What the Heart Desires

by Kelli McCracken

  “Do your job. Get her to safety.”

  Layne’s arms were around her in a matter of seconds. A surge of emotions exploded in their connection once their bodies touched. She’d never felt anything so natural or fulfilling in her entire life. Being near him made her feel like she had a purpose, one that went beyond saving humanity.

  He looked as if he might kiss her with the way he wet his lips. The thought excited yet scared her at the same time. She wanted to feel his lips against hers, feel the heat of his mouth, and taste the sugary sweetness of his tongue.

  Dylan’s presence prevented her from acting on those wants.

  She didn’t know how Layne found the strength to pull away, but he kept his hand around her arm and tugged her backwards. “Heaven, come inside.”

  The moment he spoke, the hazy spell she was under lifted. All the stubbornness and determination empowering her to come outside resurfaced. She would argue with her Keeper if he tried to drag her inside.

  “No, Layne. I’m not going anywhere. If they’re here for me, I have a right to know who they are. Besides, if they were Nate’s men, they wouldn’t come strutting up to the house.”

  “They could be a distraction while others slip in and prepare to ambush us. We have to be cautious. Anything else risks your life, and I can’t do that.”

  He took a couple steps back and drew her against his chest as if he might use force to bring her inside. Instead, he lowered his lips near her ear. The heat of his breath teased her skin.

  “My mom told me that our souls found their way back to each other. I’m not sure what that means or if she told you the same, but I can’t lose you, Heaven.”

  So his mother had told him something about their connection, but not everything. Perhaps they’d been discussing the details when she and Dylan passed them. It would explain why he resisted the urge to reach for her. Then again, he wouldn’t have left such an informative conversation to follow her into the living room.

  Although she wanted to ask him more, the sound of Mason’s voice had both she and Layne turning their heads toward her mother’s Successor. “That’s far enough, guys, unless you want to battle.”

  Mason blocked the mysterious men from going any further. Isaac and Spencer stood less than a yard behind, both poised and ready to use their abilities the second they felt a threat.

  “Don’t bother issuing a warning,” Dylan grumbled as he moved to the ground. “They need to be accosted by any means necessary. Grab rope, chains, I don’t give a shit, but I want them detained and questioned. Feel free to beat the living hell out of them, too.”

  “Don’t do this, Dylan.” She broke free of Layne’s embrace and hurried toward her husband. By the time she reached the top step, he faced her. His icy glare made her shiver, but she was determined to say her peace. “Listen to me. I’m reading them. They’re like us, and they mean no harm.”

  “I don’t care who the hell they are. I’m not going to let anyone else hurt you.”

  “We didn’t come here to hurt anyone.”

  The man whose presence felt unfamiliar was the first to speak. He raised his hands in front of him, signaling his good intent. Unlike the man who’d rescued her and Layne, his voice sounded natural, with no signs of electronic distortion. But it still held no measure of recognition.

  “Please, hear us out. We’re allies. We’ve come to offer our help.”

  His partner nodded and kept his hands raised in the same manner, but Dylan’s tension grew. He clenched his fists and crept closer to Mason. She had no doubt he would bypass him and head straight for the intruders.

  More of their family came outside. Heaven didn’t bother to see who approached, but her father stopped beside Layne. Hope joined her other side, concealing Adalyn behind the flowerpots lining the banister.

  When Dylan looked to pass Mason’s self-sustained barricade, her father cleared his throat. The sound caused Dylan to stop. He looked as if he expected her dad to back up his orders.

  “I agree with questioning them, Dylan, but I don’t think doing it by force is the best means. I sense good intentions in these men, just like my daughter.” He neared the edge of the porch and focused on the cloaked men. “If you really mean no harm, I think it would be wise to prove it. You can start by removing your hoods and masks.”

  The men did nothing but stand silently. Then the one who spoke reached his hands inside his hood. His fingers curled around the black fabric, pulling it away from his head.

  It wasn’t until he grabbed the front of his mask and tugged it from his face that short, wavy hair peaked out. The wheat-colored strands were thick but well maintained, minus what the mask ruffled. He spared a glance in her direction but it wasn’t long before he became engrossed with Hope.

  Her sister’s gasp startled her, but she had little time to see what caused her reaction. She checked to make sure Adalyn was still hidden behind the flowerpots before turning back to the other man. As he lowered his hood, her pulse quickened. She was anxious to see who was behind the mask and learn if he was the same man who’d helped her and Layne.

  And the moment his eyes came into view, she froze.

  There was little time to react to his presence. Layne tugged her backward. His arms enveloped her as a thermal wall built around them.

  Dylan pushed past Mason, his stride quick and determined. She couldn’t gauge his emotions but knew the wrath in his soul. It showed in the way he wrapped his hand around his old acquaintance’s neck. Then one question rang through the air.

  “What the hell are you doing here, Zeke?”

  CHAPTER 22

  Dylan glared at his father-in-law, who pushed the front door closed. The lock clicked inside the plate, building the tension inside the house. Everyone faced the front wall between the door and picture window. It was where Zeke and his partner stood, both gawking at the faces spread about the room.

  Despite Mason and Spencer pulling him off Zeke five minutes prior, he was ready for round two. And so it began. He grabbed Zeke by the throat, slamming him against the wall. A round of protests came from his partner, Heaven, even Nicholas.

  And he ignored each one.

  A firm, steady pulse beat against his palm the tighter he squeezed. If he applied enough pressure, the pulse would slowly fade in time. Zeke deserved nothing less than being strangled.

  He drew his other hand into a fist beside his head. If he delivered the first punch, he wouldn’t be able to stop until he broke Zeke’s face. Based on the amount of bullshit he sensed in Zeke’s answers, he may do it anyway.

  “Where have you been the last ten months?”

  Zeke’s face grew redder. He tapped Dylan’s fingers, silently pleading for his release. As much as Dylan wanted to end his life, his conscience wouldn’t let him. Not yet. Not until he heard why Zeke had come. His grip loosened, but he didn’t lower his fist. He wouldn’t until a line of trust had been established.

  A few coughs left Zeke’s mouth before he cleared his throat and met Dylan’s eyes. “I’ve been in a state of confusion, lurking in the shadows, until three months ago. Someone brought me out of those shadows, helped me get my head back on track. Now I’m trying to right my wrongs. Believe it or not, I’m like you, and this isn’t the first time I’ve come to your aid.”

  “Liar.” He growled the words, retightening his grip on Zeke’s throat. God help him, he was going to end a man’s life.

  “Dylan…”

  Heaven’s hands warmed his arm before he could move it forward. The missed opportunity incited him. His arm shook as he fought the rage. He hated liars. Liars and thieves, and men that tried to force themselves on a woman. Zeke was all the above.

  “Please, Dylan, don’t hurt him,” she begged. “He’s telling the truth. I can sense his honesty. He has abilities.”

  “I don’t care what he has. I’m going to break his face for the hell he put you through.”

  “You did that months ago. It’s in the past.”

  The heat
of her breath caressed his ear. It soothed the adrenaline coursing through his veins. When her chin rested on his shoulder, every throb of her concern reached out to him, forcing logic back in his brain. Didn’t mean he trusted Zeke, doubted he ever would, but he had to accept that Heaven’s abilities were keen. Reading a person’s energy revealed enough information to make a judgment on whom to trust. She hadn’t been wrong thus far.

  Loosening his grip on Zeke, his hand fell from his neck, but he remained toe-to-toe with him. “You’re lucky she’s a forgiving person who can read energy. I’d like nothing more than to beat you senseless. Again.”

  “Trust me. I appreciate everything about her. If you let me explain what happened before, I’ll—”

  “There is no excuse for what happened before.”

  The anger began to resurface at the memory of what Zeke did. How Heaven had been cowering at the counter, knife in hand, dress torn, cheeks streaked with tears… He didn’t understand how she could forgive her attacker. He couldn’t. Wouldn’t.

  The other man walked toward them, hands raised defensively. “Listen, we went about this wrong. We get that. If you will allow us a moment to explain, I think we can prove that we’re on the same side.”

  “Fine.” He wrapped his arm around Heaven, drawing her close. “You can start with telling us who you are.”

  The man rubbed the scruff on his chin then nodded. “My name is Garrett Blake. I’ve been working with a special ops group of Psi known as the Paradox. We’re Oracles, like you and your family, but I’ve been undercover with The Fallen for two years.”

  “Did you say you work for the Paradox?”

  Nicholas inched closer. He stared past Zeke to Garrett, most likely reading his thoughts. When Garrett nodded, Nicholas searched the room for Anna. She left the spot in front of the staircase and joined her husband’s side.

  “My cousin and her husband are a part of The Paradox. Phillip and Marissa Laveaux.”

  Dylan turned in time to see Garrett grin. “Yes. I’m well acquainted with Captain Laveaux and his family. In fact, he is the one who sent me undercover.”

  The more they talked, the more irritated Dylan grew. This wasn’t the time to make friends with people who claimed the whole I-know-someone-who-knows-someone bullshit. He wanted to know why the man who tried to rape Heaven was standing a foot away from her, proclaiming his innocence. Worse. He proclaimed to be like them.

  “How does Zeke figure into all this?”

  “Zeke and I go way back. We’ve been friends since elementary school. He got stuck with me in high school after his sister stole my heart.” Garrett chuckled, causing Zeke to do the same, but the sound had a bittersweet tone. The way both avoided each other’s gaze said something bad had happened. “She was my soulmate, but I lost her to darkness. We were an unfortunate pair.”

  The word made Dylan cringe. He hated it…because he wasn’t convinced he and Heaven weren’t the same. “Are you a Seeker?”

  Something about his physique said no. He appeared to be in top shape, even more so than Layne, who’d done nothing but workout since he’d accepted his role as Heaven’s Keeper. Garrett confirmed as much when he shook his head.

  “No. I’m a hydrokinetic. Zeke is a geokinetic.”

  Dylan parted his mouth, ready to ask for clarification, but Heaven cut him off. “A Water Bender and an Earth Bender, correct?” Garrett nodded as she simpered. “So Zeke’s the one who helped Layne and I escape the rock quarry where Nate trapped us.”

  Zeke seemed surprised. “What gave it away?”

  “The tunnel you led us through. It resembled a cave, but the dirt was freshly dug. I’m sure an Earth Bender could create a underground tunnel in what…five, maybe ten minutes?”

  Zeke’s chest jiggled. “Try three.”

  “I knew something about you felt familiar. Didn’t you say you helped Dylan escape his father too?”

  “Whoa! Say what?” It was one thing for Zeke to claim he helped Heaven and Layne escape his father. To think he’d aided him in escaping his dad angered him. Was Zeke the reason he couldn’t remember what happened after he blacked out?

  Unwrapping his arm from Heaven, he walked closer to Zeke. He fisted his hands, but Heaven gripped his shoulder. He didn’t bother looking at her. Garrett raised his hand to halt his approach.

  “There is more you need to know, Dylan. After Zeke’s sister turned to darkness, he went to find her. He didn’t know it at the time, but his sister had him placed under the impression of an influencer. She hoped to convert him to the dark path.”

  “An influencer?” Dylan questioned.

  “They’re similar to a telepath, except they don’t read minds. They change, or influence, a person’s mind. Your dad was involved somehow too, because it wasn’t long after this happened when Zeke joined Kyle Winters’ band.”

  Dylan would never forget the day he met Zeke in his father’s office, or Kyle for that matter. Kyle had been cool. Zeke, not so much. His pompous attitude almost landed them in a fistfight before the meeting was over.

  Garrett peered at his friend then refocused on Dylan. “I spent a year searching for Zeke before I learned he was in L.A. I was on the first plane I could book. A week later, I discovered The Paradox. Captain Laveaux trained me for eight months, and then I went undercover with The Fallen.”

  “Were you in contact with Zeke during this time?”

  “No. I ran into Zeke last summer at an estate east of Malibu. Your father brought him there after you beat the hell out of him. He didn’t remember me. It took me a month to befriend him and gain his trust. Once I did, I took him to a healer to remove the influence. He regained his memories right after.”

  “But the memories of what I did remained.” Zeke drew everyone’s attention to him when he spoke. He didn’t seem to care if anyone else listened, so long as one person did.

  Heaven.

  When Zeke moved closer, Dylan blocked her with his arm. They exchanged glares, but Zeke didn’t proceed. He grunted his disapproval.

  “Had I been in my right mind, I never would have attacked you. I know apologizing won’t change things, but I am sorry.”

  “It’s going to take more than an apology to make up for what you did to her.”

  Heaven tugged his arm. “Dylan—”

  “It’s the truth.”

  The longer she stared at him, the more he ground his teeth. It felt as if he were the only one with any damn sense. She’d lost hers ever since she came back. And even knowing that, the pain in her eyes filled him with guilt.

  “You said you’d never question my abilities.”

  Why did she have to use that voice? It got him every time, the way it was soft yet powerful enough to squeeze his heart like a vise. He couldn’t give in to her. Her life, as well as their daughter’s, depended on him being the logical person. Nothing about Zeke was logical. The verdict was still out on Garrett.

  “I’m not questioning you, Heaven. I’m questioning him. He says he’s a geokinetic. How do we know he’s being honest? I don’t know if we should trust this crap about an influencer. He could be the influencer.”

  “I already told you. I sense his energy, Dylan. I sense both of them. Everything they’re telling us is true.”

  If he could sense them like she could, he’d know for sure. Relying on his gut wouldn’t help much until the anger left his system. He wished he had her abilities as much as her faith in other people. Seeing as how he didn’t, he had to trust what she was saying.

  “How did this lead you back to us?”

  Zeke’s jaw flinched as he looked at Garrett, who motioned for him to continue. “I didn’t want to go back to The Fallen, but Garrett was still undercover for The Paradox. We didn’t have a choice. I used my time wisely and met others who regretted their decision to walk the dark path. One of them was a transporter.”

  Garrett nodded. He leaned against the wall near the front living room window and folded his arms. “After I found the information I neede
d, the plan was to transport out of the estate and head back to San Francisco. We were set to rendezvous with Capt. Laveaux and the others. While Zeke and I were searching for our friend, we overheard your dad talking to someone on the phone. He said he was meeting up with you later to give you one more chance.”

  “One more chance for what?”

  To leave Heaven, of course. He didn’t need Zeke telling him what he already knew. It’s why he and his father met up. Then his dad made threats that came close to ending his life. What happened after their fight, he still didn’t know, but he had the feeling he would find out soon enough.

  Heaven wanted to know what happened to him as much as he did. He hadn’t forgotten how scared she was when he showed back up at the house, memory void of his time away.

  “We’re not sure what your dad meant,” Zeke answered, “but I knew I owed you. We met our friend and followed your dad to the warehouse. After you arrived, we waited to see what would happen. Then we heard you arguing. I left to get your car while they transported in, found you, then transported to your car.”

  It felt as though Zeke were telling him about someone else’s life, or maybe even a scene from a movie. He didn’t remember any of it. The argument with his father was vague enough.

  “Did you do something to wipe my memory, because I don’t remember any of this?”

  “No,” Garret answered. “We’re not Mind Benders or Influencers. All we did is drive around for a while, discussing how to get you back home. We weren’t sure where the Lewises lived, but someone had the idea to retrace the route on the GPS. Once we pulled into the driveway, we parked the car and left you in it while we transported away.”

  It all sounded plausible, but it still didn’t explain why they were just now finding out. Regardless of taking off to Jamaica, Zeke had plenty of time to reach out to him and Heaven before they left.