“And I love you, Lark Davies. Always.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
ORIONandtheResurrectionsoldiers were settling in at Black Bay. They’d offered Doctor Blackmore the opportunity to stay on – in standard housing rather than the brig – and surprisingly, the neurologist had accepted. Or maybe not so surprising considering it afforded the man a chance to observe how the soldiers reacted out of stasis and in non-combat situations. The opportunity would only benefit his research.
They’d also found accommodations for the person the government had appointed to oversee Resurrection at Black Bay, or as Lark liked to call her, the spy. She was a surprise. Grady had expected military, not a civilian, and certainly not such a prim little thing with her buttoned-up sweater sets even in the late summer heat.
ORION was still in his head – as the AI pointed out, it was Grady’s default setting now, and attempting to sever the connection would only put undue stress on his processors – but was thus far remaining unobtrusive. As odd as it was to think, considering he was referring to an AI, it felt like ORION was happy with its new home.
Grady was happy too. He’d found a new life here. A new purpose working with the Beasts, and a love he’d never dreamed of with Lark. That happiness and sense of fulfillment had allowed him to put aside his need for vengeance. Would that change if the people behind Resurrection proved a continued threat? Hell, yes. But while he’d keep a discreet eye on them going forward, for now, they were safe from his retribution. There was just one more thing he needed to do to make his happiness complete. He needed to talk to his parents.
He’d spoken at length with his sister, Paige, and together they’d decided to have their parents travel to Virginia under the guise of helping Paige plan her upcoming wedding. She’d meet with them first, in the privacy of their hotel room to pave the way so to speak, while Grady waited outside. The last thing either one of them wanted was to shock their parents by him just showing up.
So far, so good. Paige was in with them now.
He’d disguised his appearance somewhat, wearing a long-sleeved shirt despite the heat outside, a ball cap, and sunglasses even though he was indoors. That way they weren’t hit with the full blast of what was done to him. Better to ease them into that…
A scream broke the silence and Grady lurched up from his lean against the wall in the hallway where he waited. The hotel room door slammed open and his mother stumbled out, her face frantic as she looked around. Spotting him, she froze. For a moment, she didn’t even breathe, and then, her face crumpled as she reached for him with a sharp gasp, her knees buckling.
Grady grabbed onto her before she could fall, and her grip on his arm was so tight she was probably going to leave bruises. God, the smell of her perfume… nostalgia hit him like a sledgehammer.
Heads had popped out of some of the rooms, having heard the commotion, but seeing the reunion unfold, they quickly retreated to allow them privacy.
“I knew,” she cried out, as she clung to him, sobbing. “I always knew.”
Grady’s vision blurred as tears welled in his eyes. He hugged her closely. “Mom,” he uttered, choking on the word, and she let out a keening wail.
A throat was gruffly cleared, and Grady looked up to see his father. The older man still wore his hair military short, still stood like a soldier, strong and proud, but the high color in those cheeks and the mist that hazed those hazel-green eyes so like Grady’s own, proved he wasn’t unmoved by the situation.
“Let’s take this inside.” His father held out his arm. He gently touched the back of his wife’s head before he landed that hand in a rough pat on Grady’s shoulder. “We have a lot of catching up to do.”
As Grady ushered his mother inside, she was still clinging to him as if she had no intention of ever letting go, and his father’s hand landed on his back with another firm pat. “Good to see you, boy.” The man’s voice broke at the end, and he cleared his throat again. “It’s damn good to see you.”
Their room was pretty standard for this type of mid-level hotel chain. A king-sized bed took up the lion’s share of the room. It was covered in a navy blue spread that matched the drapes hanging on either side of the sliding glass doors that led to a small, railed balcony. There was an armoire that contained a TV, a dresser, and a table with two chairs. One of those chairs was currently occupied by his sister. Her eyes were misty with unshed tears, and her hand was raised, covering her mouth, as she took in the emotional scene.
Blinking his own eyes rapidly to clear them, he tried and failed to draw in a full breath. Christ, this was harder than he imagined it would be. He’d missed them. He’d missed them so much. And they never should have been put through what they had.
Over the next little while, he sat on the bed with his mother pressed to his side, still quietly crying, her hand holding his, as he told them what happened. Or, at least, a portion of what had happened. He purposely downplayed the government’s complicity. That knowledge would do his parents no good. Instead, he told them they’d done their best to repair him after he’d suffered grievous injury in an altercation with a terrorist.
With the groundwork laid, he revealed the new him. They took it better than he thought they would. Their eyes had widened with surprise, sure, but other than that, they’d accepted it. Accepted him. “You’re alive,” his mother had adamantly stated. “That’s all I care about. I have my boy back.”
While his father had nodded his agreement to that statement, he seemed intrigued by the technologically advanced upgrades and was keenly interested in what Grady could now do, insisting on a demonstration.
Grady shook his head in bemusement. Remarkable. He should have known they would never reject him. He should have known they’d never look at him and see a monster. But uncertainty was a fearful beast.
The thought reminded him of a Beast whose bravery was without question… His heart filled with excitement as he thought of Lark and he couldn’t wait to tell his folks all about her. “I met someone.”
“You did?” His mother sounded thrilled. She patted his arm where she still clung to him. “I want to hear everything!”
Gladly, he told them all about Lark. How they’d first met, how she’d tried to help him with his memory loss, and how they’d spent time together and had fallen in love along the way. Paige chimed in, adding what a great friend Lark had been for her as well.
With a wistful sigh, he added, “She’s an amazing woman.” Sometimes he found it hard to believe he’d gotten so lucky.
“I want to meet her,” his mother said. “When can I meet her? Is she free right now?”
Grady chuckled and pulled out his cell phone. Despite Lark’s protests, she was still on light duty – General’s orders – so today, she was keeping the General’s son, Matt, company at security. Which meant she was either goofing off or bored to tears. Either way, she wouldn’t mind the interruption. “I’ll give her a call and see.”
She was about to meet Grady’s parents. Staring at the number on the door of the hotel room, she swiped her damp palms down her thighs. Shit. She’d been in combat situations, faced down armed assailants, and taken down men twice her size, all without fear, but this had her quivering in her boots. Hell. Should she have changed her clothes? Maybe she should have worn a pretty dress instead of her usual cargo pants and tank top. Her only additions when she’d quickly gone to freshen up had been sunglasses to conceal her eyes and a light-weight hoodie. With the hood up, it did a fair job of hiding the scales on her face, and the long sleeves covered the ones on her arms.
