Gifted Connections: Book 3

by SM Olivier

  Jace’s jaw clenched and he crossed his hands over his chest. He wasn’t going to deign to answer.

  “You really are insane,” I said coldly as adrenaline coursed through my body. “Let the boy go.”

  The toddler paused in his thrashing, keening, and wailing for a moment. He looked around the room wildly, until his eyes fell on me. He really was a cute kid, but a little pale, like he never saw the sun. He favored his father but his eyes were mine. They were my maternal grandmother’s and Micah’s. His russet color hair was the same unruly curls as Miranda’s, Alex’s, Hazel’s, and mine too.

  Bridgette tsked at me as she laughed coolly. “I’ll make you a deal. You let me leave with the good doctor, and we’ll leave the boy at the local police station.”

  Another man came around the corner pulling along Hazel. She looked so confused− her eyes vacant. She really was just a shell of a woman.

  In the distance I could hear the sound of a helicopter. I could see that they were getting edgy. They were outnumbered and they knew it. I also knew desperate people did desperate things.

  “You’re not leaving with any of them,” I said between clenched teeth.

  “Sweetheart, you can’t stop me.” Bridgette laughed as two more men appeared. One of them looked thoroughly bored as he sat down on the couch. He was an attractive looking man—if you liked the Ken doll look. “None of you can. I know you all thought Collin was talented. Just wait to you get a load of this guy.”

  She smiled before she leaned over and gave him a passionate kiss. “Have you met my connection, Mom? Sister dearest, brother dearest?” She looked over at Kade and shook her head. “I thought we had a bond. I thought we could be best friends. Oh well.” She shrugged. “Let’s go, boys.” She started to walk away. The boy started to grunt, moan, and whip around once more.

  “No! You can’t,” Miranda wailed. “He’s not well. He’s sick. You can’t take him. Please!” she pleaded.

  Bridgette laughed coldly once more. “Oh, if only you cared that much about the rest of us. You were eager to throw the rest of us away like yesterday’s garbage. Well in all fairness, I guess Blake and I was just your test tube babies, but you still carried us.” She stroked her own belly, and I gasped when I noticed the tiny baby bump. “I would never throw this one away. Never!”

  They were almost to the door when I moved towards them. I didn’t care about Miranda, but the boy was innocent. Even I could see he wasn’t normal, that this was stressing him out.

  Bridgette turned quickly, just as one of her friends sent a fireball my way. She shook her head. “Not so fast, Blake. One more move again and I’ll snap his little neck,” she hissed at me.

  I felt all my guys surround me. I felt a weird energy encompass me and knew my gift was eager to break free. Any residual feeling of weakness left me. My chest didn’t feel as tight. My limbs didn’t feel as heavy.

  I felt the subtle squeeze of Jace. Let it out to play, he said softly in my head.

  We have your back, Troy insisted.

  What in the world? Jaxson breathed in wonder.

  My gifts’ energy was buzzing in anticipation.

  Now Blake! Noah urged me.

  Your connection might be the best, but we are better. I pushed my words into Bridgette’s head. She whipped around with shocked eyes, and before she could react, I compelled her further. Put the boy down, gently.

  “What the hell, Bridgette, come on!” The man that was guiding Hazel cursed in annoyance.

  Bridgette’s connection turned and looked at us in wonder. “My block was broken, run!”

  Not so fast, I commanded them. Stay! I was angry, I was hurt, and I was in pain. Combined, they didn’t bode well for the people that had been making my life so difficult. They blindly followed a man that threatened our way of life. They carried out his dirty deeds without blinking and eye. They were willing to kidnap an old woman and a defenseless child because he told them to.

  I was tired, I was hungry, and I wasn’t reasonable. I knew my emotions were out weighing my logic. They needed to be stopped.

  “Blake, no!” Hazel turned around with wild eyes. “You can’t risk the price of your soul for revenge. Not even on the behalf of others!”

  I heard Miranda and Greg gasp behind me. I guess the woman who hadn’t spoken in years finally found a reason to speak.

  “They shouldn’t be able to hurt anyone ever again,” I cried out as tears began to course down my face. “If I let them go, they’ll continue hurting, maybe even killing, others!”

  “They will stand before their maker, just as you will. They will be judged by their sins. Don’t let their sins become yours,” Hazel looked at me fiercely.

  “Mom,” Miranda said tremulously.

  Hazel’s eyes swung to Miranda. “Not now, Miranda. You failed her.” She held a frail finger towards me then back at her. “All this time you carried the guilt for your sister when it wasn’t yours to carry, and in your self-destructive journey, you caused so much more damage.”

  I felt Bridgette’s connection push against my hold, and it caused me to become even more angry and irrational. I closed my eyes, and that power I felt when Bradford attacked me was back in full force. I could feel it reach out, and like invisible hands, wrap around Bridgette and her friends. It continued to wrap around them like a boa constrictor and then tightened. I saw their eyes widen and then I saw them try to breath. They couldn’t. My gift was squeezing the life out of them.

  “Blake, no!” I heard Jace yell at me. “Listen to Hazel.”

  I turned around and looked at him. I couldn’t stop the tears from falling. “They need to be stopped.”

  “Not by you,” Jaxson insisted as he grabbed my upper arms.

  Drake’s face was in mine, and I could feel his pain. I could feel his fear. “Please, Blake. Let them go. Pops will make sure they get the justice they deserve.”

  “To a top-secret facility where they can’t use their gifts, so what?” I laughed harshly as I sobbed.

  “It’s worse than death to them,” Troy swore quietly.

  “Boys!” Pops came into the clearing and looked at them pointedly. He probably had been standing there for some time. They all made a step towards me.

  “No!” Remy roared out. “We can’t force her to drop her hold. She needs to do it on her own. Baby girl,” he said insistently. “My step dad is in a wheelchair, and it still isn’t enough for me. He can’t go to the bathroom without help. He has endless doctor’s appointments. He’s only living half a life. All that money he thought he was receiving is spent on medical bills now.

  “I’ve imagined his death over and over again, and at the end of the day, I know it still won’t be enough. They will get their due, but it doesn’t need to be by your hand.”

  It was the second time I had physically seen him this vulnerable, and I knew there was truth behind his words. He would know. He lost the person that meant the most to him and still found no peace in the retribution he doled out.

  I closed my eyes and forced the anger, hate, and pain away. My gift warred with me but I couldn’t let it win. I forced her out and welcomed the blackness.

  Chapter 27

  The next time I woke up, I was sandwiched between Jace and Remy on a large bed. I looked around in confusion, not realizing where I was. I didn’t recognize the room or the bed. I sat up and noticed that it was a larger than the rooms we stayed in on base but not as big as my room at Will’s. I immediately noticed it was absent of windows. It reminded me of the base but the décor and flooring threw me off.

  It was decorated in a muted yellow and grays. There were two closed doors, one I assumed led out of the room and the other a closet. There was a dresser on the opposite side of the bed with a large television mounted above it, and a grey couch at one of the walls.

  A couch currently occupied by Troy. The flooring was made of laminate wood, and I saw Noah, Jaxson and Drake stretched out in their sleeping bags. I looked down at my watch and saw it
was nearly noon.

  My stomach growled loudly, and I noticed how hungry I was, how dry my mouth was. I needed to brush my teeth, needed coffee, needed food. In that order. I quietly groaned and held my hand up to my forehead, remembering the events of the night before. I needed to find Kade, Micah, and Alex and see how they were doing. I still had this overwhelming urge to protect, even from their biological mother. I still couldn’t find it in myself to forgive her. We had all suffered so much because of her decisions. Just as Hazel said. Even her own mother had seen that.

  “Hey,” Jace said quietly from beside me. He reached out and caressed my cheek. “How do you feel?” I looked down at his heavily lidded eyes. He looked more tired than I had ever seen him.

  I sighed and closed my eyes. I couldn’t answer him honestly. I didn’t want to lie and tell him I was fine. I wasn’t. I didn’t want to tell him the truth because I didn’t want to wade through all of that right now. I wanted to lock it up and bring it out for closer inspection when I was ready and take as little or as big chunks away from it at my own pace.

  “I’m alive,” I said finally slowly opening my eyes.

  “Thank God for that,” Troy groaned as he turned over onto his stomach to look at me with his big honey colored eyes and outrageously long eyelashes. He looked just as tired as Jace did.

  I felt Remy’s vice like grip tighten around my stomach and saw his blue-grey eyes focused on me with intensity. I reached out and squeezed his hand. He had saved me from myself last night. All the guys had chipped away from my rage but he had calmed it. He had pulled me from the ledge.

  The truth was, I didn’t need their blood on my hands. I already carried too much burden. My bag was heavy. I didn’t need to add more stones. My cold analytical side saw the logic in ending the terror from them and giving them what they deserved. My heart knew that there were parts of me that hadn’t been hardened by life. It knew there were only so many fragile pieces left of it, and I didn’t want to turn into complete stone.

  “I swear if you ever do that to me again,” Jaxson sighed deeply as he rolled over onto his back. “I have never felt such devastation, not even when mom left us. I love you, Blake, and I can’t lose you.”

  I was shocked by his confession in front of all the others. There was no smile around his lips, no mischief in his eyes. He was wide open. All his defenses were down.

  “I love you, too,” I admitted to him quietly. “I love you all.” I added. They had all confessed their love for me, save Troy, but I knew the feelings were there. He all but told me in other ways.

  “How did we get so lucky?” Noah yawned as he stretched. “You still owe me a few dances, by the way.”

  I laughed. “We’ll go out again, sometime.”

  “It’s my turn next!” Jaxson exclaimed.

  “Children,” Drake jokingly scolded as he stood up. Can we talk later? he asked me quietly.

  Of course, I told him. I had a feeling he wanted to explain the whole thing about his dad, but the truth was, he owed me no explanations. I wished I would have found out from him and not Bridgette, but it wasn’t my place to be mad at him. I imagined it was hard enough for him to have lost his father and devastating to lose him in that way.

  “Are you going to go make me some French toast?” Jaxson asked hopefully.

  Drake threw his pillow at Jaxson’s head. “I’m going to make whatever Blake wants to eat. I can hear her stomach from here.”

  I blushed slightly and lifted my shoulders. “What do we have and where are we?”

  Jace smiled fondly at me. “We’re in our new apartment at base. It was an early Christmas gift from Dad. The fridge is fully stocked. We all have our own rooms plus two and a half bathrooms. So, no more sharing rooms.”

  Not even when I want to? I pushed my wicked thoughts to Remy and Jace. Aloud I said, “And yet I wake up to find all my guys in my room,” I teased.

  You’re killing me! Jace groaned.

  You’re lucky I told myself I’m gonna let you recover today, Remy grumbled.

  “Did you really think we were going to flip coins to see who was sleeping with you?” Jaxson asked with feigned shock.

  “We did,” Troy said dryly. “For the bed.”

  I looked at them in real shock. “You did not!”

  Drake leaned over Jace to give me a kiss. “We did. Now, what would you like to eat?”

  “Umm,” I looked over at Jaxson who mouthing Please, please, please. I laughed, I really didn’t have a preference. Just food! The sooner the better. “French Toast with sausage links, please,” I smiled.

  “Stay in bed and I will bring it to you,” Drake gently commanded.

  “Me too!” Jaxson asked hopefully.

  “Nope,” most of the guys chorused together.

  “Can I get up to use the bathroom? Brush my teeth? Get some coffee?” I teased Drakes retreating back.

  “I’ll make the coffee,” Troy stood up and stretched once more. I was emotionally and mentally tired but my libido was running wild. I just wanted to bite his cute firm booty.

  “Bathroom and brush, and that’s it,” Drake teased back.

  “Should I put in a movie?” Noah asked as he stood up. “What are we in the mood for?”

  I climbed over Jace, kissing him briefly on the mouth as I stood. I felt his fingers dig into my hips momentarily. I really shouldn’t have teased him…

  I shrugged. “It’s not my turn to pick. I think it was Troy’s or Remy’s turn.” I smiled.

  “We can watch Bad Moms,” Jaxson suggested as he picked up a DVD.

  “You’re only suggesting that because it’s comedy and you have a thing for Mila Kunis,” Noah joked.

  I laughed. “Whatever, put it in.” I left the room and opened the door across the hall from mine. It was another room. I assumed it was Jace’s since it was decorated in his minimalist style. It was large enough to fit a queen size bed, dresser, and an armchair. The next room I opened was the same size, decorated in a more modern rustic approach so I assumed it was Remy’s. The third door I opened was one of the bathrooms. It looked exactly like our old bathroom. As I relieved my bladder, I opened the drawers in the vanity and found a brand-new toothbrush. I grabbed the toothpaste, then brushed my teeth as I finished doing my business.

  Looking into the mirror, I nearly gasped at my reflection. I looked horribly washed out. My skin was pale and my make up was smeared. It was amazing that the guys hadn’t been repulsed or reacted negatively at my appearance. There were dark circle around my eyes, and I looked like death. I shuddered.

  I opened the medicine cabinet and opened up the face wash. I scrubbed my face thoroughly and determined I still looked like death warmed over but at least my face was clean.

  I left the bathroom and continued my wanderings. The narrow hall opened up to the kitchen, dining room, and living room. It looked like all our old furniture had been replaced by newer, more modern furniture. Drake was busy at the stove, and I was pleased to see it was twice the size of ours at the old apartment but still not as large as the Will’s, Jace’s, and Remy’s—but let’s be real: they liked to live large. There was now enough seating for all of us to sit at the dining room table. Our center pieces and runner had made its way over here, too.

  In fact, most of our decorations had made their way over here. The gallery wall was now hung above the couch, and an additional couch was in the living room. There was still room for the chairs and shelving unit the guys got. A couple of ottomans and a sofa table was also added to the room. We could easily all fit in here with my siblings and a few friends or family, too.

  “Hey,” Drake looked at me, slightly guarded but also a look of content on his face.

  “Hey,” I said back as I continued to wander to the opposite side of the apartment.

  An additional hall was on this side. I opened up each door and saw that the other four rooms were on this side, with a bathroom. It looked like all of our stuff had been transferred with ease. I was glad that we
now had more storage with room to entertain on a smaller scale.

  “Shouldn’t you be laying down?” Troy said as he came up behind me with my coffee mug.

  I smiled. “Is that your way of telling me I look like crap? I can’t believe no one told me my makeup was smeared all over my face, and that I looked like I was related to a racoon, with all the dark bags under my eyes.”

  He gave me a gentle smile as he cupped my face. “You will never look like crap, but you did have a harrowing day yesterday.”

  “Where are my siblings?” I frowned. “I’m sure Kade isn’t feeling the greatest right now either.”

  “Megan and Beth took them into town to a trampoline park. They wanted to give you some time to recover before the heathens descended,” Troy joked.

  I took an appreciative drink of my coffee. “I should thank them, but I also want to see how they’re doing.”

  “Children are amazingly resilient. They’re going to struggle with it, especially when they meet Miranda, but they’ll bounce back. They have you and us to show them the love and understanding that they need now,” Jace said quietly from behind me.

  I turned around in surprise. “So, they haven’t seen her yet?”

  “No, even Hazel’s been asking to see them, but Pops refuses to allow them to until you all are ready,” Remy stated as he entered the living room.

  “The good Dr. Hazel Cornwall is now speaking again?” I asked sarcastically.

  “She is.” Jace nodded. “She’s an interesting woman.”

  I laughed dryly. “What does that supposed to mean?”

  “It means that she was genuinely a great woman before all this,” Jace said in a patient tone. “She never started those experiments with the intent to play God. She started them to ease the pain and suffering of those that she knew could never, or would never, have children. It’s one thing to be a Non and know your body ‘failed’ you, it’s another to know it’s not your body, it’s your gift or your partner’s gift that has failed you.

  “She never realized her research would have such terrible repercussions. She didn’t think they it could have gone so horribly wrong. She learned the hard way when people she loved and cared about lost their innocent children. Losing her own child, then her husband, and eventually her other daughter, had been devastating to her. She has carried the burden of her decisions for many years in silence.