by Leigh, Jena
Although… such an act of heroism wouldn’t be without its perks.
A small voice in the back of his thoughts suggested that the sight of an angry, soaking-wet Alex wouldn’t be entirely unwelcome. And she was kind of cute when she was annoyed with him. There was something about the way she held her mouth and the fiery look that shined in her eyes…
He smiled at the mental image before he could stop himself.
That was a road he really shouldn’t be headed down.
Still, every moment that passed made it more and more likely she’d fallen in the lake during an attempt to return.
He sighed.
Why had he even brought her to Kilkenny in the first place?
It had taken him a grand total of five seconds to mull it over and a split-second to make the trip… Followed by the last twenty minutes, every one of which he’d spent trying to explain to himself why he’d done it.
These fields were his refuge. His home.
And she was…. Well, she was Alex Parker. The girl who’d destroyed his family. The girl who had taken his home away from him.
He’d spent the last twelve years hating her—a girl he hardly knew.
In that respect, it was easy to despise her. And it was even easier to blame her for what had happened.
He didn’t know her. Could barely remember her, except as some whiny, pigtailed little girl that the adults always bent over backwards to please—and eventually laid down their lives to protect.
No, he hadn’t known her. But he’d imagined what sort of girl she’d probably grown into. No doubt she’d become a spoiled princess who expected the world on a silver platter and pitched a fit when it wasn’t handed right over. A girl who thought nothing of others and only of herself.
…A girl he was having trouble reconciling with the one he’d finally met.
Not that Declan was ready to let go of his resentment altogether. At least, not just yet.
The jury was still out on Alex Parker.
Besides. Dropping that particular grudge would require admitting that his sister had been right about something.
And that just wasn’t going to happen.
Alex reappeared at the bottom of the hill—completely dry, much to the disappointment of that traitorous inner voice—with a triumphant smile on her face. She even managed to nail the landing without stumbling.
“I did it!” she said, thrusting her arms in the air. “Yes!”
“What took so long?” he called down to her. “Make a few stops along the way?”
“Hey,” she said, defensive of her celebratory mood. “I made it here, didn’t I? And I didn’t even have to go swimming first!” Alex laughed. “I’d say that’s progress!”
She started to climb the hill.
“Hold it!”
Alex came to a halt and sent him a questioning look.
“Jump.”
Her smile faltered. “I was afraid you were going to say that.”
Alex reappeared at his side with her eyes closed and a pinched expression that suggested she might be bracing for an impact. She peeked one eye open, caught sight of him staring at her, and let out a squeal of delight.
God help him.
“Back to the bottom of the hill,” he ordered.
“What, again?”
“Again.”
She jumped to the bottom of the hill and back again.
“Satisfied?” she asked.
He crossed his arms over his chest. “Again.”
She sighed and disappeared.
“How about now?” The shout had come from somewhere in the distance. Glancing toward the sound, Declan found her standing beneath an alder tree a few hundred feet away.
Alex reappeared at his side.
“Yeah, okay,” he said. “Now I’m happy.”
The triumphant smile returned.
“Tired yet?” he asked.
“Nope.”
Huh. Well, that was odd. After making so many jumps, the girl ought to be exhausted.
“Oh!” she said suddenly. “Before I forget! Brian said Grayson wants you to call him ASAP.”
“Brian said? When did you see…?” he trailed off.
It was still early. Brian should have been at the house working on schoolwork. And that could only mean one thing.
He smirked. “You ended up in my bed again, didn’t you? Shame I wasn’t there to see it.”
The expression on Alex’s face was priceless. She looked like she’d just swallowed a bug.
He fished his cell phone from the pocket of his jeans.
Three missed calls.
So much for lunch at the pub. Shame. He’d been looking forward to that pint of Smithwick’s.
“Alright, we’re going to have to finish this later,” he said. “Back to the cabin. I don’t need the roaming charges.”
Alex snorted in amusement. Giving him a small wave, she disappeared.
Declan shook his head, smiling, and followed her.
* * *
There had to be an easier way to do this.
“Would you sit still?” asked Kenzie, exasperated. “You’re acting like I’m about to suck your brain out through your ears.”
For all Alex knew, that’s exactly what was about to happen.
She stared uncertainly up at the redhead. Alex was seated cross-legged on the living room floor while Kenzie knelt before her, a hand on either side of Alex’s face, index and middle fingers resting at her temples.
“Kenzie, I really don’t think—”
“Hush,” she said. “I need to concentrate.”
After a moment of silence, Kenzie pulled a face. “This isn’t working. Oh! I know!” She closed her eyes again and made the same ‘om’ sound Alex usually associated with meditating Buddhists.
Declan and Brian chose that moment to walk into the upstairs hallway.
“What… the hell… are you two doing?” asked an amused Declan from somewhere above her.
Kenzie bristled. “I, big brother, am attempting to do my good deed for the day. Alex, on the other hand, is resisting my efforts to help.”
“I would, too, if it involved you digging around in my head,” said Declan as he started down the stairs. Brian trailed a few feet behind him. “Alex, what were you thinking?”
To be honest, she was sort of wondering that herself at the moment.
“I was hoping she could—” Alex had turned her head to the side in order to answer Declan. Kenzie turned it back. Alex sighed. “Hoping she could help me remember a phone number.”
Alex’s cell phone had been ruined during yesterday’s splashdown in the lake. She couldn’t even get it to turn back on, much less access her contact list. Not that losing her phone bothered her all that much. To be honest, after frying the last three, she was really starting to wonder what the point was in even carrying one.
“Ever heard of a phone book?” asked Declan, making his way into her line of sight as he took a seat on the couch. Brian dropped down next to him.
“Cell phone number,” she clarified. “And I know it… I just can’t remember it.”
“Got it!” Kenzie shouted. She reached for the notepad she’d set aside earlier and scribbled down a number. “Man, I’m good.”
She handed the notepad to Alex. The number to Cassie’s cell stared back at her. Huh. She’d actually found it.
“Wow, thanks,” said Alex. “That was… impressive.”
“Thank you, thank you. Really, now,” said Kenzie. “Don’t applaud. Just throw money.”
“Who is it you plan on calling?” asked Declan. “You’re supposed to be in hiding, in case you’ve forgotten.”
“Of course I haven’t forgotten,” said Alex, grabbing the portable phone off of the end table. “It’s my friend Cassie. If I don’t call her, we’ll have a much bigger problem on our hands, trust me. As it is, she’s probably not buying whatever story it is my Aunt’s using to explain my sudden disappearance. I just want to make sure she knows I’m fine
and not to worry.”
Declan still didn’t seem keen on the idea, but he remained quiet as she dialed.
“So what did the boss want?” Kenzie asked Declan.
Ringing.
“He met with Bartlett this morning.”
“And?” Nathaniel had walked in through the front door, his arms and clothes spotted with engine grease.
More ringing.
Come on, Cassie. Answer.
“And,” Declan continued. “According to the Agency files, Brandt’s been dead since January.”
“What?” asked Alex, covering the mouthpiece. “How’s that possible?”
“It’s not,” he said. “Someone obviously screwed up.”
On the other end of the line, a voice answered.
But not the voice Alex had been expecting.
“Hello, Alex. So very nice to see you made it out alive. You’ll have to tell me how you did that sometime.”
She nearly dropped the phone. “B-Brandt.”
Hearing the tremor in her voice, Declan’s head swiveled toward her.
“Ahh, so you’ve learned my name!” Brandt sounded pleased. “I suppose I shouldn’t be too surprised, given the sort of company you’re keeping these days. Tell me. How is my old pal Grayson?”
“What have you done with her?” Alex asked in a whisper.
Realizing what was happening, Declan gestured quickly toward Nate, then reached forward and snatched up the paper with Cassie’s cell number scrawled on it. He pulled the cell phone from his pocket.
“Speaker,” Nate ordered, moving swiftly in her direction.
Climbing unsteadily to her feet, Alex held out the phone and put the call on speakerphone. If Cassie got hurt over this, Alex would never forgive herself.
“You mean the beautiful Cassandra?” Brandt sounded smug. “Oh, she’s safe enough for the moment, don’t worry, my pet.”
Alex could hear muffled sounds in the background.
Across from her, Declan was still glaring down at his cell. He held the phone in a white-knuckle grip as his fingers moved furiously across the screen.
“Prove it,” said Alex with as much conviction as she could muster. “I want to talk to her.”
She heard shuffling and what sounded like a gag being pulled from her friend’s mouth. “Alex?”
“Cass!” Alex fought back a sob. There’d be time for that later. Not now. “Are you okay? Has he hurt you?”
“I’m fine,” her voice was raspy. “But Alex… Whatever he wants… Don’t give it to him. Promise me you won’t—”
“See?” Brandt’s voice came back on the line. “She’s the picture of health. And she’ll stay that way, just so long as you do as I say.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“I want you to meet me at your favorite place. The one you like to escape to every night just before dusk,” he said.
Declan glanced up from the screen of his cell phone long enough to send her a questioning stare.
He might have been clueless, but Alex knew exactly which place Brandt was referring to.
“When?” she asked.
“Why, at sunset, of course,” he replied. “I can’t think of a more picturesque place to spend the evening.”
Alex grimaced. Sunset. Back home, that would happen sometime between seven-thirty and eight P.M. That meant Cassie would be with him for another six hours, at least.
I’m so sorry, Cass.
“Why not meet now?” she ventured. “Why wait until tonight?”
“Sorry, my pet,” said Brandt. “I’ve got some rather pressing matters to attend to this afternoon. I’m sure you understand.”
She scrambled for an idea… Something—anything—that would make Brandt move up the timetable.
“Speaking of which,” he continued. “I really must be going.”
“No, wait—”
“One last thing, pet,” he said. “I’m sure you’ve read enough novels and seen enough action films to guess what my one stipulation for tonight’s meeting is…”
Alex swallowed. “You want me to come alone.”
“Very good, pet. Knew you were a smart one. Who says public education in this country is lacking? I’ll see you tonight.”
The line went dead. Alex dropped the phone and sank to her knees, her heart racing.
“Did you get it?” Kenzie asked Declan.
Declan cursed and looked up from his cell phone. “No. Narrowed it down to northern Florida. That’s as far as it got.”
Alex looked numbly back and forth between the two of them.
He held up his cell. “Tracing program. I was using it to track your friend’s phone.”
She probably should have been surprised that there was an app for that, but she just didn’t have the energy.
Nathaniel knelt beside her. “Where is it he wants to meet, Alex? What place was he talking about?”
Alex didn’t answer.
What was she going to tell them?
She couldn’t risk the others knowing where she was headed. If they showed up… If Brandt thought she hadn’t come alone… There’s no telling what he might do to Cassie.
Remembering that she was sitting in the room with a telepath, Alex slammed up the mental walls Kenzie had taught her to create before she’d gone fishing in her thoughts earlier. Alex was suddenly grateful for the impromptu lesson. She’d taught her the trick so that Alex could hide from Kenzie anything she didn’t want the other girl to see. She didn’t think she’d be using it again quite so soon.
Alex looked up. They were all staring at her expectantly.
“The… the pier,” she said finally. “I go there to watch the sunset.”
Declan studied her. He wasn’t buying it. “Okay. Now where does he really want to meet?”
Fearing she might drown beneath the weight of his stare, Alex did the only thing she could do. She jumped.
She landed in the middle of the training field. Lucky, she supposed, since she hadn’t actually had a destination in mind when she’d left. But considering what she did have in mind, this location worked out perfectly.
Declan would probably come looking for her… She just hoped he would be operating on the assumption that she’d gone back home instead of sticking around. As much as she wanted to spend the next six hours searching for the place Brandt was keeping Cassie, Alex knew she’d be better served preparing for tonight’s meeting instead.
At the moment, the only thing she had going for her was her ability to jump… But being able to run away wasn’t going to help Cassie. What she needed was to hold her own offensively against Brandt.
She needed to keep training. With or without Declan.
And she knew just where to start.
Focusing her anger, frustration and fear into something a little more destructive, Alex raised both hands and channeled the currents into the same churning mass she’d created the night before in Declan’s bedroom. In no time, the sphere expanded to the size of a basketball. With a little effort, she sent it spiraling across the field. It collided with one of the gigantic spruce trees that lined the clearing. The impact echoed through the forest, splitting the tree through the middle. The top half of the tree wavered unsteadily from side to side before falling to the ground with a thundering crash.
There was no way they hadn’t heard that.
Smooth, Alex. Real smooth.
So much for her hiding place.
Declan materialized a few yards away.
“Are you okay?” he asked, taking in the destruction. “Wait… Did you do that?”
Alex didn’t answer him. Instead she moved so that Declan wouldn’t be in her line of fire and then started building up another charge. She let it fly toward the fallen tree. Its branches shuddered and cracked, reeling from the force of the blow. In the place where the sphere had made contact, there remained nothing but a charred patch of earth.
Declan looked at her sharply.
The strange feeling of detachment
that had encased Alex’s emotions the moment she’d heard Brandt’s voice on the line, shattered.
Alex no longer felt numb.
She knew what she had to do.
“What do you think you’re doing?” he asked. His tone was practically dripping with disapproval.
The rush of anger that washed over her was nearly overpowering. Alex could feel it coursing through her veins, searching for an outlet.
“Training,” she said, as evenly as she could manage. “What does it look like?”
Declan’s brow furrowed. There’s no way he hadn’t sensed the sudden change in her mood.
“It looks like you’re planning to get yourself killed,” he said slowly.
“I’m planning on getting my friend back,” she replied, channeling her emotions into another charge. Instead of letting this one go, she focused on manipulating its size. Larger, smaller. Larger, smaller. It was amazing how easily all this was coming to her now.
“Not alone,” he said. “You’re no match for him by yourself, Lex.”
Lex? She might have enjoyed the intimate sound of the name on his lips, under different circumstances. It felt wrong to hear it from him now.
It was going to take more than Declan to stop her from going through with this.
Brandt had Cassie. And it was all Alex’s fault.
The thought sent another wave of anger coursing through her. With a cry of frustration, she sent the charge spiraling toward what remained of the fallen tree. It disintegrated with a deafening report.
Her arms fell to her sides and she turned to face him.
“I’m sorry, Declan,” she said. “I have to do this. And I have to do it alone.”
“Alex, no!” Declan lunged for her as she started her jump.
He wasn’t fast enough.
As the light engulfed her, she registered the look of panic in Declan’s eyes… and prayed she was making the right decision.
— 13 —
“Come on, Brian,” Declan urged. “You can do this.”
The boy’s expression was pained. “I want to, Declan! Honest! I just can’t see her!”
Declan clenched and unclenched his fists as he struggled to keep his patience. “Then try harder!”
