21
I took the elevator and ran back upstairs to my room. But I couldn’t outrun the pain in Sam’s eyes. The pain I’d caused.
Tears trickled down my flushed face. I sank onto the bed and buried my head in my hands. What had happened to my steely resolve, my complete determination to stay away from Sam Sloane? Some determination. With one kiss, it melted faster than a bag of chocolate in Fiona’s hot hands.
A long sigh escaped my lips. I’d just slept with a man who had been mourning his best friend. And the dead man’s fiancée had caught us not quite in the act. Guilt rose up in me like a tidal wave. No good could come of this. My karma darkened, blackened with every second.
But I was halfway in love with Sam aka Striker Sloane. I loved his dry wit, his sense of duty, his kindness toward others. And oh, the way he kissed me. I got all tingly inside just thinking about it.
My guilt, my shame warred with my feelings for Sam. I couldn’t leave Sublime, not without risking another run-in with Malefica. Despite everything, I didn’t want to die or be turned into a monster. Deep down, I was a coward.
I paced the length of my suite, trying to figure out some solution to my latest catastrophe, some way to right all the wrongs. I decided to avoid the others like the plague. Especially Sam. It was the only thing I could do. If Sam walked past me, I would stare at the floor until he passed. If he spoke to me, I would not reply. There would be no more longing glances. No more heated kisses. No more nights of hot superhero sex.
I would uncover Malefica’s real identity, give it to the Fearless Five, and get the heck outta Dodge. I didn’t belong here at Sublime among all the finery any more than a piece of coal belonged in a jewelry store. I didn’t belong underground with the superheroes. And I certainly didn’t belong with Sam Sloane. Damaged, hazardous goods. That’s what I was. A giant pool of radioactive waste that infected everyone who came into contact with me. I wanted, no I needed to go back to my safe, boring life. The one where nobody touched me, where nobody had the power to hurt me, and where the damage I did was limited to the society pages of The Exposé.
So, I would avoid Sam. I would. The safety of my heart— of everyone’s hearts—depended on it.
Two more nights passed. I held firm to my decision to avoid the superheroes. I only came out of my suite when they were busy with their day jobs or out chasing criminals. Whenever I did bump into the others, I averted my eyes, mumbled some excuse, and ran away. Fiona glared at me whenever our paths crossed, wanting to boil me with her hot gaze. Chief Newman and Henry didn’t say anything, but Fiona had told them about Sam and me. The knowledge glittered in their eyes.
Avoiding everyone wasn’t my only problem. I still hadn’t been able to uncover Malefica’s identity. I was missing something, something obvious among my papers and flowcharts and notes. I could feel it. Too bad I had no idea what it was. Still, I worked feverishly at it, determined to leave Sublime before I brought another disaster down on Sam and the rest of the Fearless Five. Plus, my headaches had gotten even worse, to the point where they were almost debilitating. My vision blurred at least once an hour, and I was popping aspirin like a crack addict constantly in need of a fix.
After spending the morning fruitlessly searching through my papers, I went outside to the expansive gardens, hoping a little sunshine and fresh air would clear my mind and ease my throbbing head. Or at least cheer me up.
The gardens were exquisite. Flowers of all shapes and sizes lined the dirt beds and filled the air with their fragrant scents. Roses, orchids, tulips, pansies, and more brightened the ground with their rainbow of colors. Hummingbirds darted in and out of the blossoms, along with bees and other nectar-seeking insects. More birds sang from the trees that towered over the gardens. It was a virtual paradise.
I ambled along the crushed-shell paths, stooped over, and plucked a rose off a massive bush. I twirled the bright flower in my hand and plucked the petals off one by one. He loves me, he loves me not, he loves me . . .
“Enjoying the gardens?”
I shrieked. Sam stood behind me. He looked oh-so-elegant in a dark blue suit and polished wingtips. My heart warmed, despite my best intentions.
“How many times do I have to tell you? Don’t do that!”
Sam shrugged. “Sorry. Sneaking up on people is a habit of mine.”
“I thought you had a meeting.” My eyes darted around, looking for some means of escape. What excuse could I use to get away? Allergies? A bee sting? A sudden aversion to beautiful flowers?
“It got canceled. I thought I’d come out and get some fresh air. The chief thought it would be good for me. He thinks I’ve been working too hard.”
My inner voice whispered, and my eyes narrowed. “The chief? That’s the same thing he told me.” He’d shouted out the words this morning as I ran down the hall away from him.
We stared at each other.
“I guess he wanted us to run into each other,” I said.
“I guess so.”
I shifted from one foot to the other. “Well, I was just going back to the house.”
“Can I walk with you?”
I couldn’t see a polite enough way to tell him no, so I gave in. “Sure.” The truth was I missed him terribly. I wanted to be close to him, even if it was only for a little while.
We left the gardens and strolled across the massive lawn. The house stood like a sleeping giant about a half mile away. I kept three feet of space in between us. I wasn’t about to tempt fate—or myself—again.
“So do you want to talk about it?” Sam asked.
“About what?”
“Our night together.”
I stopped. My face flushed. “Oh. That.”
“Yes, that.” Sam cleared his throat. “I wanted to say I’m sorry.”
“Oh.” Disappointment swept over me. Evidently, he hadn’t felt the things I’d felt during our time together. Even now, my fingers itched to touch him, to pull him toward me and lose myself in his hot embrace.
“I’m sorry because I was hurting, and I took advantage of you.”
“That’s okay. I don’t mind. You can take advantage of me anytime.”
Sam raised an eyebrow.
“Er, what I mean is . . . um, if you feel the need . . . I mean, if you want to . . .” My voice trailed off under his intense scrutiny. “Never mind.”
“Anyway, I wanted to apologize. I’ve been avoiding you because of that . . . and other things. I thought you should know why.”
“I’ve been avoiding you too.” I sighed, suddenly tired of dancing around Sam Sloane. “Look, I like you, Sam. I really do. You’re a great guy. Intelligent, funny, charming, a good kisser, and more gorgeous than any man has a right to be. The other night was absolutely fantastic. One of the best nights of my life. Certainly the best sex of my life.”
“But . . .”
I took in a deep breath. “But it would never work out between us. We live in two completely different worlds. You’re a billionaire playboy. I’m a lowly society reporter. You’re a superhero. I exposed superheroes for a living. And with Tornado’s suicide and Malefica lurking around, there’s just too much bad karma in the mix.” Every single thing I said was true, but the words still hurt. My inner voice whimpered.
“And I’m pretty sure Fiona would fry me alive if she found out I was sticking around a second longer than necessary,” I said in an effort to lighten the mood. That was me. Plucky to the bitter, bitter end.
A ghost of a smile crossed Sam’s face. “Fiona probably would fry me too.”
We stood there on the lawn, still and silent. My eyes locked onto Sam’s handsome face, memorizing every curve, every line. Soon, memories would be all that I had left. A dull ache formed in my heart.
I stuck out my hand before I did something stupid, like beg him to kiss me. “So, just friends then?”
He stared at my outstretched hand for a long, long moment. “Just friends then.”
Sam took my hand. All the feelings and sensations of the other night flashed through my head. Tangled sheets. Hot kisses. Slow caresses. I gritted my teeth to keep from pulling him toward me and picking up where we’d left off.
Suddenly, Sam cocked his head to one side, listening. He dropped my hand.
“What is it?” I heard nothing other than the tweet of the birds and the occasional drone of a bumblebee.
Sam frowned. “It sounds like a helicopter.”
“A helicopter? Is that something to worry about?”
“No, but it’s odd because Sublime extends out in all directions for several miles. And no one can fly over the estate without my permission.” He shrugged. “It’s probably somebody who’s just gotten off course. It happens.”
I opened my mouth to reply when an icy wave of pain shot through my body. I doubled over. I felt numb, frozen inside. My teeth chattered. My dull headache exploded into a raging migraine. My vision went black. My inner voice screamed.
“Carmen? Carmen!”
“I don’t . . . feel so good,” I mumbled.
I pitched forward. Sam caught me and lowered me to the ground.
“Cold . . . so . . . cold.” My teeth bounced together like a child’s rattle.
Sam took off his suit jacket and draped it over my body. “Lie still. I’m going to get help.”
“No! Stay with me,” I said, clutching at him.
“I have to, Carmen. I’ll be back soon. I promise.”
Sam cupped my cheek in his warm hand. Blue waves seemed to surround his body. And there was something behind him. I squinted. A black helicopter hovered overhead. Fear crawled up my spine.
“Go! Leave me!” I shouted to Sam.
The roar of the helicopter’s motors drowned me out. Flower petals and dead leaves fluttered up into the air and whipped around like shrapnel. Trees bowed under the sudden gust of wind. The helicopter landed on the green lawn. The door slid open, and three figures emerged. My heart sank.
Uh-oh.
Malefica, Scorpion, and Frost sprinted toward us. Sam crouched over me.
“Run! Go!” I screamed.
“I’m not leaving you!”
The three ubervillains came closer . . . and closer . . . and closer. I looked toward the house. Where the hell were the others? Hadn’t they heard the chopper land on the lawn? Didn’t the house have some sort of alarm system? Shouldn’t the ground open up to let rockets come flying out or something?
The ubervillains stopped a few feet away. Sam stood. His hands clenched into fists. Somehow, I managed to sit up.
“Well, well, if it isn’t Sam Sloane,” Malefica drawled. “Or should I call you Striker?”
Sam didn’t reply.
“Nothing to say? No witty remarks? No pithy come-back? What a pity. Take him out.”
Sam launched himself at Scorpion. The ubervillain threw Sam over his shoulder with ease. Sam hit the ground rolling and bounced right back up. A blue streak zapped through the air and hit the superhero in the chest. He rocked back on his heels and wobbled like a seesaw. Sam’s eyes opened wide and grew glassy. Then, he fell to the ground.
“Noooo!” I screamed. “No! No! Noooo!”
I tried to crawl toward Sam, but the pain pulsing through my body was too great. Every part of me ached with cold. I slumped to the ground, panting for air. Every breath was an enormous effort.
A pair of strappy red sandals strolled into view. Even though every muscle in my body screamed at me to stop moving, I looked up past them.
Malefica loomed over me. A smile stretched across the ubervillain’s ruby red lips. “Well, well, if it isn’t my good friend Carmen Cole. Feeling a little ill? Pity.”
“What have you done to Sam?” I mumbled through my frozen lips. “How did you find us?”
“Oh, don’t worry about Striker. He’s not dead. Yet.”
Fear blanketed my heart like an icy shroud.
“As for you, remember that dart Frost shot you with? It contained a radioactive isotope, which lives in the human body a very long time. After a few days have passed, the isotope mutates and gives off a particular amount of radiation that’s very unique. And very easy to track if you have the proper equipment. Think of it as a sort of homing beacon. You led us right to Striker.”
I closed my eyes. So this had been Malefica’s real plan all along. To use me to track down Striker. That was why the Triad had retreated from the park that night. That was why the Fearless Five had driven them away so easily. I’d played right into the ubervillains’ evil hands.
Frost stared at me like a doctor examining a patient. “Hmmm. Interesting side effects. See how blue her lips are? I bet her body temperature has dropped at least two degrees in the last few minutes. Are you cold, Miss Cole? Feel like your insides are made out of ice cubes? Hmmm? Have you had any migraines or problems with your vision lately?”
I didn’t reply.
“Well, if you’re not going to be a cooperative test subject and tell me how you’re feeling, I have no further use for you. Shall I take care of her once and for all?” Frost asked.
I stared into the black eyehole of Frost’s freezoray gun. My eyes widened. I was about to get dead.
Malefica tapped her long nails on her lips. “Leave her. The rest of the Fearless Five will take care of her when they find out we have Striker. After all, someone has to be the bearer of good news. Get him back to the helicopter.”
Scorpion picked up Sam’s limp form, slung him over his massive shoulder, and lumbered away. Frost followed.
Malefica leaned down until her green eyes were level with mine. “I just wanted to thank you, Carmen. You played your part perfectly.”
“You’ll pay for this,” I spat out.
“I doubt it. Without Striker, the Fearless Five are nothing but a bunch of second-string superheroes. With him out of the way, we can pick the others off one by one by one until there’s no one left. Once the Fearless Five are gone, Bigtime will be mine. After that . . . who knows? And you made it all possible.”
Malefica straightened. “Please remember to give my regards to Fiera and the others. And my sympathy on their untimely loss.” She laughed, her voice filled with malicious glee and triumph.
I glared at the other woman. If looks could kill, Malefica would have been stone-cold dead. Too bad I didn’t have that particular superpower.
Malefica blew me a kiss and sidled away, her curvy form swinging with every step. She boarded the helicopter and shut the door. The motor roared to life. In seconds, the helicopter was airborne. It roared across the sky and disappeared from sight, taking Sam and the Terrible Triad with it.
Then, the pain came again, stronger this time, and I knew no more.