Gifted Connections: Book 2(32)
“Really?” he asked excitedly and then gave me a mock glare. “I’m not that easily suckered. I don’t think,” he chuckled. “Wanna tell me why you’re all bright-like now? But it’s the coolest aura I’ve ever seen. It’s rainbow like.”
“Is it?” I asked skeptically. “Stop!” I screamed excitedly once the implications sank in.
Gavin stomped on the brake and I was thrown forward. I winced as I felt the seat belt dig into my chest sharply despite the fact that he had thrown out a forearm to catch me.
“I have to show you. Somewhere private, though.” I said sheepishly, gingerly rubbing the spot that hurt the most. I sighed knowing it was another beating my body had taken that day. My bottom, arms, and chest would be an interesting sight tomorrow.
His head whipped over at me, perturbed. “Holy crap, don’t scare me like that again. I thought I was going to hit something.” Then he frowned in concern when he noticed my pain. “Are you okay?”
Instantly I pushed my pain away. I had plenty of time to deal with it…later. “I haven’t shown you or told you everything. I need to show you before Collin blocks me again.” I was bouncing up and down with excitement.
He pulled over into an old access road. “You’re not afraid Collin’s going to notice this stop?”
I shrugged. “He shouldn’t have bruised me. I’m going to throw that in his face for a while.” I smiled and winked at him.
He frowned. “I really wish you wouldn’t go back,” he said quietly, then he looked out the window as he put the truck in park. “I’ve seen too many battered women and children come into our shelter, some never come back at all and I’m left wondering if they’re still alive. I know some of them aren’t.”
“I’m sorry, Gavin,” I said as I imagined warm, comforting feelings and pushed them towards him. “I know it must be hard on you, but I have to do this. If I were to come out and tell the guys now, and they believe me, I’m still left with wondering who’s after us and how many of them there are. They’ve gone to great lengths to separate us, and I don’t think they’ll stop.”
He looked at me in confusion. “I’m still afraid for you, but I feel this warmth suddenly, this reassurance.”
I smiled at him, even though the situation was grave. “Jace is an empath.”
He nodded, still confused. “I know that.”
“When I made one of my connections, not Jace, I somehow attained that gift too,” I smiled.
His jaw dropped. “You’re effin with me,” he denied vehemently.
I giggled as I produced a small flame in one hand, put a force field around the whole vehicle, and projected a vision of Jemmy waving at us from the front of the truck, “Believe me now?” I asked him from my head.
“No wonder, they’re afraid of you guys,” he breathed out in awe.
I dropped all my gifts at once, suddenly feeling exhausted. It had been too long since I used my gifts, let alone all of them at once, and it drained me quickly. “Every time I made a connection I also picked up a new gift. Unlike you, I kept the gifts. The first gift I got was the empath, which is Jace’s gift, then I obtained the ability to create fire, Troy’s gift, then there was the force field from Drake, followed by the gift of illusion, Jaxson’s gift. I just wish I knew if I attained a new gift tonight, but I have no energy to try to see if I have super human strength, Remy’s gift, or the gift of healing,” I said wearily as I slumped on the center console of his truck.
“Are you okay?” he asked worriedly.
I nodded. “Yes, I haven’t used my gifts in a while,” I explained to him.
He patted me in understanding. “I’m always tired and hungry after a practice sesh,” he said sympathetically. “And…” he ducked his head. “Never mind,” he said hurriedly. “Wait!” he exclaimed suddenly. “I thought you only got another gift when you made an oh…oh,” his eyes bugged out and he looked out the window.
I couldn’t help but giggle. He was a twenty-year-old man, after all! “You have an increase in your libido? You feel increasingly froggy?” I began to tease him. “You have an itch, you can’t scratch? You’re hot to trot? You’re feeling randy?” I teased him mercilessly, laughing. It was dark in the car, but I was sure he must be red by now. “My itch got scratched tonight,” I said tongue in cheek. “Although, it wasn’t itching at first. It kind of just happened. No. No. I’m lying. I was out to seduce him.”
He looked at me with a mixture of shock and embarrassment.
“What?” I continued. “You heard the judge, and my precog sister told me the same thing. I need to make these connections.” As he continued looking at me I shouted, “Will you stop looking at me like that? You’re acting like a virgin!” I covered my mouth at his look of embarrassment. “Oh my gosh you are!”
“Not all of us are so… sexual,” he grumbled a bit acerbically.
I knew I had pushed him, and it wasn’t nice, teasing him, especially something that could be as sensitive as his manhood. I may have emasculated him, but I was stung by his comment, and I bit back without thinking. When I was tired, I was cranky. When I was cranky, I tended to speak without thinking. “I haven’t always been this…sexual. When I was twelve, Heidi’s boyfriend molested me. He touched me where no little girl should be touched by a grown man. When I was thirteen I was forced to fondle a man and make sure he got his pleasure, but not before he made sure to slice me under my breast, where I still carry the scars. It’s amazing I can even be intimate with a man, let alone six. Although in my defense. I’ve only technically had sex with two of them.” I was angry as I got out of the truck and slammed the door.