Revival (The Variant Series, #1)

  * * *

  “Yo, Nate!”

  Thunk!

  “Son of a…” Nate rubbed his forehead. The sudden shout had caused him to drop the wrench he’d been holding—the same one that had just been hovering a few inches above his face as he tightened the final bolt of a newly installed exhaust tip. He reached for the fallen tool with a grimace. “Dammit, Kenzie.”

  A chuckle came from somewhere near the open garage door. With a sigh, Nate slid out from beneath the car.

  Using his gift, he slowly lowered the rear end of the vehicle back to the ground. He was simply lucky he hadn’t lost his concentration and let the car fall when Kenzie startled him.

  From now on, he’d be doing his repairs the old fashioned way. With a floor jack.

  Kenzie was resting on the hood of his half-restored, black 1970 Dodge Charger, arms crossed, looking way too amused for his liking.

  “I’m sorry,” she said, still grinning.

  That’s funny. She didn’t sound sorry.

  He looked pointedly at Kenzie. The Charger was the only thing in this world that was truly his own. It was his baby. His love. His pride and joy.

  And Kenzie was sitting on it.

  “Off the car.”

  “Sir, yes sir!” She gave a mock salute and slid off the hood.

  “What do you want, Red?” he asked, making his way to the work bench and hanging the wrench back on the peg board with a little more force than necessary. “Shouldn’t you be in the house doing homework right now? Surely Brian’s in there somewhere for you to annoy.”

  She harrumphed. “I see someone’s in a good mood.”

  Nate closed his eyes and exhaled. Kenzie wasn’t the one he ought to be snapping at.

  Declan, on the other hand…

  He flashed back to that morning, to Declan slipping his arm around Alex’s waist before teleporting them both to God knows where, and the smug smile on his face as he did it.

  “Catch you later, Nate.”

  Jackass.

  Nate opened his eyes again. “Sorry. I’m just a little… frustrated.”

  “I see. And would that frustration be of the emotional variety, the professional…” Kenzie paused for effect. He turned to face her and she waggled her eyebrows. “Or the sexual?”

  Nate rolled his eyes. He was not having this conversation with Kenzie.

  “Oh, come on, Nate,” she said as she sidled up next to him. She snatched a lug nut from the worktop and threw it in the air.

  Toss, catch. Toss, catch.

  “I don’t have to be a telepath to see that you like her.”

  Toss, catch. Toss—

  He plucked the lug nut from the air and placed it back on the workbench.

  Nate was finding himself more and more grateful, of late, that he’d mastered the art of keeping Kenzie out of his head. If she ever learned the truth about what he felt for Alex—if she ever found out what really happened during that year he’d spent in Seattle—they’d all be in trouble.

  He busied himself with putting away tools. “Even if I did—and I’m not saying I do—it wouldn’t make a difference. She’ll just end up falling for Declan, anyway.”

  “Why, did Brian see something?” she sounded incredulous. “Or are you having visions now, too?”

  If she only knew.

  Kenzie shook her head. “Honestly, after the way he reacted last night when he found out who she was… Well, I don’t think wine and roses are exactly on the agenda for those two. If anything, he’ll probably do everything he can to drive her nuts.” The look she gave him was beseeching. “You know how Declan can be. And I like Alex. I’d prefer to keep her around, not drive her away. Which is why you need to be the one to step in and sweep the little lady off her feet.”

  He gave a laugh.

  There wasn’t much humor in it.

  “And how would I go about doing that, exactly?” He walked back to the Charger and popped the hood, trying to appear disinterested.

  He probably shouldn’t be humoring her. It wasn’t like it could actually work.

  Unfortunately for Nate, his treasonous heart couldn’t resist the urge.

  Kenzie smiled. “You just be your charming self and leave the rest to me.”

  — 12 —

  Nearly five minutes had passed and Alex still hadn’t reappeared.

  Great. Now Declan was going to have to go searching for her. He really hoped she hadn’t landed in the lake again. The prospect of helping her back to shore in that dense fog wasn’t exactly an enticing one.

  Although… such an act of heroism wouldn’t be without its perks.

  A small voice in the back of his thoughts suggested that the sight of an angry, soaking-wet Alex wouldn’t be entirely unwelcome. She was kind of cute when she was annoyed with him. There was something about the way she held her mouth and the fiery look that shined in her eyes…

  He smiled at the mental image before he could stop himself.

  That was a road he really shouldn’t be headed down.

  Still, every moment that passed made it more and more likely she’d fallen in the lake during an attempt to return.

  He sighed.

  Why had he even brought her to Kilkenny in the first place?

  It had taken him a grand total of five seconds to mull it over and a split-second to make the trip. Followed by the last twenty minutes, every one of which he’d spent trying to explain to himself why he’d done it.

  These fields were his refuge. His home.

  And she was…. Well, she was Alex Parker. The girl who’d destroyed his family. The girl who had taken his home away from him.

  He’d spent the last twelve years hating her—a girl he hardly knew.

  In that respect, it was easy to despise her. And it was even easier to blame her for what had happened.

  He didn’t know her. Could barely remember her, except as some whiny, pigtailed little girl that the adults always bent over backwards to please—and eventually laid down their lives to protect.

  No, he hadn’t known her, but he’d imagined what sort of girl she’d probably grown into. No doubt she’d become a spoiled princess who expected the world on a silver platter and pitched a fit when it wasn’t handed right over. A girl who thought nothing of others and only of herself.

  A girl he was having trouble reconciling with the one he’d finally met.

  Not that Declan was ready to let go of his resentment altogether. At least, not just yet.

  The jury was still out on Alex Parker.

  Besides. Dropping that particular grudge would require admitting that his sister had been right about something.

  And that just wasn’t going to happen.

  Alex reappeared at the bottom of the hill—completely dry, much to the disappointment of that traitorous inner voice—with a triumphant smile on her face. She even managed to nail the landing without stumbling.

  “I did it!” she said, thrusting her arms in the air. “Yes!”

  “What took so long?” he called down to her. “Make a few stops along the way?”

  “Hey,” she said, defensive of her celebratory mood. “I made it here, didn’t I? And I didn’t even have to go swimming first!” Alex laughed. “I’d say that’s progress!”

  She started to climb the hill.

  “Hold it!”

  Alex came to a halt and sent him a questioning look.

  “Jump.”

  Her smile faltered. “I was afraid you were going to say that.”

  Alex reappeared at his side with her eyes closed and a pinched expression that suggested she might be bracing for an impact. She peeked one eye open, caught sight of him staring at her, and let out a squeal of delight.

  God help him.

  “Back to the bottom of the hill,” he ordered.

  “What, again?”

  “Again.”

  She jumped to the bottom of the hill and back again.

  “Satisfied?” she asked.

&
nbsp; He crossed his arms over his chest. “Again.”

  She sighed and disappeared.

  “How about now?” The shout had come from somewhere in the distance. Glancing toward the sound, Declan found her standing beneath an alder tree a few hundred feet away.

  Alex reappeared at his side.

  “Yeah, okay,” he said. “Now I’m happy.”

  The triumphant smile returned.

  “Tired yet?” he asked.

  “Nope.”

  Huh. Well, that was odd. After making so many jumps, the girl ought to be exhausted.

  “Oh!” she said suddenly. “Before I forget! Brian said Grayson wants you to call him ASAP.”

  “Brian said? When did you see…?” he trailed off.

  It was still early. Brian should have been at the house working on schoolwork. And that could only mean one thing.

  He smirked. “You ended up in my bed again, didn’t you? Shame I wasn’t there to see it.”

  The expression on Alex’s face was priceless. She looked like she’d just swallowed a bug.

  He fished his cell phone from the pocket of his jeans.

  Three missed calls.

  So much for lunch at the pub. Shame. He’d been looking forward to that pint of Smithwick’s.

  “Alright, we’re going to have to finish this later,” he said. “Back to the cabin. I don’t need the roaming charges.”

  Alex snorted in amusement. Giving him a small wave, she disappeared.

  Declan shook his head, smiling, and followed her.