***Book 1 is complete; Book 2 picks up right where Book 1 ends!***
Réa, a half-human, half-Seraph, has spent her entire life locked in a tower, haunted by visions of a man in pain. Unbeknownst to her, this tortured soul is Bucky Barnes, the former W...
When we return to the compound several hours later, I make my way upstairs.
"Réa?" I call as I enter her suite.
She doesn't answer, so I make my way to her bedroom, gathering clothes from the dresser and the closet, then carrying them to my room. I pack a suitcase, then take it to the garage, stowing it in the trunk of the car.
As I'm getting back into the elevator, my phone buzzes. Pulling it from my pocket, I see a text from Réa.
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Her response has me grinning at my phone.
When I step into her suite, she's on the couch reading, a blanket over her legs.
"Hi there, Wolfie," she says with a grin.
She doesn't use the nickname she gave me very often, so every time she does use it, it always makes me smile.
"Hi, sweetheart," I say, placing a quick kiss to her lips before joining her on the couch.
"How was your day?"
"It was good. We went axe-throwing." I pause. "Turns out that Scott is surprisingly good at it."
"Scott?" she asks, her tone filled with surprise.
"Yeah. I didn't see that coming...none of us did. He held his own with Clint."
"Oh, wow. That's...that's impressive."
"How was your day?" I ask.
"It was good. Morgan was a little sleepy-head today...she napped a lot. But that gave us lots of time to talk and catch up." She pauses. "It was a lot of fun."
"I'm glad." I'm quiet for several long moments. "Go for a drive with me?"
She tilts her head to the side, eyeing me quizzically.
"Now?"
I nod.
"O...okay," she says.
I stand and offer her my hand; she takes it and lets me help her up. She disappears into her room, returning with a pair of shoes and a coat. Once she's ready, I again take her hand, holding it in mine as we head to the garage.
As always, I open the door for her and wait for her to be situated and buckled up before I close it. I slide into the driver's seat, and we leave the compound.
"So, we're not just going for a drive," I say after we've been on the road for a few minutes.
"Please tell me there's going to be food!"
As if on cue, Réa's stomach growls.
"Yeah, there's going to be food," I say with a small chuckle. "But that's not..."
I sigh, hating to do this now, but knowing it needs to be done before we get to where we're going.
"Look, there's not an easy way to say this...it's an extremely unpleasant thing to have to say..." I inhale deeply. "Sharon bugged your room. And most likely mine, and the rest of the compound...but definitely yours."
"Wh...what?"
"Her comment yesterday...she outed herself as a mole. I don't think she even realized she did that, though."
"But...how...what did she...huh?"
"Her whole 'I don't need help from someone who can't even put on their own shoes' comment." I pause. "When did you have trouble putting your shoes on, Réa?"
"The day Morgan was born...when F.R.I.D.A.Y. woke us up at...oh, god...."
I hear her heartrate rising.
"Réa," I reach for her hand; she takes mine, gripping it tightly. "It's being handled. Tony's taking care of the bugs in your room...but we're going to spend a couple of days away from the compound, just to make sure that your room is completely yours."
She nods, and sits quietly; I listen to her heartbeat as it returns to normal. Suddenly, it increases again.
"Oh, god," she says softly. "Oh, god. Bucky. My room...I...you...we...everything we...oh god, pull over. I think I'm going to be sick."
We're on a stretch of road where I can pull over, so I do. As soon as the car is in park, Réa undoes her seatbelt and bolts from the vehicle, darting into the trees. I get out of the car, but I don't follow her...I just lean against the passenger side and wait for her to return.
She does, several minutes later, and as she approaches, I see tear tracks on her cheeks.
I hold my arms open and she steps into them, leaning against me; she begins crying again.
"I'm sorry, Réa. I'm so, so sorry," I whisper.
We stand on the roadside until her tears stop, then climb back into the car. It doesn't take long for her to fall asleep, and when I pull the car up in front of our hotel, I gently wake her.
"We're here, sweetheart."
"Can I...I just need a minute."
"I'll go get us checked in, then come back," I reply.
She nods, and I climb from the car and head inside, hearing the doors lock behind me.
