Read Online Emotionally Charged by Selina Fenech - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Selina Fenech
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babbling. I shook and tears streamed down my face, stinging the graze on my cheek.
Dean put his hands on my shoulders and I rattled under his touch. “Okay, crazy lady, you’re really freaking out.”
He steered me to the unmade bed and sat me down. I scooted across to sit with my back against the wall and pulled the covers up around me.
“Put the TV on and just try and relax a bit. You’re in shock. I’ll go make you something hot.”
I squinted at the small, blocky television sitting on the cluttered top of the drawers. “Where’s the remote?”
“Doesn’t have one.”
“Really? Retro much. You can’t even give this kind of box away anymore. I know. My mom’s tried.” I tried to smile a bit and lighten the mood, but my teeth chattered and I must have looked a little insane. I imagined how my hair must look after its release from under the wig and the mental image rounded out nicely.
“It’s a whole two feet away. I’m sure you can manage.”
Dean had made me a hot chocolate by the time I worked out how to get the television on and set the volume low, worried I’d wake his dad.
Dean went to take a hot shower, to shake off his own shock. I told him to keep his bandages dry if he could, but didn’t know if that would help.
I settled into the blankets with the mug of hot goodness balanced on my knees and my shaking became less intense. I still felt teary, confused, and sick to my stomach, and the news report on the TV didn’t help.
The bank robbery was the top story. Fortunately I’d missed most of it and it drew to a close. They showed some security camera footage, but too distant and grainy to worry about. I had been right, though. The old woman that got shot was dead. Was that my fault? If I hadn’t stepped in front of Jake and he hadn’t swung the gun away… no, then Dean would be dead. If Dean wasn’t there, they might never have brought out the guns. But if I hadn’t drawn attention to him they might not have spotted him in the crowd. If I’d refused to go at all, the whole thing might not have escalated. Or Dean would have been dead. I was like a hamster on a wheel, going round and round. I could go crazy thinking like this.
I thought the news report was over, but it continued. Another scene I recognized, the warehouse fire. Warehouse fire and theft, apparently. While the one building burned, valuable goods had been taken from others nearby. There was evidence of arson. The news reporter said police felt confident linking this event with the bank robbery and other crimes in the area over the last month. The pattern also matched crimes from a number of cities previously. They used the term ‘terrorist cell’ and I pulled the blankets up closer around my face.
I hadn’t even questioned Donnie and Jamie loading the car at the fire, or the extra luggage when we flew back from my home town. They were looters, but worse, even setting up disasters to take advantage of the emotions, making bad stuff happen on purpose. Not once had I seen them do anything heroic. I just assumed they did and they let me believe. Even Jake. I doubted whether he would have even saved me if I wasn’t one of them . He said he saw some of the fight before he helped. How long did he wait and watch until he decided to help, to make sure I was one of them, just because he wanted another ‘path on his team?
I could hear the shower still running through the thin wall between Dean’s room and the bathroom. Dean got shot. I got shot. Someone died. It was a mess and it didn’t even faze Jake. Just what else had he done in the past?
I had to stop them. The only way Dean and any other victims of these villains could be safe was to shut the team down. Permanently. Block off their powers for good.
Jake said Dean could do that. How, I had no idea. Dean probably wouldn’t know either. He might not even want to help. I finished the hot chocolate and put the mug on the drawers next to the TV. My eyelids were leaden and
Dean put his hands on my shoulders and I rattled under his touch. “Okay, crazy lady, you’re really freaking out.”
He steered me to the unmade bed and sat me down. I scooted across to sit with my back against the wall and pulled the covers up around me.
“Put the TV on and just try and relax a bit. You’re in shock. I’ll go make you something hot.”
I squinted at the small, blocky television sitting on the cluttered top of the drawers. “Where’s the remote?”
“Doesn’t have one.”
“Really? Retro much. You can’t even give this kind of box away anymore. I know. My mom’s tried.” I tried to smile a bit and lighten the mood, but my teeth chattered and I must have looked a little insane. I imagined how my hair must look after its release from under the wig and the mental image rounded out nicely.
“It’s a whole two feet away. I’m sure you can manage.”
Dean had made me a hot chocolate by the time I worked out how to get the television on and set the volume low, worried I’d wake his dad.
Dean went to take a hot shower, to shake off his own shock. I told him to keep his bandages dry if he could, but didn’t know if that would help.
I settled into the blankets with the mug of hot goodness balanced on my knees and my shaking became less intense. I still felt teary, confused, and sick to my stomach, and the news report on the TV didn’t help.
The bank robbery was the top story. Fortunately I’d missed most of it and it drew to a close. They showed some security camera footage, but too distant and grainy to worry about. I had been right, though. The old woman that got shot was dead. Was that my fault? If I hadn’t stepped in front of Jake and he hadn’t swung the gun away… no, then Dean would be dead. If Dean wasn’t there, they might never have brought out the guns. But if I hadn’t drawn attention to him they might not have spotted him in the crowd. If I’d refused to go at all, the whole thing might not have escalated. Or Dean would have been dead. I was like a hamster on a wheel, going round and round. I could go crazy thinking like this.
I thought the news report was over, but it continued. Another scene I recognized, the warehouse fire. Warehouse fire and theft, apparently. While the one building burned, valuable goods had been taken from others nearby. There was evidence of arson. The news reporter said police felt confident linking this event with the bank robbery and other crimes in the area over the last month. The pattern also matched crimes from a number of cities previously. They used the term ‘terrorist cell’ and I pulled the blankets up closer around my face.
I hadn’t even questioned Donnie and Jamie loading the car at the fire, or the extra luggage when we flew back from my home town. They were looters, but worse, even setting up disasters to take advantage of the emotions, making bad stuff happen on purpose. Not once had I seen them do anything heroic. I just assumed they did and they let me believe. Even Jake. I doubted whether he would have even saved me if I wasn’t one of them . He said he saw some of the fight before he helped. How long did he wait and watch until he decided to help, to make sure I was one of them, just because he wanted another ‘path on his team?
I could hear the shower still running through the thin wall between Dean’s room and the bathroom. Dean got shot. I got shot. Someone died. It was a mess and it didn’t even faze Jake. Just what else had he done in the past?
I had to stop them. The only way Dean and any other victims of these villains could be safe was to shut the team down. Permanently. Block off their powers for good.
Jake said Dean could do that. How, I had no idea. Dean probably wouldn’t know either. He might not even want to help. I finished the hot chocolate and put the mug on the drawers next to the TV. My eyelids were leaden and
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