And despite his shaky limbs, Reece was on his feet instantly. He’d made it three steps when Jamey appeared from behind the neighboring SUV, sprinting toward him.
“You asshole,” she said, and grabbed him in a giant hug.
He hugged her back, his eyes burning. “I’m so sorry—”
“Shut up,” she said, and squeezed him tighter. “Evan saidthe reversion gave you amnesia—that you don’t remember any of it?”
“Nothing since the dock in Vancouver,” Reece admitted as they pulled back.
“Good,” she said fiercely.
“How is thatgood?” he demanded. “I know I was corrupted. I’m certain I hurt people. Stone Solutions wants to lock me up—”
“No they don’t.”
Lie.“Jamey,” Reece said with a huff. “You know it’s pointless to lie to me.”
She frowned. “You still hear lies?”
“Yes.”
“Then listen to this truth.” And then she leaned in, hand on the back of his neck, pulling their foreheads together. “The corrupted version of you saved my life.”
Not a lie. Reece blinked. “I did?”
“Yeah, you did, and Evan’s life, and a store’s worth of AMI shoppers, and that’s just what I know about.” She ruffled his hair. “I’m not saying you were the good guy in this story. But maybe in the real world, the heroes and villains are never as clear-cut as we’re told to believe.”
She pulled back again, though not far. “Just believe me when I say Evan and I have strong opinions about what happens to you, and all the other empaths too.” Her lips softened into a small smile. “And not just opinions. We both have strongfeelingsabout it.”
Reece’s gaze went to Grayson’s back again, where he was still speaking to the blonde woman and gesturing more emphatically than he used to. Reece’s fingers twitched at his sides, wanting to reach for him. Grayson hadfeelingsnow. Reece had barely had a taste, just a glimpse of the most complex andcolorful tapestry he’d ever seen, before they’d been forced to part. Every cell craved the chance to dive back in.
But it had to wait, because Grayson was busy, and now Reece got to see Liam, who’d just arrived. “I can’t believe how much I missed your sarcasm,” Liam said, and hugged Reece as tightly as Jamey had.
Reece hugged him back, throat gone thick again. He’d never had a brother. Maybe someday he’d get to have Liam. “But I bet you didn’t miss me running my mouth to the press about my sexual flexibility.”
“I’m sure your new boyfriend will be excited to hear all about it,” Liam said dryly, which made Reece squawk. Liam turned to Jamey and kissed her hello. “Where’s your phone? I promised Diesel we’d call when I found you. He went with Aisha to the hospital.”
A few minutes later, Jamey had Diesel on speakerphone. “Aisha’s got her cast and is demanding to be released already,” he said. “She wants to go with the empaths.”
“Go with the empathswhere?” Jamey said.
“Evan didn’t tell you yet?” Diesel said. “He’s insisting Stone Solutions hand over their fancy empathy-proof corporate lodge, Orion.”
Reece, Jamey and Liam all turned their heads in Grayson’s direction, where he was still talking to the blonde woman. “And Stone Solutions is going to agree to that?” Jamey said skeptically.
“With Cedrick Stone still catatonic and Charles Stone arrested, Vivian Marist is fully in charge,” Diesel said. “Apparently whatever was done to Evan in the Olympic Mountains has given him some pretty savage leverage.”
The blonde woman, Marist, did look a bit pale. Reece frowned. “What happened to Evan?”
“Reece!” Diesel said in surprise. “I didn’t know you were there. I heard we’ve got you back!”
“You’re trying to distract me so I don’t press for details,” Reece accused.
“Yes, but I’m also genuinely happy,” Diesel said. “You hanging in there?’
“Areyou?” Reece asked. “I’m so sorry you got pulled into all of this because you’re nice enough to be my friend.”
“It’s been good for me to be part of this, actually,” Diesel said. “My last mission was a bad one, and I came home in a very bad place. It was Cora who helped me through.”
