Page 95 of Hannah and the Hitman

That sounded really sad, but true.

“When are you going to fill me in on this disappearing thing?” Dax used air quotes as he turned his head and gave me a look. I met Jack’s gaze again in the rearview mirror. He nodded.

“I have superpowers.” I said it as simply as if I said I had extra-long femurs or fake eyelashes.

“Like the lasso of truth?”

My lips twitched in amusement at his reference to Wonder Woman’s crime fighting tools. “No.”

“How about those bullet deflecting bracelets? Those would actually come in handy for this little outing.”

“No shooting at my girl!” Jack practically shouted.

I agreed, but still grinned. “Those are accessories, not superpowers.”

“I’m guessing one of them is lifting Smitty off the ground and tossing him around.”

I nodded.

“And the other?”

Being strong was reasonable. Plausible. But the other? Hard to grasp. Still, I said, “Teleportation.”

“Get outta here.” He grinned like a boy who got a BB gun for his birthday.

“No!” Jack called. “Don’t get out of here. Stay right there.”

Jack was beyond nervous and protective right now. I loved it. I loved him.

Adjusting the seat belt, I leaned forward from my spot behind him and wrapped my arms around the seat and his shoulders. Kissed the side of his head before sitting back.

“Can you show me how to do it?” Dax asked.

“I barely know howIdo it,” I countered.

“How do you do it?”

“I get angry. Riled up.”

“You’ve had this your whole life?”

“No. Just recently. Like in the past week.”

“Then what caused it?”

“I’m not sure, but the only thing I can come up with is my radiation treatment.”

“Like Spiderman!” he almost shouted.

“I wasn’t bit by a spider!” I said, going over the same conversation once more. I wasn’t sure if it was a guy thing, this superhero obsession.

“Well, I’m jealous,” he muttered. “I want superpowers.”

“If it means having a brain tumor to get them, trust me, you don’t want ‘em.”

He stayed quiet, although I wasn’t sure if it was because he agreed with me or because he didn’t. To him, a brain tumor may be worth the superpowers. Then again, he’d never had one or known the rough stuff that went with it to make an informed decision.

“You don’t believe me, do you?” I asked him, not offended. I probably wouldn’t believe me either. Jack hadn’t.