Interference: Book One Read online

  I rolled my eyes. “It might one day.”

  “Whoever she is, I’d put money on you. I wouldn’t want to piss you off.”

  I chuckled at his faith in me.“While that’s smart, I still don’t want to come between you and your happily ever after, Drake. I want you, but I want what’s best for you too.”

  He offered a weak smile, and defeat showed in the drop of his shoulders.

  “Alright, Mercy, but I can’t promise I won’t break Ren’s neck the next time he touches you.”

  . . .

  The next morning Fitz walked into the dining hall with Cassie hot on his heels, grinning with pride. “Hello, everyone, I have exciting news for all of you,” Fitz announced.

  “We . . . We have exciting news,” interrupted Cassie.

  “Uh, yes. We have exciting news. Sorry, Cassie.”

  “No problem, Fitzy. You can continue.” Fitz took a deep, calming breath and started again.

  “Mr. Dunivant has sent over passes for his box for tomorrow nights Yankees game. It looks as though it holds twelve, so we will take sign-ups first—if over twelve express interest, we will draw names. Obviously, Dr. Lee or I will have to chaperone.”

  Although I disliked Cassie, a surge of excitement ran through me at the thought of going to a game. I looked over toward Drake, and he smiled at my obvious enthusiasm.

  “Time to pull out my Yankees’ shirt,” Neela said with a naughty grin.

  “I didn’t think you liked sports,” I said, confused.

  “Oh, I don’t. Kellan does.”

  I should’ve known. “I didn’t bring my Yankees’ shirt—I have a jersey and everything.” My aunt probably burned everything I left behind.

  All at once, I could feel someone watching me from across the room. The last time I had seen the new kid, he’d been screaming like a banshee in the hallway, but here he sat in the dining hall as if that never happened. He looked up, winked, then back to reading the book in his hand. He was kind of cute, with dark brown wavy hair that curled around his ears, and he carried a sense of confidence that I didn’t expect for his age. I could’ve been wrong, but I felt like he had a particular interest in me.

  That’s all I needed.

  . . .

  The rest of the afternoon was like the day before. Practice. Practice. Practice. My power felt more natural than before, for which I was grateful. The swelling in my cheek had gone down significantly overnight, but the bruising remained. I thought Neela might take it easy on me that day, but nope. The racket and ball both came flying toward my face again. This time, I pulled the racket up quickly and knocked the ball toward her mischievous smile.

  Finding and controlling my gifts consumed me. The pressure of being born powerful didn’t mix with teenage hormones and I couldn’t decide which was stronger—or more catastrophic. Every free moment, I hid away in a remote corner of the building, determined to find a few quiet minutes to myself. I remembered Drake’s words—”Just close your eyes and breathe until there’s . . . nothing.”

  I found myself craving nothing.

  I stopped by my room after dinner to grab my copy of Sense and Sensibility, then hurried out the door. Avoiding Ren had become a nightly mission—he couldn’t take a hint and I would have to have a serious conversation with him soon. The connection was one-sided and there was nothing I could do.

  After taking the stairwell to the ground floor, I stopped at the back door, absorbing the sight of the courtyard under moonlight. I breathed in, relaxing under the backdrop of stars overhead. Padding barefoot across the grass, I pushed aside the overgrown shrubs and made my way toward the smooth surface of my favorite rock. I laid on my back, staring up at the night sky before diving into the tale of the Dashwoods.

  I reached for the novel, only to lay it back down. I froze at the presence of someone nearby and held my breath while attempting to focus. I could feel frustration and longing, but also amusement.

  “Don’t mind me.” A deep voice called out. “I’m just relaxing in my new favorite hideaway.”

  I twisted from my position on the ground to find Drake, maybe ten feet away. “New favorite, huh? I thought we decided it was never really yours to begin with.”

  Mischief sparkled in his eyes. “It was always mine.” Drake grinned. “Just because you deny it, doesn’t change the fact.”

  I laid down on my back and shook my head. Somehow, I knew he wasn’t referring to the rock. “How’s it going for you? Your new spot?”

  “Lovely actually. There’s a worn spot under this tree, so I’m always covered in dirt when I leave. And—if I sit twelve inches to the left, I’m directly under a bird’s nest so I get shat on. Can’t beat looking up at the stars through these limbs. Nothing like it.”

  I shook my head and chuckled. “Now I feel horrible. You can share my rock, how is that?”

  “Like joint custody?” he asked.

  “Sure. I’ll even let you have it tonight. See? I can compromise.” I pushed up from the ground, but when I stood—he was already there. His lips pulled up into a half-smile.

  We didn’t speak. We barely breathed. Drake reached up, swiping the wind-blown hair from my face, then grazed his fingers across my cheek. “You need it more than I do. Take your time.”

  He slowly leaned forward, watching me. I closed my eyes anticipating the feel of his lips on mine. After several seconds, I opened my eyes to a conflicted gaze as he leaned back on his heels. He exhaled and his face fell, as if frustrated with himself. “Goodnight, Mercy.” Drake silently slipped from the courtyard without another word.

  I threw my head back and sighed. I couldn’t continue to push him away—we both knew it. I looked over my shoulder to stop him, tell him I craved him more every day. Explain how our connection terrified me. The back door slammed shut, along with my confidence. Easing down to the ground, I focused on my breathing to calm the pounding of my heart.

  “Get it together, Mercy,” I told myself.

  . . .

  After lunch the next day, I showered and changed for the ballgame. Only eight signed up to go, so there were plenty of seats. Dr. Lee and Elise would chaperone Drake, Cassie, Ren, Neela, Kellan, and myself. I styled my hair and threw on a pair of jeans with a navy v-neck. That would have to work. As I walked out of the bathroom, Nora glanced up from her book. I could tell by the flannel pajama pants and her freshly washed face that she had decided to stay in.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to come?”

  “Trust me, I’m sure. Baseball is not my thing. Yankee fans are the most emotional people on the planet, and you better have your guard up, or you’ll have a migraine.”

  “Noted.” I turned and stopped dead in my tracks.

  “Nora, where did that come from?”

  “What?”

  I picked up the blue Yankees hat from the bed, inspecting it. “This. It wasn’t here when I jumped in the shower.”

  “Not sure. I didn’t notice it.”

  I assumed Neela had brought it after telling her about my lost jersey. I left my hair down and tried the hat on. Perfect fit. “Alright, see you soon.”

  “Have fun.” Nora smiled.

  . . .

  We piled into Fremont’s van, and I squeezed in the back with Neela. The girl looked amazing in skinny jeans, a cutoff Yankees top, and large hoop earrings. For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out how Kellan had so much self-control.

  Cassie looked to be in a low-cut tank and stilettos, while Drake followed behind her wearing a Yankees shirt.

  “Drake, you forgot your hat,” Cassie said, panicked.

  “It’s fine, Cassie,” he mumbled.

  The hat. I looked over at Neela with a puzzled expression.

  “What?” she asked.

  “Nothing. I—I thought you left this for me. That’s all.” I pointed toward the hat.

  She giggled, “Why would I ever cover this magnificent hair?” She rolled her eyes at my absurdity.

  We arrived at the stadium, an
d Cassie eagerly led us to our box seats. Her father had a buffet set up for dinner and left a note for us to enjoy ourselves. Which I would have done if Cassie would’ve quit talking. Drake, Ren, Kellan and I were the only ones keeping up with the game while everyone else socialized and snacked. Even Dr. Lee was utterly uninvolved, standing on high alert as he kept a watchful eye around the room.

  Ren leaned back and put his arm around my shoulders during the game. I felt Drake’s eyes, but didn’t acknowledge him. I looked straight ahead, focused on the game. Bases were loaded, and Aaron Judge was next to bat. Anticipation ran through me, and my knee bounced out of nervousness. The crack of the bat echoed throughout the stadium, and the ball flew centerfield over the fence. We all jumped up—cheering as the players made their way to home plate.

  Ren picked me up, smiling, and kissed my cheek out of excitement. The rage brewing two seats down felt like tendrils of fire creeping into the room. I pulled away from Ren, smiling politely.

  A knock sounded at the door, and Dr. Lee answered. “Mercy, can you come here for a moment?”

  I went over to where an older lady stood with a ticket in hand.

  “Hello. Are you Mercy Monroe?” she asked sweetly.

  I nodded. “Yes, Ma’am. Can I help you?”

  “We had a box seat drawing, and you won a batting cage session downstairs after the game.”

  I shook my head. “You must have the wrong box.”

  “Do you know many girls named Mercy Monroe?” she asked.

  “Well, no. No, I don’t.”

  She handed me the ticket and offered to escort me downstairs.

  I looked back toward the field. “The game isn’t over.”

  “You’ll need to get down there quick, or lines start forming for autographs.”

  I looked over to Dr. Lee and he studied the woman, as if considering her offer.

  “I’ll bring her right back,” she promised.

  I grinned. “I’ll be careful.”

  Dr. Lee looked at me and nodded once. “Make it quick, okay?”

  . . .

  I followed her down the stairs and through the tunnels to an entrance away from the public. Our steps echoed throughout the empty corridors, and the solitude of the space was eerie. “These halls will get crowded in twenty minutes or so,” she said.

  She flipped the overhead lights as we walked through the door. I wasn’t sure what I expected, but the state-of-the-art equipment and batting cages reflected the professionalism of the program. Two turfed lanes ran down the length of the room with black netting on both sides. A shiver ran through me at the thought of holding a bat, a Yankees bat.

  “Wait here, dear. They will be right with you.”

  “You’re leaving?” I asked.

  “Just for a moment. I need to grab another winner, but I’ll be back,” she assured me.

  I jumped as the heavy door banged loudly upon closing. I shuffled around the room for several minutes until giving in, picking up a bat propped against the wall. Running my hand down the smooth wood, the excitement of being there overpowered the nervousness of being alone—until the cages went dark without so much as a flicker.

  “Hello? Who’s there?” I didn’t expect anyone to answer, but I had to try.

  Footsteps crunched along the turf, and I attempted to use my power to determine their distance. I could feel a man’s presence standing to my left, maybe ten feet away. He froze, unmoving, taunting me in the blackness. I sensed resentment—so much hatred and hurt. He wanted revenge, but from what—I couldn’t determine.

  One step forward.

  I took two steps back and clung to the bat in my hand. I detected satisfaction as he located his own bat and dragged it against the wall. The wood of the bat scraping the concrete wreaked havoc on my nerves, already on edge.

  “Come on out, Mercy. Just want to talk.” Loathing dripped from the familiar voice.

  I had to focus. If I got distracted, I’d never be able to recover.

  “I heard you liked Morenos. I bet you’d like me, older, more mature, and better looking. Yeah, we’d be good together. I saw how my brother protected you on the train, sweetheart, you must be special. Nothing but the best for Drake.” He threw the bat as hard as he could against the wall beside me. I jumped, but kept quiet. I didn’t want him to know he frightened me.

  I silently crept toward the door, gripping the bat in my shaky hands. I sensed his intention before it happened, and I spun as his hands reached out. Catching the back of my hair, he yanked me against the wall and the bat flew out of my hand. His fingers slowly circled my neck as his thumb grazed back and forth over my pulse. There wasn’t one thing about Asher’s demeanor that reminded me of Drake. His hot breath, full of excitement, blew across my face and he leaned in, inhaling deeply.

  “You smell fantastic, Mercy. I’m sure my brother wouldn’t mind if I had a little taste.” His hand around my neck squeezed tighter. “He has his hands full with that little blonde, anyway.” Asher’s nose ran across my jaw line.

  My palm flinched at my side as I used the surrounding energy to pick the bat up from the floor. Swirling my index finger, the wood spun faster and faster. As soon as I felt the wetness from Asher’s mouth on my neck, the bat struck him in the side of the head, knocking him to the floor.

  Asher shook his head, as if dizzy, and grabbed the bat, leaping toward me. My palms splayed out, and his body froze in midair. I flung him back against the wall, then made a break for the door. Running out into the tunnel, the lights blinked and went black, disorienting me. My heart raced as footsteps followed close, but I never faltered. I could barely see the light peeking under the doors ahead, and I busted through them into Drake’s arms.

  He cupped my face with his hands, eyes full of concern. “What happened?”

  Breathing heavily, I could only get out one word, “Ash. . . Asher.”

  His spine stiffened, then Drake absorbed the sight of the red hand print across my throat. His eyes narrowed. “Stay here.”

  Sliding down the wall, I attempted to catch my breath as people started filing out of the stadium corridors. A few minutes later, Drake came back frustrated, and I knew Asher had disappeared.

  “He’s gone,” Drake said.

  I stood. “How did you know to come find me?”

  He shook his head as if he didn’t have an answer. “A feeling, I guess. Dr. Lee said you were fine, but I couldn’t relax.” His thumb rubbed over the marks around my neck. “I’ll deal with Asher.”

  I didn’t want him anywhere near Asher. “Let’s just go. I don’t want to be here anymore.”

  Drake nodded and led me back toward the box.

  . . .

  On the way back to Fremont, Drake kept a close eye on me, and Cassie noticed. She wasn’t happy when we walked back to the box together, and she’d been pouting ever since. Drake made up a quick story about me not feeling well, but the look in Dr. Lee’s eyes said he knew something went down. I needed rest. Asher depleted my strength, but I was proud that I could defend myself. Fitz would be too.

  We filed out of the van, and I made a beeline toward my room. Drake caught me by the elbow, his brows pulled in with concern.

  “You’re sure you’re okay?” he asked.

  I tried to smile, but I knew it wasn’t convincing. “I need sleep. I’ll feel better tomorrow.” Not only exhausted, my emotions were simmering—almost unstable.

  He gently released me, giving my arm a squeeze. “Goodnight, Mercy.”

  “Night, Drake.”

  As I reached for the doorknob, someone grabbed my arm. I turned, thinking Neela had stopped by to check on me.

  Smack!

  My head swung to the right as Cassie took a cheap shot across my face, right over the healing bruise on my cheek.

  “That will teach you to mess with someone’s boyfriend, you little slut!” She yelled.

  Heat flooded my chest, and I knew this was going to be out of my hands. My emotions were all over the place, and
I had no control as energy surged around me.

  I straightened after the slap and backhanded her into the wall. Pictures fell along with her, and she snarled, stumbling to her feet. She didn’t learn. People started filling the hall as she grabbed a handful of my hair, trying to hit me again.

  She screamed, “He’s mine! He doesn’t want you!”

  I couldn’t take it anymore, and something possessive came over me as I conjured all of the energy around me and picked her up by the throat—holding her against the wall.

  I vaguely remembered voices yelling my name, then powerful arms pulled me away as I fought to get back toward her. Rage controlled me. They pulled me into a room and the door slammed, shutting me out of the hallway. My back hit the door, and hands cupped the sides of my face.

  “Mercy, look at me. Calm down, Babe. Focus on me.”

  I looked up into black eyes and deflated on the spot. My shoulders sagged, and I gripped the sides of his shirt in my fists. “Drake.”

  We were breathing hard, our eyes locked. There it was again. The pull that demanded his proximity and refused to relent. The adrenaline from the night remained, fueling my need. He fixated on my mouth, waiting for my permission. I could feel him shift toward me, then back again—dangerously close. His intention and desire was obvious, he only needed to hear the words from me.

  I couldn’t fight it any longer. “Drake, please,” I whispered.

  His mouth came down on mine with a hunger I’d never experienced. Something in my heart screamed yes, while my conflicted mind felt sympathy for my future mate. How could I feel guilty about this? Didn’t I get a choice?

  I chose Drake. Something in the back of my mind knew I always would. His hand traveled up my neck, gently rubbing over Asher’s fading fingerprints—then moved to the back of my head, holding my mouth to his. I’d only been kissed once in my life, and it wasn’t anything like this. Drake demanded everything from me.

  The exhaustion we both felt from trying to deny it had taken its toll, and we refused to fight it any longer. I pulled him closer, running my hands under his shirt—clinging to the heat of his skin. I wanted everything he would give me.