Chapter 2
“Why does she have to be here?” Bridgette whined.
“It doesn’t make sense to have the doctor visit both your rooms,” Horatio resolutely stated.
The rest of breakfast had been tense, to say the least, with Alison and Bridgette continuing to make snide remarks toward me while Horatio continued to prod me, attempting to gauge my reactions. With the knowledge that he had been testing my truthfulness with my… niece, I became more hyper-aware of the gifted surrounding me. Evidently, he didn’t trust me quite yet, so I had to be careful of any answers I gave.
To make matters worse, my emotions were still in upheaval. How did I hear Gavin’s voice? Why did Max, the green-eyed man, seem to be secretly trying to communicate with me? I desperately wished one of the guys could contact me so I could draw comfort from them.
“She did before,” Bridgette said sullenly.
“A new doctor will be here today,” Horatio said as he sat on the other side of Alison.
I assumed he didn’t like hearing that the previous doctor hadn’t given us verbal prenatal instructions. He expected the most out of his staff, and she had failed.
Something resembling an exam table had been set up in the middle of the room, and Alison was seated on the couch beside Bridgette. It seemed like she was deliberately doting on Bridgette out of spite.I wanted to laugh and tell her how much I cared. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Not even a little bit.
“We need to make sure you get the best care.” Alison reached over and clasped Bridgette’s hand, but I pretended I didn’t hear her remark. She could play the mother role all day long. I knew what kind of birth mother she was. I had taken an “interest” in a book I had found on the table while discreetly attempting to find clues about where I was.
Since I was in a different part of the house, I hoped to see anything besides the woods that were visible from my room. Unfortunately, the view varied in only the slightest ways. I could see a long winding driveway and a pond.
“Well, it seems like she wasn’t the greatest. I never would have intentionally harmed your grandchild,” Bridgette simpered before looking over at Ethan. “Who are you texting?” she sniped.
Ethan had reluctantly followed us into the den and promptly taken a stance near the door. He hadn’t put down his phone since breakfast was finished.
“You forget I run a business unless I’m showering you with expensive gifts,” Ethan drolly replied before sitting beside me across the room from them.
When I looked at Ethan, it was easy to see him as a businessman. He was impeccably dressed in a custom three-piece suit. I wondered for a brief moment what he did, then remembered I really didn’t give a damn.
“You need to sit by me.” Bridgette pointed by her side.
Where? I wanted to ask her. There was no more room over there.I didn’t want him to sit by me, especially since I knew he was purposefully using me to get to her. I didn’t particularly appreciate being used, but I could understand why he wanted nothing to do with her.
“What are you reading?” Ethan asked, intentionally ignoring her.
“Harry Potter,” I responded with a deadpan expression.
I was thankful I’d had time to return to my room and grab it before our appointment since I didn’t have a phone to keep me occupied. I needed to pretend that I hadn’t read the same line five times to hide my interest in my surroundings.
He nodded. “Good movies.”
“Most of the time, the books are better than the movies,” I retorted.
He chuckled and shook his head.“Who has time for that?”
“I have nothing but time now that I’m here,” I dryly reminded him. “Without school, training, and my family to keep me busy, I must do something.”
There was a time I had wished for a moment to simply breathe, especially when it was just Ella and me. I’d longed for a day of pure laziness with zero expectations of earning money, feeding us, or cleaning our tiny trailer. But unfortunately, I had learned rather quickly this life of… laziness wasn’t for me. Sure, I loved binge-watching Chopped , Law and Order: SVU , and reading, but that had gotten old after a week.
“Ethan, come here,” Bridgette snarled.
He looked at Horatio first, but he didn’t seem to care about their drama. Instead, he was busy on his phone as well.Ethan turned back toward me in a blatant brushoff.
“Did you abhor any of your connections?” he bluntly asked in a quiet voice.
I let out a burst of shocked laughter and found myself telling him the truth—enemy of my enemy and all that.
“I mean…” I lowered my voice as well. “My last connection was difficult to make, but I can understand now why we’re connected. My connections all feel like they’re a part of me.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Bridgette struggle to stand up.
“Seven, though.” He looked at me with a slightly mortified look.
Under his Ken-doll appearances, I could see how he could be someone I might regard as a friend—in another time and place, of course. At that moment, I didn’t trust or like him, but maybe I could lull him into dropping his guard. Perhaps he would talk enough to give me some much-needed information.
“It works for us.” I shrugged.“Believe it or not.”
“And they’re all happy?Even Lincoln Hudgens?” He raised a skeptical brow at me.
It was an insecurity of mine, but he didn’t need to know that.
“I mean…” I purposefully trailed off. “Our connection was the newest.” I feigned a frown. “Has Lincoln been seen out in public with many women?”
I knew the answer to that. Lincoln had rarely left the facility since he came. He’d missed several awards shows and had taken Jemmy and Sierra to the opening of his newest movie. He almost seemed hesitant to even go, but I had insisted that he needed to remain relevant. Plus, the girls needed some excitement in their lives.
Jemmy and Sierra still felt Gavin’s loss, and they needed a break from the daily reminders. Jemmy was a shell of herself, and if it weren’t for the baby, Sierra would have sunk into a heavy depression. They needed to find a way to move forward.
If we ever got our lives back, I would pursue music again, and I knew none of the guys would stop me. Jaxson would go off to college to play football. Our lives would be hectic and busy, but we could make it work. Plus, we had Micah to help us when we needed or wanted to spend time together.
He looked at me incredulously once more.“No, not that we’re aware of. You’re a cute girl and all, but your men are young red-blooded men. How could they not stray?”
I tensed but cut off the impending biting retort. “Our connection is strong,” I resolutely stated. “You saw us in action. We’re friends, partners, and lovers. We respect each other.” I paused when I saw Bridgette begin to march toward us.
The door opened, and a familiar gifted, a man who’d had breakfast with us this morning, walked in. A woman in her mid-to-late-forties strolled in behind him. She was pretty in an elegant way. She walked with self-assurance and wore immaculate clothing under a white lab coat.
“I was in the middle of delivering a child,” she said in a peevish tone.
My jaw dropped. I’d never heard anyone talk to Horatio in that tone of voice. I fully expected him to put her in her place, but he simply smiled.
“Oh yeah.” He almost seemed giddy with anticipation.
He stopped by the desk that dominated one of the room’s corners before bringing out a key and inserting it into a bottom drawer. My curiosity was instantly piqued. What did he have under lock and key? I felt the weight of someone’s gaze on me and noticed Alison watching me with narrowed eyes.
I barely stopped myself from rolling my eyes at her before pretending to return my interest to my book again. Horatio stood back up with some files in his hands.
“The signature is still there?” he asked as he passed the folders to Dr. Banks.
I was confused by their conversation but filed that away for a later time. What did delivering a baby and signatures have in common?
“Very much so.” She nodded with a roll of her eyes. “I’m Dr. Banks. Who’s first?” she inquired brusquely before flipping the files open.
For a split second, I contemplated letting Dr. Banks know I didn’t even want to be there. I wanted to inform her that I had been abducted, but something held my tongue. Somehow, I believed this was just another trial. Plus, anyone this close to him had to be on his payroll and well aware of his actions. With a deep breath, I reminded myself to bide my time.
“She can,” Bridgette snapped.
Dr. Banks took some paperwork from each file before placing it on a clipboard. The snap of the clip resounded in the room as she secured the papers.
My brows knitted. “What type of exam will this be?”
I didn’t want my hoo-ha sticking out for them to see, and all my other exams had consisted of a vaginal exam and an ultrasound.
The doctor looked up from the clipboard. “Blake?” she asked. I nodded. “I may do an ultrasound, but we’re all family here, right?”
Family or not, I didn’t want an audience for these intimate moments, even if I liked them. It had been bad enough that Alison and Horatio had been at all the other ones. Now, Bridgette and her non-connection were here as well. Asking for some privacy was on the tip of my tongue, but Horatio quickly answered.
“Of course, we’re all family.” He looked over at me as if he were daring me to refute the claim.
I cast my eyes down, staring daggers at the floor. “Remember the end goal,” I silently reminded myself, then I reluctantly nodded. “I’m ready.”
“Let’s get you on the scale,” she said, pointing to the corner.
I hadn’t even noticed a scale being brought in. I unenthusiastically walked over to it and hopped on. Dr. Banks put a pair of glasses on and peered at the numbers, then she looked back down at my file.
She frowned. “You’re down two pounds from a little over a week ago. And,” she continued as she flipped through my medical file, “you’re not gradually gaining any weight at all.”
My brows knitted in consternation. I knew my waistline had grown, so that didn’t make any sense to me.
“I’m eating,” I informed her. “It’s been a few days since I felt sick or threw up. My appetite is finally returning.”
“Did you tell your other doctor?”
I nodded. “I read about anti-nausea pills; she told me I wouldn’t and didn’t need them.”
“You haven’t gained any weight in weeks,” she said with disapproval.
“What are the children’s signatures?” There was greed in Horatio’s eyes when he asked.
Dr. Banks turned and looked at him with a raised brow.“Can we discuss that later?” she dryly inquired.
Horatio’s cold blue eyes turned icy. Dr. Banks was still a picture of calm, but I noticed the bob of her throat as she swallowed. He made her nervous, but she vainly attempted to hide that from him. Was she one of his willing employees?
Dr. Bank sighed before laying her hands on my stomach, her eyes becoming completely white. Unease filled my stomach when I realized the doctor had a gift to detect whether or not my children carried gifts. A moment later, she opened her eyes with a gasp. “They’re powerful. The babies carry strong gift signatures.”
The knowledge that I was now even more important to Horatio made me feel sick.
“Now, can we talk about Blake’s health? She can’t and won’t be able to deliver them if she doesn’t start to take better care of herself.” Dr. Banks motioned for me to take a step off the scale.
“I had no control over what I ate or when I ate, so when I was given food, I ate it,” I defensively informed her. “I already addressed my concerns with the previous doctor when I could barely keep anything down.”
I might be young, and my babies weren’t planned, but they’d become my sole focus once I discovered they existed. I was determined to be a better mother than my own.
Horatio glared at Alison. “You said her appointments were going fine.”
“They were,” Alison snapped back.“The doctor said it was normal under the circumstances, especially with twins, so I fed her a bland diet as recommended.”
For a split second, I could almost believe Horatio was upset with me since my sperm donor had already made it abundantly clear that my only value was in furthering his convoluted cause. He viewed my children and me as tools. It took everything in me to calm my rage. Instead of having an outburst, I lovingly stroked my belly and reminded myself that we were getting out of there no matter what.
“Well, she needs to eat several small meals daily,” Dr. Banks informed them. “Try to make them healthy.” She then turned to me. “However, your diet doesn’t need to be strict or bland. Indulge yourself from time to time.”
Horatio stood up and went to the hall, but he came back by the time Dr. Banks directed me to the table. She commanded Ethan to close the heavy curtains, so we were cast in shadows. I hated that she measured my belly and did my ultrasound without regard for my privacy or desires.
Tears entered my eyes when the image of my children showed up. I would have to find a new nickname for them since they were no longer blobs or little beans. I could now see their little bodies forming distinctive body parts. Dr. Banks was primarily silent as she began to take measurements of the babies, clicking away and making her notes.
“They’re smaller,” she hummed,“but that’s to be expected.You’re small, so they don’t have much room to move around in there.”
“Are they healthy?” My voice cracked with fear.
“Their signatures are strong; they are strong.” She wiped the goop off my belly as I breathed a sigh of relief and got up. I was readjusting my clothing when the door opened. The green-eyed, black-haired man came in carrying a tray of food.
“Max?” Horatio stood with a slight frown.“You’re delivering food now?Are you finished with the tasks I assigned you?”
“I am, sir. I was coming to seek you out when I saw Dara in the hallway. Unfortunately, she dropped the juice you requested and shattered the glass everywhere. I didn’t think you would want the food to get cold while she cleaned it up, sir,” Max explained.
Horatio nodded before he pointed toward the desk in the corner.
“Blake, sit and eat,” he directed.
“Can I go back to my room?”
Unable to stand being in their presence any longer, I was coming apart at the seams. I needed to process everything that had happened this morning. The mask I had donned was threatening to fall off, and I needed to have my wits and reasoning to continue this charade until I found my opening to escape.
Horatio gave me a displeased look.“No, sit and eat,” he said without further explanation.
I sat, momentarily distracted by the drawers and the locks affixed to them. If I had my gifts, I was confident I could quickly figure out a way to open them. I really wanted to know what was so important it had to be kept under lock and key.
“Get me another scale then!” Bridgette screeched from across the room.
She was standing on the scale beside Dr. Banks who was making notations in her file. I had to hide my smirk. I really shouldn’t be so petty as to find enjoyment in her misery, but, in a way, it was the karma she had incurred.
“The scale isn’t the problem, Bridge,” Ethan said in exasperation. He didn’t bother looking up from his phone. “You’ve sent me to the store several times because the food in the kitchens wasn’t good enough for you.”
“What’s the problem?” Horatio asked as he walked back over to the doctor.“Eat, Blake,” he barked over his shoulder.
I looked down at my tray—an avocado spread over whole-wheat toast and a yogurt parfait with strawberries, blueberries, and granola. I wasn’t hungry since breakfast had been less than an hour ago, but I decided to eat for the sake of the beans.
I didn’t notice Max hadn’t left until he leaned toward me.When I looked up, my green eyes clashed with his.
“We need to talk,” he whispered in my head. “It’s time to get back home.I’ll come to you tonight.”
Startled, I tried to stop gaping at him. My first reaction was to tell him to eff off, to yell and rail at him. However, my gut told me to hear him out.
I wanted to ask him why he sounded like Gavin, yet his timbre was completely different when he opened his mouth. It was evident that he was telepathically speaking to me. I had known a handful of people capable of doing this, and they were all linked to me. My mind denied the possibility, but my heart told me differently. We exchanged nods before he straightened to his full height.
“There’s no way I gained four pounds since last week,” Bridgette hissed.
“What’s your diet like?” Dr. Banks inquired in a dry tone.
“I eat healthy,” Bridgette insisted.“Maybe a little bit more than typical.I’m eating for two, after all.”
“You really don’t,” Ethan drolly stated. “Last week, you had me leave the house at all times of the night for a gallon of cookie dough ice cream, double stuffed Oreos, a McDonald’s large Big Mac meal, and a large pineapple and ham pizza. That’s only a few of the requests you had. I won’t even get started on all the demands you’ve made since your nausea subsided.”
Bridgette glared at Ethan. “I didn’t think cheating every now and then was a crime.”
“Well, it looks like it’s not every now and then,” Dr. Banks drawled sternly. “It’s far too early for you to be gaining this much weight, and if you continue down this road, you’ll probably end up getting gestational diabetes. In fact, the test should have already been administered by now. I’ll have a nurse come by to administer it tomorrow. In the meantime, she needs to eat healthier.” She pointedly looked at Horatio. “No more indulging her.” With those words, she switched her gaze to Ethan.
Ethan almost seemed relieved by that news.“Anything you recommend, Doc.”
He earned glares from Alison and Bridgette for his response, and I bit my lip to keep from smiling. I knew I shouldn’t be so pleased, but I was. She and her friends had made high school a living hell for me before I moved away.
“What about the baby’s signature?” Horatio had a look of displeasure on his face.
Dr. Banks leaned forward and placed her hand on Bridgette’s belly.“It’s there,” she answered as she pulled back.
“And?” Horatio prodded.
“And it’s there,” Dr. Banks repeated, clearly showing her lack of tolerance for him.
“It’s strong, isn’t it?” Bridgette sent a glare my way before eagerly looking back at Dr. Banks.
I didn’t know why she thought this was a competition. Truthfully, I couldn’t care less if my babies were gifted as long as they were healthy. Knowing my men, they couldn’t care less, as well.
“It shouldn’t matter so long as the baby is healthy,” Ethan huffed.
That comment got a glare from Horatio, Alison, and Bridgette, but I gave him points for not backing down.
“The baby is healthy,” Dr. Banks said with a warm smile toward Ethan.
“And strong ,” Bridgette bit out as if her words could bring it to fruition.
“Catherine,” Horatio sternly prodded.
“No.” Dr. Banks shook her head, and I saw her composure slightly rattled for the second time. “The baby is reading as a four. If they find a connection later in life, they may become a six or seven.”
The devastation on Bridgette’s face almost made me feel sympathy for her—almost, but not entirely. It was clear Horatio had high expectations for her, and all she craved was his praise and attention.
“How can that be?” Alison frowned.“Ethan’s a ten, and Bridgette’s a nine.”
Dr. Banks sighed heavily. “As I explained to you before, there is no science as to how the gifts manifest. However, it was once believed that the gifts have their own minds if you will. No one has been able to disprove that theory.”
I took a large bite of my toast, and I had to admit whatever they’d mixed with the avocado was tasty. I waited a few seconds to see if it was well-received. Early on, I’d learned to take my time eating; otherwise, the little dictators I carried would make it come back up if they didn’t like it. The babies seemed to like it because they weren’t making my stomach feel queasy, so I continued eating with gusto.
“You’re lying!” Bridgette screeched.“You used your gift on her.Didn’t you?” Bridgette snarled.
I looked up when I realized she was talking to me, but I simply took another nonchalant bite of my toast and maintained eye contact with her. I obnoxiously chewed every bite before offering her a blank expression.
“How could I? You checked my halo twice this morning, so you know it was fully charged. Plus, as evidenced at breakfast when you tried to attack me, I am unable to use my gifts without getting shocked.” I shrugged before leaning in and taking a bite of my parfait.
I almost hummed at the taste.I could see myself enjoying these regularly.
Dr. Banks did a double-take.Her jaws tightened, and her eyes were lit with fire.
“Take the halo off her right now,” Dr. Banks snarled.
“We will not,” Alison huffed.“She’s not to be trusted.”
“So you’re willing to harm those babies?” Dr. Banks sneered. “You’ve seen what those things can and will do to mom and the babies.”
Ethan frowned. “I can more than handle her while I’m here.”
He didn’t seem to understand what Dr. Banks was referring to, but he obviously didn’t like the negative implications as much as I did. Horatio looked at me in contemplation, evidently weighing his options, while Alison alternated her sneer between Dr. Banks and Ethan.Bridgette scowled at Ethan and me.
“You couldn’t before,” Bridgette finally snapped.
“She had her connections helping her,” Ethan reminded her, then he turned to Horatio. “If the halo can hurt Blake or the babies, what good would that do for our cause?”
I didn’t bother reminding him that I wasn’t one hundred percent back then since I hadn’t connected with Lincoln at that point. Regardless, and without a trace of arrogance, I knew I could easily overcome any of his blocks—with or without my connections. The thought of not wearing a halo nearly made me cry with anticipation.
I nearly did when Horatio approached me, despite the loud protest from Alison and Bridgette, and removed my shackles.