Gifted Connections 2

A lighter, softer knock sounded on the door. “Come on, Blake. Pops is up.” Alex called through the door.

It was my turn to moan in frustration. “You made me forget,” I said in mock irritations. I stood up to find my panties.

“Leave them.” Jace slid up behind me. “I’ll find them later. Besides, I like to think of you naked under that shirt.”

“I wish something else was under my shirt, or should I say, in me.” I leaned against him.

He cursed. “You need to stop saying that or I’m locking us in here all day.”

Another knock.

“Jaxson James,” Jace growled loudly. “I swear, if you knock one more time, I’m breaking off your hands.”

“Mine too?” Alex chirped with no fear.

Jace threw on a pair of sweats, before opening the door. “No little man,” Jace was adept at hiding his frustration, but as Alex and Jaxson exchanged conspiratorial looks, he bent down so that he was on eye level with him. “I’ll just let the girls put their makeup on you,” he said with mock seriousness. He knew better than to joke about beating or breaking anything with Alex. Alex knew all too well what it was like to get unnecessary beatings.

Alex eyes widened before he took off down the hall, yelling.

Jaxson gave us a smug smile. “I hope I wasn’t interrupting anything, but Alex woke me up, and I didn’t think it was fair if I was the only one up, suffering.”

“I’ll take care of you later,” Jace said with annoyed look.

Jaxson laughed before he jabbed Jace with a fist. “I’m not afraid of you anymore, big brother,” he said but took off running the moment Jace went to retaliate.

“Are you sure it’s not a trap? Are you sure he’s your brother?” Will asked in consternation as he looked down at our addresses.

“He’s our brother,” Alex said doggedly as he took a bite of his banana.

I had given him a snack while I began whisking the pancake batter. We were the only ones up, but I knew it wouldn’t be that way for long. I decided to do a banana foster topping and strawberry with whip cream topping (my favorite).

“I don’t think it’s a trap,” I stated as I started slicing up the fruit.

We had just filled Will and Jace in on what happened last night. To say Will was flummoxed would be putting it lightly. He had been gifted for many years. He was immersed in the culture for a very long time. In a short while, we had rocked all his preconceived notions. I had six connections and had gained their gifts, while retaining my own. Micah, Ella, and Alex were showing an ability to handle their gifts far exceeding many children or teens twice as old as them.

Jace slid up behind me and handed me my coffee with a kiss on my cheek. “Did he tell you this, little man?”

“They did resemble each other,” Jaxson stated as he took a s

ip of his own coffee.

I paused, momentarily distracted by Jaxson and Jace standing by each other in their sculpted beauty. Both were sans shirt. They resembled each other in many ways. Jace had harder, more angular features. Jaxson was wider in the chest and shoulders. I really wished we could implement a mandatory shirt rule. Especially this early in the morning. They were proving to be a distraction.

In that moment, Troy came into the room without a shirt on, wearing a pair of his martial arts pants. I was vaguely aware of Will saying something, but I was so preoccupied with the sight of them that I was incapable of processing his words.

“Blake?” Will called my name again.

I blushed and ducked my head. “I’m sorry,” I mumbled. “Just waiting for the coffee to kick in. What did you say?”

“Coffee?” Troy gave me a knowing grin.

“Do you believe we should trust your brother? Do you think we can trust his intel?” Will repeated as he gave the boys a narrowed gaze.

“Which one?” Troy asked in confusion before he plucked a piece of strawberry off my cutting board.

“Cade,” I explained to him. “Jaxson and I got to meet him last night through Alex. He warned us some of the intel we received may be incorrect, and he gave us the locations of the actual facilities with the rest of the females he has. Yes, I believe him.”

“Wait, what?” Troy raised an eyebrow.