Evolutionary Romance- The Complete Trilogy

by Sarah Biglow

  PHYSICAL ATTRACTION Copyright © 2019 by Sarah Biglow.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  If you enjoy this book, please consider leaving a review.

  For information contact; www.sarah-biglow.com

  Editing by: Under Wraps Publishing Services

  Interior Formatting by: Under Wraps Publishing Services

  Cover Design by: Deranged Doctor Design

  Published by Sarah Biglow: April 2019

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  Chapter One

  Declan

  I never thought I would miss Spencer’s nerdy quips or his insistence on stupid code names while we were out in the field. But, since we’d signed those forms with Tina’s mother, our crime-fighting duo had been disbanded in favor of “testing” our powers in different combinations. For the last two months, I’d been paired with Henry St. Pierre, a mild mannered librarian turned superpowered pyro lab assistant.

  Which explained why I was currently leaning against a brick wall of a bank that was being robbed instead of busting in and breaking some bad guys’ arms. Henry had a “wait and see” approach that just drives me insane. How were we supposed to test our abilities if we just watched from the sidelines? I’d never taken out bank robbers before. The closest I’d come was messing up some drug runners a few months back. I wanted to add these assholes to my Choke Out list.

  “Why are we just standing here? The action’s in there,” I pointed to the bank.

  “Because that’s what we were told to do,” Henry answered, blue flames dancing in his gloved palm. When we’d first started working together, he’d explained that whatever material the gloves were made from—I kind of stopped listening when he went all science geek—helped control the flames.

  It was a stupid answer and made no damn sense. If my time with Spencer had taught me anything, it was that the good guys—even the ones in masks—didn’t sit around while the criminals actually committed the crimes. They busted in and stopped them before innocent people could get hurt. “Screw this,” I muttered and started for the back of the bank.

  Heat on the nape of my neck was the only warning he gave me before Henry tackled me to the ground. His gloved hands pinned me down, but I could still feel the flames from his power on my skin.

  “You can’t just go running in there without a plan, big guy,” he said, refusing to let me up.

  He may be older than me, but I outweighed him by 30 pounds. Besides I’d spent all of my high school career on the wrestling team and he was no match for me. He’d definitely chosen the wrong tactic to try stopping me. I still had enough range of motion in my right arm to elbow him in the ribs. I heard the wind go out of him and he relaxed his grip. I did a push up, knocking him off balance long enough to get to my feet. Instantly I slammed him against the wall with my forearm pressed against his throat.

  “I want my old partner back,” I growled at him.

  “I’m sorry, I don’t have control over that. Now, let me go,’ he wheezed.

  It reminded me of the time when I’d first learned Henry had powers, too. He’d flashed me that flirty little smile that made me want to punch him in the face. Everybody knew Henry was gay. Personally, I wasn’t interested. Sure, I hadn’t said that in so many words. Still he had to realize me ignoring his dumb sex jokes was a sign that he should just shut the fuck up altogether.

  Shots rang out from inside the bank, drawing our attention. With another shove, I let go of him. “That’s why we should have already gone in,” I snapped and forced the back door to the bank open.

  “You aren’t bulletproof,” he called after me as I snuck through the dimly lit office area.

  Why does everyone keep saying that? It’s not like they have let me test the theory. I stopped short of the vault—which sat open and showed clear signs of being emptied and listened. No more shots. I crept to a window into the lobby area and peered out. Hostages sat corralled against one wall. No one looked like they were hurt, but we’d definitely heard shots. Henry tapped my arm and pointed to the ceiling. I followed his finger to find two bullet holes above the hostages. I also spotted a busted security camera over the front entrance, too.

  “I have an idea,” Henry whispered in my ear. Too close for my comfort.

  I was surprised sirens weren’t wailing in the distance, signaling the arrival of the police. Having narrowly avoided their arrival on many occasions, I knew their response time was better than this. It set my nerves on edge. “Talk fast. They look like they’re getting antsy out there.”

  “You’ve been itching to test yourself and see if you really are bulletproof. Sneak out there and start getting hostages out.’

  “And what will you be doing, pyro?” I turned to see him with a wicked grin on his face.

  “Play with fire, naturally. Wait for my signal.”

  I ducked down and belly-crawled toward the row of teller desks next to where the hostages were lined up. The robbers were across the room, huddled together counting money. I waited for Henry to do whatever he had planned, praying I’d know the cue when it happened.

  The scent of something burning hit my nose about fifteen seconds before the squeal of the fire alarms sounded. I smiled in spite of myself, wondering how long he’d been waiting to pull that particular trick. The sprinkler system kicked on, drenching everyone in the place, myself included. It gave me enough cover to peer out and get the first hostage’s attention.

  “Come on. I know a way out,” I stage whispered and gestured for them to follow me a few at a time.

  The woman who had a manager’s badge pinned to her jacket waved the others on ahead of her. I led them back to the door we’d come in. Henry was waiting, ready to escort them to safety. I went back to find the manager, but she wasn’t where I’d left her. The robbers had clearly noticed their hostages’ disappearing act and grabbed her for close keeping, a gun pressed to her neck. Only now I could hear the distant whine of emergency vehicles racing toward us. I caught Henry motioning to me out of the corner of my eye that we needed to hurry up and leave. I wasn’t going to leave this woman alone though.

  “Why don’t you let her go?” I called, surprised by the steadiness of my voice. I stepped from behind the tellers’ desks with my hands raised.

  The woman’s eyes shone with fear as I tried to assess the situation. I was yet again reminded of how much Spencer’s mind reading came in handy when we were a team. It appeared only one of the assholes had a gun. The others were busy hording their haul and bickering about their escape route. If I could take the leader and gun out of play, Henry had a shot of subduing the other two before the police even set foot on the premises.

  “Who the fuck are you?” Asshole Number One barked, the gun being pressed harder into the manager’s neck.

  “The guy who you want on your side when the cops bust in,” I replied.

  “Yeah? Why’s that kid?”

  I resented his dig at my age. I reached over, pulled one of those little twisty lamps off the nearest desk and with sheer force contorted it into a useless lump of metal. “I’ve got skills you are gonna need to get past them.”

  Asshole considered my offer. Good—if he was busy thinking—he was probably less likely to shoot an innocent woman. I took the opportunity to lob my makeshift weapon at his head. It nailed him squarely in the jaw and he staggered back. His hold on the woman loosened and she took off like a shot past me. Step one complete. I rushed forward and tackled him to the ground hard enough to hear his skull crack against the floor. I wrestled the gun out of his slack grip and tossed it away
behind me.

  Once I was confident, he wasn’t going to get up and come after me, I turned my attention to Asshole Number Two and Number Three. They were still greedily counting their water-logged cash. Before I could make a move, a blue fireball zoomed past my head, igniting the only dry part of Asshole Number Three’s jacket. The fabric caught fire immediately and he panicked, flailing his arms around in a pinwheel.

  Apparently, he forgot the sprinklers were still pumping water into the bank lobby. I closed the distance between us and landed a solid punch to his throat, sending him rasping to the floor. His buddy swung the bag of soggy cash at me, but I easily dodged out of the way before it could hit me.

  “Man, you guys are dumb,” I quipped and yanked the bag from his hands.

  “No!” Henry’s voice called out from behind me.

  What’s his problem?

  Asshole Number Two’s face turned ashen as it was speckled with flecks of red. I started to wonder where it had come from before the sharp, burning pain erupted in my shoulder. I looked down to see a neat hole in my shirt with blood dripping down the front. Oh, fuck.

  I tried to lift my left arm, but the muscles screamed in agony. I fought back tears of pain as I turned to find that Asshole Number One had regained consciousness and his control of the gun. My brain told me I should be surprised—horrified even—at the turn of events. But his action paled in comparison to the look of absolute hatred on Henry’s face as he descended upon the thug. His hands burned bright blue as he wrapped them around the barrel of the gun, melting it into the bastard’s skin. Asshole Number One howled in pain, but Henry wouldn’t let up. He pulled one gloved hand away and reached for the asshole’s throat.

  “Stop. You’ll kill him,” I yelled. At least I think I yelled. Everything started going hazy around me.

  “You shot my partner you piece of shit,” Henry ground out through clenched teeth just as the front doors burst open and a tactical unit of officers flooded the scene. There were shouts to put down our weapons and get on the floor.

  “They’re with us,” a familiar voice called as one of the black-clad officers leveled their gun at Henry.

  Officer Nick Boudreau—Tina’s uncle and our former police contact—marched forward and pushed his colleague’s weapon toward the floor. “We had assets on the inside. Stand down. And get a medic in here!”

  A flurry of activity erupted around me and I stood there, immobilized from the shock of being shot. I felt a hand on my good shoulder and turned to see Henry, concern etched on his face. I couldn’t help, but laugh.

  “What’s so funny?” he whispered.

  “I have to tell Spencer he was right. Guess I’m not bulletproof after all.”

  Chapter Two

  Henry

  I knew protocol dictated I report back on the mission—to fill in Lena Boudreau, my boss and head of the secret research lab in town—but I refused to leave Declan’s side until I knew he was okay. He’d gone into shock faster than I had expected as I sat beside him in the ambulance.

  “You got lucky the bullet went straight through,” the paramedic commented, probing Declan’s shoulder.

  I wanted to apologize to Declan. I’d pushed him into testing whether or not he was in fact bulletproof, knowing it was highly unlikely. I’d put him in danger and I hadn’t had his back. It was a small comfort that the doctor wouldn’t have to go digging for bullet fragments.

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered once we arrived at the hospital. We were escorted through the emergency room and straight back to a private room. Having been a patient before thanks to the risks we took testing our powers, I knew the staff wouldn’t ask too many questions and we’d be left out of the official police reports. It also meant no one questioned when I continued on through restricted areas at Declan’s side.

  Declan craned his neck as we left the rows of curtained bays behind. “Is it really that bad?” he asked, gingerly poking at his arm.

  When we were finally alone, I exhaled the breath I’d been holding all the way from the ER. “The company has an arrangement with the hospital if any of us get injured on a mission. They treat us and don’t ask questions. Treatment expenses are covered, too. Your parents won’t even see a bill,” I explained, worried I sounded like a robot.

  “You almost melted that guy’s face off,” Declan said, shifting uncomfortably in the hospital bed.

  “Well, he shot you,” I replied. I placed a hand on his arm before thinking better of it. “I pushed you to confront them, I’m sorry. If I’d kept my mouth shut, we wouldn’t be here right now.”

  “It’s not all about you, Pyro,” he said with a small smirk. “Still I can’t believe Sorano was right.”

  Our conversation was cut short though when a young nurse in purple scrubs walked in. Her honey blonde hair was slicked back into a ponytail that accentuated her high cheekbones. “Declan O’Bannon?” she read from the clipboard in her hand.

  “That’s me,” Declan answered with a small wave from his right hand.

  “Looks like you got mixed up in some things you shouldn’t have.” She flashed him a sympathetic smile and he nodded mutely. “Let’s take a look at what we’re working with, shall we?”

  I’d only been to the hospital under Kirkpatrick Industries’ care once for a fractured wrist and the gruff, grey-haired doctor who’d tended to me wasn’t nearly as charming. I stepped out of her way, studying Declan’s reaction to her. He smiled weakly as she unbound the gauze and gently pressed the tips of her gloved fingers to the wound on either side of his shoulder.

  “We’ll get you in for an X-ray and see if there’s any serious damage that would require surgery. How’s the pain?”

  “I can take it,” he said with vibrato.

  “I’ll ask the doctor to give you something for that, too. Let me do that, and then I’ll come take you for your X-ray.”

  “Okay.” He settled back against the pillow, grimacing as he tried to find a comfortable position. I smiled when he looked at me. “What’s that look for?”

  “You were flirting with her,” I said.

  “No, I wasn’t,” he scoffed.

  “I can take it,” I repeated in an exaggerated imitation of him. “I don’t blame you. She’s cute.”

  Declan blinked at me. “You realize she’s a chick, right?”

  “I’m gay, not blind … dumbass,” I answered.

  He shook his head. “You confuse me.”

  At least he was thinking about me. I’d been trying to get his attention for months now. I was convinced there was more to him under the tough guy exterior and I’d made it my mission to uncover what lay beneath. I could say knowing my partner inside and out allowed me to better have his back. Though let’s be real, those chiseled abs were the highlight of many a sexy dream.

  Just then, the nurse came back in and rolled him away, leaving me alone in the room. I pulled out my phone to find several missed calls from Lena’s private number. Well time to check in, I called her back and waited.

  “There were injuries,” she said in a matter-of-fact tone upon answering. She’d probably spoken to Officer Boudreau.

  “Declan got shot. But the hostages got out safe and the robbers were apprehended before they could get away with any of the money,” I offered.

  “How badly is he injured?”

  “They just took him for an X-ray. We’ll know more after that. This one’s on me. I pushed him to go farther than he should have. It should have just been getting the hostages to safety.”

  “We needed to know his limits. And now we do.”

  I began pacing the length of the room. “I think we should team him back up with Spencer. Just for a mission or two while he heals.”

  “And why would we do that?” Her tone was clear; you don’t make these decisions.

  I let out a breath. “Because he’s been asking for his old partner back and if we want him to stay committed, we have to show him we value his opinion.”

  “Please … He’s a tee
nager who doesn’t know what he wants,” she scoffed.

  I couldn’t argue with her on that point, even if my perspective on his indecision wasn’t what she was talking about. I also suspected Lena’s pushback had nothing to do with Declan and everything to do with her daughter, Tina. Blessed with magnetic powers and a temper, Tina was still as snarky and as miserable as ever, even though she’d been given access to Kirkpatrick Industries’ genetic experiments’ files. Tina had spent the last four years searching for answers to the origin of her powers. Even now that she had them though, she still insisted on pushing her mother’s buttons.

  “When you’re done at the hospital come back to headquarters and we’ll discuss it,” Lena finally said dismissing me.

  “Thank you.” I ended the call just as the nurse returned with Declan.

  “Who were you talking to?” Declan’s gaze was a little unfocused. It was probably from the pain medication.

  “Wouldn’t you like to know,” I replied with a smirk. “How are you feeling?”

  “Fuzzy. I think the meds are working.”

  “You know, you were right back there,” I said and leaned on the edge of the bed.

  “About what?”

  “If you hadn’t stopped me, I’d have killed that guy.” I studied my hands; the bedding material was soft against my skin. “It was like everything went kind of dark around the edges and I just wanted to hurt him.”

  “Damn, that is some dark shit.”

  “I guess I take offense to people hurting my friends.”

  “Is that what we are?”

  I shrugged one shoulder. “I’d like to think so.”

  “I guess we are,” he agreed without looking at me.

  There were very few times I wished I’d had a different ability. Right now was one of them. How I longed to know what was going on inside his head. Or have the ability to let him in on my thoughts.