Powerhouse Read online

  “You’re not staying near the air base?”

  “If those guys are desperate to find us, they could check every motel, and the next clerk might not let me pay him to say we’re not there. Or he might call the police if I seem suspicious.”

  She answered with a tight nod.

  “We’ll head back toward Rapid City, then keep going down the highway to the other side of town.”

  They drove into the night.

  When she glanced at Matt, his features were set.

  “Does that place on your thigh hurt?” she murmured.

  “I’m fine.”

  “You had that thing in you for years, but they didn’t use it until you went looking for Trevor and they lost your trail.”

  “Yeah.”

  “That was gutsy of you to have me dig that thing out of you,” she whispered.

  “I don’t think I had a choice. If it was under your skin, you would have done it—if it was the only way to make sure those goons stopped following us.”

  “Yes,” she answered.

  She wanted to reach out and press her palm over Matt’s hand, because she needed the contact, but she didn’t want to distract him.

  “Every time I think it can’t get worse, it does,” she whispered.

  “Yeah.”

  “Maybe we do have to call the FBI.”

  “In the morning. If we still think it’s a good idea.”

  She leaned back and closed her eyes, and somehow she must have fallen asleep, because the next thing she knew, Matt was pulling into another parking lot.

  Blinking, she sat up. “Where are we?”

  “Another motel. On the other side of Rapid City. I’ll be right back.”

  She peered at the establishment, which looked a lot more upscale than the last place they’d been.

  Matt was back in a few minutes with the key to their room.

  “Aren’t you going to run out of cash?” she asked.

  “I keep a fair amount at the ranch. It’s not going to be a problem for a while.”

  As they walked to the room, she didn’t ask how long “a while” would be, because she didn’t want to think that they might be out here for weeks searching for Trevor. When she’d come to Matt for help, she’d had no idea of what finding her son was really going to entail—or how much danger they would be in. Or how much she needed Matt. She never could have gotten this far without him.

  He unlocked the door, and she stepped into a sitting area, with two doors.

  “What’s this?” she asked in confusion as he closed the outside door behind them.

  “I thought you might want to have your own room,” he answered in a gritty voice.

  After everything that had happened today, that was the last thing she wanted, but she couldn’t make herself admit that to him, not after the way she’d carried on this morning.

  Silently, she picked up the bag he’d set down and stepped to the right. Opening the door, she found a comfortable-looking room with a queen-sized bed.

  Behind her, the door to the other room closed, and she flinched, feeling as if Matt was pushing her away. Then she reminded herself that she was the one who had tried to put some distance between them this morning.

  She needed to sleep, she told herself as she crossed to the bed and pulled back the covers. But she didn’t lie down.

  Without giving herself time to change her mind, she reversed direction, walked out of her room and across the small space that separated her from Matt. Raising her hand, she knocked on the door.

  Moments later, Matt was looking at her questioningly. He’d gotten undressed and was wearing only briefs and a T-shirt.

  “A while ago, I hurt you,” she said, her eyes going to the bandage on his right thigh. “I was thinking that I could make it up by giving you a massage.”

  He hesitated for several seconds, and she thought he was going to do what he believed was right—not what he wanted. “You’re sure?” he finally asked.

  “Yes.”

  Stepping into the room, she closed the door behind her.

  “I guess you should, you know, pull back the spread and blanket and lie down,” she said. “And take off your shirt.”

  “Okay.”

  He pulled back the covers, then stretched out face down.

  “I’ll be right back.”

  In the bathroom she grabbed the small bottle of hand lotion from the tray of toiletries, then came back into the bedroom, where he was lying with his eyes closed and his head resting on his folded arms.

  After a few seconds hesitation, she climbed onto the bed, straddling Matt’s hips. He stayed very still as she poured some of the lotion and began to work at the tense muscles of his neck and shoulders

  “That’s good,” he murmured.

  She kept working on him with slick hands, trying not to admit that straddling him and touching him were turning her on. That wasn’t what she’d intended, she told herself. She’d only wanted to be close to him, and this was an excellent way to do it.

  To distract herself from the physical sensations, she said, “You think they put the transponder in you when they kidnapped you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Did Jack Maddox have one?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Why would they treat different prisoners differently?”

  Matt hesitated before speaking. “They had him for a long time, and maybe thought he was never going to get away. So they didn’t bother tagging him.”

  “That’s horrible.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  The next question made her throat tighten. “You think they planned to let you go?”

  “Release me back into the general population?” He laughed harshly. “I don’t know. Maybe they had a long-term program for him and they only planned to have me for a few months so they could do a few fun experiments.”

  “Fun!”

  “For them.”

  “What did they want to accomplish with you?”

  “I wish I knew. It could be that they wanted to study the I gene in more people. Or it could be that I was a disappointment to them. Maybe I couldn’t do what they wanted with my mind, so they decided to cut their losses.”

  “If that’s true, thank God.”

  “In this case, maybe it’s better to be a failure.”

  “You’re not a failure! You stopped those men from capturing or killing us.”

  He was silent for several moments, then said, “The power increased as I got older. Maybe they don’t know that.” He sighed and went on. “Or maybe they’ve kept tabs on me all along. I mean, they could have planted a ranch hand at the Silver Stallion.”

  “You have anybody in mind?”

  “Not really. But for years I felt like somebody was watching me. Maybe they were trying to judge how well I was using my talent.”

  “That’s horrible!”

  “Agreed.”

  She kept massaging him, but the conversation had made her think about Trevor again, and Matt must have sensed a change in her touch.

  “Shelley?”

  “I…” When she swallowed a sob, he turned over and pulled her down so that she was cradled against his chest.

  “Oh, sweetheart. I was running my mouth, and you were applying all that to your son, weren’t you.”

  Still struggling not to cry, she could only nod.

  “It’s okay to let yourself go,” he whispered as he stroked his hands over her arms and through her hair. “We’ve had a hell of a day.”

  “You never let go.”

  “I’m a guy. Guys have to be stoic.”

  She closed her eyes and pressed her forehead against his chest. “Everything that happens makes me worry about Trevor. About the kind of people who have him.”

  “I’m worried about him, too. And at the same time I understand that the two of us have to keep ourselves safe and sane, because we’re the only people who can rescue him.”

  “I know that’s true, but I feel s
o confused and guilty. Trevor is missing, and he’s the only thing I should be focused on. But then I want you to take me away from worrying about him—just for a little while.”

  He raised his head and looked down at her. “Are you saying that I don’t have to feel guilty that the whole time you were looking for that transponder, I was trying my damnedest not to get turned on? I knew you were searching for a piece of spy equipment, but your hands on me made every nerve ending in my body tingle with pleasure. That’s how bad off I am.”

  She swallowed. “It was the same for me. Touching you all over made me want you. And then…” She couldn’t hold back a little sob. “And then I had to stick a knife in you. In a very sensitive place.”

  “I made you do it.”

  “It was horrible.”

  “I’m so sorry for that, but there wasn’t any other way. Those guys showed up before we left the motel.”

  “Yes.” She felt her throat tighten. “Make me forget about all the bad stuff. Just for a while.”

  “You know what you’re asking?”

  “Yes.”

  Cupping the back of his head, she brought his mouth to hers for a kiss that started off sweet and quickly turned erotic.

  Heat flared between them as he gathered her close, pressing her center to his erection.

  “Oh!”

  “You’re not the only one who feels guilty.”

  “Don’t say that! Don’t tell me this is wrong. Maybe it’s the only thing that can give me the strength to keep going,” she whispered.

  “I was trying to be strong—and not reach for you.”

  “Don’t be strong.” She breathed his name as she stroked her lips against his jaw, then slid lower, caressing the column of his neck, nibbling with her teeth, then feathering kisses on his collarbone.

  Pleased with his response, she whispered against his heated skin, “We need each other tonight.”

  Keeping his gaze on her face, he slid his hands under her shirt, stroking her back. She pulled her T-shirt over her head and tossed it onto the floor along with her bra before she came back to nestle beside him again.

  “That’s a beautiful view,” he said as he stared down at her. “But up close will be even better.” Lowering his head, he buried his face between her breasts, turning one way and then the other before closing his lips around one of her hardened nipples.

  His thumb and finger closed around her other nipple, squeezing and pulling as he suckled her.

  “Oh.” He was turning her molten, using all his knowledge of her responses to transport her to a world of pure sensation.

  After one last taste of her breast, he shifted his position, kissing his way downward to the waistband of her jeans, where he undid the snap and lowered the zipper before pushing the fabric aside with his face.

  Slowly, he eased his hand inside her panties, playing with the crinkly hair he encountered, then gliding lower to slip into her slick folds.

  She couldn’t hold back a cry of pleasure, lifting her hips toward his questing fingers. Watching her face, he dipped his finger inside her, then slid it up to her most sensitive flesh.

  “You’re going to push me over the edge,” she gasped, reaching down to still his hand. “Don’t do that yet. I want to make this last.”

  She took both his hands in hers, folding them over so she could kiss his knuckles.

  “Tell me what you want,” he said in a husky voice. “Anything in my power.”

  “I’ll show you.”

  She moved away from him, taking off her jeans and panties, then lay on her side, staring at him. Very lightly she reached out to graze his shoulder, his chest, keeping her touch feathery.

  She had run her fingers over him earlier, looking for the transponder, and they had both been turned on, although neither one of them had admitted it.

  Now her intent was purely sexual, and they both knew it. She could see exactly the effect she was having on him, as she skimmed down to his belly, then skipped his sex and played with his thighs.

  The sound of his labored breathing set her pulse pounding, and she wanted to pull his body back against hers. But she forced herself to stay where she was, drawing out the pleasure until they were both tingling with need.

  When she knew neither one of them could wait another second, she made her move.

  “Lie on your back.”

  Climbing on top of him, she brought him inside her in one swift motion, then went still as she stared down at him.

  “Shelley, that’s so good.”

  “Yes.”

  She thrust her breasts toward him, lifting them in her hands, playing her fingers over her own nipples, knowing he was watching with greedy intensity.

  Then, when it was impossible to stay still a second longer, she began to move her hips, raising and lowering herself, driving them both to the point of no return.

  Leaning forward, she pressed her center against him, giving herself the pleasure of that intimate contact.

  And when her inner muscles began to contract, he surged upward, both of them reaching the peak of ecstasy at the same time.

  When she collapsed on top of him, he gathered her close and cradled her against his body.

  She kissed his damp neck, snuggling against him.

  “Don’t turn against me in the morning,” he whispered.

  “I won’t. I promise.”

  “Try to sleep. Tomorrow we’ll decide our next move.”

  SHE DID SLEEP, soundly at first. Then a dream grabbed her. Once again, Trevor was calling to her.

  “Mommy? Where are you, Mommy. I need you.”

  In the dream, she sat up and looked around. “Honey, you sound like you’re right here. Where are you?”

  “In a cabin.”

  “Where?”

  “I don’t know. Mommy, I’m scared.”

  Her heart squeezed painfully. “I know, honey. I know. Look around you, so I can see what you’re seeing.”

  “Can you do that?”

  “I don’t know. I’m going to try.”

  She kept her eyes closed and let the vision come. She saw a small room. A narrow bed. Rough walls. A window. Outside was darkness.

  “Can you see it?”

  “I think so. The walls are rough wood planks, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “And your bed has a brown blanket.”

  “Yes!”

  “What’s happening to you?”

  “A mean man has me.”

  She gasped. “What is he doing to you?”

  “He sticks needles in me. And he tells me to shut up when I cry.”

  She winced. “Oh, honey, I’m so sorry.”

  “I’m trying to be a big boy.”

  “I know. You are a big boy. If that man had me, I’d cry, too. But it’s good that you can talk to me.”

  “Most boys can’t do it, I think.”

  “I know. And you don’t want to tell the man about it. Promise you’ll keep this just between us.”

  “I promise.”

  “Good. Can you tell me the man’s name?”

  “Blue.”

  “His first name or his last name?”

  “I don’t know.”

  She tried to think of something that would help her.

  “Does he talk on the phone to anyone?”

  “I think so. But he only does it while I’m in the bedroom and he’s in the other room.”

  “And he’s not hurting you—except for the needles.”

  “He puts this handcuff around my wrist. Like the police have. But they wouldn’t chain anybody to a bed, would they?”

  “No!” Anger flared, but she tried to keep it out of her voice. “I’ll take it off as soon as I get there. I’ll be there to get you. I promise.” She dragged in a breath and let it out. “Remember, it’s important not to let the man know you talked to me.”

  “Okay.”

  “Don’t forget. It’s got to be our secret.”

  “Okay.” His breath hitched �
��Mommy…”

  “What?”

  “He’s coming back. I have to stop talking now.”

  “Trevor, wait.”

  “He’ll catch me.”

  Just like that, the contact snapped and she was left shaking in frustration.

  When she felt a hand on her shoulder, she gasped.

  “Shelley, wake up. You’re having a bad dream.”

  Her eyes blinked open. In the light from the bathroom, she saw Matt’s worried face.

  “What is it? What happened?”

  “I talked to Trevor.”

  “You dreamed it.”

  She sat up and ran her hand through her hair. “I know it was a dream, but I think it was real, too.”

  “Okay.”

  “Do you believe me?”

  “I want to. But I don’t have enough information. What happened?”

  “Trevor called to me—and then I was talking to him. He was in a bedroom in a cabin, with rough walls. The blanket on his bed was brown. The scene was very detailed. More detailed than any dream I’ve ever had.”

  “Okay.”

  “He says a man named Blue is holding him. That’s a weird name, don’t you think?”

  “Yes.”

  Her breath hitched. “He says the man is sticking needles in him. Like you said happened to you. I didn’t bring that up. He did.”

  “Yeah, but you know that from what I said.”

  She answered with a tight nod, then insisted, “I think it’s real.”

  “Is there anything that would help us find Trevor?”

  She closed her eyes, then flapped her arms in frustration. “I don’t think so. But at least I know he’s alive—and okay. I mean basically okay.”

  “Umm-hmm.”

  “You don’t believe me,” she said in a small voice

  “How would it happen?”

  An answer came to her. “The shots gave you a special power. And the same thing was true with Jack. Remember he asked, ‘What’s your power’?”

  “Okay.”

  “Jack can sometimes see the future. You can give people a push. What if…what if those shots are giving Trevor the power to reach out to me? Get in contact in a way that’s paranormal. And I can talk to him because I have the I gene too.”

  “That could be possible.”

  “Maybe there’s a way to use that…to find him.”

  Matt made a rough sound. “That would turn the tables on those bastards.”