Evolutionary Romance- The Complete Trilogy

by Sarah Biglow

  “Ms. Boudreau wants us back at headquarters once they release you,” I said.

  “Oh ... Uh, hope she can tell me how I’m supposed to break this to my parents.”

  “They can handle more than you think.”

  The door to the room swung open and the nurse reappeared toting a metal tray with sutures and scissors. “Well, good news. You got lucky, Declan. That bullet did less damage than we had thought. We’ll just stitch you up and you’ll be on your way.”

  “Really?” Color returned to his pale cheeks.

  “You’ll need to wear a sling for a few weeks, keep the stiches clean and come back. One of the doctors will need to make sure everything is mending properly. But, you’ll be on your way home within the hour.” She looked at me, acknowledging my presence for the first time. “Your friend should probably take you home.”

  “I plan to,” I answered.

  Declan managed not to wince too badly as she gently pulled the bloody fabric away from the wounds and cleaned them with saline. I caught on that his right hand was balled into a fist to hide the pain and had to exert all the willpower I had not to take hold of it and lend my support.

  “You’re all set,” she announced and helped him into a sling.

  “Thank you,” I said on his behalf before he could open his mouth.

  “Try to stay out of trouble, boys.” She handed Declan a business card. “Call and make an appointment in a couple weeks with any of the orthopedic doctors.”

  She left the room and Declan studied the card. He flipped it over and his fingers traced pen marks on the card. I snatched it out of his hand. “Monica Pierce. And would you look at that. She left her cell number for you. She must be one skilled nurse.”

  “That’s not a good look on you,” he snapped and took the card back.

  “And what look would that be?” I had a feeling I knew what his next words would be.

  “Jealousy.”

  “Who says I’m jealous?”

  He opened his mouth to respond, but stopped short. He shook his head and pushed himself to his feet. “Let’s just get out of here, okay?”

  “Sure thing.”

  I tapped my badge to get us into the back entrance of headquarters which was below the library. We headed directly for the main office area. Halfway to our destination, three pairs of footsteps thundered in our direction. Spencer, his girlfriend Marisol, and Tina appeared, closing ranks around Declan.

  “This was not a bet I wanted to win,” Spencer protested loudly, no doubt having read Declan’s thoughts.

  “I figured if a little nerd like you could handle it, it wasn’t a big deal,” Declan played off. He turned to Tina who eyed him in silence. “Too bad your boyfriend wasn’t there to save the day.”

  Tina’s face darkened as Spencer snickered behind his hand. They no doubt meant rookie officer Reese Finley. They didn’t know he, like us, had powers. “He’s not my boyfriend,” she glowered.

  “She only wishes he was,’ Spencer added, earning a withering stare from Tina.

  I cleared my throat. “We need to debrief with Ms. Boudreau. But, I’m sure you all can catch up when we’re done.”

  “Actually, Mr. Sorano should join us as well,” Lena said, appearing in a nearby doorway.

  I’d long ago gotten used to her sudden appearances; as if she too had powers we knew nothing about. The fact that all four of them jumped at her voice told me they hadn’t quite adjusted. I watched Spencer give Marisol’s hand a squeeze before he followed Declan and I the rest of the way to where Lena waited. Tina tried to tag along. We watched as her mother shut the door in her face, turning an old-fashioned key in the lock.

  “This is bullshit!” Tina shouted through the door.

  I steered Declan into a chair and leaned on the back of it. Spencer milled off to the side, shooting nervous glances at Lena and I. Lena still insisted we wear the mind dampening tech to keep Spencer out of our heads. Some things are better off kept quiet from a telepath.

  “I want to know what happened today,” Lena said, looking at me, even though I’d already given her a brief rundown during our phone call.

  “We got the assignment to stake out the bank. It was being robbed like we had thought. We went in and I created a distraction so Declan could get the hostages to safety.” It was a watered down, less sensational version of the truth. She didn’t need to know about our little argument that ended with me pressed up against a wall and not in a fun way.

  “And how exactly did Mr. O’Bannon end up in the hospital with a gunshot wound?”

  “Stupid robber shot me,” Declan grumbled, clearly still under the influence of the pain medication.

  “He thought he’d taken out the bigger threat but the guy was able to retrieve his weapon and get off a shot. That was my fault. I wasn’t fast enough to stop him,” I answered, my gaze downcast.

  “In light of this, I think it is smart that Declan take some time off,” Lena answered.

  “Uh, not that this isn’t interesting, but why am I here?” Spencer asked.

  “Our goal is to better learn the extent of your abilities. One way to do that is to pair you up with partners that have different powers to see how well they balance each other. Perhaps it was hasty to split the two of you up without observing you more closely. Once Declan is healed, we’ll see what you two can do together under more controlled circumstances.” She gave me a small nod.

  I took it for what it was—her small concession to keep the peace. With that declaration made, she unlocked the door and gestured for us to leave. Spencer couldn’t hide a wide grin at the news. Declan, doped up as he was on pain meds, smirked, too. I brought up the rear. I expected to find at least Tina waiting for them, but her bright blue tresses were nowhere to be seen.

  “Why don’t I make sure you get home okay. I can help explain things to your parents,” I offered when we reached the exit.

  “Uh, thanks,” Declan mumbled.

  Spencer shot me an inquisitive look, but wandered off leaving us to stand side by side in silence. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my keys, leading the way to the side parking lot used by library employees. I had to still make it look like I worked at the library. Any good vigilante had a solid cover story. And if I was honest, I kind of enjoyed the predictability of the circulation desk. At least there, I knew nothing would end up in a life or death struggle.

  “I’m guessing I have you to thank for the partner swap,” Declan said once we pulled onto Main Street.

  “I thought about what you said and I realized it made sense, at least while you heal up,” I answered.

  “In other words, you felt guilty.”

  I didn’t answer right away. For someone who wasn’t a mind reader, he was surprisingly adept at picking up on my thoughts. “Maybe a little.”

  “Make a left at this intersection. It’s halfway down the street on the right.”

  “I kn—” I caught myself. He wasn’t aware that I’d done a little light snooping before we teamed up. “Thanks.”

  “So, what will you do?” he probed as I pulled up to a red light.

  “Oh, you know, go home, sob into my pillow and journal about it,” I said with a sly smile.

  “Weirdo,” he commented.

  “I’ve been solo before. Let’s just say I rub some people the wrong way.”

  “You mean you hit on everyone you work with?”

  I looked at him and caught the arched brow. “Only the ones I think I’ve got a shot with.”

  Declan let that statement hang in the air between us as I pressed down on the accelerator, speeding away from the intersection and pulling into the driveway of his family’s two-story bungalow. Instead of answering me, he climbed out of the truck, slammed the passenger side door and marched inside.

  I trailed after him, taking in the simple décor of the living room. I’d only ever seen the outside before. God, I’m not a stalker! His parents were nowhere to be seen. Until, his mother appeared from the kitchen,
her arms covered in flour up to her elbows.

  “Declan, oh sweetheart what happened?” she fussed, forgetting the mess coating her hands as she raced to him.

  He was quick to dart out of her way and avoided the flour dusting. “Ma, stop it.”

  She caught herself and rubbed her hands on her apron. “You’ve got a friend here, too?”

  “Good evening, ma’am,” I said with a small wave. “I’ve been working with Declan during his internship this summer. There was an accident today.”

  “An accident? What sort of accident?” his father—a thickset bearded man—boomed, appearing behind his wife.

  Declan shot me a look as if to ask ‘how much do I tell them?’. I wanted to reassure him that his parents knew more than he thought about his internship. But I couldn’t communicate that to him in a look and he needed to be the one to explain this to them. He swallowed. “Uh, there might have been a guy with a gun robbing a bank.”

  “We heard about it on the news,” his mother said, gently guiding him toward a seat in the living room.

  “You did?” He sounded confused.

  “Not a lot of big crime like that happens in our town, son. Word gets around,” his father added, keeping his eye on me as I leaned against the wall.

  “Oh, well uh, I sort of took out the guys trying to rob the bank but one of them shot me. The doctor says I’ll be fine,” he said in one long breath.

  His parents shared a concerned look. I suspected they, like my own family, knew generally that he had abilities, but not what they were. His mother was the first to recover and she looked at me. “And where were you when my son was shot?”

  “I take responsibility for it, ma’am. I wasn’t fast enough to stop the shooter.”

  “Henry was helping the hostages get out of the bank. I thought I had the situation under control. I know better for next time,” Declan added, shouldering some of the blame.

  “Well, Declan’s responsibilities for this internship better be on hold until he’s recovered,” his father said.

  “Yes, sir.” I looked at Declan. “I’ll see you around. Rest up, okay?”

  “Yeah. See you around,” he repeated.

  I took it as my cue to leave. As I climbed in behind the wheel, I swore that I saw him peer out at me through the front bay window. I held onto that image as I pulled out of the driveway and left him with his family. Where he’d be safe, for a little while at least.

  Chapter Three

  Declan

  Getting comfortable with a bum arm was harder than I had expected. I was about to down another dose of the pain meds when a knock came at my window. I caught sight of Marisol’s curls and slid the window pane up to let her in. We’d only known each other for a few months, but somehow, she’d become a good friend. Her empath powers also meant she was more likely to call me out on my bullshit than other people.

  “You know, Spencer’s going to suspect you’re cheating on him one of these days,” I commented as Marisol slid the window mostly shut behind her, giving her just enough leverage to open it again when she left.

  “He’s a mind reader. He knows we are just friends,” she answered, sitting on the end of my bed as if she belonged there.

  In a way, it had become her designated spot. Since graduation, she’d been coming over a lot. There wasn’t anything romantic going on between us. Sure, she was pretty, but she was Spencer’s girlfriend. Besides for all the shit I gave him about dating a girl he had met on the internet, they did seem a solid fit. Their powers even complimented each other perfectly.

  “Did he tell you the news that we’re being partnered back up?” I asked, popping the pills anyway.

  “His excitement nearly gave me a heart attack. Literally. He is tired of just sitting around. He misses the danger and he misses you, even if he doesn’t say it often. I know you do, too.”

  I still wasn’t quite used to her reading me like an open book. Most of the time she was good about keeping my feelings quiet. I had a certain reputation to maintain. She’d adapted to her powers well for being alone most of the time. Four years ago, I’d been terrified when my strength increased tenfold and my hands could easily do serious damage. At least I’d had Spencer and Tina to go through it with me.

  After a minute she rubbed her left shoulder, no doubt feeling my pain. “I am so sorry you got hurt.”

  “I guess it was bound to happen. Messing around with assholes with guns,” I said.

  She shook her head. “You don’t have to pretend with me, Declan. I can feel what you do, remember?”

  “Honestly, I get why Spencer passed out in City Hall. It hurt more than I thought it would. I’m surprised I was still standing when the cops busted in.” I pulled the hospital business card out of my pocket and looked at Monica’s cell phone number. “The nurse who treated me was pretty hot. Even gave me her number.”

  “She did not!” she laughed and plucked the card from my hand. “Isn’t she too old for you?”

  I smiled big. It could have been the lingering effects of the pain meds. “We’re both adults and I’m single.”

  “So, you and Lissette did actually break up then?”

  “Yeah. I mean, she’s going off to college in a couple months and I’m staying here. I’m not interested in a long-distance thing.”

  She toyed with a loose curl. “That isn’t the only reason.”

  I wanted to be mad at her for snooping in my head like Spencer used to do, but I found I could actually talk to Marisol. Something about her power let me put down the walls I’d built over the years. Even if it was just for a few hours. “I couldn’t tell her about the whole superpower thing. She wouldn’t believe me.”

  “And you think the only way you can be happy is if you are with someone who knows your secret, or shares in it,” she said.

  “Seems to work for you and Spencer.”

  “It took us four years to find each other and it wasn’t an instant connection like he made it out to be. We’re genetic experiments, Declan. That can put a damper on any relationship. Maybe having someone normal isn’t such a bad thing.”

  “I’m not giving up on finding someone normal. And hey, for all I know, Monica does know about our powers.”

  “There’s someone else who is interested and definitely knows about your powers,” she commented.

  I felt heat rise to the nape of my neck. I knew Spencer thought I was gay and so had Marisol, until I’d confessed the truth. I’d found a few guys on the wrestling team attractive. It wasn’t that I didn’t like girls. My first sexual experience had been with a girl. For a while, I thought it was a phase, but spending time with Henry had confirmed that my attraction to guys wasn’t going anywhere. For all his flirting, I refused to reciprocate. I didn’t want him to think I was just giving in. “I’m not interested in Henry,” I replied.

  Marisol fell into a fit of girlish giggles. I was surprised it didn’t draw my parents’ attention. “That is the biggest lie I have ever heard. And I do not need to be an empath to see right through it.”

  “He’s annoying and so … gay.”

  “And he likes you. He has been trying to get your attention for months now. It is called flirting. You know that thing you do when you want someone to pay attention to you?” she quipped.

  “I know what flirting is,” I muttered. “If I go out with him, he’ll think he was successful.”

  “What is wrong with that?” She sat up with her arms crossed over her chest.

  “Because then it’s like some sort of game.” I hated not being in control of things and giving in to Henry’s passes felt like the ultimate loss of control.

  “You could always ask him out first,” she suggested.

  “I’ll think about it,” I said through a poorly masked yawn. The days’ events were catching up with me. I blinked at her through the sleepy haze of the pain meds. “I never asked how you were doing with everything with your dad.”

  She waved my comment off. “I came to check on you. I
am fine.”

  “Still pissed at your dad for lying to you about the whole superbaby thing?”

  “I have tried to get him to explain why he and my mother left town before I was born but he refuses to give me an answer.”

  “Sic Spencer on him.”

  “I want him to like Spencer,” she said. She stood up and gave me an awkward one-armed hug. “I will deal with it. Get some rest. I am getting very tired of my friends being shot.”

  “You and me both,” I said and propped myself up against a pile of pillows, watching her sneak back out the window.

  Chapter Four

  Henry

  “You should wear a fucking bell,” Tina snapped at me the next morning when I walked into the computer hub at headquarters, coffee and chocolate croissant in hand.

  “Morning to you, too,” I replied and sat down beside her. In all the time I’d spent around Tina at the library, I would not classify us as even remotely friendly. At best she was indifferent. I suppose when I held the keys to her mother’s secret and had kept it from her, it made sense she wouldn’t trust or like me. It still didn’t give her license to be a whiny brat.

  She grabbed the croissant right out of my hand and took a bite. “I never see you here this early,” she commented around the mouthful of pastry.

  “Rude, much?” I muttered.

  She rolled her eyes and took another bite. “If you must know, oh breakfast thief, I just felt like it,” I replied. In truth, I hadn’t slept well and hoped giving myself something—anything—to do somewhere I knew Declan wouldn’t be alleviated some of my guilt.

  “You know I blame you for Declan getting hurt, right?” she said, swallowing the rest of the croissant in one final bite.

  “I don’t need your guilt trip, Tina. I have plenty of my own guilt for myself. Besides, I didn’t think you had the mental computing power to give two shits about anyone but yourself. Isn’t that why you’ve been sequestering yourself in here all summer pouring over scientific data you don’t understand?” I countered.