Mindsiege by Heather Sunseri Page A

silently congratulated myself.
    “Jack would have killed me if I didn’t bring you back here.”
    “How would he have known?” I asked, mostly under my breath.
    Jonas’s brow shot up.
    “What? He can see where I am, too?”
    “I don’t think so. He’s inside waiting for you. That was the phone call I received. He said you’re not answering your phone.”
    Inhaling, I reached around and felt my back pocket where my phone was. I had ignored the vibrations of incoming calls all evening. The desire to race into the house was strong, but the anger and hurt I had suppressed most of the day now flared. Jack hadn’t believed me. Hadn’t trusted me. We were supposed to have stuck together. But apparently we had different agendas.
    I will get out of your head if you’ll promise not to run during the night.
    I turned away from the house and studied Jonas. Could I promise that? “So, you knew where I was when I left this morning?”
    “Yes. And before you think I’m some sort of pervert, I am not inside your head at all times. I didn’t need to be until I thought you might run.”
    So, even if I did run, he’d find me. “What do you want from me, Jonas? I can’t always feel your presence inside my head. Even when I know you’re there.”
    We’ll talk more tomorrow. Go let Jack know you’re okay.
    “Will you tell me more about what you know about my dad?”
    Tomorrow . “But Lexi, be careful who you tell about the The Farm. Your father would have chosen his confidants wisely, yet he still ended up dead.” He glanced down at the jiggling keys in his hand, then back up again. “Jack doesn’t know.”
    He said it so softly, I barely heard him. How could I keep information about The Farm from Jack? At the same time, I didn’t want to lose anyone else close to me. I thought of Marci. She had obviously discovered the facility, or gotten a little too close. A chill moved through me at the thought. I didn’t know if Dad had told her, or if she had seen it with her own eyes.
    Jonas and I entered the house together and walked toward the voices in the kitchen. I didn’t feel like my life was in danger with Jonas, but at the same time, he made me want to guard my secrets. One minute, Jonas cared about Jack and maybe even me, but the next, he put me in dangerous situations. Mostly, he terrified me.
    We rounded the corner. Jonas stood right behind me. Jack started toward me as soon as he saw me, but stopped. His eyes burned into me, waiting for an invitation.
    “What the hell happened to you?” Georgia asked, looking past me to Jonas.
    I turned and backed away. It was my turn to smirk. The skin around his eye had turned a lovely dark indigo. The dull throb in my right hand, my price for smacking Jonas, was well worth it.
    “Long story,” Jonas said. He didn’t even look at me.
    What happened to him? Jack asked. Even in my head, his voice had an edge to it.
    I turned slowly, biting my lip. Jonas’s stare heated the back of my neck.
    Tell me, Jack said.
    Georgia’s expression morphed from concern to amusement. “Serves you right, idiot,” she said to Jonas after what must have been their own private mindspeak.
    Jack ran a hand over his chin stubble. “Will someone please tell me what happened?”
    “Your girl hit me. But I deserved it.” Jonas shrugged.
    “She what?” Jack’s voice sounded somewhere between cautious and impressed. He continued slowly toward me. He ran his fingers along a strand of hair hanging beside my face. We have a lot to talk about.
    I peeked up through my eyelashes, trying to assess whether he would be protective of the jerk behind me, or whether he would finally believe what I’d told him about Jonas being inside my head.
    Georgia grabbed Jonas’s arm, forcing him to turn and exit the room. “Come on. Let’s go show Fred how you finally met your match. Give these two some privacy.”
    Jack slid a finger under my chin and lifted. “Tell me one thing. Are you okay?”
    So much had