Toxic (Denazen #2)(47)

Able winked. “Finally. The famous 98, yeah? We didn’t have a chance to meet properly earlier. You remember—when you crashed my van?”

I tugged back on Kale’s hoodie, but he resisted.

“I only dented the roof. The real destruction came from Alex. I would be happy to supply you with his address,” Kale stated calmly. “If I wasn’t about to touch you,” he amended with a slight chuckle. Sleeve pushed up past his elbow, he reached for Able.

Goth Boy raised his hands in dramatic surrender. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you, 98. I think it would upset your girl. Besides, we’re not here to bust your balls.”

He stepped back, making room for Aubrey to take his place.

Kale’s eyes narrowed. “Why are you here?”

“Just wanting to check in.” Aubrey grinned and nodded toward my shoulder. “See how our friend Dez is doing.”

Both twins stared, their eyes daring me to say something.

Aubrey made a move to grab my hand. Kale’s reaction was instant.

“NO!” It didn’t occur to me that Kale could accidentally touch me. All I could think of was Kale touching Aubrey. I wasn’t protecting him, I was protecting myself. If what Dad said was true—still a big if, in my opinion—Aubrey was the only way to cure the poison. If he died, I died. I shoved past Kale and got between them.

The three of them watched me. Aubrey and Able wore amused expressions while Kale’s was confused. His gaze lingered for a moment before turning back to the twins.

“She doesn’t seem to want you dead. If you don’t leave now, I will reconsider.”

“Don’t go all rebel commando on us, yeah? We’ll go.”

Aubrey snickered as they turned and started back up the path. Over his shoulder, he called, “I’m sure we’ll run into each other again soon.”

Once they were out of sight, Kale turned back to me. Suspicion was written all over his face. “The one with the wound—you hit him?”

He’d been unconscious for a short time, so I’d taken my chances. Should have known better. “I hit him in the van while you were out.”

He was quiet for a moment. “The wound was fresh.”

I knew the look I’d get but said it anyway. “It’s complicated.”

“Dez,” he warned, taking a step closer. “There is something you’re not telling me.”

“I—”

“What the hell are you two doing standing out in the open?” Dax emerged from the shadows of the trees. He stalked across the field, cell phone in hand. Jabbing it at Kale, he snapped, “And where the hell did you go?”

Kale didn’t even blink. “I went to find Dez. You were fine on your own.”

Dax, normally impossible to ruffle, looked like he wanted to scream. “Everyone was supposed to stay with their partners!”

“You’re not my partner,” Kale said. There was no argument in the tone of his voice. Only a simple, static logic that was all Kale. “Dez is..”

Dax might have argued, but his phone began to vibrate. He stared at the screen for a second before waving us forward. “It’s Alex. He’s in the maintenance house on the south side of the park. He’s hurt.”

“Hurt? What do you mean, hurt?”

Dax looked worried. He pocketed the cell and nodded to the path leading up to the pool area. “We should hurry.”





17


Mom, who we found halfway down the hill, had shifted into one of the Denazen suits once we reached the bottom. Dad, to be exact. There was something eerie having Mom-as-Dad standing there with us. I didn’t know whether to laugh or scream.

Or run.

Jade found us as we came through the south gate. She seemed fine but kept looking over her shoulder like she expected someone to come bursting from the woods at any moment. Together again, we’d made our way to the maintenance house where Alex was holed up and were now crouching behind the bushes several yards from the building. Two men stood outside, one blocking the main door, and one in front of the window with a cell phone glued to his ear.

“What’s the plan?” I asked, peering over the top of a large bush. Dax still hadn’t told us what hurt meant, but I imagined it had to be bad if Alex got himself cornered in the first place.

“Shanna will go in and create a distraction. When she has their attention, Kale will move in and take them out.”

Shanna? Dax had a nickname for my mom? What the hell…?

He turned to her and winked. “Ready, Shanna?”

She flashed him a flirty smile—disturbing considering the body she was currently wearing—and stepped out from behind the trees.

“What’s going on?” she demanded in Dad’s deep, impersonal voice. The sound sent chills up and down my spine. It was a sound bite from my darkest nightmares.

“We’ve got the telekinetic cornered inside, Sir,” the one by the door said. “We called for backup and transport.”

“Backup? It’s a telekinetic, for Christ’s sake. Tranq him, and let’s move.”

The man held out his tranquilizer gun. “We’re out of ammunition. He was evasive. Every time we enter the building, we’re assaulted with flying objects.”

Mom-as-Dad growled. “Evasive? Your incompetence is unacceptable.”