James Knight: Teenage Superhuman - Book Two

Twenty-Three

DEREK

Grace approached me at my work desk with a teasing greeting. I wondered how she bypassed security, but I had little focus on my tasks. Conscious of the room's watchful gazes, I sighed and tried to divert the attention.

"Sup' Lover boy," she said.

"Grace, please don't call me that while I'm at work," I requested. Rolling her eyes, she playfully took a stapler from my desk and fidgeted.

"Alright, rookie. You never believe it?" she screeched.

"I don't have time for games. I'm working," I snapped, feeling irritated.

Grace let out a sigh. "Ask me what happened?" she said. Annoyed, I grabbed the stapler from her hand and reluctantly gave in.

"What?" I growled.

"I found Max and Mia again," she revealed.

"Took you long enough. I thought you already knew their whereabouts," I commented with a hint of disappointment. Taking a deep breath, I continued in a hushed tone. "My dad just went to talk to Henry. He was going to reveal our superpowers."

Matching my lowered voice, Grace added a touch of sassy sarcasm. "Oh, yeah, because you have superpowers, right?"

"Don't push me, Grace," I snapped.

"I'll scream," she snapped, meeting my challenging gaze. But she backed down because of the heavy police presence. "Ugh! Fine, you win. Do you think Henry will believe him?"

"Henry is the type of guy who trusts family. Remember when James and I accidentally damaged my dad's police car? Henry almost fired my dad over it. So, we made up a story about a falling toolbox, and he bought it right away," I explained.

Grace chuckled. "Duh. You and your dorky Mighty-Mouse brother always got into trouble. That's what kids do," she said. I sighed, reflecting on her words.

"I'm off duty now. Ironically, Henry texted me to head home and babysit James."

"Yeah, he had sex today with his girlfriend," Grace commented.

"Enough, Grace," I snapped. James was a teenager, and while it frustrated me with him, I didn't appreciate Grace's comments. "Not a big deal." I glared at her, feeling annoyed.

"Do you still babysit your brother?" she suddenly asked. I couldn't entertain her games while at work.

"Let's go outside. I'll meet you in a few minutes," I told her. Grace rolled her eyes and walked away. I grabbed my car keys, placed them on the desk, and followed her.

∆∆∆

GRACE

"Grace, whatever you're thinking, stop it," he growled, fixing his eyes on the road. My heart raced, and the tingling in my stomach made me shift in my seat. I had developed a crush on Loverboy. Well, I had misjudged my feelings. It was unfortunate that he was my cousin.

"Can't this car go any faster than 35?" I snapped at him.

"Do you want me to lose my job?" he snapped, displaying his irritability. His fingers tapped on the steering wheel as he focused on the road.

"You jerk."

"How am I the jerk?" he growled. I rolled my eyes and watched the city blur outside. Despite his cuteness, Derek could be pretty annoying.

The tension in the car was palpable as Derek and I continued our bickering. The truth was, I was trying to distract myself from the uncomfortable thoughts plaguing me since our road trip began. My feelings for him were confusing, and I needed to do something to keep them at bay.

Derek's jaw clenched as he glanced at me briefly, his dark blue eyes filled with frustration. "Grace, seriously, stop it. We're almost there," he said, his voice slightly softer this time.

I sighed and leaned back in my seat, crossing my arms over my chest. "I know, I know," I mumbled, feeling guilty for taking my frustrations out on him. "I just... I'm anxious about this family situation. You know how they can be."

Derek's expression softened as he realized my outburst wasn't entirely about him. "Yeah, I get it," he admitted, his grip on the steering wheel relaxing. "But we'll get through it together."

I offered him a weak smile, appreciating his attempt to improve things. "Thanks, Derek. Sorry for being such a pain in the ass."

He chuckled softly. "No problem, Grace." His fingers left the steering wheel and touched my shoulder reassuringly before returning to their rightful place.

As we continued our drive, the familiar skyline of the city gradually gave way to more open spaces and rolling hills. The tension in the car eased, and I found myself stealing glances at Derek, who was once again focused on the road.

I couldn't deny my attraction to him, but I had to remember that acting on it was out of the question. We were cousins, after all, and crossing that line was something I knew we both wouldn't want. So, I decided to push my feelings aside and focus on enjoying our time together as a family, even if it meant enduring the occasional bout of irritation from Derek.

∆∆∆

MATTHEW

"So, what's on your mind, Matt?" Henry crossed his arms and deeply breathed the cool night air. We leaned against opposite sides of the front porch, facing each other.

"Well, um..." I hesitated. "Remember when James and Derek broke the back bumper of my cruiser with my toolbox?"

Henry nodded. "Yeah," he replied. I took a hesitant breath. 1-2-3, in. 1-2-3, out.

"We didn't tell you the truth. Remember when Sam defended you by fighting Jack McCoy when he was sixteen?" I paused, needing to reveal the truth to stop Alexander and Max. It was time. I told him everything.

"Yeah. Sam broke Jack's jaw and gave him a severe concussion, and Alexander nearly lost it." Henry chuckled a bit. I sighed and scanned our surroundings. It surprised me he never figured out Sam's secret. Alexander and I knew the exact day Sam gained his powers.

"Follow me," I said, motioning for Henry to come to where his CRV was parked in the driveway.

With my fingers, I effortlessly crushed the back bumper as if they made it of butter. Then, I took a hesitant breath before swiftly lifting the car off the ground. Henry stood there, stunned, unsure of how to react. Slowly, I lowered the car.

"Holy shit, Matthew!" he exclaimed. My mind raced through various scenarios of how Henry would respond. Just then, Derek pulled into the driveway, with Grace sitting in the passenger seat.

"Dad," Derek called out, inspecting the damage to Henry's CRV.

"Oh, that doesn't look good for you, Uncle Matt," Grace remarked, patting my shoulder before heading inside.

"Yeah, I'm going to check on James and Noah," Derek said. Henry licked his lips and shifted his weight.

"Can they, uh, do that too?" Henry asked.

"There's a lot about Sam and James that I haven't told you. Sam kept many things from me, even when James got his superpowers," I confessed.

Henry shook his head. "No shit," he growled. I took another reluctant deep breath and sighed. 1-2-3, in. 1-2-3, out.

"Henry, I—" I paused momentarily, reflecting on the day Sam revealed James's powers to me. James had nearly died, and I couldn't help but feel partly responsible. Sam felt the same way, even to this day. I inhaled sharply. "We need to talk," I said. "As a family."

Henry stared at me momentarily, and I thought he might faint. He took a step forward, and moments later, he collapsed. I caught him in my arms, his eyes closed, breathing shallowly. Panic set in as I carried him into the house. If it were anyone else, it would have terrified me. Henry was my boss, my brother, and a good man. We needed his help.