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“What do you know about running a club?”
“I don’t. Alejandro Martinez, however, he’ll continue Midnight Alley’s legacy.”
“The bartender?” The Machinist raised an eyebrow before nodding in agreement. “He makes a killer cocktail.”
This wasn’t my memory. Was Eclipse pulling at my imagination? I had never thought about what happened on the other side of that call. No, this wasn’t my memory at all. Whatever that villain was doing, he had unwittingly given me access to missing puzzle pieces. Did he think we’d be too busy with our own suffering to steal a glance into each other’s heads?
“Are you sure?”
I spun about to see Julian and Theo curled together in bed. I recognized the coat of glistening sweat. Had it been earlier in the day, the sight of them together might have tugged at my jealousy, but Eclipse continued to miss his mark.
“Whether or not you ask him out, I’m going to invite him out for drinks.”
Julian had wrapped himself around Theo. His enormous frame dwarfed his partner. As Julian kissed the back of the little man’s neck, it reminded me of how Theo spooned against my back.
“I think I’m going to ask him out.” Theo rolled over, cupping Julian’s face, giving him a kiss passionate enough that I blushed. The big lug might not be my type, but there was something beautiful about seeing two men intertwined. Not to mention it was hot, so damned hot.
“You’re nervous!” Julian exclaimed.
“You should have seen him with the Naga. He barely batted an eyelash. Are you sure asking out a guy I rescued is a good idea?”
Julian patted him on the chest. “You owe him an apology for leaving him on the roof. It’s the least you could do.”
This wasn’t my memory either. Did Eclipse think that showing me this would shake my faith in what Theo and I shared? Was this intentional, or did he not understand that a person was capable of feelings other than jealousy and rage?
“Okay, let’s go.” Julian kicked off the sheets. “Get dressed. We’re going to the club.”
Theo’s eyes were wide in disbelief. It was more endearing than I could have imagined. As Theo reached for the cock, the sweet moment turned naughty. The big man froze. Wow! We’d need to discuss the size of that later.Everythingabout Julian was big.
“Right after I finish this.”
I could feel the heat rise in my cheeks and my pants. Even in the face of danger, my lil’ sidekick wanted attention.
The image faded away just as it was getting interesting. In the distance, standing in a pair of spotlights, Theo and Julian appeared to be sleeping while upright. I didn’t know how to shake them from Eclipse’s powers. I might be able to fight my battle… Could I walk into their minds? Could they see my thoughts?
Mentalists. Their powers were annoying as hell. I could throw a punch, but fighting on the psychic plane was like driving blindfolded after one too many martinis.
“Let…” The growl came from my gut. “Me…” I unleashed a howl. “Out.”
The darkness broke.
* * *
Centurion headquarters. It was a mess, with broken monitors, twisted beams, and glass scattered across the floor. I hoped this didn’t come out of Bernard’s paycheck. I almost felt bad for Papi.
Eclipse stood in a cloud of smoke, almost as still as Theo and Julian. Whatever he was doing to the two men, it required his attention. Both of them were whimpering, small sounds that bordered on sobs. I had been the victim of Eclipse twice. I knew whatever they were feeling was going to take days to shake off. But for now, I needed their help with beating the bad guy.
Alejandro, the hero of heroes. I imagined the reporter citing me as the savior of the city as I climbed to my feet. Maybe they’d build a statue in my honor. It’d replace the Centurion’s monument. It’d be the least they could do for saving their base of operations. Alejandro Day, a citywide holiday. Yup, I’d be talking to Bernard about making it a reality.
I charged. My lungs hurt, my ribcage ached, and my spine screamed in agony. Eclipse should have known better than to turn his back on the non-powered guy. He’d learn his lesson.
“No,” I shouted, “capes.”
Grabbing the flapping white piece of fabric, I wrapped it around his neck. I grabbed the sides, pulling it back, bracing my knee in the middle of his back. My muscles strained as I yanked as hard as I could. I wanted to choke the villain. If I couldn’t breathe, I wanted him to experience the same.
His body stiffened. He was no longer occupied by Theo and Julian as he swung about, trying to shake me. Both knees pushed into his back. The blood on my hands left streaks of red on his costume. My grip was slipping, but I was determined to stop the asshole from winning. Riding him like a bucking bronco, I refused to relent.
“Just die,” I yelled.
