In His Keeping (Slow Burn #2) (24 page)

And then the magnitude of Ramie’s gift hit her. Her breathing sped up as she recalled the countless news stories over the years. Her earlier conversation with Beau in his office, now seemingly a lifetime ago. About the possibility of Ramie being able to help locate her parents.

She bit into her lip, unsure of how to broach such a sensitive topic. Especially when it was a fact that Ramie suffered whatever the victims suffered. And if she did help, if she was able to ascertain exactly what was happening to her parents, Ari didn’t know if she could face that terrible truth.

“What’s wrong?” Ramie asked. “You have the most horrified look on your face, Ari.”

Ramie stared at her, concern evident in her smoke-colored eyes.

Ari closed her eyes briefly, bolstering her courage, praying for strength. Praying that Ramie would agree and that Ari could bear knowing the truth.

“I know this is asking a lot,” Ari said nervously. “But as you know, my parents are missing. They disappeared without a trace and I have no idea where to even start looking. Would you . . .” She sucked in a deep breath before plunging ahead. “Would you be willing to use your powers to try and find them?”

TWENTY

“
HELL
no!”

Ari jumped, so startled that she stumbled and had to throw her hand out to clutch the back of one of the bar stools to keep her knees from buckling and doing a face plant right on the kitchen floor. Her heart nearly exploded in her chest at the sheer vehemence of Caleb’s outburst. She whirled anxiously, fear knotted in her throat, to see Caleb, Beau, Zack, Dane and Eliza had entered the kitchen just as Ari voiced her request. Her pulse had escalated so swiftly and jittered so erratically that she was light-headed. She swayed precariously and suddenly Ramie was there, wrapping a steadying arm around her waist, holding her as she shot her husband a glare of reprimand.

Fury emanated from Caleb. His entire
body
bristled with rage, his eyes glittering, making him look . . . lethal. She took an instinctive step back, Ramie’s arm falling away as Ari made her escape. But she bumped into the bar and then felt trapped with nowhere to escape Caleb’s terrible wrath.

She swallowed, unable to articulate any sort of response, not even to apologize. She was utterly paralized, panic knotting her insides.

“Where do you get off trying to emotionally
manipulate
my wife when you
know
damn well the hell she endures when she uses her powers to locate kidnapping victims?”

Ari clenched her fingers into tight balls, wishing she could take the words back, suddenly wishing she’d never walked into the DSS offices. Whereas just moments earlier she’d felt safe—comforted by the knowledge that Beau would protect her
and
find her parents—now she felt terrified and wanted to be as far away from this place as possible.

She skated sideways, eyeing her pathway to the hallway that led to the bedrooms. There was a doorway just outside the exit from the kitchen, on the left, that led into the living room. And escape. There were other security firms. She’d only sought out the Devereauxs because it was who her father had said to look up. She could even hire a private investigator or simply go to the police, which is what she should have done from the very start.

When she’d eased past the barrier of the bar stools just enough to make her bid for freedom, she lunged for the hallway, bolting like a spooked deer. A strong arm wrapped solidly around her waist, hauling her up short, and she turned, prepared to fight. Two of the bar stools simply lifted in the air, hurtling toward her unseen attacker.

“Damn it, Ari! It’s me, Beau. Stop with the chairs. Those sons of bitches hurt!”

His voice infiltrated her utter panic and the overwhelming desire to be away. Anywhere but here. She went still and the chairs tumbled to the floor, lying on their sides. Beau had his arms solidly around her waist, facing her, his expression hard, fury so like his brother’s a storm in his eyes.

Tears suddenly welled up in hers. He was angry with her too? When she and Beau had discussed the possibility during that first meeting? He had been the one to broach the subject. Not Ari!

A tear slid down her cheek, warm against the ice of her skin.

“Why are you so angry with me?” she choked out, it taking every ounce of her control to prevent the words from ending in a sob.

The rage in his eyes was simply too much for her to bear. She dropped her gaze, her head lowering in defeat, her hair falling like a curtain and obscuring her view. She was aware of more tears, blurring her vision, so she simply closed her eyes, shutting out everything around her.

Helpless anger bubbled up in her veins, replacing her utter despair. She wanted to bring the whole goddamn house down—and she could. Now more than ever, she was cognizant of just how much power she wielded. Never tested before a few short days ago, it was now like a second skin, always lurking just beneath the surface and for the first time she embraced it.

Because she had something her parents’ kidnappers didn’t. The ability, from a distance, to wreak complete and utter chaos. She’d already proved she could slow a bullet. Her only vulnerability was being drugged and someone would have to be close enough to her to be able to manually inject it into her. Because someone wielding a dart gun would be ineffective because not only could she slow its trajectory, but she knew—
knew
—she could redirect it right back at the shooter. Unless . . . She didn’t
know
it was coming? Was she vulnerable to something similar to a sniper only in closer proximity and with a dart gun?

As soon as the thought occurred, she shook it off. The knowledge was there, buried in her subconscious. Certainly no one told her these things. Who would have told her? Her parents were as baffled as she was as to the how and why of her powers.

And yet she knew or maybe she sensed, but whatever the case, she was absolutely certain that she could deflect a threat to her,
even if she didn’t know it was there
.

Just how extensive were her powers? To have such reflexes, such instincts was more than simple telekinesis that required concentration and focus. Walking down the street, being randomly shot at and yet still being able to deflect a bullet was something else entirely, even if she had no idea what, how or why.

She felt a surge of power, restless, edgy and eager to be unleashed. Set free to do what it had always been meant to do. Protect her. Protect the people who mattered. And these people, all standing there, angry, slinging hurtful words like arrows
didn’t
matter.

Cabinet doors flew open. Glasses hurtled through the air in Caleb’s direction. She turned just enough to see him in her periphery, cursing and dodging as glasses hit the floor, the wall behind him, even the ceiling. One scored a direct hit, glancing off his shoulder to then shatter on the floor.

She was careful to protect Ramie. She projected an invisible shield, constructing it carefully in her mind, silently commanding the objects doing her bidding not to come near her. Amazingly it worked. Ramie threw up a hand to protect her head but a plate met with resistance two feet away and literally bounced off, falling harmlessly to the floor where it broke in half.

Beau’s hand curled around her shoulders, firmly holding her but careful not to hurt her. He turned her, and then simply crushed his mouth to hers, his kiss deep, demanding, powerful. If his intent was to distract her from the barrage of objects his brother and the others were currently dodging, it certainly worked.

He released her shoulders and gently cupped her cheeks, framing her face in his hands as he tenderly kissed away the remnants of her tears.

“I just want to go,” she whispered brokenly as soon as his mouth allowed her to speak the words. “Please just let me go. I’ll find them on my own. I’m used to being on my own with only my parents.”

When he spoke, it was barely above a hushed whisper. “I was
not
angry at
you
, Ari. Never with you. I was
furious
at my dick of a brother, but you were about to bolt so I had to choose between laying his ass out or making sure you didn’t disappear out of my life forever.”

His eyes burned with sincerity, the edge of anger diminishing as he stared intently into her eyes.

“I chose
you
.”

The words from the previous night weren’t coincidental. They were meant to evoke the memory of their lovemaking and that he
had
chosen her.

The electrical current that had arced through the room, crackling with her power—and hurt and rage—dimmed, the shards of the glass, plates and other items ceased their vibration on the floor and the room went utterly silent.

She knew everyone was staring at her and Beau. She could feel Caleb’s furious gaze, now even more so since her attack had been aimed at him.

“You protected her,” Beau murmured, gesturing behind her to where Ramie stood.

Ari turned slightly, an unhappy frown curving her lips and marring the quiet, intimate exchange between her and Beau. Ramie’s eyes were wide as she stared incredulously at Ari. The others wore similar expressions and Ari fidgeted under so much scrutiny. She felt like a freak show and it made her want to run all over again. Anything to escape the awkwardness of the situation.

“I’m sorry I asked, Ramie,” Ari said quietly, tears evident in her voice. Then she turned back to Beau. “And yes, I protected her. She didn’t deserve my anger.”

Beau’s fingers, now firmly entwined with hers, shook with silent rage.

“You erected an invisible barrier around me that protected me,” Ramie said, awe reflected in her words and expression. “Ari, do you even realize how extraordinary your powers are?”

“I’d trade them for yours without hesitation,” Ari said bitterly.

“You have
no
idea what you’re talking about,” Caleb said harshly.

It was as though Beau’s tenuous grasp on his control snapped and he launched himself across the distance separating him and his brother. He bunched Caleb’s shirt in his hands, forming tight fists and he slammed Caleb against the wall that so many of the glasses and plates had been shattered against.

The veins in his neck were distended and his face was red, his breaths coming in erratic puffs. His jaw was clenched so tightly it bulged out and ticked in supreme agitation.

“I’ve had
enough
of you abusing Ari,” Beau spat. “Swear to God if you say one more goddamn word, I will take your fucking head off. This is the only warning you get, Caleb. You do
not
want to test me.”

Ari glanced nervously between the brothers, the three other DSS operatives and finally Ramie, who looked furious. Ari couldn’t blame her for being angry that her husband’s brother had just slammed him against the wall and proceeded to threaten him in a menacing tone that sent a shiver down Ari’s spine.

He sounded lethal, the words violent and passionate but most of all . . . convincing. In that moment Ari believed that if Caleb uttered another word aimed at Ari, Beau would enact violence on his brother.

“Beau!” Ari cried, finally spurred to action.

She sent a pleading look in Ramie’s direction, silently asking for help in breaking up a potential disaster as she ran to where Beau still had Caleb pinned to the wall. Beau’s forearm was pressed into Caleb’s neck and Ari realized that he’d temporarily cut off Caleb’s airway by pressing so hard on his neck. Caleb’s face had reddened and was growing redder still as Beau exerted even more pressure.

Ari tugged uselessly at Beau’s arm. “Beau, please,” she begged. “Don’t do this. He’s your
brother
. I’ll leave. No one should ever cause dissension in a family and that’s obviously what I’ve done. You can’t blame him for being angry. I had no right to ask Ramie what I did. I was just . . . desperate. Can you remember how you felt when your sister was missing?”

She directed the last more to Caleb, though she included both brothers in her question. She knew she scored a direct hit because guilt flashed in Caleb’s eyes and they turned bleak. Despair crept in behind and she softly cursed because she’d inflected yet more pain. Poured more salt onto a wound.

She turned, knowing the best thing was to simply leave. Let the brothers come to terms after her departure. With the source of conflict gone, everything could go back to normal. Life would resume. But at least she’d have the memory of one beautiful night. That, she would never give up. Never give back. It was hers to keep. Nothing or no one would ever take it away.

Wanting to make a clean break, not wanting to linger simply because she was leaving her heart and part of her soul behind, she briskly made a beeline for the other exit, the one that led directly into the living room instead of the two connecting hallways Beau had just prevented her from taking.

She brushed past Dane and Eliza and leveled a glare at Zack when he simply stepped in front of her, barring her from leaving.

“Get out of my way or I’ll make you move,” she said in a menacing voice she would have never thought she possessed.

“I can’t do that,” Zack said quietly. “I lost someone once, Ari. I know what it feels like. And I know how Beau would feel if you walked out of his life and disappeared. I think you would feel it just as keenly. I’m not wrong, am I.”

Though technically a question, the last was voiced as a statement. As if he could reach in and pluck out her thoughts, delve into the very heart of her and see the imprint of .
 
.
 
. Beau. See that Beau had already marked her. Permanently. There would always be a part of her that was reserved for him and the memory of their lovemaking.

“I’m very sorry for your loss,” she said solemnly. “Perhaps then you can understand why I refuse to stand by and allow my parents to be taken from me when I’m doing nothing to get them back.”

Frustration crept into her voice and was more pronounced by the time she finished.