Page 31 of Catalyst

My partner still seemed bored, but at least he was looking at me again.

“The bracelet detects energy surges—let’s say someone with pyrokinesis is preparing to throw a fireball. The bracelet would then pick up on the spike in energy before releasing a counter-signal to cancel out just enough of that energy to keep the fireball from forming. Once the pyromancer stops, the bracelet turns off, and everyone is safe.”

I could practically see the rusty gears in Trenton’s very smooth brain spring to life, but I didn’t poke around in his thoughts. I had a feeling I’d lose brain cells if I did that. So, instead, I gave him a second to think about his response, and I braced myself for an all too predictable insult, but no matter how prepared I thought I was—I wasn’t.

“This is some stupid pet project to avenge theterroristthat knocked you up—isn’t it?”

Chapter 10

Kane

Jace was a strange guy. I’d had the last twenty-four years to figure that out, and I’d gotten pretty damn good at understanding him—or so I thought. Usually, the shit he did made sense with who he was.

Jace liked sex, so he started doing it for a living. He was a man who survived on attention and immediate gratification. There wasn’t a line he wouldn’t cross, a nerve he wouldn’t step on. He didn’t even give a fuck about consequences as long as he could have fun before receiving them. It was part of what made himJace.

Fuck, I loved the guy to death, but I wasn’t sure he was capable of intelligent thought. So, when I came home to see him hunched over a pile of brochures on our beat-up coffee table, I had a feeling he was up to no good. Then I noticed the look of complete concentration on his face.

His dark brows were drawn together; his lips pressed into a line as he plucked a blue and white brochure from the pile and held it close before squinting as if he were actually reading it. This sight was… unsettling, to say the least.

I placed my keys on the hook, trying to make the simple task as noisy as possible as I stared at Jace.

He jumped, slamming the pamphlet down like he’d just been caught with a porno-mag in the living room. His green eyes snapped to mine–Oh my god, was Jaceblushing?

The pink in his cheeks said he was.

“Dude–What the fuck are you doing?” I snorted before making my way toward him with long, purposeful strides.

He snatched his sea of papers off the table, clutching them to his chest.

“It’s nothing…” He muttered as he turned away from me. “Don’t you have a wallet to steal or something?”

I let out a low laugh and patted my pockets, searching for today’s bounty. One by one, I pulled out four leather wallets and slapped them onto the table with a series of satisfying thuds.

“Already done.” I said before sitting beside him. “Today’s been a good day…I was thinking we should get dinner or something. You know, celebrate.”

Jace looked at the wallets I’dborrowed, and if I didn’t know any better, I’d say he looked worried.

“Don’t you think at least one of us should do something more…stable… You know, becauseyoudecided we needed the responsibility of a baby.” He tried to sound angry, but he failedmiserably.

Without thinking, I reached forward and yanked a paper out of Jace’s arms.

“Give that back!” He protested.

There was no way in hell I’d do that. Ineededto know what was going on. One of my shadows wrapped around his lap like aseat belt, anchoring him to the couch. He struggled against the shadow, quickly giving up when he realized he couldn’t move more than a few inches.

“Kane.Let. Me. Go,” he ordered.

“I don’t listen to you.” I remind him before looking at the pamphlet.

The smug expression I wore faltered the second I read the title.

Accelerated Nursing Programs: Start your future today.

I blinked, my gaze flickering between Jace and the paper. Each time I looked back, Jace seemed to be a deeper shade of red.

“Jace–What the hell is this?” I let out an exasperated sigh as I rubbed my temple.

“Listen, it’s not what it looks like,” he mumbled. “Now, can Ipleasehave that back?”

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