Flashback

understood what G.C. had been talking about. He hadn’t been talking about her protectiveness of him, but about Justin. Giving him his seal of approval, something Emerson, for all his medical genius, had never earned.
Justin wasn’t Emerson, she thought.
And she wasn’t her mother.
“I’ve been afraid to think of forever,” she said quietly.
Justin drew back slightly. “Afraid? You?”
The astonishment in his voice was somehow flattering. “I’ve been wrong before.”
“Haven’t we all? Or are Athena women not allowed that human failing?”
“I just haven’t been wrong very often.” She grimaced. “That sounds awful. I don’t mean it that way.”
“It sounds true. You are who you are,” he said, his voice sounding wry and admiring at the same time. The tone enabled her to go on.
“And when I have been wrong, it’s almost always in my personal life.”
“Unlike me, who tends to screw up across the board,” he said with a grin, that killer, heart-levitating grin that told her she was forgiven.
“That’s one of the things I…love about you. You live with such…gusto.”
His amusement faded as he looked at her. “Alex,” he said softly. “You—”
The ringing of the room phone made her inevitably think of the phrase “saved by the bell.” Except she didn’t feel saved, she felt interrupted at a crucial moment. So she was a bit sharp when she answered.
“Bad time?”
“Allison? No, no, I’m sorry. It’s fine. You got my message?”
She had called Allison during one of her short breaks during her marathon yesterday. As always when she called Marion’s daughter, she got only a cryptic voice mail menu. Allison had so many irons in the fire it was hard to keep track, but Alex had always suspected her sister Athenian—who had also been Rainy’s best friend—was up to far bigger things than any of them realized.
“Yes. I’m sorry it took me a while to get back to you. I’ve still been tied up on something critical. But you said you found something new about my mother?”
Quickly Alex explained the relevant details.
“Blackmailed? My mother?” Allison sounded doubtful, but went on. “I don’t remember anything that might fit that scenario, but I’ve seen and heard too much by now to totally discount the possibility that anybody could be a target.”
Alex knew she was referring to the mess last year that had threatened to embroil Athena in chaos.
“I’d rather not ask my father, talking about Mom still upsets him so. But I’ll talk to my brother, see if it fits with anything he knew.”
“And the spider drawing?”
“Now there you’ve got me stumped. My mother never doodled, that I remember. If she drew it, and repeatedly, it means something.”
“That’s what I thought.”
“Have you talked to anyone else?”
“Justin’s helping. And I asked Tory if the spider meant anything to her, told her why I was asking. She was on another line with Sam, so she may have told her. That’s it.”
“No one outside Athena, then.”
“No.” She liked the way Allison included Justin in that group. She thought he would, too.
“That’s good. Let’s keep it among us for now.”
Alex agreed.
“Is there anything I can do to help from my end?” Allison asked.
“I was wondering if you had any of your mother’s papers? I know the official ones are in the Athena Library, but…”
“I think I might,” Allison said. “Some notes, letters, that kind of thing?”
“Yes. I know what you have would likely be more…personal, but if you wouldn’t mind?”
“You’re trying to find out the truth about what happened to her, why would I mind? I’ll find what I have and call you to find out where to ship them when I do.”
“Thank you for trusting me with them,” Alex said.
“You’re an Athenian,” was all Allison said.
And it was, Alex knew, all that needed to be said.
As they hung up, she heard the rustling behind her, and turned in time to see Justin finish zipping his jeans and reach for his shirt.
Too bad, she thought. The view was spectacular.
“I’d much prefer we resume our previous activities,” he said, “but I suspect your mind is already up and running elsewhere.”
“Justin—”
He stopped her with a shake of his head. “Later. Right now I need to get home, unpack, check in. Then we’ll talk about what we’re going to do about this little situation you’ve stirred up.”
She opened her mouth to question the “we” part, then closed it again. She wasn’t going to commit the insult of halfheartedness, not now. Not after last night.
“All right,” she said, as meekly as she could manage.
Justin laughed. “And that’s what I love about you,” he said. “Once you make up your mind, it’s damn the torpedoes.”
He said it so easily, that word love, as if he’d been saying it in his mind for a very long time. And that he knew her that well made it all the sweeter to hear.
He pulled her to him and kissed her, long and thoroughly. And then, while she was still a bit wobbly from that, he pulled open the door and looked back at her. “Think about moving out of here,” he said. “Two of us can guard better than one.”
And then he was gone, leaving her to realize a few seconds later that he’d meant for her to move to his place. She’d only been there once, but the apartment had left an impression. Less than three miles from the FBI Phoenix headquarters, it was convenient, spacious and, perhaps not accidentally, reminded her of a reinforced bunker with concrete walls and landscaping that consisted mostly of small stones and cactus.
For eyes more used to rolling green hills it was quite a contrast, just as Athena had been. Although she’d grown rather fond of cactus of late.
She also remembered the second bedroom was in use as a home office, full of books and computer gear. Which left his bed.
Or the leather couch, she thought. Which seemed rather ridiculous in light of last night. And the thought of night after night like that took her breath away.
And at that moment the rest of the quote Justin had used