Reluctant Protector

by Nana Malone

  In muted horror, Seth watched as Cassie faced off with her brother.

  She slowly circled, triumph in her eyes where there should have been fear. Power emanated from her core, swirling around them. But she was weak. Seth had sensed more powerful waves from her back at the cabin.

  Some invisible force held Peter rooted to the roof. His body shook and he gritted his teeth as his gun twitched at his side.

  “Shit. What the fuck are you doing to me?” Peter bellowed.

  Cassie continued to circle him not saying anything, scrutinizing him like he was an insect in under a microscope.

  Peter's body glimmered in and out like a light flickering. He was trying to break the hold. Whatever was happening, Seth had a feeling Cassie was responsible for it.

  When she finally spoke, her voice was calm. “Interesting how the one power you wanted me to develop didn't come into play until you wish I didn’t have it.” A haunting smile played on her lips. “Seth was the one who helped me with the telekinesis.” She stood still and met her brother’s gaze. “What’s the matter Peter? You don’t like being trapped? Too unpleasant?” With a spin, she landed a kick in his solar plexus. Pain flashed in his eyes and his body went shock still. A whimpering groan filtered through Peter’s lips. Cassie left him where he stood and hurried toward Seth.

  “Are you okay?” Her voice was a whispered breath over his skin, soothing him.

  He nodded. “Your brother dearest likes to play with knives.” He frowned. “How are you holding him in place?”

  She glanced over her shoulder at Peter. “I don’t know. I came up and saw you with the knife in your leg and the gun at your back and the power came from somewhere deep within. All of a sudden, it doesn’t cost me anything to use the telekinesis. I don’t even have to concentrate.”

  Seth stared at Peter, unblinking. “I suppose that’s going to come in handy.” His watch beeped again. “We have to get out of here. Where are the others?”

  “Down at the van with Jansen. He discovered a tunnel out of here.” She eyed the door. “We’ll never make it out of this maze before those charges go off.”

  Seth struggled to stand and his leg begged for relief. “Have to try.”

  A small smile lit her bee-stung lips and his stomach rolled. “How do you feel about flying?” she asked.

  She helped him up to the edge of the roof and shouted. “Coming down!”

  From the excitement in her eyes, Seth knew he wasn't going to like what happened next. When she stepped into him and wrapped her arms around his waist, his gut clenched. “Cassie.”

  When she jumped, he tried to keep her rooted, but instead, he tumbled with her into a free fall. But this one was light. Controlled. He didn’t sink like a stone, but rather like someone who sat on a deflating balloon. “What the—”

  Cassie laughed and pointed at the tall blond boy, the one who looked about sixteen. “That’s Jeremy. Annabelle’s son. He's got an amazing set of gifts.”

  The moment their feet hit the ground, Cassie shouted to the group standing near their van. “Everyone get back to the van.” They sprinted away from the building when the first blast rocketed them airborne.

  Seth expected a hard landing in the gravel, but again, he landed lightly on his feet. He glanced over at Jeremy. The kid’s lips were flattened thin and his brow furrowed. Seth could only imagine the kind of energy he spent giving them all a safe landing. The other eleven kids looked tired and world weary.

  Cassie stared back at the burning warehouse and sagged against Seth, tears welling in her eyes “Peter’s dead. I actually killed him.”

  Seth wrapped an arm around her. “We have to go, Cassie. We’re in the open and the cops are coming. Let’s get the other safely back to the cabin and we can worry about Peter later.”

  She sniffed and wiped at her eyes as she ushered everyone into the van. “It’s finally over.”

  Epilogue

  “I never thought of myself as the motherly type,” Cassie said as she descended the stairs in the cabin.

  Seth glanced up from the couch. “I think you’re doing a decent job.”

  She joined him and nuzzled into his chest.

  He kissed her hair. “Are they all asleep?”

  “Symone and Jeremy are still having a hard time trusting that this is all real and we’re not sending them back to Gentech.”

  “Understandable.” He stroked her hair and she instantly relaxed. “Any luck reaching their parents?

  “We’ve located about half. But after looking at the Gentech records, I found some parents signed away their rights to Peter.”

  Seth muttered a low curse. “So, what happens now?”

  “For years my whole life has been about escape. I never gave any thought to what my life would actually be like when I got out.”

  “The good news is you have the resources and time to figure it all out.”

  What the hell was he talking about? Peter had taken everything from her. “What resources?”

  A slow smile spread across his face. “Honey, I guess none of it has crossed your mind yet. With Peter gone, you’re the head of Gentech. You own everything now.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t—.”

  He shrugged. “Sell it, carve it up, and dismantle it. You can use the money to help everyone Peter hurt. It’s up to you.”

  Cassie cast a glance in the direction of the stairs. The worry was unavoidable. “I don’t know if they’ll ever recover. But I want to do something for them.”

  “Gentech did some good work in the past. Work your father started. The company’s not all evil.”

  Love and admiration bloomed through her chest when she thought of her father and how he’d wanted to help people. A cold chill chased away the warmth as she thought of the damage Peter had done and the lives he’d stolen. “It would take a lot of work to fix the problems. I want nothing to do with that place. Maybe I can start something new. Mostly I want to help people. Those kids, in particular. I want to give back what’s been taken.”

  “We’ll do everything we can to help them. But remember, these aren’t your sins to atone for. You risked your life to save theirs. We’ll help them together, but because we want to, not because you have to make up for something.”

  She nodded, but she couldn’t stem the guilt. Because of her, Peter started other experiments in his search for the perfect soldier. The news about the explosion flashed on the screen again. “It’s been three days and the explosion is still all over the news. If we want to protect the kids, we have to hide them. Symcore knows about the experiments and they will want the research. Those kids don’t need to be exposed to that. They’ve been through enough.”

  “Symcore won’t get their hands on you or any of those kids, you have my word,” he growled.

  A wash of purpose rolled over her like cool rain on a summer’s day. She could do something to counteract the damage her brother had done. “Maybe I can use the money to develop a cure for what I did to you.”

  He shook his head. “I've got my cure. I got it the night you woke up and smiled at me. I thought I’d lost you, and when you came back, I realized I’d never have been able to save you or get out of that mess if I didn't have my powers.” He kissed her neck and her pulse quickened. “I love you. I want to be here with you. Or anywhere for that matter.”

  For several moments, Cassie couldn’t breathe. He loved her. Someone loved her? She turned in his arms. “Even though I’m not quite human?”

  “You’re superhuman.” He said, kissing her on the nose. “Besides, I'm dying to see what kind of practical applications this will mean for the bedroom.”

  It had taken him a while to get there. She'd never met anyone like him. And probably never would. She laid her head on his chest. “What about the others?”

  He nodded toward the quest quarters and wooded acreage behind it. “Way I figure it, we have a ton of space here as long as Lisa agrees. For the love of God, this place has four guest cabins. Those
that want to can stay as long as they like. We can show them how to use their powers. How to control and focus them. It really could be our lair.”

  He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead. “As for what happens now, I think that’s up to you. I, for one, will need some help figuring how to use my new powers to get women naked. I’ve always wanted to be a super villain.” He winked and waggled his eyebrows.

  She laughed even as tears pricked her eyes. “You really are extraordinary.”

  “No, you're the extraordinary one.”

  He kissed her long and deep. Sparks of heat danced over her skin. Seth suddenly pulled back, but his hands tightened on her arms.

  “Seth, what’s the matter? Are you getting a vision?”

  For several heart-beats, he was silent. When he finally spoke, his voice was a tight growl. “I just had an image of Peter standing over our bodies, his hands dripping with blood.”

  She shook her head. “No. He’s dead. We watched the building explode. That image has to be from the past. A future that didn’t come to pass or something. Maybe you can have false visions.”

  His face was bleak. “No, Cassie. It’s not from the past. In the image, you were pregnant.”

  An icicle settled in her gut. Pregnant? Her thoughts churned. Peter was coming for them. But as Seth tightened his arms around her, a calm washed through her body. Her voice was even and cool. “Let him come. I’m not afraid of Peter. I know our power. He can’t touch us.”

  ***

  Other Books by Nana Malone

  Game, Set, Match

  ©2010 Nana Malone

  “Titillating and heartwarming, GAME, SET, MATCH is a delightful contemporary romance that will touch your heart….Wonderfully enhanced with a poignant plot, compelling characters, humor, secrets, blazing hot sex scenes, surprising plot twists and plenty of love, this story is brought to life right before your eyes by the appealing writing style of author Nana Malone.”

  ~Review by Dottie for Romance Junkies

  http://romancejunkiesreviews.com/artman/publish/contemporary/Game_Set_Match_NM2.shtml

  “Game, Set, Match had me enjoying Izzie’s sass and Jason’s coming back for more attitudes. Ms. Malone’s depth to her characters, their actions, and their choices made them more lifelike and gratifying in this story.”

  ~ Reviewed by Vanessa for Joyfully Reviewed

  http://www.joyfullyreviewed.com/new-reviews/game-set-match-by-nan-malone

  Off the court, tennis star Jason Cartwright's playboy image is taking a public beating. On the court, he's down forty-love. A knee injury is shutting down his game, and the paparazzi are splashing his love life on every magazine. A comeback is in order, but the makeover he needs to save his faltering career is in the hands of the woman he loved and left fifteen years ago. While single-mom, Izzy Connors, sees people for who they really are through the lens of her camera, even without it, she knows Jason isn't the star he appears to be. Although his charm and good looks haven't dimmed since he broke her heart, all she sees is his wasted talent and playboy lifestyle. Can Izzy put the past behind her and help Jason get his game, and his image, back on track? Or will the click of her camera shatter his world as well as his heart?

  Available for purchase on http://www.nanamalone.com

  About Nana Malone

  Nana’s love of all things romance and adventure started with a tattered romantic suspense she borrowed from her cousin on a sultry summer afternoon in Ghana at a precocious thirteen. She’s been in love with kick butt heroines ever since. With her overactive imagination, and channeling her inner Buffy, it was only a matter a time before she started creating her own characters.

  Waiting for her chance at a job as a ninja assassin, Nana, meantime works out her drama, passion and sass with fictional characters every bit as sassy and kick butt as she thinks she is. Though, until that ninja job comes through, you’ll find her acting out scenes for hubby and puppy while catching up on her favorite reality television shows in sunny San Diego.

  To learn more about Nana and her books, visit www.nanamalone.com, follow her on http://www.twitter.com/nanamalone, Chat with her on Facebook, or visit her at http://www.thepopculturedivas.com where she blogs once a month.