Page 51 of The Secret of Pain

"Right? And don't think I'm not going to ask more about that by the way." She waves me off.

"Don't change the subject!" I laugh at her impatience and continue to tell her everything again, from the beginning, enjoying the down time with my best friend, pretending we're nothing more than two human women and that man-trouble is the biggest worry we have in the world.

* * *

I pull up to Bauer’s house, ready to enter his hellish basement again for a day of getting my ass handed to me, and sigh. I wish I had more of my memories back, wish that there was a way for me to get them back faster, to trigger a waterfall of knowledge so I understood more. So I understood what led me to fall in love with the king of the Dracul. Because from the memories that I have got, that's what they're telling me. Could it have been a ploy? A trick. Could I have been sent to infiltrate enemy lines, to get on the inside to bring them down that way?

Or was I a traitor to my faction?

I can't imagine being a traitor, betraying my family in a way that would cause them such devastation, but I can't ask, because if I did betray them, if it wasn't a ploy, then the fallout would be catastrophic, and if I'm being honest with myself, it didn't feel like a ploy. Not in my dreams or when Kain kissed me.

And yet, the memories I have with Creek, they make everything so much more confusing. The lines are so blurry, and I want to go back in time and kick past-me, because that bitch is causing me some serious headaches in this goddamn life.

I rest my head on the steering wheel and try to gather my thoughts so that Bauer doesn't suspect something is wrong. That is the last thing I need. Him prying, trying to work out what's wrong with me.

I push it all down so far down into a box that I visualize chaining up and putting at the very back of my mind. It probably doesn't do a damn thing, but it makes me feel better. I gather myself and climb out of my car and find Bauer opening his front door. I wonder why he has this place, considering he still lives with Dad, but I guess everyone needs their own space sometimes.

"You okay?" Bauer asks as I approach, looking concerned as he leans against the doorframe, arms crossed.

"I'm fine, just tired. I guess nearly dying will do that to a girl." I shrug, but immediately regret my words at the look on his face.

"Well, that isn't going to happen again, and I'm going to see to it. We'll be training hard, and a friend of mine from the other side of the world happens to be on his way here for business, so he's going to help us out too." He moves back, letting me in the house and then shuts the door before joining me in his kitchen.

"Who is he?" I ask, curious, because Bauer having friends isn't really something I expected. He's always been a bit of a loner.

"He's someone I trust with my life, and yours. I met him when I first became a Hunter. We trained together, went hunting together. Traveled a lot. You thought I was off at college, but I was just off seeing the world, killing the filth." I hold in the wince at his tone, his words, and smile at him.

"Oh, wow, yeah I totally didn't link you being at college with this crazy. I've been so wrapped up in my own stuff, it hadn't even crossed my mind. Sorry. So, who is this friend?"

A car pulls up outside, and Bauer smiles, heading back to the front door.

"Bauer, man it is good to see your ugly mug." The laughing voice reaches me as I watch out the window as the man who looks the same age as Bauer walks up to the house.

"It's been a while, Archer. Come on in." I hear the smile in Bauer’s voice and lean on the counter as their footsteps move down the hall.

"Archer, meet my pain in the ass little sister, Remy. Remy, this is Archer Doturo," Bauer says as he walks in, Archer in tow, who studies me from across the room. He's as tall as Bauer, so around six' four, not quite as broad, but it suits him. The main difference is the air he carries. My hackles rise, and my internal warning bells go off. This guy is bad news. How does Bauer not see that? I smile through my panic and wave.

"Nice to meet you, Archer." He nods back to me, and I can see him trying to measure me up with his stare. Seriously though, how is Bauer not feeling this tension?

"Likewise, I'm sure." His British accent comes off as blunt, so I'm sure Bauer doesn't think anything of it, but his entire facade puts me on edge.

"I'm training with Remy today. I figured you wouldn't mind helping out. Two minds are better than one," Bauer says with a manly tap on Archer’s shoulder, and Archer looks me over again.

"Training the legendary Remington Bennett. I'm sure the honor is all mine," he says. "We've not had the pleasure of meeting, in any lifetime, but I have heard more than a little about you, Remy." His smile doesn’t reach his eyes.

I try to smile at him again. "Well, let’s hope I don't disappoint the legend of my past."

My snark rattles through, and Bauer looks at me funny, as if telling me to stop being so rude, but I can't help myself. He's under my skin and he's barely been here five minutes.

"Let me go change, and I'll join you."

"Awesome, man, we'll be down in the basement. You're staying in the room up the stairs, at the end of the hall on the left. Make yourself at home."

"Thanks, I slept a lot on the flight over here, so I'm ready to go." Archer nods at me before leaving the room, a second before Bauer storms over to me.

"What was that?" he asks, his voice an angry whisper through gritted teeth.

"Something about him isn't right, Bauer. I can feel it."

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