Playing With Fire (tales of an extra ordinary girl)

by Gena Showalter

  “I do like the view,” he said, his tone heavy with admiration.

  I tossed him a grin over my shoulder as I stepped into the water. The coolness of it lapped at me, making me shiver. I dove under, soothing my overheated cheeks and staying there as long as my lungs would allow before coming up for air. The pond was deeper than I’d thought. And tranquil. I treaded water, staying afloat.

  “You should come in here,” I said. He was bathed in shadows, and I could barely make him out from my vantage point.

  “No, you should come out,” he said, his tone deadly serious. Without a hint of teasing.

  “You just want to see me naked again.”

  “Actually.” His shadow grew taller as he stood. “I don’t want to be eaten by that alligator.”

  I screamed-an ear-piercing, end-of-the-world scream-and scrambled out of the water as quickly as I could. I threw myself in Rome ’s arms, my heart pounding so fast I thought it would burst from my chest.

  He was laughing. The ass!

  “That’s what you get for Tasering me.”

  I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing, too. “You play dirty, Mr. Masters.”

  “You were right.” He nuzzled my cheeks with his nose. “I really did want to see you naked again. I’m sorry I scared you.”

  “You’ll be sorrier when I never let you see me naked again.” I dressed, and he reluctantly followed suit. “Catch me if you can,” I said, and raced to the cabin.

  Rome jogged after me, his laughter echoing through the night. I loved the sound of it; he didn’t laugh often enough. He wrapped his arm around my waist and led me to the cabin’s threshold, where he shouldered the door open. “You’re going to-” He stopped abruptly and sniffed the air. A strange look crossed his features, chasing away his good humor. He stiffened. “Get in the car,” he said quietly.

  What the hell was going on? I turned, but-

  “No need to leave,” an unfamiliar voice called from inside the cabin. “You might as well let her come inside, since I’ll shoot her if she takes a single step toward the car.”

  The voice startled me, and I spun back around. I expected Rome to morph into cat form. Attack, at the very least. Instead, he strode blithely inside, pulling me behind him and keeping me shielded from the stranger with his big body.

  Trying not to panic, I searched for Tanner. The kid sat on the couch, and our gazes locked. He was pale, but he was alive and looked unhurt. I relaxed a little.

  When Rome ground to an abrupt halt, I didn’t stay behind him. I moved to his side. He cast me a surprised glance, as if he couldn’t believe I’d chosen to fight with him rather than stay protected, but there was also pride in his eyes. Then his gaze narrowed on the intruder. Mine did, as well-and my mouth fell open at the vision the man presented.

  He was an angel, fallen straight from heaven. The most gorgeous man I’d ever seen lounged in the cabin’s only recliner. His hair was so blond it was nearly white, almost silvery. His eyes were freaky-amazingly freaky. They were metallic silver and seemed to… spark. Yes, spark. Pop and crackle with energy. His features were perfectly proportioned-a sloped nose, high cheekbones, full pink lips.

  “He doesn’t have a gun,” I told Rome through the side of my mouth. “He’s unarmed.”

  “Oh, he’s armed, but his weapon is much worse than a gun.” With barely a paused, Rome nodded his head in acknowledgment and said, “Cody. I wish I could tell you it’s nice to see you again.”

  So. They knew each other. I didn’t know whether to take comfort in that or not. For all I knew, this guy could hate Rome and want him dead.

  “I parked a ways out and wiped my tracks,” Cody said. “I hope you don’t mind.”

  “I happen to have a big problem with that.” I folded my arms together and prayed I appeared strong and menacing.

  His angelic lips lifted in a menacing grin. “Too bad.” He returned his attention to Rome. “I’m glad you two finally decided to join us. We were about to come looking for you. Why don’t you and your woman have a seat with the boy.” It was a statement, not a question.

  I glanced at Rome. He gave a nearly imperceptible nod of his head. His mouth was compressed, firm. His jaw was clenched. Should I wait for him to give me a deep-fry signal or not? If I created a distraction, he and Tanner could escape.

  “Should I start a fire?” I whispered. If I could. I wasn’t sure I had the energy.

  The man, Cody, uttered a short laugh devoid of humor. “If you want a fire, sugar, I can start one.”

  “Sit,” Rome told me. “Do nothing.”

  I eased reluctantly onto the couch beside Tanner. The boy squeezed against my side and gripped my hand. “I’m sorry about earlier,” I whispered.

  He nodded in acknowledgment. “Do you know this loser?” he asked me quietly.

  I shook my head.

  “ Rome and I work together,” Cody supplied, as if Tanner had asked the question of him.

  Oh. Oh. Shit! Not good, not good at all. Most likely, Cody was here to apprehend me and take me to John. A hard lump formed in my throat (how many of those things had I swallowed lately?). I released Tanner’s hand and buried my own between my knees, covertly stretching my fingers. Drawing on my emotions would be difficult. I was tapped out, so to speak. But I wasn’t leaving this cabin. Not without a fight. Rome ’s orders be damned.

  Cody eased to his feet, squaring off with Rome. The two men stood nose to nose. “John wants to see you. My job was to find you, then the girl. But I see you saved me some trouble.” He motioned to me with his chin, then turned back to Rome. “You haven’t phoned in a while. We were worried, but now I see there was no need.” Accusation laced his tone.

  “I won’t allow her to be taken,” Rome said with deadly calm.

  Cody arched a black brow, the harsh color a surprising contrast to his pale hair. “So it’s like that, is it?”

  Rome nodded. “It’s like that. I don’t want her recruited.”

  “You know the rules. You know how things work. You took the assignment. Now you have to finish it or it will be finished for you.”

  “She didn’t volunteer like we did, Cody.”

  “That doesn’t change the strictures of your assignment.”

  “She stays.”

  “They won’t do anything to her that they didn’t do to us,” Cody said, exasperated.

  “I told you. We volunteered. She didn’t.”

  “Doesn’t matter. Word is, she’s dangerous. She can start fires.”

  “So can anyone with a lighter,” Rome countered.

  “Lighters can’t cause thunderstorms,” Cody replied. “Nor can they freeze buildings.”

  “You want her to freeze your ass, keep talking,” Tanner piped up.

  The men ignored him.

  I shifted nervously on the couch, wavering between attack and patience. They were discussing me as if I weren’t in the room, and I didn’t like it.

  “ Rome, don’t give me shit about this,” Cody said. “I’ve been ordered to bring the two of you in and that’s that. If she’s not taken to John and trained it will only be a matter of time before Vincent and his men find her. All John wants to do is test her and put her in the field. She’ll be doing the world a public service, taking down the bad guys.”

  Should I maybe try to freeze him? Give Rome time to decide what we should do with him? I mean, it wasn’t like the icebox would kill him. “ Rome,” I interrupted.

  He knew what I was asking. “No,” he said. “Do nothing.”

  “She may not be able to help herself,” Tanner muttered. I elbowed him in the stomach and he hmphed.

  Cody grinned. “I’m an electrophile, sweetheart, and Rome ’s afraid I’ll hurt you.” I must have worn a blank look because he added, “I have an affinity for electricity. I wield it, control it, and if you attempted to use your powers against me, I’d have to give you the shock of a lifetime.”

  “You know that Taser you used on me?” Rome asked without
turning to face me. “Cody can send a thousand more volts than that through your body.”

  Cody’s grin widened. “She took you down?”

  Rome gave one jerky nod.

  “Good for you, sweetheart,” the gorgeous (traitorous) man said to me.

  “You won’t think so when I do it to you.” I gave him a confident smile-a smile I wished I actually felt.

  Cody laughed. “I see why you want to keep her, Rome. Not many are so brave and foolish at the same time. She’s perfect for PSI.”

  Rome gave no reply.

  “Right now, John doesn’t realize you’ve decided to walk. He just wants you and the girl delivered safely.”

  “What will happen if Rome refuses?” I asked.

  Cody shrugged, lifting his big, wide shoulders. “That’s assuming I’ll let him.”

  “I’ll be hunted,” Rome told me, “as will you.”

  “The government can’t afford to have people like us running loose with no one to pull our strings,” Cody added.

  “We either work for them or against them. And working for them isn’t a bad deal. I once got to neutralize a woman who sucked the soul right out of a man during orgasm. Literally.”

  “You killed her?” I gasped.

  He frowned. “No, I put her to sleep and she was locked in Château Villain with the other scrims. Anyway, if you’re a good girl and do grunt work for a while, like chasing down the fake psychics and crap, you’ll eventually get to handle gems like the little sex fiend. Best assignment of my life. If you continue running, well… ” He shrugged again. “It’s the whole can’t-let-anyone-else-have-you thing.”

  Rome would be hunted if I didn’t cooperate. I didn’t care about myself. Well, I did, but not as much as I cared about Rome. If he was at risk, that would put Sunny in even more danger. Rome must have expected that. Accepted it, even. But…

  Maybe the best way for me to help him with his ultimate goal was to turn myself in so he wouldn’t be blamed for my escape. That would take some of the heat off him. I closed my eyes for the briefest of seconds, unable to believe what I was about to do. But I forced the words out. “I’ll go in,” I said.

  Rome whipped around, facing me, finally taking his attention off Cody. His eyes glowed with fury. “Don’t say another word,” he snapped.

  “I’ll go in.” I stood, squared my shoulders, all the while eyeing Cody. “Do you have to handcuff me or anything?”

  His silver eyes gleamed wickedly. “I will if you ask sweetly.”

  “You don’t have to do this, Belle,” Rome said. “And for fuck’s sake, Cody, quit flirting with her!”

  “Yeah,” Tanner reiterated, standing beside me. “What he said.”

  “I want to do this,” I said softly. These men had done so much for me already. Rome had chosen me over his job. He’d helped me break into Dr. Roberts’s house. He needed me now, and I wouldn’t let him down. “Cody said it wouldn’t be very bad for me,” I offered, trying to soothe him.

  Rome sighed. “Then I’ll go with you.”

  “Me, too.” Tanner assumed battle position, arms locked behind his back, feet spread.

  “Excellent.” Cody’s tone sounded gleeful, but his expression was one of surprise and confusion. “We can have a celebration on the way.”

  “You’re not taking us to headquarters,” Rome said, turning back to Cody. “I don’t want her anywhere near the lab.”

  The blond angel lost his smile. “I know what you’re trying to do-”

  “Just shut the hell up and call John. Unless you want a fight, those are my terms.”

  There was a long pause; a heavy tension. Then Cody shrugged. “Fine.”

  “Tell him we’ll meet him at the park near his house in two hours. And no agents. Got it?”

  “No one knows where he lives,” Cody said, brows arched.

  “I do.”

  Admiration sparked in Cody’s expression. He nodded. “I’ll make the call.”

  WE DROVE FOR AN HOUR. Tanner and I sat in the back seat of a very comfortable sedan. The interior was leather, the standard black that seemed to be preferred by all types of agents. Overall, pretty nice. As far as prison vehicles went, that is.

  “How much of a fight did John put up?” Rome asked as he steered down the winding roads.

  Cody chuckled. He’d made Rome drive so he could keep his own hands free. The better to subdue us with. “I’ve never heard him so angry. How’d you find his place, anyway? He’s so guarded I doubt his wife knows where he lives.”

  “I tracked him one day.” Rome ’s tone suggested his words were no big whoop, but I sensed his pride.

  “That’ll teach him to make a jungle cat, eh?”

  Dawn tinged the sky, lighting it up with pinks and purples. I yawned. I’d been without sleep for… what? I couldn’t remember. Seemed like forever. But then, these last few days hadn’t exactly been tame. And on the bright side, I was too tired to be scared of the approaching confrontation.

  “Stop there.” Cody pointed.

  Following the direction, Rome eased the car to a halt near a beautiful park. Flowers bloomed, a sea of yellows, reds and blues. There were two swing sets and a merry-go-round. Several slides.

  No people.

  I had a tingling sensation at the back of my neck, though, as if I was being watched. Probably John. I started to unbuckle.

  “We’ve been spotted,” Rome suddenly said, “and not by John. See the two SUVs? Black? Tinted windows?”

  Cody glanced out the passenger mirror. “Vincent. God, the man is a walking cliché.”

  “He wants Belle just as bad as John does,” Rome said.

  “Well, we can’t let him get near John. If John were hurt, PSI would be placed in major upheaval and Vincent could try to take over. Again.”

  “Pussy,” Tanner mumbled, acting brave, as if he could defeat Vincent single-handedly. “No offense, Cat Man,” he added.

  “Cut it out, Tanner.” Rome thrust one hand through his hair and gripped the steering wheel with the other. “Shit. Are you ready for another roller coaster ride, Belle?”

  “Floor it,” I said, dread filling me from head to toe. And here I thought I’d be too tired to fear my fate. I glanced skyward. Thanks a lot for proving me wrong. To my way of thinking, this proved beyond a doubt God was actually a man.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  IT WAS A CAR CHASE to end all car chases. Several times we almost crashed-into parked cars, moving vehicles, trees and buildings. The object didn’t matter; nothing was safe from our rampage. I was surprised the police weren’t involved yet. Maybe Vincent had convinced them to look the other way, as he had at the café. I just didn’t know. All I knew was that my stomach churned and was very close to heaving.

  As we soared down the highway, a black SUV pulled alongside us. I gasped. “Uh, guys. Look to your left.”

  “Can’t,” Cody said, chuckling. He hadn’t stopped laughing since the chase had begun. Either he was a danger junkie or completely insane. Maybe both. He leaned out the window, aimed the gun he’d taken from his ankle holster, and fired off a few shots. “We’ve got a tail on the right, too.”

  “What?” I whipped around and gasped. Sure enough, another black SUV had closed in on our other side.

  The sound of bullets-with which I was now intimately acquainted-erupted, followed by a loud thump, thump. I whimpered, okay. Like a little girl. I’m not ashamed, but I had to keep my fear to a minimum. I didn’t want ice in our car’s engine.

  Logically, I knew I should cause a thunderstorm, shielding us from their view. I just didn’t have it in me. I couldn’t forget my fear, couldn’t force sadness to come. If I’d been offered a million dollars and a one-way ticket to heaven, I still wouldn’t have been able to make it rain.

  “Everything’s going to be fine,” Rome said, suddenly hitting the brakes.

  The momentum threw me forward, but my seat belt shoved me back again, saving my life. The SUVs sailed ahead of us. Cody fired as R
ome jerked the wheel, steering us into oncoming traffic.

  “Someone could have hit us from behind,” I squeaked out. Tremors raked me. “We could have died.”

  “I checked before I stopped, baby, and there was no one behind us. Have a little faith.”

  “Yeah, have a little faith,” Tanner said. Brave words, marred by his pale face and trembling hands.

  One civilian car after another whizzed past us, honking and swerving to avoid hitting us as we traveled the wrong freaking way. I squeezed my eyelids tightly shut, desperate to drown out the sights. “How did Vincent find me?” There. Conversation. Now maybe I could pretend I was at home, with my dad, sipping hot chocolate and watching cartoons.

  “I’m sure he had men all over town, and one of them spotted us and called in the others,” Rome said.

  “I don’t want you to talk, Rome,” I said. “I want you to concentrate. Cody can answer me.”

  “I’m sure he’s had men all over town,” Cody repeated with a chuckle. His damn chuckling! “Someone spotted our car, figured you were with us, and hello, B movie scene.”

  “They’re gaining on us again,” Rome said, ruining the mirage I had going. “Use your goddamn powers, Cody, and let’s finish this.”

  “If I do, I’ll cause a power outage in this area.”

  “So?”

  A pause, then, “Fine.” Cody leaned out the window again, stretching out his hands. Electricity sparked from nearby poles and lanced toward him in orange-gold streams. He gathered the crackling, flickering energy in his palms and hurled it at the SUVs. The surrounding streetlights, which were already muted upon the arrival of the dawn, darkened completely.

  Crash!

  The cars lit up like a Fourth of July fireworks display. One flipped, careening down the highway. At that point, I shut my eyes again and anchored my head between my knees. Deep breath in, deep breath out.

  Finally, blessedly, we lost them and traveled back to the park where we’d originally arranged to meet John. When I called Rome and Cody stupid for going there, they laughed at me.