“She said something about me knowing who she was and reminded me that she warned me … no, she said we, ‘we,’ ‘we warned you’ like there were two of her, but I don’t think she meant that there were two of her. I think she meant that she was me.” Maia shook her head. “God, I sound like a lunatic, talking in circles, making no sense. She mentioned that the babies would be very powerful one day, but … but not yet. Wait, she said, ‘we are each other.’ That she could only ‘reflect what we’ve become.’ When I tried to reach for her to see if she was real, she disappeared.”
“You tried to reach for her? How, with your leg hurting so much?”
“That’s another thing. My leg didn’t hurt during that time, but I knew it was still broken. I heard a noise and … I was probably just dreaming, because when I opened my eyes and no one was there my leg was most definitely in pain.”
“I don’t know what all this means. The next time you, or I for that matter, hear this woman, we have tell each other while it’s happening. Maybe the babies are girls, and because they have abilities, you were able to project your thoughts to me.”
“I know those things are possible. You two do it all the time,” she said, gesturing toward Cael and Addie, “but that doesn’t explain the old woman. Who is she? Do you think it’s possible that I can actually project my reflection from the future to warn me about something happening now?”
Gerry shrugged.
“Maybe,” Addie said.
“But why wouldn’t I make myself clearer? This old woman is being very mysterious and vague about everything.”
“Really, Maia? You don’t think that sounds like you at all?” Addie said with an incredulous look on her face and Gerry grinned.
“What exactly are you saying?” Maia asked, extremely perplexed and agitated.
“I’m saying you have a way of being very mysterious and vague. You’ve spent your entire life being just that. All those years of pretending not to know anything about my gifts and abilities, keeping my dad’s secret. Not even telling Gerry.”
“Well, I couldn’t tell Gerry. I had no idea he had any powers. If I had known …” she glanced at him and made a scrunched up face, “I would have told you. Just because I was raised in a family of ‘superheroes,’ Maia raised her hands and tweaked her fingers around an imaginary word in the air and Gerry couldn’t help smile, “but don’t possess any of my own doesn’t mean I’m not respectful of those who do and understand the need to keep their secret.”
“I know, but also, remember the first time I told you about Cael? You made some comment about him being different. You thought I didn’t hear it, but I did. You were so very elusive during the entire conversation, hinting that my nightmares had some hidden meaning to some ability or something that I needed to examine. I can’t remember exactly, but yeah, that is totally like you.”
“Listen, my guess is exactly the same as Gerry’s,” Cael interjected before Addie could start up again. “I think it is completely possible that your babies are projecting their unborn abilities to you. I’ve said this before, there are no guarantees what abilities someone might inherit or possess from several generations before. Not all gifts are passed down to every generation. Some are skipped. Another possibility is that because you are pregnant and they are girls, you’ve acquired the ability to see yourself from the future. More likely the latter.” He smiled. “But still, I think we need more proof of what exactly is happening and I think if and when it continues, we’ll learn more.”
***
Cael glanced at Gerry as if waiting for some sort of agreement from him. But Gerry only shrugged again, not really knowing what else to do. He wasn’t up on all the possibilities of what people could or couldn’t do or how powers were passed down. Hell, he hadn’t really cared before—had no reason to. He was grateful he had the abilities he did, though.
He was raised by his father, a man who not only hadn’t possessed any abilities, he hadn’t a clue they even existed. His mother, well, she’d skipped out on his old man and him when he was a toddler, never dropping a clue to his dad about any abilities or powers or gifts as he liked to think of them. Gerry hid his from his pop, too scared to divulge his and Aiden’s secret for fear someone might put them away, somewhere only crazy people went. He and Aiden had talked about that right after Aiden had discovered his gifts. They’d decided right then never to tell anyone about them. No way was anybody gonna put them in a loony asylum, ever. Well, that changed a bit as they grew up and realized they weren’t the only ones, which was quite a relief. At first, they’d thought maybe the bee stings had something to do with it. But that theory went by the way-side as soon as Aiden developed his ability to see the future by about five minutes or however long it was. When he and Aiden developed more abilities, they knew for sure.
Gerry cleared his throat. “Um, yeah. We should just pay closer attention to it all and see what happens. I still think we should let Thompson know, but you’re right about not being able to do anything about it. But maybe we can get the city to put up some sort of guardrail and signs asking bikers to watch out for and respect pedestrians along that path. If nothing else, we can try to prevent something like this from happening to someone else.”
Chapter 13
Anti-Kids?
“Do you really think that’s possible?” Addie asked Cael, flipping the bedroom light switch with her mind as she entered the spacious bedroom. The room filled with a soft glow from the small lamp by the bedside. She walked to the large picture window, stood looking out into the dark and switched the lights off again so she could admire the way the moonlight played upon the waves, creating a sparkle of movement as the ocean gently rolled up over the sand. She grimaced as she noticed the trees beginning to sway, which meant those gentle rolls of foam would soon become a bit more violent with the wind.
“What?” Cael asked, walking up behind her and putting his arms around her, pulling her body against his firm chest.
“Hmmm.” She moaned slightly, titling her head back against him, enjoying the embrace, the warmth of his body against hers. She remembered the first time she’d stood at this very spot, looking out the window, her hand clasped tightly in Cael’s. They had just met. He was showing her a gorgeous house he planned to rent, had wanted her opinion, he’d told her. Addie smiled at the sweet memory. She told him it was spectacular, but now that she thought about it, she wasn’t entirely sure whether she’d been referring to the house or him. Now, so much has changed. The world she’d known, the infinite capabilities that existed were mind-boggling.
“The possibility that the babies are girls and that they are projecting their abilities to Maia.”
“Could be. You know as well as I do that virtually anything is possible.”
That’s what scared her so much, she wanted to say, but kept it to herself. His response would only attempt to soothe her about something neither of them knew anything about. He wanted kids so much. Why couldn’t he just love her? Wasn’t she enough for him?
“I don’t think I like the idea of some unborn child or children giving my aunt their abilities, if that’s what they’re doing. You can’t say for certain that is what’s happening with her and Gerry. Maybe Gerry’s ability is doing it.”
“Some unborn child? What’s the matter with you? These “unborn” children are most likely your nieces, since they might be the reason for Maia’s visions and now, possibly Gerry’s, too. Why are you so anti-kids?”
Oh God, she should have known she’d gone too far with that statement, should have realized he’d pick up on it instantly. “I’m not anti-kids. Really. I love kids. I love Breena.” She needed to say something to reassure him and do it quickly or they were in for another argument she wasn’t ready for. Besides, she really was very fond of Breena. “She’s the most remarkable little girl I’ve ever met. In fact, to prove to you that I love kids … love her … why don’t we invite Breena to visit? She could come and stay with us for a while. I’m sure your mother wo
uld appreciate the break.”
Cael’s brows rose in a look of astonishment and he gave her a proud boyish grin. “You want Breena to come here and stay overnight?”
“Yeah, why does that amaze you? You’ve seen us together. She and I have fun. She likes me and I like her.”
“Okay. But what happens to her when you go to work?”
“Well, you could stay with her. She loves you. You’re her … what are you to her exactly?”
He scratched his head and fell silent for a moment. “Nothing. No blood relation. Her father was my best friend. I guess I’m kind of like an uncle, but let me get this straight. You want Breena to come and stay here with us?”
“Sure. Why not? You said you want kids and having Breena stay for a while would really help you practice your parenting skills for the future. But also … and I’ll check with Maia on this, I think Breena could be great company for her and I’m sure Maia would love it too.”
He walked to her, caressed her cheek with his hand, rubbed his thumb over her pouting bottom lip and smiled. “I’ll arrange it.”
“Okay, let me talk to Maia first, make sure she wants to help out. We can do that together because I’m sure you want to talk to her some more about the babies and how they might be the reason for her visions.”
“Whatever it is, I don’t think it’s anything to worry about. It sounds to me like it … they … only want to help—can’t be anything wrong with that. The part that bothers me is the warnings and why they are happening.”
***
Gerry lifted Maia’s legs, placed an overstuffed pillow under her knees and kissed her softly on the lips before walking to the window. He stood, staring out at the white caps in the ocean that was about a quarter mile away from the cottage. The brief break of nice weather only lasted about an hour. Now, once again, the rain pelted down and the wind was extreme, tilting trees halfway to the ground. Must be blowing at least 40 miles per hour by the looks of things. If Cael hadn’t found Maia when he had, well, he didn’t want to think about that. He owed the guy—again—for helping protect what’s his. His family.
Family. A powerful word. Gerry rubbed his eyes, unsure why that word suddenly stuck in his head.
He glanced back at Maia sleeping peacefully. God, he loved her. If anything had happened … well, he didn’t think he’d want to live anymore. Period. Maia had become his life, his sole purpose for living. And now, the babies too.
Babies.
He set his eyes back on the sea as it sloshed about, eddied in places, similar to what his mind felt like—in turmoil. Why did he feel so out of control? No, not out of control, more like … what? Incomplete? Maia completed him. But he felt incompetent and unable to protect her, his family. There was that word again. Family. What was a family? A dad, a mom, two-point-two kids and a cat and dog. Well, that was what they were in storybooks, or maybe in real life too under normal circumstances. His life had never been normal; he’d been raised by a dad too busy to pay much attention to him. He never knew his mother, didn’t even know if she was alive. His dad never wanted to talk about her much, said she just left one day. Gerry shook his head to clear those thoughts. A family was certainly more than a mom and a dad. It was also a group of people who loved and cared for one another. Sometimes they were related, like Maia and Addie. Sometimes they were just … what? In love? Close in spirit? Soul mates? Love. I love Maia. She possesses my heart, my soul, she and the babies. Addie too, he supposed, though he wondered how she felt about that. She’d probably prefer someone a little less over-bearing. But it was all because he loved her, too, even though they weren’t blood like her and Maia.
Maia stirred, making a soft moaning sound and he went to her, got under the covers and scooted in close, gently spooning her against him. He stroked his fingertips over her forehead. “Shhhh, it’s okay, baby. Go back to sleep,” he whispered.
“I don’t think I can sleep anymore right now,” she sighed.
“You need to rest. The babies need you to rest.”
“Gerry?”
“Yes, darlin’, what is it?”
“I’ve just been thinking. The shove or push. I think … it felt … deliberate. Otherwise, why wouldn’t the person have stopped to help me?”
“I know, the thought’s crossed my mind too, and if I ever find out who the merciless bastard was, I’ll kill him.” Or her, he added to himself.
“Who would do such a thing? Who would want to hurt me?”
Gerry considered all the people he knew and the only one with reason who came to mind was Careen. Would she stoop to such drastic measures to be with him? Could she? The woman was vindictive, but to harm another human being, especially a pregnant woman? That undertaking seemed a bit drastic, even for Careen. “I don’t know,” he whispered in her ear, “but they will be sorry when I find out.”
“So, what did I … or the voice say to you, exactly?”
He kissed the side of her neck below her ear. “Well, you—or someone—said, ‘Help her, help Maia,’ or something like that. At first, I thought I was hearing things and asked Bart if he’d heard it too, but he said no. I shook it off at first, thinking the power of suggestion was getting to me. Then I heard it … you again and Bart and I talked a bit about it and decided that nothing was too impossible. I called your cell phone a couple of times and when it went straight to voicemail, I got worried. I figured I … we should go look for you.”
He sensed her smile. “Maia, I was so worried when we couldn’t find you. I love you so fucking much.” He stroked his fingers through her hair before splaying them across her stomach, wanting to feel the babies. His babies. “I’m extremely glad you all are okay.”
She turned to face him, kissed his lips, softly, gently, but deepening the intensity. He began to become aroused. “I don’t know if you should be doing that right now.”
“Why? Are you too tired from walking along the trail?” She kissed his neck and slipped her hand down, wrapping her fingers around him. “You don’t seem too tired.”
He laughed. “No. No ma’am. Not too tired at all. I only thought you shouldn’t …”
“Gerry, I’m pregnant, not fragile. I won’t break from having sex with you.”
“You won’t? Promise?”
She shook her head, covering his chest with gentle kisses. “I promise.”
It was all too much for him and he couldn’t resist any longer. He moved to hover over her, taking first one nipple in his mouth, swirling his tongue around and around, then the other. Maia moaned with delight, stroking him, making him harder. The head of his cock bulged out of the top of his pajama pants. He shifted his weight so he wouldn’t squash the babies and she couldn’t grasp her hand completely around him but pressed her hip against him, moving slowly around and up and down until Gerry thought he would lose his mind.
She struggled with the tie on his pants. “Wait,” he said and tugged his pants off, tossing them on the floor. He shuddered when she clasped her fingers around his hard erection once again.
“Keep doing that and you’ll ruin your own fun.”
“I have faith in you, babe. I want you inside me, now.”
With that, he slipped into her, carefully and slowly at first, not wanting to disturb the twins. “This okay?”
“Hmmm … it’s like heaven.” Her husky tone filled with lust excited him and he almost lost himself right at that moment. Pulling back to gather his composure, he cupped her breast in his hand and covered her mouth with his. Maia wrapped her arms around his neck and moaned. Gerry started to move deep again, but remembered the babies. “Am I hurting you or the babies?”
“No.” She pulled him against her and he arched his back to avoid her belly, her heart pounding against his. His desire had his breath catching in his lungs.
Sliding his tongue down her neck to her breast, he teased her nipple with his teeth before taking it in his mouth. His tongue flicked at it repeatedly while his fingers teased the other.
“God,
Maia, you’re so beautiful, even more now with the babies,” he whispered. Catching his breath, he returned to her swollen breasts, tasting first one, then the other. His hands roamed over her body, relishing every curve, new and old, his fingers teasing as her body quivered under him.
Maia and the babies were the most important thing in his life now. He needed to protect her, wanted to make her happy and safe. After this afternoon, he’d need to take extra precautions.
“Gaol,” he whispered in her ear and she quivered under him.
Chapter 14
To Scotland - Maybe
“Gaol,” Maia repeated the Scottish word for love. The hormones colliding through her body took some getting used to and the sexual release she craved now had her in a flux of emotions. Some days, sex was the furthest thing from her mind, but tonight? She wanted Gerry more than ever before. Wrapping her arms around him, she ran her fingertips down his back to his buttocks and caressed, his taut muscles flexing under her touch.
She jerked her hips up, meeting his; accepting and demanding, she pulled his face to hers. His kisses rendered her helpless. She loved the way his hands caressed her skin, gentle but firm and knowledgeable. He knew what she loved, what made her tick and she let him take her to that place where only he could.
Maia’s body ignited with a surge of tingles from deep inside, pulsing, pounding with pleasure. She felt sexy, a welcomed contrast to the way she’d imagined herself earlier in the day.
Wrapping her legs around him, she pressed her thighs against him. Deeper and deeper she took him in, filling her with jubilation and hunger. Hunger for Gerry. She thought she would explode. His eyes held hers as pleasure sparked inside. His strokes slow and deep, she shivered under him. His thrusts intensified as they moved together like a celestial orchestra, playing a classical symphony—smooth, vibrant—then climaxing with an explosion of drums.
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