wasn’t so sure this guy was bluffing.
He was about to tell her to answer when she tilted her head to meet his gaze.
“Get behind me,” she said in a chilled and calm tone. What? What the hell was she doing?
More men bounded through the open doorway, probably the shadowy guys from outside.
“Last chance, bitch,” the man with the pointed gun said impatiently, tapping the barrel against her. He wasn’t bluffing at all. “Are you Harper Kane?”
“Rome, trust me.” Her cool gaze never wavered from his face. He had no idea what to do. This guy was going to shoot her. These were Jeff’s guys. He knew it. They may or may not know who he was; they’d given no indication either way. Regardless, they suspected who she was and would no doubt finish the job that he hadn’t.
He’d asked her to trust him. Maybe he should do the same for her. Decision made, he gave her a tight smile and ducked behind her.
The man cocked his rifle and repositioned his aim onher chest. Rome watched from his position slightly behind her as she tipped back her head and spread her arms. What on earth was she doing?
Harper bowed her head forward and her body began to tremble. Lightly at first, and then she started to shudder, rippling into a controlled convulsion. Worried, Rome put a hand on her shoulder. Her body was whitehot. He instantly removed his hand, his palm stinging as though he’d grabbed a burning log. Everyone in the room was still focused on her.
All at once, Harper’s head snapped back, she cried out, and her arms spread wide, palms facing out. A barely perceptible pulsing wave shot out from her body, displacing the air and pounding against everything in its wake. It was as though a surge emanated from her being.
Rome witnessed the utter devastation originating from Harper with horror. The charged air flared from her hands toward their enemies. The clear shimmery wave coiled around them and rushed into their bodies. The men standing before her crumpled, their faces frozen in fright, and fell to the ground motionless. Lifeless.
The front windows shattered from the residual energy throbbing through the room, the glass shattering outward with a roar. The upturned furniture slammed against the far wall, and the debris that had littered the floor whirled around the room like a mini tornado. Destruction ravaged everything in the area in front of him.
Finally, it stopped.
Whatever she had done had seized the life out of the men and torn apart what was left of Bobby’s living room.
Rome remained completely still, shock rushing through every fiber, stirring his blood. Tearing his gaze away from the sickening annihilation, Rome glared at Harper. She was standing, shaking, with her hands clutching her head. Then she fell to her knees, heaving in every breath. Like the first time he’d seen her in the lab.
He just stood there. Staring.
She looked up at him, her eyes wild, stark pain and dread written all over her flushed features.
“I’m so sorry.” The broken whisper came from her trembling lips just before she slumped to the hard floor in an unconscious heap.
Stunned, Rome squatted down next to her and mechanically felt her neck for a pulse. He found it racing faster than he ever thought possible.
He then got up and began to maneuver around the debris to reach the fallen men. There wasn’t much that made him queasy, but looking at the shape these guys were in made him sick to his stomach.
The pulsating shock wave that had radiated from Harper looked like it had ripped through their bodies, inside and out, like a harsh wind viciously gusting through a dense forest, whipping and tearing away matter.
He bent to check on the closest to see whether any life remained. The skin at the man’s neck felt like old parchment, roughly withered by time and the elements. There was no pulse.
Rome walked silently to the front of the room, leaning against the wide-open entryway. The door lay scattered in thick shards over the porch
He was about to tell her to answer when she tilted her head to meet his gaze.
“Get behind me,” she said in a chilled and calm tone. What? What the hell was she doing?
More men bounded through the open doorway, probably the shadowy guys from outside.
“Last chance, bitch,” the man with the pointed gun said impatiently, tapping the barrel against her. He wasn’t bluffing at all. “Are you Harper Kane?”
“Rome, trust me.” Her cool gaze never wavered from his face. He had no idea what to do. This guy was going to shoot her. These were Jeff’s guys. He knew it. They may or may not know who he was; they’d given no indication either way. Regardless, they suspected who she was and would no doubt finish the job that he hadn’t.
He’d asked her to trust him. Maybe he should do the same for her. Decision made, he gave her a tight smile and ducked behind her.
The man cocked his rifle and repositioned his aim onher chest. Rome watched from his position slightly behind her as she tipped back her head and spread her arms. What on earth was she doing?
Harper bowed her head forward and her body began to tremble. Lightly at first, and then she started to shudder, rippling into a controlled convulsion. Worried, Rome put a hand on her shoulder. Her body was whitehot. He instantly removed his hand, his palm stinging as though he’d grabbed a burning log. Everyone in the room was still focused on her.
All at once, Harper’s head snapped back, she cried out, and her arms spread wide, palms facing out. A barely perceptible pulsing wave shot out from her body, displacing the air and pounding against everything in its wake. It was as though a surge emanated from her being.
Rome witnessed the utter devastation originating from Harper with horror. The charged air flared from her hands toward their enemies. The clear shimmery wave coiled around them and rushed into their bodies. The men standing before her crumpled, their faces frozen in fright, and fell to the ground motionless. Lifeless.
The front windows shattered from the residual energy throbbing through the room, the glass shattering outward with a roar. The upturned furniture slammed against the far wall, and the debris that had littered the floor whirled around the room like a mini tornado. Destruction ravaged everything in the area in front of him.
Finally, it stopped.
Whatever she had done had seized the life out of the men and torn apart what was left of Bobby’s living room.
Rome remained completely still, shock rushing through every fiber, stirring his blood. Tearing his gaze away from the sickening annihilation, Rome glared at Harper. She was standing, shaking, with her hands clutching her head. Then she fell to her knees, heaving in every breath. Like the first time he’d seen her in the lab.
He just stood there. Staring.
She looked up at him, her eyes wild, stark pain and dread written all over her flushed features.
“I’m so sorry.” The broken whisper came from her trembling lips just before she slumped to the hard floor in an unconscious heap.
Stunned, Rome squatted down next to her and mechanically felt her neck for a pulse. He found it racing faster than he ever thought possible.
He then got up and began to maneuver around the debris to reach the fallen men. There wasn’t much that made him queasy, but looking at the shape these guys were in made him sick to his stomach.
The pulsating shock wave that had radiated from Harper looked like it had ripped through their bodies, inside and out, like a harsh wind viciously gusting through a dense forest, whipping and tearing away matter.
He bent to check on the closest to see whether any life remained. The skin at the man’s neck felt like old parchment, roughly withered by time and the elements. There was no pulse.
Rome walked silently to the front of the room, leaning against the wide-open entryway. The door lay scattered in thick shards over the porch
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