Playing With Fire (27 page)

Someone shouted, “She’s escaped,” over the intercom.

“Cody!” I yelled. “Cody, we’re in here.” Hopefully, my voice would lead him to me.

A silent alarm must have been tripped because armed guards rushed into the lab, shoving the doctors and scientists out of the way. The people in the cages cheered loudly and reached through their bars, grabbing at those responsible for their pain.

“Cody!”

Guards were sprinting toward me. Not knowing what else to do, I held out my hands and iced them all, just as I’d done to the glass. Then, in a cloud of sparks, Cody materialized from an outlet. Without pause, he shot a blast of electricity at the men I hadn’t seen behind me. Their bodies convulsed and they collapsed to the floor.

“Get the others,” Cody shouted. “I couldn’t leave the building to get backup. I’m sorry, sweetie, but it’s just you and me.”

I rushed toward the other cell. Rome was standing, his strength returned. He had wakened everyone and they, too, were on their feet. But just before I reached their door, Martha grabbed me, whirling me to a stop. Her weathered face was determined.

“You’re not going anywhere, Miss Jamison.”

I punched her in the nose. Blood squirted from her nostrils, and she slumped to the floor. “Wanna bet?” Bending down, I removed her badge and with a shaky, aching hand, held it to the sensor. I expected it to open, but it didn’t. Shit! It probably needed a finger ID, as well.

Behind me, I could hear footsteps shuffling. Women screaming. Men groaning. Cody laughing. He enjoyed his job. I caught a glimpse of him freeing the human lab rats, and they sprang from their cages, attacking the scientists who had yet to escape.

A few muffled gunshots erupted, and I ducked. My gaze snagged on the unconscious Martha. Ah, hell. I slid my hands under her shoulders and hefted her up as best I could. Trying not to drop her, I forced her hand to the ID pad. Blue lights winked over her skin, and the door to the cell slid open.

I dropped her with a thump.

Rome rushed to me, and our eyes locked. His fingers tangled in my hair. “You okay?”

“Never better. You?”

“Good to go. Your dad needs you. I’ll take care of Vincent.” Off he went, jumping into the fray, using anything and everything in the lab as a weapon.

Relieved, ecstatic, I ran to my dad and threw my arms around him. His heart drummed erratically against my ear, but the beat was strong. What a sweet sound. When his arms wrapped around me, the world felt like a better place. “Daddy, tell me you’re okay. Tell me your heart’s all right.”

“I’m fine, doll. Just fine.” He weakly cupped my face with one hand and lifted the necklace he wore with the other. “I always carry nitro. What about you? Lexis told me what’s going on. Are you okay?”

“I’m good. I’ll tell you more about it later.” I looked up into his hazel eyes, into his sun-wrinkled face, and tears streamed down my cheeks. “Right now, we need to get out of here.”

I spun around—and came face-to-face with a scowling Vincent. He pointed a gun at my dad’s head. I reacted instantly. Fury, potent and intense, sprang to life inside me, and I shot out my hand, blasting him with fire. I didn’t have to summon it. I didn’t have to rely on any reservoir inside me. My rage was too strong. Vincent managed to squeeze out several rounds as he erupted in flames, screaming.

Time seemed to slow as the bullets hurtled toward me. I shoved my dad out of the way just as Rome jumped in front of me. The bullets slammed into him.

After that, everything happened quickly. Rome hit the ground with a thud. I whimpered. Lexis screamed. Both of us dropped to the floor beside him. Blood poured from his chest. He tried to speak, but no words emerged. Our gazes locked for a split second before he closed his eyes.

“Ohmygod,” Lexis cried.

“Rome,” I shouted. “Rome, open your eyes. Talk to me!”

He didn’t respond.

“Open your eyes, goddamn it!” I screamed.

No response.

The others rushed to my side, but not before Cody shot Vincent in the head, ending the man’s pain-filled moans, ending his reign of terror.

“We have to get Rome to a hospital,” I managed to say, my voice trembling.
Stay strong, Belle. Don’t crumble. Not yet.

Desperate, I placed my hand over his wound, letting my fear consume me. The edges of the injury began to freeze. The blood loss stopped. I just hoped I hadn’t given him hypothermia.

“I’ve taken care of the guards,” Cody said, “and the scientists all scattered and ran.” He gathered Rome in his arms.

Frantic, I whipped to Lexis. “Is he going to live? Tell me he’s going to live.”

“I don’t know.” Her chin trembled. Tears ran down her cheeks like crystalline rivers. “I only see darkness.”

“Wasn’t…just a few…bullets,” a weak voice suddenly said.

“Rome!” Thank God. Oh, thank God. Relief pounded through me, relief and hope and dread. “We’re taking you to a hospital, Cat Man. You’re going to be okay. Just relax. I managed to freeze the wound and stop the bleeding.”

“Good…girl. Not…bullets, though. What did…he use?”

“Probably a chemical reagent,” Cody said gravely. “Poison.”

I covered my mouth with a hand to keep from whimpering again. No.
No!
Bullets could be removed. Could poison? I could live without this man if I had to—but only if I knew he was alive, healthy, happy and whole. He couldn’t die. He couldn’t. He was too…vital. I needed him. He was my man, and I was his woman.

Cody must have seen my stricken look, because he added, “But the ice should stop the poison from spreading, as well.”

Finally, I had used my powers to help someone. To help Rome, no less—the man who’d saved my life over and over again.

“Belle,” Rome panted. “Get the…formula, then burn…the place down.”

“I’m not leaving your side.”

“Do it,” he said weakly. “You…owe me.”

I knew what he was telling me to do. Take the formula and run. If I stayed with him, Cody would give the formula to John, and I’d probably never see it again. Probably never be able to use it to find an antidote. Definitely never be able to use it as a bargaining tool or take the heat off of me and keep my dad safe. So I had a choice, it seemed. I could (possibly) have the return of my ordinary life or I could try and save Rome’s life. Maybe he would live, maybe he wouldn’t.

I didn’t even have to think about it. “Cody,” I croaked. “Let’s get him to the hospital.”

I
NSTEAD OF RUSHING
Rome to the hospital, Cody drove us to a chrome-and-brick building on the edge of the city. Of course, this was after he’d gathered up the floorboards. I’d almost burned him to a crisp in my rage over that. Time was our enemy.

During the drive, Rome’s pulse became threadier, his breathing more shallow. He stopped moaning at every bump and bounce in the road. He kept morphing between human and cat. Unfortunately, my dad, Tanner and Lexis followed us in another car; I could have used their support just then.

“Think of Sunny,” I whispered to Rome as we drove. “She needs you.”

He was sprawled out in the backseat, his head resting in my lap. I sifted my fingers through his dark hair. My fallen angel. That’s what he was. My savior, my love. Yes, I loved him. With all of my heart. He was my everything.

“Where are we, Cody?” Worry twisted my stomach as the building came into view. “This isn’t a hospital. If you don’t drive to a fucking hospital, I’ll kill you myself.”

“The doctors here can help Rome better than the ones at a hospital. Look at him. Regular people will not want to touch him if he’s in cat form. This is the lab where Rome was created.”

“Okay, okay. You’re right.”
Please, Lord, let Rome live.
He was strong, a fighter. The car eased to a stop, and a group of men rushed forward. They wheeled a stretcher to the curb.

“I called ahead,” Cody explained.

Rome was gently lifted onto the stretcher and carted inside the building. I tried to hurry after him, to follow, but Cody latched on to my hand. Without looking back, I attempted to jerk myself free. “Let me go!”

John strolled out of the sliding doors, perusing the scene. “Bring Belle to me, then take the kid and the old man to a secure area,” he snapped. Cody pulled me forward as the others piled out of their car and rushed to my side.

“We stay with Belle,” my dad and Tanner said simultaneously. They grabbed on to me and tried to jerk me away from Cody.

“Cody, you better let me go,” I snarled. “I’m furious right now, and my fingers are starting to burn.”

“I know,” he muttered, but retained his grip. Tanner and my dad kept holding on, too.

“Lexis, you may go see Rome,” John said, “but you, Belle, will stay with me. We have much to discuss.”

“I’ll keep you apprised of his progress.” Lexis rushed out, already running for the door.

I scowled at John. I wanted to go with Lexis, but was too afraid my dad or Tanner would be punished in retaliation. So I stayed where I was. For the moment. “I’m not talking to you or allowing you to test me until I know Rome is okay.”

John’s eyes narrowed. “Allowing me?” He snorted and reached out to clamp my arm in an iron grip. Only then did Cody release me.

Fuck it,
I thought darkly. And after all, Rome had once told me John wasn’t an evil man, that he didn’t hurt innocent people. I’d take him at his word. “That’s right, allowing you,” I said. “Daddy, you and Tanner stay here, okay?” They nodded. “You have to let go of me now,” I added.

The moment they did, I froze John’s hand without much effort—I was getting damn good!—and when his grip on me slipped, I took off without another word in the direction Lexis had gone.
Rome,
my heart shouted.
I’m coming.
I managed to catch up with Lexis in the elevator. She held the door open for me, and I flew inside before it closed, catching a glimpse of John’s shocked face as he chased after me.

She knew exactly where to go, and ushered me into a sterile-smelling hallway. John soon arrived, scowling, but he didn’t protest. He must have sensed that I’d fry him if he tried to come between me and Rome right then.

Rome was being wheeled into—an operating room? A lab? I didn’t know which. Thick silver doors flapped shut, blocking the sight of his gurney. He’d been deadly silent, though, and I gripped Lexis’s hand.

“He’s going to be all right,” she said.

“You’re sure?”

“I’m…hopeful.”

My chest constricted. Hours passed. We paced. More hours passed. John watched, observed us. He even relented and allowed my dad and Tanner to wait with us. They sat on the only couch, their expressions equally troubled.

Lexis eventually sat next to Tanner and rested her head on his shoulder. He put his arm around her and she cried. He cooed and comforted her, and she finally stopped. She raised her head, and they stared at each other for a long moment, then she leaned forward and kissed him.

I stopped pacing long enough to watch Tanner eagerly respond. I was shocked, but happy for them.

John pinched the bridge of his nose, much as I’d seen Rome do whenever he was truly exasperated. “What next?”

“Come sit by me, doll,” my dad said. “You’re not doing Rome any good by worrying.”

“No. I’m too upset.” I leapt back into motion. I felt so helpless. I could control the elements, but not save the life of one lone man. I couldn’t help him, and I would have given my own life to do so.

“You love him?” John asked me.

“Yes.” God, yes. I’d given the man my whole heart.

“Belle, sweetie,” my dad said. “Please sit down. Rome will—”

“He’s going to make it,” a man said, stepping past the doors. He had dark red hair and so many freckles he appeared to be one big brown spot, but at that moment he was the most beautiful, welcome sight in the world. “Rome is going to make it. Whoever froze the wound saved his life. We almost lost him a time or two, and would have if the bleeding hadn’t stopped.”

“Thank God.” I slumped to the floor in relief. Lexis pulled away from Tanner and threw her arms around me with a laugh. Tears trickled from my eyes, then the dam burst and I gripped her and sobbed. My dad and Tanner were suddenly at our sides, trying to offer comfort. Though I was experiencing intense sadness and worry, it didn’t rain or freeze. Yes, I really was getting good at controlling my powers. I would have loved the knowledge yesterday. Right now, I couldn’t make myself care.

When I finally quieted, John said, “Will you speak with me now?” Exasperation filled his voice.

I gazed at him through the watery shield of my lashes. “I need to see Rome first.”

Silence descended like a thick, oppressive blanket. John nodded to the redheaded doctor. “Let her see him, then take her to the spare room.”

Whatever he had planned for me in that spare room, I didn’t give a shit. I was too eager to glimpse my man. Lexis bid Tanner a tentative goodbye, then she and I were led down another hallway. Around us, scientists—nurses?—meandered in and out of rooms. There were computers and some type of beeping machine along the walls. Definitely a lab. A short, round man in a white coat stopped me when I tried to enter Rome’s room, and pointed to an observation panel.

“You can’t go in yet. We’re sterilizing the air.”

Beside Lexis, I pressed my nose to the glass, my hands at my temples, and looked inside. Rome lay on a bed, completely still, but I could hear the steady beep of his heart monitor, could see the bandages on his chest and the color dusting his skin. A bright blue light was shining on him from the ceiling.

“He’s okay,” I breathed. “He’s really okay.”

“Yes,” Lexis said, her voice trembling.

“Lexis, you may stay here,” the redheaded man said. “Belle, I need you to follow me now.”

I wanted to refuse, but didn’t. The time had come. I’d promised. I blew Rome a soft kiss and followed the doctor. John waited in an empty room, leaning against the far wall. When I stepped inside, he crossed his arms over his chest. “Shut the door,” he said.

My hands trembled as I obeyed. “What exactly is it you want from me?”

His thick, silver brows arched. “I’ve worked at PSI for a long time,” he began. “I’ve seen more evil than most people know exists. There are vile scrims out there, like Vincent, intent on claiming a piece of the world pie for their own. They don’t care who they hurt or what they destroy.”

“I thought you didn’t, either,” I said, laying it all out. “You were—are—willing to experiment on me. To hurt me.”

“For the good of the world,” he said. “By now you know there’s a paranormal realm out there, people who have powers as deadly as yours. That’s why agencies like mine exist, to keep them under control. People like you could destroy us all.”

“I don’t want to cause harm,” I insisted.

He studied me for a long moment in silence. “Good. Cody told me how you defeated Vincent, a man who has been a thorn in my side for many, many years.”

“I helped,” I admitted.

“Would you like to do it again?”

I blinked in confusion. “Do what again?”

“Destroy another thorn in my side. There’s a woman—Desert Gal, we call her. She dries everything in her path, destroying life.”

I blinked again, shook my head. “You want me to fight her?” Even as I said the words, excitement worked through me. Actual excitement. I’d had fun with Rome these past couple of days. Yes, we’d been chased and shot at and almost killed, and at times I’d hated the danger. But for the first time in a long time I’d felt content, all hints of restlessness gone.

Maybe I’d found my true calling. Maybe I’d found the one job I could stick with.

Maybe I was as bad as Cody, finding joy amid the danger.

“What about neutralizing me?” I asked. “What about testing me?”

“Oh, I still want to test you. You survived a formula that killed everyone else who ingested it, and I want to know why. So yes, I
will
test you. But there’s no reason to neutralize or imprison you if you work for me. You’d be a real asset to PSI.”

“But there’s nothing special about me! Dr. Roberts finally perfected the formula, that’s all. He told me so in a note.”

John hesitated for a moment, then said, “I’ll need to verify that.”

“By talking to the doctor or by testing me?”

“Both.”

Grr!
Was there no getting out of the testing? “We have no idea where Dr. Roberts is,” I said.

“Don’t worry. We won’t give up the search.”

I threw up my hands. “I don’t know why I’m even discussing this with you. My answer has to be no.” I had other, more important things to take care of: my dad, my promise to Rome. I couldn’t forget those. I
wouldn’t
forget those. No matter what excitement presented itself.

John’s eyes narrowed. “You’re a superhero, Belle, and there’s no better job for you.”

“There’s a chance an antidote can be made from the formula,” I gritted out.

“Maybe,” was his reply. “I already have my men working on it. Until then…I’m offering you the chance to make the world a safer place.”

I ran my tongue over my lips. So Cody had already given him the floorboards. Fine. That didn’t mean I was completely powerless in this situation. “I can find Dr. Roberts on my own and get my nice, normal life back.”

John laughed with genuine amusement. “Even if you weren’t working for me, you’d never have your life back. When other paras hear about you, and they will, they’ll come after you. Maybe your family. My agents can protect you.”

“And my dad?”

“Of course. Perhaps Rome can even be your partner,” he added, the sly bastard.

Oh, the thrill of that suggestion. But Rome didn’t want to be an agent anymore—John just didn’t know that. Rome wanted to disappear with his family. A long pause stretched between us as John studied my face and I studied his.

He wanted me to work for him. Badly. It was there in his eyes, gleaming, glowing, a desperation he couldn’t hide. I guess my powers really were desirable, even with their destructive tendencies. An idea struck me, scary but welcome. “If I decide to work for you,” I said, “you have to understand that I’ll only take assignments I want.
I
pick and chose what I do. Not you.”

“Done,” he said eagerly.

“I want my dad protected twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.”

“We already agreed to that.”

“I want Tanner left alone.”

John hesitated. “From what Cody tells me, the boy makes a good sidekick. You might reconsider that one.”

Truth,
as Tanner would say. Wait until he learned what I’d gotten him into. Hell, he’d probably be thrilled. “Fine, I’ll reconsider, but I want you to let Rome go.”

“What?” John straightened, his arms falling to his sides.

“You heard me.” I tilted my chin and straightened my shoulders. “Cut him loose. Fire him.”

“I thought you loved him,” John snapped.

“I do.” And this was what he’d wanted more than anything. To escape this dark world and show Sunny how ordinary people lived. I’d lose him, yes. But he’d been willing to give his life for mine. I could do no less. “I’m sure you’ve been able to make other cat men, but you and I both know there’s only one Wonder Girl.” For the moment.

A long while passed in silence. “Fine,” John finally said, reluctantly. “He’s gone. Anything else?” His voice held an edge of sarcasm.

“Actually, yes. I won’t start my new…duties for another month. There are a few things I need to do.” Like keep my promise to Rome. Get my shit together at home. Cut out my heart so it would stop hurting.

“Fine, whatever.” John sighed. “But you have to come in at least twice a week for testing, whether we decide to test your powers and abilities or your chemical makeup.”

I gulped. “Will it hurt?”

“Not too badly,” he said vaguely. “Are those all of your demands?”

“Yes.” I half expected my fingers to freeze from my nerves, but they remained warm. Yep, I was damn good.

His mouth slowly inched into a smile. “Good. Welcome aboard, Wonder Girl.”

W
HEN
R
OME WOKE UP
a week later, I was right by his side. The world was back to normal—in a weird sort of way. My dad had returned to the assisted living center, but now he had several guards. Including Cody, who was a new favorite with the “silver foxes” and now the bane of my flirtatious dad’s existence, since his harem of women were all interested in the gorgeous younger man.

Bizarrely enough, Lexis and Tanner were hanging out all the time now, and were constantly seen kissing. Once they’d started, they had a hard time stopping, I guess. Lexis told me she was tutoring him in the art of loving, helping the “man” mature. Tanner had put it another way: they were getting their freak on. Either way, they both seemed happy with their Demi/Ashton romance. And I was happy for them.