In His Keeping (Slow Burn #2)(29)

Goddamn it. Brent was a sitting duck.

Ari turned, her eyes cold and ruthless. He could feel her fury. It crackled between them like an electrical current. She tossed the gun to him and he caught it on reflex.

“Cover me,” she said softly.

Before he could open his mouth to protest and tell her to stay her ass right where she was, she stood, presenting an open target to their pursuers.

“Goddamn it, Ari! Stay down!”

“They want me alive,” she said softly. “They won’t shoot me. You and Brent on the other hand they probably don’t give a shit about and I’m not going to just let them take you out because you were protecting me. Not when I have the power to at least slow them down even if I don’t completely stop them.”

Ignoring his further protests, she locked her gaze on the threat in front of her. Again, he saw blood drip from her nose, seep from her ears and her fingers curled into tight, bloodless fists at her side. Her entire body was rigid and he could only imagine the awful strain she was experiencing. She’d told him that until recently she hadn’t used her powers at all. That she’d tried to blend in, be average, nothing special. As if a woman like her, whether she had psychic powers or not, could ever blend in. Not with her beauty and distinctive features.

More blood slid down her neck as the guns trained on them wrenched themselves free from the men’s grasps. They floated effortlessly through the air, one landing right beside the driver’s side door where Brent could reach it, the other dropping harmlessly to the ground in front of Beau.

The vehicle that had executed the U-turn barreled forward, on a direct collision course with the already mangled vehicle with Brent trapped inside. Beau watched helplessly, because there was nothing he could do to prevent his man from being more seriously injured and likely killed. The sons of bitches after Ari meant business and they’d eliminate anyone who stood in the way of their goal.

Every vein distended in Ari’s arms, her neck, even her forehead as if she was experiencing crippling pain as she focused on the speeding vehicle. And indeed, her features were marred with agony, a nearly silent moan escaping her tightly pursed lips. But as with the other vehicle she’d taken out single-handedly, it suddenly lifted into the air and turned on its side before crashing heavily onto the freeway. It skidded the last fifty yards to come to rest a mere car length in front of the downed vehicle Beau and Ari had taken cover behind.

To further ensure they wouldn’t be able to get out, her face contorted once more and the unscathed doors facing upward simply crumpled inward, making it impossible for anyone to escape.

Her power was incredible—like nothing he’d ever witnessed before—but he knew it was costing her dearly. He’d seen psychic bleeds before. Knew they were caused by intense focus and concentration. The blood—and obvious strain on her features—concerned Beau greatly. She could easily suffer a stroke or incur a massive brain bleed as a result.

“Ari,” he said in a gentle tone, reaching up to run his hand soothingly down her arm. “Honey, you need to calm down. Slow your breathing. You’re bleeding. You’ve taken out two of their vehicles. I can handle the rest. You need to get down and out of sight until my people get here.”

Either she didn’t hear or she chose to ignore him. The two men taking cover behind the doors of the vehicle quickly scrambled back inside, reversing at great speed before performing a screeching turn and roaring away, for now, retreating.

Beau sighed in relief and then carefully circled her slender arm with his fingers, drawing her back toward the relative safety of their overturned vehicle.

She blinked in obvious confusion and then she frowned when she stared at the carnage around her. Traffic had slowed considerably as it had to navigate through three wrecked vehicles. Though there was plenty of rubbernecking, no one actually stopped to offer help, something Beau was grateful for. The very last thing they needed was more attention. He willed Zack to get there quickly so they could move Ari somewhere safe and under constant guard.

The police would most certainly be involved, although the vehicle Brent had been driving wasn’t traceable. He doubted the other vehicles would net the authorities any more information than his would. The authorities would likely assume gang-related activity or drug trafficking. It didn’t matter to him as long as Ari didn’t suffer even more exposure as a result of her unleashing her powers.

When no movement was forthcoming from the two wrecked vehicles that had pursued them, Beau instructed Ari to stay down and then he crawled back into the interior of the vehicle to determine the level of injury Brent had endured.

“I’m okay,” Brent muttered. “Damn leg is just trapped by the dashboard. When Zack gets here, take Ari and leave me. The police and ambulance will be on scene shortly. They’ll have to pull me out and the last thing Ari needs is more media attention. Better for you—and her—to be as far away from this as possible. It’s obvious who was at fault here and I doubt those idiots are going to volunteer much information to the police. I have enough contacts with HPD that I won’t have an issue.”

“Damn it,” Beau swore. “You know that’s not the way we operate. We don’t leave a man down.”

Brent’s piercing gaze sought Beau’s. “And you know this is the way it has to go down. You and Ari can’t be involved in this. You have to get her away from here before the cops show up as well as the media if it’s suspected or discovered you have any link to her.”