Another reporter talked to a laborer who’d been fired from his job and rehired at a lower rate.
Now that was something Tori could’ve stopped. She thought about Joe's “dumb luck” comment. “How do you know? Maybe there’s a signal or something, you know, that calls them.”
Joe looked at her. “Like in the Batman movies?”
“Yeah.”
He leaned over and kissed her forehead. “Those are movies, honey.”
Was he being condescending? “Well, how do you know?”
He pointed at the TV. “See any signals?”
Tori clamped her jaw to keep from saying something biting. Here she was trying to have a conversation with him and he wasn’t taking her seriously at all. Good thing they’d already had sex. “Are you done with that?”
Tori grabbed his plate without waiting for a reply and marched into the kitchen. She scraped the rest of her brownie into the trash. Maybe he wasn’t interested in having a conversation with her because he’d never really meant to marry her. She had to find out for sure. If she hadn’t forced him to marry her, and he was glad they were together, she didn’t want to start a fight over nothing.
When everything was in the dishwasher, she returned to the living room and began picking up her clothes.
“What are you doing?”
“Getting dressed.” She started to put on her shirt, and couldn’t resist the urge to verbally smack him. “You’re not paying attention to me anyway.”
He pulled her down on top of him before she could get any more clothes on. “I’m not done with you yet.”
“You’re watching TV.” Tori struggled half-heartedly. He didn’t act like someone who wished he were somewhere else.
“So? I can take care of you while I’m watching TV.” He fondled her breasts as his gaze flicked back and forth between her and the news.
“Oh, Joe,” she sighed. “That’s so romantic.” She fluttered her eyelashes at him, her lack of smile surely enough evidence of her irritation.
Joe made it through the first hour of prime time before he abandoned her naked body again. During a commercial she crawled onto the couch and sighed loudly. “Don’t you get tired of watching the same stuff all the time?”
“I always watch this show.” He turned toward her and frowned. “You told me you love this show, too.”
“Yeah, but it’s a re-run. Don’t you want to do something else?”
“Like what? Go look for superheroes?” He laughed.
Tori frowned. Was he mocking her? “I’m serious, Joe. We could…” But it was January in Northern Michigan. They certainly weren’t going outside. And they’d already done the most fun indoor activity.
“We could have a baby,” she blurted out. If he wanted out of this marriage, his reaction to her as a superhero was moot. If he wanted to stay, he’d say, let’s have a baby later. Tori held her breath. Both her mom and Hayley had brought up the baby thing recently. Maybe it was sign.
“Sure.” Joe kissed her again, but it felt like a kiss-to-shut-you-up kiss. Unfortunately, it worked. Joe was a great kisser. “Show’s on.”
Tori sat on the couch to the left of where he sat on the floor. She watched him bite his nails. What did “sure” mean? Sure, let’s stop using birth control? Sure, someday when I’m ready? Sure, anything to get back to my show?
“Why don’t you use nail clippers?” she asked him. “I don’t remember seeing you use anything besides your teeth.”
Joe grinned at her over his shoulder. “You should see my pedicure.”
Tori grimaced, but it turned into a laugh. Her heart fluttered a bit, reminding her that she didn’t want to lose him. Among other things, he was funny. Even if sometimes he was disgustingly funny, he could always make her laugh.
Okay, let’s say that he’s not in love with someone else. He doesn’t want to leave. Then…
Tori groaned – that meant she couldn’t tell him! Not now anyway. First she had to convince him that she believed superheroes were real, and were good people. He’d already gleaned from her mother that her family wasn’t exactly pro-superhero. She’d build up the whole notion so that when she dropped the bomb, it would go off with a little poof instead of a big bang. Maybe Joe would even get a little kick out of it. The thrill of finding himself married to a superhero.
Tori saw herself standing arms akimbo, cape blowing in the breeze, on top of a roof somewhere. Eight months pregnant. Yeah, that wasn’t going to work. She’d have to tell him before he wanted to follow through on the baby idea.
She leaned her head back on the couch and closed her eyes. At least the seduction had worked. They’d had great sex. Because she was keeping a secret?
She smiled. If that were the case, maybe she’d never tell him.
CHAPTER 12
TORI shifted in the wrought iron chair and focused on her deli sandwich. Kane had called this morning and insisted on having lunch together. She tried to tell him no, but he sounded so reasonable when he said he wanted to apologize for upsetting Lexie, it was easier to agree. The apology wasn’t really an apology, though. More like, I understand Lexie didn’t want Ben to have the money I sent him.
Kind of a jerk thing to say. And it all but proved that Lexie was right – Kane knew she didn’t have the money anymore. If he was actively monitoring their bank accounts, he was way beyond any Fatherhood 101 lessons Tori could come up with.
Too bad. She would’ve liked to have gotten to know him a little better. For now, she tried to think of some neutral small talk to engage in until they finished eating and she could leave. She’d have to apologize to Lexie later.
It occurred to her that if her mom was so anti-superhero, to the point where she insisted they didn’t exist, maybe Kane knew why. Maybe Dixie had told him about it at some point.
“Something on your mind?” he asked.
“Huh? Oh, well, sort of.” If they were going to sit here together, she might as well get one question answered before they said goodbye. Still, she hesitated.
“You going to let me know what it is or just fidget all day?” His mouth smiled, but his fingers tapped the table. “You never know, I might be able to help.”
Tori took a fortifying breath. “I was just wondering…do you know anything about superheroes?”
Kane’s face froze. Oh geez, she shouldn’t have asked. She should’ve kept–
He burst out laughing. “Why?”
Tori shrugged. She didn’t want to tell him she’d met one. And she really didn’t want to tell him she might be one. She just wanted to know more about her mom’s aversion to them.
“Mom hates them. I wondered if you knew why.”
His face darkened and he shook his head. “I hate to even think what she’s told you. Though I’m surprised she ever mentioned it at all.”
“She hasn’t really said that much.”
Kane leaned forward, eyes glittering. “I’ve been wanting to talk to you about this anyway. I’m not a superhero, Victoria. I’m better than a superhero.”
What? She fell back in her chair. That was so not what she was expecting.
“My gifts are more powerful. I can do so much more with them. And you, my dear girl,” he picked up one of her hands and held it between both of his. “You are part of my bloodline. You and your sister and Ben.”
Holy smoke! A bloodline? A “better than a superhero” bloodline. Not a random accident. Why hadn’t her mother told her? Tori’s head spun as she tried to wrap her mind around this news. Kane not only didn’t act surprised or embarrassed by this bizarre conversation, he seemed unnaturally excited about it.
“So…what’s better than a superhero?” Tori stumbled over the words. Kane gripped her hand tightly. She tried to pull away, but he wouldn’t let go. A voice in the back of her head told her something was wrong here, but she wasn’t sure what.
“Our family are better than superheroes,” Kane said, his voice low and fierce. “Our family have gifts and abilities that put so-called
superheroes to shame. They’re not heroes anyway. They took the name Paladin thousands of years ago. But they’re not protectors; they’re weak. We don’t pretend to be saving the world, telling other people how they should live. We take care of each other. We protect our families.” He gripped her hand tighter. “I’ll never let anyone get away with hurting you, Victoria. You’ll always be safe with me.”
Tori shifted in her seat to hide her shudder. His protectiveness sounded menacing, frightening. But Tori couldn’t help but wonder how leaving your family behind was protecting them. How had letting someone else adopt his daughters protected them? She let the question slip out.
Kane’s expression turned fiery. After a moment, he carefully composed his features like he was putting on a mask. He let go of her hand. “Your mother doesn’t understand. She said she did. She promised to support me in my work when we were young, but she failed me. She failed me, and she failed my family.”
Tori heard long-held anger in his voice. She wished she hadn’t brought up the topic. But she wanted to know about her parents, understand her past. Her nerves were getting to her, uneasiness dripping like a cold tap into her blood. But she kept listening.
“She was going to ruin me if I didn’t let that bottom feeder give you his name.” Kane’s revulsion for Danny tainted the very air. Tori felt herself leaning away from Kane. She’d heard lawyers occasionally referred to by that term, but Danny was a real estate attorney and the least likely person to deserve such a derogatory term.
Kane continued. “If I’d stayed with her, I knew I’d never succeed at the level that I could. She wanted to pull me down to her level. She couldn’t even give me children who–”
He stopped himself. He turned a cool smile to Tori. “It’s not your fault. There are other ways…”
Tori didn’t know what to say. What wasn’t her fault?
Someone was a few fries short. He didn’t sound obviously crazy, especially when he tried to be charming, but Tori was beginning to be glad she hadn’t grown up with him. He scared her.
Kane took a deep breath. “Excuse me. Divorce is a difficult thing. Now, what did your mother tell you about the Paladins?”
Tori shook her head. “Practically nothing.” Absolutely nothing. Tori had never heard of Paladins before. She surreptitiously glanced at her watch. Blast. Not time to go yet.
Kane shook his head. “I explained to her that my family and the Paladins came from the same group of people given supernatural powers thousands of years ago. But we evolved. We learned to use the powers in every way imaginable. Sometimes we made mistakes, but we learned from them. We became an extraordinary group of people, particularly my family.” Kane smiled at her. “Your family.”
“The Paladins didn’t evolve?” Tori asked. This was the craziest history lesson she’d ever had. She wondered if she could verify any of it on Google.
“They formed a guild, created rules, and stifled their own power. My family refused to join the guild. We could see what it would do and we refused to be a part of it. Because of that one decision, we thrived.”
Kane leaned forward. Tori forced herself not to lean back any further. She wasn’t sure the spindly-legged chair could take it. But she really, really didn’t want to irritate Kane. Or show any weakness.
“Victoria, you are part of one of the greatest families the world has ever known,” he said. “That’s why I want you to come home with me. Let me show you everything you’ve been missing. Let me train you to become part of a great legacy. You’ll never regret it!”
Tori tried to smile politely, but her lips felt stiff. For years she’d struggled between wanting more in her life, wanting to be more, and wanting to fit in, be liked, conform. But Kane’s earnest speech leaned a little more toward the fanatical than she was comfortable with.
Still, listening to this man whose blood she shared, she wondered if that secret desire to be more was encoded in her genes. It was certainly obvious now where her strange power came from. Lexie’s ability to influence people’s emotions must come from this bloodline, too. Assuming it was all real and not a figment of a madman’s imagination. She wondered if Lexie knew. If not, she was going to pissed when she found out.
“You feel it, don’t you?” Kane smiled at her. “Your blood is stirring right now just thinking about it.”
Tori forced her smile. She didn’t want him to suspect anything. She was afraid of what he’d do, what he could do. “I’m sorry, but I don’t have any special gifts.”
“You might,” Kane said. “You’re my daughter. The Curtis family has never had children without powers.” A flash of terrible anger swept over his face before the mask covered it again. “We just have to find out what your powers are. Can you think of anything you’ve noticed that’s strange?”
Tori shook her head. Don’t react. Don’t move.
“Something that always made you feel like an outsider?”
She shook her head again. She hoped her body language wasn’t screaming, Liar!
Kane thought for a moment. “Strange dreams? Dreams that you can fly, or talk to dragons, or understand any language?”
Tori couldn’t help but laugh. “Talk to dragons?”
Kane shrugged. “You never know, especially in a dream. It could mean anything.”
Tori took a drink of water to hide her growing unease. “Nothing,” she said.
“Anything that gives you a strange feeling deep in your gut?”
Oh yes, that one she was quite familiar with. And she desperately didn’t want him to discover it. She chewed on her lip as she thought about how to reply in a way that he’d give up.
“Stop that,” Kane said abruptly.
“What?” Tori asked, surprised.
“Taking your lip in your teeth.” He swore harshly. “Your mother did that all the time. Bothered me to no end. What?” he asked sharply.
Tori shook her head, embarrassed to mention it.
He schooled his features into a smile. “Go ahead, you know you can tell me anything.”
Well, that wasn’t true, was it? She picked at a trailing thread on her sleeve. Maybe she could lighten the mood, change the subject. “We aren’t allowed to curse at our house. When we were kids, we had to pay a fine from our allowance. Now that we’re adults, if we mess up, we have to put a dollar in the Cursing Jar. Of course, now we’re pretty well trained not to do it. I was just thinking about how much money you’d owe my dad.” She smiled, trying to make a joke of it.
Kane stared at her, only partially hiding his temper. “He’s not your father, Victoria. I am.”
Uh, yeah, but… To keep the peace, she said, “Of course.” But she couldn’t smile at him, not even to diffuse his anger. Danny was her dad. Not this mercurial stranger.
“He has his own children, Victoria. Children of his own blood. You’ll understand when you’re a parent.”
Tori felt desperate to change the subject again. She knew her dad loved her. He couldn’t fake it. But Kane’s words hurt. They picked at old insecurities Tori tried to suppress.
She openly checked her watch. “Listen, I have to get back to work.”
“Speaking of which, have you decided when you’ll start?”
Tori blinked. “Start what?”
He chuckled and the sound grated down her nerves. “Your new job at Curtis Enterprises. They’ve already started repainting the condo I’ve chosen for you. You’ll love it.”
Tori took a deep breath. A narcissistic control freak with super powers. Great. Nothing left but the direct approach. She hoped he couldn’t shoot laser beams out of his eyes. “I’m not coming to work for you, Kane.” She tried to be gentle about it. “I appreciate the offer, but I have a good life. I’m not moving. Thank you, but no.”
Kane stared at her. He had a light in his eyes Tori didn’t like. If she were willing to use the term in reference to her father, she’d say the light felt predatory.
She gave an involuntary shiver and hid it by stretching her shou
lders a bit.
He leaned closer. “I want you to explore all of your gifts, Victoria. I want you to find out who you really are. The world is waiting for you to make a choice! I’m here to help you choose wisely.”
“Thank y-you, but–”
“Did nothing I say penetrate? Do you not understand your giftedness?”
“I don’t have any gifts, not in that way, but–”
“I don’t have time for this,” he said impatiently, waving one fist in the air.
Tori cowered a little before she realized it. She straightened and lifted her chin. He wouldn’t hit her, would he? Certainly not in a busy restaurant.
“If you want to be part of this family, show up for work tomorrow.” Kane took a fifty dollar bill out of his wallet, threw it on the table, and marched toward the door. He turned and growled, “What use are you if you don’t have a power? Dixie’s to blame for this, just like everything else. I should’ve known. A son will be better than a daughter any day…”
He was still muttering as he stormed out, a few restaurant patrons watching him curiously.
Tori felt cold in her bones. Whoever he was, whatever he was, she was beginning to understand Dixie’s refusal to talk about him. He made Tori feel like she was the idiot, like she was the crazy one.
A few fries short, indeed.
TORI pulled her coat closer as she walked to her car after work. What a week. What a month, actually. It had crossed her mind once or twice since her lunch with Kane yesterday that just maybe her mother had done her a favor by keeping her too drugged up to understand her situation. Not that it was the best solution, but she was beginning to realize Dixie had been trying to protect her.
Tori almost wished for a little of that oblivion right now. She wouldn’t have to think about her upcoming talk with Joe. It was Friday night. She’d promised herself she was going to tell him.
But…
There was always a but.
But she didn’t want to tell him what she’d learned yesterday, that she knew where her powers came from, that there were at least two groups of people out there with powers and she came from the nut-job side. She needed to process that first, figure out how she was going to handle Kane if he didn’t leave her alone. She decided she would tell Joe she’d found out she had a super power, but she planned on leaving the details as hazy as they’d been a couple days ago. No point in scaring the poor guy more than was necessary.
Unexpected Superhero (Adventures of Lewis and Clarke Book 1) Page 19