wouldn’t fight anymore. At least not about her.
She’d closed her eyes and concentrated. She hadn’t realized she’d actually become invisible until her mom turned to say something to her and even though Stella was standing right beside her, hadn’t seen her. Terrified that she wouldn’t be able to bring back her physical body, she’d begun to cry. And just like that, her body had reappeared.
Her crazy unstable mother had called it a gift, though her tone had made it clear it was more like a curse. It had terrified Stella so much she’d never told her mother about her other abilities. She’d never told anyone.
After her parents’ deaths, she’d submerged her powers, had forced herself to push them behind the thick wall of grief in her heart. Her uncle had never suspected anything. But as an adult, she’d occasionally practiced her abilities, honed them. She’d used them sparingly but never to spy on a man she’d spent the night with.
A momentary twinge of guilt hit her. But honestly, if Cam had nothing to hide then no harm, no foul, right?
Closing her eyes, she concentrated on drawing her body in on itself. At least that was how she would have described it had anyone asked. She really didn’t have any idea how it worked scientifically but it felt as if she drew the molecules that comprised her body into a tiny hole inside herself and stored them there. Her body ceased to exist and no one would be able to see her, although she was still there.
Moving down the steps, she stopped near the bottom of the staircase when she saw Cam sitting in a chair at the back of the house. Her power dampened her ability to hear so she had to get closer. She didn’t see the other man until she was almost on top of him. He lay on a couch, head on his arms as if Cam was his psychologist and he was in therapy.
“You gotta tell her.”
“What the fuck am I supposed to say? Your uncle’s a lunatic and I want you to betray him?”
Oh God. No, no, no. Stella’s heart contracted into a tight, painful ball. This couldn’t be happening.
“Well, I suggest you stop lying at least, Cam. You’re just gonna dig yourself in deeper.”
“I’m already in deep enough. Shit, Nino, what the hell am I going to do?”
Cam hung his head in his hands, as if he was truly upset about what he planned to do.
Stella stared at him in disbelief. That bastard. He was using her. For what, she didn’t know yet. Something to do with her uncle. She should have known he was too good to be true. No man had ever wanted her only for herself. They all wanted what she could do for them. What her uncle could do for them.
And she’d slept with him. More than that, she’d fallen in— Double damn his black soul.
Her anger intensified to the point where it was getting harder to hear the men and harder to hold on to her invisibility. She wanted to hit him but she needed her body to do it.
When she couldn’t restrain herself any longer, she flashed back into visibility, stomping her feet in frustration.
“You son of a bitch!”
Cam shot out of his chair, mouth dropping open. The other man fell off the couch in surprise before getting to his feet.
“Stella, what—”
“I should have known.” She pointed a shaking finger at him. “You bastard, what the hell do you want from me? It won’t matter, whatever it is. You’ll get nothing. I’m going to crucify you, Camillus de Feo.”
Drawing himself straighter, Cam set his steady gaze on her, obviously regaining his equilibrium. He reached for her but she couldn’t stand to have him touch her and flinched away.
His gaze faltered for a brief second before he took a deep breath “Stella, wait. I don’t know what you heard but whatever you’re thinking, you’re wrong.” He shot a quick look at the other guy. “Let me explain. But first tell me…how did you get down here without me seeing you?”
She froze for a second, her brain stuck on exactly how to explain that. Then she realized she
She’d closed her eyes and concentrated. She hadn’t realized she’d actually become invisible until her mom turned to say something to her and even though Stella was standing right beside her, hadn’t seen her. Terrified that she wouldn’t be able to bring back her physical body, she’d begun to cry. And just like that, her body had reappeared.
Her crazy unstable mother had called it a gift, though her tone had made it clear it was more like a curse. It had terrified Stella so much she’d never told her mother about her other abilities. She’d never told anyone.
After her parents’ deaths, she’d submerged her powers, had forced herself to push them behind the thick wall of grief in her heart. Her uncle had never suspected anything. But as an adult, she’d occasionally practiced her abilities, honed them. She’d used them sparingly but never to spy on a man she’d spent the night with.
A momentary twinge of guilt hit her. But honestly, if Cam had nothing to hide then no harm, no foul, right?
Closing her eyes, she concentrated on drawing her body in on itself. At least that was how she would have described it had anyone asked. She really didn’t have any idea how it worked scientifically but it felt as if she drew the molecules that comprised her body into a tiny hole inside herself and stored them there. Her body ceased to exist and no one would be able to see her, although she was still there.
Moving down the steps, she stopped near the bottom of the staircase when she saw Cam sitting in a chair at the back of the house. Her power dampened her ability to hear so she had to get closer. She didn’t see the other man until she was almost on top of him. He lay on a couch, head on his arms as if Cam was his psychologist and he was in therapy.
“You gotta tell her.”
“What the fuck am I supposed to say? Your uncle’s a lunatic and I want you to betray him?”
Oh God. No, no, no. Stella’s heart contracted into a tight, painful ball. This couldn’t be happening.
“Well, I suggest you stop lying at least, Cam. You’re just gonna dig yourself in deeper.”
“I’m already in deep enough. Shit, Nino, what the hell am I going to do?”
Cam hung his head in his hands, as if he was truly upset about what he planned to do.
Stella stared at him in disbelief. That bastard. He was using her. For what, she didn’t know yet. Something to do with her uncle. She should have known he was too good to be true. No man had ever wanted her only for herself. They all wanted what she could do for them. What her uncle could do for them.
And she’d slept with him. More than that, she’d fallen in— Double damn his black soul.
Her anger intensified to the point where it was getting harder to hear the men and harder to hold on to her invisibility. She wanted to hit him but she needed her body to do it.
When she couldn’t restrain herself any longer, she flashed back into visibility, stomping her feet in frustration.
“You son of a bitch!”
Cam shot out of his chair, mouth dropping open. The other man fell off the couch in surprise before getting to his feet.
“Stella, what—”
“I should have known.” She pointed a shaking finger at him. “You bastard, what the hell do you want from me? It won’t matter, whatever it is. You’ll get nothing. I’m going to crucify you, Camillus de Feo.”
Drawing himself straighter, Cam set his steady gaze on her, obviously regaining his equilibrium. He reached for her but she couldn’t stand to have him touch her and flinched away.
His gaze faltered for a brief second before he took a deep breath “Stella, wait. I don’t know what you heard but whatever you’re thinking, you’re wrong.” He shot a quick look at the other guy. “Let me explain. But first tell me…how did you get down here without me seeing you?”
She froze for a second, her brain stuck on exactly how to explain that. Then she realized she
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