Page 109 of The Protégé

“Do that. That needs priority because I have a feeling something’s about to happen.” I lifted my wrist, admiring the bracelet on my hand, wondering what Elena was thinking when she created this for me.

“I’ll give you a status update soon,” AJ said.

“Thanks.”

I tucked my phone into my pants pocket and ran a hand over the bracelet’s texture. I’d never worn a bracelet before. The only other accessory on me was the Rolex or the special edition Bugatti watch.

A surge of nerves rose in me as I acknowledged what was happening to me. I was in love with Elena. We had exceptional chemistry, but this love I felt for her was indescribable.Unmatched. Like a life force that made the universe come alive—limitless.

I looked up at the sky where clouds took on the shape of a flower. It could be a dandelion or some strange-looking animal. Everywhere I looked, I saw aspects of her.

“What do you think about Elena, Mom?”

I believed my mom had orchestrated this from up there. It was something she’d do. She wanted me to be happy.

Despite this acknowledgment, it was still new. I needed time to settle before I could determine my next step. There was danger around me. The Trogyn, and those associated with it, would no doubt target her. She was too important to me.

All the projects I’d set into motion years ago under SIGMA ensured my life and the lives of others would remain free. The Trogyn was one crime organization amongst many others. With money came power, and powerful people wanted to control everything.

Everyone had their agendas, and my agenda was to protect my free will and those I loved. No one liked to be controlled, especially me. There were those who wanted control so desperately they’d do anything to achieve that.

Locating The Condor’s killer and destroying as many members of the Trogyn as possible were on the top of my to-do list. With the new information I just acquired, I was able to track down a man named Javier Ortiz. He had been hired by a Trogyn member to kill my teacher. He was an assassin whom I’d interrogated last night, and whose body had been fed to Calvin Wong’s animal farm.

Sam had hired Javier to kill The Condor. I’d dug into Sam’s several bank accounts connecting him to a sex trafficking ring that I had eliminated last year. Javier got his money, did the deed, and rushed off to the Bahamas. It had taken my team a long time to hack into people’s phones for images of Pablo. Theyhad gotten a match this week when Javier played a recording of him in Providence, watching Pablo walk down the street. My SIGMA software had picked it up, and Javier had paid for his part in The Condor’s death.

As I turned around to my desk, I saw a flash of color in the corner of my eye. I looked into the sky, where a little rainbow appeared between two clouds.

My chest constricted. “Thank you, Mom.”

I didn’t always believe in these signs from another world, but my mom had taught me to keep an open mind. And right now, that was her answer.

I wished she were still around to meet Elena, the first person who eased my anxiety after my mom passed. Kate was too much like me, so she couldn’t help me. I didn’t blame her. I only wished I could’ve helped her.

Elena was healing me just by being with me. She showed me how thoughts were like birds. Sometimes you just have to let them go and see where they take you.

I walked over to Elena’s office and found her eyebrows furrowed while looking at a folder.

I knocked, and she looked up and smiled. Warmth spread all over my chest.

“All done with all your conferences?” she asked.

“For now. How are you doing?”

“I think I found a linkbetween Sam and The Condor and all the people who committed suicide.”

I already knew what she was going to tell me. I hadn’t told her about Javier or what I’d done to him. Keeping her safe was always my top priority.

“Excellent. Tell me later. Right now, I want to show you something.” I reached out my hand to her.

She got off her chair and took my hand. “You look suspicious. What’s going on?”

I smiled. “Not suspicious at all . . . just appreciative of life. Of what I have.”

She glanced around the room, pretending to look for something. Then she turned back to me. “What have you done to my Orion? This is unlike him.”

“There are many versions of Orion,” I smirked. “Consider yourself lucky you get to have all of him.” I led her back into the Cosmic Lounge. “Let me show you The Roc.”

It was time for her to see this other side of me.

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