“Why are you here?” Jaxson asked as I tried my best to remember all the details. Gavin and I had a way of memorizing things. We liked to think of a story that would make sense to us. I began making up my stories.
“Horatio killed my parents.” At my sharp look, he said quickly. “My adoptive parents.” A sad look crossed his face. “I didn’t even know.” He almost seemed to be talking to himself. “A few years ago, I noticed I was different, but I didn’t tell anyone. Who would believe me? About a month ago, we were headed home from my football game. One minute I was looking out the window, looking up at the stars, and the next, the car was spinning out of control.” He swallowed loudly, his eyes were bright with unshed tears. “We hit a tree. I remember the limp body of my sister next to me and the sightless eyes of my parents. I blacked out. Then I woke up here. Horatio was waiting for me. He’s had me trapped here. The drugs he has me on is starting to lose its effectiveness, but he doesn’t realize that yet, so I figured I would help you. I listen when he thinks I can’t hear him or can’t understand him. He’s an evil man, and he needs to be stopped.” There was a look of determination in his eyes.
“We can come and get you,” Jaxson said with conviction. “Where are you?”
Cade shook his head resolutely. “These people need you more than I do right now. I don’t even know where I am. I should soon, though. Micah needs to figure out how to teleport further distances just in case. I’ll let Alex know when I’m ready.”
Jaxson looked like he wanted to argue with him further, but he could see the determination in Cade’s eyes, and came over to me. He was looking over my shoulder and I could see his mouth silently moving. I smiled as I went back to memorizing the addresses.
“I need to go,” Cade said turning to leave, but then he stopped. “I’m so glad to finally meet you, Blake.” He smiled sadly before running out the door.
Just as quickly as I arrived, I was yanked back.
I sat up with a gasp. Jace was in a deep sleep and he went to reach for me, but I quickly and quietly tried to slip away from his grasp. I needed to find a pen and paper. I needed to see Alex and Jaxson. That felt too real to be a dream.
As I slipped out of Jace’s room, Jaxson was exiting his room. He came over to me and drew me into an embrace. “Did that just happen?”
I nodded numbly. “I guess it did. I need to get a pen and paper. We need to write the addresses down and tell your dad in the morning.”
Alex came walking down the hall. “Did you remember it all?”
I gave him a narrowed look. “I think so. Why didn’t you tell me you have been talking to Cade?”
Alex shrugged. “You’ve been busy, and when I talked to him before he was happy. He didn’t want to leave his mom and dad,” he frowned. “Horatio isn’t a nice man.”
Jaxson pulled me into his room and pulled his book bag out of the closet. He handed me a notebook and brought one out for himself. “No, buddy he isn’t,” Jaxson lifted him up and put him in the middle of the bed. “How did I get there, buddy?”
Alex shrugged his eyebrows knit in confusion. “I don’t know. I wasn’t trying to get you. I just brought Blake.”
I paused in my writing. “I think I brought you there…accidently. I panicked, and you have always been there for me,” I said softly.
He reached out and caressed my cheek, giving me a lopsided smile. “I’m glad you feel like you can still turn to me, but that was super weird.”
I giggled. “Who are you telling? I fell asleep, and next thing I know, I have to memorize addresses. Then I finally get to meet my other brother.” I frowned. “I really wish we can get him now. I wished I hadn’t been so caught up in everything else and tried to look for him harder.”
“He’ll be fine,” Alex said confidently. “Plus, like I said, he didn’t want to meet us the first time I found him.”
“Did you stop looking for him?” I asked with a raised brow. “How did you know he was looking for us?”
Alex ducked his head. “I kept going back to him, but his mind was…weird. It felt all fuzzy and foggy. I knew Ella was worried about him, but I didn’t want to say anything until I knew if he was okay.”
“Why do you think Ella keeps drawing pictures of him?” I asked Jaxson as I continued to write down the addresses. “She’s a precog, but none of her drawings tell us anything.”
“Well, she’s still learning how to work with her gift. Maybe she knew he’ll be in our lives soon…” Jaxson hypothesized.
“Hmm,” I said thoughtfully.
We finished writing in silence and then sat next to each other, comparing our addresses.
“These two are a little bit different,” I pointed to the two addresses.
“We can always give these to Dad and he can verify them thoroughly. Come up with a game plan,” Jaxson yawned.
I nodded thoughtfully. “If we strike them all at once, he wouldn’t know what hit him. He won’t have time to move them again.”
Jaxson drew me in his arms and buried his head in my neck. “I agree, but now sleep,” he looked down at his watch and groaned. “It’s 4 o’clock in the morning. We should try to get some more sleep. Sleepover in my room,” he wagged his eyebrows suggestively.
I giggled and rubbed my hands across his bare chest. I could feel the warmth radiating off his skin. “Raincheck,” I promised him as I looked over at Alex, who had already passed out in the middle of the bed. “Besides, you already have a guest,” I said tongue in cheek.
“Fine,” he grumbled good naturedly. “But, I want some Jaxson and Blake time.”
I reached up and kissed him on his mouth. I could tell I surprised him as his eyes widened. “Promise,” I said softly before leaving his room.
I felt bad that he felt like he wasn’t getting enough attention. Maybe I took our relationship for granted. Technically, he knew me the most. He had been my confidant and beacon of hope in my darkest hours. He had helped me feel like someone, cared for me, and made me feel like I wasn’t invisible.
I knew it was going to be a constant struggle to give them all the attention they deserved. I was only one girl; I was outnumbered by testosterone-driven gifted men. I needed to find our balance. I wanted them to each know how much they had come to mean to me.
Chapter 23
I woke up to soft kisses on the back of my neck, and I purred at all the sensations. My neck had always been a highly sensitive area. I scooted back into Jace’s obvious reaction. His warm hands found their way under my shirt and he reverently ran them along my body, cupping the weight of my breasts in his hands.
I gasped when his thumbs found my nipples and started to barely touch them with the tips of his finger. We hadn’t been intimate the night before, but I wanted nothing more to be with him right now.