by Alexia Reed
That first step was the hardest, and the moment she stepped inside, she knew she’d left whatever rights she had in the hall.
She felt the soft touch of J.C.’s fingertips along her back, a reminder of his presence as he guided her to an examination table. Her body shook when she reached for the robe he’d laid out for her. Embarrassment of any kind had been forced out of her long ago, but she shot a tentative glance over at J.C.
Their eyes locked and she thought she saw a flicker of something heating his eyes but then he turned away to give her some semblance of privacy. Each layer of clothing she removed gave him more access to her body, until she stood there in the middle of the room naked. What if she simply put those clothes back on and left? Would he care that she’d disappeared?
As though he knew exactly what she was thinking, he said, “Don’t get any ideas of running. We both know I’ll just bring you back.”
Slipping into the robe, she tightened it around her waist and sat on the table, locking her arms around her legs. While she waited for J.C., she closed her eyes, lowering her forehead to her knees.
“Did you find anything off Teresa’s body?”
“Nothing. I’m starting to wonder if perhaps the killer is a ghost. We haven’t found anything—no stray fibers or DNA. Davan found some blood caught in the cracks of the drain in one of gym showers. With any luck it won’t be Teresa’s but I’m doubtful. This guy knows what he’s doing.”
She shifted her head, easing her cheeks against the cool material of the gown. When his hand fell on her shoulder, she startled. She jerked her head up and her eyes widened. She felt a bit foolish when he was only trying to reassure her.
“You okay?”
Amy nodded but her body betrayed her. She fought to calm the trembles.
She couldn’t show weakness. Rick hated it when she couldn’t control her emotions. It made him question whether she was strong enough to live.
“Of course I am.” J.C. frowned but said nothing as he reached for the electrodes, placing the sticky ends to her skin. “Are we waiting for Dare?”
“Why? He has no business in my lab.”
Confusion flickered over his face. She hadn’t thought it was that crazy of a question. “I assumed. I mean, he was always there when Rick brought me in to Testing. I thought that was the way it was.”
“Dare will never have a say in what goes on in my lab, Amy. Ever.” Was that indignation in his voice? Lines furrowed across his brow, his lips pressing together.
“Unless the Council sends him.”
He turned away. “Well, when that day comes, I’ll deal with it, but right now, Dare won’t be joining us. He can read my reports, just like everyone else.”
Definitely indignation.
Her gaze flicked to the door, then around at the machines. What would J.C. make her do? She didn’t want to hurt anyone anymore. Trepidation settled like a heavy weight in her stomach and she pressed her hand against it.
“Stop it,” he growled.
“Stop what?”
“Look at me.” His hand eased her face up. Flesh to flesh. She never expected to feel so much. Ever. “Amy, whatever preconceived ideas you have, I want you to forget them. I’m not like Rick or any of the other scientists. I have my own methods and experiments.”
“I know.” She did, but it was hard to remember that fact when her past experiences in the lab told a different tale.
He looked at her a moment longer before he finished attaching the electrodes and turned on the EEG. “I want to try something if you’re up to it. I’d like to get a sense of how powerful you are. I know you’re strong. A lesser telepath wouldn’t have been able to save my memories the way you did. Or kill by going into someone else’s mind.”
She licked her dry lips. She barely heard him as he continued. She could still feel the blood and brain matter on her face. Could still feel the man’s terror as he realized he couldn’t stop her from manipulating him into pulling the trigger on himself. It sickened her.
Shivering, Amy snapped out of her thoughts at the feel of J.C.’s fingers on her wrist, his touch light and flirty over the band.
“…so I’m going to need to take this off.”
Amy blinked. “What?”
A short laugh curled his lips. He rubbed his hand against the back of his neck. His grin knocked her off guard. “You haven’t heard a word I’ve said.”
“Not really,” Amy admitted, a flush heating her cheeks. Seconds later, she clamped her lips together. “I mean…sorry.”
“For what?”
She swallowed. “I wasn’t listening.”
He shrugged and slid the band off her wrist. “I was telling you that I need to take this off for a bit. I want you to work your mental muscles and you can’t do that with it on. What were you thinking about?”
“Last night and the shooters.”
“Ah.” J.C. sat, setting the piece of leather aside. “Tell me, Amy, how did you know you could get him to kill himself?”
“I didn’t know if I could exactly.” Looking down at his hands, she studied the strong length of his fingers as he linked them together and leaned forward. “His willpower was impressive. He didn’t want to pull that trigger, but unlucky for him, I know the human mind. I’m not new to manipulating.”
Unfortunately.
“No, you aren’t new. I want you to do it again though. Do you think you’re up to it?”
He was asking? Since when did she get to make the decision? Was he asking her to kill again? “Do what? I don’t want to kill. Please don’t make me.”
“Why would I ask you that?” His frown deepened. “No, I was thinking about your limitations. I want to figure out the extent of them and that involves a little experiment.” J.C. shifted a hand to his knee, tapping his fingers against his leg. “I want you to bring me into the killer’s head, to see if it’s possible.”
Before she could think to stop, she blurted out, “J.C., you weren’t designed for that. What if you get locked inside?”
“That’s a risk.” He wiped dirt from his lab coat. “But it’s one I’m willing to take. Do you know how great of a tactical advantage you are?”
“I never asked to be one,” she whispered.
“No, but you are. I’m not looking for permanent residence in this bastard’s mind, just a visit to see if we not only can do it, but if the two of us can pick up more clues about his identity.”
We.
Amy jerked her head in affirmation then closed her eyes. She opened her mind and slid inside the killer’s head. Her stomach churned as his emotions flooded her system.
Darkness. Violence.
He was angry. She didn’t know why, didn’t want to. Not when the thick energy of his emotions suffocated her. She stayed on the edge of his bitter thoughts, knowing that the deeper she went, the stronger it’d become.
Amy sucked in a breath. She didn’t know she made a sound, not until J.C. touched her, reminding her that she wasn’t alone. It was the link she needed. She gripped his hands tight.
Reaching for the thread of J.C.’s mind, she engulfed it in her own and used the link to draw him forward. Before she could make the jump to pull him with her to the killer’s mind, she lost control. Their link frayed and for a moment, as she let go of J.C.’s consciousness, she boomeranged from one mind to another before settling hard back in her own body. She jolted as her system went haywire.
Deep tears marred the inside of her mind, the grooves so deep that she careened forward, unable to stand the pain that tore the breath from her lungs. Had she done it this time? Was she going to lose herself to madness? She rocked and let J.C.’s hands go to tug the electrodes free from her skin. When she was able to think again the realization of her failure hit her.
Her head shot up.
&nbs
p; “I’m sorry. I can try aga—” she winced at the electric pulse that shot across her temples. “I know I failed but if you give me another chance, I’ll do it. All I need is a minute.”
“No, Amy, I’ve seen enough.”
She couldn’t look at him, didn’t want to see the irritation that would surely be in his eyes. Bile rose up her throat. She pushed away from the table to pace quickly by the window, her movements jerky. “I can do it.”
She just needed another chance. That was all. She hadn’t been focused enough. Surely if he let her, she’d do it this time.
“You’re not going to try again.” She heard the brush of J.C.’s lab coat as he walked over to her. His hands caught her shoulders, turning her toward him so that he could ease her into an embrace. “I’m not risking your health by trying again.”
“I messed up.”
“Amy, I only wanted to see if it was possible. To see if you could be the bridge. You can’t expect to succeed on the first try. Like I said, I only wanted to assess your limitations.”
His hands brushed over her hair, his touch warm and inviting. She wanted to curl against him. “But—” She lifted her head. His eyes held no frustration or anger. If anything, she saw concern. For her. He was worried about her.
“Stop comparing me to your other experiences.” J.C.’s jaw tensed. “I do things my way. I’ve never been a fan of the rules and I’ll never make you do something to hurt you. You have my word.”
Because she wanted to forget, at least for a bit, Amy lifted herself up onto her toes. She didn’t think, didn’t do anything but slide her lips over his. Shock rippled through him—she felt it as though it were her own. His palm slid to her jaw moments later, angling her head as he rubbed his mouth ever so lightly over hers. Soft. Warm. His lips pressed to hers, the tingling flames shooting to her core. She shivered, leaning into the kiss until he eased back.
“I’m not going to let them hurt you. Trust me.” His voice was hoarse, the sound of it making her insides melt. “I don’t want you to ever think I’d make you hurt another. I will never approve of those methods. Never.”
She could only nod.
“I’m serious. I’ll protect you from Broderick and the Council as best as I can.” His expression was so serious that she couldn’t move. “Let’s get out of here and go for a walk. Testing is done for the day and frankly, I don’t want to stay here.”
She didn’t know what to think. This was unlike anything her past had prepared her for. She’d learned that failure was not an option and that she’d be punished for it. And if not her, then someone else.
She’d known J.C. was different, had felt it, but some fears of the past could never be erased. Looking at him now, the first glimmer of hope warmed her. That maybe she could be normal.
* * *
“You ruined my experiment.”
J.C. looked up from Amy’s test results and shot a glance over at Broderick. “And what,” he spoke slowly, well aware that he had to watch what he said, “experiment are you talking about?”
“Amy. You interfered.” Broderick walked the length of the lab, then stopped. “I wanted to see how she’d react when confronted by danger. You killed two of my men, J.C.”
“Should I have sat back and let them kill us?”
“Don’t be dramatic. They didn’t have orders to kill you. If they had, you’d be dead, not grazed.” Broderick’s lips pursed tight. “I informed you a test was coming up. The fact that you ignored procedure isn’t something to reward you for.”
He held himself stiff. “I expected the test to be in a lab. I didn’t know you’d send assassins after her.” It took everything he had not to shove the man up against the wall. How dare Broderick put her life at risk. “You should have warned me of what you were planning. I had no way of knowing those men were yours.”
“I did warn you. I sent Rick to tell you.”
The slimy rat. J.C. shoved back from the desk and linked his hands behind his head. He counted to ten, waiting until his temper calmed a bit before he lowered his hands.
“He didn’t tell me,” he bit out.
He knew Rick would be angry that J.C. had taken Amy away, but to put her life at risk? It was incomprehensible.
“You were supposed to stay out of it. Whether he told you or not isn’t the issue. Explain to me again why you want her case.”
“Because I’m the best man to get results. She didn’t fail your test. She killed one man by manipulating him. She made him pull the trigger on himself.” He hated the words that came from his mouth, hated that she had to go through all that for a “test,” “If she can strengthen her psychic muscles a bit more, she would be a great advantage to have.”
He still needed her link with the killer. If Broderick pulled him from Amy’s case then anyone could get her.
But more than that, if she was given to another, they would make her kill.
His hands fisted at his side, his knuckles turning white. He shoved them into his pocket and shook his head.
“If you take me off her case it’s going to set her training back. She’s never going to open up to a new scientist. We both know it.”
“I’m not an idiot, J.C. You’ve softened on her and that’s not acceptable.”
His breath caught in his throat. He was still that young boy, the one who’d been handed to Broderick to raise the moment his parents had died—before their bodies had cooled. He was still the boy who’d been whipped when he’d disagreed or locked in the Abyss when he’d stolen test details. And he realized that little boy could still feel fear.
He’d gone up against killers. Gone up against men who had been trained to be cold-blooded murderers and still…this one man had power over him.
Broderick had cared little for the “brat” he’d taken in. But at least, he’d gotten some praise over the years. Stefan and Rick certainly hadn’t had any. It was as though Broderick refused to be proud of his sons and what they could accomplish. There was always something they did wrong. Some weakness they needed to work on. Genetics was simply a fact, nothing more. It didn’t make the man a parent.
“I’m doing what’s necessary.”
He was manipulating her. He was the one who’d locked her away all those years ago. What else was he going to be responsible for?
“Amy will work with whatever scientist I assign to her. Why? Because otherwise there will be consequences. Consequences she’s not going to like. I’ll make the psych ward seem like a vacation to her if I must.”
“Don’t do this to her.” He instantly regretted the words. Damn it. Broderick was right. She’d made him care. Made him look beyond her as a subject. She was…his. “She’s not like the others.”
Broderick lifted a brow. “Oh I assure you, she is. But that’s not what we’re discussing.”
“She’s my case.” When Broderick said nothing, J.C. continued, “Do you really want to restart it all? Because you’ll have to if you hand her off to another scientist. Had I known it was a test, I wouldn’t have interfered. My only thought was to protect a valuable asset of the Council.”
And he would kill to keep her safe. The moment the thought popped into his head, doubts slammed him hard. What made him think that he could protect Amy?
Broderick frowned and grabbed a skunk skull from the counter. After a moment of tense silence, he set it back down. “See to it that you don’t interfere in my tests again. This is your only warning, J.C.”
* * *
J.C. shouldered his way into Rick’s lab, ignoring the lab assistants who scattered at the sight of him. He probably looked less than civil. He most certainly didn’t feel like sitting down for tea and biscuits. He shoved Rick against the wall, snarling as he tightened his hand against the man’s throat, holding him there.
He didn’t restrain himself, couldn
’t.
Rick would probably go scurrying back to his father to tell him that the re-programming had failed, but he needed to know that J.C. wasn’t going to lie down and take it. No one messed with those under his care.
“What the hell is your problem, Gurvitch?”
Rick swallowed hard, his throat muscles constricting as he tried to breathe. J.C. tightened his grip then let go and stepped back. Rick slid to the floor. When the wheezing finally stopped, Rick glared up at him. “Me? What the hell is yours?”
“You didn’t tell me Broderick set up a test for Amy. I want to know why. Now.”
Setting a hand on the wall, Rick pushed himself up onto his feet. He rubbed a hand over his throat, swallowing again. “I knew you wouldn’t be able to resist playing white knight. She wasn’t your case. She was mine and you stole her.”
He stared at Rick in disbelief. “So what, this is a literal version of ‘if I can’t have her, no one will’? She could have died. I thought we were being attacked by the enemy.”
“Oh please, it got her out of her shell didn’t it? She’s so damn whiny about not hurting others, it’s the only way to get results with her. I was finally getting her to do what I want, then you happened to come along and what J.C. wants, J.C. gets. Despite all the hard work I put into training her, my father simply gave her to you. It’s not right.”
“Amy isn’t property.” His hands clenched. “Your work ethics are appalling. You shouldn’t even have a lab.”
“She’s who she is because of me. She wouldn’t have even known what she was capable of if it wasn’t for me.” Rick stepped closer until they were face to face. “I made sure she didn’t end up lost in the system. I saw the potential in her when no one else did. But you see her as damaged goods, don’t you? You saw her as weak and vulnerable, needing protection. You couldn’t resist taking her in.”
“You had no right to use violence and threats to get her to cooperate.” The feel of his fist against Rick’s jaw fed the rage within him, the force of his strike knocking Rick back again. It was the wrong move, but J.C. didn’t care.