Dashing Devil Omnibus 1: Books 1-3, page 98
Tinker snorted. “I saw how that worked out the first time. If you need to be freed from someone else, I’ll think of something.” She bounced her brows at him as she tapped her head. “Now, can you do anything to protect my thoughts through the metal door and a little distance?”
Boyd frowned, he didn’t like the idea of letting her out of his sight, but knew he’d have to get over that at some point. Normally he used this Power in bursts, but he’d never had to hold it on at a distance. He could throw it pretty much as far as he could see, though, so his range shouldn’t be an issue.
His Changed Mind sent him the impression that it wouldn’t be a problem.
“Yes.” He nodded.
Then Boyd got another lesson in how to use his Power from himself. His Changed Mind seemed to wait for him to be paying attention before he somehow deliberately attached tendrils to specific parts of Tinker’s mind.
His other self conveyed that, by connecting to these parts and sending a steady trickle down those connections, it should prevent others from connecting to her thoughts without affecting Tinker, herself. The trickle started up and held before his Changed Mind sank back onto its bed.
“I should be able to keep others out for a time.” Boyd noted how the connection seemed to dull the sense he got from her over their new Bond, too.
“Good.” She leaned in and pecked his nose. “Please put me down then.” She kicked her legs towards the ground as if they would grow and let her reach it on her own.
Boyd leaned down and carefully set her on her feet, reluctant to let her go.
She smiled and flushed a deeper pink, “Give me a half hour and then I think you mentioned something about cuddles.”
It was only then that he remembered he was supposed to reassure Silvie after Mindy’s meddling. “Ah, yes please. I should probably ask about cuddling and the others though.” He wasn’t sure how to broach the subject.
It took Tinker a second to catch on, but then she laughed. “Oh… because I don’t want to um, you know, with them? No, cuddling should be fine. I just don’t think I want to kiss or… do other stuff with girls. I’ve shared beds with girls and figure I will again, especially if I want to sleep in your bed with you—which I do—so cuddling won’t be an issue. Do you think they’ll want me around, though? Especially after this?”
Boyd’s first thought was that it didn’t matter what Silvie or Mindy thought after all this, but that was just his grumpiness speaking and he knew it. His Changed Mind even signaled its displeasure, sending him a vaguely growly threat about treating all his women properly. Boyd found that just fantastic—now he was threatening himself.
So, instead of being grumpy or flippant, he gave it some actual thought. Then, he checked in on the Bond he shared with Silvie for a hint about her current mentality. What he found brought a warm smile to his face.
Silvie was really worried—so much so, that it made his gut clench in a sympathetic reaction. But she wasn’t worried about anything remotely rational, given the situation.
He chuckled and shook his head. “Yes, and it’s good you are okay with cuddling the others. I think Silvie might be a bit more clingy with you than me once we get back.”
“What?” Tinker’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Why?”
“This whole time,” another chuckle forced its way out, “her biggest concern has been that this might mean we won’t end up together—you and me, that is.”
“Seriously?” Tinker’s brows jumped in surprise, incredulity on her face. “Not that I’ll turn her in, or turn you against her?”
“Nope,” Boyd shook his head, “she’s a little worried about the second one, but she isn’t worried about being turned in at all.”
“Huh!” Tinker grunted.
“Yeah, it pretty much confirms that they are connected to a splinter group.” Boyd shared his conclusion with her. “They probably control Glorith City, or at least enough of The Authority there that you getting back there to blow the whistle wouldn’t matter. So, if you do end up running, don’t go back to Glorith.”
“Right.” Tinker nodded. “Okay, I need a half hour. Um, could you guard the door? I’m not really worried anymore, but knowing you are out here would still make me feel better.”
“Of course. I think I might call Silvie down here, though. She is really worried this will mean sending you away. Is that okay?” Boyd asked.
“Sure. I’ll lock the door. It should take her more than a few seconds to get through the lock. It’s not like her being down the hall would make that much of a difference in how long it would take her to get to me if she wanted to.” Tinker shrugged her slender shoulders. In the wide-open cleavage window of this skin-tight suit, the simple movement drew his eyes lower.
“Yay!” she murmured softly enough that he was fairly sure he wasn’t supposed to hear it.
He could also feel across their Bond just how thrilled she was to draw his eye each time she had over the past few days. With that, he also got confirmation that she had indeed been trying—including with that shrug—to do just that.
He made a mental note to look more often. It was just a sacrifice he would have to make to build up her self-esteem. Boyd gave her a smile as she seemed to wait, seeing if he might look more now. He scanned her up and down one more time, as she shifted her stance as his eyes travel up her petite, but toned body.
“I really like your suit, by the way,” he told her.
“I hated it until this moment. Now, I never want to take it off.” Tinker laughed a little awkwardly.
“Hold on now,” Boyd said seriously. “Those little fabric body suits of yours have their merits, and are much softer than they look... much better for cuddling.”
“I’ll have to thank Raev for convincing me to wear them. I bought them by accident; they were supposed to be full sized, for working in,” Tinker explained.
“A very happy accident,” Boyd rumbled.
Tinker’s cheeks flushed once more. “I’ve got a clean one I’ll put on. Um… I’m gonna go now. Um… the kiss was nice. Really nice. Um… I’ll be back.” She turned and scurried away.
Boyd got the impression that it had suddenly all caught up to her and kept an eye on their Bond. She felt a little nervous, but mostly excited—a little overwhelmed, but mostly in a positive way.
The large blast doors hissed open as she approached, and Boyd could see lights coming on in the large lab on the other side. Bright white lights reflected off all the chrome, steel, and glass of the equipment that took up most of the room. He didn’t get a good look before the doors hissed closed behind her, though. Plus, it took him a good second or two to pull his eyes from her cute bubble butt to see the lab.
Once she was out of sight, Boyd took a second to settle himself, drawing and releasing a few deep breaths. Damn… had all that just happened? It was a lot to process at once, but no one ever said being a Hero would be simple.
Chapter 21
Once he had finished processing everything one more time, Boyd checked his Bonds. There were three of them now, and likely to be four in the near future. Tinker was quickly coming down from her excitement and had entered a focused, almost fugue-like state. The transition impressed him. Raev was mildly concerned but was also confident that everything would be okay. It felt like she had simply decided that Boyd would see them through whatever was going on.
Silvie, however, was a ball of concern, worry, and guilt. She was more upset than he had ever felt from her—more upset than she’d been in the hospital, after he’d almost died.
The difference this time was that she was filled with self-recrimination. Boyd couldn’t have his love feeling so poorly about herself, so he tried something new. He summoned his love for her and reached down their Bond with it. He tried to mimic what his Changed Mind had done, sending a slow but constant flow of his fondness for her down their bond.
His Changed Mind sent him another derisive thought about his own ineptitude and took over after Boyd fumbled it twice, not being able to get the stream to connect in the same way. This time, it felt like his other self grabbed Boyd’s perception of his Power and pulled him closer, making him pay close attention to what it was doing. Then, it connected his Power to Silvie slowly and deliberately—as if demonstrating the process.
As soon as the connection formed and solidified, it broke and faded away. Boyd was left feeling that he should try again as his Changed Mind withdrew. Boyd grumbled about his other self being an asshole, as he tried to replicate what the other him had done. It took another two tried, the first attempt faltering after partially connecting.
On his fourth total attempt, though, it latched on and stabilized. Suddenly, he felt his love for Silvie flowing towards her. It settled her emotions almost immediately. His sense of her through the Bond filled with warmth as she soaked up his love. Then, he sent her his desire for her company—something that never really went away.
Excitement and joy filled their Bond. A moment later she came floating around the curve in the hall at a moderate—for her, at least—pace. It was faster than he could manage at a sprint, and his strength made him no slouch when it came to straight line speed. She stopped a few feet away from him, chewing at her bottom lip with a worried expression.
Silvie glanced around, looking for Tinker. “Is she gone?” She sounded so sad that it broke his heart a little.
“No.” Boyd shook his head with a small, reassuring smile. “She’s not going anywhere. We’ve actually formed the first layer of the Bond.”
“Really?” Her bright eyes lit up with hope, then confusion. “Wait… why?”
“So I’ll know if she is in danger,” Boyd replied, opening his arms to beckon her into them.
Silvie floated forward and draped her arms around his neck as he hugged her close, pressing her against himself.
“You don’t think I would hurt her, do you?” She sounded hurt at the very thought.
“Of course not. I’ve been you. I only thought it might be possible while she was hurting me. Outside of that, I know you wouldn’t harm her intentionally.” Boyd ducked his head and brought his lips to her neck, which he gave a little nip.
She tilted her head to the side, giving him better access to kiss and nibble on her there. “Mindy wouldn’t hurt her either.” She sighed, relaxing as he distracted her.
“While I want to believe that, and pretty much do, you know I have to take precautions. I brought Tinker onto the team, meaning I brought her into whatever is going on. Besides, this will help me keep her safe from any outside threats, too,” Boyd rumbled into her neck before turning his head to find her mostly bare shoulder, kissing along her soft skin.
“Hmmm, alright.” She cooed directly into his ear. “You aren't going to ask?”
“I’d just forget.” He shrugged. “Apparently, I’ve been noticing that you are involved in something since we were thirteen or fourteen, but mostly since we bonded. My Changed Mind has been making me forget in order to protect you.”
Silvie laughed weakly in his arms. “It wasn’t until we were fourteen, so you must have noticed like right away. I thought I was being so sneaky, too. Oh… and Mindy says to tell you ‘other self’. I’m supposed to scold you every time you call it your ‘Changed Mind’, too.”
Boyd smiled into her shoulder, moving back up to her neck with a trail of kisses. He enjoyed the closeness, her feel and her scent. He would be lying if he said this situation didn’t have him on edge.
He didn’t like not being on the same side as Silvie. They were always on each other's side. That was just a fact of the universe, as far as he was concerned.
“Right, my other self,” he rumbled, “who has been hiding a lot from me.” That had a second unsettling revelation, and he hadn’t even had lunch yet.
“Mindy said she put you two in touch, and it might be scary for you. The timing of this couldn’t be worse.” Silvie said this against the side of his head, holding him a little more firmly. Her thighs slid up and she wrapped her legs around his waist.
“I’m supposed to remind you that he is just part of you and that he doesn’t scare me at all,” she said before kissing his ear. “I see him in you sometimes—mostly when you are fighting or fucking.” Silvie nibbled his ear. “He’s always been there, though, a part of you.”
“Yeah?” he rumbled, a little heat entering his tone.
“Mhmm,” she purred, nipping his ear again before pulling back to look him in the eyes.
He could see the excitement that his kissing and nipping had built in her, it danced just beneath the surface of her blue and silver gaze. “You don’t have to be scared of him,” she said with surety.
“Okay,” Boyd agreed.
Of course, it wasn’t that simple.
The fact that his Changed Mind had been rather helpful, if a bit rude, went a long way to calming his worst fears. At the very least, both of them valued the women in his life and neither wanted any harm to come to them.
Not having to worry about hurting those closest to him went a long way towards making his potentially going Primal less terrifying. He was still holding Mindy at bay, so she could only hear him through Silvie, and was unable to correct his thoughts.
“So, what’s next?” Silvie asked after a moment. “Oh, and what am I feeling? It’s really nice. I can tell it’s your love, but… how?”
“Oh, my Cha…” Boyd coughed to the side. “My other self taught me a new trick.”
He grinned. He’d forgotten he was holding it, given how simple it was. Boyd was fairly certain he could hold it indefinitely if he was so inclined. Come to think of it, that didn’t sound like such a bad idea.
“Is it distracting?”
“It’s a little intense,” Silvie confirmed with a nod. “It’s really nice, though.”
Boyd looked internally, trying to figure out if he could lower the intensity without removing the connection. He expected his Changed Mind to make another appearance, but while Boyd did feel it was watching his efforts like a hawk, it remained silent. Boyd was able to figure it out on his own, lowering the trickle down to a steady drip.
“How about that?”
Silvie closed her eyes with a pleasant little smile, focusing on the feeling for a full minute before answering. “That’s less intense. Hmmm...”
She made a humming little purr. “At first, it felt like when you are that needy kind of cuddly—the kind where you start kissing and biting the good spots to get me excited like you were just doing.”
Sher gave another happy little sigh. “Now, though, it’s more like you’re standing right behind me with your hands on my waist or hips… like you are watching what I’m doing over my shoulder but don’t want to distract or stop me. You just want me to know you are there and that you love me.”
He hummed into her neck, liking the sound of that. “Mind if I leave it there for a bit?”
“Can you?” she asked hopefully.
“Feels like it,” he nodded in confirmation. “I’m pretty sure I can just sort of leave it there. Actually… it feels like it will make connecting to you for other stuff easier if I leave it there—kind of like a guide rope. It might fade in my sleep, though.”
“I hope not, I would love if it always felt like this.” Silvie grinned at him.
“I’ll leave it then, and if it fades, I can put it back. At least I think I’ll remember how. Not sure how my other self making me forget things works,” Boyd admitted.
Just how much of this all was he going to lose?
“Well, I noticed it happen once...” Silvie scrunched her lips to one side. “You overheard part of one of my calls with Mindy. I was… I was sloppy. We got in a little fight about me not telling you who I’d been speaking to, or what we had been talking about, but it was late, and I had an early day, so we went to bed after a bit. In the morning, you remembered the fight but thought it was about a stupid mistake I’d made in the field earlier that week.”
Boyd’s brows drew together as he tried to remember. Had it been about what happened at the bank?
“I kinda think the other you just found something to justify the fight with, but it was a valid mistake. I totally didn’t check my blind spots clearing that bank. Difference was that when I brought it up to you, you simply updated my training. We didn’t actually fight about the mistake, but you apologized for being so hard on me about it the next morning.”
“Huh.” Boyd grunted.
He remembered the fight and how silly it had felt after the fact. The mistake wasn’t enough to justify his perceived frustration about it. He’d spent an entire workout session trying to figure out why it had happened, ultimately deciding that he was just being pissy because of their circumstances.
“Well, that explains that.”
“Yeah, you seemed a little confused, but I distracted you with a quickie for an apology and everything was okay after that.” She grinned one of her devilish grins.
“That does typically do the job.” Boyd grinned back.
She nuzzled her nose against his before leaning back and adopting a more serious expression. “Although, you don’t have to forget much longer. We can’t answer all your questions because we don’t have all the answers, but it’s time to bring you in on what we do know… Raev and Tinker, too.”
Silvie paused before continuing, obviously carrying on two conversations at once. “Mindy would like to ask how you are dealing with the compulsion that was laid on you.”
“My other self is taking care of it. He uses my Mental Domination in ways I never even thought about,” Boyd responded.
“She says we should probably remove it before we tell you too much more. It would be best if you were asleep for that. Also, she told me that your Mental Domination is much stronger than we thought,” Silvie said, ending with a frown.
“No!” She scowled. “I’m not going to call my Darling a little shit.”
