Read Consequence for Free Online Page B

wrong in the first place.
    "Daddy, you're squeezing me," she complained.
    "I'm sorry, baby girl." He sighed and looked at me over her shoulder, taking my hand and pulling me to him. "Come on, guys. Get your things together. Gran, you, too. Let's get everyone packed up. We're going home."
"I thought-"
    "Gran," he begged in a whisper and she knew right then that something was really wrong. "Please."
"All right. Come on, Rodney."
    "No, please," I said and picked him up. I hugged him to me and tried my best not to cry. "I just need him with me, okay?"
    Her mouth fell open. "Oh, my... Lord, what happened today? Somebody better start talking."
    "We will, Gran," Caleb told her and put his arm around my shoulder, kissing my temple, "but first, I want to get on that plane and get my family away from here. We have important things to do."
    Two hours later, everyone was on a plane and headed home. As soon as we got to Peter’s house, we sat everyone down, the whole Jacobson clan, for an emergency meeting. Caleb took the cog wheel from his pocket, placed it on the table to let them know this was official. He told them everything that was going on—the visions, Ashlyn, what we'd seen and heard and suspected about Ava being in danger and somehow, someway, that it was connected to something the Watsons were doing. They were still conducting experiments on humans and we were told, in no exact words, to do something about that. And that the council wasn’t doing anything about any of it.
    It was customary for the men to do most of the missions and work in the clan, but when it came to war, all bets were off, Caleb had explained to me once. Their family hadn’t had the women fight in a battle in a very long time. Everyone was needed—all hands on deck. They were on board and out the door toward the Watson compound before Caleb could even work up a good angry sweat from his rally-the-troops speech. Gran and a few others stayed with the children, but the majority were going, with the intention of battle.
    I changed into some jeans and boots upstairs before we left. Caleb came in and leaned in the doorframe. I couldn't read his mind. He was blocking me, so I assumed he was about to ask me to stay home or stay in the car even. I opened my mouth to argue, but he crossed his arms and sighed before saying firmly, "Stay with me, right by my side. You got me?"
I smiled. "You're not forbidding me to go?"
"Would it work?"
"No," I answered sadly.
    He pushed away from the doorframe and came to me, kneeling down and putting my foot on his thigh to finish tying my boot. "Remember the vision you had of us fighting side by side together?" I nodded. He gulped and pulled my laces tight before kneeling up and pushing my knees apart. "So, no, I won't forbid you to go. But please, Maggie, let me protect you. Stay with me, stay connected to me, and listen to me. If I ask you to run or move, don't think. Just do it. I'm keeping you safe, not ordering you around."
    I pushed my fingers through his hair, one hand and then the other, as I rubbed his head and tugged gently on his hair. He closed his eyes and leaned in, letting his arms circle my waist as he pressed his cheek to my chest.
    "I know you need to keep me safe," I told him, my lips in his hair. "I want you to. We're a team. I can't do this at all if you can't be right there with me. You’re the key, remember?"
    He sighed and lifted his head. His hands gripped my legs and he tugged me to the edge of the bed to be flush against him. His blue eyes were so heavy and weighed down with everything that was on his mind. I rubbed my thumb over where his dimple should be. It seemed like forever since I’d seen it and it may be an eternity before I would see it again, if this kept up.
    “Hey.” He lifted my chin, a ghost of a smile there on his sad lips that he was pushing so hard, just for my benefit. “I have a lot to be happy about. They aren’t taking anything away from me today. Do you hear me?” I smiled.