CAPTURED: 9 Alpha Bad-Boys(118)

Cindy probably should have been happy that Jack still cared about her  even this much, enough to be angry about the idea of someone hurting  her, but she was still caught up in what had happened that day. "No.  Just Stacy. Jamie was at work, and when he got back and found out what  had happened, he was the one to let me out. He didn't have anything to  do with what Stacy and Stephanie did."

"You said, let you out. What do you mean by that?"

Cindy knew she would have to reveal more details about this. She took a  deep breath and got braced herself, even though she wasn't ready by a  long shot.





Chapter Twelve

At first, Cindy hadn't taken their threats seriously. She lived with  these two women, after all, for long enough that she'd thought she knew  them. So she thought.

When they confronted her about Jack, after he'd left, Cindy was shocked  to discover that Stephanie had been listening in on her and Jack  speaking together in her room.

Then she'd gotten angry. What followed was a shouting match, and once  Cindy started up, Stacy and Stephanie saw no reason to listen to her  when she tried to explain that Jack wasn't going to be an issue.

In fact, they seemed to think that Cindy told Jack more than she really had.

"You let a hunter into this house! Are you that fucking stupid? Why  would you tell him about us? Are you really that dense?" Stephanie  demanded.

Cindy didn't like being insulted, which was why she lost her temper and  yelled back at the other woman in the first place. "He's not a hunter! I  didn't know that's what he was when I brought him here either! And if I  did, then I still would have brought him because-"

"Because what?" Stacy asked. "Because he's different? Because he tells  you that he's in love with you and that he's going to take care of you?"

"You don't even know what you're talking about," Cindy snapped. It  irritated her that Stacy phrased it as if no one normal could ever love  her. Just because they hadn't found anyone who would keep their secret  didn't mean they had to act this way.

"I know you're every bit as idiotic as Stephanie thinks you are, and I  think so too. How you've made it this far without getting caught and  locked away really is a miracle."

"I saw him," Stephanie said. "When you brought him in and when he left  again. Very nice looking. Cute boy-next-door type. I bet he gives you  all kinds of puppy dog eyes, too. Real innocent, never hurt a fly. And  he's a hunter, making his country proud."

"I'm leaving," Cindy snapped, and she hoisted her purse over her shoulder and started walking toward the front door.

Stacy was the one to grab her by the arm and yank her to a stop.

Cindy looked down at where the other woman held her, and she felt her inner fire burning brighter.

"Let go of me," Cindy said, staring the taller woman in the eyes as she tried to be as threatening as possible.

Stacy wasn't a pyro, but there was fire in her eyes just then, and she  gripped Cindy's arm tight enough to cause her real pain as she hauled  her around and slammed Cindy against the wall. One of the pictures  hanging there fell off, and the glass frame shattered on the floor.

The wind sailed right out of Cindy's lungs. "Are you out of your mind?" she shrieked.

Stacy's fist was hard and hurt like all hell when she punched Cindy in  the stomach. It happened so fast that Cindy didn't even get the chance  to warn her that she was pregnant, or protect her stomach, and Cindy was  left coughing and gasping for air as her legs no longer worked to hold  her up. She wanted to slide down to the floor, but Stacy held her up.  "Jesus Christ, do you think this is a joke? Is that what this is to  you?"

Stacy was in full on attack mode as her thin but strong fingers grabbed  onto Cindy's hair, yanking her head back and forth before she slammed  her knee into Cindy's gut.

Stacy got riled up and talked tough whenever she ranted about hunters,  but Cindy never thought the woman could be this violent. Cindy coughed  and gagged for air. "Stop," she gasped.

"These are our lives you're playing around with! I'm not about to get picked up by the collectors and dissected for you!"

Stacy slapped her that time, hard enough across Cindy's cheek that it burned as hot as her fire.

That was fine. She'd take a slap in the face over more abuse to her stomach any day.

"I-I'm pregnant. Stop, please, I'm pregnant," Cindy begged, keeping one  hand over her stomach while holding out the other, as if that would be  enough to ward off the other woman and her rage.

Stacy's eyes widened, but Stephanie was the one who came to Cindy's  defense. "Jesus, Stacy. If you don't cut that out she's going to run and  tell her hunter boyfriend."

"I barely touched her! Look at me, Cindy, you're going to be fine, okay?"

Cindy didn't feel fine. Her stomach was killing her and she felt all  sorts of things moving around in there. Panic took hold of her body in a  tight fist, and everything cramped up. "I need a doctor."

"All right, come on," Stephanie said, moving forward as if to help her, but Stacy stopped the other woman.

"Not yet, give me a second."

"Stacy, this is serious," Stephanie said.

"I know! But we have to do this. A hunter knows who we are and where we live."

Cindy shook her head. "He doesn't know. I promise he doesn't know anything about either of you."

Stacy had Cindy by the hair again, and even though she was no longer  punching or kicking Cindy in the stomach, Cindy still kept her hands  over her navel, trying to protect that precious spot as Stacy spoke to  her. "Just tell me where he lives, and I'll get a doctor, okay? I'll  drive you to a clinic myself and you can get that," Stacy waved down to  Cindy's stomach. "Checked out."

Cindy shook her head. "I can't do that. I can't."

"Yes you can," Stacy said.

This time the fire really did come out of Cindy. It just burst free more  powerful than she'd ever gotten it before. "No I can't!"

Cindy slammed her hands forward into Stacy's chest, and a ball of fire  erupted right out of them. The force of it knocked Stacy into the far  wall.

For a brief second, Cindy thought she'd set her roommate on fire, but  Stacy was resilient and the fire itself didn't last long without Cindy  to control it. Stacy screamed and slapped at her clothes until all that  was left was trailing smoke and the smell of burned hair.

"Holy shit," Stephanie said.

Cindy and Stephanie stared at each other for several long seconds, both of them breathing hard.

Stacy's face completely changed as her rage took over. "You bitch!"

Cindy went for the door. She didn't think she'd be able to summon  another fireball like that to defend herself with, and her goal was to  just get the hell out of the house.

Cindy grabbed the doorknob, but the second she yanked it open, it slammed shut on her completely by itself.

Cindy looked over at Stacy, who was still glaring at her, showing off  her teeth and everything, like some sort of wild animal, as she stomped  forward.

Cindy put her hands back on the doorknob, but she couldn't even turn it. "Let me out, Stacy," she said.

Stacy just flicked her wrist, and Cindy was knocked back and away from  the door. Another flick of the wrist and Cindy was on her back. She  screamed, feeling that same angry fire rising up within her as the urge  to defend herself and get care for her child took over every working  brain cell in her head.

Cindy was doused with water, a lot of it, and the fire was put out, and she was left sputtering and cold.         

     



 

She looked up at Stephanie, who had a guilty but determined look in her  eyes. The woman had summoned the water with her gifts and put Cindy's  fire out. "Don't attack my sister," she said.

Stephanie and Stacy had much more control over their abilities than  Cindy did, and with a sick dread, she realized she wasn't going anywhere  when that same invisible hand that Stacy controlled grabbed her by the  hair and yanked her down the hall.

Cindy screamed the entire way, trying to grab onto anything that she  could, but Stacy and Stephanie followed her down the hall, up the  stairs, and into the nearest bedroom with her. The door slammed shut  behind them, and Cindy was stuck.





Chapter Thirteen

Jack wasn't sure what to say about everything that Cindy had just told  him. Twelve hours ago he wouldn't have believed a word of it, but now  here he was, in bed with her, and she was looking up at him, waiting for  him to give his two cents on what she'd shared so far. Every word that  came out of her mouth was like gospel. There was no listening to  anything else.

She looked like she wanted to tell more of the story, but she was biting her lip and waiting.

Whatever Jack was about to say was going to affect everything between them from here on out.

He opened his mouth to ask her more, to find out what else happened  after the twins pulled her into that room and before Jamie could save  her, even though he already had a pretty good idea of what she would  say, when his phone vibrated.