by S M Olivier
I shot a glare at Mr. Jace. “No. Not tonight. Sorry,” I said looking down at Ella, hoping to soften the blow.
I didn’t know what I expected when we pulled up in front of his modern home, but it wasn’t the sight of the two vehicles parked in the horseshoe driveway. I didn’t know much about vehicles, but I knew enough to know that there wasn’t a vehicle that cost less than sixty thousand dollars in the driveway.
“Looks like the party has started,” Remy grunted. I couldn’t tell if he was pleased by that or not.
I got out of the car, ignoring Remy’s extended hand, and threw my messenger bag over my shoulder. I was leery of those who gathered here and why they did. I grabbed Ella’s hand, although she seemed excited about being here and didn’t appear to share any of my reticence on being here. To be fair, she didn’t just have her world turned upside down. With plodding steps, I followed Remy and Mr. Jace.
I didn’t know what I expected when I walked in, but it wasn’t the boisterous scene in front of me. Four good-looking men were sitting at the bar in the kitchen, talking and joking with beers in their hands, and a distinguished looking man sitting at the piano playing some of the prettiest Mozart I have ever heard. I recognized the three other men that had accompanied Mr. Jace at the bar the other night. Then my eyes widened in recognition— Jax, a.k.a. Mr. All American, Boy Wonder, Alter Ego, the Insane Man, That Little Voice, Grumpy; the list went on. I gave him many names over the years.
His eyes lit up the moment he saw me. He put his beer down and came around the bar, engulfing me in a tight hug. He smelled good, like sandalwood and cinnamon. I inhaled deeply. What was up with these men, their good looks, and their yummy scents? I don’t think I ever paid much attention to a way a man smelled until now. I had even noticed a pleasant scent from Remy in the close confines of the sports car.
I froze. Personal touch wasn’t something I enjoyed since my father died. I tried to be affectionate with Ella, knowing she needed it, but it was something I struggled with. I’ve been wary of others touching me since I was twelve years old. Heidi’s boyfriend had forced me to sit on his lap as he embraced and stroked me. He had been the first one to touch me inappropriately, and he had made me leery of all men.
“You’re even more beautiful than I imagined you would be.” Jax stood back and looked at me, tugging on one of my curls. It reminded me of something my dad (or my uncle?) use to do all the time. Jax gently caressed my cheek where my welt was, and his brows knitted. “Is this from last night?”
I nodded.
“Why don’t you back off so Noah can take care of it?” Mr. Jace said shortly. I have never seen him so sullen. Maybe he was still upset that Jax kept our secret for so long.
“But first, maybe Troy can take the little one out to the pool.” The older man who had been playing the piano said. He was now leaning against the fireplace.
On closer scrutiny, I noticed a resemblance to Mr. Jace and Jax; I stiffened. He was the reason my father had taken me away from the institute. He was the reason Jax had kept our secret for so long.
I stepped closer to Ella, putting a protective arm around her. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.” I bit out at him. “I vaguely remember you, but what I can remember I don’t like. I don’t want my sister out of my sight. I know how you like to push children around.”
His jaw clenched. Clearly, he was used to people obeying his every word. It probably rankled him that a teenage girl dared to defy him. Then his eyes softened, and his lips twitched. “You haven’t changed much Amanda. We have no intention of harming you or her. Do you not trust Jace or Jax for that matter? One thing that hasn’t changed over the years is their need to protect you.”
I looked at Mr. Jace for his reaction. He nodded encouragingly. There had to be a reason why he wouldn’t want Ella around. I had a feeling I was going to get more answers. “It’s Blake.” I snapped at the older man. “Ella, dear, would you like to go to the pool with Troy?”
Ella looked torn between her loyalty to me and her desire to get in the pool. “But I don’t have a bathing suit.”
“I’m sure I can remedy that.” Mr. Jace reached into the front room closet and held out a few swimsuits. He was blushing when he looked at me. “I wasn’t sure what size she was, but I figured this would come in handy one day.”
I felt touched and annoyed at the same time. I looked at the swimsuits and found a size seven. “This should fit you, pumpkin.” I handed her a pretty turquoise and purple one piece.
“Are you sure it’s okay?” she asked uncertainly.
I feigned an encouraging smile. “It’s fine. We have grown up talk to do.”
It didn’t take her long to run into the bathroom and come back out with her swimsuit on. I assumed it was Troy who came out of one of the spare rooms sporting swim shorts that clung low on his hips. Where did these men come from?
I distrusted most men, but it didn’t stop me from admiring them. He was average in height but looked like he worked out religiously— like all of them. His dark hair was cut short, almost military style, short on the sides but longer on top. His smooth olive complexion hinted at an Italian heritage. He had honey brown eyes with outrageously long eyelashes that most woman would kill for. My eyes traveled down to his six-pack and back up again when I realized he caught me looking. He gave me a mischievous grin and winked. I blushed and looked away quickly.
We all waited for them to get into the pool before one of the other eye candies stood up and rubbed his hands together. “Okay, sugar, let’s see to those wounds.”
I looked at him hesitantly. This must be Noah. His hair was a pleasant shade of reddish brown that it almost looked unnatural. He had laughing hazel eyes, and a charming dusting of freckles across his nose that normally would have made him look boyish, but with his strong features and build he was far from boyish.
“I can take care of them,” I took a step back. “I’m used to this song and dance.”
He chuckled. “You really are new to this aren’t you?” With quick steps, he was in front of me grasping my face.
I was about to bite an angry retort, but I felt a weird warmth radiating from his hands and I was transfixed. The stinging on my face was gone within moments.
“Better.” He gave me knowing grin. “Now, let me see the other wounds.”
“I’m fine,” I took a hasty step back.
“Blake,” Mr. Jace said gently. “Noah’s a healer. I assure you, he will keep it professional and make you feel as comfortable as he can.”
I crossed my arms in front of my chest and looked at him mutinously. “Will all of you turn.”
Mr. Jace gave me a crooked grin. “If you want. You can also go to the bathroom,” he said, and then turned his attention to the others in the room. “ Drake, can you start dinner? Jax and I can be your sous chefs. Remy and Dad, can you get back on that research I requested?”
I stood torn with indecision. My face felt a lot better, and I wanted to move without pain once more, especially since my shift at the bar tonight would be a strenuous one. I motioned for Noah to follow me into the bathroom. It was huge; it had a standup shower, a huge garden tub, double sinks, and the toilet was in a closet separated from it all. Hesitantly, I lifted my top. I was glad my sports bra covered the girls and helped reduce the size of them.
Noah looked at me solemnly, all trace of humor gone as he placed his hands on me once more. “I’m sorry I can’t do anything about your scars,” he said grimly.
I know if you looked closely you could see scars on my skin that weren’t natural or explainable. For instance, I had cigarette burns on my upper back from Heidi’s mom— I hadn’t gotten her beer fast enough. I had a scar under my glute where a belt buckle had ripped a chunk of skin off from one of the beatings Heidi had given me. And I had another scar under my left breast where one of Heidi’s boyfriends threatened to cut it off unless I rubbed on him.
I tried to shake off the dark thoughts and watched in fascination as the
bruising faded and the pain receded.
I felt slightly awkward standing nearly topless in front of a man, so I started talking softly. “Is this your gift? It’s pretty cool.”
His grin was boyish and crooked as he looked at me. “Thanks. It comes in handy,” he shrugged. “I hear you’re a prodigy, but they don’t know exactly what your gift is.”
I don’t know why I felt disarmed by his grin, or if it was the fact that I felt high on the endorphins from his healing hands. “I’m not sure. Sometimes I can tell people to do something and they do it.” I shrugged in confusion.
He stopped and took a step back. A slight frown marred his handsome features. “Like you compel people to do stuff and they do it?”
I froze and frowned back at him. “Yes? Why?” Did I say the wrong thing? Why was he frowning at me?
He must have seen my change in attitude because he gave me a reassuring smile. “Turn around, Blake.” He hissed and cursed under his breath. He had seen the cigarette burns. I felt the warmth and healing once more as he worked on the bruises and welts on my back. “If what you say is correct you have a very, very strong and rare gift.”
I shrugged. “It comes and goes when it wants. For the longest time, I thought I was a freak.”
He turned me around gently and gave me a sympathetic grin. “Most of us experience that when we hit puberty. It’s a hard and trying time as it is, and then we wake up one day and we have a new energy running rampant through us. Let’s go back to the others; I’m sure they would like to be a part of this conversation.”
I nodded my head, and once again tried to process all this information. “Thanks for healing me,” I gave him a preoccupied smile as I gnawed on my lower lip.
I went into the kitchen and found Mr. Bell, Senior, sitting with Remy. Remy was sitting in front of a laptop. Remy’s fingers were rapidly moving across the keyboard as Mr. Bell leaned over to whisper to him occasionally.
I realized they hadn’t really introduced me to anyone. I assumed it was Drake that was busy rolling out what looked to be pasta. Mr. Jace was at the stove browning some kind of meat, and Jax appeared to be cutting up vegetables for a salad.
I took a seat on a bar stool and looked down at my watch, and I realized I would have to leave here in an hour if I wanted to get to work on time.
“So…I think our little flower has the gift of compulsion,” Noah said with a smirk as he took a sip of his beer.
There were various shades of shock crossing most of everyone’s features, except for Mr. Jace and Jax.
“You’ve been here for a year and you just recently felt like she was gifted? You just realized she may be the playmate you knew as a child? How many pretty, dark, curly headed, green-eyed girls do you encounter on a daily basis?” Mr. Bell looked at Mr. Jace suspiciously.
Mr. Jace looked at him impassively. “I was nine Dad, my recollections were fuzzy at best. Her file was destroyed, and I had no picture to go by. I had my suspicions, but she was hard to read. I tried several times to confirm her identity and she remained evasive. I was focused on all the obvious gifted students, not the ones in hiding.”
Mr. Bell looked angry for a moment, then he chuckled and his face softened. “I should have expected no different from you. You two,” he pointed a finger at his sons, “always tried to protect her. I believed it was because your inherent need to be protective, but it’s more than that. Isn’t it?”
Jax seemed very interested in a carrot all the sudden. Mr. Jace gave his brother a pointed look and then sighed. “I think Jax and I are connected to her.”
His father looked at us dumbfounded, and I was even more confused. “What does a connection mean? I mean,” I looked at Jax, “I had a feeling we could…” I searched for the right words suddenly embarrassed. “…have a connection because we’ve been communicating for a while, but what does that all entail?”
Mr. Bell seemed even more astonished for a moment, although I think that didn’t happen very often. He looked at his younger son. “This has been going on for years, hasn’t it? When you were younger, you seemed entirely too interested in the silent communications with a connected pair. It was because of her, wasn’t it?” At Jax’s reluctant nod Mr. Bell continued, looking pointedly at me. “It means if you were to bond to the ones you have a connection with your gifts and theirs can increase to epic proportions. We have a few in our community with multiple connections, but it infrequently happens.”
I felt blindsided for a moment hoping he didn’t mean what I thought he meant.
Finally, Noah spoke, seeming highly amused. “In other words, if you were intimate with your connections you could increase all of your gifts.”
Chapter 6
I began to laugh thinking they were pulling my leg, but when no one else laughed my eyes narrowed. “You’re kidding me, right?! I’ve never even had one boyfriend before, let alone two at the same time. Isn’t that highly immoral? How would that even work? Not that I’m interested.” I was highly embarrassed suddenly and I knew I must be beet red. “He’s my teacher,” I pointed at Mr. Jace. “And other than that annoying voice in my head,” I pointed at Jax, “I barely even know him.”
Noah laughed at Jax and said, “Annoying voice sounds about right.”
I looked around the room. Mr. Bell seemed to have a calculating look, and Remy went back to his laptop as if he felt like he was intruding on our conversation. Drake was just as red as I was as he continued cooking dinner, while Mr. Jace was looking at me with his normal concerned look, and Jax was giving me a perturbed look.
“I was more than an annoying voice. I know quite a bit about you, as you do me.” I wanted to crawl into a hole at that moment. He did know a lot about me. A lot more than everyone did. I turned to him so many times over the years. He knew intimate details about my life that I would have never shared with anyone if I thought he truly existed.
He looked like he wanted to take the words back the moment they left his mouth, probably knowing what I was thinking.
Mr. Jace finally spoke quietly as if he didn’t want to spook me, like I was a frightened doe that may run. And I wanted to. If Ella wasn’t here I would have. “Not all connected pairs bond. We don’t have to. Some of us, like Jax and I, have grown accustomed to the idea since we were kids, but most people don’t get their gifts until they hit puberty, and even then, they still have years to understand our lifestyle. You were taken away from us before you could comprehend any of this.”
I turned on Mr. Bell, suddenly furious. I never wanted any of this. “Now I know why my father took me away from you animals. I don’t even want this gift, let alone entertain the idea of dating not one guy, but two. Please take me home now,” I turned to Mr. Jace.
Mr. Bell held a beseeching hand towards me. “I am a man. I have made several mistakes. As a young man, I was best friends with two other men that were gifted as we are. We created the institute in hopes of protecting the gifted. Unfortunately, Horatio took it too far and tried to turn the gifted into weapons. It took the death of Greg before I realized he was going about it the wrong way.” He looked at his sons and me, and from the looks on their faces, they seemed as surprised by his revelations as I was. “If you don’t learn how to control your gifts, or tap into them incorrectly, you can…self-destruct and hurt a lot of innocent people as well. Our emotions are connected to our gifts. To a normal person, a simple emotion like losing their patience is nothing; it’s inconsequential compared to the gifted losing control over a simple emotion. And,” he looked at his sons, “denying a connection can not only destroy you, it can destroy the people you are connected to. Imagine not putting a plant in the sun or watering it. It can’t thrive, and eventually, it can die.”
I sunk down onto a bar stool. As if my life wasn’t complicated enough as it was, now I found out I wasn’t just a freak. I was the biggest freak in the world.
“Let’s eat,” Drake said quietly from the kitchen. It was the first time I had heard him speak and it was odd
ly soothing to my frayed nerves.
I reluctantly ate because Ella was watching me like a hawk. I hadn’t eaten since my breakfast bar this morning. I had skipped lunch to meet with Mr. Jace. The fresh pasta with chicken alfredo and a salad was probably some of the best food I had ever eaten, but I couldn’t give it any justice.
Everyone seemed to want to pretend normalcy. The men talked, some laughing and joking, making sure to include Ella. After I decided I couldn’t eat a bite more, I got up, disposed of my uneaten food in the trash compactor, and headed to the bathroom to get ready. I needed this right now. I needed some sense of normalcy. I applied my make-up, transforming my baby face. Then I slid into my black halter top, red short shorts, black tights, and my black thigh-high boots. I threw on my long coat so Ella couldn’t see me dressed this way.
I trusted Mr. Jace, but after this morning’s run-in with Tom, I wasn’t sure if my sister should go home without me. I was suddenly worried about her.
I went back out to the living room and saw Mr. Jace’s raised brow. “You’re still going to work?”
I nodded, looking at him defiantly. “Yes, I am. I need the money. What is Ella going to do?”
Ella perked up and looked at me and then at the guys hopefully. I could tell she didn’t want to leave.
Jax cleared his throat. “After Jace and I drop you off at work we are going to swing by your place and talk to your stepmom. I’m sure she will let her stay with us temporarily.”
The way he said it, I somehow think they were going to use their gifts to persuade her.
I looked at Ella, “Would you like that?”
A huge smile lit up her face. “Yes please!”
The guys laughed. Clearly, she had already grown on them. Even silent Drake and gruff Remy seemed to have taken a shine to her.
I could tell Mr. Jace was upset with me, but I didn’t have it in me to care. Did he expect me to quit just because I just found out I might possess a powerful gift, and that I was not only connected to him but to his brother as well?
