Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
CHAMPION
So that’s what it’s like.
I’d seen feats of super strength, super speed, and things that defied any kind of description, but it hadn’t been real to me before.
Someone hit my truck on my wife’s side, and the world exploded.
I was in the heads of everyone in my line of sight.
Every driver including the semi-driver about to hit us head-on.
I was in his head, making him spin the wheel so he’d flip and block off the other cars.
Every other car, every other driver, I controlled them all, my mind at a dozen wheels, working together to choreograph the accident so not one drop of blood was shed in spite of the wreckage.
And then I turned to see Sunshine bleeding. She was so maddeningly delicate. I could see her body struggling with every breath, every heartbeat even as I felt my own shoulder heal. Instantaneous healing. Mind control of multiple subjects at one time. And she was bleeding. She was dying.
The cage I always kept my rage locked up inside shattered. She kept trying to find my humanity, but the rage was a monster like I’d never known before.
I could control so much, but I couldn’t keep her from bleeding. Could I keep her from dying? She was everything to me. Everything.
Except the rage.
I called Daniel. I didn’t bother using a phone. We were connected by blood and Sunshine. Her will was wrapped around both of us. She was the key that unlocked my pandora’s box, the cage, and released the monster.
When Daniel got to the accident, Tom was there with him, Tom’s face concerned when he looked at me, when he saw the monster staring back at him.
“She’s shaken up. You should stay with her,” he said on our way to the airport. He drove, because my hands were still shaking. Adrenaline. And other things. Mostly rage.
“I’ll hurt her.” Would I? Yes. I’d use her attraction to me, and turn her into an addict of pleasure so she’d have to stay with me, to do whatever was necessary to keep herself alive.
I would hurt her so much. I already did with those words I couldn’t stop.
‘I love you’ shouldn’t sound like a threat.
“You leaving hurt her,” he said after another moment.
My chest ached as I pictured her face, the hurt in her eyes when I said I was leaving. “I know. She’s going to hurt either way.”
He sighed and drove in silence the rest of the way. The private jet was mine, paid for by my sponsors. I used it so rarely, I felt like a pretender as I went to the back and poured myself a drink. Wheat grass juice.
My phone rang as I sat down with my glass and my laptop, ready to go over business, to pretend to be respectable, but my skin still buzzed.
I answered to hear Daniel’s cold voice.
“She’s asleep. You scared her. What did you do to her?”
I closed my eyes while my chest ached. “Keep her safe. Someone hit us, her side, so probably not DuPre. Who wants to kill my wife?”
“No one. The good guys are hoping she’ll turn you into a prince, and the bad guys are all in love with her.”
“That’s what I was afraid of. That means there’s a player on the board I don’t know about. Keep her safe.”
“You already said that. I saw footage of the wreck. The truck that hit you was stolen from a guy from the suburbs. Driver ran away during the aftermath, black hat, clothes, no identifying marks. I watched it a few times. Such artistry. It’s like every single driver was trained for stunts in your very specific style. ”
I was quiet for a second. “Scary,” I finally said.
“Someone should be scared, but I’m too psychotic for fear. I’m only afraid of one thing.”
“I’ll get her cure.”
“But will she take it?”
I thumped my head on the backrest three times before I forced myself to breathe evenly. “That’s her choice.”
“Is it? Like those drivers had the choice to perform to your exact specifications? That’s the only reason I’m letting you have her. You’re going to keep her alive. One way or another. She’ll be grateful in the end.”
I snorted. “She asked me to be honest with her. That’s most of why she’s upset. Also, I lost control for a minute there. I was a little too honest.”
“Honesty? She wants honesty from you? Oh, the hypocrisy.”
I growled before I could stop myself, gripping the phone with too much pressure. “My wife is never hypocritical.” I needed to be with her, to smooth over her precious feelings. If I was going to make her stay with me, the least I could do was make sure she was happy.
“Makes sense. I didn’t ask you to be honest with me. Does she know that you aren’t giving her up after six months?”
“Aren’t I?” No, I wasn’t. “Keep her safe. Keep searching for the poor dead fool who hit us.”
“So she doesn’t know. Good. She needs to think that she’s in control. Which she is, otherwise you wouldn’t be a married man.”
“Jealous?”
“Of course. You can touch her without hurting her. When she’s cured she’ll have more options.”
I snorted. “You’re trying to die young. It won’t work. She’s free to do what she wants.”
“And that’s why you told the waiters not to look at your wife.”
“She told you about that? Not my best moment. She’s free to do what she wants. Other men, not so much.”
He laughed. “So you’d forgive her and kill him. Sounds fair.”
I smiled slightly. “Keep her safe.” I hung up and focused on business. My mind was almost painfully alert, every challenge analyzed and broken down with the same forceful intention, whether it was dealing with insurance, politicians, or businessmen.
My phone rang and I answered, my mind still on a half dozen other things.
“Howdy, partner,” Jezebel drawled.
“What’s wrong?” I demanded, sitting up.
“Just checking in with the big, bad, boss. Specifically, what do you want me to do about the Missus? Someone said we were doing a camping trip, and the next thing I know, you’re halfway around the world.”
I ran a hand through my hair as I eased back down. “Something came up.”
“I heard about the accident, but usually one bunkers down, doesn’t fly, literally, into danger. It’s a jungle over there.”
“Daniel’s a friend of hers. He’s first bodyguard. Trix is second. You’re after that. Keep going with business as usual.”
“Mm hm. This year is nothing close to business as usual. You’re really okay with Angel watching over your Kitten? He’s clearly unhealthily attached.”
“Prophet, not Angel. Okay isn’t close to what I am, but I’m working on it.”
“Be careful with King. He runs on whim.”
“Careful? You don’t want me to break him?”
She laughed, hard, like daggers. “Honey, he’s already broken.
Don’t cut yourself on his edges.” She hung up, leaving me to refocus on my work after a shake of my head.
Who I really wanted to talk to was Kitten, but she was sleeping.
Aunt Willie would check her tomorrow morning.
Daniel would let me know how it went. Maybe.
For a few minutes, I closed my eyes and tried to sleep, but I kept seeing Kitten as she turned her head to look at me, her beautiful eyes framed by blood.
Someone tried to kill her. Who? I replayed the accident in my head, the minds of every person there.
Had I actually taken control of other people’s wills?
It wasn’t possible. Who would target my wife?
I’d been out of the game too long to know the players.
Horse could tell me. Was he involved? No, he wouldn’t target Flower’s daughter.
He was a legend among those do-gooder types who were so certain of their moral superiority.
Was it Flowers? He’d acted out of character at dinner.
Calling me, ‘Son?’ He hadn’t mentioned the damage I’d done to his crew.
I hadn’t killed anyone, but there was still damage.
So much damage. No, he wouldn’t kill a sweet young woman who was already dying.
I was almost sure of it. I could see him kidnapping her and locking her in a tower to protect her, but hurt her?
What about my mother? If she was going to kill someone, it wouldn’t be that clumsy, it would be done. Same with everyone I knew in that line including Daniel. My Sunshine would already be gone.
The jet landed before I’d come to any conclusions or gotten any rest. The thought of her dying made me icy cold, hard, and with that endless well of rage.
The humidity struck me like a blow when I stepped out, descending the ladder to see a group of men in dark suits led by a tan, dark-haired man with gold-capped teeth waiting for me in a white Panama hat.
“Welcome to my island. I understand you have a deal for me.”
I stared at him and then looked past him to see none other than Michael DuPre looking handsome and charming. At least if he was here, he wasn’t with her.
I smiled at the King of Macau and held out a hand. “That’s right. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
He looked at my hand and shook his head.
“I’d hate to give the impression of taking sides.
Monsieur DuPre has made it clear that he’s willing to buy my research whatever the price.
I imagine that you have the same feelings.
What I really want is to see you fight for this research you both care so much about. Is that agreeable to you, Mr. Hammer?”
“Call me Nix.” I glanced at Michael DuPre and smiled slightly. “I can’t imagine anything I’d like more.”
“Other than your wife. We must not take love for granted, however natural war may be to us.” The King of Macao flashed me a toothy smile and then turned, walking with us to a white limousine.
“You will ride together. If you maim each other without an audience, there’s no deal.
We are gentlemen, after all.” He left us to slip into the back seat of the limo while he took a dark sedan.
For a moment I stood on that tarmac, forcing my hands to relax, to not wrap around DuPre’s throat and squeeze.
“You look well,” he said pleasantly. “Like you’ve never been shot.”