by Sarah Biglow
I rubbed at the non-bandaged side of my head. “Not really in a joking mood.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “I told you it wasn’t going to end well.”
The extra time resting had cleared my head and I felt steady enough to stand. “I don’t need a lecture from you. I feel bad enough as it is.”
“He shouldn’t have asked you to get that sample. He had to have known it would get you caught.”
“I did what I had to, but I wasn’t careful enough. That’s on me. Besides, if I hadn’t, I’d probably be dead right now.” I studied his face, catching the hint of worry that tugged the corners of his mouth into a frown. “I should have looked at your texts. Maybe this wouldn’t have happened.”
“Did you get a look at who tried to take you out?”
Did I share my suspicions about Reese? I still wasn’t convinced he would go rogue like that. “No. I was too busy trying to keep us alive.”
Felipe nodded and leaned against the doorframe. “How pissed was Declan when he found out about your whole James Bond thing?”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if he dumped my ass and never spoke to me again. I’m not sure I’d blame him either. I get what he’s feeling. I betrayed his trust by keeping all of this from him. He still doesn’t believe what I told him.”
“So, he’s getting the mind reader to come be your lie detector.”
“They all deserve to know what’s really going on … Tina especially. She’s been kept in the dark most of all. She’s been hurting the longest.” She deserves to know her father.
Felipe glanced at his phone. “Looks like we won’t have to wait long to find out how this shakes out. They’re already here. Come on.” He looped an arm around my shoulders and guided me into the common area.
Declan sat in one of the chairs and kept his gaze focused elsewhere when I sat down in a seat not far from him. Felipe leaned on the back of my chair as Spencer, Tina, and Marisol entered the room. Spencer let out a low whistle as he took in the space.
“So, who exactly are we supposed to meet?” Tina asked loudly.
“That would be me,” Clayton answered, stepping into the room. He kept his distance from the newcomers, but I could see the way he looked at Tina. The unshed tears in his eyes at the daughter he had never known.
“Henry says he’s been spying for him this whole time. Tell me he’s lying,” Declan said, glaring at Spencer.
“You know I can’t read him,” Spencer noted.
“Actually, now you can. No more tech,” I offered while tapping my head.
Spencer eyed me warily, but approached. He glanced at Tina. “Ask him something.”
“What did you tell Declan?”
I took a breath. “I’ve been spying on your mother for the last three years. Reporting back on her activities and what she’s been doing.” In my head, I tried to give Spencer as much signal as I could. He had to know that I was telling the truth. ‘I have no reason to lie to you.’
“How’d you really hurt your arm?” Declan demanded.
I shot Clayton a look and he nodded. Time to fess up to my part in all of this. “I snuck into the lab at headquarters. We found out about Declan’s healing ability and we needed to study it. I know that the lab double checks the data daily that’s stored in there. Blood and tissue samples taken from when we were babies and some even more recently. I took a vial of Declan’s blood and had to leave mine in its place. I knew it wouldn’t hold up under scrutiny but it was the best I could do.”
“That’s why you said what you did earlier about helping people,” Declan muttered.
“Yeah. If we can study it, learn how it works, we can maybe help cure people. It helped me today.”
“Who is he?” Tina interrupted, staring at her father.
“I know you all have many more questions that we will answer in time but I think Henry should get some rest,” he said, avoiding Tina’s question.
“He’s not going anywhere until you tell us who you are,” Tina snapped.
“You have every right to be angry with me, Christina. I’ve not done much to earn anything but your ire.”
“You act like you know me.”
“That would only be true if your mother had let me into your life.”
She stared at him, open-mouthed. The realization hit her and her cheeks flushed. She rounded on me. “You knew this whole time? You knew where he was and you didn’t say anything?”
“I wanted to tell you. I really did, but it would have blown my cover.”
“Fuck your cover.”
“May I remind you that someone from your mother’s team nearly murdered your friend today?” Clayton said.
“So, what? She’s really the bad guy?”
“It’s not as simple as good and evil. All of your parents needed help conceiving. That is true and we offered them that chance. We also were trying to find ways to cure common birth defects. Weak hearts, developmental and emotional conditions. All of it together resulted in these abilities or powers manifesting. I never wanted to hurt anyone. Lena had … other plans in mind.”
“Like what?” Tina seethed.
“Military stuff,” Spencer answered, clearly picking up on Clayton’s thoughts.
“She wanted to use the skills we had unlocked for more aggressive aims.”
‘But we have been helping people,” Marisol argued.
“Oh, yeah she paints it that way but think about what could happen if she took it too far. You get sent in with a police or military unit. Spencer uses his mind control and suddenly you’ve got the potential for misuse,” I noted.
“How do you know about that?” Spencer asked.
“You aren’t as sneaky as you think,” I commented.
“Have you been here this entire time?” Tina’s voice was softer now, less sure of herself.
“When your mother served me with divorce papers, she also served me with a restraining order. A judge in her pocket has kept it in effect all this time. If I went anywhere near you, she’d know and let’s just say jail would not have been my punishment. I’ve been keeping an eye on you. You have a brilliant mind. And you don’t give up. I swear to you, I am not going anywhere and any question you have, I will answer.”
“Where have I heard that before?” Tina grumbled irritably.
“He’s telling the truth,” Spencer said.
“Yes, he is sincere,” Marisol added.
I knew I should leave them alone to deal with this new information. They needed to decide where their allegiance rested. I got to my feet and slowly made my way back down the hall to my room. I had just gotten settled beneath the blankets when Declan appeared in my door way. He actually met my gaze this time.
“You really risked everything, just to help people?”
“What can I say, it’s in my genes.” I let out a weak laugh. “I know this is a lot to take in and I understand that you’re angry with me for keeping it secret from you.”
“I am angry. But it isn’t entirely your fault. It sounds like you weren’t given much choice about whose bidding you did,” Declan said, taking a step into the room.
“I promise, from here on out, no more secrets.” I just prayed he’d give me one last chance.
“No more secrets,” he agreed and settled onto the bed beside me. At least I could rest easier knowing he’d made his choice. The fight was still coming, but at least we had a heavy hitter on our side. And for once—even for just a little while—I could live in the romantic comedy ending of actually getting the guy.
To Be Continued…
MAGNETIC CHEMISTRY 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 u
sed 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
ISBN: 978-1-5136-4795-1
Published by Sarah Biglow: July 2019
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Chapter One
Tina
I’d never seen a grown man look so pleased by the destruction of property. I stood in the basement of a secluded cabin with reinforced concrete walls and a whole host of electronics—a tech girl’s dream house—with a circuit board sizzling on the floor in front of me.
“You were holding back,” Clayton said, despite the grin on his face.
I’d known the man barely a week. Still I wasn’t ready to call him ‘Dad’, even though biologically speaking I was only here thanks in part to his genetic contribution. I tugged my hair free from the knotted bun at the nape of my neck, bright blue tendrils fell to frame my face.
“You said you wanted to know what I could do. I showed you,” I replied.
He kicked the smoldering piece of tech with his shoe. “Tina, this is just a party trick. Come on, I want you to really let loose.”
I looked around the room and back to him. “But … if I do that, all your stuff will be ruined.”
He closed the distance between us and raised his hand as if to touch my shoulder. He hesitated and dropped it to his side before saying, “Trust me, I’m not worried about any of this stuff. You’re not going to hurt my feelings by wrecking it.”
I chewed my bottom lip in silence. Testing people’s powers was something my mother did. Except, she’d never tested mine. She made sure I stayed put behind a computer screen, burying myself in files instead of placing me in the line of fire. It wasn’t that I longed to be out there beside my friends kicking ass—I liked the safety of my computer screen—but it was just another way she’d manipulated me. She had lied to me my entire life. I looked up at the man standing in front of me. I could see pieces of myself in his bone structure and build. Still isn’t he doing the same thing, using me to get what he wants?
“What’s going on in that head of yours, Tina?” Clayton’s voice drew me from my thoughts.
“Nothing,” I lied. Beside me, a set of large magnets began to rise from the floor. One of them flipped so their like poles were facing each other. The tension of the poles fighting to repel one another was palpable and without meaning to, I sent them flying in opposite directions, one narrowly missing Clayton’s right arm.
He pointed a finger at the magnet that now lay against the far wall. I could see tiny cracks spider webbing out from the impact. “Hmm … Now I know something’s bothering you. Please, I can’t help you if you don’t talk to me.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. A part of me recognized it was a defensive posture and something I did when I didn’t want to talk about my feelings. Feelings were only for suckers, but I couldn’t help it. “You’ve been here my entire life, hiding out in your little bunker, but you never once tried to reach out.” He opened his mouth to speak instead I cut him off. “You said Mom took out a restraining order on you. I checked and I know that part’s true. But you are a super smart scientist. Couldn’t you have found a way if you had really wanted to?”
He pinched the bridge of his nose. “I know I’ve disappointed you. You’re right. I should have tried harder to connect with you. Had I known she was pregnant at the time everything went south; believe me I would have fought like hell to see you.” He let out a slow exhale. “I know we haven’t known each other all that long, but we’ve had this conversation before. What is really on your mind?”
“How can I trust that what you are telling me is true? About the experiments and what Mom wants to do with all of our powers?”
He nodded. “That’s the crux of it. She’s lied to you for so long, you can’t be sure I’m not doing the same, right?”
“Can you blame me?” I asked.
“Not at all. There was a time when your mother and I were very much in sync. Our research and aims were aligned. That hasn’t been the case in a very long time. I could say I think it’s abhorrent that she is putting young lives in danger, but I would be a hypocrite. Especially since I put Henry in that very same situation.”
And Henry had nearly died. So had Declan. I had to give Clayton credit for being able to admit his weaknesses. That was definitely something my mother would never do.
As proof he was on the right side of this fight, Clayton had given me video footage he’d recorded of the last time he and my mother had spoken. My mother had served him with the restraining order and threatened to ruin him if he got in the way of the progress of her experiments. She’d thrown around words like “government assets.” He’d argued that wasn’t the point of their work and it would only put children in danger. She’d dismissed his concerns nonchalantly. He claimed she didn’t know he’d made it. Why then hadn’t he used it to get the restraining order lifted? I didn’t know. I’d watched it nearly two dozen times in the last week, digging into the code, making sure it was legit. It had been enough to convince me he wasn’t a complete monster trying to control my life.
“Say I do believe you. What’s the plan now? Henry is clearly burned as your spy.”
Henry hadn’t wanted to admit it at first, but over the course of the last week, he’d shared his theory that Reese Finley—rookie cop and telekinetic—was possibly behind the attack. I hated being kept in the dark—four years of digging for our super powers’ origin spoke for itself—and it pissed me off I didn’t know Reese was one of us. It didn’t explain why he would try to kill people. He’d joined the police force to help people, or so at least I’d assumed.
“Honestly, I don’t know. I’m not going to put Henry back in harm’s way. I don’t want to let you or your friends back out there, either, but I know that is not my choice.”
“Declan’s out for blood. He’s pissed someone tried to off him and his boyfriend. And Spencer isn’t going to sit around while other people get hurt.” Marisol would go along with whatever Spencer wants. Even spending the last few months trying to get to know her, I still didn’t like her. She had the nasty habit of trying to get me to talk about how my mother’s betrayal made me feel and that’s not something I needed or had ever wanted to do.
“Which is precisely what worries me about the situation. The group I’ve put together is small. Still we’ve managed to stay hidden for this long, because those that I recruited have been able to keep themselves in check.”
The unspoken dig that I couldn’t keep my powers under control stung. “Let me go back. I’ll be your spy.” The words were out of my mouth before I realized I was declaring allegiance to a father I didn’t know over the woman who’d raised me.
This time, he didn’t stop himself from touching me. His hand rested lightly on my shoulder. I really wanted to shrug it off, but didn’t move. “If I wouldn’t risk a young man who I am fond of, but with whom I don’t share DNA, what makes you think I would be okay with sending my own daughter in his place?”
“Obviously she wouldn’t expect it to be me,” I answered.
His lips turned down into a frown. “I understand you are frustrated with your mother for keeping secrets from you for so long. But if this little demonstration showed me anything, it is that your powers are far more entwined with your emotions than you realize and they are likely to betray you if she pushes your buttons. And make no mistake, she knows exactly which ones to push.”
“I can control my powers,” I quipped, just as the metal zipper on his jacket slid up and down of its own accord betraying my words.
“Nothing would make me happier than to spend time with my daughter and get to know the young woman she’s become. But
, you’re not ready to take on this responsibility. Quite frankly, I’m not ready to risk losing you in this fight.”
I hated being told what I was or wasn’t capable of. He didn’t know me. Still at least he wants to get to know me. “So, train me then. Help me get my powers under control. Let me help you stop her from hurting other people.”
He gave my shoulder a squeeze. “Training I can do. And perhaps there is a way you can keep an eye on things without arousing any suspicion.”
“I’m listening,” I replied.
“From what we’ve been able to gather, your mother has been grooming some of the older subjects in law enforcement.”
Like Reese. “That makes sense. Uncle Nick is in on things so he’d be able to keep an eye on super powered recruits.” I tried to follow his line of thought to its logical conclusion. It hit me after only a few moments of contemplation. “I’ve told Uncle Nick I wanted to intern with the department once I finished school. He said he could put in a good word to help me get an internship at the precinct.”
“It would afford you the opportunity to keep an eye on things without being under your mother’s nose.”
It would also give me a chance to dig deeper into whether Reese had been the one responsible for almost killing my friends. And see whether or not he had a girlfriend. I tugged my hair back into a ponytail. “I’ll go right now.”
“Before you go, it might be a good idea to take one of these,” Clayton said, digging into his pocket for a tiny device.
“What is it?” I asked, plucking it from his fingers.
“It’s a variation on the telepathy blocker your mother created.”
“Why would I need that? It’s not like Spencer’s going to blab on me.”
“Just because he is the only telepath that you know of doesn’t mean there aren’t others out there with similar abilities. I can put it in. It won’t take much time at all.”
I wouldn’t lie; having a way to keep prying minds out of my head was a good thing. Still as much as I resented the idea that some people considered me a loose cannon, they weren’t wrong. Having an added layer of protection for now was a reasonable safeguard. “Let’s do it.”