Altered

by Marnee Blake

  She could feel Seth’s eyes on her for a long moment, before he removed his hand from her shoulder. He stepped next to her. His closeness soothed her. Did he know how much she relied on his support? Did he know that if he hadn’t stepped in, she might have done something she’d never have forgiven herself for?

  When she glanced up at his face, he was scanning the parking lot, purposely avoiding her eyes. Detached. She wrapped her arms around herself.

  She looked out, trying to see what he might be seeing. A small group of men with sunglasses and grim faces, in front of the store, wearing more clothes than necessary in this weather. Another group near the parking lot entrance. A quick glance revealed a dark car blocked the exit. As she watched, the men started toward them. She stepped back, her heartbeat picking up.

  They were from Goldstone. She didn’t need any experience detecting undercover operatives to figure that out.

  They were trapped.

  But there were shoppers everywhere. The place was packed. Goldstone couldn’t shoot at them here. Could they?

  Seth reached for Blue’s hand. He was all business again. With his hand in hers, though, her anxiety ebbed. Seth would have a plan. He’d get them out of here if he could.

  Seth turned to Nick. “Sorry, man. We’re ditching your car.”

  “Awesome.” Nick rubbed his face. “Where to, boss?”

  “In,” he said. Blue tripped along beside him as they headed toward a side door. He kicked the door a few times before it flew open. Inside, plenty of orange carts and a line of tractors. Yep. Definitely a Home Depot.

  They swept through, greeted by welcoming air-conditioning. They passed a helpful-looking associate, in her orange apron, and didn’t stop, half walking and half running straight through the store. They followed the back wall into the hallway toward the bathrooms. They passed them by, into the swinging doors that concealed the back storage rooms. Seth hung a sharp right and turned to the stairs leading up.

  “Where are we going?” She panted, trying to keep up with his longer strides as he took the stairs two at a time.

  “We’re getting out of here.”

  Nick gestured behind them. “Um, there were a few more exits down there than there are up here.”

  “Yeah. But every one of them ends with us getting tranked. Or shot. Besides, we don’t need an exit. We can make our own.” He threw open the door marked roof access. Then he turned to smile at them. “We’re jumping off the building.”

  Of course. This was the one way out that Goldstone couldn’t follow. Unless they had a plane. She smiled back. See a problem, solve a problem. That was her Seth.

  “Wait, what?”

  They ignored Nick as they stormed up the last few stairs, throwing open another door at the top. Black tarmac coated the rooftop, and Seth trotted over to the edge of the building, briefly glancing over the side. Checking if it was still a two-story drop, maybe. Then he moved back a few paces and shook a thumb over his shoulder. “Blue. You climb up. Can you get both of us?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Put me down in the field, over there.” He pointed. “So you don’t have to hold us both for long.”

  “Will do.”

  The beat of propellers sounded in the background.

  Not a plane. A helicopter.

  “Seth…” Blue’s terror colored his name.

  “I hear it.” His mouth tightened. “Let’s go.”

  Nick lifted his hands, shaking his head. “Listen, I didn’t sign up for this.”

  She lifted him off the ground. “Sorry.”

  “Not this again,” he mumbled. She might have smiled at another time.

  She climbed on Seth’s back, and he spoke over his shoulder. “Keep him close to us, in case.”

  “Got it.” She didn’t want to think about the “in case.”

  She held Nick beside them, her head turned so she could watch him, all the while holding tight to Seth’s shoulders. He was solid beneath her. She leaned her head against him for a moment.

  She should have felt some form of panic. But she didn’t. She trusted Seth. If he thought this would work, it would. He’d make sure they made it. “No worries,” she told Nick. “I got you.”

  “Wonderful.”

  Seth broke into a run, barely slowed by the weight of her on his back. He dived off the roof of the Home Depot, sailing across the parking lot behind the building, as if he’d jumped a puddle on a rainy day.

  She kept Nick right at her side. She didn’t hear his cry, but she saw it on his face.

  In midair, she took a deep breath and split her focus, catching Seth as well. Her brow furrowed, and the ghost of an ache pressed against her forehead. But she continued to breathe and relax, guiding all three of them into the field that Seth had pointed out.

  It was getting easier to use the power.

  As soon as she released him, Seth started running. She continued to hold Nick, and he flew along beside them, stoically silent now.

  The helicopter sounded louder, and she turned to see it coming around the side of the Home Depot. A helicopter. At a Home Depot. It was so out of place, it felt surreal.

  “Seth!”

  Seth’s pause to look was enough time for her to jump down and lower Nick to the ground.

  They were in the middle of a field between the Home Depot and a Best Buy. Even though she wasn’t the one with the massive analytic brain, she knew they couldn’t outrun a helicopter. And there was no other escape around.

  She stopped and turned slowly to face the helicopter as it dropped farther. From across the field, she could see the armed men inside. Seth said they were shooting real bullets now. They were trying to kill them.

  No. That wasn’t going to happen.

  Seth yelled at her from somewhere far away, telling her to stop.

  But she could save them now. Save Seth.

  So she braced herself. As the helicopter sped toward her, the propellers’ beating vibrated inside her, she focused on everything she’d seen and done the past few days.

  She thought of Gran with a hollow ache in her chest. She thought of Kitty, of Luke and Jack. Of how they were captured or on the run. Of how they would never see their families again and that the people they loved were gone from the Earth as if they hadn’t mattered at all.

  She thought of Seth.

  None of them would ever return to their old lives. She held the injustice of it in her chest and lifted her hands.

  Then the sound of metal grinding and creaking filled the air. The first propeller spun off with a squeal, twisting through the air like a feather on the breeze. It crashed nearby, skidding. The others followed, scattering around the field.

  The first panel split from the side of the helicopter, crumbling into a ball and falling to the ground. The remainder of the aircraft pulled apart, leaving nothing but a few seats and the floor intact. It all came down, rubble all over the dirty ground.

  She grabbed each of the men that had been on the helicopter out of the air, freezing all six of them. Bit by bit, she pulled their gear from their body. Everything. Clothes, weapons, right down to their underwear. All of it flew through the air and landed in the retention pond to the right of them.

  Then she dropped the men on the ground, hard enough that some of them looked unconscious and others rolled to their knees, coughing.

  When she was done, she realized with a bit of detachment that she couldn’t hear anything, only a faint ringing in her head. She only noticed that because Seth appeared to be yelling something, and yet she had no idea what he was saying.

  Dizziness washed over her, making her lose her balance. Or perhaps the ground was actually moving toward her, and she wasn’t falling. But she doubted it.

  Chapter Seventeen

  “I’m fine.” Blue said the words for at least the fifth time, but no one seemed to hear. Seth’s arms remained firmly around her.

  Ahead of Seth, Nick swiped the card on another dumpy hotel room while glancing up and dow
n the corridor. He flicked on the lights, and Seth carried Blue in behind him.

  He laid her on the bed and sent Nick off to get ice.

  Blue could have walked. She’d told him that over and over. She hadn’t passed out. She’d only had the dizziness and the hearing loss. Even that had gone away after a few minutes.

  Even so, Seth had insisted on carrying her inside.

  “I’m okay, Seth. I swear. I told you. I feel fine now.” Her voice was weak, though, destroying her credibility. He retreated to the bathroom, and she heard the water run. He returned with a wet washcloth and hand towel.

  He sat down next to her, easing her back onto the bed, and proceeded to gently wipe at her face, her nose, her temple. The towels pinkened.

  She’d been bleeding. Again.

  Her stomach sank.

  Nick returned, sparing her from responding. He put the ice down on the desk before he looked between them. Then he cleared his throat before he said, “You know, um, I think I’m going to go, dump the car.” He looked at Seth. “Yeah. You got this?”

  After he slipped out, she asked Seth, “Can we trust him?” After how things had gone with Jeremy, she couldn’t help her distrust.

  Seth nodded. “I’d trust Nick with my life. Never felt the same about Jeremy.”

  Well, that was something. She shifted, trying to get up.

  “Lie down, you lunatic.” His voice was gruff. “You’re a wreck.”

  She smoothed a hand over her hair. That was probably true. Her clothes looked like she’d rolled in the dirt. She had, technically.

  But he didn’t seem put off by the dirt. No, he studied her as if she was a precious object that had been mistreated. Outraged, protective. Concerned.

  That look made her stomach flutter. That wasn’t the look of a man who didn’t want to kiss her. That wasn’t the look of someone who didn’t care. Not that he’d admit it.

  She reached for him, cupping his face with her hand.

  His eyes pierced her, and she waited, still, expecting him to rip her a new one, to shrink away.

  “You’re going to get yourself killed,” he said, his voice raw, full of emotion.

  She’d expected anger. She probably could have handled anger. But this… He sounded destroyed.

  So she did the only thing she knew how to do when faced with disaster…she tried to downplay it. “Maybe.”

  As soon as the word was out, she knew it was the wrong thing to say. He scowled. “What do you mean, maybe? Not acceptable, Blue. I mean, that stunt out the window? What were you thinking?”

  He looked so genuinely distressed that she dropped her hand. She didn’t know what to say to that, either, so she told the truth. “I was thinking that a desk chair is no flying carpet.”

  He glared at her. “This isn’t funny.”

  “I know, Seth. It’s not funny.” She was so bad at this stuff.

  “And the helicopter. Jesus Christ.”

  “Yes. The helicopter. What else could we do? It was going to catch us. Even you can’t outrun a helicopter.” She knew he wouldn’t like to acknowledge he wasn’t unstoppable, but it was the truth.

  “I would have thought of something. You didn’t give me a chance.”

  She sighed. “But we got away. Isn’t that good enough?”

  She didn’t need a lecture right now. God, he was so concerned with being the one in charge, with trying to control a situation. Didn’t he know that sometimes things were out of his control?

  She shifted, trying to get to her feet, unable to handle this conversation any longer. She felt raw and antsy. As if she’d had too much caffeine and might explode with the need to move, to walk off the jitters.

  No, that wasn’t true, either. She didn’t want to move or walk. She wanted him to take her into his arms. She needed to feel the strength of him. She needed to know that he was fine, that he was warm and safe.

  That even in the midst of these messed-up circumstances, they had each other.

  But he couldn’t do that, could he? He didn’t want to lean on her, too. He wanted to be the strong one, the levelheaded one. The one who wasn’t distracted.

  She pressed her lips together, determined to stop their shaking, and swallowed hard.

  He stood as well, stopping her as she tried to step around him. “It’s not good enough, Blue.” He gripped her arm, forcing her to look at him. She tried her hardest to shield her feelings, to keep the hurt out of her eyes. She always gave everything away on her face.

  “Luke found out the name of the doctor who created this drug,” he said. “Fields. He did tests on rats. The drug killed half of them, but the remaining survivors, they exhibited side effects, too. Similar to all of us. Moving things, strategy, stuff like that. And as their powers grew, half of the remaining rats died. Seizures and blood and pain.” He pulled her closer. “Do you get it? Even though they lived, they died. If you keep pushing…if you keep risking everything…”

  “That helicopter was going to catch us, Seth,” she whispered at him. “I know you think you have to protect me, but what about me? Don’t you think I feel the same way? Don’t you think I need to make sure you’re okay, too?” Didn’t he know how much she cared about him yet?

  “I need to keep you safe,” he whispered.

  “And I need to keep you safe, too. You jerk.” Her teeth gritted together, and she held onto her anger. Because otherwise, she’d lose it completely. “You don’t have the monopoly on trying to protect the people you care about.”

  He stilled. As if her words had paralyzed him. Oh, God. But she’d never been the kind to pretend she didn’t care. There were so few people she’d really cared about, and she’d lost them all. At least Gran had known how much she loved her. Blue had told her every day.

  Seth needed to know, too. He didn’t want to feel anything for her, but she wasn’t going to bother hiding. With the way things were going, she had no idea how much longer they had together.

  He didn’t say anything, just stared at her like she had two heads.

  Then he pulled her against him, and she found herself crushed against the wide expanse of his chest. She inhaled, closing her eyes, cherishing the feel of him, letting it wipe away the terror of the day.

  “God, Blue… You… I’m…” He swallowed, and she listened to his quickened heartbeat against her cheek. “I can be a jerk. I don’t know how to do this stuff with you, and I’m messing it up. I’m sorry, babe. So sorry. I know one thing, though. I wouldn’t be able to deal if something happened to you.” He cupped her face, rubbing his thumb across her cheekbone. “Watching you fall out of that window… It was… I didn’t…” He swallowed hard, squeezing his eyes closed. “I almost didn’t get there in time. And the helicopter…” He shook his head, his face full of pain.

  “But I’m fine. I’m here.” He was here, too, in her arms. No matter what happened next. She leaned forward, touching her forehead to his, trying to prove to him that she was indeed there and alive.

  “You aren’t going to listen to me, are you?”

  It was her turn to scowl. “I do listen to you.”

  “Yeah, but you’re going to do what you think is best anyway. Aren’t you?”

  She shrugged. He was right. She wouldn’t stand by if it meant he’d get hurt. “I don’t take directions well.”

  He chuckled, and the sound vibrated through her. “No, you don’t.”

  “Um, sorry?” she offered.

  “No, you aren’t.” He laughed again. “But I am. I’m sorry I told you I regretted kissing you. I lied. I loved every second of kissing you. I can’t stop thinking about kissing you. I can’t stop wanting to touch you, to hold you.” His fingertips pressed into her back, pulling her closer.

  “Seth…” She didn’t recognize her pleading voice.

  He must have known what she needed.

  He lowered his head, and their mouths touched. A shiver raced through her. Her fingers trailed over his chest, his shoulders, up to his neck, urging him closer,
unable to get enough.

  This was what she needed. Him, in this moment.

  His firm lips moved across hers, insistent and warm, stealing her breath.

  His mouth tasted so good.

  Shuddering, she pulled at him, and they tumbled sideways onto the bed. As their mouths danced, his hand found her hip, and he squeezed, his knuckles brushing her bare stomach. His fingers trailed up under her T-shirt. He waited that all-important second to make sure he had the green light.

  In response, she covered his hand, moving it up to cup her breast.

  Needing no other encouragement, he pulled at the cup of her bra, finding her hardened nipple. One gentle squeeze, and she came off the bed with a gasp.

  God, that felt good.

  He dipped his head, trailing soft kisses along her jaw that sent tingles down her spine.

  Seth Campbell’s mouth didn’t only taste good. It performed magic.

  As he continued along to nip at the sensitive spot below her earlobe, he nudged the hem of her T-shirt up to expose her to the cool air. Goose bumps erupted on her skin, and then his hand covered her breast, and she closed her eyes, arching against him. Heat spread through her, making her feel like she was on fire from within.

  Through the haze of what he was doing with his mouth and fingers, she yanked at his shirt, smoothing it up over his chest. He helped her, only breaking contact when he needed to pull it over his head. Blue used the moment to draw her own shirt off and unsnap her bra. He made quick work of smoothing her leggings down and off her, leaving her completely naked to him. She shivered, both from the cool air and the intensity of his gaze.

  As they touched, skin to skin, from thigh to shoulder, she rubbed against him, unable to get enough of the feel of him. Her hand shook as she linked it with his.

  “I want you.” She didn’t want there to be any doubt. “I don’t know what happens next, but I want you.”

  “God, yes,” he breathed as he took her mouth again.

  Blueberry Michaels didn’t do anything passively. Even bruised and exhausted, she didn’t hold back. She kissed him with all of her, touched him without hesitation. She told him how much she cared with every move she made.