Frostbite (Touch of Frost) (28 page)

She pulled me into her warm arms. The heat felt so good through my wafer-thin hospital clothes. I squeezed her until she grunted.

“Hey. I’m not super strong, sis.”

“Sorry.” I loosened my grip but didn’t release her. “How’d you find me?” I whispered into her ear.

“Jess and Jasmine. They worked some computer magic.”

“Jasmine?”

“Yeah, hon.” Georgia rubbed my back.

“She didn’t…turn me over to them?”

Georgia leaned back and gave me a wide-eyed stare. “What? No.”

“How long have I been gone?” I sagged to the ground. Despite my strength, I had nothing left to hold me up, and my calf throbbed.

“A week, Mandy.” Scott knelt beside me. “Longest week of my life.”

My head felt detached, like a balloon. A whole week?

“What’d they do to you?” he asked.

“Not now. I ran you quite a distance from the compound, but I don’t want to risk it,” Jasmine chimed in. “Let’s go.”

“Scott.” I pulled him close and whispered, “Is Jasmine with us? Or is she a
Coat?
”

“I know what you’re thinking.” Scott brushed my tangled hair out of my face. “She didn’t betray us. We’re safe. Come on.”

“Where’s Zach? The woman said they let him go.”

“At our hotel. Once Jess and Jas located you, he insisted on coming, but we made him stay in the hotel while we went hunting for you.”

“Get up,” Jasmine said.

“Oh, Mandy, your leg.” Georgia gasped.

The cut was deeper than I’d thought now that I could see it better through the ripped fabric. Blood gushed, staining my pants dark crimson.

For the second time, Jasmine hoisted me into her arms. She carried me to the car, but I was glad. Fatigue weighed me down. I didn’t want to walk anywhere.

“Just get me somewhere I can heal. Then we’re going to figure out a way to trash this place for good.”

THIRTY-FOUR

T
he car jostled, and my head slipped from Georgia’s shoulder, waking me from my comfortable stupor. The hotel stood several stories tall. Two valets, hands clasped behind their backs, stood like statues outside the main doors, watching our car.

“Kind of posh, isn’t it?” Wouldn’t they have wanted to lay low, like in the movies? Hide out in the dumpy hotels. Use cash. Things like that?

“You like?” Jasmine glanced into the backseat at us.

Georgia pulled off her sweatshirt and handed it to me, then dug out some sweats from a bag near her feet. “Here, put these on. You’re all bloody.”

I wiggled out of the nasty hospital pants, glad to shed that hideous color.

Every bone ached. The cuts on my palms stung, and my leg throbbed. It wouldn’t be long before the blood from my injuries soaked through the light-colored sweatpants.

“I could speed her in, no one will see her. It’s almost one in the morning.” Jasmine nodded, answering her own question.

“No. No powers.” I wanted to see Zach so badly I could have screamed, but we needed to keep from drawing attention. Be human.

I limped through the bright lobby. Georgia’s Skechers squeaked on the marble floor. Every shadow and every corner held my attention. I thought for sure someone would jump out and grab me. Or all of us.

Georgia waggled my hand. She hadn’t let it go since we left the car. Totally okay with me. I hated being separated from her. It was true what they said about twins. We were connected on a different level than normal siblings.

I had no doubt that our connection brought us together, and I even guessed it helped me get more control of my powers a little, too. Finally together. Complete. Then again, I was exhausted, hungry and seriously hurting, maybe my mind was just running with random ideas.

“How’d you guys avoid getting nailed at the house?” I asked, as we made our way into the elevator.

Jasmine whipped out the plastic key for the VIP floor and with a chime, the doors slid shut. “An Agent tripped one of my perimeter traps. I always have escape routes, but you two were already down on the porch. Not too bright sneaking out for a little lip-action, Mandy.”

My cheeks burned. “You said the place was safe. I thought that might have included the porch, too.”

The elevator slowed its ascent, and the golden doors glided open. Jasmine darted out and paused in front of a door about seven down. It swung open and Zach filled the doorframe. Instantly my eyes burned, and the breath whooshed out of my lungs.

I leapt at him and pulled him close. He grunted.

“What?”

“Broken ribs,” he whispered, but didn’t release his grip around me.

“How?” I asked into his hair. He smelled like soap and fresh scented dryer sheets.

“Doesn’t matter.” His fingers grazed my neck. “Are you okay, Mandy?”

“I am now.” I pulled my head from his neck. Purple bruises littered his face. “What the—”

“Get in the room,” Scott ordered.

I released my grip around Zach and hobbled in.

The king-sized bed, covered in a thick, light-colored comforter, called out to me. But before I could sink into its softness, Zach swept me into his arms again.

He kissed my cheek, my neck, then nuzzled my hair. “I love you, Mandy.”

We both melted to the floor so we were on our knees, holding each other.

The
three words. No guy, besides my dad and my brother, had ever said those words to me. Until now. Even after the hell I’d put Zach through.

He was sore. Had broken bones. Had been worried about me for the last seven days. And yet, he loved me.

I cupped his face and pulled him in for a kiss. I’d missed those lips. His smile. His touch. My hands cooled around his scratched face, and he flinched.

“It’s okay,” I whispered into his mouth. “Trust me.” He hugged me tighter and took the kiss deeper.

Shuffling and muffled voices surrounded me, but I didn’t care. They could watch all they wanted. I was going to take care of my Zach. I didn’t say the words to him, but I loved him, too. And like my mom, I healed the ones I loved.

Especially if they were hurt because of me.

“Mandy?” Georgia whispered.

“Let her be. She’s healing him,” Jasmine said. “Come on. Let’s give them some privacy.”

I pressed my forehead against Zach’s neck. The cold crept up my arms, locking them around him. I dared to crack open my eyelids to see through the cocoon of ice. Shifting shades of brown, red and gold danced in my vision. Reminded me of a kaleidoscope I once had.

“Feels nice,” Zach whispered.

“Hmmm,” I sighed, turning my full attention to him.

Less than an inch separated me from his face, so I could see every bit of silver in his slate eyes. I’d never noticed the subtle flecks of gold before.

Crackles from the ice forming around us rang in my ears. It clung to my skin, healing every cut and scrape. Frost crept over Zach’s face, and he closed his eyes.

Slowly, the splotches of purple around his eye faded. My aches and pains dissipated as I relaxed against him.

I’d lost count of how many times I’d fallen while running through the woods. And then the window. The ice and glass grazed my skin when I jumped through.

Plumes of white streamed from my mouth. A tingling wave of cool air refreshed my lungs, easing the aches inside me.

The burning pain in my leg fizzled. The cold tugged at my skin as it started to recede.

Still on our knees, we held each other. His arms around my waist, mine around his neck. I loosened my hold, but he pulled me close again.

His cool breath brushed my cheek. “Don’t ever worry me like that again.”

“Sorry,” I whispered. “How do you feel?”

“Perfect.” He kissed my lips, then leaned back. Ice tipped the ends of his eyelashes. Even though my arms were no longer ice-locked around him, I didn’t let go.

I never wanted to let go.

“I love you, Mandy.” He curled his arm around my waist and leaned back, resting against the bed. I shifted and sat astride him, and he let out a long sigh.

Everything else faded away. No more hunger or fatigue. All that mattered was Zach and getting closer to him, touching him. Maybe it was a result of my healing him, but whatever it was, it urged me forward.

I buried my hands in his hair and tilted his head back as I took command of his mouth. His hand scooted over my hip and up the back of my shirt. The contact his fingers made with my skin flipped a switch in me. Thankfully not a cold one, but a raging hot one.

“Bed,” I whispered against his mouth.

He tightened his hold on me, shifted to the side, then stood, taking me with him. God, I’d never realized how strong he was. And right now, I was really thankful for it.

He settled me onto the bed and tented me with his body. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his cast. “Your arm. You okay? We can stop if—”

“I think you healed it. Doesn’t hurt at all.” He grazed up my neck, and that sent a shiver down my spine that—for once—wasn’t because of my powers.

I reached over his shoulder, fisted his shirt, then yanked it over his head. He smiled and shifted, throwing the fabric to the side. Chocolate hair fell forward, framing his face and I reached for him.

He deflected my hand and propped it to the bed. “My turn.” He straddled me and worked my shirt up excruciatingly slow. Finally he cradled my neck and guided me up to pull the shirt over my head.

“Beautiful,” he whispered as he scanned a critical eye over me.

I clasped my fingers around his neck and yanked him down. That mouth needed tasting again. Big time. A few slick movements and my hips cradled him.

His hand worked between us, teasing and caressing my body as he moved against me. Such a fascinating and dizzying rhythm.

I couldn’t help but spin right off the cliff into bliss with him.

Tomorrow I’d worry about formulating a plan to take The Center and everyone in it down.

THIRTY-FIVE

“T
hey didn’t feed you there, did they?” Georgia asked.

I shoveled the last bite of my third pancake into my mouth. “Don’t think so. I was drugged a lot. Don’t remember much other than everyone seemed kind of scared of me.”

I clanked my fork on the plate and glanced around. Sunlight spilled through the open window onto the massive bed. My laptop sat on the small table in the corner of the room, streaming songs from my “FAVES” list on iTunes. A silver cart, next to our makeshift kitchen table, overflowed with food. Georgia must have ordered the entire breakfast menu.

“What makes you think they were scared of you?”

“They were sticking me with needles, knocking me out any time the temperature fluctuated and when they had to move me. It was wicked. But what freaked me out the most was the chick I never saw.” I downed the rest of my OJ. “She was a faceless voice behind me, talking like she knew me. I think she runs the project. Everyone always looked at her before doing anything. Like they needed her approval.”

“While you were sleeping, Jasmine sped back to where she picked you up to snoop around. She said she didn’t hear of any other mutant-types there or mention anything about a woman.”

“Oh. Thanks for that, by the way.” I reached for a donut hole. “Did you stay with Jasmine last night?”

She grinned. “Jas thought you and Zach might need some…alone time.”

“Did she say it had anything to do with the fact that I healed him?” I fanned my face. “Because I tell ya, girl. It was intense.”

“Did you guys have sex?”

“No, but…anyway, it was just intense. But thanks. I needed it. Him.”

“Wow.”

Wow was exactly what was running through my mind. I’d never been that close to a guy before. Sure, we hadn’t had sex, but I’d bared more than just my soul to him for sure. Falling asleep in his arms was amazing, but waking up to him was even more amazing.

I hated that he’d left and gone to his room he shared with Scott to shower up. Hopefully Scott didn’t give him too much grief.

“Back to what Jasmine overheard while listening. Is she sure she didn’t hear about anyone else like us because I saw a kid in my room before I escaped? I thought for sure he was one of us.”

“That’s what she said.” Georgia let out a long breath. “Are we really going to destroy it?”

I scrubbed my face. “We have to. It’s either that or run, and I’m beyond sick of running.”

“And now you have Zach—”

“And I have you!” I slumped against my chair and rubbed my full stomach. “He said the words, G. He told me he loved me.”

“I’m not surprised,” Georgia said. “While you were gone, he was a mess. As in obsessive-mess. He must have called me or Scott ten times a day.
Each
.”

I’d felt Zach’s love last night, not just physically while we were close, but the words he said. The gentle caresses. How close he’d held me all night. Never once had he asked anything about the place I’d been taken. Almost like he’d known I couldn’t talk about it yet. Or didn’t want to.