Power Trip: Double Helix, Book 1

by Miranda Baker

  G.I. Jane, here I come. She flipped the switch and leaned over the sink.

  After a quick shower, her head felt lighter, her brain felt clearer and she no longer smelled like a campfire. She dressed and stepped out into the hallway. Hearing voices and the sound of a television, she followed the noise into the den where Jake, Truman, Sam and the Doc were watching the news.

  “Hey, yo, sis! We’re almost twins. You look great.” Jake’s voice sounded too cheerful.

  “You’re doing it again. No more secrets.” She spaced each word and put a threat in her voice.

  Truman snickered from the corner. “Popcorn. We need popcorn for this.”

  Jake sighed and pointed at the television. “Start there.”

  She saw breaking news scrolling across the bottom of the screen. Genecorp burns. Peter Woodrow, Director of Cytogenetics at Genecorp Laboratories, is in critical condition after being rescued from the blaze that leveled Genecorp Industries.

  “Sorry about that,” Truman said. “We’ve got a bunch of damn do-gooders on the police force.”

  She kept her eyes on the bottom of the screen, not surprised to learn that Genecorp employees were being questioned but had thus far not been able to provide any useful information. Cal entered the room and placed a cup of tea in front of her. Audrey took a grateful sip, touched he’d laced it with soothing honey.

  A shadow moved toward her from the corner and she jumped, almost spilling her tea. The boy stopped in front of her, holding out a wad of cash and her Genecorp ID. “I took them out of your purse the other night,” he said quietly. “I’m sorry.”

  She took the money and he returned to the corner behind Truman’s chair. For a long moment, she watched him watch them.

  Truman cleared his throat, getting her attention. “I think I’ll adopt him for the moment. They call him the Imp, short for Impervious. I’m going to keep an eye on him while he gets used to being around people.”

  Audrey sipped her tea while they watched the rest of the news. The factors spun in her mind—genetics, aluminum, weapons. The man who made you isn’t your father.

  She gazed around the room, judging them all to be roughly Jake’s age. She and Jake had grown up in a foster home because their father had left and their mother had been too sick to care for them. Cal had mentioned being raised by his aunt. The Imp was at least fifteen years younger than they were, but he had been created in a laboratory—so that didn’t count. “Who are your parents?” she asked Sam and the Doc.

  “We both grew up in an orphanage,” the Doc replied. She wasn’t wearing sequins today but she was still bizarrely beautiful. Audrey forced her gaze over to Truman.

  “What about you?” she asked.

  “I sprang fully formed from the head of Zeus,” he said, looking uncomfortable.

  Cal touched her arm. “He doesn’t know.”

  Okay, she’d ask Cal more about that later. “Cheek swabs for the lot of you. I’m going to go out on a limb and say we all share the same chromosomal abnormality. Hard to believe we have the same father, but not impossible.” Hope kindled inside her. Maybe one of them would know where…

  “Not the same father,” the Imp said. “The same doctor. We’re research projects.”

  The hope that had sprung to life withered just as quickly, and it stung. “How do you know this? Didn’t Peter wipe your memories?”

  The Imp shook his head. “Why bother? They only let me out the one time, and it didn’t go well. They weren’t going to let me out again.”

  Curious again, she asked, “If your talent is being impervious, why couldn’t I hurt you the other night? Your talent shouldn’t work against me, and I got in some good punches.”

  “You did hurt me, but I’m used to it.” Impervious shrugged. “They liked to push my limits.”

  Her breath hissed out of her lungs. It was unsettling to learn Genecorp thought talent had limitations, especially since she planned to explore hers later, but it explained why Peter had been waiting for them in the basement. “How did Peter know we were coming? Jake hypnotized him. He shouldn’t have remembered anything that happened after dark.”

  The Imp shrugged again. “I’ve heard it’s more difficult to influence other mental talents. Suggestions don’t work and blocks don’t hold.”

  He was looking at her like she was an idiot, but she wasn’t going to allow a teenager to intimidate her. “Alright then, who’s this ‘Father’ guy? Peter mentioned him too.”

  “He owns Genecorp, but I’ve never seen him. They blindfolded me a lot.” Audrey felt a flash of something more than sympathy, something more like memory. His face was emotionless as he stared at her. “You’re the one he wants—you have the power he’s been trying to create for years.”

  “Why me?” she asked. “Aren’t you their super weapon?”

  “I can’t be harmed by anything physical. That’s why Peter didn’t hesitate to shoot us. But I have no defense against talent.” The Imp pointed at Cal. “He hurt me. Genecorp doctors have been careless over the years, bringing their work home and experimenting on their families. There are talents popping up all over the place.” Across the room, she saw Jake twitch. Had their father been one of those careless doctors?

  The Imp continued, “Now Genecorp needs a weapon that can neutralize its creations. Ultimately, they plan to combine our talents and create a being impervious to physical harm and immune to talent. They’ve already begun trials. Remember—they don’t need you. Just your genes.”

  She flinched under his opaque stare but refused to look away. “Why did you help us?”

  His eyes flicked over to Cal. “A leap of faith.”

  Cal put his arm around her. “Isn’t that enough information for the moment? You just woke up, after all.”

  She stood and pulled Cal to his feet. “We’ve got work to do,” she said, not caring if she sounded rude. “Genecorp might need time to regroup, but this isn’t over.”

  Sam and the Doc rose from the couch. “That’s our cue. Call us if you need us,” the Doc murmured as they headed for the front hall.

  “C’mon, Imp. We’re out of here.” Truman saluted and followed the girls. Impervious trailed behind him.

  “Wouldn’t the boy be better off with you?” she asked her brother.

  Jake shook his head. “Truman says he means no harm. I kind of feel sorry for the kid. He got a lousy start in life.” Jake pushed out of his chair. “Are you heading home, Sis? I’ll go with you. We can’t let Genecorp drive you out of your apartment forever.”

  “I think I’ll stay here…and work for a while, as long as Cal doesn’t mind me taking up space in his lab.” And his life.

  Jake raised an eyebrow. “I bet he’d rather have you taking up space in his dungeon.”

  Cal rose to his feet. “After what she went through yesterday, I’d never—”

  Audrey linked her arms with his and smiled. “Never say never. My brother, the king of the kinksters, understands that, I’m sure.”

  “Cal’s a hell of a lot harder to scare off than those geeks you used to date, that’s for sure,” Jake said.

  “What do you mean scare off?” she spluttered. “You threatened my boyfriends?”

  “Every single one. Couldn’t have you hooking up with some normal.”

  “You told me you didn’t want her dating a talent, either,” Cal scowled.

  Audrey felt her jaw drop. That certainly cast her rocky relationship history in a whole new light. It truly hadn’t been her fault she’d failed at romance so many times. Relief hardened her resolve to force Cal to a new understanding of their relationship.

  She walked her brother to the front door, where he grabbed his leather jacket from the newel post and shrugged into it. She pulled his glasses down so she could look into his eyes. “You’re an asshole.”

  “I love you too, little sister. Be careful with Cal. Just because he can’t hurt you with his talent doesn’t mean he can’t break your heart.”

  She nodded
, stepping back, amused that he was still warning her, still protecting her. “An acceptable risk.”

  She saw a shadow cross Jake’s eyes before he pushed his shades up and stepped out the door.

  She walked back down the hall and found Cal in the kitchen. “Hungry?” he asked.

  “Yes.” His short hair emphasized the strong planes of his face and made his blue eyes positively breathtaking. His long-sleeved T-shirt and low-slung, well-worn jeans clung to his body, making her desire to touch him even sharper.

  “What would you like to eat?” he asked.

  “You,” she said simply.

  He frowned but his eyes began to glow. “Don’t tease me. Last night proved how little control I have.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I had a feeling you were blaming yourself. It wasn’t your fault, Cal. How much power was in that circuit last night? How many volts?”

  “There wouldn’t have been any voltage at all if I hadn’t touched your hand.”

  “Answer my question.”

  He sighed. “All your energy, all my energy, multiplied by the bio-enhancer…hmmm…eight hundred million volts or so, conservatively speaking?”

  She looked up at him. “Is that a lot?”

  “It’s at least eight lightning bolts.”

  She stroked his arm. “Do you really think you are any sort of danger to me after I survived that much electricity?”

  He glowered. “That’s not the point.”

  “It’s exactly the point, Cal. You can’t hurt me. And as long as I’m not wearing the bio-enhancer while you touch me, I doubt we’ll burn down any more buildings.” She reached up to place her hands on his cheeks, humming in pleasure as current connected them. She could hear music already.

  He gripped her wrists, removed her hands from his face and stepped away from her. The melody faded. “Losing control last night was the single most terrifying moment of my life. I can’t risk it, Audrey.”

  So he was running scared, but he wasn’t running from her. He was running from himself.

  Audrey took a step closer to him. “Would you believe my brain was all fuzzy when I woke up, like a television full of static, but when you touched me, I felt better?”

  “Maybe you’ve developed an electricity fetish. We could work with that.” He looked hopeful. “Safely.”

  “No.” She wasn’t willing to play by his rules anymore.

  Being with Cal had changed her. She wasn’t a shy lab mouse anymore, living in the shadow of her talented brother. She had a gift of her own, a gift that could change Cal’s life too, if he let it. He’d been in control his entire life. Even when he lost control, he manipulated his environment to remove the risks. She was going to prove he could abandon his safety measures with her.

  “Why don’t we try a little experiment?” she suggested.

  He had hoped to have more time to convince her that submission could be satisfying, but he could tell by the implacable look in her eyes she wanted more. Her patience with him had come to an end. She’d gotten what she needed—information about her talent—and if he couldn’t move forward with her, she would move on without him.

  He felt like his heart was breaking in two. He couldn’t imagine his life without her in it anymore. The thought of going to the Lair to find a new sub made him want to stay home and fill fuel cells for the rest of his life.

  “What do you say, Cal. Red or green?”

  Sweat trickled down his back but a curious peace settled over him as he made his decision. Audrey was it for him. She was perfect, beautiful—that buzz cut was sexy as hell—a genius with a talent almost too good to be true. He could touch her and she could touch him—but only if he could find the courage to let her.

  Mentally, he knew she was right. If eight lightning bolts couldn’t hurt her, she could handle his everyday charge. Emotionally, he would have to take the risk. How could he do less for her than she had done for him?

  “Green.” He felt energy rise from his core. “What do you have in mind?”

  Her lips curved in a dangerous smile. “Vanilla.”

  Cal sagged against the kitchen counter, feeling every hair on his body stand on end.

  Her laugh was wicked. “Missionary position with every inch of skin exposed would be ideal, but I’m willing to take your inexperience into consideration. Let’s get me wired up for your peace of mind and go from there.” Although his heart thundered, he was pretty sure there was no blood in his brain as he followed her down the stairs.

  “Take off your shirt.”

  It felt odd to be taking orders in his own dungeon, but he followed her command. At her gesture, he sat on the table. She made swift work of the electrodes, stripping out of her clothes and attaching them to her skin. She pressed all the appropriate buttons on the machines and cast a practiced eye over the display before she joined him. “You have no idea how much I’ve wanted to get my hands on you.”

  He couldn’t imagine it was more than he wanted her hands on him. He sat, mute, shaking, anticipating her touch. She drew a fingertip down the center of his chest, making him gasp. “Your skin is so soft,” she whispered.

  His breath shuddered out of his lungs as she caressed his shoulders, amazed that the simple touch was more erotic than any deviant sexual act. Her hands skated down his chest, over his abdomen. He cast a frantic glance at the monitors as his energy surged.

  She grabbed his belt and tugged him forward. He focused on breathing as she dropped to her knees and unhooked his belt, then unbuttoned his pants. As his zipper slid south, he groaned, “I thought you were going to take it easy on me.”

  He felt her laugh as a soft puff of air against his cock. “Just watch the monitors. I’m trying to make a point.”

  Watch the monitors? He could barely keep his eyes open as she took him in her mouth. Pleasure, brilliant and illuminating, shot through him. Her tongue stroked the underside of his cock, and he felt his toes curl. She sucked, swirled, and his knees buckled. He grabbed the table behind him for support.

  Holy God.

  He forced his eyes to focus on the displays across the room. Normal, all normal, unaffected, unlike him. He leaned back against the table, making fists to keep himself from grabbing her skull, then wondered why he was denying himself the pleasure, considering they were already connected.

  Cautiously, he reached forward and ran his fingers through her now short hair. She murmured something that sounded suspiciously like, “Good boy,” and he smiled, looking down at her, just as she looked up.

  Their eyes caught and he felt split open. Never in his life had he felt this connected to another person. He’d had countless lovers, but he hadn’t shared more than his body with them, and even that had been minimal. He avoided physical intimacy out of necessity, but sharing this moment with Audrey made him realize he’d avoided emotional intimacy as well. The restraints, hoods and dominance kept him detached from lovers who couldn’t share his secret.

  But Audrey could share his secret. She could share everything with him.

  He tightened his grip on her head, stopping her motion.

  She drew away. “Hey, I thought I was in charge of this scene.”

  “You are.” He took a breath for courage. “But I’d like to give you what you want. Missionary position—with every inch of skin exposed.”

  Her smile was brilliant as she rose to her feet and hugged him. The smooth, warm length of her body made his pulse race. He stiffened, fighting panic—a remnant from his past—even as joy filled him. His arms convulsed around her, and he forced himself to relax. Trust her. You can do this. You’re not going to hurt her.

  She pressed a kiss under his jaw. “I’ll settle for half of that. It seems like a shame to waste a good table.”

  She held on to his shoulders and wrapped her legs around his waist.

  “I like the way your mind works.” He caught her hips and turned, lifting her onto the table. He looked at the restraints. With shock, he realized the desire to tie her up wasn’t
as strong as the desire to stay in her embrace. He reached for a condom, ripped open the package and covered his cock.

  She was ready for him.

  He stepped forward, easing into her. She moaned. Her arms were tight bands around his neck, and her legs held him in place. A storm raged as he fought to remain still. A sharp crack of lightning turned the room blue, and thunder boomed a bare second later. He groaned as power roared through him, escalating with every breath and every beat of his heart.

  She clutched his shoulders, whimpering. “Please, Cal. Hold me.”

  Across the room, the monitors graphed normal rhythms. It was now or never. Now. He enfolded her in his arms and let himself go.

  Energy flowed between them in a rising current of pleasure. Her head fell back and her hips met his every thrust. He gripped her strong shoulders for leverage and rocked his hips, creating friction. Now he couldn’t get close enough to her. Power swirled through him, lighting the room, and he saw the reflection of sparks in Audrey’s eyes. Her mouth fell open. Her muscles tensed. She was close, but so was he.

  “Kiss me.” He couldn’t deny her whispered plea.

  He bent his head. They shuddered together. Bare skin, soft, silky, sweaty, impossibly bare skin. He felt her walls break around him, and Cal surrendered, pouring himself into her.

  She held him as he trembled, and it felt like an eternity before he could open his eyes. Finally, he found the strength to lift his head. He couldn’t resist checking the monitors, and what he saw filled him with an exquisite sense of peace. With a sigh, he withdrew and dropped the condom into the trash. She collapsed onto the table, indulging in a languorous, unintentionally provocative stretch, and he was surprised to feel his cock stir. The sight was simply too much to resist, especially if he might not have another chance. He reached for her wrist and wrapped Velcro around it. She raised one eyebrow, but didn’t protest as he secured both of her wrists to the table. “You don’t need to tie me up, you know.”