Touched by Lightning (19 page)

Brit looked at Gyda, who had lowered her eyes with the news of Asa’s death. Her face was pale, but he didn’t think it was regret. When she glanced up at him, he saw the feral light behind the bright green of her eyes, but it wasn’t overwhelming. It seemed at some point in the last few days she’d gained control of her other selves.

“Do you want to do this?” he asked in a low tone, even though he knew Joe could still hear them. “I’ll only agree to it if you want it as well. If not, I’ll turn in my resignation and we’ll live at my cabin. They can keep tabs on you from there.”

She stared at him with those world-weary eyes, studying him carefully as if gauging his sincerity and finally smiled. “We’re in this together,” she rasped.

Brit pressed his forehead to hers, sucking in a relieved breath. While he would gladly quit the O.T. if that’s what she really wanted, he believed they both had a lot to offer the world. Separate, they could do a lot, but, working together, he knew they could do so much more.

“I love you,” he whispered unable to help himself.

Her smile was brilliant, bringing color to her cheeks and a sparkle to her eyes. “I love you too.”

Ten weeks later

“In the latest Order of Themis news, the most prominent healer in the supernatural world, Asa Quigley, died today. Director Daly issued a statement to the press that Healer Quigley had been injured following an encounter with an inmate at El Dorado Penitentiary nearly two months ago. He was placed on life support following the incident, the perpetrator killed during the exchange. Healer Quigley died when his family took him off support.

In recent years, Healer Quigley has cured several of the world’s most notable figures. From President Babangida of Nigeria to Hollywood A-lister Cassandra Spokane, Quigley provided incredible healing. Healer Quigley was survived in death by his mother, Angela Quigley. The Order of Themis will hold a memorial service on Tuesday to honor his death.

“And the news for the Order of Themis doesn’t end there. An insider with the organization stated that Director Daly is putting together a special taskforce of supernaturals charged with the thankless job of taking on the human trafficking problem that’s plaguing the Americas. There’s been no official appointments confirmed, but Leo and Estelle Jendrix, the leaders of the Second Sector Alpha Tactical Unit are favored for the positions.

“This is Leticia Robertson for KJSN.”

* * * * *

Gyda gasped, shampoo bottles scattering as Brit surged into her from behind. He set up a hard, fast pace. The slap of their bodies meeting punctuated the urgency that filled them both. Planting her hands on the white tiles of the shower, Gyda tiled her hips to take him deeper, groaning when the head of his cock butted against her cervix. He pounded at her, his hands gripping her hard, holding her in the position he wanted her and the dominance, the complete lack of control over his actions, pushed her over the age.

She came with a sharp cry, her pussy rippling around his thrusting cock. Brit squeezed her hips harder and followed her after five more powerful pumps, his seed filling her in a scalding rush that rivaled the water from the shower. Replete, Gyda slumped against the wall, the tile cool beneath her cheek.

Brit took his time separating their bodies, rocking into her as her pussy continued to flutter with the aftershocks of such a powerful orgasm. It didn’t matter that they’d been sharing a bed for nearly three months, spending each night in sensual exploration, because every time they came together, it was like the first time all over again. Brit touched her with care and reverence, even when he was a little rough with her and Gyda adored him for it.

He pressed a soft kiss to her shoulder before lapping at the droplets of water clinging to her skin. “I love you,” he murmured.

Turning her head, she met his lips in a soft, loving kiss. “I love you too,” she said easily, a lot easier than when she’d first told him. “Now I think we need to get dressed and go to work, don’t you?”

He pouted, prompting her to press another kiss to his bottom lip. God she loved him and even if she sometimes wanted to strangle herself for being so damn sappy, Gyda accepted it as a fact of life. Tora died shortly after she and Brit came to live together, her powers becoming Gyda’s. Sure, sometimes during an intense sparring session, an almost animalistic surge of strength and speed would hit her, but only when she needed it most. It was a handy asset for her new job with the taskforce.

Her shields on the other hand, were something she continued to work on. Mostly because she hadn’t yet managed to end her need for Sixteen’s mental protection, but she was okay with it. Brit didn’t seem to mind either. And with every hour she spent with the O.T. doctors, she made serious headway in building her own shields. They weren’t as strong as Sixteen’s, but they were still impressive.

The essential memories of her captivity were still lost in a thick static no-man’s-land in her mind. All attempts to breach the field caused extreme migraines and nosebleeds for Gyda as well as the person attempting to work with her. It was as though the person who’d created that no-man’s-landwas beyond powerful.

All in all, she was content with her life and Brit was even more so if the whistling he did every morning was any indication. She wasn’t all dark and gloomy, but she also wasn’t light and sweet. She’d never be carefree like Joe or bubbly like Desta. She was simply Gyda. Scarred, lethal with a blade and hopelessly in love with a man she still wasn’t sure she deserved. The reminder dampened some of her afterglow.

Brit growled. “None of that,” he ordered as he stepped away with a sharp slap to her ass, proving he’d come to know her a little too well. “You’re perfect for me. Even my mama says so.”

As she watched him turn away to grab a towel his shoulder flexed, showing off his newest tattoo. It was of a phoenix, the bright colors hypnotizing. Written across the bird’s magnificent wingspan was her name. Brit had come home one evening, buzzing with excitement. She’d still been in the training back then and exhausted from learning how to combat so many different abilities and when he strolled through the door, she’d thought he was trolling for sex. Seeing what he’d done, the physical proof of his love had revived her flagging energy and she’d thanked him several times that night.

It was the next day that he’d brought her south to meet his family.

Brit enveloped Gyda with the towel, drying her off with a care that showed he knew just how sensitive her skin was after her orgasm. Once he deemed her dry enough, he kissed her again.

“If you don’t get out of this bathroom we’re going to be late for the taskforce meeting Joe called,” he muttered against her mouth.

She nipped his bottom lip and licked the sting away. “I’m always tempted to be late for one of her meetings just to see if she’d come here herself or send someone else.” She winked at him and sashayed from the bathroom.

Brit’s bark of laughter followed her into their bedroom, bringing a smile to her face. That was something she was still learning to get used to. The happiness he brought to her life. He and his family were slowly healing old wounds and her low self-esteem. It was slow going, but whenever they returned to Arkansas for a short weekend visit, she came back more relaxed than ever.

Between his sisters and Joe having girls’ nights out where they ate chocolate and watched chick flicks and his mother’s amazing food, Gyda was finally putting on weight. She just hoped it wasn’t too much.

She paused in front of the mirror and eyed her ass. It wasn’t bigger, but her ribs weren’t as evident anymore. She gently touched her stomach, the scars from her cutting gone as were the uglier scars on her back. It was one of the first things Joe had insisted on doing when the shock of Asa’s brain wipe cleared. They’d also wanted to fix her vocal cords, but she’d refused. It seemed like such a vain thing to do. So what if she didn’t have a dulcet voice? Brit loved her gravelly tones and she didn’t speak too much to anyone else anyway.

But her skin held her in awe. It was now smooth and soft, the scars on the outside wiped away as though they’d never been. The damage Asa had done to her internally was still several treatments away from being corrected. The new healer, a woman this time, wasn’t as powerful as he’d been, but she was determined to give Gyda back the choice of having children again or not. When she’d shared that news with Brit, a light gleamed in his eyes that made her heart catch every time she thought of it.

He wanted children. With her. When they were around his nieces and nephews, the chaos enough to pierce her eardrums, he’d look over at Gyda with consideration and longing. And each time, it made her heart flutter.

Was she ready to be a parent? Not remotely. She was terrified of fucking up on this shiny new taskforce Joe was setting up. A child was so much more fragile and dependent than her fellow taskforce members. They knew what they were getting into, had volunteered for it. A kid didn’t have much choice in who their parents were and she didn’t want to ruin a new generation. For now, she enjoyed the freedom her sterile state afforded and let the thought of kids and family stew in the back of her mind.

Then when she least expected it, she’d see an image of Brit playing with a little boy who looked just like him and her heart would stop. Not with fear or dread, but with a want so intense she thought it might kill her. The decision would come and she only prayed she made the right one when it was finally upon her.

Shaking her head, she finished dressing and headed to the kitchen to fix the coffee. The apartment they’d taken once they entered their relationship wasn’t very big, but it suited their needs. It was only a couple of blocks from the compound and afforded them enough privacy to enjoy themselves without a bunch of supes accidentally listening in, which had happened a couple of times before they moved out of Gyda’s dorm room.

When Brit met up with her in the kitchen, he nuzzled the back of her neck. “Have I told you how much I love you in this uniform?”

She ground her ass into his crotch, which was hard. “You’ve shown me a lot.”

Who knew Brit could be turned on by a woman in full SWAT gear? The first time she’d tried on her official uniform, he’d fucked her over the back of the sofa with her pants around her ankles. In fact, he’d fucked her on every available surface in the apartment. Sometimes more than once.

He nipped her ear. “You’re too sexy for your own good,” he murmured.

Gyda rolled her eyes and reached for the sugar, but dropped it when the pop of a teleporter sounded in the kitchen. Both she and Brit spun around, ready to do battle with the intruder, only to see Joe standing in the doorway.

The other woman’s face was ashen, her eyes huge pools of shocked misery.

“What happened?” Brit demanded in a harsh voice, his arm sliding around Gyda’s shoulders to pull her closer.

Joe shook her head as a tear spilled down her cheek. “Estelle… Oh God, Estelle was attacked last night. She’s in a coma and Leo’s lost his mind.”

Gyda’s knees buckled. Estelle had wanted to meet with her several times in the last few weeks, going through Brit to make the request, but Gyda hadn’t wanted to see her. Not yet. She wanted to face Leo and Estelle as a full member of the O.T., a true member of Brit’s family and life, not a woman who was still trying to find her way. She’d told Brit no so many times Estelle finally stopped asking.

And now this. The thought of that caring woman being attacked, unresponsive, and the implications it had on Leo’s state of mind had Gyda’s spine straightening with hard resolve.

“Who?” she demanded, anger thickening her voice until it sounded like a guttural growl.

Joe shook her head, looking as devastated as Gyda felt. “They don’t know,” she rasped. “Whoever attacked her snapped her mind like a twig. Just like they did Asa.”

Brit tensed. “She’s brain dead?”

“No, thank God. Estelle’s a powerful Void. Chances are that’s what saved her from being destroyed completely, but the wipe was powerful enough that no one can pick anything up. The healers are working frantically to figure out how to reconnect with her and Leo’s gone nuclear.” She straightened. “But I can promise you this, whoever did it had better hide because I won’t rest until they’re caught.”

“Until the scales of justice are balanced,” Gyda added like a vow.

It was part of the motto the Order of Themis trainees swore to uphold upon completion of their basic training. They were the cog in a wheel that had been turning since the beginning of time, in a constant struggle against the evil man perpetrated on each other. The Order of Themis wasn’t a vigilante organization, a group of lawless individuals out for glory. They were living, breathing proof that justice was alive and living well.

The End

Danica Avet was born and raised in the wilds of South Louisiana (that would be somewhere around Houma) where mosquitoes are big enough to carry off small children and there are only two seasons: hot and hotter. With a BA in History, she figured there were enough fry cooks in the world and decided to try her hand at writing.

Danica is the lucky pet of a compulsively needy dog and two cats. The pitter-patter of little feet has been known to make her break out into a cold sweat.

Writing is how she gives the voices in her head a way out. When she isn’t writing, working or contemplating the complexities of the universe, she spends time gathering inspiration from her insane family, reads far more than any sane person would want to, and watches hot burly men chase an oblong ball all over a field.

Danica welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email addresses on her
author bio page
at
www.ellorascave.com
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