Redemption (Bennett Sisters Book 5) (9 page)

It didn’t take her long to find him. She found him in the cafeteria in a heated conversation with Jaime.
Lydia
had meant to back out without being seen, but they caught her. She cleared her throat and walked over to the table. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
Lydia
glanced at Brody. “But I thought we could train for a while if you have the time.”

Brody stood. “Anything for you, Red.” He leaned over the table and raised his brow as he spoke to Jaime. “This conversation isn’t over, just postponed.”

She stood and grabbed her tray to walk away. “Sure it is. I have nothing more to report… yet.” 

****

Brody threw his arm around
Lydia
’s shoulder. “You missed me, didn’t you? I can see it in your face.”

Lydia
rolled her eyes as they traipsed down the hall. “No, not really. Just wanted to kick your ass for a while.”

Brody laughed. “Touché. I take it your shopping trip didn’t go very well. Did Romeo piss you off or were your favorite jeans out of stock?”

Brody put his hand on the metal box and entered the training room behind
Lydia
.

“He has a name, and it’s not Romeo, and there’s nothing wrong with me. I’m fine.”

Brody glanced down at her ass and mumbled beneath his breath. “You can say that again.”

Lydia
concentrated on the stool she couldn’t manage to control at her last session and flung it toward Brody’s head. He barely managed to duck in time. “Damn, woman. At least warn me next time.”

Lydia
lowered her lashes. “Sorry… I just want to learn to master this curse so I can leave.”

Brody held up his hands. “Whoa, Red. You want to leave me already? I guess Thompson really screwed things up. You want to talk about it?”

Did she… uh, that would be a resounding no, at least not with him. “You’re my teacher, not my therapist. So teach.”

“Okay… but first I need to say something.”

“Do you have to? I mean can’t we just try and throw crap at each other? Doesn’t that sound so much better?”

Brody let the smile fall from his face. His eyebrows drew together, and he took on stern look. “I’m serious.”

“For once.”

“I know I’m the goofball, the flirt, and not
your
Romeo, but I want you to hear me out.”

Lydia
let out a sigh. “You have five seconds before I toss the next thing at your head.”

Brody took her hand and squeezed. “I’m serious,
Lydia
.” He dragged her over to a bench and pulled her down to sit next to him. “It’s not easy for us. If anyone understands what you’re going though, it’s me. What we have is a gift, not a curse, and it’s not something that many people understand or even think is possible.”

Lydia
let her head drop. She knew he was right, but at this moment, it was the only reason and excuse she could come up with for why she would never get her happy ending.

“The only choice we have in the entire situation is to learn to control our gifts the best we can and to use it for good to protect the things we love. We might never know why we were gifted with telekinesis, and to be honest, I quit trying to figure it out. What I want you to understand is that I am here for you. I’ll always be here for you if and when you ever need to talk. Because your gift is tied to your emotions, it’s not a good idea to stew about things. There’s no telling what might happen if you do, and to be honest, I’m not willing to chance it with the other people here at the compound. Just like you have family, these people are my family, and I won’t let you or anyone else hurt them.” Brody grinned. “So, if I have to take you outside in the forest away from prying eyes and spank that delectable ass of yours, you better believe I will.”

Lydia
swatted his arm and stood. “You almost had me convinced you were a normal human being until you had to go and blow it.”
Lydia
held out her hand to pull him up. “Nevertheless, I got the message, and as much as I hate to admit it…you’re right.”

Lydia
walked to the middle of the mat. “There’s a first time for everything.”
Lydia
eyed her teacher. “You know I had a dream last night that included us in a forest?”

Brody threw his head back and laughed before he sauntered closer to her. “Tell me… was I giving you a spanking? Was it hot?

Lydia
chuckled. “No, nothing like that. There was a group of us, and I was trying to dismantle an alarm.”

Gone was the flirting man. Standing in front of her was a man who looked concerned. Deep lines creased in his forehead, and the lines around his frown deepened. “Have you told the general?”

Lydia
shook her head. “No, I thought it was just a weird dream, maybe brought on from our training.”

Brody looked anything but convinced. “Well, I guess that tells me what we need to work on today.”

Lydia
and Brody spent hours working on perfecting her skills. He’d made her focus on the tiniest of objects with nothing but her mind, willing things to move, and she’d been shocked that it had worked. Jonah hadn’t been happy at her toying with his security system and the lights, but it was worth it. She felt more in control, even if it might have been short lived. The mental workout had put things in perspective, reminding her of why she was here and the rewards she would gain from conquering the biggest problem that had plagued her all her life.

Lydia
made it back to her room with what little amount of energy she could muster. She needed caffeine in the worst way. She fixed a pot of coffee and plopped down on her couch, sipping her coffee and resting her feet on the coffee table. An alarm ran through the compound, becoming a constant blaring noise before Rick came busting in her door with a black bag in his hand.

“I’m glad you weren’t napping. You’re up, doll. They’ve just received Intel that Floyd is holed up in a warehouse on the other side of town.”

Lydia
pushed to her feet. “What do they think I can do?  I’m not ready. I might blow the whole mission.”

Rick pulled her into his arms and briefly pressed his lips to hers. “I believe in you.” He nipped her bottom lip but kept her pulled close. “And if this is the guy who’s after you, then let’s go take his ass out so we can get you back home.” He patted her on the butt.

He was right.
Lydia
didn’t even take time to savor his lips pressed to hers or the fact that he thought everything was okay enough with them for him to do it. She’d let it slide…for now. The thought of her freedom from running and her family were her first thoughts; and she’d be damned if she missed this chance.  She drained the remainder of her coffee. “It’s now or never.”

****

Even in the cover of night, she didn’t miss when one of the twins winked at her and jolted into the thick brush. Brody. He was a ticking time bomb. His cockiness was bound to get them caught if they hadn’t already. Rick nodded and tilted his head toward the targeted building. She knew what she was supposed to do. A quick take-down of the security covering the place would guarantee the team made it in without being seen. She’d already killed the security cameras around the perimeter. One last task and they were home free.

Lydia
steeled her nerves and took a breath before she nodded. “Let’s do this,” she said.

Her heart threatened to beat out of her chest as sweat beaded on her forehead. The breeze from earlier had died. The muddy ground she was kneeling on had soaked through her jeans. It was the only cool relief she’d get tonight. She’d never tried to be sneaky; she’d never had to. She didn’t normally go out looking for trouble. It usually found her without her having to look very far. Rick took her by the elbow and pulled her to stand. They inched through the tall trees and shrubs, ignoring the mosquito’s that were doing a number on her bare skin. Rick’s grip on her elbow helped to guide her so she didn’t fall in the unfamiliar surroundings.

Once they were in position fifty feet away, they squatted down behind a thick cluster of rocks. “Are you ready, Red?”

Lydia
glanced down at the hand still holding her elbow and raised her brow. “Whenever you are.”

Rick leaned into her and pressed his lips to hers before he whispered, “You’ve got this.”

Her nerves ratcheted up a notch; her heart pounding in a rhythm she couldn’t control. The change wasn’t so much as his hand on her as the fact that she didn’t want him to get hurt.  Rick’s quick kiss and trust in her abilities left her speechless.
Lydia
was still unsure that she’d mastered her gift enough to direct her thoughts to get the job done.

The com clicked on in her ear, and Brody’s voice filled the silence. “We’re in position and ready whenever you are, sugar lips.”

Lydia
rolled her eyes and drew in a breath. Their hiding space, as good as she’d thought it was, must not have been as good as she thought if they’d seen Rick’s kiss. The aroma of greenery mixed with a hint of male musk hit her nose. She shook her head and closed her eyes, envisioning the electrical box in her head. It was like the one she’d seen in her vision and had practiced on with Brody. Cords and wires ran through it. There were levers and warning labels planted strategically around it.  In her mind’s eye, she used her gift to pull the lever down until it clicked into place.
Lydia
opened her eyes to check her handiwork. The lights to the compound flickered not once but twice, before a loud booming sound of alarms pierced her ears and floodlights cast their glare into the cover of the thick forest, making her hiding place not so unseen.

“Oh crap.”  Her eyes widened in disbelief. She’s screwed it up. There hadn’t been an alarm in her vision. She hadn’t known to dismantle that as well.  Her heart beat like a raging drum, threatening to jump out o
f her chest. She jerked her gaze
toward Rick.  “We’ve got to get out of here,” she said hastily. She jumped to her feet, almost knocking him over. Strong steely hands encased her shoulders, stopping her retreat.

“That isn’t necessary,
Lydia
. It seems you still need a bit more practice,” a strong gruff voice said from behind them. It was a voice that she’d heard and gotten to know all too well recently... the general.

“Kill the alarm, gentleman. It seems we’ve still got some work to do.”

Lydia
swiveled around on her heel and narrowed her eyes at the overbearing man, trying to find another outlet to steer her anger toward instead of inward where she knew it belonged. She crossed her arms over her chest, her anger rising with every breath she took. “Are you kidding me? This was a test?”
Lydia
demanded. Her voice was threaded with the anger she felt bubbling inside like a volcano threatening to explode.

The floodlights that had once given away her precious hiding position cracked and blew, sending shards of glass to their bases. The alarm made an awful fizzing-out sound before it threw them into silence. She didn’t need to look to know that sparks were flying from the metal electrical box. It would be charred black before she was done.

Her temper, the one thing that was hardest for her to control, would fry the whole damn system.

“Oh shit. Everyone take cover,” she heard one of the twins say through the earpiece.

The general raised a brow and watched the pyrotechnics dance around them but stood his ground.
Lydia
could do more. She could take down the whole damn building if she’d tried, and she still might.

“Are you done?” the general asked as he would a spoiled child.

Rick stood from his squatted position and placed his hand on her arm. The little assurance and bit of calm the gesture provided had her swinging her gaze toward him and away from the man she was pissed at.

“Calm down, Red. Take deep breaths, just like you were taught. Release the anger you’re feeling and let it flow out of you. Control where you want it to go, just like Brody taught you.”

Lydia
took a deep breath and turned her thoughts inward and away from the ruined exercise. She thought of her family back in Southall. Her brother and sisters that she’d left behind. Instead of releasing the energy, she reined it back inside of her, letting it fall to a silent, deadly simmer before she released her breath and opened her eyes.

“All better?” Rick asked.

She spun around on Rick. “You knew this was a test, didn’t you? You kept it from me.”

Rick held up his hands. “No. They didn’t tell me anything.”

Brody strolled over to her. “You saw all of this in your dream,
Lydia
. You might not have seen that it was a test, but you knew it was coming. That’s why we worked on disarming electrical boxes today.”

The general crossed his arms over his chest and raised his brow. “Really?”