by Arlene Webb
Screw it. Gun retrieval time. Aaron bent, his good hand seized the revolver, and the solid weight felt wonderful. David huddled, petrified, behind Aaron. Evan hovered, crying, next to the brutal bastard Aaron would shoot to kill, if the teen didn’t do something immediately.
Malcolm tore his lips away and snapped at Evan, “Give me that weapon. Before I do kill someone. How could you have done this to me?”
“Evan, should I shoot him? What’s happening?” Rushes of anger pounded through Aaron. Malcolm wanted the taser? What about a bullet, or two, or a full chamber, instead? He’d disarmed Aaron and threatened him. That left Aaron to conclude Malcolm didn’t want his brains blown out thanks to steel cylinders. It’d be a different result than electricity. Do it. Kill him. A swearing teen gets chastised, but knocking a child to the floor was acceptable? A frightened woman mauled? Could Aaron murder a non-human ignoring him?
His internal debate ended in a blue flash. Jade tumbled onto the bed, and Malcolm confiscated the taser from Evan. Malcolm adjusted the weapon, his flickering gaze on Evan. “Restun me. Don’t change the setting. My sweet servant, I am truly sorry for my behavior. This existence cannot get more miserable. I’d love to end it. Change the frequency again, and I will.”
Malcolm zapped himself on the broken arm.
Chapter Nineteen
The taser fell. Dead white, Malcolm followed it to the floor. His eyes had closed, face frozen in a peaceful expression, lovelier than any marble statue.
Unbelievable. Aaron stepped closer. The facial lacerations were gone. Bite wounds remained on one arm, and the other still looked broken, but Malcolm’s chest only had traces of bruising, and his ribs appeared healed. Evan dropped by Malcolm’s side, and gathered up the taser.
“Don’t you dare,” Aaron snapped. “Give me that.”
Evan’s expression flooded with fear. “No. And you can’t shoot him.”
A kid was no match—Evan touched the homemade gun to Malcolm’s arm, and the body convulsed.
Fine. One false blink, Aaron wouldn’t leave 455-492 dead by electricity. Brains would decorate the wall. There’d be no faltering this time.
Malcolm’s skin flickered pastel blue. Laser eyes opened—steady, solid sapphire and inhumanly beautiful. He jerked back from Aaron and Evan, and transferred his gaze to Jade. Face hidden by her hair, she huddled on the edge of the bed, sobbing.
The weapon cocked, trigger moving back…
In one fluid motion, Malcolm stood and stepped backward. Brilliant, cold eyes faced the revolver pointed at him. “Aaron Kinston. Jade said she trusted you.” Malcolm spoke in a compelling voice, no longer ragged, apparently no longer confused. “I’d hold her, comfort her, but I’ll further frighten her. Would you? Please? Thank you.”
The first reasonable thing the man said. Aaron could hold, shelter, and keep a weapon aimed. He scooped up Jade and sat. She buried her face in his chest. He jerked his chin at David, and his son scrambled beside him.
Malcolm cringed at the sight of the apprehensive boy clutching Aaron’s shoulder and turned to Evan. The teen stared, tears on his face. Malcolm sank down, and lowered those brilliant eyes. He clasped his head in his hands and began retching.
“Oh no, don’t start that now.” Evan’s voice broke as he inched closer to Malcolm. “I’m really, really sorry. If I’d gone home like you told me—and Malcolm? She knew I didn’t have the taser, because I was so stupid, and I said you had it before I left for ice. It’s my fault she attacked me, and you died.” Evan patted Malcolm’s shoulder. “Jade’s not like the yellow one. You scared her. Aaron almost shot you. He still might. Jesus, Malcolm, you were—what happened?”
Malcolm groaned. He stood, knocking Evan’s hand from him. “If you’d cease touching me, I’d postpone retaking that revolver and eating it. What happened? You allowed Aaron to use the taser set for Jane Doe. Do I even remotely look like her?” He shuddered. “I just acted like her. I apologize. Neither you nor Aaron understood or thought. Off-frequency with so much power, I couldn’t control myself.”
Malcolm took in Jade trying to merge with Aaron’s chest. Grief flashed across his face, and then he lost all expression. “I knew I could take from you, Jade, so I did. I made you pull most of the poison that’s 526 terahertz from me.” He paced, careful to keep his distance. “How could I force such intimacy? And my sweet Jade, for what possible perversion, did you allow me?”
Allow him? Aaron’s frustration blew from his lips, and those icy eyes centered on him.
“Welcome to Cleveland,” Malcolm said. “Sorry. It seems I can be dreadful when I’m out of sync and stepping in power.”
Even in sync, whatever the hell that meant, Malcolm astounded. An aura of calm, controlled authority radiated from him. It seemed the goddess clasped in Aaron’s arms had a god counterpart. A thirsty god, hopefully stable now, but Aaron had erred too many times. He shifted the revolver to his good hand.
“Thank you.” Malcolm took the glass of water Evan held out to him and glared at the teen. “It surpassed my logic, that you’d stun me. I…almost don’t blame you. I assume you hoped to disable her, and hadn’t noticed she mutilated my lips at the time.” Malcolm gulped the water, and then grumbled, “Enough, right? The past isn’t a priority, and the present requires damage control. Go comfort the child. One interfering word from you, and I’ll no longer merely threaten to end this. I’ll not harm anyone but myself. I can’t, won’t, tolerate much more.”
Malcolm started to hand the empty glass toward Evan and flinched. He strode away from the group on the bed and set the glass on the dresser. His face blank, Malcolm beckoned Evan to him. The kid didn’t hesitate, and Aaron’s gut churned. What good was a steady aim when hands capable of throwing an adult male across the room, pushed open Evan’s unbuttoned shirt?
“Why, oh why, did I ever ask you into this house?” Malcolm caressed Evan’s chest with one hand, and soothed his fingers over the teen’s face with his other. Evan eagerly volunteered broken fingers, and Aaron relaxed. It appeared Jade wasn’t the only one with abilities. Aaron had no feeling in his right wrist and his arm still felt numb.
Pain and tension dissolved from Evan, and Malcolm released him. He flicked his fingers across the room, gesturing Evan away, and his attention turned to Aaron. “Please. Allow the child to join Evan and accept my approach. I won’t hurt anyone again. I must explain to her, try for forgiveness.”
Under a blue spell, Aaron shrugged. He nodded at David, and his obedient son ran for the teen leaning against the closet. Pretty solid door, considering it had withstood Aaron bashing into it. Jade shivered and exchanged her death grip on his arm for his injured hand. He’d best forget the green angel. A blue devil fell to his knees, in front of him.
“I have yet to earn it, but I ask your trust,” Malcolm told Aaron. “I require an uninterrupted moment with Jade.”
Aaron answered with silence. Trust, huh? He wasn’t born yesterday—like these unstable colors may have been.
“Talk with me, Jade,” Malcolm said. “I need you to forgive me.”
No reply, except a tremulous gulp. As far as Aaron was concerned, Malcolm’s window for one on one dialogue just ended. A zillion questions spun in his mind, and this interrogation of a frightened woman should shift to the blue man with the answers.
“Shh, it’s okay.” Aaron hugged Jade tighter. “I’ll take you back to San Diego. Or an unnamed safe place. What do you think?” Soon as the boys and Jade were anywhere but here, he’d return with a machine gun and a thousand white towels to wipe up blue splatter.
Finally, Jade turned from his shirt. Green eyes cringed at arctic, blue ones. She shuddered, pressed back into Aaron, and shook her hair to hide her face.
Malcolm drew back. He glanced at Aaron. “I insist—stay out of this. Time is crucial. My dear Jade, with hope you’d summon but a miniscule amount of courage, I’ll be specific and simplistic. Pardon the abruptness. I’m still reeling from those power surges and worry over what’
s happened while I was down, so let’s get to it. I’ve apologized. Now, answer to me. Detail your journey. Did you let this man pilot for hours? Drive or guide them? Bring a laptop? Understand anything, yet?”
My dear Jade? Simmering dots of sapphire clouded Aaron’s vision and chilled his heart. Unpredictable, brutally fast, yet that headshot should slow him if Malcolm grabbed his Jade again.
Malcolm arched his brows, his voice thickened with sarcasm. “I suspect you hid under a blanket or coat. You’ve allowed this man helping you to stew in anger. If Aaron kills me, I’ll accept my demise with gratitude. I can’t exist in balance without you by my side. I won’t abuse you again. I’ll try not to, but I expect I’ll frighten you, numerous times assuming we have a future.”
A two second pause, and then Malcolm snapped, “Grant the courtesy of a reply. I’ll not allow you to leave this house, leave me, without one. I frightened you. Get over it. Speak of one effort you made to help.”
“The light’s awful,” Jade whispered into Aaron’s shirt. “So are you. I want Aaron to take me away.”
Malcolm scowled and closed his mouth as Aaron opened his. “You don’t care if you die? I’ve reasoned this revolver will do more than a taser. Explain yourself without violence, or I’ll give you that bullet.”
“Aaron, patience.” A soft sigh and the blue man went on. “Yes, that mixed frequency daylight is quite intolerable. I drove to New York in it. No guide, no arms to shelter me. And our Jane Doe—unbearable. Truly, a sociopath. But I digress. This waste of time is about your self-centered insecurities, Jade.
“Not saying I’m not a ruthless bastard, but I nearly gave my wretched existence to prevent our cohort from killing Evan. How can you, the color of healer, disregard him? Be as selfish as the bitch that rearranged those ribs? My miserable touch only numbs. Pain will return. Evan’s fear never left.”
Rational and calm, this mesmerizing guy could spell the most paranoid of men, but the hard edge to Malcolm’s voice sparked frost along Aaron’s spine. He tightened his grip on the revolver.
His fingers restless at his sides, Malcolm narrowed his eyes. “You haven’t made any effort to help an innocent who must have begged you to come here. I assume Evan spent this long night crying for me. You want the child you recklessly included, looking like him? Or dead? I struck that child, yes. But you allowed the atrocity.”
“It’s my fault you hit him?” Jade dug her nails into Aaron’s arm. “I-I don’t understand.”
“Malcolm,” Aaron snapped. “What is your problem?”
“My exact dilemma? You and your offspring. She’s not your responsibility. Continue to humor her neuroses and you’ll die. Jade, let’s try another way to get through. You watched me break the bones of this interfering man anxious to communicate for you. Did you also hope I’d get rid of Aaron? We’d continue our intimacies undisturbed by his sad eyes? I know my kisses gave you pleasure. You made no effort to stop me.”
“Stop you? Pleasure? I hate you.”
Malcolm mouthed to Aaron “trust me” and stood.
“Shoot him,” Jade sobbed up at Aaron.
Do something, Aaron yelled at himself.
Too late. Icicles zinged from Aaron’s arm into his chest, and Malcolm scooped Jade from his lap. I’m useless. The worst bodyguard ever. His hand was frozen and empty, his weapon and angel back in the control of the powerful guy shoving Aaron’s revolver into his pocket. Aaron stomped to his feet, and gestured David to stay with Evan.
Malcolm cradled Jade and paced backward. “Futile center that you are, you’re allowing emotions to dominate. I could kill these humans before you even whimper. Seize control. Forget sexual gratification. Don’t let me take from you.”
Yeah? Aaron had emotional issues too. Rage hammered through him as Malcolm kissed Jade again. He had to get David and Jade out of here. Evan also, before—
Jade arched back, pulled her arm free, and struck Malcolm in the chest. She fell from his arms as he flew across the bedroom to land in a heap by the doorway.
Malcolm bounded to his feet. “Oh my, how sad. You barely touched me. Shall I drain you until I’m healed? Swallow your fear and overpower me.”
Evan gripped David by the closet. Aaron clutched air while Jade matched Malcolm’s strides. She whacked one hand into Malcolm’s chest, and her closed fist smacked him in the face. The blows lifted him off his feet. He hit the wall, plaster crumbled down with him, and he didn’t leap back up.
“Goddamn it, Malcolm. What brutal game are you playing?” Should Aaron attempt to reclaim the revolver? Grab the boys and run while green went medieval on blue?
Against the smashed wallboard, Malcolm wiped liquid from his reopened lip. He cradled his broken arm, and pulled himself up. He ignored Aaron, his attention on Jade. “Finally, it sinks in. I appreciate you not crushing my ribs like a certain other monster. Thank you for healing them. I wish you’d have understood without…pummeling…”
With a disgusted snort, Malcolm crossed his arms at Evan’s approach. “Go bother Jade. Little wimp now realizes she can either heal or strangle you. I’d beg her to do the latter, but I’m afraid she hates me.” Malcolm turned for the doorway, paused, and his intense gaze locked back on Evan. “Speaking of hating me, Jane Doe must be stunned, or she’d have killed us all by now. She’s here, right? Not out randomly slaughtering?”
Before Evan could answer, Jade cried, “Did you let me hit you?”
“Ridiculous. Are you really this disbelieving?” Malcolm shuddered. In a blink, he grasped Jade and lifted her to his irritated eye level.
Jesus, damn it.
Malcolm dropped Jade and stepped back and Aaron gulped his relief.
“Feel it, understand, and accept,” Malcolm said. “There’s few stronger than you on this planet. Obviously, I’m not one of them. Don’t be so pathetic.”
Huge emerald eyes overflowed. Brilliant blue ones rolled to the ceiling as Malcolm scooped Jade up. He strode to the bed, perched, and settled her on his lap.
More forced kissing? Laser eyes shifted to him, and Aaron couldn’t help but tumble into blue.
“I should have handled this better,” Malcolm said. “I’m terrified, less than three days old, and prone to error. It’s no excuse, but please don’t fear me.”
Malcolm bent to Jade and softened his tones. “Rude of me to say you’re pathetic, when you’re also sweet. My problem? Every second I waste on this coddling could prove fatal. More chaos surely occurred while I lay stunned. Accept this brief clip of your situation. I’m ninety-two percent positive I found the prior you before our sociopath interrupted me. Susan Lathrop. Anorexic, generalized anxiety disorder, extreme depression. January 15th, her daughter and husband died, along with another family.
“Susan missed a stop sign and survived. July 8th, Friday, she didn’t return from a predawn stroll on the beach. Escaped from a mental facility, she hadn’t voluntarily eaten in days. They assumed she drowned herself.” Malcolm stroked Jade’s face. “I believe she did die when you were forced into her body. Not a natural demise, I conclude traces of personality including fear, suffocating despair, and her insecurity linger.”
For the first time, Jade’s panicked grip fastened on a broken, blue arm. “But what am I?” she asked.
Aaron sighed and headed to join David. He missed his circulation being cut off. It appeared this angel really was capable of throwing someone across the room. Like that other someone had done to Aaron. Maybe, they’d finally get an answer to what these someones were.
Chapter Twenty
Aaron swallowed hard, swung his arm around David, and brushed his hand on Evan’s shoulder. On the bed, Malcolm held Jade on his lap and bent toward her in intense conversation. How cuddling colors could exist had Aaron riveted, except for the cuddling that is. Blasted blue bully, goddess snatcher, alien pod-prick from Crayola…
Malcolm brushed strands of silky hair from Jade’s face. “What are we? Lost. Incomplete. Ultimately screwed unless you stand by
me. We were monochromatic, one shade, pure. We’d nothing to fear in our enlightened nirvana, though I have no memory of any past, only that blissful present preceding our division. What we are now, I don’t know yet, besides the obvious—splintered energy. The important question—can we return—concerns the future. Control the distressed damsel act, and help me find the means.”
Return to where? Splintered, but how? Who or what killed this Susan? Nirvana consists of only one shade? Bigoted purists are enlightened? A freight train of confusion barreled through Aaron’s skull, and he felt derailed by the fact he’d fixated on how tender Malcolm’s voice had become.
“I-I want to help.” Jade shivered, both hands clasping Malcolm’s arm. “But how do I stop being afraid?”
Malcolm sighed. “I told you. Center yourself. What’s your difficulty?” He stood and placed Jade on her feet. “You were, are, always will be, our core.” He danced her to the middle of the room and spun her in soft circles. “Dominate and lift me. Don’t think, just do it.”
Jade stiffened—and raised Malcolm off his feet. Three human jaws dropped as she thrust Malcolm up and over her head.
“Throw me and I’ll keep manipulating you to heal me.” Malcolm flinched. “Upon second thought, I’d rather the broken bones. Oh my, but you enjoyed kissing. What’s wrong with you? I mean, besides your shade and your neuroses. You’re hurting me. Put me down, nicely. Jade, now, please.”
Jade smiled up at him, showing no fear for the first time since their arrival in Cleveland. She lowered the man, who was over a hundred pounds heavier than her, to his feet and flung her arms around Malcolm’s waist. “Hold me again.”
“No. My apologies, it’s not your fault, but your touch makes me want to curl up and die.”
“I insist. Now, please.”
“Have I created a sweet monster?” Malcolm groaned. He seized her upper arms, carted Jade to the bed, and swung her onto his knee. “You don’t have to indulge this selfish—”