In His Keeping (Slow Burn #2)(32)

She slowly nodded. “It was hard, because I had to hold the image and focus solely on it. I couldn’t allow any distraction; otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to flip the car like I did. I haven’t practiced, haven’t used my powers since I was a child. So I’m not entirely certain what I’m capable of. Simply because I’ve never had the chance to measure my abilities in a controlled environment.”

“I’d say you’re pretty damn powerful, especially for someone who has barely used her talents and only when you were a child. I’m thinking if you practice any more then the world had better watch out.”

He said the last with a quirk of his mouth, a hint of a smile hovering on his lips.

“You forget I saved our asses,” she said tartly.

“Yes, you did, and I certainly thank you for it, but in the future, if you ever pull a stunt like that again, I’ll spank your ass and tie you to a chair so you can’t go anywhere. And I’ll make damn sure that there is nothing in the room for you to use to free yourself. Are we clear?”

She blinked in surprise. “Why on earth would you want me not to use telekinesis when we rescue my parents?”

He took note of the fact that she said when, not if, they rescued her parents. While he wanted her to have hope, at the same time he didn’t think he could bear her grief were she to discover they were already dead. It was obvious that she was extremely close to her parents and that they, in turn, loved her just as much.

“There is no we. I don’t want you involved, Ari,” he said bluntly. “Your father sent you to me for a reason. Because we’re the best at what we do. You’d be a liability because our focus would be split between protecting you and ensuring they don’t get their hands on you and rescuing your parents. Trust me to do my job and be patient. We—meaning me and my men—will find them.”

Relief was stark in her eyes, as if she’d shouldered a heavy burden for some time and now found it suddenly lifted.

“I believe you,” she said honestly. “And yes, I’ll stay out of your way unless you fail to find them soon. Then we do it my way and I turn myself over to them for the safe return of my mother and father. That’s all I can and am willing to promise.”

TWELVE

AFTER the initial surge of adrenaline wore off, pain snaked through Ari’s head and her side where the bullet had grazed her. She clenched her jaw, determined not to make a sound or allow Beau to know how much pain she was in. He had his own injuries from the wreck and the last thing he needed was to have to babysit and coddle her.

She’d been pampered, catered to and sheltered her entire life and it was time to take control of her own destiny, be proactive and grow a spine. It was time to become the independent woman she’d planned to become when she’d taken the first step in her bid to remove herself from the bubble her parents had surrounded her with, by taking a teaching job.

It was a job she loved but now she faced a very uncertain future since she’d been attacked by a student and defended herself using telekinesis.

She let out a soft sigh and then promptly sucked in her breath and held herself completely still, hoping she hadn’t betrayed herself to Beau. She should have realized he’d pick up on the slightest noise.

He instantly glanced her way, his eyes narrowing in concern. His gaze raked up and down her body almost as though he could see right through her clothing to the bruises, scrapes and cuts.

“We’re almost there,” he said, surprising her by not commenting on her condition.

She appreciated the fact that he was all business and treated her like a real . . . person. Not some helpless, useless little doll who would break if touched.

Mentally, she reprimanded herself because she sounded ungrateful and resentful of the care her parents had taken with her. The lengths they’d gone to in order for her to lead a somewhat normal life.

She had no regrets for the way she was raised. She loved her mother and father dearly and wouldn’t trade those years or their closeness for anything. It was merely time for her to step out of the shadow of her parents and lead her own life. Make her own choices. Face her own consequences. Most people did so long before the age of twenty-four.

There had never been any consequences for Ari, because her father had always ensured that any issue she encountered simply disappeared. It was who he was, but now she had to be who she was. Powers or not, she had to enter the world and face her problems head-on.

They turned into a winding driveway that snaked over terrain that sloped gently toward a heavily wooded area surrounding the house on all sides. She blinked because she hadn’t even processed them driving out of the metropolitan area. She’d been too absorbed in her thoughts, worries and trying to keep Beau from seeing how much pain she was in.

Zack pulled to a stop and instantly got out, opening the door on Ari’s side. Beau started to get out and then stopped, suddenly moving slower as he gripped the door. She glanced at him in alarm, but his expression was unreadable.

He walked around as Ari began to scramble from where she was seemingly rooted to the seat. She couldn’t contain her wince and instantly closed her eyes when agony shot straight down her spine and ricocheted back up to the base of her skull, causing her neck to spasm.

She slid her feet down to the paved carport and her knees instantly buckled. Beau and Zack both made a grab for her and caught her just before she face-planted on the cement.