James Knight: Teenage Superhuman - Book Two

Thirty-Eight

MIA

I surveyed the large room. Four security guards stood in front of the exit. I could take them. It wasn't hard. I was in the middle of robbing a jewelry store. It was possibly the third jewelry store I'd robbed in about two weeks. It wasn't for me. It was for Alexander and Max. You'd think I'd be good at this now, but somehow, I accidentally triggered the alarm and ended up here.

"Step aside, boys. I don't want trouble," I muttered, swinging the stolen jewelry bag into my gloved fists.

They laughed at me. I couldn't believe it. Those guys fucking laughed at me. Do I look like a comedian?

I dropped the jewelry bag and thrust my hands together—a purple ball of electricity formed at my fingertips and spread to my steel-plated claws Max had made especially for me as soon as we realized what James and the boys were doing. We wanted to play along too.

"I'm sure you've heard of me. The media calls me Kitty Electric." That was a bold choice of a supervillain name, too. Who associates pussy with an electric charge? Who cared?

My fingertips melted together as a ball of energy formed. They watched me fearfully as I twiddled my fingers and cracked my knuckles. Then, as I threw my hands forward, the door opened. Two men in black superhero costumes pushed their way through the wall of security guards, a leather hoodie and black leather pants with steel chest and shoulder plates and a utility belt, equipped with tools their father or uncle let them play with while pretending to be some hero. Ugh. Who did they get all fancy for dressed like that?

"Am I too late?" His voice sounded familiar. "Derek?" I spoke. He showed off his leather suit like some prized possession. James must have been the other doofus in sweatpants. I would recognize my ex-boyfriend and his brother's golden locks and aqua eyes, no matter their disguises.

A tiny smirk formed on my lips as I muttered his name. "James," I whispered, dropping my hands to my waist. Derek and James watched me, their hands twitching by his sides as they carefully inched closer.

"I'm Alpha, and that's Silver Storm." Didn't a woman already take that name? His disguised husky voice sounded like his brother's standing next to him.

"I'll give you to the count of three before we take unlawful force, Mia," Derek said. I chuckled. How cute. I don't know what it was if that wasn't the cheesiest line I've ever heard.

"Yeah, try me," I laughed. I clapped my hands together as purple lightning trickled up my wrists. Then, I pushed them forward, hitting Alpha Boy square in the ribs, causing him to tip over to his knees. Take that, James.

The lights above me shattered, and the room darkened. A smirk formed at the creases of my lips as I watched Silver Storm and Alpha search the room.

"I told you to step aside," I purred, grabbing the bag of jewels from the solid red floor and glancing toward Alpha on the satin carpet. How funny. Unlike his brother, he couldn't see in the dark. Either that, or he was too busy trying to find the exit.

"You're in trouble, James?" the words tickled my tongue. I got close to Alpha, super close. He flinched, his muscles clenching under his bold choice of a super suit.

"Scared of the dark, are we?" I taunted him, reaching out to grab his mask. James may have been strong, but I knew his weaknesses well. I could play his games all night. The air whipped around me, and Derek had my wrists bound in his muscular fists.

"What the hell?" I growled, losing my patience for a moment. The security guards were gone, and Alpha flashed to the doorway of the jewelry store.

"Mia, you need to stop this!" he yelled. His voice was deep and filled with emotion. Buh-boom. Buh-boom. My tiny heart pounded in my chest. I froze in place, struggling in Storm's grip, trying to fight, but he was stronger than me.

"Mia, calm down and listen to him," Derek soothed me. "You're better than this." I fought him again, and he tightened his grip, holding me steady.

"Mia, you don't need to do this. Alexander is the bad guy. Not you." Alpha continued. My eyes met a deep blue gaze hidden behind a black mask. James was before me, his minty fresh breath feeding into my lungs. "Please, Mia."

The jewels dropped from my hand, and my heart skipped a beat as the light flickered in my palms, falling below my wrist. In a split second, heartbeats fluttered as Silver Storm lost his grip.

The time they seemed stagnant. Seconds, I was there; then I was gone, like a flicker of a light switch in a second.

   Sirens blared outside the jewelry store nearby as my heartbeat slammed, and heavy breathing kept the silent room from dying. I grabbed the jewels from the floor and bolted further down an alleyway. As my heart hammered, I knew I was in deep trouble.

∆∆∆

JAMES

"Son of a bitch!" I cursed, ripping off my mask and slamming my back against the couch. "We almost had her."

"I know," Derek said, peeling off his mask. "It's okay, James. She's playing a game," He uttered.

"I don't want to play her games. I hate Mia with a vengeance. I wouldn't have gotten involved with her if I knew she was a manipulative psycho bitch."

"I know," Derek muttered again. Mark walked into the room moments later, a cheese puff bag in his hand, his fingertips covered in Cheetos dust.

"Cheese puff?" He asked, leaning the bag towards me.

"I'm not hungry," I growled at him.

"Look. If it helps, my cousin is not as bad as you think. She has a little crush on you and is jealous of Claire. That's all," Mark added, trying to defuse the situation. I sunk into the cushions, my head in my hands as I sighed. "I hope she comes to her senses. It's completely out of character for her."

I sighed. "I do, too," I muttered. I hoped Max did, too. I didn't know what Alexander was planning, but it was nothing good, and the longer we sat around doing nothing to stop him, the closer he got to fulfilling his plan.