Gena Showalter - Playing With Fire (tales of an extra ordinary girl)

A delicious tremor rolled down my spine.

Straightening my shoulders, I followed the path Rome had taken. I was smiling, the stupid grin stretched over my entire face, but I couldn’t help myself. At least I wasn’t skipping. Okay, maybe I was. The boots I wore click-clicked against the marble floor.

The hall opened into the living room, then branched to the dining room I’d been too tired to pay attention to last night. Now, my gaze drank in each little detail. Beyond the low, sprawling glass table were giant, multihued silk pillows that acted as chairs. A towering archway led into a thoroughly modern kitchen of chrome and silver steel. Silver refrigerator, chrome island counter, silver faucet and sink.

Lexis and Tanner stood at the counter. Lexis, of course, looked exquisitely lovely. She wore a bright red and black pantsuit with Chinese symbols scattered on the hem. Tanner wore the same long T-shirt and baggy jeans he’d sported yesterday. Praise the Lord, he’d taken out the eight ball contacts. His eyes were electric blue, almost the exact shade of Rome ’s. I would have melted under his spell in that instant if I’d been a few years younger.

His features were animated, sinfully intent, as he told Lexis how pretty her skin was, how wonderful her hair smelled, how gorgeously her eyes glowed.

I rolled my eyes. The kid wasn’t scared, as I’d feared. He was totally at ease and hitting on the hostess-my would-be nemesis-with moves I’d taught him. My gaze strayed farther back, catching sight of Rome. He padded about, gathering glasses and plates. Just looking at him, I felt my chest constrict. You’re worth a lot of effort, too.

“Did you find the picture of Sunny you were hunting for?” Lexis asked Rome.

“Yeah,” he answered curtly.

A twinge of guilt beaded in my chest. He’d wanted a photo from his ex, not wild monkey sex. I’d have to apologize. “I’m sorry,” I said. He didn’t answer. I’d tell him again when we were alone. Perhaps I’d give him a swift kiss that wouldn’t start a fire.

I looked to Tanner. “You seem to be taking this in stride,” I told him. I walked to the island. “I’m surprised you like your prison so well.” And the warden, I added silently.

Blue hair tumbled over his forehead as he quickly faced me. “Viper!” A huge grin broke over his face. He threw his arms around me and squeezed tight. “Dude, this place rocks. What’s not to like?”

“Did Commando over there hurt you when he knocked you out?”

“Nah,” Tanner said, cheeks reddening. “I’m, like, impervious to pain.”

One of my brows arched. “Impervious?”

“Yeah. You know, pain can’t-”

“I know what it means, Crazy B, I just didn’t expect you to use a word like that.”

“Toilet paper word of the day,” he said, his eyes narrowing on Rome. I needed to get me some of that toilet paper. “He didn’t hurt me, but he did steal my car and I want it back.”

“You drive that car now, you die. Bad men will be all over it.” Rome stepped up to my side. No part of us touched, but I felt the heat of him. The strength. The patent stillness of his predator soul. He pushed a glass of apple juice in front of me and leveled me with a curious frown, finally giving me his full attention. “Viper?”

I lifted my shoulders in a shrug. “It was the only name I could think to give him.” To Tanner, I said, “My real name is Belle.”

“I knew it. El stoppo, indeed.” He slapped his hand on his thigh. “You’ll always be Viper to me, though, my sex-starved babe on the run. Hey,” he added with barely a breath. “Lexis told me what’s going on. Is it true? Can you really start fires with your mind?”

I hesitated to answer. Would he fear me? Turn away from me? Want nothing more to do with me? Only one way to find out… I bit my lip and nodded.

“Do it!” he said enthusiastically, surprising me. “Start one right now.”

Relief weakened my limbs. “No.”

“Ah, come on. I’ll give you a dollar.”

“No! I’m not a circus freak who performs for a little cash.” I anchored my hands on my hips. “You have to pay at least a hundred if you want to see actual flames.”

His eyes brightened and the irises appeared to deepen, to swirl, like a crystalline pool of magnetic power. “Do you take checks?”

“That’s enough. No fires,” Rome said. There was a hint of amusement in his tone, as well as exasperation.

He plopped an array of fruits onto the counter, and I plucked a grape. The sweetness filled my mouth, but it wasn’t altogether satisfying. I liked fruit and all, but please. Just please. What was up with this healthy meal crap? Ham and crackers last night. Fruit this morning. Where were the doughnuts? The burgers and fries? Hello, I’d almost died-several times in the last day alone. I had a new appreciation for the finer things in life. Like sugar. And fat grams.

“So what’s the game plan today?” I asked Rome, then grudgingly stuffed a strawberry in my mouth. It was tarter than the grape and actually contrasted nicely.

“We’re going to take the kid-”

“Crazy Bones,” Tanner interjected. “Call me Crazy Bones. Or CB. I’ll answer to CB.”

“We’re going to take Dumbo to a safe house.”

“That shit is whack, yo.” Tanner swallowed a bite of melon and bared his teeth in a scowl. “My name ain’t Dumbo, and I ain’t going to no safe house. Lexis says I’m, like, an empath. And this empath wants to kick some bad guy ass.”

“You’re an empath?” I said with a disbelieving shake of my head. “You know what people are feeling? Like on TV?”

“Empaths, like psychics, are born,” Lexis said, “not created. Tanner was indeed born with such an ability.”

Was I some sort of magnet for the paranormal now? What was next, a vampire? A demon? “I agree with Rome,” I said. The thought of Tanner hurt-or worse-was enough to give me hives. He had yet to really live, and I wanted no part in helping him die. “I think you need to be somewhere safe.”

“I’m not a fucking kid,” he snapped.

I frowned over at him. “You don’t know what we’re dealing with.”

“Do you?” he countered, reminding me I hadn’t been able to give him answers the day he asked. Which was yesterday, I realized then. I’d only met him yesterday. Wow. Already it seemed as if an eternity had passed.

My shoulders squared, my chin rose and I pierced him with a stern stare. “I know that you’re an innocent in all of this, and I never should have gotten you involved. I know-”

“You don’t know shit.”

“Children.” Rome clapped his hands twice. “You may be an empath, Tanner, but you don’t have the necessary skills to survive. You’ll just get in our way.”

“Actually,” Lexis said. She flicked her black hair over her dainty shoulder. “He’ll aid you more than he hinders you. One day, with practice, he’s going to be a human lie detector. But more than that, he’s going to be able to sense when Belle needs him. They’re bonded in some way. I’m unable to see how, I just know they are.”

Rome ’s focus whipped to Lexis. “Shit,” he said.

“Why do you think he was driving down that particular street at that particular time yesterday?”

“I wanted to buy condoms,” Tanner said.

Expression soft, Lexis patted him on the shoulder. “No. On an unconscious level, you’d already sensed Belle’s desperation and the heroic part of you forced you to be there so that you could help her.”

“Hear that?” Tanner grinned slowly. “The heroic part of me. I’m a hero. A hero, goddamn it, and I want to kick bad guy ass.” He punctuated his words by pointing at his chest. “You need me.”

He was so excited by his newfound abilities. I wished I could feel that enthusiastic about mine.