Temptress

by Lola Dodge

  “A luggage cart. Now.”

  Cindy called for a baggage boy, and after a drawn out minute, he rolled the cart into the lobby.

  I snatched the cart. “You’re going to want to move.”

  Lasers shot from my eyes. I cut a neat rectangle around Chance to the sounds of gasps and camera flashes. Once the block of floor was loose, I pounded a fist into the tile and conjured Steel’s strength, one-arming Chance onto the cart. “That better, Cindy?”

  She covered her mouth with a hand and backed away.

  “Je—” Tank reached for me again, but I cut him off.

  “Why don’t you bring the car around, honey? Hope I didn’t over pack.” The cart groaned under the weight of Chance and half a ton of tile and cement, but I pushed forward. All I could see was a rectangle of reddish light where the doors should be. As I crossed the threshold, I wasn’t so much guiding the cart as clinging to it. What little energy I’d sucked from Chance was spent.

  “Tank…” I whispered as the world shot to black.

  “Got you.” He lifted me into his arms. “You need to go to—”

  “No hospital. Please. Take me home?”

  He sighed, and I thought I felt him brush back a lock of my hair. “You win.”

  It didn’t feel like it to me. I scrunched my eyes and pressed my face into Tank’s chest, finally relaxing as blissful oblivion took away the pain.

  Chapter Six

  Jenny slumped in my arms. That she’d even been able to stand was a miracle.

  No. She was that tough. I tucked her against me, shielding her from the growing crowd. She was also insane.

  Steve pushed through with more of the security team. “You’ve got her?”

  “I’ll take care of her. Can you deal with that?” I nodded toward the baggage cart.

  “We’ll figure it out.” Steve elbowed a path to the curb and waved down a cab. “You two get out of here.”

  I ducked inside, careful not to jostle Jenny. She looked half-dead.

  “Where to?” The cabbie glanced back, but either didn’t notice anything unusual or didn’t care. It was Vegas.

  Part of me wanted to say the closest hospital, but Jenny was right. They wouldn’t be able to help her. “The Palms.”

  We pulled out as the first news van pulled in. I ducked my head, which brought me closer to her. She smelled like an unholy combination of sulfur and cherry blossoms. Ragged burns scored her arms and dark circles nested under her eyes.

  I moved curls away from her face. So soft and defenseless in sleep, it was hard to imagine the firepower Jenny held. Or that anyone could carry so many abilities.

  The last moments of the fight had been a spectacle—the tip of an unimaginable iceberg. She could’ve fried me instead of taking my powers.

  I couldn’t understand her, and I doubted mind-reading would crack the girl. She breezed into a four-on-one with no plan, no backup and the swagger of a heavyweight champ. She could afford the attitude with that arsenal, but it was no way to live. How many times had she been sent home to an empty penthouse wounded like this?

  She needed handlers, or a support staff. Other heroes.

  That was the part that made me want to kick a hole through the bottom of the cab. Jenny didn’t want to be a hero. She could change the world if she wasn’t so stubbornly committed to her life in the shadows. She didn’t have to suffer like this. At the very least, she didn’t have to suffer alone.

  We rolled to a stop in front of the Palms, and I tried to reach for my wallet without jostling her.

  The curbside door flew open. “Jenny?” Seth stuck his head in. The worry left his face as soon as he turned to me. “Is she okay?”

  “I’ve got her.” I slid out of the car. “Can you take care of this? My hands are full.”

  The cabbie shouted as I walked away. Seth shot me another glare, but leaned through the window to take care of the fare. He’d follow us like a puppy if I let him.

  It was quieter on the casino floor, but not deserted. We might’ve passed for an average guy carrying his drunken girlfriend home, but I was too recognizable and Jenny’s arms looked like raw meat. The people who noticed us glared like I was the bad guy. Wasn’t used to that.

  As far as I could tell, we made it to her penthouse without anyone calling the cops. That didn’t mean they wouldn’t, especially if I had to kick down the door. I’d never seen a keycard. Jenny stirred in my arms, her lids opening.

  “Your key?”

  She groaned, and her arm slipped off her chest. Her fingertip touched the key plate. Click. The green light flashed.

  What couldn’t she do?

  As I resettled her to grab the door handle, Jenny scrunched her eyes, letting loose a soft sound of pain. It was her first complaint, which was impressive for anyone who looked that ragged.

  I eased her onto her bed and wondered if I should change her into more comfortable clothes. No. She’d just get pissed when she came to. First priority was treating her wounds. I moved into the bathroom in search of bandaging.

  The cabinet under the sink was an addict’s dream. I wished I had my power to count the bottles, but I almost didn’t want to know. This shit wasn’t aspirin.

  Vicodin. Oxycontin. Calcitonin. That one was for amputees.

  Only the closest bottles were for pain. The girl had medicated ointments and eye drops, antibiotics and cases of needles and syringes. Even suturing thread.

  What the hell was she doing to herself?

  I grabbed bandages and burn cream. She didn’t stir as I wrapped her arms. She probably needed more treatment—a bruise formed on her chin, and her nose was still swollen from earlier—but mostly she needed rest. As I spread a blanket over her, I looked closer. Despite the dark circles, with those long lashes and cherry lips she couldn’t look anything but beautiful.

  I wanted to kiss her.

  To get my powers back.

  I wanted to kiss her to get my powers back.

  At least that was what I should’ve been thinking. I backed away and flicked off the light. If I didn’t keep it together, this girl would own me. She already had my powers. I couldn’t afford to give her more.

  I moved into one of the guest bedrooms, pulling out my cell as I lay on the bed. With the lights off, the Vegas skyline glittered. I’d already spoken with the chief of police. He’d corroborated Jenny’s story. Steel was in custody and his trial would be fast-tracked with testimonies overseen by Verity, the truth-seeing super who judged high-profile cases. He’d probably be out before I was. I’d been about to call the feds to report the whole Vegas P.D., but the chief had put himself on the line in Jenny’s defense. She was a good girl. She’d never slipped up like this before, but she’d set it right.

  Not so far. And she was in no shape to try again.

  I dialed Ruin. I should’ve called hours ago, but everyone had been wasted when Jenny dragged Steel and me out of the club.

  “Tank?” Ruin answered on the first ring.

  “Where are you guys?”

  “Where are we?” I could hear the rest of them clamoring in the background. Definitely still drunk. “We’re at the hotel, planning a rescue for your ass. Where the hell are you and Steel?”

  “Cancel the rescue.” I could walk out now, but I wasn’t leaving without my powers. “I’m safe. Steel got arrested, but he’ll get off. The charge is bogus.”

  “Shit. That hot chick was a cop? How’d she take you down?”

  “Turn on your TV.” I did the same. Every news station was plastered with eyewitness videos and testimonies. Almost ten different superpowers were shown in the clips. Most of the coverage ignored the criminals Jenny had been chasing and focused on the hell portal she’d opened. That energy was distinctive. Demonik had looked exactly the same, with silver lightning crackling around him as he threatened to open a permanent gateway to Hell in Midtown Manhattan. Then he’d disappeared. The fact that Jenny had kissed him made me as irrationally pissed as the fact she had to have taken h
im down alone.

  CNN’s headline read: Temptress: Hero or Villain?

  “Temptress…” Ruin’s voice trailed. Even the guys in the background quieted. “Why are you fighting with her instead of sticking with Steel?”

  I flipped to MSNBC. They’d juxtaposed our photos and a noted super expert was speculating on our relationship. Allies? Enemies? Romance? I turned it off. The world could wonder, but I couldn’t have my team doubting me. They needed the truth.

  “She has my power.”

  Silence buzzed through the line. “Say it again?”

  I closed my eyes and dug fingers into one of the throw pillows. “Her power is stealing other supers’ powers. She got mine after we fought, and I have to stick around until she gives them back.” I didn’t mention that she’d already tried and failed. They’d go ballistic if they thought it was permanent. So would I, if we got down to it. I had to believe I’d get them back.

  “Dude. We’re coming to get you. That bitch has to pay.”

  “No.” My voice came out firmer than expected. “She’s not…so bad.” Just a self-destructive madwoman who’d have the whole team rolling on the ground and begging for her attention. No way could they play with her and win. I had every reason to be mad, and she was still stringing me around. Hell, I was tending her wounds and thinking about her lips instead of ways to fix this.

  “So you’re staying with her?” Suspicion dripped through Ruin’s voice.

  “For now. Keep up the bachelor weekend thing so the press knows you guys aren’t involved.” If our crew looked vulnerable, every villain with a grudge would jump on the opportunity for revenge.

  “Are you two hooking up?”

  “I’ll call tomorrow.” I hung up before Ruin could counter. I didn’t have an answer.

  Were we?

  I could still picture her as she stood from the bath. Still feel the pressure of her thighs against mine when she straddled me in the limo. I would have let her keep going if her memories hadn’t come back. Couldn’t help it.

  She was dangerous. A danger to herself and to me. To the whole team. Logic said I should run, but it wasn’t an option. The apartment was deadly still without the chaos of facts and figures, but I imagined I could hear Jenny’s pained, unconscious breaths. I couldn’t go, and I couldn’t leave her alone.

  The pain was worse than I’d expected it would be when I passed out in Tank’s solid embrace. My eyes wouldn’t open, my arms felt like they’d gone a few rounds with a microplane zester, and the rest of me ached with general malaise that set in after opening a hell dimension.

  Eyes first. I lifted an aching arm, and my fingertips met cool terrycloth. I pulled the damp towel away. My room’s sun-blocking drapes were drawn, but that little light stung. And something else was wrong.

  Something sizzled and smelled like…

  Bacon?

  Short of a Bloomingdales tag sale, I couldn’t think of many other reasons to get out of bed. Had Tank ordered breakfast?

  I set the damp cloth on the nightstand. That had to be him too. I felt a little uncomfortable that Tank had been caring for me in my sleep, but at least I was still wearing the same dress. And fuzzy socks. Those were a nice touch.

  In the time it took me to get to the closet, I could’ve eaten a whole pig. There was definitely bacon. And something vanilla. I dared to hope for pancakes as I eased out of the dress. The bandages kept me from having to look at my arms, and, guessing by the nausea that sparked when the cloth rasped against them, I was glad I didn’t have to see. I slipped into a men’s XXL T-shirt. Most of the wrestlers of WWE had autographed it after I settled some trouble at their event, but I’d never been much of a wrestling fan. The shirt hung to my knees, and its loose sleeves managed not to make me scream.

  I padded into the kitchen. My jaw dropped.

  Tank stood over the stove in a muscle-hugging T-shirt and an honest to God apron. He deftly scrambled eggs with one hand while flipping bacon with the other. A stack of steaming blueberry waffles sat next to a jug of fresh-squeezed orange juice on the breakfast bar.

  Where did he get a waffle iron? Where did he get food? And why hadn’t he just called room service?

  “Afternoon. You okay?” Tank forked bacon and eggs onto a plate.

  Afternoon? “Oh God. You’re a morning person.”

  “You hungry?” Tank slid the plate across the table. “Wasn’t sure if you’d be up for food or not. You took a hell of a beating.”

  “Starving.” I plopped onto a stool. Bacon-y goodness wafted. We still weren’t friends, but the man had cooked me breakfast and I should probably stop acting like a total bitch. “Thanks. For getting me home and the bandages. You didn’t have to.”

  “You were out for two days,” Tank said.

  “Two—what’ve you been—” The bacon dropped from my fingers.

  “I’ve been helping you clean up. They’re holding the two guys you roughed up at the station until you can read their minds. They won’t talk. No leads on the ones that got away.”

  He cooked, answered phones and did police work. Did he do laundry too? “Glad you’ve kept yourself occupied.”

  “It’s this or go insane,” Tank said. “And I’m not threatening, but if my guys figure out where you live, they won’t knock first. They’re not taking this well.”

  “Guess they wouldn’t.” I took a bite of the eggs and closed my eyes in momentary rapture. Damn him for softening me up with a buffet. How could I be mad when there were blueberry waffles?

  “You get any inspiration how to fix this?” Tank leaned on the buffet. With his apron and coffee cup, he looked impossibly domestic, but no less the hero he was. A kind of contained desperation clung to him, and his dark eyes were hard with determination. Two days alone without powers must’ve driven him half mad.

  “C’mere.” I swiveled as Tank closed in. There was only one way to exchange powers. We had to kiss, but as my heart sped, I had to admit I wanted to try a few experiments. This dark, driven Tank pulled all of my strings.

  He moved flush to the stool, pressing my knees apart as he leaned his arms against the bar on either side of me. It was like being cocooned in superhero. Between his cologne and the force of his personality, my head spun. A twinge of apprehension mixed in with the exhilaration. I didn’t know Tank well, and he was a big guy. I forced myself to meet his eyes.

  Tiny flecks of gold peeked from his dark chocolate gaze. I could practically see his soul. Tank was as strong and as good a guy as they made, and he’d sacrificed everything to carry the burden of a hero. Then I showed up and took it away with one kiss.

  He was pissed. But…

  Torn. As he drew closer, contagious heat leaked from his gaze. Tank wanted to play as much as I did.

  I met his lips. He was soft and gentle, stroking my neck without jarring my arms. I couldn’t help but melt into him.

  Gentle was new. So was breakfast. No guy had ever cooked for me. Ever.

  “Anything?” Tank pulled back.

  “Ah…” Shit. A flash of embarrassment warmed my cheeks. I hadn’t even tried to fix his powers. “One more time.” I pulled his energy from the depths of my soul and managed to keep hold of it as he bent for a second kiss.

  —can’t keep doing this. She—

  Tank’s thoughts flashed into my head, but the power wouldn’t go back. Was it me? His breath, his scent, lulled me and I slipped deeper into his consciousness.

  —can’t fall for her. Damn it. Neither of us want—

  What? I bit his lower lip.

  I’d force the power back. There wouldn’t be any falling happening. As I pushed, fresh pain stabbed my temples. I jerked away.

  “Shit.” Tank pulled back and strode to the other side of the breakfast bar. He leaned over, elbows on the counter as his knuckles whitened against his scalp.

  “We have to keep trying.” My voice came out breathy. And he was supposed to be torn? I wanted him hard, but I didn’t want him in my life. He was a hero. I
scraped by on the edges of his world. We weren’t so much oil and vinegar as a lit match and napalm. If we kept getting closer, buildings would go down. Hell, whole city blocks.

  “We have to keep trying,” Tank agreed. “But we can’t confuse this for—”

  “Whoa.” I held up my hands. “Aren’t you supposed to be the guy?” I was kidding, but his words had sparked an annoying twinge of disappointment. I didn’t want to want him, but I wanted him to want me?

  Yup. Torn like jeans in an ’80s music video.

  I grabbed a slice of bacon and hopped from the stool. “I’ll shower and hit the station. You want to come with?”

  “You’re up for it?” Tank asked.

  “Nope.” My body throbbed, and I suspected a tiny woodpecker was nesting in my temples, but I needed out of the apartment, and we needed supervision. “But I’ll take some horse pills and rough it out.” I’d be bedridden if I lived my life waiting to be one hundred percent.

  Though bedridden wouldn’t be so bad if Tank were there too…

  I jerked. Bad Jenny.

  A few choice mental images wouldn’t shake away. I headed to the shower and slammed the water on cold.

  Chapter Seven

  I sighed. I’d done a lot of that the past two days. Jenny was a fire I couldn’t stay away from. I had to keep poking, adding more logs…

  I needed the burn unit on speed dial.

  She’d looked better than I expected at breakfast. Almost well. If not for a few unconscious winces, she might’ve fooled me.

  And that fucking T-shirt. No pants. No shorts. Just a pair of bare pink knees I wanted wrapped around my hips. I could only pray she’d been wearing panties. Except then I’d be thinking about her panties.

  I couldn’t decide if she was trying to seduce me or if her personal danger threshold was that low. Maybe I just wasn’t a threat. I suspected the latter.

  She’d barely touched her food and she was going to down a fistful of pills. She’d probably chase them with the flask of vodka she kept under her pillow. Her life was a slow-motion train wreck, and I couldn’t back away. All I could do was worry.