by Austin, RB
How many awful things had she witnessed over the years? And to start at age nine. “Is it the same with people? If you touch someone once and get a memory, will you not get another one from them?”
“I don’t know. The first time I learned it could happen with people I was ten and a half. It was a hot day in Chicago—” Fear passed over her face. There one second, gone the next. “Not Chicago,” she said quickly. “I meant Champaign. Champaign, Illinois. It was hot out and I was with another foster family. This one wasn’t so bad. We had food to eat. I had to prepare most of it myself, but we weren’t kept in the basement or anything. It was raining outside, a sprinkle really. The foster mom said we could play for ten minutes before we had to finish cleaning. At that time, my ability was on my torso, stomach, and arms. I was wearing gloves and long sleeves with shorts. The two other kids were running in circles and laughing. I was too hot to do that, so I stood with my face up to the sky. One of the kids tripped or maybe the other kid pushed her, I don’t know, I wasn’t paying attention. When I fell my shirt rose and her hand grazed my back. Next thing I know I was watching and feeling the girl being beaten with a belt.”
Kate paused, shook her head. “My back hurt for days after that vision. I thought for sure I’d have red marks on my skin. I didn’t, though. The girl, the one who knocked into me, she’d fallen too. She was unconscious when I woke. They said she hit her head on the ground, but later I wondered if I’d somehow done it. Had the situation been different, if her hand had more than grazed me, if she would’ve—” Pause. “I don’t think I can touch people without killing them.”
She froze again, gaze darting to him then away. In the silence that followed her shoulders relaxed. She brought her hand to her mouth, trailed her finger over her bottom lip, back and forth.
He shifted on the bed. “But you didn’t kill Sarid,” he said, his voice thick.
She blinked, dropped her hand, her cheeks turning pink. “No, but you pulled me off him. What would’ve happened if you hadn’t shown up?”
Lucas frowned. “But you could touch Sarid again and not get a memory of him.”
Kate stared, eyebrows lowered. Shook her head. “Lucas, I don’t—”
“You’re awake.”
Kate jolted.
Cade stood in the doorway.
His ach’s gaze swung to him. Lucas raised his chin. “She needed to eat something.”
Chapter 43
Lucas was going to fight Cade.
Over her.
No one had ever done that. Except maybe Nan, but the main mother of the children’s home had her rules to follow and those always came first. Like when Kate begged Nan to adopt her. State employees weren’t allowed, at least that’s what Nan had said. Kate hadn’t asked for anything else ever again.
Lucas’s eyes kept flaring blue. Flashlight on. Flashlight off. His fists clenched and unclenched as he yelled at his boss. It was when he took a step toward Cade that Kate finally went to him before he did something stupid.
She laid a hand on his arm. He relaxed immediately. “It’s fine, Lucas. I’m not really hungry any way. I’ll go talk to him.”
“No.” The word came out a half growl. “You barely touched your food and you were starving earlier. You need to eat. And he’ll question you here. With me present.” The last line was said to his boss as if daring Cade to protest. And it looked like the big guy was going to, the way his eyes lit up and his chest puffed with a deep inhale, but he just nodded.
Cade closed the door and leaned against it. Lucas stood by the bed, arms crossed, glaring at Cade. Kate sat down in her seat and set the plate back on her lap. She really wasn’t hungry. The talk about her past had left a bad taste in her mouth. But with Lucas’s glare at Cade and Cade’s intense stare at her, she picked up her sandwich and took a bite. Why the hell was she still here?
Oh, yeah. Fifteen hundred a week.
She could deal with a little male attitude. Had dealt with it at every bar job she had, and here at least she didn’t have to worry about her ass getting slapped.
Kate choked down the sandwich then set her plate on the floor. No way was she eating the spicy chips. Not the way her stomach was swirling.
Lucas gave a low growl.
She glared at him. “That’s all I’m eating. I already feel like I’m going to puke again.”
He frowned. “If you don’t feel well, now is not the time for Cade to question you.”
Kate rolled her eyes at the same time Cade growled. Seriously? She was in a room with two dogs. Or two teenagers, each claiming their dick was the biggest. “Just knock it off, Lucas. Cade can question me. I need to get to work soon.”
She glanced at the clock. Martha was expecting her in a half an hour. A shower had to be worked in before that, too. She hated it when the visions made her sick. At least she didn’t get puke in her hair. Lucas had held it back. Kate frowned. Another first. No one had ever taken care of her when she’d been sick before. It was nice. She glanced at Lucas. He was still glaring at Cade, but had taken a seat on the bed.
Cade was watching her. His stare made her uncomfortable and she shifted on the seat before stilling. Show no weakness. That was the first thing she learned in the group home. She raised her chin. Met his gaze.
“What happened with Sarid?” Cade’s voice wasn’t unkind but it wasn’t the way Lucas talked to her either.
Lucas apparently didn’t like his tone either because a growl echoed around the room.
Some emotion she didn’t want to name swept through her followed by annoyance. “Either knock it off or leave the room, Lucas. That shit is giving me a headache.” He didn’t look at her, but the noise instantly cut off. It wasn’t really giving her a headache, but when he acted all protective it did funny things to her insides.
After a deep breath, she turned back to Cade and repeated what she’d said to Lucas. He’d stop her every so often to ask questions.
How did it work? How did she push the memories into the other person? Could she stop it once it started? Had she ever tried?
What did she see with Sarid? At that question, her food moved dangerously close to her throat. She didn’t stop Lucas from telling Cade she wasn’t going to answer that one.
Cade asked a few more questions after that, before demanding she keep her gloves on when she wasn’t in her own room.
No problem there. She planned to avoid the gym, too. Maybe run outside. They certainly had enough property.
“. . . only a week more than you’re gone.”
What was that? She was losing her job in a week? Kate’s head whipped to Lucas. His eyes were on Cade, promising murder.
“If there’s another incident like this one, you’ll be gone within a second.”
Lucas flashed to his feet. “Like we’ve never hurt others in this HQ with our abilities? She didn’t mean to do it. Like Sarid didn’t mean to push Martha down when the Other escaped the last time.”
“I stand by what I said.”
“Because of Emma,” Lucas bit out. “Are you going to kick out Sarid next? He’s a danger to your bahshrett. What about me? Gabe? Any one of us could accidentally hurt her at any time. She’s in danger just by being here. Any Follower is. Except Kate, who at least can defend herself. She’s no different than any of us who can do the same.”
Cade launched across the room. Kate gasped and scrambled out of her chair, pressing against the wall. She could hear the punches but not see them. Lucas and Cade moved so fast her hair lifted from the wind they created. The bedroom door burst open and Gabe stood in the doorway. He whipped out his phone.
“I need you. In Lucas’s room.” He tore into the room. A moment later he was between Cade and Lucas. “Son of a bitch!” he thundered. “Stop throwing punches, Lucas.”
Emma appeared in the doorwa
y, breathing heavily, her cheeks red. She wore a pair of loose sweats and an oversized tee that could fit two of her in it.
“Cade.” Her tone disapproving. “What’s going on here?”
Cade swung around, his face instantly transforming. “He started it,” he muttered under his breath, though everyone heard him.
Emma’s eyebrows rose. “How old are you?” She shook her head. “You’re supposed to be the leader. Not acting like a child.”
Kate didn’t follow the rest of the conversation. From her spot by the wall, she stared at Lucas. As if he could feel her gaze, he turned. Blood dripped from his mouth and his left eye was red and puffy.
Boys fought all the time at the home. She’d seen broken noses, black eyes, scratch marks, missing teeth, hair ripped out, and broken fingers. But the blood on Lucas’s face made her want to cry for some reason. To get a cloth in the bathroom and wet it for him.
She frowned. This place was making her weird. First she’d been hurt Lucas hadn’t mentioned her job came with a time limit, but now she was kind of glad. She was getting soft.
A nice room. Three meals a day. Showering whenever the hell she wanted.
Someone who cared for her. Stuck up for her. Who took a punch, many punches, to protect her.
Suddenly Lucas was in front of her. She blinked. He looked worse close up.
“What’s the matter?” he asked.
She snorted softly. His face had to be screaming. She knew what it felt like to get punched. More than once. Ice barely did anything. And the cold piece of meat thing was a joke. When his head cocked in question, she sighed. “Why are you asking me that? You’re the one who volunteered to be a punching bag for a guy who’s bigger than you. And your boss, I might add. Not the best way to keep a job. Believe me. Been there. Done that.”
A chuckle came from behind Lucas. Kate couldn’t see who it was because Lucas’s broad shoulders blocked out the whole room. All she saw was him.
“Go away,” Lucas said, his gaze locked on Kate’s. “Everyone.”
Another low chuckle. Kate heard shuffling of feet before the door closed. Lucas leaned closer, braced an arm on either side of her head against the wall, bent his knees until their eyes, their mouths, lined up. She stiffened, though not from worry he’d touch her skin, accident or not. Since arriving at the HQ, she hadn’t worried about that from Lucas. Instead it was the way her body reacted to his nearness. A tightening in her low belly. Warmth pooling further down.
She wasn’t stupid. She knew what it meant. It was just she’d never felt that way before. It was uncomfortable. And made her sweat. Her heart raced. Made her think of things that weren’t possible. Like right now. She wanted to kiss those lips that were a bit puffy and had a smear of blood. Her tongue darted out to lick her lips.
“Sweet Creator,” Lucas breathed. “I’m surrounded by apples.”
What the hell was he talking about? But his lower body pressed against her and she gasped. Warmth flashed to hot.
A hard length slowly thrust against her. His movement pushed the ridge of her jeans into her sweet spot. Again. Then again.
“Lucas?”
“Sssh.”
Their gazes locked. His were bright blue again. She no longer cared why they did that. Just knew she liked it. When a low moan escaped, she bit her bottom lip.
“Don’t,” he said. “I want to hear you.”
It was so hot in here. And she wanted. God, how she wanted. She realized her hands cupped his face. Her gloved thumb ran over his lips smearing blood. And her head wasn’t against the wall, but leaning toward his.
She gasped, dropped her hands to his chest. “Stop,” she said breathlessly.
He froze, but didn’t retreat. Was still pressed hard against her. Just in the right spot.
“I can’t.” Her gaze trailed from his eyes to his lips. “I want. I’ll want to—”
“I won’t let you.”
She ripped her gaze from his mouth. From those lips she just wanted to taste. To feel pressed against hers. To be kissed. She just wanted to be kissed.
“Promise.” He slid his lower half against hers in a slow madding push upward that set her on fire.
No way to stop the groan.
“No skin,” he grounded through clenched teeth and began to move faster.
Kate couldn’t worry about anything anymore. She put her hands around his biceps, closed her eyes and for once in her life put her trust in someone other than herself.
She let go.
Chapter 44
Lucas had never seen anything more beautiful in his life. It was hard to keep his promise. All he wanted to do was bury his face into her neck and inhale. Lick it. Take her bottom lip that her tongue kept darting out to wet into his mouth. His body shook, pleasure growing with each throaty moan that escaped from her lips, each grind of his hips against hers.
Her hands suddenly tightened on his arms as her body convulsed against his. Her cry of ecstasy threw him over the edge, and to keep his promise he tilted his head to the ceiling and yelled his own release. Ragged breaths filled the silence in the room.
Arms still braced against the wall, he kept his hips against Kate. Her hands still gripped his biceps.
“Holy shit,” she said, breathless. “I think I need to sit down.”
He chuckled and pushed off from the wall. When she started to slide down, he grabbed both of her gloved hands and tugged her to the bed. She half sat, half fell on it. He sat next to her, wanting to hold her, to lie next to her.
Maybe one day they could. She’d just have to get through one vision then they could touch again and again.
What was he thinking? Could he be more selfish? Besides what would she see? What if she saw him with the zakaar from the bar? What would she think of him? Or with another nheqeba? No. He’d never want her to see that.
“Are you, was that okay?” he asked.
She raised an eyebrow. “Are you crazy?”
He frowned. What did that mean?
“That was better than okay.” Her cheeks reddened. “A first for me,” she added quietly. “I’ve never done that with anyone else.”
Lucas reached for her hand. He could be happy with this. Holding her hand with a piece of fabric in between them. Bringing her pleasure with their clothes on. “I can’t remember the last time I lost control like that. Had to be when I was a boy.”
She laughed. A sweet, light sound he hadn’t heard from her before.
He grinned.
Her gaze sobered. “You didn’t tell me my job had an expiration date. Other than the one I put on it.”
“I was hoping to change Cade’s mind when the time came.” His gaze roamed over her face. What was she feeling? If he hadn’t taken those two gang members he might be able to sense something from her. “Yours, too.”
Her heart picked up speed. She stood, extracting her hand from his. “Martha’s expecting me downstairs.” She ran a hand through her hair. “And I have to shower first.”
“You could shower here. I’ll wait outside. If you want.”
She shook her head.
“Will you come back? When you’re on break?” he asked. “We could watch a movie before I patrol.”
“Okay.” She gave him a small smile.
Chapter 45
After his own shower, Lucas lay down. He threw the pillows on the floor and buried his nose in the mattress, inhaling Kate’s scent. A few hours later he woke to his phone ringing and a raging hard on.
“Cade wants us in the conference room in ten.”
Lucas processed Gabe’s words, casting a blurry glance at the clock. It was too early for the BDM. “Why?” He was supposed to meet Kate in a couple hours.
“Don’t know.”
Lucas startled
at Gabe’s curt answer. Before he could formulate a response, his ach hung up. What the hell was that about? Gabe couldn’t be pissed about not meeting up for ball. If the Sarid situation hadn’t happened Lucas would’ve been there.
He lifted his gaze to the section of wall where Kate had fallen apart in his arms. Not that Lucas was sorry about the turn of events. Not one damn bit.
He’d talk to Gabe after the meeting. Smooth things out.
Fifteen minutes later, Lucas walked into the conference room, surprised to see Sarid holding up the wall. “Shouldn’t you still be resting?”
“I’m fine,” Sarid replied, not glancing at Lucas.
Cade and Gabe were already seated.
“So what’s going on? What couldn’t wait until the BDM?” Lucas asked.
“We wanted to talk with you,” Cade said, motioning for Lucas to take a seat. “I thought it’d best to get it out of the way before our regular meeting.”
Lucas sat, shoved his hands in his pocket, and clutched the star he had the forethought to grab from his dresser. “If this is about what happened in my room with Kate, I apologize. I overreacted. And I shouldn’t have said those things about Emma.” Even though they were one hundred percent true.
“That is more the effect of the problem, not the cause.” Cade glanced at Gabe.
Lucas shifted his gaze as well. Gabe wasn’t looking at either of them. His ach scrutinized the table in front of him as if he were staring at a hidden objects page. Lucas frowned. “I’m not following.”
“You have a problem,” Cade said.
“We should be using I statements,” Gabe said quietly. “Like we are worried about you.”
