Relentless (The Hero Agenda, #2) by Tera Lynn Childs, Tracy Deebs Read Free Book Online Page A

don’t want to spend the rest of our lives in hiding. The rest of you may be okay with being cowards, but—”
    The smack of Anton’s palm hitting Dante’s cheek echoes in the tiny cabin.
    Father and son face off in a staring contest that would have the entire room in flames if either of them had laser vision. Then again, I don’t even know what Anton’s power is. He’s known as the Annihilator, so it has to be pretty terrifying, but it’s a carefully guarded secret. At least in the hero world.
    The air begins to whirl around us. Not enough to make anything move, but enough to indicate that Dante’s power is in play.
    In a heartbeat, Anton steps so close to his son that they are literally nose to nose. “Do not ,” he says, his voice so calm and quiet that it’s more menacing than a shout, “raise your power at me.”
    The veins in Dante’s neck stand out as he struggles to control his anger. And his power.
    Something crashes into the wall next to Anton’s head. A glass pitcher shatters into a billion shards.
    At first I think it was Dante, but then Nitro yells, “Shite, Draven, a little help?”
    We all turn to see Nitro and Riley struggling with Rebel who is awake and apparently really pissed. She follows the pitcher with a stream of objects she sends flying telekinetically around the room. Before Draven gets to her, she has Jeremy speared to the wall with a fireplace poker through the shirt, sends Nitro flying out a window, and is pummeling Dante in the back of the head with one of Jeremy’s gadgets. Repeatedly.
    But the moment Draven lays a hand on her and does whatever he does with his biomanipulation power that knocks her out, all the objects she was controlling drop to the floor.
    V stalks over to Jeremy and yanks the iron poker from the wall, releasing his sleeve.
    “Did you kidnap Rex’s kids?” Anton demands. “Do you have a death wish?”
    “We didn’t kidnap them,” Dante replies.
    “I’m here voluntarily,” Riley offers with a small wave.
    Anton nods at Rebel’s limp body. “And her?”
    “That’s”—Dante winces—“complicated.”
    Anton shakes his head. “This is unacceptable. You”—he points at Dante—“and you”—Draven—“and you”—he spins around to point at Deacon—“are coming with me. Now.”
    Deacon pushes unsteadily to his feet. “I already told you. I’m not going anywhere.”
    “ We’re not going anywhere,” Dante clarifies.
    “That was not a request!” Anton roars.
    Dante stands shoulder to shoulder with his brother. “Don’t yell at him! He’s been through enough.”
    “Enough?” Anton echoes with a humorless laugh. “Enough? Try believing your children are dead or—worse—in the hands of your enemy, and then talk to me about enough. We’re leaving.”
    “We’re not going anywhere,” Dante repeats.
    Nitro steps forward to defend his friends, a pair of almost black fireballs simmering in his palms.
    V places him in a choke hold.
    Jeremy applauds, then stops as soon as V shoots him a warning glare.
    “Enough!” Draven shouts. His roar stills the entire cabin. “We just watched Dr. Swift die. Can we all just…stop?”
    It’s like the air goes out of the room. Out of my lungs.
    No one moves. No one breathes.
    Deacon collapses back into his chair. He looks devastated, if possible even more heartbroken than before.
    I can feel my heartbeat in my ears. When the tears sting at my eyes, I blink them away.
    “Jeanine is dead?” Anton finally asks, his voice barely more than a whisper. “How?”
    Draven wraps an arm around my shoulder and squeezes me close. “Plasma blast.”
    “Damn it.” His face contorts in pain. True anguish. True grief.
    “Did you—” I step away from Draven and place my hand on Anton’s arm. “Did you know my mom?”
    “Your mom?” He scowls for an instant before his entire face softens. “You’re Kenna.”
    Before I can answer what obviously was not a question, I find myself wrapped in a tight, warm