“Who what, Jagger?” Reese cut in, letting some of her pent-up anger show through. “Almost died? Go ahead, say it,” she dared him. “You were the one that almost died because I wanted to get laid!”
* * * *
Jagger stared at her for a moment without speaking, trying to rein in his anger and hold back saying something he shouldn’t. Reese stood before him like she could take on the world, her back held straight and her brown eyes darkened with anger. It was a big difference from a year ago when she was hesitant in every word or action she displayed. Reese had acquired a confidence he’d never seen her possess, and the result was beautiful. She was stunning. She was maddening. She was his.
Jagger knew a year was too long to let Reese stay here by herself and wallow in blame she shouldn’t feel. They both made the decision to make love that night, and they both knew the potential outcome. He wouldn’t have changed a thing. But he needed that year to make sure she was safe from his government and figure out a way she could be around others, especially him. Unfortunately, they didn’t have time for this conversation now. He needed to relocate her before the Rogue agent his government hired came in with orders to capture her. But her callous attitude to what he endured this past year was more than he could take. She wasn’t the only one who suffered. Reese’s outburst only showed her guilt over that night, guilt that he didn’t want her to feel.
That’s when reality set in.
“You contained it,” Jagger accused her in a whisper. He looked around the room, noticing that every item was still in place. “I didn’t feel any energy from you. Nothing moved.”
“Back to your question about who ratted me out, there are only two people who know where I’m at, you and Theo McKay. And since I know that neither one of you would give me up, the question is, how?” Jagger knew she was trying to redirect the conversation, but he wasn’t going to allow her to hide.
“Don’t avoid this. Either you’re losing your ability or you’ve finally learned to control it. Which is it, Reese?” he demanded.
“According to your calculations,” Reese said, sidestepping the question, “we don’t have time for discussions. We now have seven minutes left, so take your men and leave. If the others come after me, I’ll take care of it.”
“Reese—”
“I didn’t lose my ability,” Reese cut in, giving him the answer he so desperately wanted. “No one can match my power. I’m not drugged, like before, with serum to block my release. And since we know from experience that I can destroy any machine they might have, there’s no reason for you to be here. Get out.”
“Energy that you just controlled,” Jagger said, with a touch of resentment in his voice. “Why didn’t—”
“Don’t you dare ask me why I didn’t call you after I almost killed you,” Reese harshly responded. Jagger heard the quiver in her voice and watched as she laid her hand across her stomach. Was Reese trying to suppress her energy? “I’ve had a year of doing nothing but concentrating on my gift. My curse. A year of being by myself, alone, knowing what I’m capable of. Suppressing this when I’m alone is totally different than trying to maintain control when we want to—”
“Don’t you dare lessen what we have,” Jagger warned, cutting off the four letter word he was sure she was about to utter.
“Had, Jagger. What we had. It was over the night you almost died.” Turning and walking toward the window, Reese peeled back the curtain, leaving him staring at her back. “Take your men and leave before the Rogue agents get here. They’ll never succeed in taking me. You and I both know that. You and your men, on the other hand, aren’t safe.”
Jagger wanted to make her turn and face him, so he could see every expression on her beautiful face. He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that what they shared wasn’t over, but now wasn’t the time to force his hand regarding their relationship. Jagger needed to concentrate on getting Reese out of here, unharmed, which he knew was easier said than done.
“I’m not willing to take that chance. They’re coming for you, which means they’re confident they can take you. I don’t know how or with what, but they are coming. Either you pack and come with me willingly or I carry you out of here now and take my chances you won’t hurt us.”
* * * *
Reese dropped the curtain and faced him, knowing by his tone that he wasn’t bluffing. But given the year she learned to control her power, she was still afraid on so many levels. What if she could only contain her energy here? What if being near people was too much? What if being near him was too much?
Reese glanced around the room and knew it was probably time to leave and see if what she accomplished could be used around others, but it felt too soon. She laughed inwardly at her cowardice and knew it would always be too soon, at least when it came to Jagger. But she didn’t have to be around Jagger if she left this sanctuary, did she?
She could start off slow somewhere. Theo could help her. He was the only one she had allowed at the cabin during her isolation. Theo could set her up in a lower-populated area so she could test her limits. Baby steps. That she could do.
“Fine. I’ll go with you now. But once we’re in the clear, Theo will find me a place.”
“Meaning?”
“I don’t want you near me. Theo will take over from here. He’s just as capable as you are, if not more so.” Reese knew that comment would set him on edge, but it was the only way she would leave and she trusted Theo with her life.
* * * *
“Because I’m human and Theo is a Noble?” Jagger closed the distance between them and was pressing his body to hers before she had time to react. He knew he was taking a chance, but wanted so badly to see if her control was real. “Don’t forget, my beautiful Noble, I’m the one that makes your heart beat faster and your skin tingle. I’m the one you long for in the dark when you’re lying by yourself and—”
“Jagger, don’t. Please,” Reese murmured.
“Fine,” Jagger said, abruptly taking a step back, knowing this wasn’t the time, but satisfied he didn’t feel the waves of energy she usually produced when he was that close to her. “I’m not going to argue with you right now. We’ll discuss it when—”
“We’ll discuss it now because that’s the only way I’m leaving this cabin,” Reese retorted, having regained her composure. “Let Theo take over.”
Jagger glanced at his watch. Five minutes. Not wanting to waste their time on an issue that neither would budge on, he nodded his head in what she would perceive as a concession to do things her way and crossed to the door, opening it.
“Let’s go.”
Jagger didn’t expect the rounds of gunshots or screams of agony that pierced the air as they tried to leave. His men were being ambushed when they should have had more time. Throwing her back, Jagger slammed the door shut and pulled out his gun, while immediately reaching for his phone with his other hand. Accessing the person on the other end, he yelled, “You want to tell me what the hell happened? I should have had five minutes left to get her out!”
* * * *
Reese couldn’t hear the other end of the conversation, but knew it wasn’t good by the look on Jagger’s face. She walked to the other side of the room and peered outside. Sure enough, dozens of men surrounded the area waiting for the authorization to take her in while Jagger’s men lay at their feet. They wouldn’t kill her, not unless they had to. Looking for the lead Rogue, but not seeing him, she had no choice in what she had to do.
Hoping that this past year had given her the control of her power that she so struggled with and had ruled her life, Reese closed her eyes and summoned the energy her body hoarded in its center. As the force curled itself in her core, Reese concentrated on growing it without releasing it too soon while simultaneously creating a bubble to protect Jagger, just as she had been practicing for months on end. Sensation tingled and zinged over every inch of her skin and the inside of her body felt as if fire was emanating from her pores, but still, she hung on to the pow
er.
She heard a whisper and knew Jagger was calling for her, but she was past the point of stopping. With a loud scream, she spread her arms wide and released the force that radiated from her core. The echo that followed gave Reese knowledge that she hit every one of the targets outside, and she unfortunately knew that she had also hurt Jagger’s team in the process. That is, if they were still alive from their ambush moments before.
Reese reached for anything to break her fall, but Jagger was there to catch her. She couldn’t hear what he mumbled under his breath, but it really didn’t matter as Jagger guided her to the well-worn gray matted couch. Reese leaned back, struggling for air as she watched him make his way across the room. Jagger gradually opened the door, peering through the crack. Whatever he saw must have been awful, as he slowly closed it and leaned back against the heavy wood. Reese closed her eyes at the anguish she observed in his eyes and knew that more deaths were added to her sins.
“How bad?” The words were rough to get out because she really didn’t want to know the answer.
Ignoring her question, Jagger pulled the cell phone back up to his ear and asked, “How soon can you get the chopper in?”
Chapter Two
“Thank you, Theo.”
“Anything for my favorite Noble,” Theo replied, giving her a wink but unable to hide the worry in his blue eyes.
Reese gave a small smile in reassurance. Theo McKay was her one and only friend. Standing a couple inches taller than Jagger, he still held the same arrogant stance. Long, blond hair pulled back in a leather tie with a boyish charm originating from his left dimple, he had always been there for her. And having no family to call her own because the government had eradicated most of their kind and the family she did have left would have sold her to the highest bidder, Theo and Reese had created an allegiance all their own. Through good and bad, their friendship had grown until they were caught by the government and separated, given up by one of their own. These types of Nobles are called Rogues, a nickname earned when they turn against their own race to work for the government. It was amazing what money could buy.
“What time should I be ready tomorrow?”
Theo threw a glance at Jagger, who didn’t comment, so he answered, “I’ll call sometime in the afternoon. I’ll need the morning to make the proper arrangements.” Theo came to stand in front of her and lifted a hand to brush a stray hair back behind her ear. The feel of his finger caused a shiver, and Reese stepped back automatically, unnerved by the feeling. They were friends, and Jagger was the only one who ever caused her body to react that way. She had definitely been on her own too long, Reese thought. She was just feeling lonely and reacting to things that weren’t there.
“I appreciate it,” Reese said, giving a small smile, not wanting to let on that his touch disturbed her.
“I’ll be in the guesthouse if you need me for anything,” Theo said. The knowing look in his eyes made her uncomfortable. Reese turned, looking around at her surroundings as Jagger walked Theo toward the kitchen door of his house, pushing what had just happened to the back of her mind.
Their friendship spanned over ten years, right when her ability started to develop. Nobles were born with their gifts, but they didn’t appear until puberty. Theo rescued her from a family she would never call her own. Theo was her family.
When Jagger had rescued her from the Fray, Theo also aided Jagger and two other Nobles being kept there. Jagger knew of their friendship and requested Theo’s help in keeping Reese safe for the last year. Jagger had stayed away per Reese’s request but had Theo fly in once a month to stock her with supplies. Never once did she think of Theo in the way she thought of Jagger.
Not wanting to think about the past right now, Reese looked around Jagger’s home. The place was more like a fortress in the wilderness than a house, she thought, with the surrounding fence and guards posted in four tower checkpoints forming a square around Jagger’s home. It was a secure compound. As much as it looked like a jail from the outside, the inside was pure Jagger.
Warm and rich earth tones blanketed the room, with dark brown wooden beams outlining each room. The kitchen held cherrywood cabinets with dark brown and rust granite countertops surrounding an island centerpiece. Complementing the warm room was a fireplace encased by caramel and gray rock with two brown leather chairs on either side of a single couch to cradle a person while they sought the heat from the flames. A russet-colored rug lay under a long but stunted large leather ottoman to complete the setting. She loved the layout of a living area backdropped against the kitchen.
Sinking into one of the chairs, Reese pulled her legs up underneath her and let the fire warm her. Using the amount of energy she had at the cabin had drained her and left her cold. Hell, it left her feeling empty. A feeling that I should be used to by now, Reese thought.
Jagger finally returned from seeing Theo off with two coffee cups in hand. Handing one to her, he settled himself in the chair across from her. She felt sparks in the room that had nothing to do with the fire in front of them and tried her best to ignore him. Reese took a sip of her coffee, not wanting to be the one to break the silence.
* * * *
Jagger’s eyes ran down her slim form, looking sleek and flawless in dark jeans that covered her long legs and a black turtleneck that accentuated her impeccable round, small breasts that he knew from experience fit perfectly into his hands. Bringing his eyes to rest on her face, her velvet plush lips caught his attention and his desire for her slammed home once more with the memory of them wrapping around his cock. His dick stirred, remembering as well. Staring into Reese’s coffee-colored eyes, which held every emotion she was feeling despite her best effort not to show them, only strengthened his resolve to reclaim her. And now that he knew she could somewhat control her power, Jagger desperately needed to know if could she control it with him.
“Why wasn’t I hurt?” Jagger asked quietly.
Reese was able to take the energy of everything and everyone around her, draw it into her body and release it with an astronomical force that would destroy anything within a quarter-mile area. The area could encompass a farther distance, the more emotional she became. That’s why the government had targeted her. She was a perfect weapon.
Jagger had been one of the agents overseeing her case, ordered to use her against the Nobles once the scientists were through running their tests. The government supplied drugs made to inhibit her power so they could keep her close at hand until they needed her. But the more he’d learned about her, the more Jagger hadn’t viewed her as the enemy. In fact, after the days turned into weeks and the weeks into months, he’d begun to see Reese in a new light.
She was beautiful, intelligent, and pure. She was empathetic to everyone, not just her kind. She craved love and compassion, but up until Jagger, had only received it from Theo. She was also loyal to a fault.
But any emotion would set off her gift. The list was vast, including anger, joy, and sadness. Unfortunately, passion topped out at number one. The only answer was solitude until Reese was able to contain her reactions. Jagger knew that other Nobles worked hard to manage their gifts after puberty, but others were harder to control, such as Reese’s.
It took a long time for her to place her trust in Jagger as he had been working for the Fray to try and use her. Upon realizing that would never happen and, yes, losing his heart to her in the process, he helped plan an escape. What they hadn’t banked on was how badly the Fray wanted her and the lengths they would go to find her. When they realized she wasn’t safe anywhere, Jagger used all his resources and found a piece of land close to where it had all began in Montana, knowing the government would never look there. Reese had relished her solitude.
“I guess we got lucky,” Reese said, interrupting his thoughts. Reese took another sip of the hot liquid and then closed her eyes.
“Lucky?” Jagger’s hand clenched as he gripped the mug to prevent himself from reaching for her and forcing her to look at him.
“You aren’t the type to take chances. Which means you’re controlling your power and you didn’t tell me or Theo.”
The silence dragged on between them. The fire crackled. The wind whistled outside the windows while snowflakes danced in the air.
“How long?” he asked.
Reese stood and walked to the fireplace, keeping her back to him. “A while. Practicing in the woods with animals is totally different than trying it with humans, though.”
“When did you start trying?”
“Soon after I arrived,” Reese answered, staring into the fire. “I wasn’t emotionally stable those first few months. Theo—”
“Theo what?”
“Theo pointed out that the animals were staying away from the area. He said we had to be careful not to cause any hikers or hunters to be suspicious of the area. He also told me it was time to be what others claimed me to be. The Deity of the Nobles.”
“Ah, the famous and dreaded nickname.”
She gave a soft laugh. “I really do hate that name.”
“You were labeled that because of your ability to kill who you wanted, when you wanted. Society had to give you and the Nobles names to separate you. It’s always easier to destroy something you hold at arm’s length.”
“I guess it is,” Reese consented.
“Having control will only give them reinforcement to call you the Deity. You’re the most dangerous of your kind. So, what happened after Theo left that time?”
“It was weeks after and I spotted a few birds. It was by happenstance that I realized I could create a type of encasement around me. If I’m not hurt when I release it, then why can’t I do the same with those around me? Theo constantly asked me that. So I made my emotions as blank as possible until all the animals returned. I won’t bore you with the details, but let’s just say it worked. I’ve been practicing daily.”
Noble Desire [Nature's Nobles 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 2
