1. Raegan

Chapter one

Raegan

My world comes crashing to a halt the moment I see her. Maybe Joe damaged my brain when he slammed my head to the ground.

I’m seeing dead people.

But a quick glance at the others, at Dane, tells me I’m not the only one seeing her. It doesn’t mean I believe that she’s real. It’s a trick. An illusion. I know she was gone. I felt her last moments.

She looks nothing like the last time I saw her. She’s whole; unbroken.

Vera takes in each of us when we arrive with a calculating gaze. There’s no warmth or familiarity when she looks at the others. Then she looks at me, and I see it.

The scar that runs through the corner of her eye down to her lips. A scar exactly where I remember her skin split apart.

“It can’t be.” I must have said it aloud because Vera’s hazel eyes—the ones that mirror Dane’s—snap to mine. Hatred burns in her glare, and her face contorts in disgust .

I don’t entirely blame her for looking at me that way. I would probably do the same to my murderer. Or…almost murderer? I’m still not sure how this is possible.

She faces Dane again. I take an automatic step closer to him at the threat she poses. The threat only I know about, which means I’m Dane’s only defense.

The rush of wind and beating of the helicopter blades means she’s forced to yell to be heard over it. “Dane! Get away from her!” Her wavy blonde hair is cut just below her chin as it whips around her face in the rough breeze. She’s dressed in the same black tactical gear as all of them . Even with the GE logo stamped on the front and back in case there’s any question of her loyalty.

Dane doesn’t bother looking at me. His eyes are glued to Vera like he’s afraid she’ll disappear if he blinks. He takes a step toward her, and she retreats. “Vera, what are you doing?” His voice cracks with emotion, but he holds it together. “Come here. I’m here now. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

Vera shakes her head and takes another step back. “No. She killed me, Dane. She’s the one who destroyed the island. She’s a monster . I’m not going anywhere near her again.”

The other three swing their gazes to me, but I refuse to lose sight of Vera and Dane for even a second. Vera’s speaking the truth. It’s what I’ve been telling them all along, and they refused to believe me. Well, Aiden may have taken my word for it, but who knows what’s really going on in his head.

I know I should probably keep my mouth shut, but I need answers after everything I gave up by killing her. And now she’s not dead. What was it all for?

“You don’t look dead to me,” I retort.

Dane clenches his fist. I’m sure he wants to defend Vera from me, but he’s too terrified she’ll run the second he turns away, so he doesn’t.

Her face darkens, and there is nothing left of the girl I once knew there. “I did die, and you know it. I was lucky someone could save me before it became permanent.”

I purse my lips. Something still doesn’t sound right. I’ve heard of people dying and being resuscitated before, but her body was destroyed. It wasn’t about getting her heart pumping or oxygen flowing again.

“Vera, come back with us and we can figure this all out. You don’t need to be with them,” he pleads.

“You’re wrong, Dane,” she shouts back. “They are the ones who saved me. Who have helped me. Now I’m going to help them. And you can help them, too. We can do it together.” Her smile sharpens. “Come with me, and I’ll tell you everything you want to know.”

“And what about us?” Aiden steps forward to draw her attention. “He’s not going anywhere without his brothers.”

“You’re not his brothers,” she spits. “He’s mine, and he can go wherever he wants.” Vera shoots Dane a pleading look. “See how they want to control you? They’re all manipulating you. Come with me and you’ll be free.”

“Are you kidding me?” I snap at her. “ That was the most manipulative thing I’ve ever heard. What do you want, Vera? Just tell the truth for once. You’re not here out of any love for your brother. You’re here as a GE goon to kidnap Dane.”

I reach for his arm. “Dane, you can’t trust—”

“Don’t!” He yanks his arm from my grip and finally looks at me. His face is pale with shock, his gold-green eyes wide and shimmering with emotion. “I don’t want to hear it. I don’t care. My sister is alive and I’m not leaving here without her.”

Vera smirks at me. “Come on, Dane. Let’s go.” She extends her hand out, beckoning him to her. To Gifted Enterprise.

To a lab where I know she’ll stop at nothing to achieve her goal for Gordon. Even if that means killing her own brother.

Kellan moves between us and Vera, and she takes another step closer to the helicopter. “What’s this? No love for an old friend? I thought we meant more to each other than this,” he teases.

“Stop it, Kell. You’re scaring her.” Dane reaches to grab him. Jackson follows behind and pinches the side of Dane's neck. “What are—” His eyes shutter closed, and he drops.

“Dane!” I lunge forward, but Jackson catches him with air so he’s hovering a few inches from the ground.

Aiden stands beside Kellan to face Vera. “You know that none of us can go with you when that means going back to GE. But you can come back with us. You’re still family, Vera. We won’t hurt you. You can fight with us or just live whatever life you want. But we all missed you and want you home. Dane wants you home and safe.”

Vera scoffs at the barrier they’ve created between her and a now unconscious Dane. Now, there’s no way she’s going to get him out of here on her own. “You’re all fools going against GE. They’re fighting for people like us. I’m as safe as I’ll ever be. So, thanks, but no thanks.” She turns and runs to the helicopter.

“Can you stop it?” I ask Jackson, pointing to the spinning blades. He regards it with the tilt of his head, then raises his hand.

“Stop!” Aiden knocks his hand down. “We can’t take the chance if something goes wrong and Vera gets hurt. Just let her go. Knowing she’s still alive has to be enough for now.”

Maybe they’re relieved to see she’s alive, but I know that this only means more trouble is coming for us. The helicopter disappears from view, and I'm filled with with an ominous sense of foreboding.

We make it back to the safe house and I bee-line it to Jackson’s room with my phone. I’d tried calling Portia and Elias on the way back, but neither of them answered. I need to hear her voice to know that she made it out of there and is okay. Now I’m pacing around Jack’s room while the phone rings in my ear for the hundredth time.

“Come on. Pick up. Pick up!” Portia’s voicemail clicks on, and I end the call. I switch over to Elias’s number. If I had Noah’s number, I’d be calling him, too. Any chance that someone might pick up and tell me what’s going on.

Why isn’t she answering? If they got her out, what could they be doing that they can’t take a call?

“Aiden says they got out,” Jack says calmly from where he’s leaning in the doorway. His hands are tucked into his front hoodie pocket, his hood up and shadowing his face. But the darkness can’t hide his piercing blue eyes that are trained on me.

“Then why isn’t anyone answering their damn phones?” I snap, frustrated. This entire mission was to rescue Portia. I can't rest until I know she's safe.

I spin around to the escape hatch in Jackson’s room that’ll take me to the roof. I can start with Hype and ask around if anyone knows where Elias went.

“Rae,” a tight voice speaks into my ear.

I freeze. “Elias?! Where’s Portia? Why isn’t she answering her phone? Aiden said you all got out.”

There’s a heavy sigh on the other end. “We did. But…whatever they did to her brought back all her memories of the past. Once we left, she gave us all the slip. Left a note and told us not to follow her.”

Fear for my friend squeezes my chest. “You’re not going to listen, not after what just happened, right? It’s not safe for her to be alone right now. Not while GE knows about her.”

“Of course not. I’m going to do whatever it takes to get her back.”

I breathe a sigh of relief. “How can I help?”

Silence.

“Elias?”

He sighs again, like he really doesn’t want to say what he’s about to. “Look, Rae. I know you both became friends while I was gone. I told you when our alliance first began that I didn’t want anyone under my protection to get involved in this fight. But they kidnapped Portia, and now that she’s on the run…I think it’s best for her and for the others at Hype if you keep your distance for now. Let things cool off a bit. You could lead them right to her if you try to help, and I can’t take that chance.”

My throat constricts.

How can I not look for her and make sure she’s safe? But what if he’s right and I lead them to her doorstep? Just like I had by bringing her to Joe’s house.

It's like Dane said. Casualties by association with me.

Elias continues. “You have my word that she’ll be safe again. Trust that I’m doing everything in my power for her. There isn’t much you’d be able to do, anyway. As soon as she’s safe, I’ll let you know.”

The call disconnects.

Portia was my first real friend. Someone I could open up to and share some of the darkest parts of me. And look where I got her. Kidnapped, tortured, and now on the run.

This was why I never stuck around somewhere long enough to make friends. To have any real relationship with anyone. I should leave this city so they can all come back here without worrying about Gifted Enterprise.

But GE wouldn’t follow now, would they? Not now that they know Dane is here. And could I leave knowing that Vera is alive and hunting down her brother?

Someone tugs the phone from my hand and slips it into my pocket. Jackson cups my face and angles it to his. He smells like gasoline and blood. Fire and copper. Death.

I take a deep breath and find comfort in it. In him. In what he’s willing to do to protect me and the others.

He smirks and then turns my head so he can peer at the head wound Joe had given me. “Don’t worry about that guy. We’re going to take down GE. And then when it’s all done, we’ll find Elias and you can be with your friend again.”

“You heard everything?” I rasp.

His fingers poke and prod at my scalp, and I wince when he gets to a nasty spot. His smile falls at what he sees or my reaction, and I feel like a wimp for flinching like that. “Mm. Now you know your friend isn’t with GE anymore, we can focus on you.”

He drags me to his bathroom and sits me on the toilet while he pulls supplies from a medicine cabinet. I stare at the white tile floor. There’s a single drop of red on it that makes me pause. Am I still bleeding? I thought it had stopped not long after I finished the congressman.

Another drop joins the first.

Only thing is, the blood isn’t under me. It’s under Jackson.

“Jack?” Another drop, and another. It’s getting worse. “Why are you bleeding?”

He looks up from where he was picking out the supplies and then sees the small pool of blood dripping from the elbow of his hoodie. I try tugging up his sleeve and gasp when I touch it. His entire sleeve is soaked with blood.

“Take this off!” I yank at his sweatshirt, too afraid to attempt it myself with how many weapons he stores in it. Thankfully, he does it without hesitation and dumps it in the corner of the bathroom. “Oh my god, Jack. You were shot! Why didn’t you say anything? Aiden! Kell!”

He studies the bullet hole in his arm. “Mm. I forgot.”

“You forgot ?!” I ask incredulously .

He shrugs. “I knew when it happened and kept any blood from coming out, but I forgot to keep doing it at some point.”

“What’s—” Aiden rushes in and skids to a halt as soon as he sees the puddle of blood. He hits a button on his phone and turns away from us. “Come to the address I text you. Now.”

Kellan’s eyes widen when he appears in the room. “Fuck, beautiful. Is that from your head?” He pulls me into him and starts checking me over.

I push away from him so I can get back to Jackson’s side. “Stop it, I’m fine. Jack’s been shot.” The bleeding has slowed on his arm again, which means he’s using his gift to stop the blood loss. That doesn’t mean it’s going to heal itself, though.

But none of us “exist” anymore. There is no hospital for us. Not just because we don’t want them running our blood, but because we don’t have IDs or insurance. We would bring up too many questions that we don’t have good answers for, and the last thing we need is to have regular law enforcement or the government looking into us.

The medicine kit is already open, so I rummage through it for gauze, tape, and antiseptic wipes. “Do you have a needle and thread in here? You’re going to need stitches. And antibiotics. Is there a pharmacy nearby?” I look up from the kit and all three of them are watching me. “Well?”

Why are they just standing around? Jackson could bleed to death if we don’t hurry and close the hole in him! Or he could die from an infection.

He smiles and pulls a needle and thread out of the medicine cabinet to hand to me .

“Knock it off, Jack. Cassandra is on her way,” Aiden reprimands, leaving the bathroom.

I huff and look between the other two.

“Who’s Cassandra?”