The change in subject threw him. “What?”
“My roses. I know you like white. And I read your poem when you weren't around. The one about thorns and purity and love.”
“Dick, that was private.” He paused. “Did you like it?”
“I loved it.” Morgan's sweet smile touched him, really touched him, and he felt shy all of the sudden. “I want to talk to you about it, but this really hurts. I need your help.”
“What can I do?”
“I'm not sure.” Morgan frowned. “But, I can feel them so close. I think… Ava and Alicia. I need you to reach out and grab them.” His voice and image faded. “Hurry.” Kisho blinked and gasped as his breath and sight returned. His chest hurt like a bitch. But he did as Morgan had asked. He stopped moving. When Mrs. Sharpe and Ava let go of him, he latched on to their arms. He held tight, past the yells, past Tersch's bellow, and even past the fire of pain blazing through his chest.
Dimly aware when they toppled onto him, he heard Tersch's roar and Olivia's cry for help.
Then Fallon was there, and everything went black.
Thirty-six hours later
Morgan groaned, aching all over. As he slowly rose to consciousness, he realized that though the healing process had alleviated much of his body aches, his head still throbbed. The nature of his ability, such as it was, pertained to energy, to connections. His strong bond to Kisho, despite the stubborn man's insistent denial, remained true, or Morgan would be dead right now.
He'd pulled at Kisho's energy to heal himself, but it hadn't been enough. His ties to Alicia and Ava had done the trick, apparently. Using his lover as a conduit was a clever guess on his part, if he did say so himself. But he had a feeling Alicia wouldn't be pleased.
He sniffed but didn't scent salt air or Jules nearby. Where the hell was he?
“Oh good, he's waking up.” Ava's relief made him want to smile. Ava—he must have returned to North Carolina.
He scented Kisho close. When he brushed his hand against warm skin, he turned his head and opened his eyes.
Long, dark eyelashes fanned the shadows under Kisho's closed eyes. Asleep but otherwise healthy. Relief made Morgan light-headed for a moment. If anything had happened to Kisho, he didn't know what he'd do.
The scent of Ava's sweet perfume lingered, and she leaned over him to whisper, “I really am glad you're better. You scared the shit out of me.” He blinked up at her. “Sorry.”
“Yeah. But if you ever pull a stunt like that again, I'll geld you myself,” she hissed.
Not a fan of his energy tap. Great. He couldn't wait to see Alicia's reaction.
“Ava?” Tersch's deep voice. “Easy, baby.”
“Stop calling me baby,” she snapped and wobbled on her feet.
In seconds, Tersch scooped her into his strong arms.
Morgan glanced around him as the room came into better focus. Natural shades, minimalist prints on the walls, and small plants dotted every ledge and table. He was in Kisho's room. No wonder he felt so much better. The energy all around him comforted and eased the emptiness he'd waited a lifetime to fill.
An arm brushed his, and he turned back. “Kisho?” he rasped and fell into a coughing fit.
Someone pressed a glass against his lips, and he automatically swallowed the cool water.
“Thanks—” The rest of what he wanted to say stuck in his throat when he glanced up into the fury that darkened brown eyes to black. Oh hell. Mrs. Sharpe was thoroughly pissed.
“Don't you ever do that again!”
Okay, yeah, pulling energy without asking was tantamount to a psychic assault. But he hadn't intentionally yanked so much. He would have taken from Hawkins if the man had lesser shields. Desperate, he'd sought the one source closest to his heart. To his surprise, Morgan's attachment to Kisho apparently transcended space. Because he shouldn't have been able to pull from such a distance, let alone tap into two more powerful psychics. A Hail Mary of a plan that actually worked.
He swallowed. “I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to, but the thought just came to me that you could help.”
Tersch growled, “What the hell is he talking about? He's the one who made you two pass out?”
Mrs. Sharpe poked Morgan hard in the chest.
“Ow!”
“Oh, hush! You're already on the mend. By tomorrow, you won't even sport a bruise. I'm annoyed with you for stealing what you should have asked for.”
“I said I'm sorry—”
“But I'm angry because you needlessly walked into a situation you knew to be wrong.
What have I always told you about listening to your instincts? Stupid boy,” she muttered and left, but not before smacking him again.
She blew by Olivia and Fallon, who entered on the heel of her wake.
“Thank God you're conscious.” Fallon sighed. “Olivia's been bugging the hell out of me.
Stubborn woman threatened to move into your room and keep watch. Kisho looks better, too.” Fallon narrowed his stare at Kisho and flushed. What the hell is that about? “Ah, you know, Olivia, I think we need to talk to Mrs. Sharpe. In fact, I know Jules wants to meet with us.
Tersch, you coming?”
“Soon as I tuck the beauty queen into bed.”
Ava squirmed. “Ass. You're just taking advantage because I'm not at my best.” The smile Tersch gave her set the room ablaze. Lust and a healthy dose of affection actually made the big guy look friendly. A first for sure. “Hell yeah, I'm trying to take advantage.
Getting into your pants has become an obsession.”
Ava snorted, and her lips curled. “You're so full of it.”
“I really am.” He whispered something in her ear that had the others laughing and Olivia red-faced.
Ava sputtered. “You…my…oh! Frederik Gunnar Tersch, you take me back to my room and put me down! Right now.”
Tersch sighed and carried her toward the door. “So much for being not at your best. You're still the meanest woman I know.”
Somehow, “meanest” on Tersch's lips sounded like a compliment.
The pair left. Olivia moved forward and put her hand on Morgan's bare shoulder. A glance down his body showed him covered to the waist by a blanket. He had a feeling he wasn't wearing anything, and he had to concentrate on not thinking about Kisho so close to him. Fallon would kill him if he thought Morgan sported an erection for Olivia.
“You look much better.” Olivia smiled.
Morgan smiled back.
Fallon put his arm around his wife and tugged her away from Morgan, hugging her close.
The dark look he shot Morgan was telling.
She continued, “I'm not sure what you did yesterday, but I know it was you. When Kisho stopped seizing, he grabbed on to Mrs. Sharpe and Ava, and I could literally feel you in the room with us. The energy jumping around the room was crazy.” Fallon nodded. “Yeah. I read minds. That's it. But even I could feel so much power ripping from Ava and Mrs. S. into Kisho. That's wild, man. And let me tell you, when you just started regenerating in front of Jules, it freaked him the hell out.” Fallon glanced over his shoulder for his boss. “But don't tell him I said that.”
“Where is he, anyway?” Morgan asked. “I wanted to thank him for pulling my ass out of the water. It happened so fast. I was talking to Tomas, then wham. The boat blew.” Fallon shook his head. “You're really lucky. Last I saw Jules, he was on the phone with Admiral London and Mr. Anderson. Anderson's a friend in DC, one of Mrs. Sharpe's cronies, supposedly.”
Olivia explained, “He means Mrs. Sharpe will neither confirm nor deny the closeness of their association. But she likes Ron.” Olivia paused and frowned at her husband. “Jesse, he told me to call him Ron. I'm not being 'forward.' Jeez.” Silence, then she glared. “Oh, shut up.” She turned back to Morgan. “I'll see you later. I'm suddenly in the mood for a run to get away from all this testosterone.”