Authors: Sarah Brocious
Nolan's Evolution (4 page)
“Maybe that’s a good thing?” Nolan’s jaw clenched and relaxed. “If this is the worse she is going through…
“She’s so thin now…” Thanatos raised his brow.
“Make her eat,” Nolan growled back.
Thanatos grinned sadly. “Yeah, easier said than done. I’m the green eyed devil, remember? Not her silver eyed savior!”
Nolan frowned at this. “She is strong. She will do well without me. She will go on with her life, eventually.” His eyes clouded.
“She is strong,” Thanatos agreed. “But sometimes sadness can’t be overcome.”
Nolan stared down at the papers before him. “This is not my doing,” he whispered.” It was the only way to protect her.”
“Only way?”
Nolan ran a hand through his hair. “We were doomed from the start, Thanatos. If I didn’t push her away now, I may have caused more than a thinning body and a sad countenance. I could have cost her… her life!
“I think she’d be willing to make that trade,” Thanatos said sadly.
”We are too different. It wasn’t meant to be.”
“I don’t agree with that!” The green eyes held disbelief. “One has only to see the two of you together to know, you are meant to be. She is your soul mate, my friend.” He swallowed hard, when emotion threatened to invade his voice. “You do know she is still entertaining the idea that there will be some loop hole found? She’s not going to give up just like that.”
Nolan scowled, rubbing his eyes. He knew his little tenacious Raina wasn’t going to give up easily. “We need to start ushering her toward more normal everyday life. Distract her!”
“She’s going to go back to teach,” the green eyed one said gently, knowing Nolan would like this news.
Nolan smiled. “Good!”
“And she knows it was your idea.”
Nolan growled.
Thanatos shook his head. “I couldn’t take credit Nolan, you know that! She deserved to have a little joy…knowing you care! If you could just see how much she…”
“Stop,” Nolan whispered. “Enough about Raina…for now.” He said this against the real desire to do nothing but speak of her. He wanted to work with Thanatos, set up a way for him to see her…..but that was silly, and he needed to drive such thoughts from his head.
Thanatos sighed, and gave a nod.
Nolan leaned back in his chair, and then studied his friend.
“Any news? About Richard? About the hearing?”
Nolan grimaced.
“You have news,” Thanatos spoke with certainty.
“I can’t say much about it,” Nolan sighed. “I have some information, but not all having to do with Richard. There are going to be some changes going on. I had a talk with Joseph last night.” He cleared his throat.
“You are heading back to Florida?”
Nolan shrugged, really not wanting to reveal much. He knew somehow word would get back to Raina, and this was information she didn’t need to be worried over.
“When? For how long?”
Nolan drew in a breath. “I don’t have all the details.”
“You said it is partly over the Richard issue? What is the other part Nolan?”
“Our Sovereignty will be involved.” Nolan drew in a breath.
Thanatos eyes narrowed. “You’re holding back information from me. Aren’t you?” He frowned. “Since when are we hiding things?”
Nolan sighed. “Since you are with Raina, and I can’t afford for this information to get to her.”
“I won’t say a word.”
“You won’t be able to help it! I know my Raina,” he growled. “She’ll look at you with those big blue eyes, and you’ll spill everything! I know…it’s happen to me.”
“Yet you’ve still managed to hide one big thing from her,” Thanatos growled.
“Don’t bring that up.” There was a tortured note in Nolan’s tone. “You know we said we would never speak of that!”
“It will come out eventually,” Thanatos argued.
“Not by my doing or your own. Thanatos you must promise she does not find out.”
“I would never tell her!” The green eyes sparked angrily. “How can you even suggest I would cause her so much pain? She’s had enough in this lifetime! She’s had enough for our lifetime!” His fingers clenched, and he very nearly got to his feet. He sobered, when he realized they were glaring at each other. They were both on the same team. They both wanted to protect Raina, so there was no use arguing over this. It was a secret between friends…it would remain such!
“If ever it does…reveal itself, do you think she will forgive us for keeping it from her?”
Nolan’s jaw tightened. “
You
she will forgive. It’s me I’m worried about. You never told her an outright lie.” His eyes clouded again.
Thanatos crossed to the desk, and slapped a hand on Nolan’s shoulder. “It’s for her good that she does not know. You are only looking out for her best.”
Nolan shook his head. “Maybe I should have told her. I’ve underestimated her strength before.”
“No,” Thanatos interjected. “No, this is something Raina is better off never knowing, ever! You made the right decision.”
Nodding, Nolan drew in a calming breath. “I hope so.”
Thanatos nodded.
“Hey!”
Both men jumped at Bradley’s appearance. “Am I missing something important, or is this social hour?” His eyes lit with amusement. “I’m on my way to a meeting….get some work done while I’m gone. He shoved on his suit jacket, and made his way back down the hall.
Nolan actually welcomed the distraction from their conversation.
“Better get to my desk before Bradley’s all over my ass,” Thanatos teased. “You and me…we’re going to have a talk though. I don’t like being left in the dark.” He slapped Nolan’s shoulder again, and quickly left.
Nolan rose from his seat, and closed the door behind him. He needed privacy. He sat down heavily at his desk and reached beneath the folder he had quickly set on his desk at Thanatos appearance and lifted it away, revealing the picture of him and Raina. He gently traced her smile. He could almost imagine her excitement opening those flowers. What he wouldn’t give to be with her now. Thanatos’ account of how rough she was taking it had disturbed him, but she would get over it. She’d pull herself together and move on…without him.
Now that thought felt like a sucker punch!
Sighing, he stuffed the picture into his breast pocket, turned to his computer, and carefully began typing. A resignation letter wasn’t something you wrote with the door wide open so anyone could just walk in.
He’d give his two weeks, but it would be shorter than that. He had failed to tell Thanatos today would be his last day. Tonight he’d be taking the red eye to Florida.
Thanatos studied the closed door. There was something off with Nolan. Sure, he tried to seem calm cool and collected, but there was something up. He was never one easily fooled. Especially when he relied on his powers of persuasion. He recognize when someone was trying to placate him. He had done it often enough himself. Not that Nolan was lying to him. No he wasn't lying. But he was definitely hiding something
He went in to his own office wondering if he would get any work done today. His thoughts of Raina and Nolan would wreak havoc on his concentration. He hadn't realized when you stop thinking about yourself and started thinking about others, things got a little bit crowded up in your head.
He'd missed a lot all of these years being selfish self-centered and into himself. Sure his self-centeredness had been a defense against Elenora but he was passed that now. He was in a good place. He had two people to thank for that. And he would pretty much do anything for either of them. That thought that feeling was so foreign to him and made a stomachache.
Quietly he shut his own door behind them. He'd find out later what was up with his friend. But he felt even his own power persuasion would not be enough to solve the issues Nolan was going there now.
He picked up his phone and dialed her number. He waited for her soft voice answer and smiled. "Mission accomplished, beautiful." He could hear her smile through the phone. Yes, she was well pleased.
"Was he pleased?"
Thanatos chuckled. "Yes very."
Raina sighed into the phone. "Thank you."
"You know I do anything for you. Even tempt the wrath of Nolan by bringing you up," he sighed. "But I think it was good for him."
Raina was silent for a moment. "But you weren’t calling me just give me that information were you?"
Thanatos drew in a breath. "No. But if I asked something of you to think you could do it?"
"Yes of course anything."
"Just be on standby today. If I ask you to meet me will you meet me?"
"What's wrong Thanatos?" She drew in a shaky breath. "I don't like the sound in your voice."
Thanatos tried to soften his voice tried to sound not so serious. "It may be nothing. Don't worry. I will keep you in the know."
"Okay," she said in a soft voice.
“Be safe, beautiful. I will be in touch." Thanatos hung up the phone gently.
Chapter 3 Caught
Nolan hadn’t been able to resist a workout right after work. He had a lot to work off before his flight. His jaw clenched as he lifted his own weight to get his chin over the bar for the...well, he'd lost count how many times now. He pushed himself harder today, despite the burn in his chest, the pain ripping through his arms. He needed to burn off steam, right his thoughts...or rather forget everything completely!
He didn’t want to picture Raina running from that room, as she had on their last moment together. He didn’t want to remember the tears that fell down his own face. He for sure didn’t want to remember his own tantrum, tearing apart his office just to relieve the pain.
He grunted as the muscles in his back screamed their agony. He let go, dropping easily onto his feet. Sweat covered him entirely, and he ached. It had done him good though. He needed to exhaust himself, so he didn’t have the desire to change his mind, run the miles between his house and hers, and beg her to forget all he had said. It would not be pretty if he did, and he knew he’d regret it!
He was making choices now that would affect him for eternity… or however long he was granted to live. But it wasn't just the change of life that he was coming up on that plagued him. It had been months and she still was not out of his system. If anything, he thought of her now more than ever. Seeing her when he's snuck to do so was a little bit of a relief. Now he'd be far away and unable to see her. He would be without her. He knew he had to focus. He had to get everything in line and do this job that was before him. It would cost him. It would cost her. It was for the best.
He was happy Thanatos was there for her now. He was crazy jealous, but his friend would keep his word, and protect the little mortal. Yes, he knew Thanatos would guard Raina with his life.
Nolan had at one time wished that he had not crossed paths with Thanatos. He had been stuck with him for a very long time. He had been destined to be with someone who could drive you entirely nuts. That was no longer…the green eyes devil was one of his most trusted allies.
Who would have ever thought it would have turned out like this? Why his friend had turned as he did...Nolan would never understand it. One thing he was sure of though…the transformation had a lot to do with the girl he loved. LOVED! His adrenaline spiked at the thought. He had never loved like this…and it was true hell to deny him her presence. He had never been able to open up to someone like this. That girl, that little mortal had more power over him than he had over himself.
He wiped his brow now, throwing the towel over his shoulder, and setting his hands to his hips, pondering what he would do next. He could still feel desperation making his hands tremble. He eyed the other machines thoughtfully, wondering which would deliver more pain. A giggle caught his ear and he turned his head slightly toward the chatter that followed; chatter he was tired of hearing. And the gym is where he heard it most often. He should build his own gym, stay away from these places. Couldn’t a guy just come and enjoy a good workout without being gawked at?
That made up his mind...he'd throw on his running shoes and take to the park where he wasn’t in one place long enough to get the attention he was getting right now.
