My eyes flicked around the empty, ruined shell of a room. Not a trace of the VAMP machine remained. There was a large, charred lump I thought might be Intelligal’s almost indestructible chair. I didn’t see any blood or body parts, though. I crept inside, careful of the rubble. Something glinted, and I walked over to it. A silver zipper, halfway undone, lay in one of the smoldering piles. I kicked it with my boot, and it disintegrated.
“Fiona! Fiera! Fiona!”
I winced at the loud voices. They didn’t mesh so well with the harsh buzzing in my ears. I stepped outside to find the Bullucis scrambling up the broken stone steps.
“Fiona! Are you all right?” Bella asked, putting her hand on my shoulder.
“Fine, I’m fine. Just a little shaken up.”
I looked down the steps, expecting to see Hermit, Mr. Sage, and Lulu at the bottom. But they weren’t there, and they didn’t appear.
“Lulu?” I asked, feeling more concerned than I’d thought possible. The computer hacker wasn’t so bad if she’d only stop peppering me with her cheesy, heat-related puns.
Bobby shook his head. “She’s in pretty bad shape. Mr. Sage sent us to come get you so he and Hermit could work on her. She needs to be taken back to the manor as soon as possible.”
“I’m just glad you’re all right, Fiona,” Johnny said, pulling me into a rough, tight hug.
I closed my eyes, savoring the feel of his warm body against mine. I pulled back and just looked at him. Johnny. He was alive, and the ubervillains were gone. Everything was going to be all right. I grabbed Johnny’s face and pulled it down to mine. Then, I gave him the hottest kiss I could manage. I lost myself in the feel of him, the smell, the taste.
“Ahem.”
I ignored Bella.
“Ahem!”
If she did that any louder, she was going to bring the rest of the observatory down around us. Reluctantly, I broke off the kiss. Johnny brushed my hair back from my face. I touched his lips with my fingers. His green eyes softened. Suddenly, he grinned.
“Now that’s how I like to be greeted,” Johnny said, reaching for me again.
I stiff-armed him and stepped back. “Hold it, buster. It’s going to take a lot more than one kiss to get back in my good graces.” I tossed my hair over my shoulder. Dust flapped off the limp, dirty locks.
Johnny stuck out his lip in a mock pout. Bella and Bobby just laughed.
*
My happiness at saving Johnny and the day was muted by the seriousness of Lulu’s condition. Siren’s energy ball had done quite a number on her. In addition to the burns on her body, the electricity had also interrupted her heartbeat and brain activities. The chief had to shock her twice with the defibrillator in the back of the van when she flat-lined. We raced back to Sublime in silence, and Henry and the chief put her in one of the sick bays moments after we parked in the underground garage.
The Bullucis and I stood vigil outside the room, watching the chief work on Lulu. An hour later, he came out. The chief looked exhausted, and worry lines tightened his long face.
“She’s stabilized, but it’s still touch-and-go. If she makes it through the night, then I think she’ll be all right. Henry’s in there with her. I suggest you all go home and get some rest. There’s nothing you can do at the moment.”
One by one, we drifted away. Johnny took his sister and grandfather home to change clothes and freshen up. The Bullucis promised to return as soon as they could. I made my way to my suite, stripped off my tattered, ruined costume, and took a long shower to wash away the grime of the fight and explosion. I changed into jeans, stilettos, and a fitted white shirt.
I lay down on my bed, but I couldn’t sleep. Even though I’d been up more than twenty-four hours, I was still too wired from everything that had happened. So, I got up and went to the kitchen, where I made a dozen roast-beef-and-cheddar-cheese sandwiches. I put four aside for Henry and the chief and downed the rest of them, along with a gallon of milk and a deep-dish apple pie topped with vanilla bean ice cream. My father found me inside just as I was scraping the last bite of melted ice cream out of the bowl.
“Sorry,” I said, pushing him the plate full of sandwiches. “If you wanted pie, you should have gotten here three minutes ago.”
“Don’t worry about it,” he said, taking one of the sandwiches. “I’m used to it.”
After the chief finished his first sandwich, he spoke again.
“You’ve been incredibly strong these last few hours. Escaping the freezer, figuring out the ubervillains’ scheme. You saved us, Fiona. You saved all of us today. I don’t think I’ve ever been prouder of you,” the chief said, his eyes bright.
I nodded. “I only wish Lulu hadn’t gotten hurt in the process. Is there any change?”
The chief shook his head. “We’ll just have to wait and see. It’s out of my hands now.”
Hot tears gathered in my eyes. My father opened his arms, and we hugged for a long time.
*
The chief left to go to his own suite and shower before he checked on Lulu again. I went down to the sick bay to give Henry a break. The doors swooshed open, and I stepped inside. The harsh, chemical smell of disinfectant and ointment filled the room. I walked over to the bed where Lulu lay.
The computer hacker’s face was paler than usual, and her hair stood out like black-and-blue ink against the white of her pillow. Thick gauze bandages covered her chest, and she seemed about an inch away from death. Henry sat by her side, still in costume, holding her hand and whispering words of encouragement.
I tapped him on the shoulder. Henry yelped and almost jumped out of his chair.
“Oh, it’s you, Fiona. You scared me.”
I pulled up a chair and sat next to him. “How is she?”
Henry sighed, his eyes dark and sad. “The same. No worse, no better.”
“Why don’t you go get some rest? I’ll sit with her until you get back,” I said in a gentle tone.
“No, I’m not going anywhere. Not until she wakes up.”
“You’re dirty and exhausted. You’re not any good to Lulu right now.”
Henry looked down at his ripped, torn costume. He shifted in his chair, and bits of ash flaked off the spandex. “So what?”
“So, you look almost as bad as she does. You certainly smell worse. Now go.” I grabbed the back of his suit and pushed him toward the door. “I’ll watch her while you get cleaned up. I promise.”
“Come get me if anything, anything at all, changes,” Henry said, clutching the doorframe.
I pulled his fingers off, but he grabbed on to the other side. “I will. Now go.”
After a few more false starts and forceful shoves, I convinced Henry to leave Lulu to me for a little while. I plopped down in the chair beside her bed. After about a minute, I drummed my fingers on my knee. Shifted back and forth in my seat. Fiddled with my hair. If I’d had some gum, I would have blown big bubbles. I’d never been good at sitting still, and I absolutely hated waiting.
But I’d promised Henry. Plus, it was my fault that Lulu was hurt. I was the one who’d let her come along. I should have locked her and the Bullucis in the van where they would have been safe. Instead, Lulu had gone all noble on me and kept Siren from zapping Johnny. I should have been able to take out Siren before she got that shot off. I should have been quicker, smarter, stronger. Now, the computer hacker was paying the price for my mistakes—and her own bravery.
Coulda, woulda, shoulda. Unfortunately, after-the-fact clarity was another thing that went along with being a superhero.
“You know, you need to snap out of this coma thing you’ve got going on,” I said in a conversational tone. “It’s not doing you any good, and you’ve got everybody else worried sick about you. Especially Henry. If you go and die on him, well, I’ll have to kill you all over again.”
I rolled my eyes. I sounded dumb even to myself. Perhaps dying wasn’t the best thing to talk to Lulu about. A good bedside manner was not my specialty. Tha
t was Chief Newman’s department.
So, I sat there and talked to Lulu about all sorts of things. The battle, how Siren and Intelligal had been toasted by the bombs, how brave but stupid I thought she’d been saving Johnny, how I hoped that Johnny and I could get past today.
“I really, really like him,” I said. “And not just because the sex is incredible and he’s one of the most gorgeous men I’ve ever had the privilege to sleep with. I like his sense of humor, his quick wit, his silly grins.” I leaned forward and dropped my voice to a whisper. “The truth is that I love him. But let’s just keep that between you and me for right now.”
After going on for a good while about my feelings for Johnny, I lapsed into silence. I didn’t have any more words left in me. So, I clutched Lulu’s hand and tried to feel soothing and calm.
I sat beside her, my head bowed, for almost an hour. A small rustle sounded. My head snapped up. Lulu’s eyes fluttered open. My breath caught in my throat. This was a good sign, right? I mean, she wasn’t going to die on us if she was awake, was she?
“Henry?” Lulu croaked, her voice weak and raspy.
“Hey,” I said, leaning over so she could see me. “Henry’s not here right now. It’s me, Fiona. You’re back at the manor in one of the sick bays.”
“Henry?”
“Henry’s fine, and so is everybody else. The ubervillains are dead.”
After a moment of thinking and staring at me, Lulu’s eyes cleared. “Fiona. Of course. That’s why it’s so hot in here.”
I rolled my eyes. “You must be getting better if you can crack bad jokes like that.”
Lulu chuckled. At least she tried to. She gave up, gasping for air.
“Easy, easy. Don’t overdo it.”
Lulu nodded. “I’ll try. What happened? The last thing I remember is this big blue ball of energy slamming into me.”
I filled her in again on the battle at the observatory.
“I’m glad those bitches are dead,” Lulu said. “My chest feels like it’s on fire.”
“Do you want me to get the chief? I’m sure he can give you some more painkillers.”
Lulu shook her head. “No, I’m fine. Really sleepy, actually. Where’s Henry?”
“Get some sleep. He’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Lulu relaxed. “You were right about one thing, Fiona.”
“Really? What was that?”
“Me being in a wheelchair and having kids or not having kids isn’t that important. All that matters is Henry and me and how we feel about each other.”
“So, does this mean there’ll be another wedding around here in the near future?” I asked. “Because I know this designer who does really fabulous gowns.”
“You can count on it,” Lulu said, drifting off. “Tell Henry I said yes...yes...yes...”
I smiled. “I’ll be sure to relay the message.”
Lulu’s eyes slid shut before I finished speaking.
*
Later that afternoon, the chief announced that Lulu had stabilized and that she should make a slow, but full, recovery. The computer hacker drifted in and out of consciousness the rest of the day. She came awake long enough to tell Henry that she wanted to marry him, then promptly fell asleep when he leaned over to kiss her. Ah, love among nerds. It was a beautiful thing.
The Bullucis returned that night bearing pasta, wine, and more. After a brief, somewhat subdued celebration in Lulu’s room, which the guest of honor slept through, we moved the party to the library. Henry went to check on Lulu every few minutes, while my father entertained the Bullucis with superhero stories.
But I had a different sort of party in mind. One that involved only two people—Johnny and me. I walked over and drew him away from the others.
“Let’s get out of here,” I said in a low voice. “We need to talk.”
Johnny nodded. He put down his champagne, and we slipped out of the library.
“Where are we going?” he asked.
“You’ll see.”
I dragged Johnny down the halls until we reached my suite. I threw open the door, pulled him inside, and shut it behind us. Then, I wrapped my arms around his neck and lifted my lips to his.
I loved him. I really, really loved him. I’d admitted it to myself and Lulu, and now I was going to tell Johnny. Somehow, some way in the last few days, I’d fallen in love with him. Travis would always be a part of me, always have a piece of my heart. But I was ready to get on with my life. And I wanted to do it with Johnny Bulluci. Mr. Right Now had turned into Mr. Forever.
The kiss went on for a long time. I tried to take a few steps to the side, where the bed was oh-so-conveniently waiting for us to make wild, crazy love in it. But Johnny wasn’t cooperating. The kiss ended, and he pulled back.
“Is something wrong?” I asked, eyeing the bed. If I could just maneuver him a few more feet to the right—
“I’ve been thinking a lot today. About you, me, my father, Angel, everything. I...we...we can’t be together, Fiona,” he said in a low voice.
All thoughts of the bed and what we could do in it fled. “What? Why?” My voice came out as more of a shriek than a wail.
Johnny ran his hand through his tawny hair. “Because of Siren and Intelligal. Because...of everything.”
“But it’s over now,” I protested. “We stopped them. The ubervillains are dead. They’ll never bother us again. Justice has been served.”
“Thanks to you. You saved us all, Fiona. Your father, Henry, me, Lulu, my family. All I did was almost get myself and you killed.” Johnny’s eyes were dark and troubled. His gaze wandered around the room, settling on something over my shoulder.
“But—”
“No buts. You were right. This whole time, you were right. I let my need for vengeance blind me. I acted like a reckless, selfish fool, and I almost killed you in the process. I let an ubervillain take over my mind and make me her puppet. I put you in a fish freezer and left you to die.”
“But you helped me escape,” I pointed out. “You gave me your lighter.”
Johnny’s mouth twisted. “Too little, almost too late. How can I expect you to forgive me for that? I can’t even forgive myself for hurting you. How can we be together after everything that’s happened? I’m sorry, Fiona. I don’t deserve you. I never have, and I never will.”
Johnny stared at me, as if memorizing the curves of my face. Then, he opened the door and left the room.
Leaving me alone.
Chapter Thirty-One
To say that I spent the next few days in a bad mood would be the understatement of the year. The century even. After Johnny left me, I stayed in a perpetual pissy state. I alternated between crying, swimming, and growling at everyone who crossed my path.
And eating. I ate everything I could sink my teeth into. I always ate more when I was heartbroken.
Almost three weeks after the battle at the observatory, Carmen and Sam returned from their honeymoon. They looked rested, tanned, and more in love than ever. Their happiness and Lulu and Henry’s engagement only made me more painfully aware of what I could have had with Johnny if he hadn’t been such a hardheaded, stubborn ass.
I tried to get through to him, of course. I called him and sent gag gifts and even showed up at the Bulluci mansion with dinner from Quicke’s. But Johnny didn’t take my calls. Didn’t return my gifts. Didn’t even acknowledge my visit.
It was a problem I couldn’t fix by using my fists or fireballs or general fabulousness. I didn’t know what to do.
Carmen, being the unbearable, cheerful newlywed, made light of my disastrous love life.
“He’ll come around eventually, Fiona,” she murmured, her eyes vacant the way they always were when she was listening to the voices in her head. “I just know he will.”
Stupid voices in Carmen’s head. They gave me a shred of hope. But as the days passed and Johnny didn’t respond to my reconciliation attempts, my depression only grew. Four weeks after the incident in my suite,
I paced around my office. Brooding as usual.
A knock sounded, and Piper entered the room. She set a bag of doughnuts down on my desk. I tore into them like a dog snapping at a bone. Sugar was always good for a broken heart.
“Do you want to tell me what’s bothering you?” Piper asked.
“It’s nothing a couple dozen of these babies won’t fix,” I said, shoving a chocolate-glazed pastry into my mouth.
“If you say so.” Piper leaned against the doorway. “Well, now that the fall line has finally been shipped out to our suppliers, I had a chance to look over your sketches for spring.”
I stared at her, another sticky doughnut halfway to my lips. “What sketches?”
Piper held out a stack of papers. “These sketches. Don’t you remember?”
I took the papers from her and flipped through them. My heart sank. They were the drawings I’d done the first time Johnny had sent me flowers. Now, they just reminded me of what I had lost and would never have again. I tossed them aside and ate another doughnut, a cream-cheese-filled one this time.
Piper flipped through the pages of discarded drawings. “I love it, Fiona. The color, the patterns, everything. I think it will be one of your best lines ever.”
I snorted. “It’s crap, Piper. Garbage. Those designs don’t have any edge, any real style. I’m going to totally redo the spring line for next year. I’ll do something bold, something daring, something...in black, I think.”
“Black? You only use black when you’re depressed about something.” Piper’s eyes narrowed. “Or when you have man troubles. What’s his name and what’s he done to you, Fiona? It’s Johnny Bulluci, isn’t it?”
Just hearing his name was painful. “What makes you think that?”
Piper sighed. “Because you’ve eaten half a dozen doughnuts in the space of about two minutes.”