Breaking Free

by Alicia McCalla

  He’s a revolutionary.

  I’m not … at least I don’t think I am.

  It’s illegal.

  He’s not my acceptable mate-designation type.

  A relationship between the two of them that yielded any offspring, would certainly wind up a pickled aborted fetus in Zone 6. XJ shuddered.

  She felt exposed. Vulnerable. “Is there a restroom here?” She scanned the room and realized that they were in some sort of motel—they were in the bed together! XJ jumped and almost fell on the floor, but Brandon caught her.

  “Be careful, you’re going to hurt yourself!” His voice calmed her as he pulled her gently back on the bed. The touch ignited a flushed spark. His touch, stare, and concern proved too much for XJ. She bolted for the restroom and slammed the door.

  She heard Brandon through the door, but couldn’t get her mind together. This was too sudden and thoughts swirled. Her life was a mess. She washed her face and looked at herself in the mirror.

  “Are you alright? Do you feel sick?” Brandon’s words assaulted the door. He sounded worried.

  “I’ll be out in a minute….” XJ washed out her mouth with the nearest mouthwash and tried to pull herself together. She still couldn’t believe it.

  “I’m just trying to make sure this is real. How’d I get away from CAGE?”

  “I made a deal to get you out of there. You’re safe.” She heard his forehead thump the door as he took deep breaths.

  Emotions tore through XJ as the memories flooded. She’d made a terrible mistake in trusting Fitch and CAGE took her. But she thought she’d never get out. She thought she’d never have a chance to apologize to Brandon. She thought that he would have abandoned her.

  She opened the door and saw Brandon standing there, wanting to help keep her safe. Tears gushed and he pulled her into his arms.

  “I’m so sorry, Brandon! I’m so sorry…!” The words flooded out of her mouth in a deep sob. “I was wrong to trust Fitch.”

  “It’s okay,” he told her while caressing her hair. “At least you’re safe now and that’s all that matters.” His strokes moved from her hair to her face.

  Tears dried up and an urge awakened inside her. His tender touch wiped away her tears and his mouth moved close to hers. Passion ignited. XJ found herself in a deep, greedy kiss that was both wet and warm. Her body reacted from the top of her head to the bottom of her soul.

  Her stomach turned somersaults as the kiss brought frenzied satisfaction. She didn’t want to break the kiss.

  But this can’t be real! She couldn’t allow herself to get involved with Brandon no matter how much she enjoyed his touch. XJ pulled back….

  And her body felt the absent cold.

  Chapter 23

  “I can’t trust anybody in the Revolution over 30.”

  —XJ Patterson, Granddaughter of Dr. Gary Leonard Kates

  Brandon couldn’t stand the distance between them. He pulled her back into his embrace. She made him feel eager, excited, and ready. He’d had other girls—gone all the way many times.

  But he’d never felt like this. He was caught between being her protector and complete infatuation. His longing ignited….

  He would have her. He reached for her sweet, pecan brown face. Feather gentle, he placed his lips on hers and their kiss exploded again in a hot, passionate, spicy frenzy. He didn’t care about designation types or racial differences.

  Brandon didn’t care about any of it. He decided that XJ would be his mate—even if he had to dismantle CAGE single-handedly. Her body softened into his caress. He had a boner out of this world.

  His mind raced, then slowed for XJ. Was she a virgin? He’d never heard any rumors about her. He’d have to be extra special, then. He would never treat her like he’d treated Heather.

  The hotness from the kissing and warm caresses took on a rhythmic tone as Brandon led them towards to the bed. Without breaking the kiss, he eased down on the bed and XJ’s body came close to straddling his. He wanted to touch every part of her. He fell deep into her dark brown eyes. He gently guided her deeper into his warmth.

  Brandon slid his hand across her neck, touching her pain reducing chip. The small electric pulse made him more excited. The kiss grew deeper and more enjoyable. Finally, he had XJ on the bed and he flipped her over, so that he was on top. The heat in her eyes engulfed him and his manhood hardened.

  He had to have her and wanted to ask if he could…. He wanted to move to the next level … wanted to love her deeper. He lowered himself and tasted her mouth. She reciprocated hungrily. What can I do? Should I ask if she’s a virgin?

  He began to move his hands down the rest of her body. She gasped softly and deepened his kiss and caress…. There was a thunderous knock at the door. Now was not the time!

  “Brandon, you in there?”

  It’s Brockman.

  “Yeah….” Brandon sucked in his breath. “We’re here; just a sec.”

  Brandon waited for XJ to head for the restroom and then answered the door. Brockman pushed passed him.

  “Were you guys sleeping or something?” Brockman asked. Brandon shifted positions and motioned for him to sit at the nearby table.

  “XJ was exhausted, She’s been a little emotional.” Brandon’s voice trailed as he thought about his rock hard boner. He was so glad that he was wearing jogging pants. When XJ slipped out of the restroom, he felt his face flush.

  “Ah XJ, there you are! So good to see you again.” Brockman extended his hand.

  “Brockman?” She sounded incensed. “What are you doing here?” She didn’t take his hand.

  Brandon sensed the tension between the two, “Um XJ? He wanted to make sure you were alright. He set up this room and everything.”

  XJ folded her arms, glaring at him. “Well, thank you,” she said; her voice strained.

  “I know we haven’t been close but I think of you as my niece. I’m here to help,” the older man pleaded with her.

  “Where were you when they took my momma away?” she said in an angry, low voice. “Why didn’t the Revolution help her?”

  He stiffened. “We warned your mother, but she wouldn’t listen. She was stubborn.”

  XJ’s body language said she wasn’t convinced.

  “Let’s talk business.” Brockman said, in his revolutionary leader tone.

  “Oh, hell no! You aren’t running me the way you ran my mother! This freaking Revolution ruined my family, but it won’t ruin me! I’m not working with you—you wouldn’t even help my mom!”

  He sat back. “Your grandfather would be so disappointed in your behavior. He sacrificed himself for—“

  XJ went totally Ebonics. “Niggah, don’t tell me about my granddaddy’s sacrifice! No one understands it better than me! I don’t like your methods, and I don’t trust you!”

  Brockman cleared his throat. Brandon thought this brown haired, white man would freak when XJ called him the “N” word, but he stayed calm.

  That’s why I respect him. He’s so much cooler than my dad. He almost wished Brockman was his dad.

  The older man switched tactics. “Well, I see you’re not a fan of the Revolution. Here, take my card. When you’re ready, call me. I have some information that you might find important.” He stood up and Brandon walked him out of the room.

  “I don’t know what’s gotten into XJ,” Brandon said. “I’ll try to talk some sense into her!”

  Brockman raised his hand to stop him. “No, son, she’s decided not to trust us. I can’t say I blame her. The Revolution has had to make some tough choices over the years, and they haven’t always been in her best interest.”

  “But what will we do? We need guidance, leadership, support!”

  The older man stared into Brandon’s eyes. “Revolutions were built by young people. You have everything you need. Come to me when you want advice, but follow your own heart. CAGE will be overthrown by young energy—not by old revolutionaries.” With that, he was gone.

  Brandon
walked back into the room. “Take me home!” XJ demanded. “I don’t want anything from the Revolution!”

  He felt shocked and hurt. He knew the Revolution could help, if she’d accept it. How could he convince her?

  Chapter 24

  “GEPs’ freedom depends on independent revolutionaries telling their stories to the world, one by one.”

  —Brandon Miller, Revolutionary TV

  XJ prepared to leave. Brandon put his arms around her. His lips caressed the back of her neck. God, she’d enjoyed him!

  But her mind woke up. She put space between them. “As much as I enjoy our time. This is over.” Her voice sounded final, but her body still responded to him.

  He pulled her back against him. “I’m sorry. I just wanted to … I just wanted to calm you down.”

  “I don’t need to be calm.” Her aggravated tone sounded stern even to her own ears. He stepped away, and XJ felt the chasm grow between them.

  “Look,” he said, “I don’t claim to understand why you feel the way you do. But I respect Brockman. Sometimes I wish he were my dad.”

  “Don’t say that! Don’t say you respect that butt-hole! My grandfather and mother both trusted him and look where it got them.” XJ’s shoulders and neck tensed. “I just hate the Revolution and that crap they throw. It makes me so mad, I just want to implode; hold it, plant it in his brain, and explode inside his mind!” She threw her hands up in an explosive wave.

  “But without their rhetoric, the Revolution would have died years ago.”

  “Look, if you’re going to spout that mess, I’m definitely ready to go. Those revolutionaries are all about talk. But when it comes time, they’re short on action. When things get bad, Brockman gets gone.”

  Brandon got up and sat next to her. “Well … I want to help you as much as I can. CAGE killed my mother and I swear that I will do everything that I can to make sure they can’t kill yours, too.”

  XJ stared at him. “I didn’t know.” Her voice was very small now.

  Brandon continued, “I don’t know what Brockman’s story is, but I know mine. You can trust that I’ll do whatever it takes to help you. If you let me use the power that I have to support you, I will. Just say the word.”

  She thought for a minute. She needed the help. She’d turned her back on Brockman and the Revolution, but Brandon? Should she turn her back on him?

  “By your power, you mean your Internet TV show, don’t you?” XJ asked.

  “Yeah … it’s all I’ve got, but I’ll be fair to you and your family.”

  “Fine.” She winced. Maybe he could be helpful. “If I work with you—we can’t, you know, be together.”

  XJ did not want to become her mother. Her mother’s revolutionary boyfriends over the years drove a wedge between her mother and father. She didn’t want to tell Brandon that Brockman had been one of Dorothy’s lovers. He destroyed her parent’s marriage. She would be stronger than that. It was too much and she wouldn’t mix revolutionary business and puppy love for anyone.

  He moved closer to her ear and spoke a soft whisper, “So you’ll let me do the story but I can’t hold or kiss or caress you?”

  Hot fire ignited through XJ’s body. She kept her resolve. “That’s right. You lose focus when romance gets involved.” She closed her eyes as she responded.

  Brandon’s voice sounded strained, “Agreed. Where do we start?”

  She moved to a position of power at the table. “By cutting a deal. I want to be your exclusive only. You can’t show my likeness or my story without my approval. If I tell you to stop taping—you stop. I also want the message to be fair. But show me and my family in a positive light.”

  He chuckled. “Should I take notes?”

  XJ glared at him. “I’m not freaking joking, Brandon. You want to work with me,” she pointed to herself and then to him, “then you’d best do what I tell you.”

  Brandon sat back in thought. “I can handle that. Agreed. So where do we start your story?”

  “First, I’ll go to the restroom and clean myself up. Then you’ll interview me. After that you’ll help me find my long lost relatives.”

  She stood up and went to the bathroom to get ready. That was just about all she could tell him. She definitely wouldn’t share about her holographic grandfather and his lab. But she could use his resources to help her find her family. This could work to her advantage.

  XJ closed the door to the restroom and took a deep breath. So much had gone on that she didn’t know how to put it all together. She stepped over to the mirror and took a long look. Her nerves were raw. She turned on the water and frowned in the mirror.

  Emotions threatened to take over, but she gulped another strong, clearing breath. She sighed, washed her face, and dried it with one of the motel towels.

  Part of her felt really sad, but the other part listened to the strength and conviction in Brandon’s words. “This is Brandon Miller reporting for Revolution TV.”

  XJ smiled. He seemed confident; sure of himself. She stood back and folded her arms to hear more. “I’m here today with XJ Patterson, the granddaughter of Dr. Gary Leonard Kates, who has suffered a terrible ordeal at the hands of CAGE. She’s volunteered to give Revolution TV the exclusive on her story. Stay tuned.”

  Brandon paused. She could tell that he was nervous, maybe worried, but she respected his mission. She’d cleaned herself up, so she looked as presentable as she could.

  Almost on cue, XJ walked out.

  When she looked at Brandon, his eyes ran over her body in a heated way that made her squirm … pulled at her inside. Her stomach knotted. If things had been different, Brandon would be the one that she’d give her virginity to.

  But she couldn’t think like that. She still didn’t trust him all the way. It still hurt that he chose her white step sister over her. She’d have to be cautious. Too much was at stake.

  He’d set-up a small interview area with lights, portable green screen, interview chairs, and a camera. He beckoned for her to come over and sit down. Naughty thoughts snaked in her mind, but she dismissed them. It was time to tell her story and she didn’t have time for foolishness.

  XJ sat in the interview chair. The lights warmed her face. What would she tell people? She fidgeted with her hair and outfit.

  “Ready?” Brandon asked.

  She took a cleansing breath. “As I’ll ever be.”

  Chapter 25

  “Best laid plans go all to hell when GEPs are involved.”

  —Nadia Stillwater, Director of CAGE Regional Office

  Heather rounded the corner in the CAGE corridor. She had her plan all worked out. It was perfect. She’d have Brandon all wrapped in a bow for her mother.

  Then the other Heather knocked inside her mind. We could turn this to our advantage and be rid of mother once and for all.

  The thoughts made her stop, and rub her temples. She couldn’t remember if she said it in her head or out loud. “You’re too much trouble. I won’t listen.”

  She kept walking faster, but her breathing quickened.

  Don’t ignore me! I’m telling you. If we work together, we both can get what we need. We both can be free.

  Heather bit her lip and said, “What? What is it?” Her hands started to shake and her stomach felt woozy.

  Is it a deal? Will you work with me?

  Heather stopped and put her back against the cool wall. Her head kept spinning. But the other Heather was right. This would never end. She wanted to be done with all of this. She wanted to be free.

  Was it possible?

  She heard herself say, “I’ll do it. Just tell me what to do.” Her body slid down the wall and she sat on her bottom with her legs outstretched. She let go of her tension, and her shoulders slumped. The other Heather affected her this way sometimes.

  “What are you doing?” She heard her mother’s voice. “Get up from there!”

  Heather jumped up like a soldier and straightened her outfit. She’d changed back into
her pink combat boots, turtleneck, and hot pink jeans.

  “Sorry, mother. I was just resting.” Heather stammered.

  “Who were you talking, too?” Nadia moved closer.

  “No one. I was just working out my plan.” Heather felt the fear-filled sweat run down her back. She made no move to do anything about it.

  “Come.” Her mother beckoned a group of doctors. One stood out. “Dr. Robinson, did you complete the task that I asked you?”

  Dr. Robinson pushed his glasses up. “Yes, it’s ready, but it’s still experimental.”

  Heather watched Nadia move closer to Dr. Robinson. “Will it work? I’m not concerned about the effects.”

  Dr. Robinson cleared his throat. “Well, there will be short-term side effects but there’s no way of knowing long term effects.”

  “Use it!” Her mother sneered. “I need to remove the X factor from my plan.”

  Heather loosened up a bit. She was glad her mother had no idea about her plans. She turned to walk away.

  “Just a second, dear. I understand you let XJ go?” Her mother’s laser eyes made Heather nervous.

  “Yes. Yes. It’s all a part of my plan. I’m on my way now to assemble my tracking team.” Heather tried to sound confident, but the other Heather kept knocking. She rubbed her temple.

  “Come here, sweetie.” Her mother raised her hand. Heather didn’t want to touch her.

  Heather found herself surrounded by her mother and the group of doctors. From behind, she felt a needle prick the back of her neck.

  “Ouch!” She screamed. “Why’d you do that?”

  Her mother said. “Thank you, Dr. Robinson,” as she turned towards Heather, “Just assurances, dear … I sense that you’re conflicted. This will help.”

  Heather rubbed the injection site. “I’m not conflicted. Can I go on my mission now?”

  Nadia smiled, her eyes flat and cruel. “By all means, keep me posted.”

  Heather stormed off down the hall. But as she reached the door, both of her minds went blank. She rubbed her temples, frowning. Something was overwhelming her senses.