by A. J. Macey
“They started the day after Rett’s funeral when I couldn’t keep my lightning controlled. Thought they could control it,” she murmured, her voice flat and dead—emotionless. She dropped her shirt and started toward the door.
“Wait, you can’t leave,” Carson finally spoke up, hopping up and grabbing her arm despite the risk she would shock him again. She didn’t this time, just stopping to look at him.
“I’ll be in that room from earlier.” With that, she left the room in stunned silence. Even Acer’s jaw was hanging open.
“You didn’t know?” I questioned.
“Oh, hell no,” he stated empathetically, his head shaking vehemently. “She always kept her back facing away from the camera when we would… uh…” He trailed off when he realized what he was about to say.
Acid burned my stomach, both from anger and jealousy, but Carson was the one who reacted.
“You son of a bitch,” he snarled, lunging at Acer. The hacker immediately went invisible, leaving Carson sailing toward a now empty space. “Come out, coward.”
I rolled my eyes, rubbing my face in exhaustion. I opened them just in time to hear a thud and see Carson’s head snap to the side before he crumpled to the ground, his hands clutching his thigh. A hazy circle formed around him, a force field to keep the hacker away.
“Who’s a fucking coward now, huh?” I heard Acer taunt, but he didn’t reappear. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to check on my Angel.” The door opened and closed, leaving The Syndicate members alone.
I narrowed my eyes at my nephew on the floor, my mind moving through all the possibilities. Just how close is Carson to Evera? A pang of hurt hit me, hating the idea she didn’t tell me about her scarring or just how close she seemed to have been to Carson, and I couldn’t deny feeling a bit jealous it wasn’t me she was with now.
“Granger, Harrison, get back to work. I’ll let you know the next steps,” I commanded the two who lounged off to the side. Nodding, they left without further banter. At least someone listens to what I have to say. “Carson, get your ass up. Did you and Evera have something going before we pulled back?”
“Why the fuck does it matter now?” he bit out, finally standing with a groan. When the force field eventually dissipated, I grabbed his jaw and inspected his bleeding lip.
“Yes or no,” I demanded when I released his face. I knew the answer, but I wanted to hear it from him. Stop, you know this won’t make you feel better. His jaw clenched, and his eyes fell to the floor. “I’ll take that as a yes. Did you sleep with her?”
“Yes,” he murmured, avoiding my gaze.
I sighed. Another wrench I hadn’t anticipated. I hated how much his answer bothered me. I knew I didn’t have any kind of claim to her or who she was with, but I hated the idea of her with anyone else. When she was younger, she’d been this awkward, gangly kid who loved to hang around Rett and his friends, well… Carson and me, anyway. She had been a sweet kid with a quick wit and no patience for fools. Now, she was a grown woman, and the years between us had opened my eyes to her in a whole new light, and I had to admit that I liked that view very much. Too much. I shoved the unfamiliar feelings away, focusing on being the boss to the two under my watch.
“Did Rett know?”
“No, she didn’t want to tell him yet,” he explained quietly. I groaned, rubbing my eyes, knowing things just grew more complicated.
“Just,” I started in exasperation, “keep it in your pants until she’s alright with staying here. She’s going to be stuck with us for the foreseeable future, and I don’t want her to be uncomfortable.”
“Yeah, I got it, Uncle. You going to give me the birds and the bees talk? Tell me all about how babies are made?” he shot back sarcastically.
I clenched my fists at my side, his sarcasm making me want to hit something. Or if I'm honest with myself, that might be the jealousy talking. I needed to separate myself from these feelings… and fast. Evera was my responsibility, but that didn’t mean I could keep every man away from her. As Silas had said, she’s a grown woman now.
“Ugh, you’re going to be the death of me, Car,” I chuckled, lightly smacking him on the back of the head as he walked out. Despite my turbulent and quickly growing attraction to Evera, Carson was still my nephew, and I loved him like my own son. “I have this graying beard because of you, kid.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know, old man!” he hollered back with a laugh. I shook my head, turning to face Silas.
“You know, Kane, that means you need to keep it in your pants when it comes to Evera, too,” he lectured with a raised brow and knowing glint in his eyes. I glared. “Not my fault, the only thing going through your head is killing the people who hurt her and fucking her. At a very loud volume, might I add.”
“Why did I give you permission to listen to my thoughts again?” I grumbled, making him grin.
“Because I’m your second.” He patted me on the shoulder. “I’ll look into the men at the orphanage who hurt Evera.” But before he could walk out of the room, I called out.
“Silas, do you think I should have kept her away from all this?”
“No, she needs us just as much as we need her. She’s missed you, Kane, even if she doesn’t show it.” With that, he headed out of the room, leaving me to my thoughts.
I’ve missed her, too.
Evera
“Knock, knock,” I heard Acer say softly, a light tapping accompanying his words before I saw his face appear in the crack of the door. “Can I come in, Angel?”
“Yeah,” I sighed, scooting over a bit from where I was seated, leaning up against the wall. Acer quietly shut the door behind him before joining me on the unmade bed.
“So,” he started, his head resting against the wall. “Want to talk about it?” I scoffed, giving him a side-eye glance. “I didn’t think so, but you know you can, right?”
“Yeah, yeah,” I mumbled, tired already. Something tells me this is just the beginning. But do you really want to go back to your life alone? I ground my teeth and pushed the thought away, not ready to accept Carson and Kane back into my life so easily. “It’s in the past, so what’s the point in talking about it?”
“Angel babe, I don’t think it’s going to be the past much longer,” Acer countered, angling his head so he could look at me.
His handsome face was relaxed, but I could see the tension in his brown eyes as they watched me. That look in his eyes made me pause. I know I’m a mess right now, but what’s got him so upset?
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” I whispered, worry burning my gut. “Are you…” I swallowed the lump that had built in my throat before continuing, “Are you reconsidering?” Acer’s hand reached over, his warm hand curling over mine to hold it tightly.
“I’ll be here through the whole thing, Evera. I’m here for you, not them. We’re a superhero squad, remember?”
As much as I didn’t want to be smiling right now, his joking question had my lips curling up in a tiny grin, the worry in my chest dimming at his reassurances.
“We’re not a squad,” I challenged, not stopping the smile that widened across my face. As the growl of my stomach rumbled through the room, the moment was ruined, but the smile on his face and the laughter that slipped past his lips made it worth the cost. “Think there’s food around this place?”
“Yeah, I saw a cafeteria through one of the doors earlier. Come on,” he invited, getting off the bed. Shuffling off the soft mattress, I followed, my eyes darting around the space now that it wasn’t as busy.
The hall looked the same—metal and dingy carpet with terrible fluorescent overhead lighting—as the others when I’d first showed up to visit Kane. There were doors lining the sides, some open to show bedrooms or other random spaces while some were closed. There were no less than five hallways intersecting with this one, each leading to staircases or other portions of the building. I need a map to find my way around; otherwise, I’m going to get lost as fuck.
After an
other few minutes of turns and going down a short set of steps, we came upon a cafeteria. The room was filled with a mix of round and square tables and a wide array of different kinds of chairs. Going to the small industrial-sized kitchen, Acer and I surveyed what was available before grabbing what looked good and making our way to a table.
We sat in silence, both too engrossed in our food to talk. It had been more than a day since I had eaten last. Once again, I was overjoyed to actually have options besides cereal. Benefit of being stuck with those two traitors in the headquarters for their mostly illegal organization? Definitely the free food. It didn’t matter how unladylike it was, I scarfed down my chili and crackers with no regrets. Thankfully, only one other person had come into the small cafeteria, choosing to grab something off one of the shelves before leaving again, so Acer and I had the place to ourselves.
“Alright, Angel, I should probably go find Silas or Kane and see where I’ll be staying. I would stay with you, but I’m not too sure how Carson and Kane would feel about that,” he teased with a grin.
“Not to mention the bed I have is a twin, so I don’t think both of us would fit, even with you cuddling,” I challenged, taking another bite of my cracker. Acer rolled his eyes, throwing out a dismissive wave of his hand.
“Pretty sure Carson and Kane are more of an issue than that tiny detail. I know we could fit on it if you wanted.” It was my turn to roll my eyes as he wiggled his eyebrows at me.
“I don’t see why either would care but alright.”
“Carson is possessive as hell when it comes to you, and Kane’s not too far behind him. He’s just better at keeping it contained,” Acer told me. I scoffed, refusing to believe that, despite the small spark within my chest telling me it was the truth. “You don’t have to believe me, Angel babe, but I’ve seen the way they look at you. They want you for themselves. Silas too but not as much. Not yet, anyway.”
“You can’t be serious,” I countered with an exasperated sigh. “How did you even come to that conclusion?”
“Like I said, you don’t have to believe me,”—he leaned forward across the table, pressing a tiny kiss to my cheek—“I know I’m right,” he whispered in my ear before standing. Shooting me a cocky smirk, he threw away his trash and left me to my thoughts without any semblance of an answer.
Not wanting to dwell on all the shit that had happened the last twelve hours, I threw away my trash and headed out not long after Acer. While I didn’t want to talk to anyone, I didn’t necessarily want to just spend time alone in a tiny room that wasn’t my own, so I took my time walking through the halls.
“Oh, shit,” a familiar voice exclaimed after we collided, turning a corner. Looking up, Carson’s deep charcoal eyes centered on my face. Without warning, the little butterflies in my stomach, the ones I’d thought had died a long time ago, flared. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
“No, I’m good,” I reassured, feeling incredibly awkward, the nerves buzzing through me, making my electricity zip through my body, my control on my arcs keeping it contained. “You alright?” I asked abruptly, realizing it was rude not to ask.
“Yeah, I’m good, Ev. I don’t think a little pipsqueak like you could hurt me too bad,” he teased, a warm chuckle accompanying his words. Raising a brow, I poked him in the stomach, shocking him slightly. He gasped and jumped at the contact, his eyes flaring as he stared down at me.
“You were saying, Bruiser?” I challenged with a tiny smile, his old nickname flowing from my lips and sparking my blood. That sinful glint lit his eyes as a smirk curled his lip, both of us falling easily into the back-and-forth flirty banter we used to have.
“Alright then, Baby Blue, maybe I’ll challenge you in the ring again, and we can see just how much your power can save you,” he murmured, his words heated as he stepped closer.
My brow raised even further at the challenge, absently nibbling on my lip at the thought of sparring with him like we used to. Before I could respond, Silas popped the little bubble we had created, and reality slammed back down on me as I stepped away from Carson.
“Your uncle would like to see you,” Silas advised Carson, ignoring the glare and clenched jaw that telegraphed Carson’s displeasure at being interrupted. He started walking, only to pause long enough to lean down and whisper in my ear.
“Don’t think this conversation is over, Baby.”
I felt blood rush to my cheeks in response to the warmth of his breath against my cheek and the firmness of his chest brushing against my arm. He might not have had an eye on our audience, but I saw Silas’s brow shoot up at the display. Feeling like a kid who got caught with her hand in the cookie jar, I shoved my hands into my jacket pockets, thankful I had been wearing it when I had fallen asleep.
“Do you need help finding your way back to your room?” Silas asked politely. I gave him a grateful smile—or tried to—but I wasn’t entirely sure if it came out that way as I nodded. “Come on.” He tilted his head down the hall in the direction I had originally headed.
“I, uh,” I stuttered, suddenly feeling awkward as I continued to hear Acer’s statement circling around my mind, and as much as I tried to shove it away, I couldn’t. “Is there any chance I can get some clothes and stuff from my place? Or something to change into after a shower?”
“Unfortunately, it’s not safe until we know more about the men who tried to abduct you, but I know Mr. Renick plans to take you to get some things tomorrow. I actually just tried to bring you a change of clothes and show you where you could shower, but you weren’t in your room.”
“Sorry,” I grimaced. “I was on my way back from getting some food.” As bad as I felt for not being there, I was glad to know I had something to change into and could take a shower. Pretty much hitting the point of feeling gross.
“No worries, I left the clothes by the bathroom if you want to shower now. If not, you can take them back to your room.”
“A shower would be awesome,” I said gratefully. Wanting to wash off the feeling of the men’s hands grabbing me, I shivered, knowing how close I had been to being kidnapped.
“It’s alright, Evera. You’re safe now,” Silas assured, his hand coming to rest on my back in a comforting gesture.
I narrowed my eyes and glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. Are you listening right now? His lips quirked, his deep blue eyes looking down at me, a hint of amusement filling the dark depths. Have you been listening this whole time?
“Possibly,” he half-answered my unspoken question, but before I could counter back, he led me into a room with an attached bath.
The room looked the same as the others, with a bed, a small table and chair, and an open door showing a well-organized closet. It was lived in and well loved, leaving me to believe Silas had been around for a long time. If this was even his room, to begin with.
“Is this your room?” I asked, glancing around one last time as I walked over to the open doorway leading to the bathroom.
“Yes, I’m only a couple doors down, so I figured it would be better than using one of the shared bathrooms. Everything you need should be in there.” Nodding, I stepped around him and into the small but clean space. “Oh, and Evera,” Silas called out before he shut the door behind him. I looked back at him as he peeked through the gap of the unclosed door. He smirked, the spark in his eyes reminding me of the way Carson and Acer looked at me.
“Yes, I was listening, and Acer is correct. Have a good shower.”
I gaped as he closed the door. That little nosy bastard. Before I realized what I had done, I heard him laughing on the other side of the door. Attempting to keep my mind blank, I went about my shower quickly, soaking in the heat from the water as I reflected on my day.
My life just got infinitely more complicated.
7
October 13th
Sunday Morning
Evera
The night passed in what felt like a blink of an eye. I woke up roughly, my head aching, my cheek and temple t
hrobbing any time I brushed my fingers against my face. Ugh, that’s going to be a hell of a bruise. Rolling out of bed, I pushed to sitting and immediately spotted a bottle of water and a small bottle of pain relievers that weren’t there the night before. As I neared the table, I saw a hand-scribbled note on a ripped piece of paper.
Figured you would probably need these, Blue. Meet me in my office when you wake up.
My lips pursed, but as much as I wanted to be irritated that Kane had come into my room while I was asleep, I couldn’t stop the flare of heat that filled my body. A part of me even hoped I hadn’t been covered up since I'd slept in just a t-shirt and underwear, but I pushed that away, unwilling to accept my spiraling feelings for a man I was still angry with. Besides, you have Acer; you don’t need anyone else. I pushed back my feelings for Kane, Carson, and Silas, the latter stemming from the curious thoughts that had crept in last night.
I put on the pair of shorts I had been given last night, pulling my sweats up over top until the baggy material rested low on my hips, so they pooled at my feet, around the tennis shoes I slipped on. After finger-combing the major knots from my hair, I figured I would go see what Kane wanted before getting food. As much as I didn’t want to forgive them yet, it would probably be best not to be a total bitch to them—especially if this was just the beginning.
The halls were busy, but thankfully, it was early enough, not all gazes drifted in my direction. Most of Kane’s “employees” seemed too tired to pay attention to the space around them. It only took two wrong turns and an extra five minutes, but I finally found Kane’s office. I knocked softly, figuring it would be rude to barge in.
“Come in.” Kane’s voice was muffled through the thick metal door as he called out. Pushing open the door, I stepped into the space, noting only Kane was in the room. My mouth went dry, seeing him lean back in his chair, completely looking the part of a member of The Syndicate. No, not just a member, probably someone higher up. I highly doubt every member gets their own swanky office.