Page 18 of Liberty
“The girl,” he said. “What are we going to do about her?”
I knew what I would do if I had all the choices in the world, but I didn’t. I didn’t have a fucking say in how this played out. “Well, this place is about to become hers.” I looked up at the ceiling. “Maybe we should ask her what we should do. Or what she wants to do.”
“She’s just as lost as us.”
I doubted it. In over two hundred years, we still hadn’t got our shit together. Could someone get more lost than that? “She needs a say; we can’t just decide without her.”
Though after the monstrous display in the alley, I doubted she would want anything to do with me for longer than necessary. “She likes you, you know. More than the rest of us. She’s afraid, but not of you.”
How the hell did he know what I was thinking? “You think?”
“I know.” He bit his lip as he worked through what to say, then he sighed. “Something happened back there. I don’t know what the fuck it was, but we all got hit by it. Did you feel it too? How easy it was for Sterling to heal her wounds? Never in my life would I have thought I would see it.”
“Ironic since he’s the most selfish person I know.”
Ellis chuckled. “He really is. You, though, what the fuck happened out there?”
I wish I knew; I really did. Never in my life had I felt like that. Never had something consumed me as it did when I feared for Liberty’s safety. I cleared my throat. “I don’t know. I got this overwhelming urge to find her, and when I saw her in danger, I couldn’t stop it. It all just happened.”
“Good timing for sure. Next time, let the rest of us help. We want a piece of the girl’s admiration too.”
“Not a fucking chance of that.” If I could, she would be all mine. “So, what’s your quirk? I’ve got this crazy, murderous rage. Sterling heals, apparently, and you? What do you get out of it?”
“Feelings.”
I couldn’t hide the laughter if I tried. Ellis got feelings. I always knew he was a softy. “I’m going to need more information.”
“As in, I can feel what she feels. Tell if she’s lying or if she’s scared.” His eyebrows pulled together. “It’s all pretty confusing.”
“Doesn’t seem that confusing at all.” Way less confusing than the murderous rage I felt.
“Then why can I read you two, too?”
That seemed to put an element of confusion into the mix. “Well, fuck.”
“Exactly.” I didn’t know what else to say. This was a cluster fuck of confusion, and we needed to take it a step at a time until we figured out a way to protect her from James' past.
I pulled away from the counter and headed for the pantry, grabbing an armful of snacks before taking some waters from the fridge. When I turned back, Ellis was already gone. It was probably for the best. I needed the silence back to the room to gather my thoughts, to gain control of my emotions.
All for nothing, though, because the moment I walked into the room, and she was sitting on the bed wearing an old shirt to cover her damaged dress, the emotions flooded me anyway. The desire and longing were second to my need to protect her. To hide her from the eyes of the others and keep her to myself.
My throat felt like sandpaper. Talking seemed nearly impossible. Still, I ignored the knowing look from Ellis as I forced the words out, “I brought you some food.”
“Thank fuck; I’m starving.” Sterling went to grab a bag of chips, and I pulled them away.
“Not you.”
He looked sulky as he said, “She can’t eat all that.”
“You obviously don’t know me,” she said under her breath.
“Let her eat first,” I instructed.
He rolled his eyes but gave no other argument as I brought the food to the bed. I sat next to her on the mattress as I opened the packages. She took the offered bag of chips, observing me as she removed one and plopped it into her mouth. I watched her chew slowly, absorbing the way her lips looked as she chewed.
“So,” she swallowed, “If you boys are really – really – what I think you are, then how could you eat?”
Sterling answered from across the room, “Our genetic makeup was changed; they didn’t remove our stomachs. I could probably eat anyone in this room under the table if given the chance.”