Hardest of Them All, page 1
part #4 of Harder Series
Hardest of Them All
*HARD & HARDER Series Finale*
Jacey Ward
Chloe Fischer
Copyright © 2019 by Jacey Ward & Chloe Fischer
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Created with Vellum
Contents
HARDEST OF THEM ALL (Series Finale)
DEMON TAKES ALL
Afterword
MAFIA Series Prequel by Chloe Fischer
HARDEST OF THEM ALL (Series Finale)
Conway Family Tree
The Hard & Harder Books
The 1st Generation
Drake Conway
The 2nd Generation (HARD Series):
Ryder & Paige (Hard Instincts)
Xavier & Danica (Hard Time)
Xander & Ashtyn (Hard Wired)
Aiden & Sage (Hard Limit)
The 3rd Generation (HARDER Series):
Audrey (Daughter of Aiden) & Jameson (Harder Than Stone)
Roan (Son of Xavier) & Kimberly (Harder Than Steel)
Coy (Son of Ryder) & Shay (Harder Than Diamond)
Finale:
Hardest of Them All
Prologue
“It’s so dark,” Janey squeaked nervously, draping her arms over her chest and shivering slightly. “We should go back.”
Thomas laughed and pulled her in closer, nuzzling his cold nose into her neck.
“Not yet,” he insisted. “We’re almost at the lake.”
Janey eyed him warily and paused, the trees around them taking on a sinister feel. Suddenly, she was fraught with apprehension.
“Tommy, I want to go back to the car,” she murmured, the hairs on the back of her neck rising. “I have a strange feeling about being here.”
Thomas sighed and drew her into his arms.
“You’re always such a worrywart, Janey. Every time we come out here, you have ‘a strange feeling’. Come on. This isn’t something we haven’t done a hundred times before.”
Her dark blue eyes met his teasing brown ones and he winked reassuringly but for the first time in her life she wasn’t comforted by him.
“Do you smell that?” she asked, abruptly raising her nose into the air and Thomas stifled a groan of displeasure.
“Why are you acting so strangely?” he demanded with some annoyance but as he spoke, his brow crinkled and he turned to look around, seeking the source of the odor permeating the air.
He smells it too.
“What is that?” Janey wanted to know but Thomas released her, unspeaking, and continued through the dense woods, his flashlight pointed straight ahead on the path.
“Stay here,” Thomas ordered, and Janey did not miss the tension in his voice. More alarm shot through her and she ignored his order to remain. She would not be left behind in the dark of the woods.
“Stay back,” Thomas growled, his eyes taking on a familiar expression. He seemed to have reverted to his Army persona, a sixth sense overtaking his usual boyish charms.
Before Janey could answer, their attention was diverted skyward and the pair froze in their tracks as an odd sight appeared above them.
Janey opened her mouth to question what it was she was seeing but the words stuck in her mouth.
“Hide!” Thomas hissed as the hovering vessel lowered to sink over the treetops and a moment later, Janey found herself thrust to the ground, Thomas’ broad, muscled body blocking her view. If she had been paying attention, she would have noticed the glint of intensity in his eyes, as if he recognized whatever it was that was going on around them.
But she was too focussed on the bizarre circular object flashing lights as if sending out a code and Janey found she was no longer terrified but transfixed.
A feeling of utter peace washed over her and through her peripheral vision, she could see that her lover was feeling very much the same impact.
What is this? She wondered, awe coloring her vision. Slowly, the disc-shaped vehicle sunk lower in the sky, somehow avoiding all the trees as if it was clearing a path to make way for itself.
“That is not from this world,” Thomas breathed, the growl in his voice unmistakable. Janey didn’t understand what he was saying, a heady sensation overcoming her as she stared dreamily before her.
“We can’t stay,” she heard her beau say, but his words never really registered. She was already on her feet, twigs and leaves caught against the wool of her skirt as she ambled toward the sinking vessel.
“No! We must get away from it!” Thomas insisted, but again, the words meant nothing to her. She was far too enthralled, her body moving as if she had been possessed by an unseen entity and there was nothing that Thomas or anyone else could say to stop her from approaching it.
“Not again. Not again…” Thomas was speaking with more clarity from behind her, but by now, the ship was opening and Janey’s bright eyes widened, a smile forming on her lips.
“Hello,” she said, her vacant smile beaming.
From inside the ship, the being nodded once, twice, its amber eyes glowing with something Janey had never seen before.
“Welcome.”
Without further invitation, she stepped onto the ramp, extending her arms toward the unique figure beyond.
“No!”
Thomas’ voice was sharper now, more distinct. Whatever trance that had befallen him had been shaken off and he ran toward her.
Above, a deep rumbling distracted her and Janey turned her gaze toward the heavens, a laugh of glee exploding from her lips as she saw yet another ship appear above them.
“There are more!” she rejoiced, whipping her head around to look at her lover in disbelief. “Look!”
She pointed at the sky, giggling like a drunk schoolgirl but the being hissed, exposing a set of silver, gleaming teeth which should have sent chills of shock through the delicate blonde.
“Don’t be afraid,” she urged the alien form beyond. “We mean you no harm.”
The vessel above disappeared, flying further toward the town and Janey continued to walk steadily toward the being.
“JANEY, STOP!” Thomas screamed. “It’s not friendly!”
“Whatever are you talking about?”
Thomas could not possibly know that — Janey was convinced that human eyes had never seen such a thing…had they?
The pale, malleable form slid its gnashing teeth back behind a set of indistinguishable lips and extended a long hand of tendril fingers toward her.
“DON’T TOUCH IT!” Thomas screamed, the panic in his voice palpable. “JANEY! NO!”
His warning, even if it were to be heeded, came far too late. The lifeform appeared to lengthen its reach toward Janey and seemingly close the distance between them, touching its nude-colored fingers to hers. Its teeth reappeared as a bolt of electricity surged out connecting the two of them in a blinding arc.
Suddenly, Janey was scared and she tried to withdraw her touch but the being seemed to hold her captive, her body paralyzed.
“JANEY!”
Slowly, the alien grinned, a hideous, cruel smile that stole Janey’s breath away. In that moment it became clear to her how dangerous welcoming and reaching out to this being had been.
“Tommy…” she breathed, her words catching in her windpipe. In the instant it took to say his name, Janey felt the life draining from her body, her legs buckling beneath her.
From somewhere in the depth of her confused, jumbled thoughts, she thought she heard the being speak to her through a dream.
Touch me.
Her cerulean eyes closed and slowly, she fell into unconsciousness, knowing now that there was no returning from allowing the extra-terrestrial access to her body and ultimately her very soul.
Before the world went completely dark, she heard the unmistakable sound of gunfire but by then it was far too late.
The creature had already done what needed to be done and there was nothing Thomas, Janey or the bullets could do to stop it.
I’m going to die here, Janey thought as a heaviness fell over her. Here in Roswell, unmarried and by the hands of an otherworldly demon.
Today
Drake seemed to have a hard time focussing on the faces around him, his eyes blinking at a much more rapid pace than usual.
“Dad, are you okay?”
Ryder’s voice brought him back to the table but somehow, his eldest son sounded very far away.
I’m too old to continue this fight, the great-grandfather thought. But for how long have I been saying the same thing?
“Dad?” This time it was Xavier who spoke, his expression etched in concern. “Look at me.”
Heavily, Drake lifted his head and inhaled.
“You should rest, Drake.” Paige was at his side but Drake waved her off like she was a pesky fly.
There would be time enough for rest when he was dead.
But judging by the way I’ve been feeling, I doubt that’s very far off.
He shoved the grim notion out of his mind and looked around the table at his family, marveling at how they had grown over the years.
It seemed like only yesterday, that I was alone with nothing but a housekeeper and a driving passion to find my sons. Now, I have my sons, their children and still Oculus drives my every action.
Not for t
He was tired now and he was sure his family was too — but he was equally sure the danger Oculus posed each of them would haunt them unceasingly, if he couldn’t get to the bottom of the force.
“Why did you call us here, Drake?” Danica asked. “What is this about?”
Drake had a decision to make now. The paternal instinct that he thought had died long ago, the one which he had struggled to reclaim, was overwhelming now.
Don’t do this. Let them go. Tell them it’s over. Let them live their lives.
The thought came upon him — as though not even his own. That had been happening with greater frequency, since their last encounter with this nemesis.
“Dad?”
He cleared his throat and met Ryder’s eyes.
“A final quest,” he announced. There was little by the way of surprise in their expressions. After all, what other reason would he possibly have for bringing them all together.
“Final? We’ve been on this quest all our lives, what makes you think it could finally be ending?” Roan wanted to know and Drake met his grandson’s eyes directly.
Will I be able to do this? One last undertaking before…
Before what? Before he retired? Before he was done with this life?
Again, he forced the idea out of his head. He needed to stay vigilant before the last of his wits and will depleted entirely. His family didn’t realize how much his body had wasted away over the years, their own lives distracting them from the patriarch’s deteriorating condition.
Maybe a part of him, and each of them, had always thought he would live forever.
“Grandpa, are you sure you’re okay?” Audrey was the one speaking now but again, her voice seemed in and out of his head, swimming and wavering.
“I’m fine,” he snapped with more force than he intended. “Stop asking me and let’s focus on what’s important here.”
“What can we possibly do to bring this to a close, that we haven’t already tried?” Xander asked, leaning forward on the table, his forearms rippling as he met Drake’s gaze steadfastly. Drake could see the glimmer of understanding in Xander’s eyes, as if the older of the twins knew that whatever was about to be proposed had to be huge.
When was the last time we were all together like this, without being manipulated or maneuvred?
The answer was never. They were never all together. They’d each taken on the dangerous Oculus, in their own way, trying to escape the power it held over them — but had they been “together”? The realization made Drake’s heart sink.
This is not right. There’s nothing I can do now but see this through and hope the next generations live peacefully.
They will bring peace ... Again an unbidden thought. Was he losing his mind, now too?
“Ash, get him some water,” Sage asked, nodding toward the sink where her sister-in-law was sitting.
“I’ll get it,” Coyle said, jumping into action. Drake could see he wasn’t comfortable sitting still.
I see so much of myself in each of them, Drake thought ruefully. Their courage, their tenacity…
They’ve done well — You’ve done well ... Drake’s head shook, as though negating the thought.
“I don’t need any water,” Drake growled, composing himself before he was again caught up in another wave of nostalgia and random, interloping thoughts.
But a glass was placed before him anyway and reluctantly, Drake took a long sip before gathering his strength to speak again.
“Maybe we should reconvene after Dad’s better rested,” Aiden suggested but Drake shook his head vehemently.
“No,” he insisted. “Let me speak my piece.”
He inhaled and threw his head back, the Conway pride radiating over his face.
“I believe our chase is finally coming to an end,” he said quietly. “That the origins of Oculus are soon to be revealed.”
The silence which filled the kitchen was both heavy and dubious. Drake didn’t need to study his family’s expression to read the disbelief there and a great amount of concern. It was palpable, hanging between them in the air.
“A-are you sure, Grandpa?” Roan asked quietly. “You— We’ve been wrong about this before.”
Undoubtedly, his grandson was mentally calculating just how many battles they had seen over the years.
“I wouldn’t have called you all here if I wasn’t certain,” Drake replied firmly. “Clara’s knowledge of this compound ... our lives here ... I believe that Oculus has been closer to us, than any of us could have imagined. It will only be a matter of time, before we all have the answers we’ve been looking for.”
There were a dozen murmurs wafting into his ears, the questions of “how?” and “who?” filtering through Drake’s subconscious.
Once more, he raised his hand to quiet them and scowled lightly.
“I will answer all your questions,” he agreed. “But I need you to promise me something first.”
An uneasy silence fell and Drake could see all fourteen sets of eyes following his every move.
“What promise, Dad?” Xavier wanted to know, shooting his wife a sidelong look.
Drake looked down and hung his head.
“You need to promise me that whatever happens, now ... you will stick together and stay the course!”
An uncomfortable pause laced through the family again and Drake ground his teeth together.
“Is it a deal?” he demanded and slowly, everyone began to nod their heads in unison.
“Good,” he sighed. “Because we’re in for a terribly long ride.”
Indeed, it will be ... but they will see each other, and you, through it ....
Drake shook his head, trying to shake off the unexpected words – he felt far from reassured.
Then
A serene smile touched Janey’s face as she gazed around the yard, her finger sparkling with the combined glitter of her engagement and wedding ring.
“Are you happy?” Thomas growled in her ear, his breath hot against her neck. “Is this everything you wanted?”
Janey turned and smiled beguilingly at him, the deep blue of her eyes sparkling against the candlelight.
“Not completely, but it’s a good start,” she breathed, meeting his gaze evenly. Not for the first time, she saw an element of something unsettling in his dark eyes.
Slowly, a grin formed on her new husband’s face and a strong arm encircled her waist, drawing her in for a passionate kiss which made the party guests whoop with approval and tap their wine glasses with forks.
“Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!” Was the incessant chant but there was no need to ask. Thomas’ tongue had already snaked its way into her mouth, causing a shocked gasp of the pious family members in view.
But Janey didn’t stop him. Nothing shamed her, not any more.
Hers and Thomas’ lives had not been the same for one moment after the “meeting” with that being, six months prior.
How could it be? We aren’t the same people…or at least, I am not. I’m not Janey Anderson anymore, but no one can ever know that truth.
“Jane Kathleen Anderson!” her mother choked, physically pulling her daughter away from her husband. Janey’s mother’s face was flushed with humiliation, but the younger woman continued to stare at her husband, a heat building inside her. Who knows how far she would have let it go if Shawna had not pulled her off Thomas?
“Please, Janey!” Shawna breathed, aghast at her once-chaste daughter’s actions. “I don’t understand you these days. This man…he has changed you.”
A sardonic smile touched Janey’s full mouth and her eyes narrowed slightly.
“He’s home from the war, Mother,” she explained. “They come back different, you know?”
Instinctively, Janey looked toward Thomas, whose eyes were locked on her and the two exchanged a knowing smile. It was time for the honeymoon to commence, whether or not the guests were ready to bid them adieu.
