Crime and Punishment 4: Burning Submission (6 page)

“Now that I told you why I was in the tree…” Josh began. “Do you want to explain to me why you got so scared last night?”

She took a slow breath and licked her lips as she dropped the potatoes in the heated skillet. “The noise just startled me. That’s all.”

“Bullshit. I’ve been doing witness protection for a long time. I know flat-out fear when I see it.”

Jennifer sighed. “Did Linda tell you about my ex?”

“Yes.”

“Then you should understand.” Jennifer turned down the heat and spun around to face him. Might as well deal with this head-on. “Having you here was Linda’s idea. I didn’t want it. I don’t need protection.”

Josh’s steady stare didn’t change. “What did he do to you, Jennifer?”

“It doesn’t matter,” she said haughtily before turning away.

Josh set his phone on the counter. A picture of her at one of her father’s charity events was on the screen. Her whole world spun, and her knees felt weak. He knew she wasn’t who she said she was.

“It does matter,” he said.

The soft tone of his voice made her want to fall into his arms and tell him everything.

He was only one man. What could he possibly do to protect her? She could protect herself. She’d done it before. She’d done it to break free. She could do it again. But how would she ever explain it to him if he saw her do it?

She started shaking her head. Josh took a step toward her.

“You’re not running from a husband, are you?” he asked.

She continued to shake her head and licked her lips nervously.

“Who are you running from?”

“I don’t know,” she whispered.

And truthfully, she didn’t. She had no idea if they were government, military, or just some sick corporation.

Josh frowned. “How did you get away?”

She bit her lip. She couldn’t lie now. He’d caught her. She was trapped and had nowhere to go but the hall of truth. “I saw my chance, and I set the place on fire.” Her lips began to tremble as memories came rushing back. “I only remember bits and pieces. It’s like I was running on autopilot. Once it started, I couldn’t stop it.”

“Jennifer…” Josh reached for her, but she backed away. “Couldn’t stop what?”

“I don’t know. I…I think I electrocuted them, caused them to have heart attacks.”

Josh froze and stared at her. His hand was still outstretched. Jennifer wanted so badly to take it but was terrified that she might do much worse than the spark from last night, so she kept talking.

“When I got out, I had this irresistible pull to find Linda. I didn’t understand it, until I finally got to her house. I was dehydrated and bruised and burned and…detoxing off something. I think it’s what they gave me to keep me under control.”

He didn’t move, just kept his hand out. Her gaze kept flickering to his hand, his offer of support…a lifeline.

“What were they doing to you, sweetheart?” he asked softly.

Tears streamed down her face, and her voice shook as she spoke. “They were trying to turn me into a weapon.”

“And that weapon turned on them, didn’t it?” he whispered.

Jennifer sobbed and nodded. She started to reach for his hand but pulled back. “I’m afraid if I touch you, I’ll hurt you.” She stared at him with pleading eyes, trying to make him understand.

“You won’t hurt me,” he said with much more confidence than she felt.

“I did last night.”

“That was a spark, sweetheart. Nothing more.”

He hadn’t moved. She saw no fear in his eyes, no wariness, just understanding and comfort. Taking a deep, quivering breath, she raised her trembling fingers to his and lightly placed them in his outstretched palm. His skin was warm. There was a tingling sensation that should’ve made her pull back, but his fingers closed over hers before she could get away.

He tugged her to him, forcing her flush against his hard, strong chest. Jennifer sagged against him. Her sobs shook her entire body as his arms enfolded her, holding her close.

“It’s okay,” he cooed.

JOSH HADN’T EXPECTED her to reveal her secrets quite that fast, but he was glad she had. Confusion still tugged at his mind. She thought they were turning her into a weapon? That made no sense.

Her sobs slowly died down, but Josh kept his arms around her. He had a feeling if he gave any slack at all, she’d bolt.

The sizzle of the potatoes frying in the pan finally registered in his mind. He released her long enough with one arm to turn off the gas. Breakfast could wait.

“Jennifer, I need you to tell me everything,” he said softly.

“I can’t,” she murmured against his chest.

“If you’re afraid they will come for you again, I need to know why. I need to understand so I can better protect you.” She shook her head, and Josh sighed. “You can trust me.”

“I can’t put you in any more danger, Josh. You have to go.”

With a louder sigh, Josh gripped her shoulders and pushed her back from him. She kept her gaze down, and Josh gave her a firm shake before ordering, “Look at me, Jennifer.”

She raised her gaze to his, and the anguish he saw there nearly tore his heart.

“How do I know you won’t do what he did?” she whispered.

“What who did? Your college professor?”

After a second’s hesitation, she nodded.

“What happened, Jenn?” he asked again, hoping this time she would answer.

She broke free of Josh’s grip and stumbled to the kitchen table. She dropped heavily into one of the chairs as though the weight of all her troubles forced her down. She reached out and began to fiddle with one of the napkins lying in front of her. Josh moved to take the seat across from her, sensing she needed a moment to gather her thoughts.

“We started dating the fall of my third year at Harvard.” She bit her lip and looked up at him.

He gave her a nod of encouragement. “Go on.”

She stared back down at the napkin, her brow creased into a deep frown. “Did Linda tell you any of this?”

“No, and you’re stalling, Jenn.”

“Then how did you—?”

“Jennifer,” he said firmly. “We’ll discuss how I found out after you tell me everything.” He leaned forward and put his hand over hers. “You’re in trouble, and I need to know why.”

“You shouldn’t be here,” she whispered.

“You’ve already said that, but I am, and I’m not leaving until I know you’re going to be okay.”

“Why?”

“Because I promised Linda. Now spill.”

Chapter Nine

Jennifer wasn’t sure whether to hit him or hug him. His hand over hers felt warm and comforting, but there was also that underlying tingle that always seemed to accompany his touch. She stared down at their hands: her small one completely covered by his larger one.

“Do you feel that?” she asked.

His thumb softly brushed over the back of her hand. “Feel what?”

“That tingle.”

Josh kept rubbing his thumb over her hand, increasing the intensity of the current and warming her flesh. She brought her gaze back to his and wanted to just drown in his blue eyes, forget the world outside existed if only for a little while. She’d been so lonely, so alone.

“What is it, Jenn?” he asked.

She started to open her mouth and tell him she wanted him to hold her, to kiss her like he had last night, but she suddenly realized that wasn’t what he’d meant.

“That tingle is me.” She pulled her hand away and grabbed the half-empty cup of coffee that had been sitting on the table. “This coffee is cold. Feel it.”

She slid it toward him, and he dipped his finger in the liquid. “Yes, it’s cold, but what does—”

She held up a finger as she pulled the cup back to her. She placed her hand over the cup and concentrated. Steam began to lift through her fingers as the liquid warmed. She removed her hand and slid the cup back to Josh, but she couldn’t look at him. She kept her gaze on his hand as he wrapped it around the now warm mug.

“How did you do that?” he asked.

He didn’t sound afraid or freaked out, so she risked a glance. Instead of revulsion, she saw curiosity in his eyes, but she still didn’t quite relax. Her professor boyfriend had been curious too, then excited, then…

“I’ve been able to do it since I was little. I can pull the cool air away, and somehow the contents heat up. I can also pull the heat out, sometimes even freeze things solid.”

Josh let go of the mug and folded his hands in front of him on the table. “So, the pot handles yesterday were hot; you just cooled them.”

“Yeah, I had forgotten the pot holders.”

“This is why you went into neurology?”

She cleared her throat before answering. “Yes. As I got older, I realized I could do other things, such as manipulate the energy and electrical current that surround all of us. I spent most of my allowance as a kid buying lightbulbs to experiment with.”

Josh’s lips twitched, but other than that, his expression didn’t change.

“I thought that maybe it had something to do with the way my brain was wired. We only use a portion of it, so I thought it might be possible that somehow an unused portion of my brain had been awakened or something to that effect.”

“That explains the fellowship you never got to do. So, let me see if I can guess the rest. You told your professor about these abilities, and he turned you over to people who wanted to exploit you.”

She cringed, then nodded.

“What did they do to you, Jenn? Who were they?”

“I don’t know who they were. I never did. As for what they did to me… I was a lab rat. They used drugs, shock therapy, surgeries, anything they could think of to manipulate my abilities.” She grabbed the napkin again and began to tug at the corners. “I don’t know if they increased my power or if it was always there and I just hadn’t figured out how to work it yet, but when I left, at least what I remember, I pretty much leveled the place.”

“Maybe there’s no one left to come after you.”

“No. They’re still out there. That wasn’t the only facility. It was just the last one they took me to. I was moved at least twice. I don’t think they’re government. I think they’re something else.”

“You said you leveled the place.”

“Yeah,” she whispered, then swallowed as she tried to push what elements she remembered to the back of her mind. “I manipulated the electrical current to set fires and caused the men guarding me to have heart attacks.”

“What kept you from doing it sooner?” he asked.

“I didn’t know I could. They were…they were getting ready to do a surgery that would… It had a good chance of killing me. I think I panicked.”

Josh reached out and again put his hand over hers, comforting her. She still couldn’t look up at him. She felt unsure and odd. That was what she was. An oddity. A mutation. After what she’d done to get away, a monster.

“Hey. Jenn, look at me, sweetheart.”

Jennifer hesitantly brought her eyes up. A tear slipped from the corner of her eye to slide down her cheek. Josh reached out and wiped it away with his thumb. She wanted to lean into his touch but kept herself rigid out of fear.

“Have you tried to do any of that stuff since you got away, other than the simple things like heating water?” he asked as he lowered his hand back to the table.

She shook her head firmly. “No. Why would I do that?”

“What you did that day may have been an emotional reaction. Sometimes when people have abilities similar to yours, adrenaline will make them stronger. Just like with any other type of ability.”

“Such as mothers lifting cars off their children.”

“Exactly.”

“I don’t know if it’s a good idea. What if I can’t control it?”

Josh’s gave her a half smile. “It would be better to find that out now, don’t you think?”

Jennifer frowned as she slid her hand out from under his. “So you want me to practice and play around with my powers?”

Josh pulled his hand back, crossed his arms, and leaned on the table. “I think that would be the smart thing. You need to know what you can and can’t do. What your limitations are. It’s better to know that now than in the middle of a fight and things get out of hand.”

She watched him warily. “I suppose I see your point.”

He leveled his gaze, staring intently into her eyes. She wanted to trust him, felt deep inside that she could, but
what if
kept playing loudly through her head.

“I’m not him, Jenn. I’m not going to abuse you or your power. I’m not going to turn you over to someone who will. I just want to keep you safe. That also means that we, but mostly you, need to know what you can do. If you have confidence in yourself and your powers, you can better defend yourself.”

He was right, and she knew it.

“I can’t stay here forever, but while I am here, I can help you. And I need to know, when I leave, that you’ll be okay.”

“Fair enough.”

“Good.” Josh sat back and smiled. “Now let’s finish breakfast, get some more work done in the living room, and then we’ll work for a couple of hours this afternoon on
you
. Sound good?”

She smiled slightly. “Sounds good, coach.”

Josh chuckled as he stood. “So, that shock last night during that kiss was you?”

She felt the heat of a blush move over her face. “You just had to bring that up, didn’t you?” She looked up at him and noticed the devilish grin and spark in his eyes.

“Can you control that?”

She gave a shrug. “I don’t know. That’s never happened before.”

“We’ll have to find out.” He leaned down and braced one hand on the table, the other on the back of her chair. “Because when I kiss you again, I don’t want to end up having a heart attack.”

Before she could react, he bent forward and placed a quick kiss on the tip of her nose. She watched in stunned fascination as he walked to the stove and turned the potatoes back on.

“Do you want sausage or bacon?”

He asked it so casually, as though he hadn’t just basically told her he planned on kissing her again. She wasn’t sure if it was his straightforwardness or the fact he planned to kiss her again that had her heart racing wildly. The light above her flickered. She glanced up, wondering if that had been her. Did her excitement affect the energy around her?