Pyxis: Book Three of The Stardust Series Read online

  Pyxis

  Book Three of The Stardust Series

  By Autumn Reed and Julia Clarke

  Copyright © 2016 by Autumn Reed and Julia Clarke. All rights reserved.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the authors, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  www.autumnandjulia.com

  Table of Contents

  Hurry Up & Wait

  Declaration of Independence

  Letting Loose

  Small Cheer

  Excess Baggage

  One Step Closer

  Hidden Messages

  Good Taste

  Gestures

  Tied Up

  Red & Green

  Sweet Nothings

  Happy Christmas

  Lectured

  Ready, Aim, Fire

  Better With You

  Head and Heart

  Sexy Six Pack

  Chemistry Lesson

  Unconventional Measures

  Trouble

  In Too Deep

  Cryptic

  Making Waves

  Complications

  Resigned

  The Loft, late afternoon on Saturday

  Pyxis Nautica:

  Latin for mariner’s compass

  Hurry Up & Wait

  I stared out the window, momentarily enthralled by the millions of lights winking at me in the darkness. But even the incredible view from our suite at The Corinthian couldn’t hold my attention for long. For the last hour, every time I attempted to stand still for more than a moment, I felt like I was crawling out of my skin. Each agonizing minute that passed without news of my dad was torture.

  Striding to the other side of the room, my mind wandered once again, and I found myself envisioning a long-awaited reunion with him. After spending not even a day apart for twelve years, the last six weeks without my dad were beginning to feel like a lifetime.

  I shook my head, forcing myself to push the lingering vision of us together out of my thoughts. Although the intel that the guys acquired this evening was our best lead yet, there were no guarantees. I had to keep my expectations under control.

  As caught up as I was in my own thoughts, I felt Theo’s eyes watching me.

  “You must really want me to take you shopping again,” he said, and then paused, baiting me.

  I halted, momentarily confused, but quickly resumed my pacing and furrowed my brow. I didn’t have time for Theo’s antics.

  “Because if you don’t stop pacing, you’re going to wear through the soles of your shoes.”

  I rolled my eyes but stopped pacing anyway, the path of my thoughts no longer making sense. Despite the late hour, I had a lot of pent up energy. Still no word from Knox or Ethan, and Jackson and Liam had yet to return to the suite.

  “I feel useless,” I muttered, apparently loud enough for Theo to hear. He shot a meaningful look to the bedroom Chase was holed up in with his tech gear.

  Not a second later, Chase’s voice called, “Haley, why don’t you keep me company.”

  I kicked off my shoes and plodded to the bedroom. From his chair, Chase smiled at me over the three large monitors, then patted a spot on the bed. I stepped over the cords while he scooted his chair to the side to give me a better view of the screens.

  The far left screen was a grid of displays showing numerous areas of The Corinthian. Ugh, seriously. Seeing proof of Zenith’s comprehensive surveillance of the hotel, I realized that my flight had been doomed from the start. Damn it, Jackson, I thought.

  On the middle screen, Chase was typing a bunch of code into an assortment of windows. The right screen was another display grid from what looked like various street corners. Did he hack into traffic cameras? I tried not to think of the legality of what Chase was or was not doing. He was a rule-follower, so I convinced myself it must be okay.

  Or maybe this was part of the secret side of Zenith? The one where private investigation fit in. Melissa’s conspiracy theory of “illegal operations with a sinister bent,” as she put it, rang out in my head, but I waved it away. My brain was too jumbled to think through the implications, and at the moment, I didn’t really care; I just wanted to find my dad.

  “Any idea why your dad would choose to go to El Segundo?” Chase asked.

  I shook my head. “No.”

  “Any family there? A safe house? Any reason you can think of?”

  I sighed. “No. I’ve already thought through everything he told me, and you know how much that was.” I couldn’t disguise the bitterness in my tone. Chase was well aware; he was the one who told me my dad’s given name was Brian Taylor, after all.

  “What about a bank account in El Segundo? From what you’ve told me, it seems like he’d have a contingency plan.”

  I bit the side of my lip, thankful Chase’s attention was focused on the screens once more. “Not that I know of.” Technically true, I thought. The San Francisco deposit box was my secret, and I planned to keep it that way, especially after Jackson’s earlier outburst.

  Chase huffed. “There has to be something. We found him once and we’ll find him again,” he said more to himself than me.

  After a few moments, I spoke again. “Chase, can I ask you a question?”

  “Sure. What’s up?”

  “Why did Knox and Ethan decide to question Clive tonight? Why would they even think he might have useful information on my dad’s current location?” It was something that had been bugging me ever since I witnessed Knox and Ethan interrogating the man hours before.

  Chase hesitated, scrubbing a hand over his head. “I’m not sure I’m supposed to tell you this, but we tapped into the communications system of Douglas’s private security during the gala. We were doubtful that it would lead to useful information, but on the off chance they mentioned your dad, we wanted to know. They said just enough that we knew we had to get more from them as soon as possible.”

  “So, basically, we got super lucky on the timing.”

  “Yeah, pretty much.”

  I wound a strand of hair around my finger and stared absently at the screens as he worked. Eventually, I cradled my head in my hands and stared at the floor, lost in my thoughts while Chase typed on. I didn’t know how long I had been sitting there when I felt Chase’s warm hand on my back.

  “Haley.”

  “Mhmm.”

  “It’s going to be a while before I find anything. Do you want to go to sleep?”

  I shook my head, my long hair fanning around my face.

  Chase’s voice was calm, soothing, as he ran his hand over my back. “How about some music? I created a playlist for you, and you can access it on your phone.”

  I pulled out my phone, and Chase’s knees grazed mine as he took the phone and held it between us in his hands. He showed me how to retrieve the playlist and then returned the phone.

  “Thanks, Chase, that was very thoughtful.”

  He smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. “I hope you like it. I included a few songs from our sleepover.”

  After retrieving my headphones from the bedroom, I returned to the living room, and Theo moved to the end of the couch, m
aking room for me to lie down. When I pushed play on my phone, the first notes of “Landslide” filled my ears. Recognizing that it wasn’t the original version, I checked the artist, surprised to see that it was The Dixie Chicks. As I listened to the flawless harmonies, I decided I might have a new favorite. Thank you, Chase.

  Curious, I scanned the rest of the playlist, smiling when I saw a few of my favorite Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran songs mixed with several artists that I wasn’t familiar with. The next song was a beautiful acoustic ballad by Jack Johnson; as the lyrics unfolded, I was continually surprised by the simplistically sweet love song. First “Collide” and now “Better Together.” I was trying not to read too much into Chase’s selections, but it was difficult not to.

  When the door to the suite opened some time later, I jumped up, yanking out my earbuds and practically tripping over my own feet. As annoyed as I was with Jackson, I slumped in relief at the sight of Jackson and Liam striding through the door. Now that they had finally wrapped up the gala security, I expected a full report on the situation with my dad.

  Liam was the first to speak, his hand gesturing to my clothes. “Awww, Haley, you changed,” he said, clearly disappointed that I’d exchanged my bustier for a regular bra and buttoned up my chambray shirt.

  Crossing my arms over my chest, I glared. “Excuse me for wanting to breathe properly.” Liam chuckled, but I ignored him, stepping in front of Jackson to block his path to Chase’s room.

  As Jackson ran his hand through his raven curls, I couldn’t help but notice how uncharacteristically rumpled he looked. He’d already removed his suit jacket and tie, and his sleeves were haphazardly rolled to his elbows. His eyes were tired and his lips pinched together in a frown. He looked nothing like the dominating leader of Team Jaguar that I’d left downstairs only a couple of hours ago, and I suddenly felt like ice water was running through my veins as I contemplated what that could mean.

  “What’s going on?” I asked, my voice sounding embarrassingly desperate. “What’s wrong?”

  Jackson stopped in front of me and sighed. “Calm down, Haley. Nothing’s wrong. I was just going to ask Chase to come out here for a minute so we can have a team meeting. Is that acceptable to you?”

  Itching to stomp my foot and lash out at his imperious attitude, I compelled myself to take a deep breath and step away so that he could pass. When Theo gave me a sweet smile and wiggled his index finger, beckoning me to join him, I forced one foot in front of the other until I was sinking down next to him on the couch.

  Theo ruffled my hair and said in an exaggerated Scottish accent, “Now, lassie, don’t a-worry your pretty little head.”

  In spite of myself, I giggled. “Did you really just imitate Scotty from Lady and the Tramp?” Theo was the only person I knew who could make me laugh when I was so on edge.

  Theo winked in response and turned his attention to Jackson, who had returned to the living room with Chase trailing close behind. Jackson remained standing while Chase sat down on my other side and Liam took the desk chair.

  “Okay, I’m going to make this quick,” Jackson began. “Knox and Ethan landed about ten minutes ago and are heading straight to the motel where Taylor was spotted. In the meantime, I will assist Chase in the tech room. There’s not much else we can do from here right now, so you,” he said, gesturing to Liam and Theo, “are officially off the clock. Any questions?”

  “What is the plan if my dad is still at the motel? Will Knox and Ethan approach him?” I asked.

  “The guys have been briefed on proper protocol, and I don’t want to get into all of the contingencies right now. But, if they find him, they will take a cautious approach; the last thing we want is to spook him so that he goes on the run again.”

  Focusing on Jackson’s emphasis on the word “if,” I felt my hope slowly drain out of me. “You don’t think he’ll be there, do you?” I asked Jackson, almost accusingly.

  His all-business demeanor softened, but just barely. “Honestly, I have no idea, Haley. But you should be prepared for the possibility that he has already moved on. He’s obviously an expert at staying hidden, so I doubt he will remain in one place for long. We just don’t know.” Looking at Chase, he said, “Let’s get back to it.”

  Chase squeezed my knee, then followed Jackson to his room and shut the door. I couldn’t help but wonder what was so private that required a closed door. But before allowing my thoughts to go down that nefarious road, I decided it didn’t matter. I was already pushing Jackson by requiring that he keep me informed, so there was no point in questioning him further. For now.

  Liam stood and stretched, his costume clanging with the movement. “I’m going to take a shower. I can’t wait to get out of these bloody clothes. The next time you two,” he said, pointing his finger to Theo then me then back to Theo, “want me to wear chain mail, I’m selecting my own costume.”

  Theo stuck his tongue out at Liam. “Stop whining. It was only for one night, and I would have gladly traded; not that Kara wasn’t a fun date.”

  As Liam passed, he leaned in and whispered, “You may still be my lovely Guinevere anytime you wish.”

  Theo switched on the TV and flipped through ten or so channels before settling on an action movie. I was semi-impressed with his restraint; normally he would have scanned at least thirty before committing. I closed my eyes and massaged my temples, hoping the throbbing in my head would dissipate.

  “Headache?”

  I nodded with my eyes still closed, thankful when he turned the volume to low.

  “I’m sure all those bobby pins aren’t helping. Here,” he said, placing his hands on my shoulders, steering me to the floor.

  Sitting on the plush carpet, my back rested against the sofa between Theo’s legs. While Thor broke into a top-secret military facility, Theo leisurely attacked my hair, gently extracting pins and unwinding the twists and braids. His touch was light, and I could already feel some of the tension fading.

  Theo massaged my scalp and then ran his fingers through the long strands, combing my hair with his fingers. I couldn’t resist closing my eyes and almost wondered if I was melting into the carpet at his skillful touch. Half-awake, I heard the bedroom door open, but the sound didn’t fully register. I lazily opened my eyes and jumped to my feet when I noticed Jackson standing in the door frame. I was fairly certain I caught the tail end of a glare, but it seemed directed at Theo, not me.

  “Knox and Ethan just called from the Seahorse Inn. The desk clerk recognized your dad from a photograph they showed him.”

  I exhaled, feeling slightly relieved and yet anxious. If they had found my dad wouldn’t Jackson have said that first?

  “Unfortunately, his room was mostly cleaned out. We’re not one-hundred percent sure, but it looks like he’s not planning to return.”

  I closed my eyes and slumped forward, fighting tears. So close!

  “Knox and Ethan will continue to monitor the Seahorse Inn to see if he returns.”

  “Okay, thanks,” I said. “What can I do to help?”

  “For now, you may as well go to sleep. If something happens, we’ll let you know.”

  I let out a derisive sound, and I was sure the expression on my face betrayed my skepticism.

  Theo rubbed my back. “He’s right, Haley. And I promise I’ll wake you up immediately if we hear anything.”

  I hesitated a moment, but knowing I could trust Theo, I relented.

  Alone in the other bedroom, I changed into pajamas and brushed my teeth before pulling back the covers on the king-size bed. Despite the plush bedding and the late hour, I was once again wide awake. I exhaled, distracted by the sounds of the city that could still be heard from the top floor of The Corinthian.

  Staring at the ceiling, I reflected on the events of the evening. Until the spell ended and reality crashed in, the gala had been like a fairy tale. Liam was the perfect gentleman, a fun date, and surprisingly comforting after the news about my dad. Actually, over the last six week
s, Liam, Knox, Ethan, Chase, Theo, and Jackson had all surprised me in one way or another as I got to know them better. Most of the time, they were supportive, fun, and friendly. Above all, they were protective of me, often overly so. First Dad, and now them, I thought.

  My dad always told me to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Even though it looked like he’d already left the motel in El Segundo, I was optimistic that Ethan and Knox would find him. But, I had to remain practical. If nothing else, I was determined to visit the San Francisco safe deposit box. I was still working out the logistics, but it was already November, and I wasn’t going to wait much longer.

  Either way, after tonight, things needed to change. From the ridiculous babysitting schedule—that was completely unnecessary—to Jackson’s heavy-handed tactics and secrecy, I was done sitting by quietly. I had come a long way from the girl at the cabin with nothing and no one, and while I loved hanging out with all six of them, I wanted to do it on my terms. What would it take for them to realize I was capable of taking care of myself?

  Declaration of Independence

  My feet pounded against the concrete in time to the music blaring through my headphones. Knox was lagging a few steps behind me, most likely annoyed that I was pushing our morning run into an unnecessary sprint. I knew it was illogical, but ever since my dad slipped through our fingers two weeks ago, I felt like I couldn’t run fast enough, work hard enough. I’d even gone so far as to ask Jackson to make my position at Zenith full time. No word yet on whether my request had been approved.

  Knowing that neither of us could maintain our current pace for another two miles, I slowed my steps to a more reasonable speed. I kept my gaze focused on the pier in the distance even as Knox drew up beside me. Without looking at him, I was certain that he was watching me with concern. I’d seen the same worried expression in his eyes ever since he and Ethan returned from El Segundo empty-handed.

  And I didn’t blame him; I just hadn’t been myself. Despite the fact that I couldn’t justify holding them responsible for the unsuccessful mission, I found myself avoiding all of the guys as much as possible. Deep down, I knew I wasn’t being fair to them, but . . . I needed space. I had a tendency to devote all of my time and energy to the guys, and if I wasn’t careful, I’d end up right back where I was before the gala—going through the motions instead of taking charge of my life.