Dashing Devil Omnibus 2: Books 4-6, page 86
Her voice rose as she let it all out. Once the angel got started, her concerns just flowed. She wasn’t done yet, either. “And to top it all, I feel anger when I think that despite the years I spent watching and wanting him, you got to return to him before me!”
Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and shook out her hands. “I want to trust you because Boyd trusts you. He loves you and I know he wants me to love you, too. But I can’t help but remember what happened last time. How much worse he got after you loved him and then left.”
The goth’s cool mask cracked. “That was not my fault!” Mindy hissed as she half stood from her chair. “Leaving was the absolute last thing I wanted to do.”
Laura held up a hand, arching an eyebrow at a chagrinned Mindy—who nodded and sat back down.
“Sorry,” the dark haired woman said.
Nodding to Laura, Hope began again. “I feel this terrible fear because there is a chance you are still using him… that when you are done, you will discard Boyd, just like it seemed you did last time. I don’t trust you because I know that would absolutely destroy him—again.”
The angel shook her head. “I can’t let that happen again, so I don’t want to trust you. If being vigilant lets me see it coming, I can at least warn him. I don’t ever want to… no, I can’t see him like that ever again.”
Laura watched Mindy’s reaction closely as she flinched, pain flickering through her amethyst eyes. The trauma specialist bit her lip, fighting the urge to dive into the sea of questions that surged forward every time Boyd’s shadowed past peeked through in their conversations. There was something about the enigmatic layers of his story that fascinated her. It drew her in even more than the allure of his rugged, battle-worn charm.
“Mindy, how does that make you feel?” Laura asked, leaning forward slightly just to add some movement to the still room.
“I… I have no idea how to overcome Hope’s feelings. She knows—at least I know Boyd has told her—that I never rejected him… that the memory that hurt him so badly was implanted by the Authority. I… I feel at a loss.” Mindy let out a sigh, then shook her head. “I can only hope she… I can only hope you, Hope, can come to trust me… in time.”
“Bullshit,” Raev scoffed, shaking her head at the goth. “She was open and honest, Mindy. Your turn.”
“Fine. I feel hurt and angry when people remind me of the damage that the Authority used me to do to Boyd.” Mindy crossed her arms and leaned back into her seat, dropping her emotionless mask in favor of a much more honest scowl. “I just accept it because I know I deserve it. Letting myself fall for him was a selfish decision that led to Boyd getting hurt—even if I never wanted to harm him.”
Laura was feeling more and more out of her depth as these women discussed their past.
“Awwww, Moonbeam!” Silvie pouted at the gothic woman and was unable to restrain herself this time. She floated over and pulled the woman into a hug.
“I know it’s hard,” the normally bubbly woman said softly. “But you always tell me I can’t blame myself for what I had to do. Well, if that’s true, then you can’t blame yourself, either. You only wanted to help him and you fell for him while trying to help. Darling is really hard not to love. What happened next wasn’t your fault, okay?”
Mindy pursed her lips, but nodded.
“If I have to keep working on letting go of responsibility for things I couldn’t control,” Silvie said, “then so do you.”
Hope watched Silvie hug and reassure Mindy with a scowl, her shoulders slumping slightly.
“Thanks, Silv,” Mindy said softly.
Suddenly the silver-haired powerhouse rounded on her childhood friend, floating between Hope and Mindy with her fists planted on her barely-there-shorts clad hips.
“Hope, do you really think that Mindy fooled both Boyd and me?” she asked. While her stance was firm, Silvie’s tone was gentle.
“It’s still possible.” Hope sounded and looked less than certain. She also looked like she would rather be anywhere else but here.
“I don’t doubt your intent, angel… but you should know that Mindy would never hurt Boyd,” Raev said, and then she sighed. “Tink was also cautious of Mindy—right up until Boyd Enhanced her and she got a peek into Mindy’s soul. I know the bonding experience that we all share in when it happens goes both ways, but I also know it is a little intense when it’s your first.”
She grinned at Silvie, giving the still floating woman a wink. “I know I didn’t get much about Silvie that first time. But in the times since then, I’ve gotten bits about Tink, Mindy, and even you. It’s a shame that these trust issues will only make it take longer for the Big Guy to realize he can and wants to bring in another of us.”
The foxy woman blew a raspberry. “Hope could try focusing on Mindy when it happens, but who knows how long that will be.”
Hope pouted at Raev and Silvie pouted at Hope while returning to her seat. If the trauma specialist could make a wish, it would be that when ‘it’ happened, it would be with her. Laura resisted the urge to sigh.
“Well…” Mindy hesitated, her darkly painted lips curling down in a frown before she shook her head. “Never mind. It might be a potential solution, but this wouldn’t be the time to use it.”
“It can’t hurt to share the idea,” Laura stated.
Of course, she had zero ulterior motives whatsoever. None… right. She was more invested than ever in fixing these women’s trust issues. Given what Raev had just said, it seemed this trust issue was an obstacle blocking her own path forward.
Mindy shrugged but gave Hope a concerned glance. “I’m not recommending this for you, but I think it could be done. Please confirm that you understand that before I bring it up. I promise I’m not trying to trick you.”
“I… I understand,” Hope agreed. She frowned, even as she nodded her head and watched Mindy with wary eyes.
The gorgeous goth who favored those loose but clingy kaftans studied the angel sitting on the other side of Silvie. The silence between then stretched as she chewed on her lower lip. Mindy hesitated to share her idea, even after expressing that she wasn’t offering it up as a solution she favored.
Laura wasn’t sure if she was worried about how it might be taken, or if this was some advanced form of reverse psychology. It didn’t feel like a manipulation—at least not to her. Of course, Mindy might just be that good. Given that all four women with her had been raised in a PAC and had who knows how many hours of training in placating and convincing non-Powereds to do what the Authority wanted, it was possible that all of this was theater.
Hell, it could even be considered an early step in Laura’s training. She thought that unlikely, though. The emotions being shared all seemed too real, too raw. Silvie was torn between who to help, or if she could or even should help. Raev kept peering from one to the other, trying to find the right words to say that would move things along.
Both of them had been stuck like that for a bit.
Mindy appeared a bit more put together than the others. She’d hidden behind her mask, except for those few minutes there when Hope had accused her of manipulating Boyd and damaging the big demon. Then, guilt had weighed heavily on her shoulders, with pain darkening her expression.
Hope appeared to be regretting every word that she’d said when she’d cast her allegations. Though interestingly, she now seemed to anticipate whatever solution the accused might offer up. Normally, when people asserted that they both did and did not want to trust someone, it meant they didn’t want to trust them at all—but felt pressured to.
Laura got the distinct impression that this wasn’t the case here. Hope honestly wanted to trust Mindy, but had good reasons not to.
Their resident mind reader took a deep, steadying breath before responding. “Now that I have both experienced and witnessed an enhancement with another, I believe that I could trigger that moment of connection with my Power.” Mindy explained her idea simply, but continued cautiously. “It would have to be during a similarly intimate moment, and I would have to be in contact with both you and Boyd. Also, you would have to open yourself fully to my Power.”
She held out her hands and shrugged. “Since you don’t trust me, I wouldn’t recommend it.”
Chapter 32
Hope frowned for a moment, studying the other woman before she sighed and said, “It isn’t that I don’t want to trust you.”
“Dammit, this is so unfair.” Raev scowled. “I’ve been waiting for a chance with Mindy and now Hope is going to breeze right on past me in line.”
Silvie rolled her eyes.
“Wait, don’t you need to test it? I volunteer for any testing!” The tips of all six of her tails swayed in amusement.
Silvie flinched at the word ‘testing’. “I guess I’m not quite over that yet,” she admitted.
Raev’s ears went flat, and her tails stilled as she flinched. “Right… oops. I’ll watch my phrasing, especially when we’re talking about past stuff… like tonight. Sorry, babe.”
“It’s okay,” Silvie replied with a bell-like giggle that lost only a little of its chime. “It’s silly to let a word like ‘testing’ have power over me. Don’t avoid it too much. I can cope.”
“Hope, how are you feeling?” Laura brought them back on track, turning the group’s attention back to the angel who wore a thoughtful expression.
“Like I need to know more,” Hope replied. “How would I know that whatever I sensed was the result of Boyd’s Power and not something you wanted me to sense?”
Mindy grimaced. “That’s why I didn’t bother offering to share my memories from the period so you could see how I felt during all of it.” The goth gave a fair imitation of one of Boyd’s shrugs and then favored the angel with an understanding smile. “That would be meaningless since you don’t trust me.”
“How would this be any different than that?” Hope asked, arching one of her golden eyebrows.
“Because you do trust Boyd, implicitly.” Mindy continued to hold a soft smile. “I’m still not recommending it, but he would be there to make sure I didn’t do anything like what you suggested I might try. He can sense when I am using my Power on any of his Devoted over the Bond, and while my Power may allow finer and more precise mental control and work, our man can overpower me without much effort. He’s like a mental hammer that would shut me down if he thought he even sensed something was wrong.”
“Is he really stronger than you?” Hope asked, sounding confused. “I always thought that his mental Powers were fairly limited.”
“When it comes to raw power, he far outclasses me,” Mindy confirmed. “I would not have been able to breach the Last Dragon’s defenses even if I’d been touching it—nor would I have been able to seize as much control as I did without him having hit it with such a strong, if raw, mental attack. The beast was not weak-willed, even if Boyd called it a wuss.”
Raev snorted.
“I understand your confusion, though.” Mindy sighed. “Boyd never did use that aspect of his Power to its full potential back in the PAC. He pretty much stuck to letting damage build up and then forcing his pain onto his opponent when he couldn’t otherwise damage or get to them.”
“Which was awesome enough.” Silvie pouted at Hope. “It made sure everyone was a little scared of him, even the toughest bullies.”
“Which should have been a clear sign of his true potential.” Mindy shook her head, causing the raven waves of her long hair to shift about her shoulders. “Only the strongest mental defenses ever stood against him, and most of them struggled. Yes, I agree with you that the effects of his Mental Powers are limited—but he can put a hell of a lot of force behind them.”
“Is that true?” Hope asked Silvie, blinking. “Is he really stronger than Mindy?”
“Boyd doesn’t deny it when she’s said as much when he’s around… so, yes,” Silvie answered with a nod.
Hope turned back to Mindy. “Then, I… I would not be opposed to trying it,” the angel admitted. She made the statement with far more seriousness than agreeing to a threesome should probably include. “I do not believe you control Boyd to that extent or I would have seen it in him when we were one. He will keep me safe as you said, and if I can see into you the way you see into others, then maybe I will be able to trust you.”
“It’s different than what I hear or see with my Power,” Mindy explained. “It’s more like a snapshot of the person—a slightly less intense version of what you experienced with Boyd the first few times. It gives you a general sense of the others you are in the Bond with, one that leaves you with some understanding of who that person truly is.”
She spread her hands wide. “Even if you agree, I can’t promise you will see what you need to see to trust me.”
“It is worth trying. I really don’t want to think poorly of you,” Hope replied. Her serene smile was back in place, and she once again wore a calm expression.
Laura noticed Silvie peering at the angel with a suspicious expression on her face, which shifted to a knowing look when the other blonde spoke again.
“But, I wonder… since I have to let you use your Power on me during it anyway, if you might do me a kindness.”
“I’d be happy to do anything I can to make it easier for you,” Mindy replied with a warm smile, happy for the opportunity to heal the injury before it festered.
Laura blinked as a pleasant feather-rustling sound filled the room and the angel’s normally gold halo turned a warm shade of pink. It usually only did that when Boyd was present. She quickly glanced over at the door, but found it was still closed.
“Oh, this so isn’t fair,” Raev groused.
The redhead crossed her arms and pouted as her tails flicked to the side in disappointment. When Laura arched an eyebrow at her, the foxy woman turned to Laura and smirked. “I feel let down because I really wanted to be Mindy’s first woman. She only lets me watch—no touching her or Boyd. And how’s a girl supposed to compete?! Her first real threesome will be with an angel—a not-at-all-pure angel!”
“I’m sure you’ll manage.” Laura let out a laugh before turning her attention back to the two at the center of the issue.
“Kuh-he!” Mindy let out her little laugh. “I must admit that your reaction has me very curious. No one knows what you two have been getting up to. Boyd makes me ‘close the curtains’ as he puts it, just like he told you. Silvie likes to speculate, but she wasn’t sure where you two would settle because the two of you were all over the place when you first got here. I take it the kindness you would like me to do is something kinky?”
Another pleasant feather rustle filled the room as Hope’s wings shivered behind her. Expression devoid of anything that might hint towards any inner heat, the angel replied, “I would like you to puppet me, using my body to maximize Boyd’s pleasure… if that counts as kinky.”
“Um…” Mindy hesitated and the small smirk that had come to her lips flattened right back out as her dark eyebrows came together.
“Yes, honey-buns, that counts as very kinky.” Silvie let out a delighted giggle. “Where do you get this? I don’t think Darling would go for that.”
Laura tried to figure out if Boyd would go for such a thing, and if it would be okay. Then she wondered if she had a responsibility, as the conversation’s mediator, to try to prevent it if she decided it wasn’t. She hadn’t settled either issue when Hope replied.
“I just thought of it and it sounded exquisite.” Her radiant smile flipped upside down. “Why would Boyd take issue with it?”
“He would take issue with it because…” Silvie began to explain in a patient tone that sounded long-practiced.
“Wait!” Raev cut her off, her tails standing straight out with her ears perked in a very attentive way. “I hadn’t really thought about it until now, but I think I see what Hope is going for… and it could be awesome! We should hear her out.”
The redhead turned to the angelic woman who had a puzzled look on her face. “Why don’t you explain what you had in mind in more detail, angel-face.”
“You’re only a little better than she is!” Silvie giggled. “I’m not surprised that you think it sounds hot. But Boyd is still a bit finicky when it comes to what is or is not okay—especially when it comes to free will.”
Hope’s wings, which had been standing more upright, suddenly drooped against the back of her chair. “Maybe I shouldn’t explain it.” She frowned.
“I will remind everyone that this is a safe place and that the contents of this conversation are completely confidential and won’t make it back to Boyd,” Laura said, sliding back into the conversation in her role as mediator.
If she was being honest, she also was tremendously curious about just what the angel had in her dirty little mind.
“I won’t force you to say anything if it makes you uncomfortable,” Laura explained, “but I would recommend sharing the details if you are comfortable doing so. Who better to judge if Boyd would frown upon it than the women in this room? I bet Mindy could even quietly run one of her hypotheticals on him to find out for sure.”
“I’m not going to judge you for your personal tastes.” Mindy shrugged, her lips quirking back up into a slight smile. “It’s not like I don’t use my Power to some degree during intimate moments with Boyd, but to exert full control over another like that in intimate settings is something of a taboo for Mind Powered. Even civilians with low-ranked mental abilities get a lot of sexual harassment training. But you are a consenting adult, so feel free to share what you had in mind and I will tell you if I’m comfortable with it.”
“It’s nothing as sinister as what this conversation makes it seem.” Hope pouted and crossed her arms over her chest.
