Convergence - The Last Science #2.2 - Heroes and Villains

B2: Chapter 28 - Staying in the Spotlight - V

  "So you're sendin' your ex-boyfriend to live with your current boyfriend?" said Jeremy, pulling off the highway in the rental car they'd picked up. "You crazy?"

  "What?"

  He shrugged. "Just sayin', I've been there. Two guys I dated, livin' together for a bit. Didn't end well."

  Hailey shook her head. "They're both adults. It'll be fine."

  "Yeah, I thought so too." Jeremy swung around a turn way tighter than she expected. He was a really intense driver. "Sorry. You okay back there, Jess?" he added, glancing back and giving her a thumbs-up. She returned it, looking totally fine.

  "It's not like this is typical at all. Weston's here to help keep people safe from Brian's guys."

  Jeremy nodded. "About that."

  "What?"

  "I ran into the motherfucker."

  "You did?" Hailey tried to control her excitement. "Where? How many guys did he have?"

  "Slow it down, Hailey," Jeremy interrupted as they turned off into a neighborhood. "I didn't get anythin' useful. He's in the forest still, probably near Rallsburg, but I've got fuck-all otherwise. He's playin' it safe."

  "Are you okay?"

  "Yeah, thanks. He just wanted to talk. Guess I'm not a valid target since I ain't awakened."

  "Thank god," Hailey muttered. She winced, realizing what she'd just implied. "I mean— It's totally cool if you wanted to—"

  Jeremy laughed. "Chill, girl. I don't, it's fine."

  "Okay." Hailey winced again. "I just had a really different conversation this morning..." She shook her head, clearing the memory away. "Anyway. So what did he want?"

  "Tried to convince me to help kill all of you." Jeremy shrugged. "I can see why you're scared. Guy like that with those fuckin' monsters under his control... Jesus."

  As they rolled into the neighborhood, there was a camera crew waiting outside the Nelson house. Hailey shrunk down in her seat. "Why are they here?"

  "Shit..." Jeremy kept driving, rolling past before they were noticed by the press gaggle. "They must have guessed what we were doing."

  "But how did they know where she lives?"

  "Hell, I'm not the only one who can find people's addresses, Hailey. They saw you get on a flight to Portland and someone connected the damn dots." Jeremy pulled around the corner, out of sight of the cameras, and waited. "You still want to do this?"

  "Can you get them to leave?"

  "Not quietly." Jeremy sighed. "This is my fault. Sorry. Shouldn't've taken the fuckin' plane."

  Hailey shook her head. "It's okay. We didn't invite them." She opened the door, then turned and opened the back door for Jessica. Jessica got out, and an instant later, she vanished, ready to act as backup no matter what happened next. Hailey took a deep breath, then—with Jeremy a few steps behind—started down the sidewalk toward the small crowd.

  No distractions from what she was really here to do.