Protector: The Flawed Series Book Three

by Becca J. Campbell

  “How would I be doing that?”

  “It doesn’t matter how. You just are.” Pressing his free hand to his temple, he growled at her. “Get…out…of my…head!”

  Something inside him flipped.

  The attraction vanished and a spark of anger ignited. It intensified like flames torching his entire body. His free hand clenched until his own nails cut his palms. Blood wet his fingertips, sticky and warm. A violent fury gripped him, blinding all else. He bellowed a roar.

  Ethan clenched the knife, lumbered forward, plunged it into flesh. He felt it slice through dense matter, felt the grating of a bone and a satisfying squelch.

  A howl like a wounded animal’s echoed around him. The long, low sound ended in a wet gurgle. It was Nicodemus’s voice—not the impostor’s.

  All the anger sucked out of him, leaving Ethan hollow inside.

  He blinked and stepped back, dazed. He stared at the handle protruding from his partner’s back. What had he done? He’d meant to kill the girl. He wasn’t even sure how she’d scooted away from him. His mind was still numb from the whiplash of emotions.

  Nicodemus crumpled then fell. His body landed on the bed of the truck with a hard thump. The flashlight clattered to the floor and went out.

  ~

  Kelsey realized their plan wasn’t going to work almost immediately after Nicodemus took control of Logan. The flashlight was on his other side, much too far away, and there was no way she could hobble past him without him realizing it. A single hop made her fall, landing back beside Hugh.

  Ethan grabbed Jade and pulled out his knife. But it seemed the girl had some kind of mind control power. Kelsey felt the flashes inside her—first heated passion then flaming rage. Was Jade affecting Ethan too? Is that what Logan had meant?

  Kelsey felt Hugh pressing his head into the back of her straitjacket—likely the only way he could find comfort in the moment. She prayed that if—when—they got out of this, he wouldn’t be scarred for life.

  But how could she get the flashlight away from Nicodemus? Could she crawl over there with her hands and feet still bound? And without being noticed?

  A tug at her back jerked her focus. What was Hugh doing? More tugs followed. Realization dawned on her: he was trying to unbuckle her straitjacket, and he must be using his teeth.

  Brave Hugh! First he’d found her in the isolation room, and now he was trying to rescue her again.

  But even if Hugh managed to free Kelsey’s arms, she wouldn’t be able to sneak up on either of the men. Nicodemus was occupied, holding Logan with his stare, but she needed to blind Ethan. Then a thought struck her. She had something brighter than any flashlight. She had Hugh.

  Could he do this?

  She turned her head and whispered. “Hugh, that man can’t see when it’s bright.”

  “Bright,” Hugh mumbled behind her, still working at the strap.

  “Yes. I need you to be bright for me again—but wait ’til I tell you. Can you do that?”

  There was a pause, and she felt more jerks behind her.

  “Hugh?”

  “Bright.”

  A howl from the front of the truck grabbed Kelsey’s attention. Ethan had stabbed his partner in the back. Her pulse spiked. Where was Jade? Kelsey had only a second to look before Nicodemus fell and the light in the truck winked out. She heard the flashlight clatter and roll to the far truck where it hit with a crack and went out.

  The tension in her straitjacket went slack. Hugh had unfastened the strap that held her arms in place. Kelsey wiggled her fingers as blood drained back into them. But the jacket wasn’t off. It must have four or five more buckles. Her hands were still trapped. They swung free but were covered in the bulky canvas ends.

  And now she could see nothing.

  ~

  Ethan spun and found the impostor crouched in the back corner.

  “You!” He ran at her, arms outstretched, fingers clawing ahead, anticipating squeezing the bare flesh at her throat.

  “Hugh! Now!” Kelsey yelled. The boy stood.

  Ethan ignored the feeble kid the way he would ignore an insect. He lunged for the impostor.

  A burst of brightness flooded the truck. In a fraction of an instant, Ethan’s vision dissolved. He saw nothing but blinding white. If Kelsey’s words had meant anything, it must be coming from the boy.

  Ethan’s hands grasped at empty air, searching for the impostor. She must have scurried out of his way again. Of course she had, that rotten shrew.

  Remembering the gun, he whipped it out and swung it wildly back and forth. Two blind rounds fired. The second elicited a deep grunt. It had found a live target—the boyfriend, he guessed.

  The truck went mad with scuffles, like a flurry of mice scrambling out of his line of fire. It played tricks on his ears, and for a moment he was unable to pick out one body from the rest. He needed to be more careful with his remaining shots. The light was so bright, and no matter which direction Ethan turned, he couldn’t see a thing.

  Stilling the gun in front of him with both hands, Ethan homed in on the other sounds. Ragged breathing. Heartbeats. The truck had four sets of each, besides his own.

  There! A wheeze to his left, like someone hyperventilating. Ethan guessed it was the kid, the most fearful of the bunch. If he killed the albino first, the light would go out. Then he could shoot the others in the head one by one. He’d get it over with quickly this time, no messing around.

  He aimed the gun at the sound of the raspy breathing and visualized where the boy’s heart was.

  ~

  Kelsey still wasn’t free from the jacket, but they were out of time.

  Hugh’s light showed her a foreboding sight. Nicodemus lay slumped on his stomach. Logan had been knocked backward by one of Ethan’s shots. A patch of red had spattered the wall near him.

  On her other side, Ethan spun wildly. The gun shook in his hands. He stopped, listening.

  Kelsey swallowed. She needed a weapon.

  She scrambled to her feet.

  The knife was still stuck in Nicodemus’s back.

  As fast as she could with legs still bound, Kelsey hobbled across the truck. She closed the gap to Nicodemus. Her arms swung free in the canvas, the ends of the buckles sweeping back and forth. Her fingers were still trapped in the fabric as if she wore bags on her hands, but maybe she didn’t need them free.

  She was about to reach for the knife sticking from Nicodemus’s back when she saw the one he’d dropped on the floor. Ethan’s knife. She grappled through the cloth, managed to scoop it up. With knife in both her covered hands, Kelsey spun.

  Ethan’s back was to her, but what she saw made her spine clamp tight. The gun was trained on Hugh’s chest, and the boy seemed to be frozen in shock, his blue eyes icy with fear.

  There was no time to free her legs. Kelsey hobbled then dove forward.

  She plunged the knife into Ethan’s back.

  Sirens wailed in the distance.

  Logan signed the discharge papers with his left hand, leaving a scrawling line that looked nothing like his signature. Stitched and bandaged, his right arm tingled from the numbing agent the hospital staff had given him before suturing his wound. Still, having a bullet graze his arm was minimal compared to what could have happened, and for that he was grateful.

  He made his way back to the ER waiting room and saw Jade. She sat near Kelsey and some other men from the medical center, including Bill, the bespectacled co-worker; and Mr. Bercovitch, one of the top dogs at Sprawling Plains; plus Kelsey’s boss. Jade had recovered her own clothes from Kelsey’s office before leaving, and she looked better now that she wasn’t wearing the ripped, blood-stained dress. She looked exhausted and a little tense, but healthy and whole.

  Frowning at the bandage poking from the collar of her v-neck t-shirt, Logan eased into the chair next to her. “I didn’t realize he hurt you this bad.”

  “It looks worse than it is.” Jade cuddled into the crook of Logan’s good arm and sighed
. “I’m just glad it’s finally over.”

  He gave her an extremely gentle squeeze and kissed her forehead. “No more Ethan, no more Nicodemus. You’re finally safe.”

  “We’re safe.”

  Warmth flooded his heart, and Logan wasn’t sure if it was his own feelings or hers that heated his chest. Maybe a combination of both, if that were possible. All he knew was that she’d actually done it. Ethan was in critical condition and restrained with an armed guard on watch. Nicodemus was dead.

  “Are you okay?” Logan asked. “I mean…internally?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I’m sorry I got upset about you wanting to go after Kelsey.” He glanced at the art therapist, still clad in her wrinkled and dirty blue formal, wrapped in a blanket on Jade’s other side. He sent her an apologetic grimace.

  Kelsey shrugged. “It’s okay.”

  “You were amazing, by the way,” Logan said to Jade. “The way you flipped the tables on him…wow.”

  “Kelsey was pretty amazing, too,” Jade said, turning to her. “What I did wouldn't have worked if you hadn't been there.”

  “But it was really Hugh,” Kelsey said. “He was the one who managed to get my arms free.”

  Logan shook his head. “Never would have thought it of him, the way I saw him collapse in the hall. Could’ve sworn he was going to faint from terror.”

  “He’s stronger than he looks,” Kelsey said. Her look went far off for a moment. “Stronger than even I knew.” A soft smile trailed across her mouth.

  “Do you think he’ll be okay?” Jade asked.

  Kelsey gave a small nod. “I think he will. You know, he’ll be eighteen in less than a year. If he keeps this up, he might get to move out of the medical center. I’d love to see him living on his own one day.”

  “That’s great,” Jade said.

  “His…” Logan glanced at Kelsey’s coworkers, but they were in another conversation. “…ability…came in useful.”

  “I’m still a little shocked,” Kelsey said. “Not just at his special gift, but at all of you. Jade, that’s crazy how you could influence Ethan. I could feel what you were doing. Did you know you could plant feelings in people?”

  “Not before tonight. I’ve always been empathic, but this is a whole other level.”

  “I had my suspicions about her ability,” Logan said. “But I had no idea what she was capable of.”

  “Why do you think it came out now?” Kelsey asked. “Here—tonight?”

  Jade seemed to consider the question. “I guess it’s been happening for a while without me realizing it.”

  “How long?” Kelsey asked.

  Jade rubbed Logan’s hand. “Somewhere around the time I met Logan. Maybe it was sitting dormant until I met someone who could help me stop being afraid of the emotions around me.”

  “You think it was being around me?” he asked.

  “Not directly. But until then I always tried to push them away. It wasn’t ’til Carlsbad that I even considered pulling them into me.”

  “Or maybe being around Ethan triggered something inside you to change,” Logan said.

  Jade’s brows pulled together. “Carlsbad might have been the first time my ability reached out like that, but it was your support months earlier that gave me the freedom to explore my own emotions.” She looked him in the eye. “Plus, sometimes I have to dig to find out what you’re feeling.”

  Kelsey arched an eyebrow.

  Logan cleared his throat. “I’m not always great at sharing my feelings.”

  She started to say something when Logan’s phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket, wondering who would be calling him so late. “Hello?”

  “Logan? It’s Clementine.”

  His breath caught. He’d forgotten all about his father’s heart attack. His fingers tightened around the phone. “Yes?”

  “I wanted to let you know that Grant is all right. He’s doing fine, and they say he won’t need a bypass.”

  Logan exhaled. “That’s great news.” He wanted to say more, but a lump blocked his throat.

  “I know it’s late, but I wanted to give you an update. And thanks for what all you said to me.”

  “Sure. I’m really glad he’s okay.”

  “Me too. I love him so much.”

  “I know you do,” Logan said.

  “Did everything with your girlfriend go all right?”

  “Yes. Everything’s good.”

  “Oh, good,” Clementine said. There was a slight pause as if she were considering something. “Logan?”

  “Yes?”

  “I hope you’ll come visit sometime. Even if Grant…” She cleared her throat. “Well, I’d like to see you again.”

  “Thanks. I’ll let you know.”

  “I know it’s hard for you—the way Grant is. But it would mean a lot.”

  “Okay,” Logan said. “You know, I’m really glad he has you.”

  He thought he heard her stifle a sob when she said goodbye.

  “Everything okay?” Jade asked.

  Logan nodded. “My dad had a heart attack tonight.”

  “What?”

  “Sorry, I didn’t exactly have time to tell you earlier. But anyway, he’s doing better. He’s going to be fine.”

  “Thank goodness.”

  There was a few moments of silence, and then Bill walked over to them. Mr. Bercovitch was busy talking on his cell phone, and Kelsey’s boss stood near him, waiting.

  “I never heard who called the police,” Logan said.

  “I did,” Bill said.

  “How did you know what was going on?” Logan asked.

  “Hugh told me.”

  “He did?” Kelsey’s eyes lit up.

  Bill nodded. “I knew you were missing. I was looking for you when I ran into Hugh near the old wing.”

  “So he made it out of the hall,” Logan said under his breath.

  “He was clutching himself and incredibly freaked,” Bill said. “Of course he wouldn’t budge. I couldn’t get him to come back to the ward. It must’ve been when I went to find Security that the man came and…and found him.” Bill scrubbed at his forehead with the heel of his hand and shook his head. “I was gone literally about a minute.”

  “It’s not your fault,” Kelsey said. “What did Hugh say when you found him?”

  “He was muttering to himself. ‘Help Kelsey. Help Kelsey. Help Kelsey.’ When I asked what was wrong he said ‘Two bad men,’ and he pointed down the vacant wing. I called the police first thing.”

  Silence fell again, and Logan thought about what Hugh had done. He’d been incredibly brave.

  “He was going to shoot Hugh,” Jade said in a soft voice. “If Kelsey hadn’t—”

  Bill nodded. “I heard the whole story while you two were getting stitched up.”

  Kelsey turned to Bill. “I never asked how we did on the fundraiser.”

  At that moment Mr. Bercovitch stood, his phone call over. “We did better than I’d expected,” he said.

  “Yeah?” Kelsey said

  “I haven’t seen the total yet, but I’m estimating we nearly doubled our goal. I’ll let you know when I have final numbers.”

  “That’s great!”

  “It’s a big deal. We really needed this.” He clapped Kelsey’s boss on the shoulder. “I’ve told Eisenman to make sure you have a full time position here—permanently.”

  “Thank you so much, Mr. Bercovitch,” she said.

  “You’ve more than shown how vital your role at the hospital is. And what you did to protect Hugh tonight…” The man’s chest rose as he inhaled deep, and Logan saw traces of emotion on his face that he guessed weren’t there often.

  “Of course,” she said. “I love him—I love all the kids.”

  “I know you do. That’s why we need you.” Mr. Bercovitch gave her a thump on the back. “Well, I’m off. I’ll see you on Monday.”

  Eisneman nodded at them and followed him out of the ER.

  B
ill beamed at Kelsey. “That’s great news.”

  She smiled.

  He lowered his voice. “I still can’t believe you stabbed a guy.”

  The color drained from her face. “It’s not exactly something I want to relive.”

  Bill’s eyes went wide. “Oh, sorry. I just meant…”

  “What?”

  He shrugged “Just…you definitely upped your amazing factor.”

  Logan expected her to bristle or get mad, but to his surprise, she chuckled and shook her head. “What am I going to do with you, Bill?”

  “I’m really glad the gala was successful,” Jade said.

  She always to knew when to change the subject, Logan thought, caressing the side of her arm with his hand.

  Kelsey yawned. “I think I’ll be able to appreciate it more after I get some sleep.” She stood and stretched. “I wonder if they have any coffee around here. Otherwise I’m not going to make it home.”

  “I’ll help you look,” Bill said.

  After the two of them left, Logan leaned down and kissed Jade on the brow again. “I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you. The one time you needed my strength, and I cut my hair. I’m never cutting it again.”

  “Well, never is a bit drastic.”

  He arched a brow at her.

  “I don’t want you looking like some yeti. Hairy is one thing, ponytail down to your knees is another.”

  He chuckled. “How about dreadlocks?”

  “They have their place. But it’s not you.” Her smile faded, and her eyes grew more serious. “You know, it’s not your job to protect me. You can’t always control what happens in my life.”

  “I’m starting to get that. It’s pretty obvious you can take care of yourself. Especially after tonight.”

  “None of us could’ve escaped by ourselves, though. What you did was as important, and maybe more scary. You let that man control you.”

  “To take the focus off you and Kelsey.”

  “You sacrificed yourself.”

  Logan shrugged. “I did what I had to. It was the only shot we had.”

  “And it worked.”