Avenged (The Altered Series) (6 page)

Chapter Six

Nick surfaced from the blackness slowly.

He was on a bed, but it smelled musty, like it hadn’t been aired out in years. Or ever. There was no sheet.

As his eyes came open, he found Kitty crouched over him, staring at him.

“Thank the Lord.” Her shoulders slackened, and she fell backward onto her bottom, closing her eyes. “You were breathing so slowly.”

He rubbed his head as he sat up, trying to shake the last vestiges of fog. “I guess I was sleeping. Where are we? What happened?”

“Give it a second. It’ll come back to you. That’s how it always is with the tranks.”

He glanced around the room, taking in the basement chic of it. Concrete-block walls, concrete floor with a drain in the center, as if whoever cleaned here did it like they would a fast food restaurant: with bleach and a hose. There were two cots, the one he was laying on and another like it on the other side of the room. There was a makeshift bathroom in the corner, with a small sink, a rudimentary toilet, and a pipe jutting from the ceiling. In the center of the room, a light bulb hung from an electrical wire. There was only a pull-string to turn it on or off.

The room had one window, about the size of a ship’s porthole. Maybe smaller.

It was a cell.

That’s right. Goldstone. The cave. The other changed soldiers.

“How long was I out?” How long had she sat there watching over him was what he wanted to ask. She’d seemed upset. He tried not to like that very much. She hadn’t wanted him to die. Because she was a good person. Not because she liked him.

He needed to get a grip.

“I’ve only been awake for a few minutes. Ten maybe.” She shrugged. “Time is fuzzy in places like this.”

He could imagine.

“This isn’t the room you were in, though.” He glanced around them. “This isn’t like any of the rooms at the complex.”

“No.” She lifted the front of her hair and pushed it away from her face. “They must have moved us while we were unconscious.” She knelt then got to her feet, stretching her back. “Where were we before?”

“South Dakota.”

“Oh. Well, I doubt we’re there anymore.” Her brow scrunched up. “Funny. I’ve never been to South Dakota before.”

That’s what she latched onto? He searched the room, frantic. “Are there cameras in here?”

“Dunno.” She studied the room as well. “Usually the cameras were propped in the corner. Both in the last complex and the first. I don’t see any, though.”

He didn’t, either. The entire structure was cement block. There was a steel door in the corner, and the only power seemed to be going to the hanging light. If there were cameras, they’d have to be battery powered. “You think there’s a microphone?”

“I don’t see any. I doubt they’d waste small, inconspicuous cameras or microphones on us.”

He went to the walls, running his hands over them. No cracks, no openings. Nothing.

“I think we’re alone,” she offered as he continued to survey the place.

He could barely hear around his heartbeat.

Captive. He was a prisoner. He let the utter devastation of it wash over him.

Martins would have no idea where they were. Again. It might be months before they were found.

He’d failed.

His head dropped into his shoulders, and he gritted his teeth. How the hell was he going to get them out of here? This room was locked down. They had a better chance of surviving an atomic bomb in here than of ever getting out on their own.

Damn it.

“Are you okay?” Kitty’s voice cut into his silent diatribe.

“As if you don’t know.” He lifted his head on a bark of self-derisive laughter. “You, the only person who doesn’t have to ask that question, can hear my self-criticism firsthand.” He tapped the side of his head. His failure was bad enough. Sharing it with her was the whipped cream on this shit sundae.

They stood there, staring at each other. The tension cracked in the air as neither of them said anything.

Finally she stepped forward, putting her hands on his forearms. The contact calmed him, focused him. He remained still, not wanting to scare her or do anything that would discourage the connection. Her eyes soft, she said, “I know this is scary, but you’ll survive. I promise. We’re here together now.”

Simple words, spoken with what sounded like a lifetime of experience. But what really got him was that she cared to comfort him. When faced with returning to a cell, what had to be her worst nightmare, she reached out to him.

God, she killed him.

As natural as anything, he lifted his hands, curling them the slightest bit around her elbows. Her warmth seeped into him as he cradled her fine bones in his fingers.

The possibilities played through his mind, vivid and appealing. With the slightest pressure, he would coax her into his arms, feel her willowy form against him, and cocoon her slight frame with himself.

He would hold her safe, and she would burrow into him.

Quickly he dropped his hands and turned away, desperately trying to conceal his thoughts. What was he even thinking?

“What
are
you thinking?”

Stalling, he stepped away from her. This was bad, so bad. “What do you mean?”

“You…” Her voice had pitched up. “I heard you.”

Fuck
.

She opened her mouth to comment, but the door lock clicked, interrupting her. Despite whatever conversation they’d been about to have, or however uncomfortable it might have been, they stepped closer, united, as the door swung open.

Jeremy stood in the entrance, flanked by two soldiers. Nick recognized them from the valley. They’d been there to run him and Kitty down.

His jaw clenched, Nick stepped forward, positioning himself partially in front of Kitty. If they thought they were going to take her somewhere, for God only knew what reason, they’d have to get through him first.

“Oh good, you’re both awake.” Jeremy smirked, as if he was amused by his own joke. “Nick, the doctor wants to see you.”

Behind him, Kitty tensed. “Fields wants to see Nick? Why?”

“He’s got some questions.” Jeremy shrugged. “Nick landed a job here—at a high-level security contractor—in order to find you and get you out. His name should have raised flags, but he cleared our background checks.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Obviously, Dr. Fields would like to know how he managed to do that.”

The other men with Jeremy stepped forward, advancing on him.

Nick didn’t think; he reacted. He swept a leg out, tripping the one on the left. He had a flare of satisfaction, watching the man fall, and he spun to address the second pursuer. Before he could make any contact, he was frozen. Completely paralyzed. He was familiar with the feeling. Blue and Luke had lifted him before, thrown him out of windows and off of buildings. But they always let him breathe while they did it.

The suffocation kicked off spikes of terror. It only lasted a moment or two, but it felt like so much longer. When he began to feel dizzy, though, the air entered his lungs again.

He dropped to his knees, gasping. Over his heartbeat, he heard Kitty. The words weren’t clear, but the speed and pitch told him she was upset.

She crouched beside him, her hand on his sleeve. He tried to focus on her as he coughed. Her eyes were incredibly blue as she whispered, “Are you okay?”

He nodded, because he hated to see her so scared, but didn’t respond before they dragged him to his feet.

“You can’t do this,” she declared, yanking on Nick’s arm. Not that she had any chance of stopping them.

Seemed he didn’t have much chance, either.

“He won’t be gone long, baby.” Jeremy winked at her as he held the door. The other two shoved Nick forward.

“You can’t do this,” she repeated, her voice stronger. Irate. For him.

“It’s okay,” he told her, as they dragged him past her. He tried to keep at the forefront of his mind, where she could hear it, that it would all be okay, somehow.

He wasn’t sure he convinced her, though, and as they closed the door behind them, he wasn’t convinced, either.

No one said anything as they led him down the hallway of what appeared to be a rundown, rambling school building. Signs of negligence surrounded him. Dust covered windows and windowsills, and the floor hadn’t been scrubbed. There were no furnishings in some of the rooms he passed, and other rooms’ furniture was covered in sheets.

Kitty had been right. This wasn’t the compound he’d worked in. They must have abandoned the other building quickly. This one wasn’t prepared for them yet.

They turned into what looked like a conference room of some kind. This place was cleaner than the rest, the linoleum tiles free of dust, the light fixtures gleaming. A desk sat at one end, a few chairs against the wall.

“Ah. Thank you.” Fields placed the paperwork he’d been holding on the desk and came around to greet him. “Mr. Degrassi. Thank you for joining us.”

Nick didn’t answer. As if he’d had a chance to decline.

“Please. Have a seat.” Fields gestured to the chair one of Jeremy’s cohorts had moved to the center of the room.

Nick remained silent. Fields lifted his eyebrow. The challenge was clear. Sit, or be seated.

He sat. He didn’t delude himself that this would be an easy meeting. No reason to stir trouble unnecessarily.

“Thank you.” Fields grinned, as if praising a student’s correct answer. “Now. Mr. Rickles has informed me that you roomed with him in San Antonio.”

“That’s right.” Nick turned to glare at his former roommate. “I took him in when he needed a room.”
Bastard
.

“He says you are friends with Seth Campbell, as well.”

He grunted. If this asshole thought he was going to find out anything about Seth or Blue from him, he was sorely mistaken.

“Where are Mr. Campbell and Miss Blueberry Michaels?”

Nick shrugged.

Fields tsked. “Mr. Degrassi. Now is not the time to be silent.”

“Don’t know where they are.” Which was true technically. Idaho was a big state. “We split up.”

The doctor’s mouth thinned. “Split up, you say. Exactly where did you go?”

Nick remained silent, only staring at the doctor. Their eyes held for a heavy moment before Fields’s brow dropped.

“I see.” He made a clicking noise in the back of his throat before nodding to Jeremy, at Nick’s left side.

The punch came fast and hard. The uppercut landed on his left jaw. His head jerked back and to the right, wrenching his neck and sending pain slicing along the entire side of him. Then, the agony of the blow started to set in. He gritted his teeth before he realized he must have bit his lip or tongue or something. His mouth filled with blood.

He spat the entire mess of it in front of him, at Fields’s feet.

“Now, then. Let’s try this again.” Fields folded his hands in front of him. “Where did you go?”

Still recovering from the punch, he glanced around him, taking stock of his options. Wincing, he recognized that things were about to get worse for him. As the pain laced through him, his priorities clarified.

Fields wanted answers. Nick needed to decide what answers he was willing to give.

Who sent him? Fine. They would be able to find that out easy enough on their own.

But there was going to be a lot here that he wasn’t about to spill, no matter how much they tried to beat it out of him.

His best bet was to convince them he didn’t know much.

Realistically, it made sense. He was a twenty-one-year-old new special ops soldier. How much could he know?

Maybe he could learn something in return.

“I went to Major Martins, at Sam Houston, and I turned myself in.” It was the perfect olive branch. It gave the impression of helpfulness without actually being helpful.

Fields smiled and nodded over Nick’s head, presumably at Jeremy. “See? I told you he only needed to see it our way.”

Nick smiled back, but it felt nasty. Rage boiled inside him, and he swallowed it down, the taste of blood still tangy in his mouth. “I aim to please. But the real question, doctor, is where did
you
go?”

Fields tapped his chin. “Now, now.” He gazed out the window. “Why are you here?”

“I came to get Kitty.” No real secret there, either.

“Such a knight in shining armor.” Jeremy sneered at his side.

“Well, I felt bad.” Nick glared at him. “If I’d known how much of a dickhead my roommate was, maybe I could have stopped her from being trapped here in the first place.”

The second punch caught him in the mouth. Those always hurt, with the face involved. But it had been worth it.

“Mr. Rickles!” Fields’s voice had sharpened. “This isn’t your interrogation.”

“Yeah, Mr. Rickles,” Nick added with as much of a grin as he could work up with his lips throbbing. “Keep your fucking mouth shut.”

Fields scowled. “Why would they send you?” He asked the question off-hand. “Why not choose more qualified people?”

That didn’t seem to deserve comment so he remained silent.

“There are more.” The doctor nodded. “Who is it?”

Here’s where the ride started. “There’s no one else.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Sorry about that.”

“This will be much easier if you tell me what I want to know.”

“Yep.” Nick smacked the end of the word. “But that doesn’t mean I know anything.”

Fields sighed. “You leave me no choice, then.”

Jeremy stepped in front of Nick, massaging his knuckles.

In response, Nick smiled at him.

Chapter Seven

The door swung open on a shriek. Jeremy and another guard shuffled in, dropping Nick in a bleeding heap in the middle of the room. He coughed, curling in on himself.

Kitty didn’t remember getting up from the bed or going to his side, but that’s where she ended up. On closer inspection, his face was broken, bruised, and bloody in countless spots, and he rubbed his ribs as if there was also damage she couldn’t see.

She glared at Jeremy from the floor, rubbing her fingers on Nick’s arm, afraid to hurt him more than he was. “He’s a mess.”

He shrugged, patting his hands off on his pant legs. “He wasn’t telling Fields what he wanted to hear.”

“Fields didn’t hit him.” She heard his smug triumph. “You hit him.”

Jeremy didn’t answer, only offered her a mock salute as he turned to the door.

“You didn’t deserve him,” she called after him. “You didn’t deserve him as a friend.” Jeremy paused, without turning back. Her anger, her hatred, spiraled through her. “And…and…” She tried to think of the meanest thing she could say to him. “And I’m glad Fields changed you. You deserve whatever you got.”

His head rose, but when he looked back, he didn’t look angry.

He was laughing. At her.

“You think Fields did this to me? To everyone?” His eyes widened. “You do. You think that Fields did this to us.” He swatted his partner on the arm. “You hear that, Charles? Little Miss thinks that we’re victims. Poor us.” He made a production of rubbing at his eye.

He chuckled, his hands on his hips. “Sorry to disappoint you, Kitty, but we knew exactly what we were doing. Fields offered us the drug, and we took it.”

What? “You knew that he was giving you the drug? And you took it anyway?”

“You’ve got to be kidding. Of course we took it.”

“But…why?” What was the matter with him? He’d met them—Luke, Seth, Blue, her—right after they’d gotten out of Glory. Right after they’d been changed. He’d seen the effects. He’d heard how their town had died. “Why would you do that?”

“Are you kidding? Who wouldn’t want to have super powers?” He snorted. “Well, not your power. That looks like it sucks. But no one else seems to get that one anyway.”

Kitty steeled her features. He didn’t have to know that he’d scored a direct hit with that. “And the others?”

“All of them. His entire squad took it,” Nick answered next to her. He sat cross-legged, dabbing at the tender spots on his face, his elbows resting on his knees. “Now that Fields is back and working with Goldstone, he promised to find them jobs as bodyguards or private soldiers. Mercenaries.”

Surprised, she looked up at Jeremy. “You took the drug, risked your life, so you could get a better job?”

Her horror made him laugh. “Don’t sound so snotty, princess. I’ve been to the Middle East. I’ve already risked my life for a job. At least this way I’m going to make a lot more money.”

As he turned for the door, he nudged his head at Nick. “He’s beat up, but he’ll be fine.” He left, locking the door behind him.

In his wake, the silence seeped into her. They’d taken the drug on purpose. She didn’t know if they knew all the risks, but they’d known enough, and it hadn’t mattered. Would others do the same?

Nick shifted to his knees, as if to get up, but he stalled there, his eyes trained on the floor in front of him.

“Are you okay?” She didn’t reach for him. He seemed untouchable. She hadn’t known him long, but in that time he’d proven one of the most approachable guys she knew. Arrogant, sure. Bossy, absolutely. But not shut-off, not like this.

He shook his head, his eyes closing. His body shook. He fell backward, onto his backside, and dropped his head into his hands. Then he began to rock.

She stifled the overwhelming urge to hug him. She didn’t think she’d ever seen someone as desperately in need of a hug. Instead, she whispered, “Do you want to talk about it?”

He shook his head again, more vigorously, but this time his tangled thoughts said what he didn’t
. It’ll be fine. I did a good job. Kenny and the other guys…they’re safe. And I didn’t tell them anything about her. Nothing. I didn’t say anything about any of them. I did a good job.

He repeated those words in his head. They soothed him. In the silence, she struggled with her own roiling anger. How dare they? He’d been gone for hours. They must have terrorized him, trying to get information. What human did something like that?

They’d wanted information about accomplices. Nick hadn’t given it to them. She couldn’t help her pride. Of course he hadn’t. Nick didn’t rat out his friends; it wasn’t who he was. If he wanted answers, Fields should have asked someone with questionable morals. Someone like Jeremy. Why hadn’t Fields interrogated his own men and left Nick alone?

The answer came to her, obvious. Because they were all changed. They wouldn’t lie down and let someone push them around.

When Nick’s breathing returned to normal, and he’d calmed enough, she asked, “What do you mean, you didn’t tell them anything about me?” What more could there be to tell? She’d been held hostage for months.

He swallowed hard.
I didn’t tell them you can manipulate thoughts.

“Did they ask?” Terror swept through her. The assistant and the orderly. They knew. If they knew, they would come for her. Had they said something? Had
he
said something?

His eyes lifted to hers, their depths intense.
They asked if you can manipulate thoughts. I told them no. They said the assistant saw you. I convinced them that the assistant freaked out, and you used the advantage to escape. Your secret is safe. For now.
He didn’t speak, leaving the message in his head.
You’re safe
.

“I didn’t find any cameras or microphones. We’re alone. You can speak.” He’d lied for her, to keep her safe. “You protected me.” The weight of that settled into her stomach, warmed her in places she hadn’t known were cold.

Of course I did
. But he said nothing, only shrugged and shifted to his feet, as if to avoid eye contact. She stood to help him. He gently pushed her hands away and righted himself with a stumble. But when he tried to fully straighten, he winced, fingering his left side. “Think he might have bruised this rib.”

She scowled, imagining horrible things happening to Jeremy but leaving them unsaid. She stood close enough to offer support if Nick needed it. “You shouldn’t have put yourself in danger to protect me.”

He shrugged again, but this time he held her eyes, and the corner of his mouth tilted up in a teasing grin. “Yeah, well, you’re welcome.”

Under his gaze, her face heated. Her breathing hitched, and the space between them felt heavy with tension and expectation. “Nick,” she whispered into the pregnant pause. “What’s going on here?”

What? Nothing.
He shook his head, his brows dropping.
I don’t know. I can’t think.

She nodded. Right. Too much. Truthfully, she didn’t know either, and she didn’t know if she wanted to think about it. They were here, alone together. Maybe it was best…

Something still nagged at her. “Why did you come for me, Nick? Really?”

He’d said he came because Seth and Blue couldn’t. It had been dangerous, and he must have known that there was a chance that he would be captured. That was a huge risk to take for someone he hardly knew. Yet, he’d risked it anyway. In their one interaction, she’d been borderline bitchy to him. So, what had made him come?

“I should have stopped him,” he offered. “I knew Jeremy was capable of anything, and I didn’t stop him.” He met her eyes, his gaze pleading. “I’m so sorry. I should have pushed harder, talked to Seth. Done something.”

“This isn’t your fault.” How could he even think that?

“Of course it is. Seth never liked the guy, and I knew that. Jeremy had gotten even worse after his disciplinary hearing. I should have kept him out of this. Or I should have watched him closer. Something.”

“You didn’t call Goldstone. You didn’t turn on your friends.”

“Of course not.” He spat the words, as if he found the thought offensive.

“Right.” She’d only known him a short time, but she couldn’t imagine that of him, either. “Jeremy did that. This is his fault. Not yours.” Only after she’d uttered the words did she realize that they applied to her, too.

This wasn’t her fault, either.

For the past few months, she’d beaten herself up for trusting Jeremy. Nick had tried to warn her, and Blue had wanted her to stay away from him, too. But no one would have guessed he would make her a hostage. “Maybe it’s time we both stop blaming ourselves for someone else’s mistakes.”

He shook his head. “You don’t understand.”

“He fooled me, too, Nick.” She smiled. “He fooled me, and I’ve paid the price. I won’t make that mistake again. But I’m sick of the guilt. It’s eating me up, paralyzing me. I don’t want to be a victim anymore.”

You’re no victim. You’re more of a survivor than you know.
She was sure he’d have hid that from her if he could. He swallowed, but the action made him wince, which broke the spell between them.

He was dirty, bleeding, and obviously hurting. They could both use a break from this conversation. “You need a shower.” Leaning over, she snagged the stack of linens off the bed and held it out to him.

“Shower?” He stared at the folded fabrics, his nose wrinkled.

“You’re a mess. You need to clean those wounds. And, well”—she inhaled—“I never knew when new sheets and clothes would arrive. When they give you fresh laundry, they’ll come to collect the dirty stuff soon. But they’ll take whatever isn’t on your body. Best to get into the cleanest stuff possible.” She put the pile back down and proceeded to sort through it. “Sheets, for the cots. One blanket a piece. There are two jumpsuits, as you see. Green, not orange this time. The socks with the treads. And a bar of soap.” She wrinkled her nose. “No towels. Never any towels.”

She lifted two small plastic wrapped packets. “But new toothbrushes. So, yay.”

“Yeah, yay.” A faint smile curved his broken lips. That was good. He glanced at the corner, where the pipe protruded from the ceiling. “What do I do?”

“We’ll have to take turns. If it’s like the others, the water will be cold.” She handed him the soap. “Scrub fast, top to bottom. Try not to fall.”

He accepted the gritty bar.
This wasn’t going to be pleasant
. “I’ve showered on plenty of slippery floors. Military, remember?”

“So you’ve perfected the hip-width apart squat to keep your balance, then.”

He demonstrated what she described. “See? What do you think?”

She laughed, and it echoed off the concrete walls and floor. It felt good. She hadn’t truly laughed in months. Maybe longer. “Expert. Work those glutes.”

His smile slipped, and so did hers. Oh no. She’d commented on his butt. She looked down quickly, her face heating up. She was so awkward.

God, when she flushes… I have to do something. A cold shower sounds like a great idea.
Suddenly, he unsnapped the top of his custodial jumpsuit.

Against her will, her eyes followed his movements, and her mouth opened the slightest bit. She licked at her mysteriously dry lips, and her breathing hitched.

Christ. She needs to stop doing that.

He paused on the fourth snap. “You should turn around if you don’t want to see me naked.”
Because I’m damn sure she doesn’t want to see what I’m hiding under this jumpsuit.

Kitty spun so fast it made her dizzy.

Then again, she had no idea when they’d had their MREs. It was dark outside their window, so…last night, possibly? Maybe lack of food was why she felt lightheaded.

It definitely wasn’t from seeing Nick’s broad chest. He’d unsnapped so fast, the jumpsuit had been open to his waist. She’d caught chiseled muscles and acres of tanned skin. Stupid military-issue jumpsuits and their stupid easy accessibility.

She stared at the wall, taking deep breaths and listening to the rustle of him stripping out of his clothes. He hadn’t been this attractive in San Antonio before she was taken. She only remembered bossiness and frustration, and him telling her what to do.

Obviously, she’d missed a few key points.

She did not want to think about him naked behind her. She didn’t want to put that image together with the warm feel of him the few times they’d come in contact as he helped her to escape. She certainly didn’t want to hear whatever was going through his mind.

“Nick?” she called.

“Yes?”

“I think…” She inhaled a steadying breath. “I think, well, that it might be better if I don’t listen to you. If that’s okay with you.”

He paused. “If you think it’s best.”

It was definitely best. This entire situation was hard enough, without her hearing everything. Because what happened in Nick’s mind was as sexy as the rest of him.

She closed her eyes, throwing up the walls as she’d done countless times before. She would have to remember to do so every morning.

Surely they wouldn’t be here that long. “I’d imagine they’ll move us to separate rooms. They won’t want us to stay here. Together.” She tried not to let him see how hopeful she was they’d be separated, but she failed.

“I’m sure they will, if they have extra rooms.” The water turned on and she listened to the trickle of it as it hit the floor. “I’m assuming this is an emergency location, though. They might not have excess space here.”

Sweet goodness. She might be here, in this room, with Nick and his tanned, muscled skin for days? Even weeks or months?

“Christ, that’s cold,” he muttered. She heard his bare feet pad across the concrete, and she shifted to give him as much privacy as she could.

What sort of horrible people would leave them together? This was cruel and unusual punishment. Even prisoners in the worst conditions were separated by gender. Right?

The litany continued in her mind as she listened to Nick snapping up his clean jumpsuit.

How was she going to live with him?

Fine, he’d been nothing but a gentleman to her. As they’d been escaping, he hadn’t even been overly arrogant or bossy. He’d told her what to do, yes, but he hadn’t been a jerk about it. And he’d come for her, when he hadn’t needed to.