Angel Dares (14 page)

‘Like I’m going to tell you anything.’

Davis started walking away from the pizza party, towing me with him. ‘I think you will. I’ve finally got me a genuine savant I can handle. What: no freaky telekinesis or mind strikes? What’s it you do, honey? My equipment was going crazy at the concert when you played. Do you burrow in our brains with music? What kind of subliminal messages were you planting, hey?’

‘Let go! You’re hurting my wrist. Where are you taking me?’ He was dragging me further away from people down the narrow passageways between the Winnebagos. I was getting confused about his motives here. ‘Is this some kind of sick joke?’

‘No joke, hon. I’ve got some friends who are very keen to meet you. They’re waiting to interview you too. Between us, we’ll make you talk.’

I kicked and managed to reach his calf.

‘Argh!’ As he hopped in pain, I ripped free and bolted. I didn’t get far before he tackled me to the ground, him landing on top squashing all air from my lungs so I had no chance to scream. He plastered a moist palm over my mouth.

‘That wasn’t very nice of you, was it? But now you’re gonna shut up and come along with me.’

Marcus! Help!
Though he didn’t believe in telepathy, he was the only one close enough to do something.

The door to Marcus’s trailer shot open. ‘What the—! Angel!’ He raced down the alleyway, heaved Davis off of me and flipped him over his thigh in a neat judo move. Davis slammed into the trailer opposite. ‘Just what do you think you’re doing?’

I rolled over onto my back and spat out the grass that had got in my mouth. I could feel bruises blooming on my knees, hip and elbows.

Rubbing the back of his head, Davis made a wary move to get up. ‘I was just … interviewing her.’

‘Like hell you were! I’m calling security.’ Marcus’s eyes blazed with fury.

‘She won’t want you to do that. Ask her.’ Trembling with the aftermath of our tussle, Davis stood up, arms folded, baiting me to bring in the authorities. That was his agenda, not mine.

‘It’s OK, Marcus. I’ll handle it. I’ve got people I can tell.’ I lifted my chin, meeting Davis’ gaze.

‘Yeah, you do that, and tell the Benedicts I’m not on my own this time.’ He jabbed his index finger at me. ‘This time I’m not backing down.’ With a roll of his shoulders, Davis walked off, leaving me to face one very irate rescuer.

Marcus put his hand to his forehead and turned a circle, clearly confused. ‘You’re letting him walk away? The guy had you wrestled to the ground. Was it … was he trying to … ?’

‘No, he wasn’t molesting me, Marcus.’ I got to my feet, shivers running through me.

‘Then what the hell was it?’

‘More like trying to force information out of me.’ I took a breath. ‘About savants.’

Marcus turned away. ‘Bloody hell. Not this again.’

I felt a lot like crying. I’d just been attacked and I wanted a hug but the nearest ‘huggee’ thought me delusional. ‘Explain then how you knew I was in trouble.’

‘I must’ve heard you—you called my name.’

‘You saw: Davis had his hand plastered over my mouth. You heard me in your mind.’

He shook his head, deep in denial. ‘No, then it was the noise of the scuffle—or a damn good instinct.’ His arm shot out and lifted my left. ‘Hey, are you bleeding?’

I looked down at where he was pointing. Sure enough, there was a trickle of blood running from my elbow. I must’ve whacked that hard against the ground when we fell. My head swam. ‘Oh. Sorry, but I don’t deal well with the sight of blood.’ I folded to the floor and put my head between my knees.

‘Figures.’ He gave a put-upon sigh. ‘OK, Angel, let’s go to my place and I’ll fix that up for you. Then you can call someone to come and walk you back.’

Woozy starbursts were still shooting through the black of my closed eyes. ‘Give me a moment here.’

An arm went under my knees and round my shoulders. ‘I still think you should report that guy. What did he mean about not backing down?’ He lifted me up and carried me against his chest up the stairs to his trailer.

I let my head rest on his T-shirt, not opening my eyes. I wished I didn’t feel so dizzy, then I would actually have enjoyed the experience of being swept off my feet. ‘You won’t like my answer. Can we park the questions until I feel more myself?’

He lowered me to a sofa. ‘All right, but I will want answers, understood?’

‘Yes, sir.’ I opened my eyes to find him half-smiling at me, though his expression was still concerned.

‘Good. The sass is coming back. Let’s get you sorted.’ Marcus got a first-aid box out of a cupboard. ‘I just need to boil some water to clean that cut.’

‘I’ll do the water.’

‘You should stay sitting down.’

‘I won’t need to stand. Just give me two bowls: one with water, one empty.’

Bemused, Marcus put a bowl of water on the table in front of me and an empty plastic one a little further off. I think he thought I was anticipating being sick. I held a hand over the water and quickly separated the molecules from impurities. With a flick of a finger, I made it jump into the clean receptacle, leaving any bad stuff behind. ‘It’s distilled now.’

Giving me a hard look, Marcus dealt with my party trick by ignoring it. He ripped open some cotton wool and tore off a wad. ‘Do you want to clean it or shall I?’

‘You.’ I closed my eyes again, hurt that he hadn’t even acknowledged what he had seen. Besides, if I had to deal with my own cut, I would require that second bowl after all.

He took my upper arm in his hand and gently dabbed at the cut. ‘Not too bad. Won’t need stitches.’

‘Do you mind not talking about it? Change the subject please.’

His huff of laughter was warm on my skin. ‘About getting you back to your tent, who you gonna call?’

‘Ghostbusters?’ I joked weakly. ‘Actually, I can’t call anyone as that slimeball took my phone. It’ll have to be telepathy.’

There was a hiss of indrawn breath. ‘And you’re still not going to report him to the police?’

I winced as he found a piece of grit in the cut. ‘No. I’ve got someone better than that on my side.’

‘Who?’

‘That’s part of the whole “let’s not talk about savants, Angel” thing.’

‘I think this should be covered with a dressing. Keep still.’

I could hear the rustle of wrappers and then the application of a soft plaster over the cut.

‘Completely hidden. Can you risk opening your eyes?’

I squinted down at my elbow. ‘That looks very professional.’

‘I learned to do first aid in the judo class I took with the guys.’

‘So are you all really black belts?’

Relieved to have a normal topic of conversation to run with, Marcus gave me one of his gorgeous smiles. ‘What do you think, Titch?’

‘Titch? I’ll have you know I am only a little under average height.’

‘Yeah right.’

‘Humph. I think Michael and Pete probably are black belts. You, I’m not so sure. You strike me as too airy-fairy cerebral for the physical stuff.’

‘If you weren’t injured, I’d show you some of my moves and see if I could persuade you otherwise.’ His voice had gone all husky. I could feel my cheeks flush. ‘Wow, that came out way more suggestive than I intended.’ Marcus took a step back and ran his hand through his hair in frustration.

Inside, brazen Angel was shouting
You can show me your moves anytime
. Self-conscious Angel, however, was in the driving seat. ‘Don’t worry—I didn’t take it the wrong way.’ Yes I had. ‘OK, so you also have the belt. That’s very cool. I was just teasing you about being too much of a dreamer. I noticed you threw that jerk off me quick enough.’

‘That was beginner’s stuff, Angel. You could do that.’ He sat down next to me. ‘Let’s see the rest.’

‘Rest of what?’ Inappropriate Angel was making all sorts of unrepeatable lewd suggestions.

‘The dings and scratches. Show me the other elbow.’ Marcus did a quick inventory of my injuries. ‘I’ve got arnica for bruises.’ He got out a tube from the first-aid box and rubbed it into the blackened spots he could see. ‘Anywhere else?’

‘My hip—but I think I’d better get that.’

Marcus moved to the other side of the trailer as I slipped a hand under the waistband of my leggings and rubbed a little of the ointment on my left hip. I tugged the tunic dress straight. ‘I’m decent now.’

‘Coffee or tea?’ He opened the little cupboard over the sink.

Have you got something herbal?

‘Yes, I’ve got mint or chamomile. Margot keeps it in stock for herself.’ He hadn’t noticed.

Chamomile please.

He took out the packet, then froze. ‘You’re doing it again.’

Yes.

‘Well—don’t.’

OK
.

‘I mean it. I don’t like it.’

No, you don’t understand it. That guy who attacked me—he knows about our kind and wants to crucify us in the press. He suspects some of you are savants—he saw you respond to my telepathy You’ll have gone to the top of his list.

‘That’s crap, Angel. I’m just me—nothing special.’ He threw the tea bag in a mug and drowned it in hot water.

I think you might be very special, Marcus.

‘You said you’d stop that.’

‘Yes, I did. Would you just answer me back that way—just the once? Then I really will shut up with the telepathy.’

‘No, never. And why? Because I’m not telepathic.’ He plonked the mug on the table, liquid sloshing over the side. I cleaned up with a little twirl of my finger. He sucked in a breath. ‘I can see you can do some weird stuff, but I’m not interested, OK? I’m fine how I am—with my music, my career. I don’t want you coming in here with the equivalent of “You’re a wizard, Marcus”. I’m way past eleven, didn’t get that letter to Hogwarts, OK?’

All my conversations with other savants hadn’t prepared me for someone who just blanked out the possibility that they were one of us. What was I supposed to do now? Inappropriate Angel had a daring suggestion.

I tried my dimples on him. ‘Marcus, thanks for looking after me.’

Some tension left his shoulders as I returned to what he thought was more normal territory. ‘That’s fine, Angel. I was just pleased I could get there in time.’

I knelt up on the sofa so my face was level with his. ‘I’d like to thank you properly.’

He turned towards me, the tug between us still there despite his best efforts to ignore it. ‘I don’t need thanks.’

‘But I do.’ I leaned in, closing the gap between us. A little kiss, a brush of my lips on his. ‘Thank you.’

The attraction-o-meter went off the dial; I could see the needle flicking into the red with each touch.

‘Well, now you mention it, a little bit of gratitude doesn’t do any harm.’ Marcus slipped an arm around my waist and pulled me closer. ‘No harm at all.’ He returned the kiss but his was firmer, taking over my mouth with his. I hadn’t expected his lips to be so warm, so soft, unlike the rest of him that was all spiky defences and strength. Golden tingles ran up my spine. All the bones left my body in a shower of sparkles. From kneeling somehow I went to sitting on his lap. His fingers caressed my cheek, the outer rim of my ear, the shape of my collarbone. ‘Beautiful,’ he whispered. ‘Perfect.’ We rested there, forehead to forehead, both with eyes closed.

What had I intended to do? Oh yes, get him to talk telepathically to me while he was disarmed by the kiss. Unfortunately, I’d wandered off track myself, wits scattered by the most amazing kiss of my life.

‘Perfect?’ I asked. No one had ever said anything remotely like that about me.

Marcus smiled ruefully. ‘Until you open your mouth to speak. Then the crazy girl comes back.’

I punched his chest—but not hard.

He settled me more comfortably on his lap. ‘This is getting complicated.’

You’re telling me. ‘I know.’

‘I think I might like you, Angel.’ He sounded almost regretful.

‘In equal parts to hating me? I heard that song, you know.’

He swore. ‘You didn’t?’

‘I was at the rehearsal.’

‘It was … just a song.’

‘It was about me, wasn’t it? Demon Angel. I’m not a demon, Marcus. Not bad. Stupid. Foolish often. But right now, I’m just trying to do what’s right.’

‘Baby, you are really, really strange, you get that?’

‘And you’re not?’

He gave a gruff laugh. ‘I suppose I am. We all are. You asked to park the questions earlier. Why don’t we park this stuff completely and just enjoy the festival together? We’re not likely to see each other after, are we? I’m on tour and you’re … ?’

After I’d just blown my big break with Gifted? ‘Going back to sixth form.’

He tapped my nose. ‘Sweet. That’s settled then.’

Hang on! I hadn’t agreed to being his festival squeeze. I scrambled off his lap. ‘I’m not a groupie, Marcus. I don’t just throw myself at guys in bands for a one-night stand.’

Marcus watched me with amusement as I retreated to the other end of the sofa. ‘Technically we’re here for two nights.’

I knew what he was doing. He felt the attraction between us and had decided he could work it out of his system by letting it run its course over the next couple of days. He had no idea what he was really dealing with here. And his attitude made me about as cherished as a tissue from a box of Kleenex, the exact opposite to how he had made me feel when we had kissed.

‘I’m not like that. Savants have one true partner in life: their soulfinder. I don’t go sleeping around with any hot rock star in tight jeans. But Marcus, I think you could be mine.’

Chuckling, he stood up and pulled me to my feet. ‘Baby, you think I’m your soulmate? That’s cute.’

‘
Soulfinder
—similar but different. It’s special to savants.’
If you fricking well replied to me telepathically, you’d understand
.

‘I agree we’ve got real chemistry between us, Angel.’ He ran his hand down my back, doing that sparkle thing to my spine. I shivered, trying to resist the urge to melt all over him again.

‘Stop it: I’m trying to tell you something important here!’

‘Let’s just see how it goes, hey? We’ve a couple of days. Let’s not waste it.’

He bent his head to find my lips with his. The love-rat was thinking we had only two days before he said ‘adios’ and left me languishing. After his humiliating experience with the gutter press, he still thought every girl was a Sinead. Cynical was now his starting point in relationships.