Flawed by J. L. Spelbring Read Free Book Online Page A

and opened the door to the sunny kitchen.
    As Ellyssa walked inside, a remembrance of hominess and warmth enveloped her. She’d never lived in a real home, and the love and comfort flowed as if alive. Yellow lit the room like sunshine, from the walls to the sunflower tablecloth. Knickknacks littered every open space, and French doors opened into the living room.
    Rein walked in behind and slipped his arm around her shoulder. He looked around, apparently expecting to find something, but the kitchen was empty. “What’s all this about?” he asked Tim.
    “There’s someone you need to meet,” Sarah said, walking toward the living room.
    Rein exchanged a curious look with Woody. “Okay. Someone who defected?”
    Chewing on her bottom lip, Trista’s eyebrows drew together. “You could say that.”
    Someone new? Ellyssa visibly tensed, her soldiering instincts uncoiling. With everything that’d happened, she couldn’t believe everyone else was so calm.
    Rein’s fingers trailed down Ellyssa’s arm, leaving behind tingles, and slipped into her hand. “This is how our society is made. We accept people for who they are, not what they did in the past.”
    “I understand…trust. But with everything that has happened, how can you be certain they are not a spy…or worse?” she questioned.
    “I don’t.” Rein shrugged. “We’ve never known for certain.”
    Woody leaned toward her ear. “You can, though.”
    Ellyssa gave a short nod, but before she had a chance to expand her mind, Trista brushed by, grabbing Woody’s hand.
    “I promise you that he is not some sort of spy,” she interjected.
    With a slight shrug of his shoulders and a reassuring smile, Rein released Ellyssa’s hand and followed.
    As soon as Rein and Woody crossed the threshold, they stopped. A tsunami of angry tension crashed.
    Something was wrong. Very wrong. Whoever was in the other room, Rein and Woody definitely recognized him.
    “What is this?” Rein asked through clenched teeth.
    He didn’t wait for an answer as he flew into the room. A crash sounded, followed by a bang.
    Fear squeezed Ellyssa’s heart. “Rein!” She bolted forward, passing Woody and Trista, where she skidded to a stop.
    Rein’s fingers were locked around a male Ellyssa recognized from Detective Petersen’s mind. Muscles bulging beneath his shirt, Rein knocked the captain’s head against the wall. “What the hell,” Rein yelled. Thump . “What. The. Hell.” Thump .
    Captain Dyllon Jones was up on his toes, head bouncing off the wall, sea-blue eyes swollen. The dark-green uniform of the area police he wore was crumpled, the swastika armband ripped. An electroshock weapon hung from his belt, but the captain made no move toward it. Instead, the captain’s hands fluttered around Rein’s wrists, trying to free himself. Red splotched his face as he gasped for air.
    “Rein,” Trista squealed, horrified. She pushed around Ellyssa.
    Woody reached out to stop her, but the blonde ducked under his outstretched hand. She darted to Rein and hit him on the back. “Let him go! Damnit, Rein. Let him go!”
    Rein didn’t even seem to notice Trista. He kept knocking Captain Jones’ head into the wall.
    Thump .
    Woody grabbed hold of Trista and yanked her away.
    “You don’t understand,” she said, her voice high with anger as she tried to pull free. “God damn it, Rein! Stop it!”
    Ellyssa stood mesmerized, unsure. Confused. Surely, Trista hadn’t betrayed them, but there was the male who had accompanied Detective Petersen.
    “Please, Ellyssa, make him stop,” Trista begged from behind her. “I promise, he’s done nothing but help.”
    Certainly Trista wouldn’t lie. It definitely wouldn’t hurt to look since Rein had him under control.
    Thump .
    Ellyssa opened the door to the captain’s thoughts. Fear and confusion circled in his head, vying for dominance. He remembered Rein, remembered Woody, but that was all Ellyssa could read. The emotions were too loud to