The Protectors Series Bundle - By Nana Malone Page 0,2

His eyes lit up again and Cassie sighed. She wanted to go tonight. Maybe a miracle was possible. Stranger things had happened.

Bryan smiled crookedly, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he shoved his hands into his jeans. “Cool. Maybe we could even take a ride on my bike or something after?”

Bike? As in motorcycle? She would not pass out from joy and elation. She would keep her cool. Aiming for nonchalance, she said, “Yeah maybe.” Every instinct inside her said yes. Absolutely. But of course she immediately thought of Peter. There was no way he’d let her out of the house.

Please please please come. God, I hope she says yes. Cassie looked up at his wide eyes and his raised, expectant brows and the slight smile on his lips. Like he was eagerly awaiting her answer. He hadn’t spoken, but she ‘d heard his voice in her head. She shook her head, trying to clear it.

God she’s so pretty. Please say yes. Either he was projecting his thoughts or it was getting easier for her to read people. His lips definitely hadn’t moved. Cassie bit her lip and forced herself to nod. “Uhm. I’ll try. My brother’s really strict. But maybe I can convince him.”

He beamed a grin at her and rocked back on his heels. “Totally cool. If you want, I can have my dad call him and let him know it’ll be safe and stuff.” He eyed the exit where Reynolds was dutifully posted.

“That’s great. But let me take care of it.”

His smile faltered a little bit. “Okay. But I hope you make it. If not, I’ll just see you next Wednesday, I guess.”

“Sure. “ She beamed a smile at him. At least she’d left him an opening.

Chapter Two

“You’re not going anywhere, Cassie.”

Cassie glared at her brother from her vantage point on her large canopy bed. “Peter, you can’t just keep me here like a prisoner. I haven’t done anything wrong. I just want to go out and be around people like a normal person. It’s the school’s Winter Celebration. I’ll be safe and careful. And of course, I’ll have my nurse with me.” She ground the word nurse to make sure Peter understood she knew Reynolds’ true purpose.

As his tall frame loomed over her, Peter’s voice was cool and his pale green eyes , a mirror to her own, were icy. “You want to go see a boy I don’t approve of and see that friend of yours,” he spat. “But I’m saying you can’t go.” When she widened her eyes, he added. “Do you really think there is anything that slips by me? I know everything. The freedom you have now is because I allow it. When I say you’re not going anywhere, you’re not going anywhere.”

Feeling mutinous, Cassie crossed her arms over her chest. She wondered where the hell her brother had gone. Peter had always been in her corner. But since their father’s death, he’d changed. This was not the Peter she knew. As a child they’d been so close. He’d vowed to take care of her and find a cure for her heart disease. And he’d found a cure all right. She was stronger. Better. Healed. But at what cost? The brother she’d loved unconditionally was gone. He’d been replaced by her jailer. Her room was every teenager’s dream with a fifty inch television, the latest Bose speakers and her fancy laptop sitting on the coolest of contemporary furnishings. Her walls were covered in posters and pictures of various movie stars. Didn’t matter how nice her room was. It was still a prison.

Cassie shook her head. “This isn’t fair Peter. I just want a little bit of freedom. How is this bad? It’s a school-sponsored event.”

Peter scowled. “After everything you’ve been through and what I’ve saved you from. How can you be so selfish? You know the kind of people who would take you away from me?”

Cassie’s head snapped back as if he’d slapped her. “Peter, I’m only asking to go out. I’m grateful for what you’ve done for me, but you can’t keep me locked up forever.”

He strode into her space forcing her to back up several feet. Snarling, he leaned in. “You will do as you’re told, Cassie. That’s the end of it.” You will not endanger my investment.

Her heart hammered as she stared up at her brother. Just like at the school, she’d heard him clear as crystal in her head. Something was happening. Her mind reading ability was