by Elodie Colt
“Shit!” Jared cursed when we all realized what was happening.
“Josh, get Lauren out of here!” Chris yelled, and Josh took off to carry Lauren out of the building.
“Haylie! Dammit, whatever is happening, snap the fuck out of it!” Lauren screamed. Haylie flinched, as if trying hard to come back to her senses, but she was too far gone by now.
The building started to shake again, and a strange feeling overcame me all of a sudden. It felt as if a bowling ball was forming in my stomach, pulling me down and making my movements slow and sluggish. The air was heavier than usual, and even lifting my hands felt weird.
Gravity. Haylie was reinforcing gravity.
Jared lost his balance, Aitana’s knife still embedded in his leg, and tumbled to the floor like a dead weight. Chris stumbled beside him, barely able to keep upright. “What…”
Haylie’s ability was still developing, but apparently, she’d become stronger than we’d thought possible. If I didn’t get her out of the Bluster right now, she’d bury us all beneath tons of concrete in a matter of seconds.
A wave of helplessness washed over me. What was there to do? Haylie had used a kiss to snap me out of it, but I doubted it would have the same effect on her. My gaze swayed sideways to the glass panels. The curtains obscured the view, but I knew a swimming pool was directly below.
It was a crazy idea. It was madness. It was suicide. I didn’t even know how far to jump to avoid hitting the wooden patio in between.
But there was no time left. The more time passed, the heavier I felt, her power humming and purring against my skin. My limbs started to tickle with the blood rushing down my extremities, making them weaker by the second, and the air became so thick, I struggled with getting oxygen into my lungs.
Adjusting my stance, I stomped my feet into the ground, pushing forward with effort. I tried to run, but it felt as if I were swimming against a stream. With a loud “Argh!” and all the body strength I could muster, I finally gained the momentum needed.
Crashing into Haylie, I snaked my arm around her and hurled her with me.
Chris shouted as he realized what I was about to do, but I barely heard him. With every bit of strength in my cells, I pushed further in an attempt to break through the energy pulling me down.
Before we broke through the glass, my other hand came up to shield Haylie’s head from the shards. Pain shot up my arms as the glass shattered under our weight and cut my skin.
We broke the glass with ease, ripping the curtains from its hinges. Cold night air hit me as we sailed through open space. The curtain wrapped around us flew away at some point, making me see nothing but the night sky and flailing legs, and I managed to twist our bodies so she would land on top of me.
An endless second later, my body connected hard with the water’s surface, and cold wetness swept over us. The pool was too shallow to absorb a straight plunge from the third story, and my back connected hard with the bottom.
The impact forced the air out of my lungs and made me see stars. Flowing tresses of Haylie’s hair tickled my face between bubbles of water. I didn’t know if Haylie was still conscious, but getting up was all that mattered.
I pushed with my feet, now easier without the enhanced pull of gravity restricting my movements. With Haylie’s body still tight in my arms, I broke through the surface. I inhaled the air greedily, and was relieved to hear a frantic gasp as Haylie did the same. Loosening my arms around her, I grabbed her head to check her eyes.
The Flare was gone. There was no rage swirling in them, only shock, fear, and utter panic—the complete opposite of the determined, furious girl from before. I wanted to ask if she was okay, but before I could open my mouth, tears streamed down her face, mixing with the chlorine water on her cheeks. Her legs gave out under her, and she slumped against me. I caught her easily.
Brushing the plastered, wet strands from her face, I pressed her against me where she let out her emotions. I’d already wondered when she would hit her limit. Crying women weren’t on top of my list of expertise, but at that moment, I knew what she needed.
Me.
And I needed this, needed the assurance that she was alive, that I hadn’t failed her like I’d failed the others.
I held her close with one hand on the back of her head, and the other wrapped tightly around her torso while she gripped my shoulders, fingers digging in deep. Her body trembled with the sobs racking through her, each slashing at me like the lash of a whip.
The water around us changed its color with streaks of red from the cuts we both sported on our arms. Apart from that, she was unharmed. Safe. The water was cold, and she shivered uncontrollably in my arms, but I didn’t dare move.
This was our moment. Our moment of peace, even in this hopeless situation.
Every barrier standing between us seemed to vanish. In the end, Haylie knew she could count on me. She’d told me once she didn’t trust me, but deep down, she did. The knowledge filled me with a strange sense of pride. I gripped her tighter, letting her know I was there for her while secretly relishing in the feeling of being physically close to her.
A shout made me lift my eyes to see Chris leaning out of the broken window. I indicated we were okay.
Breaking our peaceful moment was the last thing I wanted, but I feared Haylie would freeze to death if I didn’t get her out of the cold water soon.
Keeping hold of her neck, I snaked my other arm under her knees to lift her up. She didn’t protest while I carried her to the edge of the pool and lowered her down on the deck. The floodlight illuminating the pool’s bottom was bright enough for me to examine her wounds.
It was at that moment I noticed her white tank top, now soaking wet and quite transparent, allowing me a good view of her white bra underneath. I cursed my ability to entertain dirty fantasies in situations like these, but it seemed I just couldn’t help myself when it came to Haylie.
I shook my head to clear my mind and tried to focus on potential injuries on Haylie’s body. And not her stomach. Or her hips. Or her breasts…
Chris came out of the building, a limping Jared hanging on his shoulder. “Fuck, Dylan, are you completely out of your mind?” Chris yelled.
“There was no time,” I replied calmly, heaving myself out of the pool and kneeling down next to Haylie.
“Is she okay?” Chris asked in alarm when he saw her limp body on the ground, unmoving.
“She’s fine.”
Her head was turned to the other side, silent tears streaming down her face. It tore me apart seeing her like this, but I didn’t know how to help her. I could only protect her physically, not mentally.
“Damn, Haylie, what were you thinking…” Chris started, but I shook my head to silence him.
“Not now.”
Usually, it was my task to lecture Haylie about running off like that, but right now, I just wanted to get her home safely. Her wounds were only superficial, but I wanted them tended to as soon as possible. She shouldn’t have to endure any more pain.
“Give me your sweater,” I said, and Chris unzipped his sweater to hand it to me. I wrapped it gently around Haylie’s upper body to shield her from the cold… and from my wandering eyes.
“Let’s get to the car before the police arrive. The neighbors have probably raised an alarm. We need to get Haylie to Sarah.” Haylie wasn’t hurt much, but her arms and stomach were covered in shards, blood already staining her clothes.
Chris took care of Jared, and I scooped Haylie into my arms, carrying her to the car. Josh met us halfway and helped Chris with Jared.
“What the hell happened? We heard an awful shattering sound, and we already thought—”
“Long story,” I cut him off, suddenly very tired.
I looked down at Haylie’s limp body. She didn’t say a word, snuggling her head into my chest as if I could shield her from the outside world. I let her, squeezing her once to let her know she was safe with me.
My surroundings blurred by in a
haze as Dylan carried me through Lauren’s backyard. Every inch of my body hurt, but it wasn’t the physical pain that put me in my current state of misery. I just wanted this nightmare to be over.
The image of the Fighter I’d speared with the coat hook kept crawling into my mind, churning my stomach upside down. Yes, I’d done it to defend myself, and sure, I’d killed before, but never like this. Never like this…
I could still hear the sound as the hook sliced through sinew and bone, draining his life with every inch. I still felt the heart shudder behind me and the lungs constricting as he took his last breath.
And then there was this woman—Aitana. For years, Shawna’s killers had haunted me in my dreams. Finally, I’d gotten the chance to kill her, once and for all, but I’d let her escape. What a failure. I’d failed Shawna again.
And what had she said about me dying the same as my mother had? My mother was killed during a natural catastrophe, right? So, what had she meant?
Panic overcame me whenever I thought about what could have happened to the others in the house if my ability had gotten the better of me. With help from Lisa, I’d been able to get a little hold of my ability, but in the end, I lost the fight with my control.
Dylan’s arms were banded in a safe cage around me. He squeezed me, giving me a sign he was there for me, and I gave in to the need to bury my head in his chest. His shirt was dripping wet, clinging to his ripped muscles, but his unique, masculine fragrance was still unmistakable, and his body heat seeped into me, soothing my aches. It was funny how fast I became used to his scent. Whenever I inhaled it, I felt safe and protected.
It felt like home…
“Haylie!” an agitated voice shouted when we neared the car. I reluctantly turned away from Dylan’s chest to see Lauren wriggling out of Chris’ arms and running toward me. Relief instantly washed over me at the sight of her unharmed.
“Oh my God, what happened to you?” Lauren shrieked in alarm, and suddenly her hands were hovering all over my body, unsure where to touch me without hurting me.
“I’m fine, it looks worse than it is,” I croaked, my voice strained from swallowing chlorine water.
“She’s okay. Sarah will help her as soon as we’re back in the compound,” Chris told Lauren in a soft voice and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “Come on, let’s get away from here. Are you okay with sitting on my lap? We don’t have much space in the car.” Lauren nodded, silent tears running down her face. She gave me a concerned look, a sad smile crossing her features.
“It’s going to be okay,” Lauren assured me with a stroke over my head. Shouldn’t I be the one to comfort Lauren after everything she’d been through today? After all, it was my fault Lauren got dragged into this in the first place. Lauren lifted her head to glance at Dylan, then tapped him on the shoulder in silent thanks.
We all got into the car, and just as I was about to ask where I should sit, Dylan opened the passenger door, cradling me in his lap. He secured the seat belt around both of us, mindful of the cuts on my arms, and tugged my head gently to his shoulder. How good he felt… I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else right now.
The ride was silent, nobody saying a word as everyone was lost in their own thoughts. Dylan made soothing circles with his thumb on my temple. Whenever I shivered from the cold, his arms clutched me tighter. I could hear his strong heartbeat against my ear, and I focused solely on its steady rhythm—currently the only thing grounding me and preventing me from falling apart.
I let him comfort me, needing him right now more than anything. I didn’t care about his mixed feelings for me, didn’t care about the fight we had. Right at that moment, he didn’t seem to care either, which eased my troubled mind.
The car rolled to a stop in the middle of nowhere, and Dylan got out with me still locked in his arms. His strength after everything we’d been through the last few hours was astounding. He lifted me as if I weighed nothing more than a feather, despite his injuries, which reminded me…
“Hey, are you… are you okay?” I cleared my throat to get some volume into my voice and looked into Dylan’s face hovering above me, the closeness allowing me to see all shades of his stormy, appion eyes. “You’re injured,” I stated when I noticed a nasty cut on his neck, the oozing blood already soaking the shoulder part of his shirt.
Dylan gazed down at me, an unreadable expression on his face. “I’m fine. Don’t worry about me,” he answered in such a soft voice, my heart swelled. I was used to his harsh tones, his commanding and dominating voice daring anyone to disobey him. But right now, there was no sign of the soldier in him.
“Hey, shouldn’t we, you know… blindfold Lauren?” Josh asked.
Chris huffed. “I doubt she even knows where we are. She’s been held captive enough for a day,” Chris retorted and put an arm around Lauren’s shoulder. She smiled back at him in silent thanks, and I was shocked to see how great a couple the two of them made.
Dylan walked a few steps ahead, only to stop in front of a little hill overgrown with bushes. When Cassie first brought me to the compound, I’d been blindfolded and couldn’t see where we were going, so I was as clueless as Lauren as to where we were. Chris came forward and fumbled with his hands through the long grass growing on the hill. What the hell was he doing?
Then, something sounding like a lock clicked open, and it took me a moment to realize there was a trapdoor hidden underneath. I eyed the cemetery expanding for miles, knowing we must have entered it from the southern side. I knew a ladder led downward, the one Cassie had refused to let me use when I first came here.
Putting my hands on Dylan’s chest, I pushed slightly to indicate I could walk, but his hands were unrelenting and trapped me in their tight grip, as if he was afraid of letting me go. I gave him a quizzical look.
“I can walk, I promise. You can’t climb the ladder while carrying me.” I’d already stayed longer in Dylan’s arms than necessary. As much as I wanted to stay in his embrace, he would have to let me go sometime.
“Watch me,” Dylan replied, shocking me, and I thought I saw a crooked smile playing on his lips.
Before I could ask how he intended to carry me down the ladder without using his arms, he hoisted me up, letting me cry out in surprise, then grabbed my thighs and wound my legs around his waist. I automatically circled his neck with my arms for support.
“Hold on,” he instructed, and I did as I was told, trying very hard not to touch his cheek with mine. The entire situation suddenly felt pretty awkward, which was ridiculous, given our recent near-death experience.
As soon as the others made the descent, Dylan stepped down the ladder with me hanging on his upper body like a monkey. Despite his sturdy build and the wide steps he had to take, his movements were so smooth, I could have fallen asleep from the soft rocking motion.
I became hyperaware of the lean muscles under my fingers, straining his back and shoulders. It activated a tingling in my stomach, shooting straight down my thighs, and I fought the urge to clamp them together, which wouldn’t have done me any good with Dylan’s hips positioned in between.
When we landed on solid ground, I loosened my legs from where they were entangled behind Dylan’s back. “I can walk from here,” I tried to reason with him, but Dylan seemed to be adamant to keep me where I was—close.
“I don’t think so,” was all he said without looking at me, putting one hand under my butt to keep me in place. Under other circumstances, I would have told him where to keep his hands, but with Dylan, that was an entirely different matter.
Another warm tingle shot up my back at the feel of his large hand gripping me. I didn’t have any strength left to support my weight, but carrying my weight with one hand under my behind seemed to be an easy task for Dylan. His abs clenched in between my thighs with each jostle, and I needed to close my eyes to fight for control.
For just a split second, I allowed my mind to wander away. I imagined us both in the same position, lost in a moment of undilute
d passion, Dylan crashing me into a wall while ripping my shirt apart with his bare hands, his hungry eyes roaming over my upper body, hands wandering over my sensitive skin, fingers hooked under the waistband of my jeans before getting rid of them once and for all…
Fuck. I was going insane. We all could have taken our last breath today, and I was thinking about jumping into bed with the only man who’d probably never touch me this way. Get a grip, dammit!
“I’ve got everything prepared, bring her to her room,” Sarah shouted from the end of the aisle, rushing toward us.
“I’m fine, I just have a few scratches. Take care of Jared and Lauren first,” I objected.
“We have three Regenerators waiting in the hospital wing. Whoever needs healing, they are prepared,” Sarah announced.
“I can go there, too. I don’t need any special treatment.” I tried to wriggle out of Dylan’s steel grip. My wounds were superficial. There was no need to drain Sarah every time because of a few scratches. I wouldn’t make the same mistake twice…
“No. Sarah will take care of you,” Dylan interjected in his usual low but demanding voice.
“Dylan, there’s no need to—”
“For Christ’s sake, Haylie, could you please not fight me on this?” Dylan suddenly snapped, his voice not low anymore, and I gasped in surprise as it rumbled right through me, shutting my mouth immediately.
He glared at me with those vivid eyes, the appion sparkling, daring me to object a second time. As if to emphasize his serenity, he squeezed my behind, and it nearly made me gasp again, only this time, for different reasons entirely.
As if on cue, Dylan’s gaze shot to my lips. Apparently, I had let a gasp escape in reaction to his fingers digging into the wet fabric of my jeans. His grip became nearly bruising, and it felt as if he was entertaining the idea to tear the cloth away from me. If in anger or arousal, I didn’t know.