at her, his beautiful eyes filled with pity and concern.
“Do you know me at all?” he finally asked.
She bit her lip and spoke in a tiny voice. “I-think so. I remember your face, but it’s like remembering a dream.” she trailed off and looked down.
“Did you listen in on us?” He tilted his head to catch her eyes and she swallowed hard and nodded.
“And did anything….
“Yes,” she blurted then clamped her mouth shut for a second before continuing quietly. “I…it’s like the memories are drumming against my head,” she lightly smacked her temple, “but I’m afraid to look at them. I’m afraid…” she met his piercing gaze and promptly burst into tears, then shoved her face in the blanket.
The tears were not fake, on her best day she couldn’t have conjured up the sobs that heaved through her chest, or the pain that washed over her in a wave. Guilt and fear and lingering hurt and anger all crashed together causing her to shake and when he slid his arm around her a jolt of another kind lanced through her, tilting her already confused world over onto its face.
She felt a tremor move across her back and realized it hadn’t come from her. Her sobs faded into labored breathing and when she glanced up she was totally unprepared for the look of inhuman desire on his face. Lightning appeared to streak through his sapphire eyes.
He turned away quickly and when he faced her again the look had been replaced by an expressionless mask.
He removed his arm carefully and stood, the withdrawal making her feel equal parts bereavement and relief.
After a moment he cleared his throat. “I intend to call Anna when I go back downstairs. She and your sister have suffered greatly over your absence and I wouldn’t like them to continue when I can prevent it.”
She looked down, hiding the flash of pain and doubt his words inspired, then nodded silently. She heard him slip from the room and fell back onto her mattress. She closed her eyes and pictured his fleeting expression, wondering if she’d imagined it.
She turned and pressed her face into the silk pillow next to her head, forcing the image and all thoughts of him away. She had too much on her plate right now, she couldn’t possibly add one more.
He’s calling Anna, she thought suddenly, and reached out with her senses to listen in.
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