Vengeance (5 page)

“I know, I know.” She stood still, waiting for me to enter her mind.

I quickly pushed my way in, did what I had to, and got out. “All done.”

Chelsea screwed up her face. “All done with what?”

I smiled and shook my head. “Never mind.” I transported us behind the trees I’d been using for cover the last few days.

“Come on,” Chelsea said, walking briskly toward the entrance.

Aiden put his arm around my waist. “We better not keep her waiting.”

When Aiden and I arrived at Marie’s room, Chelsea was moving a chair to her mother’s bedside.

“Hi Marie,” I said.

Aiden waved at her. She hated that she couldn’t even return a measly “Hi.” But she didn’t need to feel that way. The last few days, I had been so consumed with what I’d lost that I hadn’t even seen the positives to my newfound abilities. Aiden wasn’t able to remove her pain permanently, which was why we had to be at the hospital every day for Marie’s bandage change. If I could do what Aiden couldn’t, then Marie no longer needed to feel pain.

“Good morning, everyone,” a nurse said as she and two others entered the room.

Chelsea looked up at them. “Morning.”

The nurse picked up Marie’s file from the holder at the foot of the bed. “And how many of you are staying with us today?” she asked, not taking her eyes off the paperwork.

“Just the two of us,” Chelsea said, knowing I wouldn’t want to stay.

I threw my empty coffee cup in the waste bin beside me. “Actually, I was thinking I might stay as well today.” I sat in the chair beside her.

Chelsea raised her eyebrows. “Really?”

I nodded. “Yes. Really.”

Aiden pulled a third chair over next to me.
“You can fix her so she can’t feel pain, can’t you?”

A smile tugged at the corner of my lips.
“That’s the plan.”

“Right now, let’s get this started,” the lead nurse said. She walked up to the head of the bed and injected some morphine into the drip. “And how are you today, Marie?”

Marie tried to smile, but it hurt too much.

The nurse put her hand over Marie’s, causing the woman to groan in pain. “Don’t worry, dear. It won’t be long until the medication kicks in.”

“Are you going to get in there any time soon? Or should I go back to making her forget her pain?”
Aiden asked.

I was stunned by just how much trauma Nathan had caused my best friend’s mother. I pushed my way inside Marie’s mind and blocked her pain receptors.
“It’s done.”

Once the nurses ascertained the meds were working—or so they thought—they got underway in changing Marie’s bandages. Nothing could have prepared me for her condition. I felt like vomiting. Her skin was covered in blistered burns. Some were still open wounds, and others had pus oozing from them.

Aiden leaned his face into my hair.
“You did it.”

“Yeah, but I wish there was something more I could do for her than just take her pain away.”

“I know.”
He kissed my head above my ear.
“But what you’ve done is more than a burn victim could ever hope for.”

He was right, but I could do more. I had already saved my grandmother, and I wanted to do the same for Marie. But I also knew that nobody would agree to help me—nobody except the one person who thrived on seeing what I could do: Nathan. I wondered if I had the guts—or the self-restraint—to ask him for help when all I wanted to do was rip his head off for everything he’d done.

Then I thought of Harry. I was sure he would be able to pull off the same thing, but I would have to convince him to help me. I was guessing my mother wouldn’t approve, considering how she’d reacted when I told her Nathan had taken my blood for my grandma, so I would definitely need to keep her out of it.

“You okay?” Aiden asked.

I nodded. “Yep.” I leaned over to Chelsea and whispered in her ear, “I’ve taken all her pain away. She can’t feel a thing.”

She turned toward me, tears welling in her eyes. “Thank you,” she mouthed.

I smiled as I placed my hand over hers.

While the nurses finished changing the bandages, I tried to focus on anything but them. I was glad to have Aiden by my side again. He still had a way of calming me by his presence alone. Chelsea also felt better, but she had no idea Aiden could do that without touching her.

I decided I was going to try my luck with Harry instead of Nathan. And if that failed, I would have to find another way. I couldn’t allow Marie to be permanently disfigured because of me.

When the nurses left the room, Chelsea stood and went over to her mother’s bedside. She wanted to touch her mother but was too afraid that what I had done was only temporary.

“Go on,” I said.

Chelsea glanced at me, nodded, and placed her hand over her mother’s.

Marie’s eyes widened in surprise. Usually, the morphine was wearing off by the time the new bandages were on, and she didn’t understand why the pain wasn’t returning. I didn’t want her questioning the hows or whys, so I
made
her not care.

I stood up. “Chels?”

“Mmm?” she asked, reluctantly turning her head toward me.

“We’re just going to go to the waiting room down the hall.”

Chelsea smiled. “Okay.” She turned her attention back to her mum.

“See you later, Marie,” I said.

Aiden got up. “Hope you feel better soon.”

Marie’s eyes smiled her appreciation to Aiden and me before they returned to her daughter.

Aiden slung his arm over my shoulders as we made our way down the hall to the waiting room. The area was bustling with worried families trying to take their minds off the reason why they were in the hospital. Too many heartbreaking stories flittered from their thoughts. I went to work, making them feel peace and acceptance. Most importantly, I had them hold onto their strength so they could help their loved ones through their hard times.

Each and every one of those people instantly felt better. They were ready to be the strength their loved ones needed to get through the terrible ordeals. One after the other, they vacated the waiting room, ready to take on the world.

Aiden wrapped his arms around me.
“This is one of the reasons why I loved you so much. You’ve got such a caring heart.”
He kissed the top of my head.
“And if you keep this up, you’ll have all of me back before you know it.”

Hope soared through my heart, but all I wanted to do was squash it. Because really, how many things in my life went the way I wanted them to? None. I smiled, pretending to believe what he said was true.

Aiden led me over to the couch. He sat, pulling me down on his lap. I edged myself off of him and curled up under his arm. I stared absently at the TV.

“What are you thinking about?” Aiden asked after a few minutes.

“Nothing.” I then added silently,
“I was just thinking about what comes next.”

“You mean with Nathan?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you sure you’re ready to see him again?”

“No. But what choice do I have? Look at what he’s done to Marie, to Ben, to Chrissy and my grandma. He has to be stopped.”

“Do you have any idea how you’re going to do that?”

I choked out a laugh.
“Not a clue.”

“What about your mum?”

“I have no idea what to do about her, either. I’m happy to take any suggestions you have?”

“What’s the old saying? Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.”

“That’s what they say…”
I trailed off when Chrissy’s face appeared on the TV.

The news reporter said, “The young woman slain in a Surfers’ Paradise apartment yesterday has now been identified as Chrissy Jeffreys.” The footage then went to the hotel. “The police are not giving out any information regarding the investigation, nor are they saying if this was a random attack.”

“Oh, my God,” I whispered.

“Well, it looks like Kai’s been hard at work. Don’t they usually give out a bit more information?”

I nodded.
“Normally. But I guess we have Kai to thank for that.”

Chelsea came into the waiting room. “Why the glum faces?”

Aiden answered, “Chrissy’s murder was just on the news.”

“Holy crap.” She plonked down on the couch beside me. “Did they say anything else?”

He shook his head. “No. They said the police weren’t talking.”

She sighed. “Well, at least that’s something, right?”

“Anyway,” I said, trying to change the subject, “are you ready to get out of here?”

“Sure am,” she said eagerly. She was hoping we were going back to England and that a certain someone would be there.

“Hang on a sec. I just want to give Lucas a call,” Aiden said, pulling out his phone. He dialled Lucas’s number and put the phone to his ear.

I nudged Chelsea’s shoulder with mine. “How’s your mum feeling?”

“Great.” She leaned in closer and whispered, “She can’t feel any more pain. Was Aiden able to stop it properly this time?”

“No. Not Aiden.”

“You?”

I smiled.

She hugged me. “Have I told you how much I love you lately?”

I laughed. “It’s the least I could do. I just wished I could’ve done it sooner.”

“Don’t be stupid. You’ve got more than enough to worry about without feeling guilty over my mum’s pain.”

I was about to disagree with her, but she turned her attention to Aiden. She tried to squash the smile that spread across her face when Aiden said he would see Lucas back in the UK soon. Boy, that girl had it bad.

Aiden stood up and put his phone in his pocket. “Let’s go then.”

On our way out of the waiting room, we passed someone who hadn’t been there when we arrived. I quickly jumped inside his mind and did the same to him as I had done to the others.

Aiden wrapped his arm around my shoulders and kissed me on the top of my head.
“Now you’re just showing off,”
he joked.

I smiled but didn’t say anything.

Chapter 7

When we arrived back in England, the sun was just starting to rise, and everyone was still in bed. A few days ago, I wouldn’t have had a clue where everyone was and what they were doing in a house that big, but with the drugs out of my system, my mental reach far surpassed the other next gens’.

I asked Aiden the question Chelsea was dying to know. “When’s Lucas getting here?” She pretended not to care as she walked into the closet to put on something warmer.

“He’s just having something to eat, then he’ll be over.”

I sat on the arm of the sofa. “What do you want to do ’til everyone’s awake?”

“I know what I’d like to do…” he said, his green eyes piercing the layer of defence I was trying to put up when it came to our relationship.

I wanted so badly to be with him again, but it didn’t feel right. Aiden walked over and pushed my legs apart so he could stand between them. He ran his fingers down my arms, leaving a trail of goosebumps. Gently taking hold of my hands, he pulled me into his embrace.

My heart was practically beating a hole through my chest. Being so close to him turned my insides to mush.

Just as I was preparing to pull away, Aiden kissed my cheek, then brushed his lips over my ear and whispered, “I really want to…” He kissed my ear. “Watch a movie.”

“Oh. my God,” I said, pushing him back.

A wicked grin spread across his face. “I had you worried there for a moment, didn’t I?”

“Worried? No. About to break my promise to myself, yes.”

He stepped closer. “Really?”

I stood on my tiptoes and kissed him softly then brushed my lips across his jawline until I reached his ear. “But that movie does sound like a much better idea.”

I phased out of his arms and reappeared beside the doorway to the bathroom. “Come on, Chels. We’re going to watch a movie.” I turned back to Aiden, who smiled and shook his head. God, I missed our banter.

Chelsea came trotting into Aiden’s room. “What movie are we watching?”

I shrugged. “No idea.”

“We’re watching a movie?” Lucas asked. I turned around to find him sitting on the sofa. “How about we watch
Transformers
?”

“No,” Aiden and I said in unison, which earned us a strange look from Chelsea.

“We watched that last time,” I explained.

“What?” Lucas asked. “It’s a good movie.”

“It’s a friggin’ awesome movie.” Chelsea sat on the couch next to Lucas. Sadly, she wasn’t just trying to agree with Lucas. She honestly did want to watch it, too.

I looked to Aiden to see what he thought. “Fine,” he said, not breaking eye contact with me. “Let’s watch
Transformers…
again
.” He then added silently,
“At least we won’t have to pretend to be interested in the movie.”

I choked out a laugh.

Chelsea raised an eyebrow. “I don’t think I want to know what that was about.” Of course, what she was thinking was almost spot on.

“Okay, I’ll meet you down there,” Aiden said. “What does everyone want to eat?”

“Popcorn,” I said.

“I’ll have some chips and a coffee,” Lucas said.

“Oh, I’ll have a coffee, too,” I said.

Chelsea raised her hand. “Me, too.”

“Anything else?” Aiden asked.

“Nope,” we all said, and Aiden left.

I pushed off the doorframe. “Okay, let’s go.”

“Go where?” Chelsea asked.

I smiled. “To the movies.”

She pulled her eyebrows together. Before she could ask anything else, I phased out, taking Chelsea and Lucas with me.

“Where the hell are we?” Chelsea asked, slowly turning around in a circle.

“At the movies.” Lucas bounded up the steps to his favourite seat. He sat down and reclined his chair.

“Oh, didn’t I tell you? Aiden’s got his very own movie theatre.” I realised the irony of what I’d just said. When I had found out about the cinema room, I couldn’t believe Aiden hadn’t told me about it sooner, and there I was, doing the same to Chelsea. I was glad Aiden wasn’t there to pull me up on it.