Registry's Secrets (The Mengliad Series Book 2) Read online

  Craddock agreed, but he knew the context Wade meant that in was not the same. “Do you think the Registry knew that? Do you think that’s why they wanted to separate us?”

  Wade shrugged, looking away again. “Not sure. They wanted to separate all of you, so, maybe not. I was privy to everything going on with you guys, and they never discussed it with me, which would’ve been odd had they known. ‘Course, their behaviors lately have been. Odd.”

  Nodding, Craddock waited a moment before asking, “You know she’s pregnant, don’t you?”

  Wade nodded in answer. “Don’t worry, though. Bibi and Josiah don’t.”

  “She’s a little freaked out,” Craddock broached carefully, “over the idea that they heard us… trying.”

  “Their level of intrusiveness is unnerving,” he replied vaguely.

  From his response, Craddock guessed he wouldn’t admit to hearing them as well, even if he had. So he changed the subject instead. “This is going to blow up in our faces, isn’t it? The rescuing Shea and Stacy thing.”

  Wade sighed heavily. “The best we can hope for is to not be captured.”

  “Then why did you agree to try?”

  “Because she wasn’t going to let it go, and I didn’t want her to do something stupid, like take off one night and attempt it alone. Hopefully, after this, she can come to terms and make her peace with it.”

  Dreading the answer but needing to know, Craddock took in a deep, shaky breath. “If they catch us, will they take the baby away?”

  Wade’s expression said it all, but then he nodded, confirming the answer.

  “I tried to talk her out of it,” Craddock shared, “but she won’t listen to me.”

  “Keep trying. Even if it’s last second, I would rather go all the way out there for nothing, than risk getting captured.”

  “Any thoughts yet on how we’re even going to attempt it?”

  “Yeah, but let’s wait till we’re all back in the van to get into it.”

  ****

  As soon as they were alone in the bathroom, Bibi spun around to face Jessica. “What the hell was that out there? I thought a cat fight was about to break out!”

  “I was jealous, which is so not like me!” Jessica sighed, leaning heavily on the counter near the sink. “That woman… Craddock had a crush on her back in school.”

  “Which was, like, twenty years ago,” Bibi reminded her. “Craddock loves you, Jessica! He’s not going to leave you for some twenty-year-old crush!”

  “I know that. Seeing her being so friendly with him… it affected me.”

  She knew why it had, not that she could explain that to Bibi. She knew hormonal changes during pregnancy caused irrational mood swings at times, she just wasn’t expecting those to happen until later, or to cause her to react quite so intensely.

  “I think that’s all it was,” Bibi said. “Her being friendly.”

  Jessica groaned. “I know that now. After I made a fool of myself.” She moved towards a stall and locked herself in.

  “I’m no stranger to that.”

  Hearing her softly spoken disclosure, realizing the meaning behind the words, Jessica froze in mid-task of relieving herself.

  They had never once discussed it, not in the entire year they had been friends, and neighbors, and sisters-in-law on paper. Bibi seemed to be getting better, so everyone just sort of fell into a comfortable denial that it had ever happened in the first place. Then Wade entered the picture, and that time from months ago didn’t even matter anymore. She seemed so smitten with him, and then from that point on, her interactions with Craddock very much took on a sibling-like casualness.

  When they started trying to get pregnant, and then again when it was confirmed that she was, Jessica had wondered about Bibi’s previous feelings towards him. Would they resurface, once she learned that Jessica was expecting his child? Had they ever really gone away? She was dying to know, but had never been brave enough to ask. The stall door separating them somehow gave her the courage.

  “How are you doing with that, by the way?”

  “With what?” Bibi asked in return.

  “With… your feelings… for Craddock.” When several seconds ticked by without a reply, she figured one wasn’t coming, but then Bibi surprised her.

  “It was hard at first. But, in time, it got easier. Better. And now I have Wade,” she said, brightening, “who I love very much.”

  Jessica finished up, leaving the stall and moving to wash her hands before continuing the conversation. “With Chimie being involved, I just wondered…” Trailing off, she averted her eyes as she reached for the paper towels.

  Bibi knew what she was hinting around at. “Chimie never completely goes away, but when it isn’t reciprocated, it does diminish. I’m doing okay, Jessica,” she assured her.

  All of a sudden, Jessica threw her arms around her, hugging her. “I’m sorry I took him away from you.”

  “You didn’t,” she insisted. “He was never mine in the first place. You two belong together, and I’m perfectly fine with just being his friend. Better than fine.”

  “I’m sorry,” Jessica pulled back, swiping at her freshly fallen tears, “I think I’m just emotional right now, because of all the stress of everything.”

  Bibi nodded before moving to use the bathroom, because she needed to, but also to give Jessica some privacy while she composed herself. “What did that woman say her name was before?” she called out as she locked the stall. “Before it was Sydney?”

  “Nina Brooks.” Jessica’s tone leaked the bitterness she was still feeling.

  “Nina Brooks,” Bibi repeated, in thought. And then she started laughing.

  “What’s so funny?” Jessica cracked a grin, despite her confusion. Bibi had an infectious laugh, the kind that made you join in, or at least smile, even if you didn’t get the joke.

  “Nina Nipples!” Bibi blurted out.

  Jessica’s smile dropped like a rock. “I’m sorry, what?” That word, following the woman’s name, caused alarm bells to go off inside her head.

  “That was her nickname!” She continued laughing, unaware that Jessica’s expression had adopted a scowl. “Craddock actually helped earn her that nickname.”

  Jessica’s anxieties escalated. “Sounds like a slut’s nickname.” The mental images of Craddock and this woman, naked in bed together, brought her blood to a near boil.

  “Yeah, I guess it could be taken that way…” Bibi exited the stall, heading immediately for the sink. “Only, that is so not the story.”

  Jessica’s tension eased slightly. “Okay, so then what’s the story?”

  “Eighth grade lunchroom, Craddock threw a glass of cold water on her! She was wearing a fairly sheer white blouse, apparently. She hated him after that!” She reached for the paper towels. “He never told you that story?”

  Jessica shook her head. “He only mentioned her name, saying he had a crush on her back in school, but that she didn’t know he existed.”

  “Well, he did, and she didn’t, till that little stunt! Probably why he did it,” she mused, and then she gestured towards the exit with a jerk of her head. “We ready?”

  ****

  “When you’re not around each other, what’s the connection like?” Wade asked, revisiting the previous topic of conversation. “Can you converse with each other even when she’s in another room?”

  “Not usually,” Craddock answered. “Depends on how far away the other room is. If I’m in the bedroom,” he offered as an example, “and she’s in the bathroom, the connection is still strong enough to. If I’m in the bedroom and she’s in, say, the kitchen, we can’t.”

  “So, the strength of it weakens with distance,” Wade mused. “What’s it like then, when there is distance?”

  “It’s more like what you were saying before. A vague understanding of feelings and emotions. Like, right now…” He glanced over towards the bathrooms in the distance. “I can sense that she’s frustrated… She’s c
onfused about something.” He scowled as he attempted to focus, trying to read her. “She’s talking to Bibi about something that’s confusing her,” he said, though he was no longer directing the information towards Wade.

  Curious, he took a step forward, but stopped before taking a second one. “They’re coming.” He was proven right a moment later, when both Bibi and Jessica came into view.

  Her thoughts and feelings became clearer as she walked towards him, like a fuzzy image being shifted into focus.

  ‘When I mentioned her name that night, I was just going for a joke. I wasn’t trying to make you jealous. And I certainly never expected to ever run into her!’

  Jessica scowled back at him. ‘If you had told me she was your eighth grade crush, I never would’ve made an ass of myself!’

  ‘I’m sorry. Would you hate me if I told you that I found it all very sexy?’

  Jessica scoffed. ‘You probably wanted to throw some mud on us and watch us wrestle till the death.’

  Craddock laughed. ‘Not till the death.’

  “All gassed up,” Josiah called out, approaching. “Are we gonna get going, or do we live here now?”

  Everyone laughed, and then Wade answered, “We’re getting going. You guys wait in the van while I go see if this place is Ento-friendly. Grab us something to eat if it is.”

  While Wade headed for the mini-mart attached to the gas station, Craddock put his arm around Jessica’s shoulder, directing her towards the vehicle.

  ‘Wade was saying that our connection is rare. Even with Chimie, we shouldn’t be able to communicate with each other like this.’

  ‘I thought with Chimie, you can read thoughts and feelings.’

  ‘It’s usually vaguer, apparently. A general sense of things. Being able to carry on a full conversation is rare. Rarer than feeling Chimie in the first place.’

  ‘So, what does that mean?’

  ‘Don’t know.’ Waiting for her to enter the van first, he then climbed in after her, bringing her into his arms as they settled in. ‘He seemed fascinated by it, though.’

  When his thoughts drifted over the rest of the conversation he’d had with Wade, Jessica pulled away a little, staring back at him incredulously.

  ‘He wants you to talk me out of this.’

  ‘He does, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to. I know you need to do this, and I know why. I’m scared. I admit that. I’m scared of what’ll happen to us if they catch us. Scared of what’ll happen to our baby, but, as I’ve told you before, and I mean it every bit as much now as I did then… if it’s within my power to give it to you, I would deny you nothing.’

  She sighed as she settled back against him. ‘I wish you did have the power to give this to me. I’m scared, too.’

  ‘I know you are. Wade says he has a plan. He’s going to let us know what it is as soon as we get moving again.’

  “They called it the bait shop!” Wade handed the bag over to Bibi as he slid into the driver’s seat. “Pass stuff out for me?”

  ‘Maybe wait till after we eat?’

  ‘I have to know.’

  As Wade pulled out onto the street, before he even accelerated to full cruising speed, Jessica impatiently mentioned, “So Craddock says you have a plan?”

  “He did?” Josiah asked, mumbling around his mouth full of food. He was ignored.

  “I do,” Wade said, “but you need to realize, a million things could go wrong. If in the middle of it, if I tell you to abort, I need you to give me your word that you will.”

  “I will,” she promised. “So… what’s the plan?”

  Chapter Seven

  The makeshift bed in the back was uncomfortable, and certainly not conducive to sleep, though neither was the situation. Knowing what would be waiting for them on the other side of the long drive, Craddock and Jessica were a bundle of nerves. They only moved to the back, to the thin futon mattress crammed there, in a feeble attempt at a little privacy. While undoubtedly tired, sleep was the last thing on their minds.

  ‘You need to try. It’ll be my turn to drive soon. I know you’re tired.’

  ‘I can’t sleep, Craddock. I’m too scared.’

  ‘I know you are. I am, too.’

  ‘They wanted to start trying for a family, too. Stacy was telling me.’

  ‘You know this is a long shot, right?’

  ‘I know.’

  ‘If something happens… If something goes wrong…’

  ‘If something does, I’ll never see or hear from them ever again.’

  ‘Can you live with that?’

  ‘Do I have a choice?’

  ‘You do.’

  ‘Now you’re not talking about the aftermath. Now you’re talking about doing it at all. I thought you said you weren’t going to try and talk me out of this.’

  Pulling her closer, he nuzzled into her hair. ‘I’m not. But I want you to know, even if it’s last second, even if we’re on the platform, ready to board the subway, you can change your mind. No one will be upset if you do.’

  She sighed softly. ‘Do you think Wade’s plan is a good one? Do you think it’s going to work?’

  ‘I think he knows more than most – certainly more than we do – about what will and won’t.’

  ‘Is that a yes?’

  ‘It’s a maybe. I don’t honestly know, but I think it’s the best we can hope for, under the circumstances. I think we’ll know better once Shea and Stacy get on, and we see how many agents are hovering about.’

  ‘He said if there are more than three agents, we abort. What if there’s only four? Do you think we could still just try?’

  ‘Only four? Jess, baby, three will be hard enough to get past.’

  ‘I don’t want to go all the way out there for nothing.’

  ‘You promised. You promised him, if he says abort, you would listen. You need to listen to him. He knows what he’s talking about.’

  ‘I’m going to. Stop panicking.’

  ‘I’m not going to stop doing that until we’re out on the other side of all this safely.’

  ‘Do you hate me for needing to do this?’

  ‘You know I don’t. Don’t think like that. Don’t think at all. You need to go to sleep.’

  ‘I can’t.’

  ‘You can, you just need to relax.’

  But she wasn’t going to on her own, and he knew it. His thoughts flitted to how much he loved her, pushing the idea of the ordeal to come to the back of his mind. While his hand slipped onto her abdomen, caressing her, he began kissing her neck, her soft skin beneath his lips bringing very specific images to the forefront of his brain.

  ‘We can’t. Not here.’

  ‘I know that, baby. I’m not trying to seduce you. I’m trying to relax you.’

  ‘You’re becoming aroused, which is arousing me.’

  He smirked. ‘I can be quiet if you can.’

  ‘You know I can’t.’

  ‘Try. Challenge yourself. Think of how relaxed you’ll be afterwards. Besides, it’ll take your mind off stuff.’

  Feeling her begin to yield, he encouraged her to roll over, onto her back; the hand that had been caressing her then inched higher.

  ‘What if Josiah wakes up and looks back here?’

  ‘He won’t. And even if he did, we’re under this ugly orange blanket. He wouldn’t actually see anything.’

  ‘What about Wade and Bibi?’

  ‘They’re way up in the front. With the radio going. If you’re quiet, they won’t hear us. Okay? Relax.’

  It was getting easier for her to as he fondled her, further arousing her with his slow, gentle touch. He knew he would have to go slow. Fast was too intense. There was no way she would be able to stay quiet if he took her there too quickly.

  Dropping his hand to her knee, he slipped his fingers under the hem of her skirt, ascending in imperceptible increments.

  ‘Lift your shirt for me? And push your bra up.’

  The blanket didn’t quite cover that par
t of her, but knowing what was coming, she didn’t care. The moment the material was out of his way, his lips were on her, his tongue swirling around taut flesh.

  ‘Craddock, slow down.’

  He did, kissing and nuzzling against her instead. His hand on her thigh ceased its slow climb but remained in contact. Because of the limited room, they couldn’t lay completely flat, so Jessica bent her legs at the knees, allowing them to fall open, which then gave Craddock the access he wanted and needed.

  The cues she sent him, by her thoughts and quickened breathing, gave him the go ahead to advance further. Slipping in past her panties, his fingers began to explore as his lips and tongue returned to the affection he had before been giving her. Arching her back in response, she bit her lip to keep from making any additional sound.

  Taking his time, he caressed and played with her, watching closely for her typical signs of readiness. When she finally showed them, he moved his index and middle fingers into position and waited.

  Eyes shut tight in concentration, she nodded; he could hear the word ‘please’ from her as if she had actually voiced it out loud. He followed through immediately, gaining a rhythm as he rubbed her with his palm.

  ‘You are so beautiful. So sexy. God.’

  She smiled, but then returned her focus to the goal she was trying to achieve.

  Minutes later, finally on the brink, she tensed in anticipation, but due to her concerns that she would be heard, her body struggled with seeing it through to the finish.

  Realizing this, he offered her encouragement. ‘You can do it, baby. You’re almost there.’

  She was, but it remained just out of reach, taunting her, frustrating her. This was supposed to be relaxing her, not upsetting her. Scowling, he thought quickly; as soon as the idea struck him, he leaned into her.

  ‘Bury your face in my chest. It’ll muffle the sound.’

  Shifting and turning towards him, she grabbed a mouthful of his shirt, biting down hard. If she didn’t go over soon, she felt as if she might actually go insane.