Twice as Hot (Tales of an Extraordinary Girl #2)(98)

I shivered, soaked to the bone in seconds. "R-ready?" I asked Elaine.

"Y-yes." Her teeth were chattering, too, and lines of tension branched from her eyes.

"Fight past the pain. Hell, maybe the rain will even help get rid of our sparks altogether."

"I hope so."

The boys hadn't given us the signal, which meant they were still engaged in battle. They needed us, whether they wanted to admit it or not. Gripping the gun - it didn't vibrate this time, and the pain inside me was easing, so what I'd told Elaine had been the truth - I rose. When Elaine did the same, almost collapsing beside me, I instinctively reached out and latched onto her, keeping her upright. Thank God she was covered by long sleeves. I would have dropped if I'd accidentally touched her skin.

A moment passed before she gained her bearings. She tossed a rock at the lamp. Missed the bulb.

Grunted, and tossed another rock. This time she hit her target. Glass shattered, and shadows closed around us.

My eyes were able to adjust to this darkness, though, and I saw her pull her hood over her head, shielding every inch of her but her eyes. Well, and her hands. Those she kept free - easier to incapacitate the guards that way.

"Get ready to hurt." As the rain beat down on us, we ducked through the fence and sprinted our way up the hill to the parapet. My muscles screamed in protest, but at least no one shot at us.

The closer we got, the more male grunting I could hear. Grunting and growling.

Rome had morphed into a cat.

We raced up the stairs, nearly barreled into Tanner, Christian and Hans, one of whom cracked me in the jaw before realizing who I was. I saw stars.

"Sorry," Christian said.

"That's going to leave a mark." Silver lining: my wedding wasn't happening as planned and I wouldn't have to get married with a goose egg on my chin.

Some silver lining, I thought, my sadness deepening and the rain increasing.

When my vision cleared, I looked around, trying to decide the best way to help Rome. Jean-Luc and I could - But there was no sign of Jean-Luc.

Tanner clasped Elaine's shirt, jerking her beside him. "Stay here. Rome doesn't know you and might accidentally attack you."

"Go and get the guards," I told her. "I'll take care of Rome so you don't accidentally touch him." She bolted forward, wrenching free of Tanner, and raced for the guards. They were weaponless, their semiautomatics already scattered over the stones. But there was a swarm of them, too many for Rome to fight on his own. I raced forward, too, only I launched myself at Rome, landing on his back and sending his feline-self propelling to his stomach.

His face immediately swung at me, those long, sharp teeth ready to clamp down for a tasty snack. At the first pierce, slight though it somehow was, he must have realized who I was because his mouth moved away from me without hurting me further. He flipped me over, pinning me with his weight.

I wrapped my arms around him, embracing him tightly, holding him to me. He didn't know it, but I was helping him. Or maybe he did. He could have wiggled free, but didn't. To protect me with his own body?

The rain continued to fall, though it tapered to a drizzle. My heart was pounding in my chest, a wild, uncontrollable thump. I searched the darkness, found Elaine standing in the middle of a rapidly diminishing crowd. The guards had launched themselves at her, but as she touched them, or as they hit her, they toppled to the ground, one by one, motionless.

Soon, she was the only one left standing.

Tanner rushed to her, but she backed away, yanking her gloves out of her pockets. Only when they were anchored in place did she allow herself to be pulled into his waiting arms.

Rome growled low in his throat, and I stiffened. Uh-oh. That was an angry growl. Slowly I faced him.

Our gazes locked, my hazel against his furious blue. He was still in cat form, his fur slick and black and savagely lovely. His teeth were bared at me.

"You needed help," I said, chin raising. "I'm not sorry. I've changed, just like you said, and I'm a better agent for it. I need to be part of the action. I need to prove I can do this." Boom!

The parapet trembled wildly, and someone screamed. Then debris was raining down, rocks and twigs and planks and mortar. Puffs of black smoke plumed in the air, making me cough.

"What happened?" I gasped out.

Tanner blanched. "The building behind us just exploded."

After a collective momentof frozen shock and horror, our group leaped into action, rushing toward the building. My rain had begun to fall again, harder this time, the hail like poisoned fists. Had Sherridan and Lexis been inside that building? I could barely catch my breath, could barely force my body to remain in motion as my blood turned to thick, frozen sludge.

An alarm blasted, screeching into the night and making me cringe.

Along the way, there were armed guards lying on the ground, unconscious. Thanks to Jean-Luc? Or had I been wrong to trust him? Had he caused the explosion? Was Sherridan -

Oh, God.

No. No, no, no. I wouldn't believe it, I thought as I jumped over another motionless body. Then I tripped over a semiautomatic and landed face-first. Dirt coated my tongue as air abandoned my lungs.

Thankfully my adrenaline was too high, my body too numb from cold to feel any pain. I'd feel it tomorrow, though. If I were still alive.

Rome was at my side an instant later, still in cat form, pulling me to my feet with his mouth. He was careful not to break my skin and only to tug on my clothing.