fast for him to keep up. Holy shit.
He’d been cocky, superhero
cocky , to think she was no threat to him. If she managed to disappear, he
may never find her again. She could go anywhere, trick anyone. The idea of
losing her sent a hard spike of panic into his sternum. She was his
responsibility…and so much more than that.
He struggled to keep
her in his sights, his vaunted mental advantage non-existent. Thank God that
wasn’t his only resource. He needed to get her out of his head and Julian knew
only one way to do that. He ducked his head and charged.
Chapter Eleven: Kung Fu Kama Sutra
He was the enemy. Mirage
didn’t know how she could have missed it before. It was so obvious now, so
clear, with the heady power-clarity burning through her veins. He’d stolen the
Apocalyptum. That was why the box she’d been sent to collect was empty. Justice
couldn’t be trusted. Only Kevin could be trusted.
No .
No, that wasn’t right. Kevin was…what was he? She knew this. She knew—
The big man moved, fast
and purposeful. His shoulder plowed into her abdomen, knocking the breath out
of her and shattering her concentration as he took her to the carpet. She
swiped at his face, aiming for his eyes and missing, but her nails dug groves
down his cheek. The bastard grunted, as if her efforts weren’t even worth a
hiss of pain, and snagged both of her wrists, jerking them up and pinning them
to the floor so her arms were stretched straight above her head. Mirage
struggled, arching and twisting beneath him even though there was no way in
hell she was budging him. He had ten inches and eighty pounds on her, easy, and
she knew bugger-all about hand-to-hand combat because she’d never needed it. You
couldn’t fight what you didn’t know was there.
Mirage went limp as her
brain suddenly kicked back into gear. She’d almost had him when he was across
the room. He was touching her now, the skin of his palm tight against the bare
skin of her wrists. That connection would amplify her power. She would own him.
She focused on the
eyes, so close above her, the sinfully long blond lashes veiling bright blue
concern. Fake concern. He was the enemy. He wanted to hurt her. Hurt
Kevin. Mirage shaped her gift into a needle and flung it straight into those
eyes, piercing him, quick and ruthless, until she tapped into his deepest
thoughts and made him hurt.
The body pressing her
down into the floor jerked and she got her hiss of pain, the sound stretching
out into a moan that scratched at her ears, making her itch with the wrongness
of it. So wrong . She didn’t want his pain. Why didn’t she want his pain?
He was the enemy. Wasn’t he? Hurting her, hurting Kevin— No .
The flicker of doubt
was all it took. “Dammit, Mirage!” He shook off her illusion but his tense
muscles didn’t ease. The blue was blazing now, his gaze searing her, but it
wasn’t just anger. Not just rage or wounded pride that a weakling girl had made
him feel pain. There was determination. Such fierce, unswerving intensity to show her, though she was afraid to think what he would make her see. “Is this what
you want?” His hands tightened just to the edge of pain on her wrists. “What do
you truly want?”
She felt his power push
into her, that static jolt surging through her skin and racing through her
veins to her heart. That truth. That realignment. Shifting the jagged pieces
painfully back into place, forcing her to see, to know. Her thoughts were
suddenly her own again, Kevin’s compulsion wiped clean.
“Mirage?” Julian
blinked, studying her eyes, his body unclenching, battle-readiness easing when
he saw her looking back at him.
“ Julian ."
The truth was still singing in her blood. What do you truly want? Him. She
wanted him. Heat pooled, swift and tight, between her legs. She’d never known
you could melt and ache at the same time, but she did. God, she did. She wanted
him, the need fierce, consuming, eating away at her will until she
He’d been cocky, superhero
cocky , to think she was no threat to him. If she managed to disappear, he
may never find her again. She could go anywhere, trick anyone. The idea of
losing her sent a hard spike of panic into his sternum. She was his
responsibility…and so much more than that.
He struggled to keep
her in his sights, his vaunted mental advantage non-existent. Thank God that
wasn’t his only resource. He needed to get her out of his head and Julian knew
only one way to do that. He ducked his head and charged.
Chapter Eleven: Kung Fu Kama Sutra
He was the enemy. Mirage
didn’t know how she could have missed it before. It was so obvious now, so
clear, with the heady power-clarity burning through her veins. He’d stolen the
Apocalyptum. That was why the box she’d been sent to collect was empty. Justice
couldn’t be trusted. Only Kevin could be trusted.
No .
No, that wasn’t right. Kevin was…what was he? She knew this. She knew—
The big man moved, fast
and purposeful. His shoulder plowed into her abdomen, knocking the breath out
of her and shattering her concentration as he took her to the carpet. She
swiped at his face, aiming for his eyes and missing, but her nails dug groves
down his cheek. The bastard grunted, as if her efforts weren’t even worth a
hiss of pain, and snagged both of her wrists, jerking them up and pinning them
to the floor so her arms were stretched straight above her head. Mirage
struggled, arching and twisting beneath him even though there was no way in
hell she was budging him. He had ten inches and eighty pounds on her, easy, and
she knew bugger-all about hand-to-hand combat because she’d never needed it. You
couldn’t fight what you didn’t know was there.
Mirage went limp as her
brain suddenly kicked back into gear. She’d almost had him when he was across
the room. He was touching her now, the skin of his palm tight against the bare
skin of her wrists. That connection would amplify her power. She would own him.
She focused on the
eyes, so close above her, the sinfully long blond lashes veiling bright blue
concern. Fake concern. He was the enemy. He wanted to hurt her. Hurt
Kevin. Mirage shaped her gift into a needle and flung it straight into those
eyes, piercing him, quick and ruthless, until she tapped into his deepest
thoughts and made him hurt.
The body pressing her
down into the floor jerked and she got her hiss of pain, the sound stretching
out into a moan that scratched at her ears, making her itch with the wrongness
of it. So wrong . She didn’t want his pain. Why didn’t she want his pain?
He was the enemy. Wasn’t he? Hurting her, hurting Kevin— No .
The flicker of doubt
was all it took. “Dammit, Mirage!” He shook off her illusion but his tense
muscles didn’t ease. The blue was blazing now, his gaze searing her, but it
wasn’t just anger. Not just rage or wounded pride that a weakling girl had made
him feel pain. There was determination. Such fierce, unswerving intensity to show her, though she was afraid to think what he would make her see. “Is this what
you want?” His hands tightened just to the edge of pain on her wrists. “What do
you truly want?”
She felt his power push
into her, that static jolt surging through her skin and racing through her
veins to her heart. That truth. That realignment. Shifting the jagged pieces
painfully back into place, forcing her to see, to know. Her thoughts were
suddenly her own again, Kevin’s compulsion wiped clean.
“Mirage?” Julian
blinked, studying her eyes, his body unclenching, battle-readiness easing when
he saw her looking back at him.
“ Julian ."
The truth was still singing in her blood. What do you truly want? Him. She
wanted him. Heat pooled, swift and tight, between her legs. She’d never known
you could melt and ache at the same time, but she did. God, she did. She wanted
him, the need fierce, consuming, eating away at her will until she
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