Remember Jamie Baker (Jamie Baker #3)(108)

The ACEs didn’t have to be told twice. Guns went up. I tried not to react. I wanted them to succeed. I welcomed the thought of one of these guys tranqing me into oblivion so that they could take care of Teddy without having to deal with me. If it was the only way to save Ryan, I didn’t care if they used real bullets and shot me in my mind-controlled head.

But I’d been given a command to protect Teddy at all costs, and I was capable of doing so while still blocking the air from Ryan’s lungs. So when the ACEs pulled their weapons, I shot out blasts of lightning with my free hand.

My senses were too sharp and I was just too fast. I took out four of them before any of them even got one round off, and Teddy used his telekinesis to stop the darts that actually managed to be fired. He sent them flying back toward the ACEs, forcing them all to scramble and duck for cover.

I even managed to fry Tyson before he could sneak up on me beneath the cloak of invisibility and stab me with a dart. Remembering the last time he got me, I remembered to keep an eye out for him using my other senses. It wasn’t that difficult. The poor kid wore too much Axe body spray. I could smell him coming from a mile away. He hit the ground with a thud, blinking back into sight. His unconscious form at my feet did nothing for my panic. “TEDDY, STOP!” I screamed. “PLEASE!”

In the midst of the chaos, Betty’s voice sounded in my head, strong and clear. I can stop you. I can get inside your brain and confuse you. But there is risk. It is a technique Donovan was forcing me to learn. It’s very hard to do, and I don’t have the best control. I could scramble your brain to an extent that you might not recover from. I could turn you into a vegetable.

Her offer was a godsend. I didn’t care about the risk involved, and didn’t hesitate to give her an answer. Do it. Quickly. I don’t care if you mess up. I love him. If I kill him, I will die with him.

Betty took my answer to heart and wasted no time. I immediately felt her presence in my head. I tried not to fight it. I tried to let her in to do whatever she needed to do, but somehow my brain knew that giving in to her—that losing consciousness—would put Teddy in harm’s way.

Try not to resist.

I’m trying not to. I can’t help it. Whatever you do, don’t stop. Please. I’m begging.

Pressure began to mount inside my head, slowing everything around me down. The ACEs—those that were still conscious—were now at another standstill with Teddy and me, and Ryan was beyond blue. His eyes were starting to lose focus. “I’m so sorry, Ryan,” I sobbed. “You were right. I should never have come here. I was selfish and I screwed up. I’m so sorry. You are worth so much more than any memory. I’d give them all back to save you. I love you, Goldilocks.”

A small smile ghosted across his face, and then his eyes fell shut. His heart was slowing. He was going to die.

The pressure in my brain suddenly became unbearable. My grip on Ryan’s neck loosened enough that he sucked in a little air. I tried to let him go completely, but I still couldn’t manage it. I was still under Teddy’s influence, but my fingers were going numb. It was as if I’d forgotten how to use them.

I slipped some more, and he was able to start coughing. It was music to my ears. Betty let up, and almost immediately my hand squeezed Ryan’s throat again.

NO! Don’t stop! Save him, Betty!

I can’t. You’re too strong-willed. If I push any harder, I might kill you.

If you have to kill me, so be it. I’m too dangerous under Teddy’s control. He won’t stop with just Ryan. I don’t want to spend my life as his slave!

You are a brave woman, Jamie. I’m so sorry this happened.

She slipped into my mind again, pushing twice as hard as before. The pain returned, ripping a scream from my chest. Blood began to trickle out of my nose and ears. My concentration began to darken. Black spots clouded my vision. I welcomed it because Ryan was coughing again. His face was even returning to a healthy color.

Several people called out to me, but it was Teddy’s startled gasp that I focused on. “Betty! Stop! You’ll kill her! You’ll kill yourself!”

Panic surged through me when I caught a glimpse of Betty. She was pale as a ghost and had blood trickling down her nose, too. She collapsed into the arms of Tex, who’d been hovering right behind her, but she kept her stare locked on me. I saw the raw determination in her eyes. I understood it. I shared it. I still felt guilty. And then I didn’t feel anything. I couldn’t remember where I was. I’d forgotten what I was doing.

“Sunshine,” Ryan rasped, returning me to my senses a little. “Don’t you dare die for me.”

And now I remembered. I gave him a sad smile as my concentration started to slip again. My brain was thoroughly confused now. I still held Ryan in my grasp, determined to follow through on my command. Betty was going to have to kill me. I hoped she wouldn’t destroy herself in the process.

Though I could no longer see, I still recognized Ryan’s desperate voice as whispered from somewhere nearby. “Teddy, please. She’s stubborn enough to sacrifice herself. You know she is. Betty is, too. Don’t let them die. Please, Teddy. Do the right thing. It’s Jamie. If you love her at all, you won’t let her die. You say you love her, Teddy! Act like it!” Ryan’s voice was getting stronger as his frustration rose. I wasn’t even harming him anymore; I was simply holding him.