Rock Bottom (The Gifted Realm #4)

by Jillian Neal

  * * *

  Rainer glared furiously at the screen, like the phone had done something to mortally wound him.

  “So, maybe three days, eight hours, plus the time it takes you to get home from the airport, plus five or six hours and two and half minutes,” Logan offered Rainer a sorrowful gaze.

  While he bit back the long string of volatile curse words that threatened to spew forth from his mouth, Rainer shot Logan a desperate glare. Adeline seemed to understand why Rainer was quite literally choking on his words.

  “Uh, I’m just going to head on to the hospital. I’m working a double shift, so I won’t be home until late,” she explained to Logan, while still staring at Rainer concernedly.

  Logan nodded and kissed her good-bye, before he turned back to Rainer, “Get Em to tell her no.”

  Rainer tried to think clearly.

  He turned the phone back on and forwarded the text to Emily. He explained that he’d just received it from her mother. Logan pulled his own phone and texted Emily as well. He recited his text out-loud to Rainer. ‘He’s bad off, Em. I’m not sure he’ll make it through a Haydenshire dinner complete with the new grandbaby.’

  Rainer finally relocated the ability to chuckle.

  ‘Are you freaking kidding me?’ was Emily’s immediate response to Rainer’s forward. He turned his phone so that Logan could read her response.

  Unbeknownst to Rainer, Emily added another text.

  ‘I’m not going to Mom and Dad’s! You’re taking me home, and giving me a bath, and then I’m gonna ride you like the stallion you are.’

  Logan gagged reflexively, and groaned as he held up his hands and pushed the phone away.

  “What?” Rainer glanced back at the screen and saw the second text. His eyes goggled.

  “Sorry,” he choked. He debated just returning to bed and being done with the day at seven thirty in the morning.

  “’S’ok,” Logan was still shuddering. “Just a little more information than I ever, ever, needed.” An uncomfortable moment later, Logan seemed to decide to give Rainer a break. “Hey, maybe you and Em could demonstrate that stallion thing for Soleus’s class. He keeps wanting you to participate.”

  They cracked up. Certain he was still the color of an overly ripe tomato, Rainer sighed.

  “She’s, uh, just a little…” he tried to think of a word to describe Emily at that moment. The past few days, her texts had become increasingly more sexually-charged as the frustration had set in.

  “If it’s all the same to you, I’m not gonna call my sister that.”

  “I was going to say tired,” Rainer assured him.

  Logan look relieved. “Tired’s good,”

  “Logan,” he sighed, “I mean, aside from anything else that might happen, she is tired, and she can only shower like once a week, and she’s sick of Garrett and Chloe messing around or fighting all the time. I think she really just wants to come home and relax.” He prayed that Logan would understand there was more to his desire to take care of Emily than the physical side.

  “And you’re concerned it might piss Dad off if you give her a bath there?” Logan mocked.

  Rainer chuckled and nodded his sarcastic agreement.

  With a quick glance at his watch, Logan stood. “Come on, we need to get to the Academy to escort pipsqueak to class. I’ll think of something.”

  * * *

  Wednesday proved to be the most trying yet. The angry phone calls and emails had been flying around the Academy about teaching the boys the cast to close off their sexual partners. Chancellor Wilshire looked haggard as he brushed by Rainer and Logan, who were standing guard outside Mentor Sullivan’s class. Murmurs of the debate were all over campus, which made it difficult to think of anything else.

  “I know you’re trying not to think about it, but seeing as we’re about to go sit through two and half hours of the sex talk, can I ask you something?” Logan quizzed hesitantly, after making certain no one else was in the corridor. Rainer nodded.

  “Did Garrett or Levi teach us to set the cast?”

  “I was thinking about that the other day,” Rainer recalled.

  Garrett had overheard Emily and Rainer discussing the possibility of taking things further when they’d been up in her loft one afternoon. Rainer was a sophomore, and she was a freshman. Garrett had pulled Logan and Rainer to the side later that night, and shot straight with them.

  “If you’re gonna take my sister to bed, then I’m going to teach you to do this the right way.”

  Logan and Adeline had been dating a few years by then, so Logan hadn’t fussed too much over the reasoning for the lesson.

  “The way they teach the girls to do it at school has no finesse, no skill, just wham, bam, and it’s done. To me, if you’re gonna close a girl off so she can be with you, then you should make her glad that she chose you to share that with.”

  Already keenly aware of Garrett’s many escapades, Logan and Rainer had paid extremely close attention. Levi and Will had joined in the conversation a few minutes later, and had agreed with Garrett’s reasoning.

  “Yeah, the way they do it at school is really clinical,” Will had lamented. “And, you know, if you’re gonna work it into the sex, then it should be sexy. Make her feel good about it.”

  “Ok, so how do you do it?” Logan had demanded after growing tired of his brothers’ overt bragging. Garrett then proceeded to explain things like if they waited until after they’d been making out for a while, it would be easier to close them off because they would already have the essence of their energy.

  “If you’ve gotten to feel her up or play down south, then you’ve pretty much got it in your hand,” Garrett had chuckled at his own innuendo. He also offered them several tips on how to get a girl turned on so she would sleep with you, even if she was nervous about it.

  Will had jumped all over Garrett at this point. “’If she’s nervous about it, then you need to forget it for a while!”

  Garrett had continued with nothing more than an eye-roll as his response to Will.

  “In school, they just capture their energy and close off their womb. It makes them uncomfortable, but you can add in some of your own energy to what you gather from her. You know, just kind of calm them down and soothe them, so they don’t feel it at all,” Garrett had instructed. He then went into great detail, using extremely crude terminology for female body parts, as to how to get in and seal them off.

  * * *

  “Levi was there, but Garrett actually taught us,” Rainer reminded Logan. He nodded, and appeared to be recalling the same evening.

  “Dad’s been fielding calls from parents as well. They all want to know if he’ll change the ruling on the curriculum.”

  Rainer wasn’t surprised to hear that. “Seems to me, if you’re gonna be with a girl, then it shouldn’t matter who sets the cast. It should sort of be a mutual decision, you know? If you can’t even agree on that, then maybe you shouldn’t be hopping into bed together,” Rainer commented as he glanced into Sullivan’s classroom, to make certain Clarence wasn’t causing any trouble.

  Logan sighed. “Yeah, that’s what I thought, too. Dad’s kind of with the ‘it’s the girl’s choice’ crowd, but Mom thinks the guys should know how. She thinks if both people know, there might be fewer unplanned pregnancies.”

  With that, the bell rang, and they led Clarence to another round of sex education.

  They slunk down in the same seats they’d been using, and shoved Clarence into the seat in front of Logan.

  Rainer tried to think of anything but Emily. He missed being with her, certainly, but he also missed talking to her, and actually hearing her voice.

  He longed to see her beautiful face, hear her sweet laugh, and feel her energy around him. He wanted to feel her body move languidly beside his before the sunrise each morning. He wanted her warmth and her scent to linger on his skin. He missed her more with each passing moment.

  Logan missed her cooking. He’d pointed this o
ut repeatedly over the past three weeks. With a slight chuckle at that, Rainer began making a mental list of all of the things he needed to get done before he picked her up at the airport.

  Emily had informed her mother that under no uncertain terms were she and Rainer coming to the farmhouse Friday evening. She’d explained that she was exhausted, and wouldn’t be able to shower before she arrived home. She requested that they have their normal Sunday family dinner with everyone, and that then she would feel up to meeting Lily Ana and being an aunt for the first time.

  Rainer had repeatedly assured the Haydenshires that he was leaving work at noon Friday, and had the entire next week off due to the sheer amount of overtime he and Logan had been working.

  He’d vowed that he, and only he would pick Emily up from the airport, but he’d been shot down. Governor Haydenshire insisted that he and Mrs. Haydenshire and the twins would be there as well.

  Rainer forced his mind back to his ongoing list. He needed to wash his clothes, something he hadn’t done while Emily had been gone. He was down to his last shirts and trousers.

  Emily and Mrs. Haydenshire had usually done his laundry for him growing up, though he’d never expected them to do that. They just always had, and he’d never really quite gotten the knack of it.

  He had managed to, rather discreetly, get the sheets washed after the other night, and back on the bed, but he added changing them to his list, before Emily arrived home.

  He also began making a grocery list. He didn’t plan on either of them leaving the house before they had to be at the farmhouse Sunday evening. He wanted to have all of Emily’s favorite foods on hand.

  Their room was littered with brochures for new cars and consumer magazines, discussing the pros and cons of the newest makes and models. It needed to be straightened up.

  He and Logan were going out to Sam’s that night to drive a few, but Rainer wasn’t really looking forward to it. He still hadn’t gotten over losing the Mustang. He still shuddered when he thought about the tattered remains of his much-beloved first car.

  In that moment, when Rainer was parched for distraction, he decided that he’d just let Emily pick something for him. She knew him better than anyone.

  Soleus moved into the classroom and closed the door.

  He wanted to pick up flowers to have when Emily arrived, but then wondered if that was too clichéd. Lost in thought, Rainer didn’t realize he’d been asked a question.

  “Rainer,” Logan coughed, and discreetly gestured his head to Soleus.

  Quickly shaken from his reverie, his head jerked upwards. He felt guilty that Mentor Soleus was standing in front of him, awaiting an answer.

  After reminding himself that he was no longer a student, and that he certainly didn’t require this class for anything, he sighed. “I’m sorry, did you need something… sir?” he added at the end to be polite.

  “Yes, Officer Lawson, I was wondering if you’d enlighten our class on your stance on the debate on whether or not our Amative Energies curriculum for the male students should include teaching the cast for closing a female’s womb.”

  “I’m not really certain. Like I told you, I’m just here to keep Pendergrath in line.” He sincerely wished that Soleus would leave him alone, but something about Soleus’ demeanor told Rainer he wasn’t going to drop this.

  “Now, come on, Mr. Lawson. You are an example for these young men.” He gestured to the class and then began walking around the room. “Since none of you were in attendance last year, you may not be aware that Officer Lawson graduated as head of Ioses Order, with an outstanding grade point average. His father wrote and ratified our constitution. These are the future, Officer Lawson,” Soleus returned his gaze to Rainer as he gestured to the young men in the class.

  “Why do you refuse to enlighten them on something as simple as your opinion? Have you ever casted Miss Haydenshire and, if so, where did you learn to do this as it isn’t in our curriculum?”

  Rainer bristled and drew a deep breath. He narrowed his eyes. Thoughts of all that his father had stood for and had died for filled his mind, though he fought to keep them at bay.

  “First of all,” he commanded, “my relationship with my fiancée is no one’s business but ours. I would never share any of that with anyone else.”

  “If you really want my opinion, then here it is…” He glanced around the room at the boys staring up at him, thoroughly rapt. “Your physical relationship with whomever you’re with isn’t something that you share details of with people you hardly know, or even with your friends.”

  “As for casting someone, that is something that should be discussed long before you go hopping into bed. And if you can’t even agree on that, then I would give a lot of thought to the fact that perhaps you shouldn’t be sleeping with that person at all,” he restated the opinion he’d shared with Logan earlier. He crossed his arms and glared at Soleus. He dared him to continue his inquisition.

  “Well said, Mr. Lawson. You see, sometimes we’re an example because of who we are, whether we want to be or not. I believe it was your father who used to say that ‘everyone is an example, and you, and only you, get to choose whether you’re a good one or a bad one’, did he not?” Soleus quizzed Rainer, who nodded his agreement.

  The uncomfortable understanding that his opinion mattered to people because of his father, because of his career, because of who he was, settled harshly in his gut.

  “Officer Haydenshire, would you say you agree with Officer Lawson’s opinion?” Soleus moved to Logan.

  “Absolutely,” Logan nodded to Rainer. “I agree with every word.”

  With that, Soleus led the boys in another discussion about the energy related to sex, while Logan and Rainer discreetly texted one another throughout class.

  Logan did an outstanding job of distracting Rainer throughout the lecture.

  17

  Punishment and Reward

  Friday morning, Rainer’s entire body was hot-wired as he began his countdown to three o’clock. Portwood and Ericcson were taking his and Logan’s place at the Academy to keep up with Clarence.

  Rainer drove the Hummer onto the parking deck of the Senate and tried to focus on the Pendergrath case. He found it impossible to think about anything but taking Emily home and then taking excellent care of her.

  The weather in late November was terrible. Storms were on the radar all day. It was pouring as Rainer exited the Hummer, glanced out from the covered parking deck, and grimaced.

  Emily hated storms. They terrified her, and Rainer didn’t want her to have to fly through one. He resolutely decided that once he got her home, he’d make certain she forgot all about the storm. They could lay in bed all afternoon and all night. The storm and everything else in the world could just wait outside.

  He flashed his badge at the security entrance, and then sank down at his desk.

  “Why does it have to rain today?” Logan sounded thoroughly put out. Rainer’s brow furrowed. He wondered why Logan cared so much. He usually made fun of Emily’s terror over storms.

  All Receivers hated storms. There was too much volatile, violent energy in them. Emily associated Cal’s death, her wreck, and Rainer’s leaving her with storms. Terror overtook her with every bolted rap of thunder and every shock of lightening through the sky. To Emily, if something horrible were going to happen, it would be during a storm.

  Suddenly, Vindico growled their names from his office, and Rainer and Logan shared an ominous glance.

  “In here, now!” Vindico demanded.

  With a harsh swallow of his own fear, Rainer stood and followed Logan into the office. Vindico was pacing and scowling furiously.

  “So, I was in here last night and it occurred to me… Why is Clarence Pendergrath sexually harassing this one girl? What is it about her? He doesn’t seem to be interested in anyone else.”

  Rainer’s heart sank rapidly to his feet.

  “I mean, he’s a prick, just like his old man, no doubt, but then I be
gan going over all of the complaints from the staff about his behavior. Now, most of his mentors have commented that he’s rude and obnoxious in class, but all of the complaints about his behavior towards Tilly McIntyre have come from one Mentor’s assistant!” his voice rose to a shout, but he reigned it in slightly.

  He leaned ominously across his desk and narrowed his eyes.

  “So, I’m now going to let you two tell me what you sure as hell should’ve told me weeks ago, and then I’m going to tell you how you’re going to make that up to me. I believe it was Mentor Sherman,” he drawled the name disgustedly, “who you covered up the Ecstasy charges for this summer, and was a friend of yours growing up.”

  Logan and Rainer nodded their defeat.

  “They’re involved with each other,” Logan immediately confessed.

  “We didn’t want him to get fired,” Rainer added quickly.

  “But he should be fired, Lawson. That goes against numerous Academy rules. You know that,” Vindico stated.

  “She’s only a year younger than him. It just didn’t seem like a big deal,” Logan came to Rainer’s defense.

  Vindico resumed his pacing. “Until Clarence Pendergrath found out, and is now going to try to blackmail Sherman. Mark my words.”

  “He’s not certain what he saw. He’s trying to get proof. That’s why he keeps bothering her,” Rainer admitted.

  With an infuriated huff, Vindico spat, “So, now I have to keep two of my Iodex officers playing babysitter because your friend makes incredibly poor decisions.”

  Unable to refute that, Rainer and Logan simply nodded. Vindico shook his head and ran his hands through his hair angrily. “You have got to tell me stuff like this. I have never done anything to make either of you believe that I am incapable of understanding that shit like this happens, but I need to know.”

  Rainer and Logan agreed, and Vindico seemed to calm down slightly.