When Saige presses her hands against the back of the cab driver’s seat and her entire body stiffens, the need to protect her from all this is unbearable, but I can’t do a damn thing. She just has to breathe through death’s taunting anguish until it decides she’s suffered enough. Digging her fingers into the cheap fabric of the seat and pushing it forward, I see the cab driver glare in the rearview mirror before shifting in his seat.
My return warning glare makes him dart his eyes back to the road. Running my hand across the small of her back, I can feel every tense muscle. “Sam, still?”
Sam leans forward, glaring at me over Saige’s bent over back between the opening in the seats. “Sam, still, what? Dammit, Jensen, I knew you were hiding something with sending Andy to my room.”
“Not now,” I demand, keeping my attention focused on Saige as she breathes through the despair attacking her right now.
“Not Sam. Amira,” Saige gasps, digging her fingers further into the seat.
“Amira’s across the country, Saige. How can you feel anything about her?” The pulsing in my head begins a punishing thud at how Saige’s abilities are getting stronger.
“I don’t know,” she groans, “just call her!”
“Alright,” I breathe, dialing Amira’s number as I place my hand against her cheek when she manages to lean back against her seat and her body begins to relax.
“I see you have her number memorized,” Saige tries to crack a smile through the grief.
“Yep. But she’s not on speed-dial so I’m in the clear, pretty girl,” I wink, loving the hell out of her for how strong she is, keeping herself together through all this shit. She’s not used to chasing bombers or having to deal with men who have guns. Not that I’m a pro at it, but over the past few months, the crew and I have had enough experiences with taking down people misusing their abilities to have more of a taste of danger than I ever wanted. Saige’s thrill junkie side provides me with plenty when she joneses and gives us both a healthy dose. When I saw a flash of Griffin’s face on the news a while back and recognized it from Dad’s files, I never would have started this search if I knew it would put Saige or my friends in danger.
Amira answers and I give her an abbreviated version of the situation, telling her to get out of her cabin and go stay with her brothers for a while.
The look on the cab driver’s face when he looks back at us, hearing me informing Amira of her impending death, would be hilarious under different circumstances.
Andy shrugs his shoulders, “What? Never met a girl who’s tight with death before? Want her to introduce you to him? If you don’t keep your eyes on the damn road instead of in the back of this van, I’ll be happy to make the introductions myself.” Andy leans across Sam’s legs and wraps his hand over Saige’s, “But, seriously, princess, you need to choose a better friend to play with. I know Jensen here must have been a pain in the ass growing up, but even he’s better than hanging out with the grim reaper. He’s a bigger ball buster than you are.”
“At least he keeps his mouth shut,” Saige forces a grin.
Once we’re settled in our rentals, and Saige’s color has returned to her cheeks, Sam bumps her knee gently against hers. “What you felt about Amira - did you feel it about me, too?”
Saige’s eyes soften as she tells Sam the truth, “Not exactly. You were going to be shot. Amira was going to be strangled.”
Sam’s face blanches and Andy wraps his arm around her shoulders, pulling her against his chest. “I wouldn’t have let that happen.”
I feel Saige’s smile as she presses her face against my neck, whispering, “That’s the first time Andy’s sentiments weren’t backed by nasty, perverted thoughts when talking to a girl. He loves her.”
“I know that,” I grin, whispering back.
Her eyes snap to mine and I laugh. “I told you I have raw talent, pretty girl. I don’t need superpowers to figure things out.”
James calls over his shoulder, “Get some rest. I’m good for a few hours.”
Settling Saige against my shoulder, I throw my arm around her and pull her close, ignoring the painful protests in my bones. I lay my head against the back of the seat, my body craving sleep after being awake all night.
It feels like I’ve just closed my eyes when Saige gently shakes me, “We’re in Boston.”
The fog in my head is thick as I roll my shoulders, squeezing my fingers tightly against the bridge of my nose, mumbling through the sleep-depravation, “Already?”
The view of Boston’s waterfront confirms Saige’s sleepy nod.
“We’re going to stop for dinner, then find a hotel until Griffin decides to stop playing hide-n-go-seek with us,” James mutters, obviously still seriously pissed over his ride before shaking it off. “How about Italian? My brother visited Boston last year and said there’s a great Italian restaurant in South Boston called Mirisola’s.”
Twenty minutes later, we park and round a brick building to a corner entrance as my stomach growls from the aroma of Italian cuisine and not having been fed since last night.
“I want a pizza with everything I’m smelling all over it,” Saige exclaims, inhaling deeply and smiling for real this time. “I’m starving!”
Taking tables in the back, we cut up with each other and try to relax after the stress of earlier today. All chatter stops when the pizzas arrive and everyone digs into the piled pies.
Saige reaches over my arm, grabbing a banana pepper off one of my slices, popping it into her mouth and licking her bottom lip as she gives me a salacious wink. That’s all it takes for my dick to twitch hungrily in my jeans, wanting to plunge into her for a taste of its own. From the heated desire in those caramel eyes, she plans on letting me have my way with her while delivering some serious pleasure herself.
Stephen’s chair screeches backwards, pulling me away from my thoughts of devouring Saige’s delectable body. His knuckles are already white from the death grip he has on the edge of the table. I’m getting ready to ask him what he’s seeing when Josie’s glass falls from her hand, soda splattering across the table when it crashes against the smooth top. Quickly grabbing my wallet, I throw money on the table as I grab the keys.
Darrin has Josie’s hands wrapped in his, but even his firm grasp can’t keep them from trembling violently.
“What are you seeing, Stephen?”
His grip tightens and sweat breaks out on his temples, but he doesn’t respond.
“Sam?” I call, trying to keep the panic out of my voice as Saige stands, looking at me like she has no idea what to do. I’m right there with her on that.
Sam shakes her head, confused. “I don’t feel anything.”
Grabbing Stephen’s arm, I give it a firm shake. “Tell me what you’re seeing!”
Stephen is sweating profusely when he meets my gaze, “He’s going to take out half the damn block, Rider.”
Tears drip from Josie’s eyes and her trembling has moved from her hands to her entire body. I’ve never seen Darrin show fear before, much less like how it’s burning through his eyes right now as he tries to comfort Josie.
“Where, Stephen?” I demand.
“I can’t tell yet, but it’s in Southside.”
“What do you see?” I prompt, every muscle in my body tensing.
“Buildings,” he spouts, his knuckles turning almost purple from his fierce grip. “A large glass building.”
“Can you describe it better?” I question, searching large buildings in South Boston.
“It looks like a gigantic mirror.”
“Hancock Tower,” I exclaim, quickly typing the address to figure out the quickest way to get there.”
“Do you know when?” Saige blurts out.
“Soon,” Josie cries. “Very soon.”
“That doesn’t make any sense. Most of the offices will be closed in that area at this time of night,” Darrin mumbles, never taking his eyes off Josie as he smoothes a lock of blonde hair off her face.
“There will
still be enough open to kill more than he ever has before,” I groan, glancing at Sam who’s still shaking her head, not yet having a read on a bomb.
Every table within hearing distance is focused on us, whispering and pointing like we’ve lost our minds. We’re getting ready to chase a bomber. They’re right. We have lost our fucking minds. Rushing out of the restaurant, I unlock the door and Saige starts to climb into the SUV but I put my hand out, stopping here. “You’re not going!”
“You need me to tell you where he’s at. Sam doesn’t have a read on the bomb, yet. I can feel Griffin once we get close to the building. With Stephen and Josie having a premonition almost simultaneously, we don’t have time to play with.”
Nodding towards the guys, I shake my head at Saige, “We’ll find him. Stay here with Josie and Sam.”
“You don’t have time to argue with me, Jensen! People are going to die. You need my help to prevent that,” Saige insists, her chest heaving as she fights to control the terror she and the rest of the crew are feeling.
Swearing loudly, I grab her arm and help her slide inside the passenger door as everyone else scrambles into their seats. Stephen and Josie seem to be calming, now that the vision is over, but not much. His death grip is now on the handle above the door and Josie’s is wrapped around herself. I shut their doors before quickly getting in the driver’s seat of the other vehicle. Traffic is infuriatingly slow and I jerk the wheels over the curb, blaring my horn as I floor the gas over a short section of sidewalk to bypass the traffic light, before whipping inside a gap between cars.
We’re about five minutes away when Sam grabs my arm so tight, she about makes us crash. “Griffin has the bomb.”
“Stephen and Josie freaking out all the people in the restaurant already established that, Sam. What else do you have?” I give her a smartass grin, trying to ease her while I place my hand over hers reassuringly.
“He must’ve had someone else build the bomb and deliver it to him. That’s why I couldn’t get a read before; Griffin hadn’t touched it, until now.”
“I thought Josie said he’s too narcissistic to have a partner,” James blurts.
“He was, but with us tracking him, he didn’t have another choice.” I swear under my breath. Every nerve ending in my body is going ballistic when I turn towards Sam, doing my damnedest to at least appear calm, “Where’s the bomb now?”
“It’s on the move with Griffin.”
A small twinge of relief eases some of the tension from knowing Griffin hasn’t arrived at the tower yet. Slamming my foot against the gas, I veer between cars, not knowing if I should hope for cops to chase me or hope to hell they don’t. Ignoring the blaring horns and myriad of middle fingers being thrust my way, I glance at Saige who has one foot braced against the dash and the other embedded in the floorboard as she holds herself steady with my erratic driving. Out of all of us, my driving is scaring her the least. I’ve always hated her thirst for adrenaline so she can overrule the foreign emotions while heightening her own. There’s no doubt in my mind that Saige would be having the time of her life right now if we weren’t after a psychopath. Damn, the woman scares the shit out of me just as much as she turns me on sometimes.
Shifting gears, I quickly glance at all the mirrors before holding my breath and flooring the gas when we reach the building. Passing it, I swerve into the next lane, cutting off two cars, missing them by a fraction.
“You just passed the tower?” Sam yells.
“Meant to,” I respond, “hold on!” My teeth rattle from the impact of the wheels slamming into the curb as we bounce, sliding to a screeching stop when I grind my foot against the brakes.
“Ay, su puta madre!” Andy yells, following what I’m sure wasn’t even close to decent with a string of expletives that I fully understand and know aren’t.
“Everyone alright?” I call, ignoring Andy’s outburst.
“What the hell, Rider?” James grumbles, prying his fingers off the arm of Saige’s seat.
“Do you see any parking places?” I snap back, before glancing at Saige. “You alright?”
She nods, her eyes wide, but a curve pulling up the edges of those full lips that makes me think of things I really shouldn’t be thinking about right now.
“Let’s go.” I reach for Saige, and she grabs my hand, climbing over the console and jumping out the driver’s side.
We’re running back towards the tower when I see Darrin, throwing my hand in the direction of where I left the SUV. Griffin won’t know what we’re driving, but he sure as hell would notice a vehicle parked on the sidewalk in front of the building he plans on blowing up.
“Talk to me, Sam!” I call over my shoulder as we reach the door.
“The bomb’s still with Griffin, but he’s close,” she states in ragged breaths as we try to pull ourselves together when entering the building.
“He’s not close enough for me to feel yet,” Saige states, pressing her hands against her head. “This building is huge. I don’t know if I can feel him if he’s at an opposite end.
A few minutes later, Darrin, Axe, and Josie enter the door just as Sam turns towards me, her eyes dark with terror. “He’s here.”
“Where?”
“Follow me,” Sam cries, taking off towards the elevator.
I don’t want her going anywhere near the bomb. I don’t want anyone to, but Sam locks on an object and it leads her to it. It’s not something she can map out for anyone. “Darrin, take Josie and Saige away from here.”
“You still need me,” Saige yells, taking off after Sam.
“Dammit, Saige!” I yell after her before calling back to Darrin, “Pull the fire alarm, then call the bomb squad and cops. Tell them whatever in the hell you have to when they arrive so they don’t shoot any of us.”
Darrin nods, grabbing the handle of the alarm and yanking it down.
“C’mon!” Sam screams and I burst inside the elevator doors behind Andy, Axe, and James.
The panel flashes that we’ve passed the fourth floor when Saige presses her hand against the elevator wall. The further up we go, the more she digs her hand against the metal. Three more floors flash and Saige thrashes her head vehemently, “We’ve missed him. He’s going down, not up!”
“No! The bomb’s a few more floors up,” Sam insists.
“He’s left it then,” I growl. “Take James to the bomb,” I instruct Sam, before turning to Andy and Axe. “Once James is at the bomb, you get Sam the hell out of here. We’ll go after Griffin.” Pushing the emergency stop, I take Saige’s hand and pull her out the door with me.
Saige takes the lead, racing towards the door at the end of the hall. I can see Griffin’s presence affecting her by her tight jaw and coiled fist. His aura hurts her. I’m going to make sure to beat the shit out of the bastard before I kill him for that.
My phone rings and I dig it out of my backpack, answering it breathlessly as I try to keep up with Saige’s breakneck speed down the stairs.
“We’ve got it,” Axe states. “James thinks he can manipulate the trigger, but I don’t know how long he can hold it.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence.” I hear James smart-off in the background. “You build things for a living, Axe. Can you see how this part connects and take it off?”
“I build bikes, not bombs, dumbass!” Axe snaps back.
“Will you two stop?” I yell. “Take Andy and Sam and get out of here, Axe!”
“Andy’s already on the elevator, heading down with Sam, but I’m not leaving James here,” Axe states in a determined tone.
I don’t argue. I understand. “Just make sure James concentrates on that bomb.”
Saige grabs the railing, propelling herself over the edge and dropping to the landing below.
Gritting my teeth, I do the same, grabbing her elbow and yanking her backwards into me before she bursts through the door. “I’m going first.”
Seeing she has no chance to change my mind, Saige doesn’t argue a
s she steps aside.
Grabbing my gun, I raise it and open the door, catching a glimpse of Griffin as he rounds a corner. “Stay behind me until we get to an exit, then get the hell out of here,” I demand, running down the edge of the parking deck.
Everything seems to still when I hear a gunshot echo off the concrete walls. We’ve just rounded the corner, when I see Sam on the ground and Andy lying in a pool of blood next to her. Rage, fear, and pain stabs a million slices through me when I drop to my knees next to Andy. I can hear Saige’s labored breathing behind me a fraction of a second before the shrill pitch of her scream. The thuds of my heart pulse in my ears as I keep my gun raised, frantically scanning the deck for Griffin.
Sam slowly moves, then scrambles on her knees to Andy, kneeling on the pavement next to Saige. Tears are streaming down both of their faces as Saige presses her hand against Andy’s chest. The blood seeps between her fingers as she screams at him to open his eyes.
Rage spirals through my pores as I look at my best friend fighting for his life. The only thing making me keep my shit together is how Saige didn’t sense his death. I hope and pray that means what I think. “Where is he, Saige?”
The toxic mixture of emotions burning in her eyes lances my chest. “Around the corner. Please be careful, Jensen.”
“Stay with Andy!” Forcing myself to move faster, I sprint to the corner, pressing my back against the wall before quickly checking around the side. The bastard’s not here. There’s only one way he could’ve gone from here to exit the building and I say a quick prayer then turn the next corner. My feet pound against the pavement as I push myself faster, knowing if he makes it out, I will lose him and he’ll be gone. “Come out, you fucking coward!” I yell.
I’m shocked when he does.
Griffin steps behind the last corner with his thumb resting on a detonator. The dark, soulless look in his eyes bores into me. “Jensen Rider.” He lets out a low chuckle. “You are definitely a thorn in my ass. To be Sterling’s son, you’re nothing like him. Your father encouraged us to embrace our gifts.”
Swallowing hard, I pray to God James can keep manipulating that trigger. From the looks of Griffin, I can’t be sure he gives a damn about self-preservation. Aiming the barrel of the gun at Griffin’s head, I take a step forward. “My father encouraged people to use their gifts to help, not kill.”
Feel Page 24
