“Did Mel say anything else?” I open and flex my hands, my restlessness building. “And how does this have to do with what’s going on with Alexis?”
Steel faces me, propping his boots onto the cushion. “He didn’t say much more, but he did mention that The Afterlife test subjects would physically vanish when they’d go to The Afterlife, just like Alexis did.”
“So, you think Alexis is what? In The Afterlife right now because of the breath of ease? Because I’ve never heard of the breath of ease doing that to someone.” I roughly yank my fingers through my hair as I sink down on the edge of the coffee table, shock whipping through me. If this is true, then Alexis technically died. And while she might be able to be brought back, I have no clue how. “I’ve never heard of anything like this before.”
“Me neither,” Steel says, glancing at Ellis.
Ellis shakes his head. “Don’t look at me. You know more about the experiments than I do.”
Steel thrums his fingers against his knee. “We need to find out more about this Afterlife experiment and how they brought the test subjects back from the dead.”
I drum my fingers against the sides of my legs. “Did Mel give you any more details that might give us some clues as to how?”
“No. He barely said anything before he hung up on me,” Steel says. “He’s always been extremely paranoid, especially over the phone. He thinks his conversations are constantly being monitored.”
“Well, he did double-cross one of the most dangerous organizations in the world, so I can’t really blame him.” But that doesn’t make me any less frustrated. “Maybe we can track him down and have a face-to-face chat.”
“We could try, but it won’t be easy.” Steel’s eyes drop to my knee. “What the hell’s wrong with you?”
I withdraw my hand from my knee. “I’m just a little bit edgy.”
“I think it’s a side effect,” Ellis explains, and I give him a dirty look, which he chooses to ignore. “That and irritability.”
“Maybe he’s going to get the gift of super speed,” Steel muses. “Then maybe he’ll finally become useful.”
I glare at him. “That’s not what this is.”
“You never know,” he says with a shrug. “It’d probably be the less severe of the side effects that could manifest from that stupid stunt you pulled in the tub.”
“It’s the same stupid stunt you pulled,” I remind him, pushing to my feet.
He stands up, too. “Yeah, but my body can handle it better.”
Now that he mentions it, he does appear rather calm. Maybe a little too calm.
“You sure about that?” I question. “Because you look really calm right now.”
“Normally, breath of ease has a sedative effect,” Steel says. “Why it’s got you practically hopping out of your skin is beyond me.”
I scratch my arm. “I’ll worry about that later. Right now, we need to get Alexis back.” I turn to Ellis. “Is there any way you can hack into the Shadow Files and see if you can find any info about this Afterlife Experiment?”
The Shadow Files are top-secret files that only our superiors have access to. We could ask for permission to access them, but that could take weeks—time we don’t have. And since Ellis is an excellent hacker, it’s better to do it this way.
Ellis nods without hesitation—this isn’t his first time doing it—and collects his laptop off the end table.
“Let’s go take a look around in the bathroom,” I tell Steel while backing up toward the hallway. “Maybe we can find something that’ll give us an idea of what happened to her.”
I expect him to tell me that it’s a dumb and pointless idea, but he nods, throwing me off. Steel has always been an intense guy, so this calm version is weird as fuck. But I head toward the bathroom without questioning him, crossing my fingers that maybe we’ll luck out and Alexis will be in the bathroom when we get there.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
We freeze and exchange an edgy look before glancing at the front door.
“Are we expecting anyone?” Steel asks, glancing at Ellis and me.
“Blaine, but he messaged me a bit ago and said he’d call when he was heading here.” I bend over to withdraw my knife from my ankle holster.
The blade is made of silver, which is potent to a lot of Monsters, and the sharp tip of the blade is potent to humans, so it works well in most situations.
Ellis reaches toward his ankle, too, and pulls out a Sphere from a specially-made holster, a weapon he created himself. When activated, it sends slumbering gas into the air and knocks out the people who breathe it in. He also created a drug that counteracts with the gas that has already been injected into our blood system so we’re immune to the gas’s slumbering effect.
Yeah, in case you haven’t figured it out yet, Ellis is a genius. And Steel is one of the strongest guys I know. And me, well, I’m usually the calm one who keeps everyone in check. Not right now, though. No, between Alexis and getting breath of ease all over me, I’m a fucking jacked-up mess of nerves.
Steel must sense it, too, because he sticks out his hand in my direction. “Let me do this. You’re too riled up.”
I want to argue, but my hand is shaking so badly I can barely keep a hold onto my knife, so I nod.
Steel lowers his hand then cautiously approaches the door and peers out the peephole. The tension in his shoulders visibly relaxes. “It’s your boy.”
“Why didn’t he message first?” I mumble, shoving Steel out of the way. Then I unlock the door and throw it open. Sure enough, Blaine is standing there, underneath the porch light, wearing a pair of board shorts and a tank top, and he reeks of chlorine. “Did you just go swimming?”
“I was earlier, at Masie’s…” He trails off, leaning to the side. “Where’s Alexis?”
I slant to the side, blocking his view for no good reason other than I’m annoyed with him. Annoyed he turned into such an asshole. Annoyed he broke Alexis’s heart. Not that I wanted the two of them to end up together, but he didn’t need to hurt her like he did.
I stick out my hand. “Just give me the antidote.”
He shakes his head. “I want to see her first.”
“Too fucking bad, because she doesn’t want to see you.”
He frowns. “What happened at Masie’s… that wasn’t what she thought it was.”
I cock a brow. “So, you weren’t making out with Masie in the pool while Alexis was right there?”
“I thought Alexis was inside,” he snaps. “Or else I never would’ve.”
“You didn’t notice Alexis wasn’t in the house because you’re too self-absorbed.” I keep my hand held out. “Now give me the antidote and go away.”
He folds his arms and stares me down hard. “I’m not leaving until I see her.” When I make no effort to move, he heaves a frustrated exhale. “Look, what’s going on between Masie and me isn’t what Alexis thinks.”
“I don’t give a shit about that,” I growl. “Just give me the damn antidote.”
“No.” He glares at me, getting in my face.
“Let’s make him give it to us,” Steel suggests from behind me.
And there’s the Steel I know.
“Sounds good to me.” I step outside, and so does Steel, who cracks his knuckles.
Blaine refuses to move back, but worry flashes across his expression. “I’m not afraid of you.”
“Then you’re dumber than I thought.” I stalk toward him.
No, I’m not going to actually hurt him, but I am going to get that antidote from him.
“Guys!” Ellis shouts. “I just heard a noise coming from the bathroom.”
I no longer give a shit about Blaine. I run back into the house and down the hallway, with Steel and Ellis and, yeah, probably Blaine right behind me. I’m trying not to panic, but that restless energy inside of me has my mind racing with thoughts.
Please let it be her.
Please let her be okay.
Please let me
be able to protect her.
Alexis
One minute I’m standing in the middle of a dirt road about to be attacked by some hairy, monstrous beast, and the next I’m in the bathtub of goo.
I immediately sit up, gripping the edges of the bathtub as I struggle to breathe. The goo is all over me, so I’m afraid to open my mouth, and it’s in my eyes, so I can’t see very well. Still, the loud stomping of footsteps lets me know I’m not alone.
“Thank fucking God,” West breathes out. “Hand me a towel.” Another couple of loud footsteps, and then a towel touches my face.
West wipes away enough of the goo that I can make out his face and that he’s sitting on the edge of the tub, leaning over me.
“How do you feel?” He uses the towel to wipe some of the goo off my hair.
I open my mouth to tell him … well, I’m not really sure, but instead, a gasp fumbles from my lips. When no air touches my lungs, I gasp again and again. Panic sets in.
I can’t breathe.
West reaches in and pulls me over to him, getting goo all over his arms.
“Goddammit, West. How many times do I have to tell you to stay out of that stuff?” Steel growls as he strides across the bathroom toward us.
“She’s not breathing,” he snaps, tucking his arms under my armpits and dragging me out of the bathtub.
Steel pauses, his gaze scrolling over me. “I think we need to get the breath of ease off her.”
“What the hell’s going on?” Blaine asks as he steps through the doorway with Ellis right behind him. Blaine’s face instantly pales when he takes in the sight of me, in my underwear, my skin covered in goo, struggling to breathe as West collects me in his arms and carries me toward the shower.
What’s he doing here?
I look away from Blaine as West reaches the shower. Steel nudges him out of the way, opens the door, and steps inside. Then he strips off his shirt, turns the water on, and extends his hands toward West.
“Give her to me,” he demands.
“I can do it,” West says as he starts to step in.
Steel shakes his head and dodges to the side. “You need to clean yourself off first or else you’re just going to get more on her.”
Grimacing, West reluctantly hands me over to Steel. I start to put up a fuss, not wanting to have my half-naked body pressed up against his bare chest, but my body is too drained to put up much of a fuss.
Once I’m situated in Steel’s arms, West steps out of the shower and quickly yanks his shirt over his head. Then he turns around to slip off his boots, and I get a brief glimpse of his back and the two jagged scars between his shoulder blades before Steel angles us the other way and toward the showerhead.
My heart thrashes. When did he get those scars? Why haven’t I noticed them before? Come to think of it, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen West without his shirt off. Maybe that’s why—
I gasp as Steel steps underneath the icy-cold water. My body is so warm that the sensation feels like pins are being stabbed into my skin. I dig my fingernails into his biceps as I grit my teeth.
Steel’s tattooed chest heaves as he glances down at my fingernails piercing his flesh. “Just breathe,” he says.
“Is she breathing yet?” West asks as he enters the shower and steps under the icy water pouring out of the showerhead. Water rivers down his tattooed chest and goosebumps sprout across his flesh, but he doesn’t move back, his eyes skimming over every inch of me.
Steel nods, looking at West. “Wash off, and then help me clean her off. We can’t let any of this stuff stay on her for very much longer.” He steps back to give West more room.
West locks eyes with me as he moves underneath the showerhead and hastily begins washing the goo off his arms and hands. Once he’s goo-free, he reaches to take me from Steel, but Steel holds me against his chest and steps underneath the water.
“Clean as much off her as you can,” he instructs West while shifting my weight in his arms.
At the cold look West gives Steel, I expect him to argue. Surprisingly, though, his lips remain sealed as he reaches up and brushes his palm over my head. He repeats the movement again and again, his gaze never wavering from mine. The longer he stares at me, the hotter I feel, which makes no sense at all since icy-cold water is dousing me.
So weird.
Still, I have no choice but to lie still and let West clean the goo off me. Neither of them speaks as West grabs a washcloth and traces it across my neck, my chest, my waist, and my legs. Every time his fingers brush across my skin, my body blazes hotter. Even back in the car when he was biting my neck and rubbing me between my legs, I didn’t feel this hot. Maybe it’s the drugs. Maybe the breath of ease didn’t work and the kiss of evil is killing me.
Or maybe it’s something different …
My thoughts drift back to the dream I had while I was passed out and the words my mom whispered to me. But, was I even passed out? Was it a dream? It felt so real …
“Take her while I go get the antidote,” Steel says abruptly, leaning forward to hand me to West.
Since I’m feeling a bit better—and way too hot—I squirm until he sets me down on my feet. My legs promptly start to tremble the moment I’m standing, and I reach out, clutching West’s bare shoulders.
He winds his arms around my waist, urging me forward until my chest is pressed against his. “Can you breathe okay now?” His soft tone doesn’t match the intensity in his eyes.
I bob my head up and down, my heart thumping as heat surges through my veins. I swear I can feel fear and desire swirling around inside me. Not mine but his, which makes no sense, but that’s how I feel.
“Say something please,” West begs, tangling his fingers through my hair.
Water drips from the strands of his blond hair, down his cheeks, and along his lips. His chest is warm against mine, and the fabric of his wet jeans feels rough against my bare legs. His breath is hot on my cheek, his heart is racing, and he has desperation and desire pouring through him, something I shouldn’t be able to know.
I’m going crazy. That’s what I tell myself as his lust and desire consume me, and I slant forward and press my lips to his.
That I’m crazy. That I’ve lost my damn mind. That maybe none of this is real.
When our lips touch, all thoughts evacuate my mind. West hesitates at first, but the desire and desperation pumping through him ignites, and then he starts kissing me. And I mean, really kissing me, parting my wet lips with his tongue and slipping it inside my mouth.
I gasp, clutching his shoulders as his desperation overtakes me and pressing up against him. He groans in response, deepening the kiss and slowly backing me up until I bump into the tiled wall. He then slips his palms down to my thighs and delves his fingers into my skin as he picks me up. Instinctively, I loop my legs around his waist and slide my hands up to his hair, holding on to him as he trails kisses down my jawline and to my neck. My mind races as I try to process through the clusterfuck of emotions stirring around inside; some of which I’m certain don’t belong to me. It doesn’t make any sense—how I can feel what he’s feeling. I just know I can.
My confusion only amplifies when West urges my head to the side so he can bite my neck. As my head bobs back, my lips parting, I let out a gasp.
“West,” I manage to say as his mouth reaches the curve of my breast.
Tension ripples through his muscles, as if the sound of my voice has pulled him out of a daze. He slants back, blinking at me.
“Holy shit,” he breathes, his gaze searching mine. “I’m sorry … I just … I’m so sorry.”
“I’m the one who kissed you first,” I tell him shakily. “I’m sorry.”
“Will you two chill out?” Steel enters into the shower and closes the door. “You’re both just jacked-up on breath of ease.”
West lifts his head and blinks at Steel. “I thought you said it was supposed to have a calming effect.”
“No, I said it’s that way for me.”
He inches closer to us, water spritzing his face and chest.
West frowns. “You never specified that.”
“Why does it even matter?” I wonder, my arms and legs still looped around West.
West and Steel trade a cryptic look, and then Steel shakes his head.
“We have more pressing matters right now,” he says in a cold tone.
West shrugs. “It’s your decision, but it might be easier if you just told her.”
“Will someone please just tell me what’s going on?” I demand. “And not just with Steel, but with me?”
“You’re about to be saved, sweetheart.” Steel flashes me a smirk then stabs a needle into my arm.
“You fucking asshole,” I snarl. “What did you just put in me?”
He stares at me like I’m an idiot. “The antidote.”
“Oh.” I relax a bit. “Does that mean I’m going to be okay now?”
My apprehension instantly skyrockets again as West and Steel exchange another glance—a nervous one this time.
Then West looks at me and tucks a strand of my damp hair behind my ear. “Let’s get you out of the shower and dressed. There’s some important stuff we need to talk to you about.”
I want to demand that he tell me now, but the fear I feel flowing off him has me scared enough to keep my lips zipped.
What is happening to me?
Alexis
By the time we leave the shower, Ellis and Blaine are no longer in the bathroom. Thank God. The last thing I need is for more people to have witnessed West and I making out in the shower while we were half-dressed. It was bad enough Steel did.
Needless to say, I’m more than ready to put my clothes on and take a time out from smoldering guys. So, after I collect my clothes off the floor, I hightail toward the other bathroom to get some privacy. Before I walk out, though, West informs me that I might want to throw away my underwear and bra since they were soaking in breath of ease for quite a while.
The Other World_A Reverse Harem Series Page 13