Wining Celeste (Book 4) Jacobs Broken Mercenaries

chapter 30

Grayson 

Damn, she’s frustrating.  We drive home in silence, neither one of us is ready to compromise. It’s just my luck that her independence has become a hindrance when it interferes with me. Just days ago, it was one of the qualities I listed off in my head. 
This is our first fight, and I can already tell it will be the first of many. Even when she’s angry, she’s sexy. 
What happens when I have to complete a mission alone? She’s right. I won’t always be there. If I keep trying to protect her no matter the cost, she’ll eventually resent me. I’m going to have to learn to ease up. As much as the thought terrifies me.                                                                       
I’ll just have to make sure Mica is wholly distracted for two days. Piece of cake.
“Okay, I get it. I won’t fight you on this, but you have to promise to stay under the radar and call me at the first sign of trouble.”
I look over at Celeste as she looks back at me with wide eyes. Another thing she didn’t expect. The stubborn wolf to see reason. I think I just scored major points going by her mile wide smile.
“Of course... Thank you.” 
Her hand slips into mine, and I can’t help but fear her departure. My mind goes haywire, thinking of securing her safety. I need a plan.
“If all our fights are this short, I think we’ll be having make-up sex quite often.”
Just like that, I’m distracted and hard. This woman will be the death of me, but what a way to go. Her seductive smile makes me want to jam on the brakes, but I need her to get rest. I don’t want her safety jeopardized; as tempting as the idea of round two may be. She needs to be alert. I kiss her hand, placing it in my lap, and she lets out a loud yawn, reinforcing my initial notion. 
“Raincheck?” 
I chuckle and agree. It looks like she won’t make it up the stairs at this rate. We pull up, and she walks through the door, tossing her keys on the counter. The significance of the slip doesn’t pass my notice. In the entire time I’ve known her, she’s never once changed her routine, no matter how tired or distraught. She always hangs her keys. 
“I’m starving. What do we have to eat?”
I’m momentarily stunned into silence when I realize she hasn’t taken off her shoes. I shake it off, unsure what to make of it.
“I think there’s leftover seafood pasta in the fridge.” I absently tell her while setting the alarm. Another thing she’s missed.
“Ooh, that sounds good.”
I’m halfway to the fridge when I ask.
“Are you okay?” 
“Why wouldn’t I be?” 
Shit! I’ve offended her. Well, I might as well get it out now. She has gone through a tremendous amount of stress in a short period.
“In all the time I’ve known you, you’ve never veered from any of your habits and I can’t help but notice you didn’t hang your keys, you 're wearing shoes and you forgot to set your alarm.”
Celeste’s brows crease as she looks down at her feet, then at the keys on the counter. My worry increases when I realize it wasn’t intentional. She smiles, and I double back, confused.
“I guess I’m letting go.” 
She looks coyly at me, and my heart fills to the point I think it will explode. I know that look. She thinks I’m the cause of it. I’m flattered. I just don’t understand how it has anything to do with me. She acts like she was broken, and I fixed her, but the only thing I did was fall in love.
“Grayson? Food. Please.”
I laugh, pushing the thought aside for later dissection. 
“Anything for you, princess.”
She snickers at my sarcasm, knowing I live for this. Any way I can please her is like a reward. Wolves love to please their mates. 
Ten minutes after eating, she falls asleep while talking about the packing she has to do before she goes to sleep. Her pointed chin rests softly against her chest as the steady rise and fall seems to lull her deeper in. Grabbing her phone before it falls, waking her up. I kiss her forehead and finish setting the alarm on her phone; placing it on the table next to her. 
Sitting across from her, I just stare a while enjoying the vision of her in the peaceful state. It’s not long before worry takes over, and I get back to my earlier plan. The first thing I do is text Jacob for an update. When he messages back one word: 
Nothing...
I check the time just after midnight. I probably woke him up. Sleep is chasing me, too. As much as I want to solve the particular problem, my hands are tied until I know more. Then I’ll have something to go off of. She’s the last thing I see before I close my eyes...
I wake to her heels clicking across the kitchen floor. It’s eight-thirty. The flight leaves at nine-forty-five. That means I’ve got just a few hours to secure her safety. My phone buzzes at the same time as panic drills me awake.
It's Jacob with a new update. They found a way out, but Mica was still in pursuit, blocking their exit, metaphorically speaking. He wants me at the complex asap. I don’t know if it’s because I just woke up, but the message leaves me confused. At least now I know she’s not in immediate danger. I can relax for now. Celeste is in a skin-tight pale blue dress with cute little frills on the arms. She’s drop dead gorgeous in anything, but the way it clings to her curves has me drooling, especially now I know what’s underneath.
“Good morning, coffee?”
Busted. Her knowing grin greets me, and I playfully growl, rushing over. I spin her in my arms, reluctant to let her go.
“Are you trying to torture me?” I ask in earnest. She’ll have every man in the airport drooling, probably the women too. 
“Just leaving you with some spank bank material.”
Beauty brains and a sense of humor. I’m truly blessed. 
“Are you driving me?” She asks while chugging her second glass of milk. 
“Of course… do you usually drink a lot of milk in the morning?” 
I don’t remember drinking anything but coffee until noon at the earliest.
“No, never. I’m coating my stomach.”
“For what?” I snap, even though I have a pretty good guess.
“Alcohol, duh. I have a sensitive stomach.”
I shake my head, following her to the bathroom.
“Why are you drinking?” 
“Oh. To relax. I can’t stand flying.”
She walks out to put her toothpaste in her duffle while brushing her teeth. I follow her, trying to broach the subject without sounding like a controlling tool.
“Are you sure that’s smart… don’t you want to be on full alert?”
She gives me a glare before walking back to the sink.
“You’re just going to have to trust me to take care of myself.” She rushes out the words between rinses. Once she towels off, she faces me, giving me her full attention. 
“I’ll admit these last two mishaps have been doozies, but I truly believe the worst is behind us.”
Her tone goes from annoyed to sympathetic, and it’s hard to argue. I’m still not convinced.  It’s just another risk. She sighs when I don’t respond. 
“Okay. For you, I’ll keep the drinks to a minimum. Two to three tops.”
I think that’s the best I’m going to get. I grab her by the waist and bring her close to me.
“One thing, Celeste. You notice one thing odd, no matter how trivial, and you call me right away… "Promise?”
She kisses my lips, then my nose, before pushing the bridge of hers against mine.
“I promise…”
Leaving her is hard. It carves a deep hole in my chest and a gnawing panic in my belly. I’m distracted the entire ride over to the complex. The smell of cinnamon buns fills the air when I walk through the door, reminding me I’m hungry.
“You’re cooking?”  I bark, astounded by the sight of Tally back in the kitchen.
“Baking actually.  Where’s your arm jewelry?”
It takes a second to realize she’s talking about Celeste. 
“Attending to business across the country.” 
“Bummer.” Tally says with no heat at all. She could care less, and who could blame her, she’s had it rough herself.
“Give one of those to Peter. He had a small dinner.” 
Jacob’s voice startles me. I watch him grab a bun and kiss Tally on the head. He then curls his finger at me to follow him. We head into the library, and I plop into the seat. He passes the bun to me, demanding.
“Eat and calm the hell down. I can see your heart racing from across the room.”
I place my hand on my chest, and, sure enough, my heart is racing. 
“Text her, she’ll understand.”
I follow his advice and ask;
In the air?
She replies:
Yep, love you.
I respond with:
Love you more.
She replies:
We’ll see.
I set the phone down and take a deep breath.
“Better?” Jacob asks.
“Much” I tell him.
“Okay, let’s get down to business. Estevan can not help us get Mica. Amber’s safety is number one.”
Okay, that puts Celeste in a dangerous position. Us too, but getting her sister back is top priority. 
“Something is seriously off in the other worlds. Somehow, Mica and Lucifer are sharing the same power… This information can not get out. Lucifer’s intermittent power will be seen as a weakness. The oracles say if he dies… it’s the end.”
Fuck, that’s heavy.
“What do we do?” I ask. 
“Nothing. The moment Estevan brings Amber back, we lie low and let Mica get comfortable.  When his guard is down, we transfer him. Lucifer will take care of the rest.”
That seems like it could take a while. I refrain from questioning Jacob’s plan. Been there, done that and it’s always been the best course of action. 
“What about Lucifer? I don’t think he’s up for waiting.”
Jacob shakes his head at me.
“Lucifer isn’t privy to our plan, he can’t be.”
I pause a few moments, taking the information in.
“So, Mica is in pursuit? There’s no immediate danger to Celeste?”
“Not a chance, but the minute Amber is out of that portal or he’s secured her. Celeste will more than likely be next on his list… Mica is volatile. He has a history of letting his ego and emotions rule his agenda.”
I’m relieved for now, but the thought of Celeste’s sister or Estevan in danger dulls my relief.  
“You don’t think Estevan can get Amber to safety?”
Jacob is quiet for a moment. No doubt choosing his words carefully. 
“If Estevan can elude him and reach the portal before Mica has enough power to close it, they’re home free. However, if they face off… There’s no telling the heights of Mica’s power. It’s not a fair fight by any means.”
So, in fewer words, Estevan would lose. My stomach knots all over again.