Resurrection: The Clandestine Saga Book 2 Read online

  "You're almost done; just finish the last few lines," Elliott reassured her.

  Cadence looked back at those front two rows, and realized most of those seated there were crying. She knew they thought her pause had been an emotional one as well, so she returned to her paper, absently swiping at her eyes as she did so.

  "Like all of you, I will miss Jack. I will think of him everyday. I will pray that the impact I have on others in my lifetime is at least remotely comparable to all that Jack has done for others. And someday, I know we will all . . . see Jack again. . . when we are reunited . . . in Heaven."

  When she had finished, she made a little nod, as if to say, "Thank you for listening," and made her way off of the stage. A few shouts of, "Amen" were called out from the crowd. She walked to her seat as quickly as she could in her dress shoes, and sat back down, taking a deep breath. Sydney put her hand gently on top of hers and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

  Despite the fact that she was speaking at his memorial service, Cadence was certain she had just seen Jack Cook in the crowd.

  Elliott had watched Jack approaching the cafeteria even before Cadence began her speech. In fact, he had been hanging out in a copse of trees on the far side of the baseball diamond prior to Aaron and Eliza arriving. Though Elliott couldn't get a visual on Giovani, he had a suspicion he must be around there somewhere.

  When Elliott reported Jack's presence to Aaron, he had insisted that Elliott just keep an eye on him unless he broke the perimeter of the parking lot. Then, he wanted to know. As a precaution, Eliza was hanging out in the crowd standing around the back of the building. Aaron had gone in when he realized Cadence was having trouble with her speech, but as soon as Jack made a bolt for the door, he had cut him off, staying in position so that, if Jack made an attempt to hurt anyone or approach Cadence, he could take him out. And he wouldn't hesitate to do so.

  But Jack apparently just wanted a glimpse. He had run to the door, looked in, and backed out so quickly, most of the humans never even knew he was there, and those who did wouldn't have gotten a good enough look at his face to even contemplate the idea that the dead man whose life they were celebrating had just strolled into his own service.

  Cadence sat through the rest of the memorial practically numb. She had no idea what she had witnessed, but she knew she needed to talk to Aaron sooner rather than later. She still wasn't sure where he had gone or if he was back. She made it through the rest of the service, Sydney's hand in hers, and took a deep sigh of relief when the final prayer was said and Rev. Jones invited everyone to join them on the baseball diamond for the ashes ceremony.

  As Cadence and her friends stood, there was another exchange of hugs. Some people who had not embraced Cadence before the memorial came over to do so now, telling her how wonderful her speech was. She thanked them the best she could, still a bit stunned, doing her best to shake the picture of Jack at the back of the cafeteria engraved in her mind out of her memory.

  Jack's mom was having a really hard time, and it seemed quite clear it would be an extra few minutes before the ceremony at the baseball diamond would actually start. This was a welcome delay for Cadence. She wanted a few minutes to speak with her friends from LIGHTS and to gather her thoughts. By the time she had the chance to look around for them, she could see that they had all made their way out of the building and were congregated in the parking lot. She excused herself from her high school friends, with her assurance she would see them in just a minute, and shot off out the door, doing her best to maintain human speed.

  As soon as she reached the rest of her team, Cadence instantly felt better. And this time, she was sure it didn't have anything to do with Hannah's powers. It was simply the comfort of feeling a part of something bigger than herself.

  Jamie was the first to embrace her, followed by Christian and Eliza. Hannah patted her reassuringly on the arm and Aaron kept his hands in the pocket of his black coat, knowing that any sign of affection in front of Jack's friends and family could be potentially hurtful. Instead, he smiled sympathetically at her, and let the rest of the team offer her physical support.

  "Where's Elliott?" she asked, surprised he hadn't rejoined them by now.

  "He's around," Aaron replied. "Are you okay?" he asked, changing the subject.

  "I am," Cadence said, hesitantly, not wanting to get into exactly what was bothering her just then. She understood why Aaron was being stand-offish, but it was still hard for her to accept. "I think I'll be better when this ceremony is over."

  "Your speech was touching," Christian commented, standing across from her in the circle they had formed. Everyone agreed, assuring her that she had done a good job and that the message was poignant.

  "Thanks," Cadence said, offering a small smile. "I'm just glad I got through it."

  "Why don't we go ahead and make our way over to the baseball diamond," Hannah suggested, gesturing to everyone except for Cadence and Aaron.

  "We'll see you over there," Jamie said, speaking for the group, as they all followed Hannah and the rest of the crowd making their way the short distance across the frozen ground toward the place where Jack had found his glory.

  Cadence glanced over her shoulder and saw her other group of friends walking toward the door of the cafeteria. She knew she would need to be with them now, but she didn't want to leave Aaron. Clearly, he didn't want to leave her either or he would have gone off with the rest of the team. "Will you stay with me?" she asked quietly as Sydney, Taylor, Kash, and Jon made their way over.

  "Of course," he replied in a hushed tone.

  She smiled her thanks and turned back to her approaching friends.

  Despite the sincerity of the atmosphere surrounding the purpose for their gathering, Sydney was blatantly staring at Aaron as she approached Cadence and her new friend. As she came to a stop a few feet away, the petite brunette muttered, "Holy, sweet baby Jesus."

  Cadence glanced from Sydney to the rest of her friends and then back at Aaron before turning to her and saying, "Syd, you all right?"

  "Mmm hmm," she replied, her eyes still locked on the handsome stranger.

  "Okay," Cadence said, shaking her head in disbelief. She realized that her friends had never met Aaron, so she began to make introductions. "These are my friends, Jon Chancellor, Kash Donetello, Taylor Christianson, and Sydney Cox. Guys, this is my boss, Aaron."

  Aaron offered his hand, starting with Jon and working his way down the line. "Aaron McReynolds, nice to meet you," he said. Everyone else said a quick pleasantry except for Sydney, who just smiled broadly and let out a little giggle, which Aaron found both a bit amusing and a little creepy.

  Cadence had an inquisitive expression on her face, her friends oblivious to her confusion. "You have a last name?"

  "Uh, yeah. I'm not MaDonna," he replied sarcastically, the teasing expression in his tone transferring through even on the IAC.

  Cadence felt a bit like an idiot. It had never occurred to her that Guardians would have last names. "I guess I thought you were like Michael and Gabriel."

  "We're not exactly angels. You should know that by now."

  Cadence was aware that her friends were talking to Aaron, asking questions about the business, etc., but she was having difficulty keeping track of both conversations. He, on the other hand, was excellent at multi-tasking, and her friends had no idea that he was actually talking to her at the same time as he was fielding their questions.

  "So... everyone has a last name?" she asked. They had all started moving toward the baseball diamond, and Taylor locked her arm through Cadence's, saying something about the possibility of ice. Cadence was thankful for the support, and she offered her other arm to Sydney who took it, as soon as it seemed clear that Aaron wasn't going to offer his.

  "I can't speak for every person in the whole world, but yes, all of our teammates do," he replied.

  "Your boss is so hot!" Sydney whispered in her ear as they began to make their way over.

  "I know," Cadence
agreed.

  "It must be very distracting," Sydney added.

  "You don't even know," Cadence said, shaking her head. Then, back to Aaron, she said, "So, is Elliott's last name really Sanderson?"

  "Yes," he replied, even as he was in the middle of an audible sentence.

  "And Jamie?"

  "Joplin."

  "Eliza?"

  "Wrath, believe it or not."

  Cadence stifled a giggle. "Hannah?"

  "Banana," he replied, turning back to look at her over his shoulder. "Nah, it's really Roberts."

  She bit her tongue. It was all she could do keep from laughing. It was moments like that, when he seemed so sincere, and yet so ridiculous at the same time, that she found herself complete drawn to him.

  Before she could ask anything else, he said, "Meagan Meyer, Christian Henry, Shane Talbertson. Did I miss anyone?"

  Cadence thought for a second. "I don't think so. Thanks. I'm a dumbass."

  They had almost reached the edge of the crowd at the baseball diamond and he stopped to wait for her, shaking his head in a way that only she would know what he was indicating. "Lots of information in a short amount of time. Not a big deal. Your friends ask a lot of questions."

  Taylor had let go of Cadence's arm and taken Jon's, something she noted as different, but she didn't stop to question it. She slipped her arm through Aaron's, and despite his reservations, he didn't stop her. They were standing in a few inches of snow, and that was reason enough to offer her his support, particularly in the trying emotional situation. "You're a grown-up. They want to live vicariously through you." Cadence replied in response to his statement that her friends were inquisitive. She glanced back toward the school and saw Jack's parents, his aunt and uncle, and his cousins making their way over. She was glad; she wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible.

  The ceremony only took a few minutes. Once Mr. and Mrs. Cook reached the pitcher's mound, Rev. Jones said a few words and asked everyone to join him in prayer. Once he concluded, Jack's parents took a small scoop of ashes from the urn, held by his Uncle Mike, and sprinkled them onto the mound. Some of them were caught in the light breeze, but precautions before the ceremony prevented them from hitting the crowd. Rev. Jones had done a wind test to position the family correctly. Once the ashes were released, there was another short prayer, and then Rev. Jones announced that everyone was welcome to join the family for a funeral reception at Jack's Aunt Patricia and Uncle Mike's house at 5:00, in about an hour.

  "Are you going to the reception?" Sydney asked as the crowd began to disperse.

  "Are you talking to me or Aaron," Cadence inquired, only half kidding. "Yes, I'll be there."

  "Good," Sydney replied, opening her arms to embrace her friend. Cadence let go of Aaron's arm and took her diminutive friend in her arms. "I miss you," Sydney added quietly.

  "I miss you, too," Cadence nodded.

  "Are your parents going?" Kash asked. "'Cause, if you need a ride, I have the suburban."

  Cadence thought for a moment. "I don't know if they're going or not. Probably. But. . ." she looked at Aaron, wondering if he was planning to go with her, or if he was going back to the hotel. She was pretty sure the rest of the team wasn't planning on going. Though everyone had been invited, she assumed that, for the most part, only close friends and family would attend. Despite the fact that Aaron had never met Jack's parents, she wanted him there for emotional support, and she couldn't imagine anyone arguing with that.

  "Do you want me to come with you?" he asked quietly. Cadence nodded vigorously. "Okay, I'll go."

  "Great!" Sydney chimed in, excitedly. "And we're all going to watch movies tonight at Kash's house at 8:00, just like old times. You've both got to come to that, too," she insisted.

  "Okay," Cadence said, glancing at Aaron, who just shrugged. In their line of work, anything could happen between now and then, but she knew it would mean a lot to her friends if she could make it. And apparently, it would mean a lot to Sydney if Aaron could make it.

  "Yeah!" Sydney smiled. "At least something good and normal will be happening around here, for once!"

  "I guess we'll meet you over there," Cadence said, turning to look at all of her friends. "Thanks for the offer, Kash. It's nice to know the beast is still running."

  "You know it," Kash replied. "You can't kill the beast!"

  "Some beasts are harder to kill than others," Cadence muttered under her breath. If anyone noticed they didn't say anything, and she wrapped her arm back through Aaron's, having no idea where he had parked. "Does Eliza have a ride?" she asked, suddenly wondering how Eliza would get back to the hotel if Aaron didn't drive her.

  It took him a second to answer so she knew he was checking with Elliott. "Yeah, the Enclave seats six, so they're good."

  "Are the rest of your friends coming?" Taylor asked. "We haven't met all of them."

  "I don't think so," Cadence said, glancing around to see if they had left already. She could see that they were almost to the parking lot by the school. They were headed in that direction, but it looked like the team would be gone by the time they reached the lot. She noticed that Elliott had rejoined them, and she wondered where he had been the entire time.

  "Too bad," Taylor replied. "They seem like nice people. I mean, to come all the way out here to support you. That's pretty cool."

  Cadence nodded. "I agree. I am very blessed to have such amazing friends, both old and new." As she was walking, she pulled her phone out of her pocket and sent a text to her parents, letting them know she was riding with Aaron.

  They walked the rest of the way in virtual silence. Once they reached the parking lot, they noticed that Aaron had parked the Lamborghini right next to Kash's mom's Suburban. "Is that your car?" Sydney asked as Aaron unlocked the doors with the clicker.

  He hesitated a second. "Company car," he finally replied, walking over to open the scissor door for Cadence.

  "Holy shit," Kash exclaimed, covering his mouth and looking around to make sure the pastor wasn't anywhere nearby. "That's sweet."

  "Who the crap do you work for?" Jon asked Cadence, equally as impressed with the car.

  Cadence couldn't answer that question, so she ignored it. "We'll see you all over there, okay?"

  Sydney and Taylor stepped around the car to hug Cadence goodbye before she slid into the passenger seat. Aaron shook Kash and Jon's hands and was a little surprised when Sydney hugged him, too. Taylor chuckled at Sydney and then offered him her hand.

  Sliding into the car and starting the ignition, Aaron looked at Cadence to ascertain how she was doing. She was staring straight out the windshield now, as if leaving her friends suddenly jarred her back to all of the emotions she had felt before they had joined her right before the ashes ceremony. "Are you okay?" he asked quietly.

  Cadence heard the Suburban doors close, the engine start, and the clunk of the transmission shifting into reverse. Finally, she said, "I'm okay. I'm just. . . .I saw something weird."

  Aaron nodded. "We need to talk," he replied.

  "I don't like it when you say that," she admitted, turning her head to look at him at last. She caught his eyes and held them, hoping that, if he wanted to talk about something she didn't care to discuss, he would say so.

  "About Jack," he explained. "But not here. We need to go somewhere more private." There were still a lot of people milling around, and he had other reasons for wanting to be alone as well.

  "There's a park near Uncle Mike's house," she replied, referring to Mike Cook as Uncle Mike out of habit. "We could go there."

  "Yeah, okay," Aaron replied, as if he knew exactly where she was talking about. He threw the car in reverse and began to exit the parking lot.

  "Hey," Cadence said, placing her hand on his arm as he waited on traffic at the intersection. "You know how we talked about me waiting a while before I date anyone?"

  "Yeah," he replied, a lilt of a question in his voice as he wondered where she was going with this.
<
br />   "Well, I was thinking, this obviously isn't a date, right?"

  He hit the gas and pulled out into traffic, clearly knowing exactly where the conversation was leading. "Right." The questioning tone was still there.

  "So, just because we're not dating, that doesn't mean that we can't do other stuff, right?" she asked, running her hand up and down his sleeve, wishing his coat wasn't so thick.

  He was beginning to see where she was going and cracked a small smile before asking, "Cadence, do you honestly think I'm going to drive you to a secluded park and not kiss you?"

  She smiled and slid her hand into his. "In that case, could you drive a little faster?"

  Even though he was already going well over the speed limit, he accelerated, reaching the park within a few moments. There was an area of the park towards the back that had no playground or other amenities, and he pulled the car into the parking lot on the end. The snow had drifted here as well, and it looked to be several inches deeper. Heavy pine trees lined the perimeter, and several forested areas dotted the landscape. There was no one else around, and by the look of the snow, there hadn't been anyone in this part of the park for several days.