Page 71 of Following Their Heart

“We could try something new,” Doc says. “Push our Gifts a little harder, ya know, like Rev talked about?”

“Raising the dead isn’t enough for you?” Grim says.

Doc starts to argue. I shrug and leave them to it. I’ve got my own work to do. A lot of it.

Last night, those missile computers completed their startup routines in seconds flat. The process should have taken minutes. I think I made the process faster using my mind. My freakingmind,man!

It made me wonder what else I could do. Once I started having ideas on how to push my Gift, they kept coming. Extending the range of our communication equipment is just the beginning. That’s, like, the easy test. If that works, I’m also going to try charging batteries with my touch and viewing the feed from the perimeter security cameras in my head. Whatever I can do to make our tech more efficient can only help us.

Back in the control room, I use my comm to transmit to Brawn’s receiver. “Come in, Brawn. Can you hear me? Over.”

“Yep.” His gruff voice comes back, and it’s predictably staticky in my earpiece. This tech is decades old, and the sound quality is shit. “Go ahead.”

“Cool. So, that receiver I fitted you with? It’s an old model. I’ve got its mate here, and they only work if they’re within a few hundred feet. But I’m gonna see if I can stretch that range using my Gift. Roger?”

“Okay. What do you need from me?” Weirdly, his voice came in clearer that time. Maybe his patrolling brought him into better range.

“First, I’m gonna take out an ATV and see how far the range is, like, exactly how far, without me trying to use my Gift. All you have to do is, like, listen to me yammer on and let me know when my voice gets patchy. Then I’ll go another hundred feet or so, and the units should be no good. But stay tuned, ’cuz I’m gonna try to boost the signal with my Gift. Got all that? Over.”

“Roger that.”

“It might take a while,” I warn him. “I’ll be visiting the security cams, like Jud normally does and changing out batteries. Over.”

“I’m not goin’ anywhere,” Brawn says.

“Sweet. Thanks, big guy.”

Brawn doesn’t respond. I’m not surprised. He’s not exactly a talker. As long as he answers when I ask questions, I’ll be happy.

Rubbing my hands together, I jog to the lot to snag an ATV. Rev is there, getting a trailer ready for going off in search of that downed chopper. Usually, when I catch an unexpected glimpse of him, my stomach does this flip thing, because he’s a hot-ass motherfucker. But since last night, I’ve been pissed at him over that kiss. Not that I’m going to start an argument or anything. He doesn’t need that on top of everything else he’s got on his plate right now.

“Hey.” I greet him with a lift of my chin. I try to sound natural, but my tone comes out a little cooler than usual.

“Kiddo,” he says in greeting. After tucking some tools into a duffel bag, he looks up. “You okay after last night?”

Guess he wants to talk about it, after all. I’m not so sure I do. “Fine,” I answer with a shrug, and I climb on the nearest four-wheeler.

I’ve been reliving that kiss in my head since it happened, and I can’t decide if it was the PDA that bothered me, or the fact Rev just went for it without warning me or even checking to see if I was down with it. Or if I’m relieved because we don’t have to hide anymore.

Rev is beside me when I look up from turning the key in the ignition. “Youarefine,” he says, and I can just barely hear his gravelly voice over the 90-horsepower engine. He rests his hand along my jaw and gives me a crooked smile. “Very fine.” He bends to me and pecks me gently on the lips.

Normally, when he looks at me like that, with that heavy-lidded gaze of his, I’m putty in his hands. But today, I’m less like putty and more brittle, overbaked clay. I don’t kiss him back.

“Thanks, I guess.” I give the throttle a twist with the brake engaged to get the gas moving through the lines. I’m about to take off when Rev reaches in front of me and turns the key so the engine sputters and stops.

I go to start the ATV again, but Rev plucks the key from the ignition. Standing over me, he spins the key chain on a long finger.

Heat rushes my face and neck. All of a sudden, I’m angry. Like, angrier than I’ve been in a long time. The kind of angry I used to get before the pen. Before the Virus.

I have a death grip on the handlebars, because I don’t trust myself not to let fists fly. Between gritted teeth, I say, “Did the Working tell you to tongue-fuck my mouth in front of everyone?” Okay. I guess I’m more pissed than relieved. Glad that’s cleared up.

Rev towers over me. I don’t want to look at him, so I keep my head straight, and I stare into the trees. Still, I can feel his gaze on me. I don’t have to look up to know he’s studying me with those eyes that can X-Ray a man’s soul.

“The Working told me we all needed each other.” Strong fingers lift my chin, trying to force me to meet his gaze.

I resist.

“And it was right,” he goes on. “We all needed that.Ineeded that. I needed Cora, and I needed you, and having you two together, while the others looked on—that was precious to me. It healed and strengthened me, and I suspect it did the same for everyone else.”

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