by Berinn Rae
A few seconds later a man appeared. For a moment Cali thought they really did have the wrong place, but a smile broke out on his face and he put his hand against the clear door. There was a faint click, though his hand never moved from the glass, and then Sydney was opening the door.
She rose onto her toes to kiss him. “Any trouble?”
“I should be asking you the same question.” The man’s navy blue eyes glittered with affection before they turned to Cali. “You must be the Silencer. I’m Joel Kegler, Locksmith.”
She gave him the once over. He had at least three inches on her. He had thick, mahogany brown hair that looked a bit too long and in need of a haircut. His skin was a nice, golden brown from obvious sun exposure like Sydney’s, but what caught Cali’s eye were his hands. They were covered with scars, some going all the way up his forearms.
“Oh, these.” He caught her staring. “I used to work on cars with my old man when I was little. Let me tell you, hot oil burns, and steel cuts mighty deeply.”
“And now you’re a locksmith?” That seemed like a rather strange transition.
He flashed a bright set of straight teeth. “Actually, I’m a computer technician. I was referring to my power.” His brow furrowed at her expression.
Another person who claimed to have powers? If they weren’t a military branch, then what the hell were they? Some kind of club? Super heroes anonymous?
“You have no idea what I’m talking about, do you?”
Felix came up behind her. She could feel the heat coming off him. Her skin felt too tight for her body. She wanted to step away but there was nowhere to retreat. Joel and Sydney blocked her path.
“We’re here to explain things to her,” said Felix.
“And keep her safe,” said Sydney.
“You can explain things later. I want to know what the hell happened out there,” a voice called from behind the counter on her right.
Seated at the reception desk, a woman shuffled through some papers. She had hazel eyes and oak-brown hair that was cut in a popular pixie fashion. There was a faint scar on the bottom left of her lip indicating that at one time she’d had her lip pierced. Her nametag read Niella Souveray. Their eyes met. “You look exactly as I Dreamed.”
As far as introductions went, this had to be the strangest. This was the woman who’d had a vision about her? Cali had one question — why her?
Niella’s interest in her was fleeting as she directed her attention to Felix. “Well? I take it you got there in time, but that tells me next to nothing. What are we up against?” There was something haunted behind her eyes, something that told Cali that Niella had an idea of what they were up against but didn’t want to believe it.
A shudder ran through her.
Felix’s hesitation was slight. “We ran into Collette.” His voice was low, rough.
Niella pushed out from behind the desk, giving Cali a glimpse of her wheelchair.
She was paralyzed?
Niella wheeled herself into the middle of the lobby. Felix’s answer wasn’t what she had expected. Her face clouded and all she said was, “Huh.”
“‘Huh?’ That’s all you have to say? If this isn’t coming to you as a shock then why the hell didn’t you tell me there would be people with powers there? That Collette would be there?”
Joel stepped forward. “Easy, Felix. Niella didn’t tell you because she didn’t know.”
Niella’s jaw tensed. “I don’t need defending because I’m a damn cripple,” she bit out at Joel.
The retort was like a slap to the face, and for a moment Joel looked at a loss for what to say. His expression hardened, and he opened his mouth then shut it again. “My defense had nothing to do with the fact that you’re in a wheelchair,” he said at last. He turned from her to walk over to the far wall where a row of seats was assembled before large stacks of dog food.
Aren’t they one big happy family? Cali thought.
Niella ignored Joel and the awkward silence that followed. “I didn’t tell you, Felix, because I didn’t Dream Collette.” She closed her eyes, her brow wrinkling. “There was someone else.”
Felix crossed his arms over his broad chest. “Who? ’Cause whoever they are, they’d have to be pretty desperate to stage a kidnapping in the middle of the damn day.”
Niella shook her head and opened her eyes. “A man. That’s all I’ve got. Who else was there besides Collette? A man?” The rest of them shuffled their way farther into the lobby so they were no longer clustered around the entrance.
Felix stayed by Cali’s side and gave a shrug. “Two of them, but there was nothing special about them. Does this man that you’ve seen have powers?”
“I’m not sure. It’s hard to tell.” There was more to it. Cali could read it on Niella’s face, but the Dreamer didn’t say anything more. Cali didn’t know if she was grateful that there was nothing else to discuss regarding her would-be captor, or if she should be worried.
“How’d you end up stopping Collette?” Niella asked.
Felix wrapped an arm casually around Cali’s shoulders. She tensed on instinct. “Cali Tasered the hell out of her.”
The corners of Niella’s mouth curled into a quick smile before the smile faded. “Good to know at least one of you can handle yourself.”
Cali found herself smiling. Despite Niella’s strange moods, she could picture the two of them getting along.
Felix dropped his arm from around Cali to place his palm over his heart. “Your words wound me, Ell. But you know, for driving in there half blind, we didn’t do too badly.”
Whatever tension there was left in the room slipped away.
“All right,” Sydney intervened, “you guys may have nothing else to do, but I still have to finish up for the day. Niella, were you able to reschedule the remaining appointments when I had to leave?”
“Every one.”
Sydney started to move around the large main lobby. It was filled with bags and bags of dog food. Leashes hung on the wall to the left, flea treatments close by. Toys, treats, and everything Cali could think a new pet owner would need surrounded the perimeter. Sydney made her way toward a large bag of food that was already opened and badly resealed. “Good. The last appointments that I had to bail on, did you give them their complimentary food bag — Ah!” She screamed, jumping back to knock into Joel.
Niella quickly rolled out of the way as Felix rushed over, Cali right behind him.
“Gadget!” Felix cried scooping up a fat gray rat.
Sydney squealed.
Cali’s brow rose. “Aren’t you supposed to love animals?”
“I do. All animals except rats.” She pointed to the cute plump rodent in Felix’s hands. “I told you to keep him out of here.”
“I swear, Syd, I try, but he’s got a mind of his own. I have no idea how he got here.” He brought the rat up to his face and brushed his cheek against it affectionately.
Sydney cringed at the display of affection.
An odd rush of warmth came over Cali before it was interrupted by her purse vibrating against her side. Startled, she started to dig through her things until she found her cell phone. Glancing at the ID, she stepped out of the clinic before anyone could say anything, answering the call.
“Hey, Jared.” She tried for nonchalance.
“Cali!” Her brother’s voice came barreling through the phone. “Are you okay? I’ve called you a million times. Where are you? Are you hurt?” Cali flinched at the concern laced through his voice. How was she supposed to tell him she was fine, never better?
Don’t worry about me, bro. I came across this super group with powers. Oh by the way, apparently I’m one of them and someone is after me. Nothing to worry about.
Yeah, right.
The door to the clinic opened, and she felt more than saw Felix come out.
And did I forget to mention that I’m completely addicted to a strange man I’ve never met before?
Jared would love that. While she’d
grown apart from her siblings over the years, her brother did have a surprisingly annoying protective streak when it came to her dating life.
Trying and failing to ignore Felix’s presence, she turned her back to him to gaze out into the street. Night had fallen, the street lights revealing yellow blots of cracked pavement.
“Cali?” Jared asked, bringing her attention back to him. “Hello? Are you there?”
“Yeah, I’m here,” she bit out.
Felix drew closer, her body hyperaware of his location.
“I’m fine,” she forced out of her clenched teeth.
“Where are you?”
“I’m … with a friend.”
“Cali … ” He sounded conflicted. “Your car was parked outside Mom and Dad’s. There were strange people inside when Garnet and I dropped by to pick up the mail for them — ”
She cut him off. “Pick up the mail for them? Why’d you have to do that?”
A moment of silence. “Didn’t you know? Mom and Dad went on vacation a week ago.”
Her mouth gaped. “No. Why didn’t anyone tell me?” She really shouldn’t have been all that surprised. The distance between her and her family wasn’t some small gap that could be bridged with a quick phone call. She’d gone months without speaking to them. She hadn’t wanted to. She had to prove she could make it on her own first. She had to show them her passion wasn’t a waste of time and effort. That she wasn’t the screw up they thought she’d be.
“Cali, you haven’t contacted any of us in months,” Jared said, as if he were explaining something to a small child. “You moved out and then fell off the radar. We had no idea what you were up to or what you were getting involved with.”
Getting involved with?
“What — ?”
But he cut her off as if she hadn’t even spoken. “If you were in trouble, why didn’t you come to any of us? We thought you’d gotten over this, but apparently we were wrong. Now they know where Mom and Dad live. I guess we should count ourselves lucky they weren’t home, but I mean seriously, Cali?”
She couldn’t take it anymore. “Just what do you think happened?” He thought she’d planned this? Had known about it?
There was an exacerbated sigh from the other end of the phone. “Drugs, Cali. That’s what I think happened. You got pulled into the wrong crowd again. By the looks of those guys I’d say they were after money.” She could practically see his head shaking, “And you brought them to Mom and Dad’s. Why? Were you going to ask for money? Were you going to steal from them?”
Cali’s cheeks flushed with a combination of embarrassment, anger, and shame. She clamped her mouth shut, afraid of what she might yell at him. All those years ago, and that was still all they saw? A druggie? She’d never been one. She’d been a dumb seventeen year old who’d made the wrong choice in a boyfriend and had been left to the cops at an under-aged party when she’d been drunk, high, and given the date-rape drug.
She clutched her phone to try and stop the shaking in her hands. “I would never steal from them.” She enunciated each word slowly, but the rage she felt still crept through.
Jared didn’t even acknowledge her words. “The cops want you to come in for questioning.”
Her entire body shook.
No!
She wanted to scream and rant. She’d done everything right from that moment on in her life. She didn’t want to see those looks again. The ones people gave those beneath them when they pitied them and their poor existence. She didn’t want to see the disappointment in her family’s eyes. She’d done nothing wrong.
“Cali? Did you hear me?”
“I want to give my own statement of what happened.”
She could feel his surprise through the phone. He and Garnet had already made their minds up about her. And it stung.
She inhaled deeply and caught the scent of fresh bread and sea salt.
Felix.
Could he hear what her brother had said?
Why do you even care what he thinks about you?
She didn’t know why. She just did.
There was shuffling on the other side of the line and then Jared came back on. “The police want you to come in tomorrow to give your statement.”
“I didn’t steal from Mom and Dad,” she said again. “You’re making assumptions you have no right to make, Jared.” And based on his reaction and Garnet’s, the police were sure to follow in their footsteps. Great. Tomorrow was going to be hell.
They hung up shortly after that.
Cali took some deep breaths. It didn’t help.
Her back grew warm. Her heart sped up. “Are you okay?” Felix asked from behind her.
She turned around and dropped her head when she couldn’t stand the compassion she saw in his gaze. She wanted so badly to rest her forehead against his chest, to feel those strong arms around her.
“My family thinks I’m a drug addict.” She might as well get it out there in the open.
His hands slid along her arms comfortingly. Up and down, up and down. She shivered. He was really making her no touching rule difficult right about then. “Looks like they don’t know you all that well,” he said.
A harsh laugh escaped her. “And you do?” she couldn’t help but retort. She knocked his hands away to stare him in the face. “I may not know the significance of the mirror part of your weird little ‘mirror mate’ word, but I sure as hell know what the word mate means. I also know I’ve been called that a couple of times today. Now, I don’t know what you want from me, but I don’t owe you anything. I saved your ass when I took out that woman, Collette. You’re indebted to me.” She held up her hand, index finger extended. “That’s one.”
A smirked tugged at his lips. “We’re keeping score now?”
“I don’t like to owe anyone.”
The smirk bloomed into a grin. “And my coming in and rescuing you from your parents’ doesn’t count as anything?”
“All you did was warn me. Not to mention it doesn’t even give me much to go by. A man is after me — wow, that really narrows it down.”
He shrugged. “Well, now all you have to do is stay away from men. I gotta say I’m not arguing with that.”
The look he gave her sent a jolt right down to her toes. Her breasts tingled, the heat between her legs spreading.
Why did he have to look at her like that?
She stepped back from him. He stepped forward. “You do realize that would include you, right?”
She took a step back. He stepped forward. Back, forward, back, forward.
Her back hit a cement pillar.
His eyes sparked when she couldn’t retreat. He leaned into her. “I’m the exception. That weird little phrase we like to use, Mirror Mate? It means exactly what it sounds like.”
He was so close it was suffocating. Her body was on high alert as they stood there, at a standstill now, neither one moving.
She cleared her suddenly dry throat, trying to ignore the throbbing of her entire body. “You’re really going to make this awkward for me, aren’t you?”
The tension between them was palpable.
His grin was all rogue. “As awkward as I possibly can.” He braced his weight on the palms of his hands, one on either side of her head, trapping her.
“You’re certainly doing a good job of it,” she said breathlessly.
Chapter 5
Felix’s entire body was tense, his cock hard. Shit, but he’d never had this kind of reaction to a woman before. They both stood there, trapped, neither making the first move. Cali’s onyx eyes watched him warily as if she didn’t know whether to bolt or stay. Her chest rose and fell with her heavy breathing, her lips parted ever so slightly, as if inviting him to taste her.
He couldn’t take it. He wanted her. Needed her.
He dipped his head to capture her mouth. She gasped but didn’t pull away. Her hands grasped his hips, her grip like steel.
He kept his hands firmly planted against the cement behind her.
He didn’t trust himself to let them wander. Instead he surrendered himself to the tantalizing feel of her lips molding to his. They were soft and pliant and tasted like spearmint lip balm. His tongue snaked out to tease them. Her fingers dug into the flesh at his sides. Fire scorched his veins. He wanted to take her up against the wall, wanted to feel her sex clamping tight and hot around his aching cock.
He ran his tongue along the seam of her mouth again, coaxing her to open for him. He couldn’t get enough of her. He wanted more. She hesitated, but when he nipped her with his teeth she drew in a ragged breath, and he slid his tongue inside.
She arched against him, her breasts just barely grazing his chest. He moaned, but the blood in his veins must have been roaring too loudly because he didn’t even hear it.
Her tongue stole out to stroke against his, and his body went rock solid. He growled in animalistic desire. But again he heard nothing.
There was a gentle push on his hips, and Cali pulled her lips from his. Her eyes were fogged, her lips red, and she licked them as if to savor the flavor of his kiss.
His cock twitched as he imagined all the uses for those beautiful lips and tongue. He curled his fingers into the cement pillar. Lust clouded his mind and all he could think of was her. Her scent. Her taste. He dipped his head back in for another sample.
Her grip on his hips tightened to keep him away, though the effort was only half-hearted. But it was the sudden panic in her eyes that stopped him.
“What is it?” he tried to ask, but nothing came out.
Cold flooded his body.
He opened his mouth to speak. Again there was nothing. Understanding dawned. Cali was using her powers.
And by the looks of it, she had no idea how, and was terrified.
He knew that fear. Had felt it many times, only this time she wouldn’t be alone as he’d been.
He gripped her shoulders as much to comfort her as to draw her attention back from where she was staring down at her own body as if it wasn’t hers.
“It’s okay,” he mouthed. “I’m staying right here.”
She nodded shakily.
He took a moment to think.
How the hell was he supposed to help her when they didn’t have the same powers?
