Gifted Connections #5

Chapter 1

“Good morning, baby girl,” whispered in my mind as I began to stir.

I rolled over in bed and smiled as I recognized Remy’s voice. It’d been weeks since I’d been able to communicate with the guys. Luckily, the door Alex opened had remained that way, and although we couldn’t speak all day, we managed to for short periods. It was like a lifeline was thrown at me. While before, my days had been filled with endless despair, renewed hope had been breathed into me.

“Good morning, baby,” I murmured as I swung my legs over the bed.

“How are you feeling today?”

I gingerly set my feet on the floor and grinned. “The nausea seems to be gone .” I lovingly caressed my baby bump. “And I think I grew again,” I said with a touch of chagrin.

I was petite and slight of frame, but my babies seemed eager to claim every inch of real estate and then some. I hadn’t even known I was pregnant until I was ten weeks along, but as soon as I hit my twelfth-week mark, they made their presence known, and my waistline expanded.

“I can’t wait to see you,” Remy eagerly stated.

My heart sank at the touch of desperation in his words. I wasn’t any closer to finding out where I was or being able to give them some clues about my whereabouts. Based on how I’d pissed Alison off during her last visit by telling her what a horrible mother she was, I wouldn’t be getting any details from her. She definitely hadn’t taken that well. However, Horatio seemed eager to integrate me into the family, and I was prepared to use every acting skill in my arsenal if it allowed me to gather more intel.

I wistfully sighed. “Hopefully sooner than later.”

“Soon, baby girl, soon,” he promised.

As I approached the bathroom, I nodded even though he couldn’t see me. I’d been reading about what I should expect during my pregnancy, and although I thought I had time before frequent trips to the bathroom became a thing, baby bean one and baby bean two had thoughts of their own. I had increased my water intake, and they’d made my bladder their trampoline.

“I know. Hopefully, I get another invite today.” I tried to say it with conviction, but I couldn’t help the slight glumness.

With each day that passed without a visit from Alison or Horatio, I’d started to fear that I might never execute my next action plan. But then I overheard the goons saying Horatio wasn’t here, giving me a reason for his absence. In the meantime, Alison was clearly irritated with me and exercising what power she had to make my life miserable. For someone who insisted I keep healthy for her “grandbaby,” my meals had been intentionally bland. She had been behind the design of my new diet, and it showed. In the morning, I still got my eggs with turkey sausage or bacon—which was disgusting, by the way—but nothing was seasoned, and my rye or wheat toast had no butter or jam. Lunch was salad with no dressing. Dinner had been somewhat palatable but still lacked any flavor. None of it was encouragement for me to dig in.

“Well, baby girl,” he said with exasperation, “Jaxson and Noah want to say hi, too.”

“Okay, baby,” I agreed as I got up from the toilet and went to wash my hands. “Well, I love you.”

“I love you too,” he said with a grin in his voice. “Don’t lose hope.”

“Never,” I agreed fervently, hoping it would manifest into reality if I said it enough.

“Hey, honey,” Jaxson said, his voice overly chipper. “What’s on the schedule today?”

“Well, I was thinking…” I grinned as I washed my hands. “I would begin the day with crab cake benedict with Florentine hollandaise sauce, then we could go for a light hike and have a delightful packed lunch. After that, we would come home, get ready, and hit the town. However, I think the beans would want me in bed by eight or so.”

My funny man and I had begun this new game where we pretended that I wasn’t being held captive by my evil biological father and Jaxson’s detestable mother. In our fantasies, we lived an ordinary life—well, as typical as we could with our relationship. We created fun dates to experience together.

He chuckled warmly. “Is our jellybeans’ new craving for crab cakes? I thought you couldn’t have undercooked foods, so the poached egg must be omitted.”

I wouldn’t say I had cravings, per se, since I mostly had food aversions. Only occasionally, foods I rarely had, or had never had, sounded really good to me.I laughed at his reference to our babies as jellybeans. I’d him that they resembled beans, but of course, he had to take it a step further.

“How do you know what foods I should avoid?” I teased him.

“Well,” he said a bit smugly, “I noticed Drake was reading a prenatal book, so I ordered my own. Needless to say, I had to lord it over Jace, Troy, Remy, and Lincoln’s heads. I mean, if Jace and I have a fifty-fifty chance, one of the jellybeans is ours. Shouldn’t we know how to help you when you return to us?”

Despite my laughter, tears simultaneously filled my eyes. Damn hormones! Jaxson would read something out of spite. He had the youngest sibling’s behavior in spades sometimes. I was also incredibly touched that he would be reading and grasping what he had been reading. Sure, his motives for reading the books might have come from the wrong place, but it was evident he had been interested in my condition since then.

I was also struck by bleakness that burst through any of my joy. With every passing day, my fear and despair mounted. I strived to push those feelings aside for the babies, though, knowing my emotions could directly affect the health and well-being of their growth.

“What are you doing?” a harsh female voice said behind me.

Startled, I looked up. In the reflection of my bathroom mirror, I saw Bridgette, my half-sister, standing in the door frame. I froze, scrambling for a response. This was the first time I had seen anyone but Horatio, Alison, or the goons since I arrived here, but I had to stop gaping at her. She, too, was pregnant, but pregnancy didn’t seem to agree with her in the slightest. The last time I saw her, I’d thought she was glowing, but that was no longer the case.

Her face and ankles seemed to have retained a lot of water. As a result, her typically heart-shaped face was rounder and fuller. She wore glasses I hadn’t known she needed, and it looked like she was in the middle of a horrible breakout. Her face was splotchy, and her acne was prevalent on the majority of the surface.Even her ordinarily vibrant, shiny, blonde tresses were listless.

Her beautiful maternity dress did little to hide how uncomfortable she felt carrying her child. Despite my near-comatose state of grief, I knew she was approximately three weeks ahead of me in her condition, but even though I carried twins, she appeared to be in her late third trimester and not her second, as I was.

“Brushing my teeth,” I flippantly said as I put some paste on my toothbrush. “What are you doing?”

“Breakfast is in fifteen minutes, and you’re required to attend.” With a suspicious glint in her eyes, she advanced toward me and examined the halo surrounding my head.

I knew she was verifying that it was still working. Little did she know, I’d ceased attempting to use my gifts since I feared the effects of the shock on my babies. Plus, I didn’t need to use them since I could communicate with the guys again, so I would be patient and bide my time. I would play my part as the biddable daughter and pretend like I was willing to join his cause to ingratiate myself with him. Then, hopefully, they would finally start slipping up, and I could tell the guys where I was.

“Honey! Honey!” Jaxson said in near panic.

“Bridgette’s here,” I explained as I brushed my teeth and glared at her reflection.

Long before I knew she was my sister by blood, I hadn’t liked her. Unlike me, she had been placed with an affluent family immediately after birth, and they had spoiled her. She was beautiful and never denied anything. When Horatio noticed she had shown signs of her gift, he took an additional interest in her.

After I came along with my hand-me-downs and less-than-ideal homelife, she was horrified when her ex, Collin, showed interest in me. I was the exact opposite of her in every way, even appearance. I had inherited my mom’s short stature and unruly, curly, dark hair. On the other hand, she was tall and slim, like our biological father. She also had blonde hair and sky-blue eyes. She could have easily been a model, and while I might be pretty, I knew I didn’t draw attention as she did. Well, she had.

“What does she want?” Noah asked.

“Hi, Noah,” I teased him. “It’s so great to hear your voice.”

“Sorry,” he said with a touch of chagrin. “Hey, my love. Jaxson was hogging your time… again, and I thought I’d lost the chance to talk to you.”

Alex could only allow three or four guys to talk to me in the morning and night. We didn’t want to drain him, especially since he was still helping Harry, our half-brother, from time to time. Fortunately, Greg, Harry’s biological father, Kirk, the leader of the South Carolina team, and Pops had found alternate ways to assist my brother as he came into his gift.

“He’s been known to do that,” I said as I spit my toothpaste out and reached for the mouth rinse next.

The guys had set up a schedule amongst themselves so that I could talk to each of them. In the beginning, some of them, Jaxson in particular, had gone over their time. However, after the second time, he realized that monopolizing my time negatively affected me as well. I needed to talk to every one of them for my emotional and mental well-being. Surprisingly enough, even Lincoln, my last connection, was included in that.

I was amazed when he joined the line-up because our relationship had started off rocky. Neither one of us wanted the connection, but still, we both realized we needed it. Even though we were very compatible physically, we seemed to verbally spar constantly. Over time, some of the animosity had begun to fade, but I still wouldn’t call us a “couple” quite yet even though our recent conversations had seemed almost effortless. They weren’t awkward or stilted. Instead, we talked as if we were friends.

According to Anna, his best friend, he had taken my disappearance hard, but I found it difficult to believe. Once the novelty of our situation faded, he would be back to the jet-setting Hollywood lifestyle.

“Bridgette wants me to join them for breakfast. Hopefully, I can find out where I’m at today.”

“Seriously?” he excitedly inquired. He was silent for a few seconds, so I imagined he was relaying the news to the other guys. “Make sure you play nice,” he teased next.

I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. My guys knew how combative I became when I felt my back was up against the wall. It was a defense mechanism I needed to learn how to overcome quickly. I had to remember the end goal and keep my eyes on the prize—my men.

Movement by the door made me realize Bridgette hadn’t left me. She was still regarding me with suspicion, so I carefully schooled my features and shrugged.

“I’m happy I get to leave this room,” I lied with a smile before filling up the little cup of mouthwash. I swished the liquid in my mouth, silently counting in my head.

“Hey, No, I hate to cut our conversation short, but I should get ready. Bridgette keeps watching me. I don’t want to give her a reason to believe I can talk to you guys,” I said regretfully. “I love you. Have fun taking the kids to the zoo.”

A slight pang of sadness hit me. I wished I could be there with my family, but I was just thankful that the guys had been trying to keep my siblings happy and busy in my absence. I had briefly talked to each of them, but they still worried about me and begged me to come home—if only it were that easy.

Apparently, the snow had abated there, so they made plans to get the kids away from the base, taking them to the zoo for some much-needed fresh air and a break. From the sounds of it, it wasn’t just my siblings going. It had become a field trip for nearly every child in the facility, like Alex’s birthday, so they would have their hands full.

“Love you more,” Noah ardently replied.

Bridgette looked at my halo again, and I had to hide a smile. I couldn’t help but notice the contempt she felt toward me, though I still had no clue why. Collin choosing to pursue me in our sophomore year might have started her vendetta against me, but shouldn’t it have ended when he left? Plus, I had stopped our relationship before it even had a chance to begin. I didn’t like the attention and bullying she’d launched against me, so I let Collin know I couldn’t date or be seen near him.

“Why are you taking so long?” Bridgette sniped as she glared at my belly.

I rolled my eyes after spitting out my mouthwash. “I don’t need a babysitter.”

I rinsed my face and purposefully took my time meandering to my closet. My room was spacious and beautifully decorated. I had more clothing than I knew what to do with, but it was still a prison. Before today, I had never left this room. I had to hide my excitement, though. I knew showing too much eagerness might have my captors questioning my motives.

I chose a fawn-colored loose-knit turtleneck split sweater and black leggings. It was flattering but comfortable. Unconsciously, I lovingly caressed my baby bump. My little beans made all this more bearable. I could have easily succumbed to my grief of losing Gavin and being separated from my men, but because of their existence, I was forced to push everything else aside and focus on them. I carried pieces of my men and was determined to deliver them healthily.

“That’s not what I heard,” she scoffed. “Your men had to spoon-feed you.”

I refrained from rolling my eyes once more. Instead, I held up my clothes and pointedly looked at the door, indicating that Bridgette could leave. When she made no move to go, I sighed.

“Do you mind stepping out so I can get dressed?”

“I’m not going anywhere,” she informed me smugly, crossing her arms over her ample bosom. “I was told to bring you and stay with you.”

“Whatever.” I feigned nonchalance even though I didn’t want her watching me dress. I had no other option, so I bit my tongue and schooled my features, not wanting her to know how much her presence bothered me. Then, as I put my pajamas in the hamper and dressed, I mulled over her earlier comment.

I might not have left the room, but I’d heard enough gossip about her from the guards that watched my room and delivered my food.

“You call it spoon-feeding, but I call it devotion. Where’s your connection, by the way?” I asked smugly.

If rumor had it right, Ethan, her connection, wouldn’t be there unless Horatio was. She was so demanding and cruel that he escaped whenever possible. Even with Horatio pushing Ethan to propose to her, he was dragging his feet. According to the guards, Ethan was madly in love with another woman—his other connection. Supposedly, she was the exact opposite of Bridgette in every way, and he would much rather spend time with her.

Apparently, Bridgette had bullied the other woman enough that she refused to stay in her presence any longer than necessary. Ethan tried to get them to coexist peacefully, but Bridgette refused to, so Ethan spent most of his time with the other woman.

“He’s downstairs waiting for your whore ass,” she snarled.

It wouldn’t benefit me to torment her, but I couldn’t help it. I began laughing as I walked back into the bathroom. She followed me closely, her angry gaze like a weight on my shoulders.

I continued to pretend her presence didn’t bother me. Next, I pulled some hair products from a well-stocked basket on the vanity top. I wasn’t always this “well-cared” for. However, once Horatio learned about the twins, books, clothing, and other “comfort” items had been delivered. He assumed he could buy my loyalty by lulling me into a false sense of security. Foolish man!

I spread some leave-in conditioner in my hands before liberally applying it to my hair and using a wide-tooth comb to remove any tangles. Once that was done, my hair was carefully braided around my halo. It wasn’t perfect, but it would keep the knots out of my hair and keep it out of my face.

I went back out to the bedroom and purposefully taunted Bridgette some more by shifting back and forth between the dresser and closet. She was steps behind me for several moments before she snarled again. Oops! She must have finally realized I was playing a game of follow-the-leader for my amusement.

“Hurry up, or I’ll let Daddy know you didn’t want to come down,” she snapped.

I didn’t let her see how badly her threat affected me. Devising another plan for my escape was more important. Removing my thick cable-knit socks from my drawer, I chuckled. I sat on the edge of my bed to put them on. My center of balance became increasingly off the further I progressed into my pregnancy.

“Let’s go, whore,” she barked as I pushed off the bed.

“Even with my seven connections, my body count is still much lower than yours,” I reminded her sweetly before walking toward the door.

Who I was connected to had been under speculation for some time, but there was no denying I was associated with all seven of my men. A spy Horatio had planted in our midst had let him know the truth. There was no denying it now, so I wouldn’t bother repudiating it any longer.

There were no guards posted at my door, and I frowned when I realized I had no idea where to head. There was a staircase to the far left and to the right of the hallway. One probably led to the dining room and the other to another part of the house.

I felt Bridgette’s presence before her hard shove came from behind. If I didn’t have such quick reflexes, I would have fallen and landed on my stomach. Once I caught myself, I turned and glared at her.

“You should be more careful in your condition,” she tsked with a satisfied smile. “I heard you’re carrying two of them.”

My hackles rose, mama bear instincts kicking in even though I hadn’t even met my beans yet. So that was where her recent animosity came from . She’d thought she was special because she was pregnant with Horatio’s grandchild, but then I showed up pregnant with not one child but two.

Horatio’s interest in me had to irk her. She was already upset that I had more than one gift, then I, the younger sister, had unintentionally upstaged her once more.

“And I heard,” I said, smiling at her to mask my anger, “that your baby isn’t the only one Ethan’s expecting. He seems more present for his other baby’s mother than you. Maybe if you weren’t such a bitch, he would want to spend more time with you.”

She recoiled from my comment as if I had physically assaulted her, pain flitting across her features before fury replaced it. I knew it was a low blow, but I didn’t care. Bridgette had attempted to harm my children.

On instinct, I turned left and headed toward the stairs. I was sure Bridgette would retaliate, so I looked over my shoulder, ensuring I kept a substantial distance between us. I didn’t want to “accidentally” fall down the stairs.

η

Horatio and Alison’s house was on the ostentatious side. From what I could see through the open doorways we passed, they liked to flaunt their wealth. I was pretty sure I saw original artwork worth millions hanging on the wall beside the door Bridgette pushed through.

She had taken me into a formal dining room, and my eyes were immediately drawn to the gaudy crystal chandelier above the middle of the table. It took me a moment to realize that the dining room table, so large it could easily sit close to twenty people, was nearly full. I attempted to take in the other people’s appearances, but my attention was drawn away by movement at the head of the table.

“Blake, dear, come have a seat.” Horatio smiled as he indicated the open seat beside Alison.

He stood at the head of the table, and Alison sat to his right. There were two empty seats near him. Ethan sat in one to Horatio’s left, and I knew the empty seat beside him was Bridgette’s before she started walking toward it.

I had no choice but to play the game. Walking toward them, my eyes stayed fixed on them despite the weight of others’ penetrating gazes. I felt like a mouse in a snake’s aquarium, especially after I caught the eye of one of the men, his lips curled up in hostility and disdain.

I had no clue why I garnered his negative attention, but I imagined it might have something to do with how we had defended ourselves against their attacks. The number of dead on their side hadn’t been high, but I was sure some of the deceased had friends and family still out there. I tried to maintain my composure as I realized it wasn’t just Horatio, Alison, and Bridgette I needed to be wary of.

When I sat beside Alison, her grip tightened around the napkin in her lap. She wasn’t ready to forgive me yet—sorry, not sorry, and I almost smiled vindictively at her unease. She deserved any animosity I gave her, especially since she had abandoned her sons and was in cahoots with an evil man.

I quickly schooled my features, reminding myself I needed to ingratiate myself with them. Suddenly, the seat to my left shifted as a larger man occupied it. I looked up and barely stopped my mouth from dropping open. Bentley and Mercedes, Lincoln’s twin siblings, sat across from me in the seats beside Bridgette and Ethan. I had nearly forgotten about their existence.

Then I bristled at the fact that they had chosen to align themselves with Horatio. Couldn’t they see what a malevolent man he was? Were they as depraved as him? They had aided him in my abduction.

I shook my anger off and focused on their appearance. Mercedes and Bentley favored each other in many ways. Bentley even had the strong facial features Lincoln did. They had more of an olive complex than Lincoln’s beautiful bronze. Steven Karn, Lincoln’s father, was Indian and Caucasian, and Imlay, his mother, was Native American and Irish.Bentley and Mercedes’ father must have been fair since their skin wasn’t nearly as dark as the pictures I had seen of Imlay or Lincoln.

“Have you met the twins? Your siblings?” Horatio smugly asked.

I couldn’t hide my surprise if I tried. I had more siblings? I had siblings that could also be my sister and brother-in-law?

“They were the results of my first successful implantation. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that one of your connection’s mothers had been one of my earlier test subjects. For the holidays, she wanted a little extra cash and was eager to bear my children in exchange,” Horatio said gleefully.“There’s cream and sugar, so you can make your coffee as you like.” He casually added that offer as if he hadn’t just dropped a bomb a moment before.

If I hadn’t been watching so closely, I wouldn’t have noticed the slight tightening in Bentley’s jaw and Mercedes’ white-knuckled grip on her coffee cup. I leaned forward and grabbed my cup, but then I set it back down with a frown.

“May I have some juice or decaffeinated coffee?” I asked.

I knew a cup of coffee wouldn’t harm the babies, and I missed it greatly. However, I didn’t want to take any risks. I heard delivering twins to full term could be a feat in itself, so I wanted to ensure I could carry them as long as possible.

“Don’t be rude,” Bridgette hissed. “Say hi to our siblings and drink what you’re given.”

I gave her a smile, knowing it would provoke her, then turned to look at Mercedes and Bentley. “It’s nice to meet you. Forgive me if I’m slightly overwhelmed. I’m up to five other siblings, well, six if you count the little girl I raised.” Greeting done, I switched my attention back to Bridgette.“Too much caffeine isn’t good for the baby, or babies in my case,” I smugly reminded her.

“I took no offense.” Bentley smirked, and my heart lurched.

With that expression, he looked exactly like Lincoln. With our newfound camaraderie, I found myself liking Lincoln more and more. I discovered I did miss him and wondered if our relationship could progress past our initial mutual antagonism.

“We’re not as easily offended as the little shrew,” Mercedes informed me dryly. “It is a lot to discover at once.”

Bridgette spluttered, and I couldn’t help but laugh.Bentley and I shared a smile, and for a split second, I forgot that we were on opposite sides. Then my smile fell, and I looked over at Horatio.

“How many more siblings do I have out there?” I asked, attempting to keep my voice neutral.

Horatio nodded toward someone in the open arch, and I noticed two women dressed in vintage maid uniforms. They nodded in return, and soon, several dishes were carried out by men dressed in black and white uniforms.

“Children I claim, or children I have?” Horatio barely contained his sneer.

He might have “fathered” several children, but only the gifted were worth his attention. My opinion of him remained firm. I could never admire or like the man who biologically shared my DNA.

“Tell me,” Horatio said almost nonchalantly, “where did your grandmother’s experimental research end up?”

When cold enveloped me, I knew he was trying to probe my mind. I winced, but moments later, it felt like an invisible shield had surrounded me, bringing calm and comfort.

“As far as I know, she destroyed all of it,” I answered. “After the death of my aunt and other children in the program, she realized the results weren’t stable and didn’t feel it was worth continuing her research.”

Horatio’s mouth tightened in displeasure. I felt a hard push once more, followed by the block, and my brows knitted in confusion. Someone was trying to protect me against Horatio, but who?

I looked around the table and noticed only one man was directly staring at me, not Horatio. His pale green eyes were bright against his tan skin. His raven black hair seemed artfully tousled as if he were attempting to achieve the just-out-of-bed look. He was handsome, hot even, but once again, he was on the wrong side—not to mention I was more than happy with my men.

“You would tell me if they still existed. Wouldn’t you?” Horatio casually commented. “You understand how important it is that we’re not wiped out of existence by our government? Because that’s where our future is heading.”

I barely contained my snort of disbelief. I’d seen the evidence, and I was well aware that Horatio’s doings had caused scrutiny to fall on our community. We never would have popped up on their radar if he had left well enough alone.

A plate of food and a cup of coffee were placed in front of me, giving me the perfect opportunity to compose my face.

“Deep breath. Tell Horatio what he wants to hear, Ake,” someone whispered in my head.

It felt like someone had hit me in the solar plexus, deflating my lungs of all air. That was the nickname Gavin had given me. Tears burned behind my lids as I recognized Gavin’s voice. Was I going mad? Had I covered my grief so deeply that I was imagining him conversing with me?

There wasn’t a day that had gone by that I didn’t think about my best friend. I knew I would have slipped into a deep, dark depression without the knowledge of my babies. He might have only been in my life for a few months, but he had become so much more to me. Gavin had become my human diary as I was his.

“Blake,” Horatio sharply prodded.

I took a deep fortifying breath, reminding myself of my new resolve. It had to be the guilt and grief I was still carrying. I’d convinced myself that I’d heard Gavin’s voice because I missed him.

“I don’t want to bring my children into a world where they may be hunted and caged,” I truthfully answered after I composed myself.

He didn’t need to know I thought he was the man who would lead us in that direction. He could believe my tears were for my unborn children and not because I had lost my mind.

Horatio narrowed his gaze on me. “Why are there tears in your eyes?”

“Becoming a mother has changed my perspective on life. And,” I added, kindly pushed my plate away from me, “I’m not supposed to eat undercooked eggs and meat.”

Horatio paused in the midst of cutting his steak to look between Bridgette and me with a frown. Bridgette was tucking away a rare steak and over-easy eggs with gusto. My mouth watered, wishing I could eat it, but I knew it wasn’t worth the risk.

“So I’ve heard,” Ethan muttered as he took a large bite of his steak.

“The doctor didn’t tell me that,” Bridgette hissed. “ We have another appointment today. You’ll be at this one.” She glared at Ethan. “It’s after breakfast.”

I had to sigh, realizing that meant I was going to have another check-up too. Every time Bridgette had one, so did I. The weekly appointments seemed to be a tad extreme. Even if I never had to leave my room to go through them, it was invasive and annoying.

Plus, I didn’t care for the doctor. She was cold and didn’t seem to want to be here. No wonder she hadn’t kept us informed—not that Bridgette’s ignorance was acceptable. She’d given us the books and told us we were responsible for reading them.

Horatio then looked at Alison, who took a sip of her coffee and shrugged. “Rules have changed since I was pregnant sixteen years ago.”

“Nineteen.” I couldn’t help but remind her. “Jaxson will be nineteen soon.”

Alison turned and glared at me, and I had to refrain from moving away from her. It was hard to despise a woman who resembled two men I loved so much. In a perfect life, we could have gotten along, but let’s be honest… I wasn’t born into an ideal life.

She sneered. “I know how old my son is.”

I bit my tongue to keep from asking her if she knew how to do simple math.Her mere presence disgusted me. How could any mother willingly turn her back on her children?

When a few chuckles rang out, I looked up, carefully trying to examine the rest of the men and women around the table. There were more men than women. They also varied so much in looks. Some looked ready to head into the office for the day in their three-piece suits. Others looked like they had just rolled out of bed in sweats and well-worn t-shirts. Then some appeared to be heading to a rock concert with band tees and torn jeans. A few other eclectic styles were present in this room as well.

Horatio chuckled, pausing my inspection. I turned, seeing the displeasure in his eyes as he looked between Bridgette and Alison. He snapped his fingers, and a maid was by his side seconds later.

He looked at me expectantly. “Bring my daughters—”

I realized he was awaiting my request, though that only made me feel uncomfortable for causing extra work for his staff.

I gave her an apologetic smile. “Anything.”

“Blake,” Horatio said sternly, “my staff is here to serve us . What would you like to eat?”

The maid gave me an encouraging nod, but it didn’t ease my discomfort. “Can I just have some scrambled eggs, toast, and maybe some fruit?”

“Would you like cheese on your eggs, and what type of fruit and toast would you like?” she asked patiently, her kind features putting me at ease.

“Yes, please, and I’m fine with whatever you have.”

“Make that two,” Horatio commanded as he pulled Bridgette’s food away from her.

Bridgette made a sound of displeasure. “Daddy, I was eating that.”

“It’s not good for you,” he said firmly.

She glared at me.“What does the trailer trash know?”

“It seems the trailer trash has more knowledge on the matter. Anyway, didn’t she get better grades than you?” Bentley questioned drolly.

Mercedes giggled.“She also seems to have more class than you have.”

“Yeah, by blowing the teacher,” Bridgette jeered at me before looking at Mercedes. “And what do you know about class, Mercedes and Bentley? Your adoptive father pimped you out to all his business associates.”

Both of them tensed, and the pain in Mercedes’ eyes was obvious before she made her face blank. Bentley immediately placed a hand on his sister’s.Side or no side, that was a low and despicable blow. I couldn’t allow Bridgette to lash out at us.

The accusations she’d made about their past sickened me. I knew all too well what it was like to become a victim to someone who should have cared for us. The fact that she was willing to use their pain as a weapon was disgusting.

I smiled sweetly. “Better than blowing the whole basketball team like you did.” Ethan took a deep breath, looking at Bridgette in shock. “And the only teacher I blew,” I continued with a wink, “was my connection, Jace. You know, the man you constantly threw your underwear at.” Next, I turned to Ethan with a frown that was anything but genuine. “I’m sure your connection didn’t tell you how promiscuous she was. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not slut-shaming her, but at least own it and stop trying to shame others that had no choice but to let people violate them.”

Bridgette made a sound of rage and held up her hands. It appeared as if I had pushed her too far, so I braced myself for her inevitable attack. I knew she could mess with memories, but I had no clue to what degree.

“Calm down, Ake,” Gavin said, speaking once more. “Don’t make our stay here any worse.”

I stiffened and looked around the room until my eyes met the green-eyed man’s once more. He gave me a slight tilt of his head as if he were trying to tell me something. Once again, I felt breathless. Was I hallucinating?

Gavin died .I had seen the light leave his eyes, yet this “conversation” felt too real.I needed to find out why I was hearing him.

“Gavin?” A zap hit my system, and I slumped back when the voltage attacked me with a vengeance. My hands curled in on themselves as my teeth gnashed together painfully. It only lasted three seconds, but it was excruciating nevertheless.

“I told you Blake couldn’t be trusted yet,” Alison derided.

I gritted my teeth as the residual pain slowly began to ease. “I have no control over how my gift reacts when it feels like I’m being attacked. I was only trying to protect myself against Bridgette.”

That was stupid of me to attempt to reach “Gavin.” First, he wasn’t here. Second, I wasn’t able to use my gifts. Just because I could communicate with my men again didn’t mean I could converse with everyone like that.

“No one at this table would attack you,” Alison snapped.

Horatio looked over at a man near the end of the table.

“Bridgette was attempting to create false memories,” he said coolly.

The man must have been a reader of sorts. Luckily, my excuse would cover up my faux pas. I had taken a lucky guess after recognizing the expression Bridgette was giving me. She had already tried to attack me physically, so I knew it was only a matter of time before she tried to attack me with her gift.

Bridgette stood up in anger. “That’s a lie!”

“Bridgette,” Horatio barked.“Play nice, or I’ll send you to your room.”

“She was making up lies about me.” She teared up. “I didn’t give blow jobs to the basketball team or give Jace my panties!”

“Blake told no lies,” a young girl chirped,“but Bridgette did.”

I hadn’t noticed any children at the table before, but when I looked around again, a little girl of seven or so was sitting between two burly men. My mouth dropped as I studied her appearance. There was no denying her resemblance to Bentley and Mercedes. I quickly did the math in my head. One of them had to have been a teenage parent.