Twice as Hot

by Gena Showalter

Chapter Five

 

  Cody drove me home , though we didn't speak. We sat in silence, the radio switched off. I wasn't ready to talk or listen - to anything - and he probably sensed it. What were Rome and Lexis doing? Not knowing was killing me. It was like having a knife in my chest, the blade slowly inching deeper while the hilt was twisted round and round.

  He parked in the driveway, and we made our way up the porch. Mine and Rome's. Not that he'd remember. Jerk.

  A tiny flicker of anger popped up and said hello. At least my hands didn't catch fire again. In fact, I wasn't producing ice, wind or dirt, either, though my emotions were in turmoil. Jealousy, love, hate, sadness, hope and helplessness were all storming through me. Odd. Maybe my powers were on a break.

  Maybe they were on the fritz again. I mean, I'd never been further away from Rome's love than I was now.

  I sighed. Maybe I shouldn't have walked away from him. Maybe I should have stayed on his ass and reminded him of why he adored me. My eyes widened with the thought. Of course! Of course that's what I should have done. Constant visual and auditory reminders were the best ways to trigger his memory.

  I clapped my hands, a plan already forming. I was going to glue myself to Rome's side. Simple. Easy.

  "But probably painful, all things considered. "

  "What is?" Cody asked.

  Oops. I hadn't meant to say that aloud. "Never mind. " Up the steps I climbed - and stopped abruptly.

  A vase of pink, violet and azure orchids waited beside my door, an emerald bow circling the amber glass. A rainbow of colors, just as I liked. To match my living room?

  I rushed forward and crouched beside them, my eyelids closing as I inhaled deeply. A sweet summer's breeze wafted through me, transporting me from my doldrums for a moment.

  "Who are those from?" Cody asked.

  Rome? A girl could hope. "Let's see. " My hand shook as I reached for the card. Shook even more as I unfolded the paper. "Beautiful flowers for a beautiful woman," I read. "I hope you enjoy them as much as I'm enjoying you. Yours forever. " Rocked by the force of my disappointment - Rome was not currently enjoying me - I glanced up at Cody. "There's no name. "

  "Hey, Rome could have - "

  "No. He couldn't have. Rome would have signed his name. "

  Cody shrugged, an I-tried gesture. "Yeah. He's not much for allowing others to take credit for his work.

  This I know from experience. "

  Part of me had hoped Cody would lie and disagree with me. "So who could it be? The only man I know who likes me, or rather, used to like me, was Rome. " It was sad, really, that I couldn't stop foolish hope from forming once more and mixing with my disappointment. "Do you think he maybe could have remembered all about me in the last hour and called from PSI and had these rushed over but there wasn't time to add his name so he - "

  Cody shook his head, his eyes kind. "Not to rain on your parade, Weather Wench, but Rome didn't send those. He would have been here with them. Probably naked. You two really were disgusting. " His words shredded my hope to ribbons and left only that crushing despair. Rome took what he wanted, when he wanted it. Something I loved about him. Cody was right; if he'd had flowers to give me, he would have thrust them into my hands, cupped my chin and raised my mouth for a bruising kiss.

  At least, that's how I imagined it would go down. No one but my dad had ever sent me flowers. Despite my imaginings, I knew Rome considered them "too easy. " He liked the challenge of picking a gift that had personal meaning for the one receiving it.

  "You, then?" I asked.

  Cody's lips curled sweetly. "Sorry, but not me, either. One, I'm not that thoughtful. And two, you're not my type. "

  Ouch. Even though I'd already known, the words stung - so much rejection in so little time. "What type am I?"

  "Taken. "

  Once, that would have been accurate. Now. . . I know I'd thought this earlier, but some things were worth repeating. This sucked. "Tanner could have sent them, I guess. " Cody barked out a laugh. "Have you met the boy? He would have complimented you on your pretty nipples somewhere on that card. "

  True again. Confusion growing, I gathered the vase and pushed to a stand. "My hands are otherwise occupied, and my keys are in my purse. Can you get them?"

  "My pleasure. " After rooting through the contents of my purse for God knows how long, muttering,

  "What the hell do you keep in here?" Cody finally found my keys and opened the door.

  I sailed inside.

  "You ready to talk now?" he asked.

  "Depends on what you want to talk about. " I didn't stop until I reached the kitchen. Seriously, who had sent me such a lovely gift? The vase made the perfect centerpiece for my table - was even flecked with the same cerulean crystals that decorated my countertop.

  I stood there, admiring them for a moment. The flowers seemed to perk up as sunlight streamed in from the windows.

  My cell phone was a few inches from the vase, I noticed. Shit. I'd left it home again. I picked it up, flipped through the caller ID and saw that my dad had called. So had the caterer and so had the dress shop, probably hoping to confirm my marathon "trying on" session set for tomorrow. I sighed. I'd call them all back later. Right now, I didn't even know if my wedding was going to happen.

  According to Lexis, it was. With a different man. The one who'd sent me flowers? Don't think like that! Rome and I belonged together. We'd work this out. We had to.

  "What do you think they're doing right now?" There. I'd asked. Gotten it out in the open.

  Cody didn't have to inquire as to who I meant. "Rome and Lexis are talking. That's all. " Good. That was good. Was he lying? My hands fisted as I choked out, "About?"

  "The weather. Definitely about the weather. "

  Now I knew he was lying. Forcing myself to relax, I toyed with one of the flower petals, letting the velvety softness tickle my fingertips. Maybe I didn't know my own strength, because several of those petals tore from their base and fell to the table. "Think they're kissing?"

  "If they are, Rome's not liking it. Guaranteed. He's a one-woman guy and you're his woman. He'll figure it out sooner or later. "

  I prayed that was true, sooner rather than later. I didn't know what I'd do if he and Lexis made lo - had sex. Didn't know if I could forgive, even with these screwed-up circumstances.

  "If I were a gentleman," Cody said, taking my hand and kissing my knuckles, "I'd try and steal a ten-minute Frencher, make out with you a little and, if you insisted - which I know you would, because it was clear from your interview with Rome that you're begging to be so sated you can't talk - take you to bed. You wouldn't regret it, and it'd be great fodder for making Rome jealous. " I snorted, pulling my hand from his clasp. He was never going to let me live down my comments in that interrogation room. "All that if you were a gentleman?" What would he do if he weren't?

  Another curl of his lips. "But I'm not, so no reason for us to discuss it and get your hopes up. Why don't we discuss your friend Sherridan instead?"

  After the way he'd looked at her in John's office, part of me had seen this coming. I faced him, crossing my arms over my chest, prepared to do what was necessary. "Do you like high-maintenance women?"

  "No. "

  I'd known that. In the months since I'd met him, I'd watched Cody interact with the opposite sex.

  Those who enjoyed a good time - and nothing more - he charmed. Those who preferred hearth and home, he avoided. "Then stay away from Sherridan. She's as high as they come. " His head tilted, and he studied me intently. Even propped his hip against the counter as though he were settling in for a long conversation. "What makes her high-maintenance?" I shrugged. "I told you she had a crappy childhood. I wasn't lying. And that's all I'm going to tell you about her. " Crappy wasn't the half of it. She'd been ignored and neglected most of her life, and that had made her a needy adult. Nothing wrong with that, I adored her, but some men couldn't tolerate it for long.

 
Cody didn't look properly horrified, though.

  "Fine," I continued. "I'll tell you something else. I can guess how a relationship between the two of you would go down. You'd sleep with her, then walk away from her because you can't commit, and she'd come running to me and ask me to kill you. Friend that I am, I wouldn't be able to say no. Don't try and deny it. "

  His brow furrowed. "Did I look like I was going to deny it? One, most girls want to kill me when I'm done with them because I'm taking away their chance of being pleasured into speechlessness again and two, I don't even have a house because I can't make myself stay in one location long enough. And as for girls, I have a three-date min-max rule. "

  "Min-max?"

  "No less, no more. "

  O-kay. I'd dated a few commitment-phobes over the years, but that. . . wow. "Why?"

  "One date, you're left wanting more. Don't see the girl again, and she becomes an obsession. The one who got away. Two dates, you begin to notice little annoyances, but not enough to stop the sex from happening. Three dates, the little annoyances become big annoyances and the attraction fades completely. You can walk away a free man. "

  I stared at him for several long, drawn-out moments, then shook my head in wonder. "God, you're a mess. "

  "But I'm cute, so. . . "

  Yeah. So. I rolled my eyes. "Anyway, you break up with Sherridan and she'll think it's because of something she did. " Normally I wouldn't have discussed my friend's problems without permission from the friend herself. In this case, I realized there wasn't time to gain permission. I had to murder this little attraction right away. Couldn't have Cody veering into Obsession Land. And any more of Sherridan's Happy Place, and I'd need a vacation mind-spot. "She won't be able to help herself. Everything was her fault as a kid. A plant died, and she must have overwatered it. A bad grade on her report card, and she must not have tried hard enough. Her dad had an affair, so her attitude must have driven him away. " Cody's features softened with understanding, the silver in his eyes liquefying. "Poor kid. "

  "Ugh. You sound more intrigued by her. I mean it," I added, jabbing a fingertip into his chest. "She's not for you. Stay away. "

  Cody held up his hands, palms up, and laughed. "Fine. I'll avoid her like she's a married nun looking for another husband to keep out of her bed. Scout's honor. "

  I eyed him suspiciously. "Were you even a Scout?"

  He gave a mock shudder. "Hell, no. I was too busy talking the girls into playing Show Me Yours, and I'll Show You Mine. "

  Now I laughed. "I think Scouts do that, too. Anyway, was Sherridan the only thing you wanted to talk to me about, you pervert? If so, I need to - "

  "Nope," he interjected. "There's more. "

  When he said nothing else, I prompted, "Well?"

  A sigh parted his lips. "Maybe you should sit down for this. " No. No, no, no. No more bad news. Instantly my affinity with the four elements made itself known. Mist formed in front of my nose, dancing over my face like fairy glitter. Or rather, demon dust. I plopped into the nearest seat, accidentally slid out and thumped onto the kitchen floor. Dumb ice crystals. Why couldn't they have remained hidden?

  "So melodramatic. " He tsked under his tongue.

  I righted myself, disconcerted to realize my lungs were beginning to freeze. "Tell me!"

  "Okay, here goes. So. . . while you interviewed Rome, one of our agents finally decoded a few of the papers John's recovery team found. Papers that were hidden in the wallpaper, of all places. Maybe Dr.

  Roberts did it, since that's his style. Anyway, they were records of some of OASS's prisoners. I decided not to wait for our meeting tomorrow to inform you because I wanted you to thank me with Sherridan's phone number, but never mind. "

  "You're babbling! Get on with it. "

  "Right. So the guy who stole Rome's and my memories is known by other scrims as, big surprise, Memory Man. Pretty Boy captured him and when PB died, Desert Gall took over Memory Man's care .

  You know what I mean by care, right? I mean - "

  "I'm not stupid. Continue. "

  "Okay, okay. To our knowledge, MM wasn't part of the experiments but actually alternated between being a prisoner and an employee. I'm guessing he didn't like working for them, but they threatened him in some way and got him to do things. Then PB died, of course, and DG moved MM. We found him soon after that. "

  So far, not too bad. For Rome, I mean. Poor Memory Man. To be a prisoner all these years, somehow forced to comply with his captors' wishes. Are you really feeling sorry for the man who helped ruin your life? Plus, none of that was truly verified.

  "Go on. "

  Cody nodded. "There was a mention of his stealing memories rather than erasing them, as John thought. "

  "Stealing?" I blinked. "As in, see a pretty diamond ring in a store window, smash the window, grab the ring and run?"

  "You nailed it. "

  "I see," I said, but I didn't. Not really. That just didn't make sense. There was no reason for Memory Man, or M-Squared, as I'd begun to think of him during Cody's rundown, to steal memories from Rome and Cody. Unless he'd wanted PSI secrets? That made sense but didn't fit. Both men remembered their time at PSI, so those memories were intact. M-Squared had only taken memories of himself, probably to keep his identity hidden, and me - well, and those specifically associated with me.

  My brow furrowed in confusion. Why me? And why had M-Squared not taken Cody's memories of me? Why had he only taken Rome's? What had made Rome's memories of me so special that he'd snatched them up rather than state secrets? Wasn't like I was a knockout. I was cute (or so I'd been told), with light brown hair, hazel eyes and a trim physique running away from bad guys had given me.

  But I was a B-cup on good days, didn't usually wear anything besides jeans and T-shirts and had a smart mouth. Oftentimes, people wanted to forget me. (For proof, see every mention of Rome. ) And speaking of Rome, how was I going to remind him of why he loved me, even if I was glued to his side, when I suddenly couldn't think of a single redeemable thing about me?

  What a depressing day.

  "I think Pretty Boy, and then Desert Gal, planned to send Memory Man into PSI headquarters, maybe let us capture and try and recruit him, all so he could steal some of our memories," Cody continued.

  "John's specifically. But who knows? Even with whatever they used to control him, they must not have fully trusted him. He was locked up, after all. "

  Dear Lord. "Having him inside PSI, willing or not, would be a nightmare. "

  "You have no idea," he muttered.

  Yeah, I did. John carried some of the biggest secrets in the world. Where scrims were imprisoned, who worked undercover in the paranormal underground, where agents - and their family members - lived. In the wrong hands, that kind of information could place everyone I loved on some scrim's kill list.

  "So why didn't Memory Man take Rome's PSI knowledge when he had the chance?" I asked. "He left those memories alone. "

  "Only he knows the answer to that. " Pensive, Cody rubbed at his scalp. "With Desert Gall now at the helm of the OASS empire, Pretty Boy's plan to destroy us is alive and well, even if Pretty Boy himself isn't. We need to follow every lead, not just focus on Memory Man. In those papers I mentioned, there was a reference to Big Rocky Spring Water. "

  "What reference?"

  "Some sort of coded message, I think. 'You'll never be thirsty at Big Rocky. '" Hard to argue with that statement, no matter what secret message it might contain. I loved me some Big Rocky. Fresh and crisp with no chemical aftertaste. "What does a major water company have to do with those disgusting scrims? Could one of the employees be a potential target? Or maybe an asset of some kind?"

  "I don't know, but I plan to fly to their headquarters in Colorado and find out. " I didn't have to ask how he'd get answers. His usual method was to sleep his way through a company until he learned all he could about it and its employees.

  Yet another reason he shouldn't be allowed near Sherridan. Even if
he were dating my friend, he wouldn't walk away from a target's bed if sleeping with her was necessary.

  "All right. Hop a flight, but stay in contact with me. I want to know what you know, when you know it.

  I'll expect daily updates," I added so that he couldn't feign ignorance later.

  He saluted me, the smart-ass. "Aye-aye, Captain. That was my plan, anyway. John and I already talked. "

  Of course they had. John might have told me I was in charge of this case - to keep me from threatening to quit, again, I'm sure - but I knew the truth. Even though I held the title of Special Agent in Charge, Cody and Rome were the ones calling the shots. In John's eyes, at least. Still. I planned to do things my way.

  "Give me your list of prisoners to interview," I said. "I'll do it for you. " Well, Tanner and I would.

  Tanner, my human lie detector, would find the answers that I, novice that I was, couldn't hope to find with written, detailed instructions and a GPS tracker.

  "I'm a few steps ahead of you, Wonder Girl. While you were arranging your flowers, I stuffed the list in your purse. "

  As he spoke, a wicked gleam entered his eyes. What else had he done to my purse? With Cody, a girl never knew.

  The front door creaked open, preventing me from asking. Footsteps echoed, and then the door banged closed. Voices drifted into the kitchen.

  "I can't believe you'd nail Lexis over Jessica Alba. Jessica's hot!" Sherridan said. "I'm not a lesbian, but even I'd do her. "

  "Yeah, but - wait. What? Details, woman," Tanner said. "I need details. Start with how you'd strip her and end with her smiling and saying thank you. "

  Cody groaned as though he were in pain. "Are you sure I can't take her out? Girl-on-girl crushes are my favorite, and I'd like to hear more about hers. "

  Men! "I'm sure," I told him. More loudly, I called, "We're in here. " The footsteps quickened. Then, "Oh, look at the pretties!" Sherridan cooed as she brushed past me to smell the orchids. "Who sent? Rome? Has he finally come to his senses, the jackass? Or maybe his amnesia has a silver lining. It wasn't like he was this considerate when he was using half his brain rather than none of it. "

  "I wish, but no. " Bastard. "They're from a secret admirer. "

  "Maybe Sherridan sent them," Tanner said, leaning against the entry frame. Did my heart good, seeing him so relaxed. "Since she's into girls and all. "

  Cody gave another of those groans.

  Both Tanner and Sherridan faced him. Tanner nodded in acknowledgment. Sherridan puckered her brow in confusion.

  "Hey," she said in greeting. "I'm Sherridan, Belle's friend. And you are. . . ?" Was she serious? "Uh, Sherridan. You've met him. In John's office. Even a few times in passing before that. " I glanced from her to Cody, Cody to her. Her features registered disbelief. His registered embarrassed irritation. "Remember?"

  She frowned, bit her bottom lip. "I'm drawing a blank. Are you sure he was in the office?" Was everyone in my life destined to suddenly forget pieces of their own?

  "I was there," Cody answered for me.

  Ouch. He sounded pissed.

  "Sure, sure, I, uh, recall now. " Sherridan laughed, probably to cover her lie, and damn if it wasn't a good look for her. Her cheeks glowed a rosy shade of pink, and her blue eyes sparkled. Tall and curved as she was, she could have been a goddess or an Amazon come to passionate life. Had to make her total disregard hurt Cody's ego.

  He turned to me. "I see we didn't need to have this conversation after all. "

  "What conversation?" Tanner asked.

  I patted Cody's cheek as I said, "I'll tell you later, Crazy Bones. "

  "Belle. " It was a warning unlike any I'd heard from Cody before. "I thought we were speaking in confidence. "

  "When did I ever give you that impression?" I said, all innocence. "I tell Tanner everything. "

  "Some things a man likes to keep private. "

  "Like what?" Sherridan asked.

  Cody gritted his teeth. "I'm out of here. I'll call you tomorrow, Belle. Maybe. " He didn't wait for my reply, but stalked from the kitchen, then the house, the door slamming behind him.

  "You are such a liar," Tanner said.

  I gasped in affront. "I told the truth! I do tell you everything. "

  "Not you. Her. " His gaze slid to Sherridan, who was squirming in place.

  "What?" she asked, projecting the same innocence I had.

  "You can't fool Mr. Sensitive. " He'd chosen the name himself, and it always made me laugh. "You totally remembered him. "

  "You did?" I stared at her, wide-eyed. How dumb was I, not to have known that? "You sly little hooker, why'd you pretend you hadn't? And don't get me wrong. I'm not complaining. I'm impressed. " She crossed her arms over her ample chest and grinned. "Clearly he's a player. I mean, I remember you told me he even romanced the silver foxes at your dad's assisted-living center when he was on guard duty. "

  That was true. When I first acquired my powers, Pretty Boy had used my family to try and force me to work for him. Cody had been sent in as protection. But now that PB was dead and my dad in an undisclosed location, no longer in need of round-the-clock security, Cody had come back to PSI.

  Thinking of those dark days had me wondering if Pretty Boy had done something similar to Memory Man, held his family over his head like the sword of Damocles. And if Desert Gall had done - or would do - the same in PB's place. Could that be the reason M-Squared had taken Rome's memories of me?

  At her behest, to save someone he loved? Had she just wanted to torture me?

  Maybe. But Cody had said M-Squared hadn't done what PB or DG had wanted most of the time, which was why they'd kept him locked up for so long. So why would he suddenly start obeying them?

  More than that, I doubted DG knew about me. We'd never encountered each other, and I was new to this game. Unless she'd somehow heard that I was working her case.

  God, this was confusing. I didn't know what to believe. And really, when had I become such a text-happy teenybopper? With all these acronyms, I was going to need that Who's Who reference guide Sherridan had mentioned.

  "Are you listening to me?" Sherridan asked. "Cody was romancing silver foxes, Belle. Silver foxes. That clearly shows that as long as a woman is breathing, he's interested. So when I saw him checking me out in John's office, well. . . I decided to push him away before anything could get started. I know I date a lot of men, but I'm looking for Mr. Right. He is not that person. " Maybe I hadn't needed to warn Cody away, after all. I'd never seen Sherridan so strong; she could have sent him away on her own, no problem. And had. Still. I was grateful Cody was on his way out of town and her newfound strength wouldn't be tested daily. "I'm proud of you. " She beamed over at me, curls bouncing. "Thanks. "

  "And hey. Life's gonna be nothing but roses for you. Lexis - "

  "Bitch," Sherridan said at the same time as Tanner scowled.

  "Yes, well, that bitch said you're going to get your greatest desire soon. " Sherridan's eyes widened slowly, her mouth falling open in sync. Strangest expression change I'd ever seen. "She's never wrong about these things. "

  "I know," I grumbled. "And I hate that that man-stealing tramp knows your greatest desire but I don't. " She didn't take the hint. She placed her hands over her heart and twirled. "It's going to happen for me.

  It's really going to happen. "

  "What is?" I asked outright. So much for subtlety.

  Sherridan stopped and grinned over at me. "I'm going to develop a superpower!"