Twice as Hot (20 page)

If
Elaine was fazed by the barrage of questions, she didn’t show it. “He has—had—a
house in every corner of the world, it seemed. He moved me around a lot. I
didn’t even know I was in Georgia until I arrived at PSI. But no, I didn’t work
directly with Candace.”

“What
about Desert Gal? Have you ever met her?” I asked.

“No.
Sorry. My social life as an OASS agent was…limited.”

Limited.
Sadly, the description was probably generous. I felt so bad for this girl,
wanted to take her under my wing, protect her. Maybe she and Tanner could—no, I
thought sadly. They couldn’t. One touch of her skin, and she’d kill the boy.
That, I couldn’t allow.

I
couldn’t even give her a hug unless we both wore full-body condoms.

“Tell
us about the jobs he had you work.” Tanner plopped into the chair next to mine.

“I
was his killer, just as I was his father’s.” Shame dripped from her. Shame and
regret and horror. “It was easy for me. Quick. No one ever suspected, never
realized they’d welcomed death, until it was too late. All I had to do was walk
past them, brush my hand against theirs. And I know what you’re thinking. I
should have touched Vincent and killed him. I would have loved to do that, but
he made sure he was never in striking distance.”

My
chest constricted, and I wondered again if that’s what had happened with
M-Squared. Which caused me to soften. Again. Pretty Boy had issued commands
from a remote location, so there had never been anything M-Squared could do to
stop the man. Except, he’d been Desert Gal’s favorite. Why would he have been
her favorite if he hadn’t helped her? Oops again. There was more steam.
Apparently, I was a yo-yo when it came to that man.

“Who
did he want you to kill?”

“People
who disagreed with his business practices, PSI employees who wouldn’t join him,
no matter the incentive. Innocents who had something he wanted.”

And
that had clearly torn her up inside. Even after everything she’d already
endured. Okay. I didn’t care if she could drain me. I didn’t care if one touch
of her skin could destroy me. I stood to shaky legs and strode forward, closing
the distance between us. There was another rap on the window, but I didn’t
slow. I knelt in front of her and placed my palms on her gloved arms. There was
no buzz of sensation, no zap of my strength.

She
stiffened.

That
didn’t deter me, either. This lonely girl had not known the kindness or love of
even a single parent, as I had. Hers had sold her, as if she were a car or a
boat. They hadn’t contacted her afterward, I’m sure. Hadn’t visited her on her
birthdays or called her when she was sick. No one should have to endure such a
travesty.

“Wh-what
are you doing?” she asked.

“Giving
you a hug.” Slowly, so I wouldn’t startle her, I leaned my head into her chest,
my shoulder into her middle.

Her
eyes widened the closer I came. “You could be hurt. Something bad could happen
to you and I wouldn’t—I—”

She
didn’t tell me to stop, I noticed, and that was more telling than she probably
realized. I wrapped my arms around her and pressed my cheek just above her
breast, heard her heart pound as if it wanted to beat its way out.

A
tremor moved through her, shaking us both. I think a teardrop even splashed
atop my hair.

I
held on to her for a long while. Finally, her arms reached around me, tentative
at first, then squeezing tight. “Why are you doing this?” she whispered, the
words broken.

“Because
no one should have to endure the things you’ve endured. Because I hate that you
can’t be touched. Because you deserve better.” I wanted to absorb all of that
pain inside myself, take it away from her and show her just how precious and
wonderful life could be.

A
hand suddenly patted my back and I turned slightly, seeing Tanner kneel behind
Elaine. His arms wrapped around her, too, but had to slide around me to make
contact. That’s when the flood of tears came, no mere trickle, not anymore.

We
held her through it all. I didn’t care what I looked like, didn’t care that
Rome saw me this way rather than as a badass agent who beat the crap out of
“subjects” for answers.

When
she quieted, I pulled back but Tanner held on, his hands flat on her stomach. I
think he needed the contact as much as she did, because there were tears in his
eyes, as well. Perhaps
Elaine
was somehow absorbing the pain Lexis had
caused in him.

I
swallowed the hard lump in my throat as Elaine gripped his wrists, holding him
to her.

Then
her gaze lifted and clashed with mine. “I may not have met Desert Gal, but I
know that she wants you,” she told me quietly.

Me?
I hadn’t challenged her yet. Not really. “For what?”

“I’m
not sure, exactly. I overheard Candace tell Tobin that PSI would be rescuing us
soon, and he would get a fat reward from Desert Gal if he brought you in.”

I’d
been right. Some of the “victims” were plants. So many pieces were falling into
place, and soon the puzzle would be complete. I was more excited than I’d been
in a long time. The excitement was blended with fear, though. Desert Gal was
after me, yet my powers were wonky and my filter a stubborn shithead.
Tamp
down both emotions before you summon wind.

“Any
idea where Desert Gal is?” I asked.

“I
wish. I’d like to shove my foot up her ass.”

“Me,
too,” Tanner and I said in unison.

Elaine
nibbled on her bottom lip, dropped her gaze again. Her gloved fingertips traced
Tanner’s arm, and she watched the movements as though mesmerized. “Wh-what are
you going to do with me?”

“We’ll
take care of your food requests and iPod as promised, that much I know,” Tanner
said and released her. “The rest, I’m sad to say, is up to our boss.”

A
little whimper escaped her lips, but she didn’t ask him to touch her again.

The
cell I’d hooked to my waist started buzzing. I reached for it, saying, “For
now, I’m going to have Tanner take you to—”

The
rap on the window was harder than ever.

“To
my house,” I finished determinedly. Bringing her there was a risk, but I
couldn’t have her thrown back into some dank cell. I just couldn’t. “You might
have to go to lockup for a little while first, though. And as Tanner said,
we’ve got to talk to my boss, convince him of the wisdom of my plan.”

Hope
had been blooming in her expression, but it quickly died. “Hey, don’t worry
about it.” She laughed, but there was no humor in the sound. “I’m used to cells
like the one here and we both know he’s not going to allow me to leave.”

I
threw a glare over my shoulder, hopefully pinning Rome with my anger. “We are
not like Vincent. We are not cruel. And if you were my daughter, I would never
allow such a thing to be done to you.” I knew the remark would hit its target.
Because Sunny, Rome’s daughter, could mist through walls, Rome feared PSI—or
some other agency—would one day try to use her.

Tanner
pushed to his feet and squeezed Elaine’s shoulder. “When Belle puts her mind to
something, it gets done. Don’t worry.”

Slowly
a smile curled the corners of Elaine’s lush pink mouth, and she angled her head
up to him adoringly. “Thank you.”

He
returned her grin, even reached up and caressed a fingertip over her cheek. “My
pl—”

Immediately
she lost her smile.

He
did, too. His knees gave out and he crumpled to the ground in a motionless
heap.

I
spent the rest of the day
and night glued to Tanner’s side, trying to hold myself together. Maybe Rome,
Lexis and John met to discuss the Desert Gal/M-Squared case at lunch, maybe
they didn’t. I didn’t particularly care. I had only one concern right now.
Tanner. And I refused to leave him.

So
far, he hadn’t even twitched. At least he was now breathing on his own, which
was a big improvement from a mere hour earlier.

Cody
had called me a few times, but I’d been too focused on remaining calm to pick
up. If my emotions overtook me, I’d have to leave. The room, the building.
Because I couldn’t risk hurting Tanner further.

“Gonna
stay here another day?”

The
question came from behind me. I didn’t turn, even though a warm flutter started
in my belly and spread to my heart. Rome. I hadn’t allowed myself to think of
him, hadn’t allowed myself to wonder what he was doing and who he was doing it with
while I’d been here. “However long it takes.”

Rome
had come rushing into the room the moment Tanner had fallen. Without a word,
he’d scooped him up and carried him to the medical wing of the building. If he
hadn’t been there, I would have broken down, would have floundered, lost, not
knowing what to do.

Tanner
and I might not be blood-related, but he was my brother in every way that
counted. I needed him.

“Is
he…okay?”

The
question came from Lexis, soft, hesitant.

I
straightened as if I’d been jolted with lightning, but still I didn’t turn.
Seeing Lexis pretend to care might unleash a fury so potent, so
alive,
the small tether I had on my control would be severed. “Get out of here. Now!”
My fingers curled around the bedrail, knuckles leaching of color. “You have no
right to come near him. No right to upset him
again.
”

Silence.
Footsteps.

“She’s
gone,” Rome said. “You shouldn’t have chastised her, Belle. She’s worried about
Tanner, too. And by the way, you look like hell. Even in that skirt.”

Finally
I turned. I couldn’t help myself. He was indeed alone, leaning against the door
frame the same way Tanner liked to do. Actually, Tanner had picked up the
action from him. To emulate him, I think. “You should probably leave, too.
We’ll fight, and that won’t do anyone any good.”

He
remained in place. His dark hair was in disarray, stress lines around his
mouth. His lips were red and moist, as if he’d chewed on them. Or maybe they
were still red from the blistering kiss I’d given him. “Quite a few days we’ve
had.”

Fine.
He wanted to stay, he could stay. But small talk? Not gonna happen. “Make
yourself useful and go convince John to sign Elaine’s custody over to me.”

Expression
hardening, he shook his head. “Not a chance. We’ve got her back in lockup and
that’s where she’s going to stay. She took down an agent, Belle. You’re just
lucky we’re gathering everything you promised her.”

“It
was an accident, Rome.” I ran my tongue over my teeth and gave him my back
again. I’d expected the refusal, just not that it would be delivered with such
ironclad determination. “I want her out.”

“Why?
Were you lying and don’t really care about the boy on that bed? You said he was
your best friend and there he is, practically comatose. Don’t you want to
punish the one who put him there?”

“Like
I said, she didn’t do it on purpose.”

“You
don’t know that.”

“
He
touched
her.
Not the other way around.”

“Doesn’t
matter. She’s a danger to—”

“
I’m
a danger. Okay? That’s what you once said about me. But here I am,
fighting for your team. So let. Her. Out. I’ll take full responsibility for
her. Actually, let her out and bring her here. She can keep me company. Anyone
is better than the man I’m currently dealing with.” A man who had defended his
ex to me. Again.

“I
questioned her about her past victims.” Rome’s tone was flat, empty.

Had
my words hurt him? Surely not. He would have to care about me, about my
opinion. “And?”

“Many
died within the first hour of touching her, their lungs too weak to fill on
their own. Some survived for a day. A few, for good. Tanner’s already past the
first hour, as well as the first day, and he’s now breathing on his own. I
think he’s going to be all right.”

I
wanted to believe him. I wanted to hope. It was hard, though, when Tanner
looked so pale, so still.

“So…while
I had Draino’s attention, I asked her some other questions. Specifically about
Memory Man. She said they spent some time together in the cages and that he
hated Desert Gal. Fought her every step of the way.”

My
brow puckered in confusion. “If he hated her, why’d he help her and take your
memories? Why was he one of her favorites?”

“Maybe
she was simply trying to win him to her side. We’ll have to ask him to know for
sure.”

“Which
means we’ll have to find him,” I muttered, scrubbing a hand down my tired face.

“Draino
said—”

“She
has a name,” I interjected, my irritation clear. Paranormal nicknames were
important; they were the drumroll before an entrance, a defining factor of our
identity. I wouldn’t allow Elaine to be degraded by hers. So until we thought of
a new one, Elaine would have to do.