Part 16 (1/2)

”Dinner is at six sharp. Everyone will be there. We need to talk about what our next move should be. I'll come back up and get you then. In the meantime, make yourself comfortable. Try to relax.”

My eyes drifted to the bed. I'd like to relax in that, all right, with Sam next to me. Or on top of me. Or under me. I wasn't picky. I pushed the wicked thought out of my mind.

”Thanks.”

Sam winked at me, walked across the room, and closed the door.

I sank down onto the plush bed. A silly little grin turned up the corners of my mouth. He'd winked at me! Sam Sloane had winked at me! Then, reality intruded, as it so often did. My grin faded away. What was wrong with me?

Mooning over Sam would get me nothing but trouble, and I didn't need my karma to get any worse.

And, of course, there was the fact that I'd made the superhero-dating mistake before with Matt, although technically I hadn't known he was a superhero. Still, all the long hours, mysterious disappearances, and strange injuries had been difficult to put up with, to say the least. And then there was the betrayal of Matt cheating on me with Karen, my best friend and the local ubervillain. I had no desire to repeat that.

No desire whatsoever.

Well . . .

Maybe just a little . . .

A teeny, tiny bit of desire . . .

KarmaGirl.

I growled. Maybe Frost had given me some kind of bizarre love potion in addition to the tranquilizer.

Maybe that explained my odd attraction to Sam and my fascination with his brilliant eyes. I snorted.

Yeah right.

More than likely I was feeling the so-called superhero swoon effect. It was a well-known fact that after someone was saved by a superhero, she usually developed a mad, mad crush on her savior. The victim bought the hero chocolates, flowers, and other trinkets and made a pest of herself until the superhero oh-so-gently told her they could never be together. It was a well-doc.u.mented phenomenon. Countless journal articles had been written about it, often by bitter female researchers who had been under the effects of the superhero swoon once upon a time.

Except, in my case, I'd actually slept with said superhero before he'd saved me. And no matter how I tried to deny it, I wanted to again. And again. And again. I groaned and flopped back on the bed. There was no way things could ever work out between Sam and me, no matter how super the s.e.x had been.

There were just too many things between us, namely the ghost of a dead man and a malicious ubervillain who wanted our heads on a silver platter. Malefica was out there somewhere plotting her revenge, trying to get me back in her sights. I couldn't bear it if something happened to Sam because of me. But what could I do to stop it?

I mulled over the predicament, pus.h.i.+ng possible options around in my mind like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. I sat up and squared my shoulders. I would go to dinner tonight and be nice and polite to everyone, even Fiona Fine. Then, I would pack up my things and leave Sam Sloane and the rest of the Fearless Five alone.

Forever.

It was the only chance I had to keep Sam and the others safe from Malefica's wrath.

And the only way I could keep my shattered heart from taking another pummeling at the hands of a superhero.

KarmaGirl.

15.

After spending fifteen minutes chastising myself and vowing never to look at Sam Sloane ever again, I stripped off my hospital clothes and took the longest bath in the history of mankind. Well, one of the longest.

Like the rest of the suite, the bathroom had everything a girl could want. Bath beads, exotic body oils, even scented soap-on-a-rope. I threw a couple of different scents into the swimming-pool-sized tub and filled it to the brim with the hottest water I could stand. I plunged into the bubbles and scrubbed myself down.

When I finished, I wrapped myself in a fluffy white bath towel and unstopped the tub. I watched the soapy water swirl down the drain. If only my troubles could disappear so easily.

Sam knocked on the door at exactly six. The superhero had shed his skin-tight leather suit for a perfectly fitted tuxedo. The black coat and white s.h.i.+rt only enhanced his dark good looks. My heart fluttered.

Sam's silver eyes flicked over my body. I looked down at my ensemble, a less-than-glamorous combo of faded jeans, worn-out sneakers, and a T-s.h.i.+rt that read LOVE JUST WEIGHS A WOMAN DOWN. A pink anvil covered with hearts crushed a woman to death on the front of the s.h.i.+rt. I cringed, aware once again of the enormous socioeconomic gap between us. I looked like a bag lady next to Sam.

”I didn't realize we were dressing up for dinner. If you give me a few minutes, I can change-”

”No, no. You look fine. It doesn't matter. I should have told you. It's something we do around here.

There's no reason to change.”

Superheroes who dressed up for dinner? Odd. I wouldn't think they would have time to do something so fancy, what with all the crime in Bigtime. I wondered what other strange, superhero behavior I was going to witness tonight.

”Are you ready?” Sam asked.

Ready to face the friends of a superhero I'd driven to commit suicide? Sure, no problem. I did that every day and twice on Sundays.

Or not.

A ball of nerves knotted up in my stomach, and I let out a long breath. ”As ready as I'll ever be.”

”Don't worry. n.o.body blames you for Travis's death,” he said in a gentle voice. ”Everything will be fine.”

I didn't believe him for an instant. They all blamed me, and I knew it.

I could feel it in my very soul.

Sam led me down various hallways and flights of stairs until we reached the dining room. I stepped over the threshold and stopped. A chandelier the size of a compact car hung over the table and bathed the room in a pure, white light. A table filled with delicate china, antique crystal, and lit candles crouched below. Impressionist paintings in silver frames adorned the walls, while gleaming suits of armor stood guard next to them. I felt small and insignificant and shabby in the enormous room, which could easily hold a couple hundred people. The others cl.u.s.tered around one end of the long, square table. They rose, and I realized they were just as dressed up as Sam was. Henry and the chief wore dark tuxedos, while Fiona sported a bright blue gown.

”Carmen, good to see you,” Chief Sean Newman rumbled.

”Hi, Carmen.” Henry gave me a shy wave.

Fiona remained silent. The other's woman anger and loathing for me radiated from her with the heat of a KarmaGirl.

thousand suns. Beads of sweat popped out on my face. If Fiona got any hotter, my hair would light up like a Christmas tree.

”Chief, Henry, Fiona.”

I stared at the unmasked superheroes. They stared back. The knot in my stomach ballooned up to the size of a basketball. Tension blanketed the air like a heavy fog.

”I think we all know each other,” Sam said. ”Why don't we sit down and have dinner?”

He walked over to the table and pulled out a chair next to Henry. My knees shook, and I sank into it.