Super Villain Grandpa (Cape High Series Book 15) Read Online Free Page B

a freshwater stream further inland,” he says, “along with several fruit trees. We won’t starve or die of dehydration.” He comes out, carrying some tins. “Most of this is too old, but a few things survived,” he announces. “The Twinkies might still be good!”
    “Twinkies,” I repeat. “You’re joking, right?”
    “Want to find out?”
    “No thanks.”
    He tosses a box over his shoulder. “Maybe later, I could seriously go for a cheeseburger right now,” he adds under his breath.
    “Me too,” I say. “Um… should we tell Grandma that we’re here?” I ask. “She’s going to be looking for me—”
    “I can’t,” he says.
    “What?”
    “Your grandma would throw me back in the Cape Cells as soon as she saw me—what’s your name?” he asks abruptly.
    “Keliah,” I say.
    “Okay, Keliah, here’s how this is going to go. We’re going to hide from the family for the next two days. All I want is two days,” he says. “After those two days we’ll go find your Grandma… and I’ll go back to the cells.”
    “What did you do that got you put there?” I ask.
    “I blew up a building… or four,” he says, looking at his hands.
    “What? Were people in them?” I demand.
    “Yeah,” he says, “there was. At least in one of them there was.”
    “How?” I ask, not sure I want to know.
    He holds up a hand and I watch in horror as it turns black with orange glowing cracks. He touches the tree nearest us and I watch as the black spreads over the plant. It explodes a second later. “Did you—did you know?” I ask in a tiny little voice.
    “It doesn’t matter,” he says. “They’re dead and I’m the cause.” There’s a rawness in his expression that hurts my heart.
    “But it’s NOT FAIR!” I say. “You didn’t know, did you? You thought they were empty—” I have to believe he thought they were empty--I HAVE to. If they weren’t empty and he knew they weren’t, he would be—he would be a murderer.
    “It was Manslaughter, which means I didn't know they were there, but I still killed them,” he says. “It was the middle of the night. I was casing the joint when Superior caught me getting a bit too close. I should have run, but there was only one of him. If I came back later, I was sure I'd be facing the entire Hall. I thought I had a chance, even if he was Superior. I was wrong.”
    “Why were you fighting with Superior?” I ask. “Weren’t you Grandma’s nemesis?”
    “Sure, your grandma and I fought a lot, but this wasn't a typical job--I was planning on breaking into a government building,” he admits with a shake of his head. “Superior had ties with the government back in the day and even if he hadn’t… I was the first person tossed into the Cape Cells.” He shrugs and runs a hand over his face. “Now isn’t the time to dredge up old problems, Keliah,” he says, looking at me.
    “Now is the only time we’ll have!” I say, my hands fisting. How has it gotten to this point? I’ve started to care for him in—in like an hour! I can’t even imagine how hard it must have been for Grandma to lose him! “Did you love Grandma?” I demand. “I want to know—was it like Mom and Vertigo, or was it—was it like America’s Son and Star Spangled?”
    “America’s Son and Star Spangled?” he asks.
    “They—they’re married and have two sons,” I say, wiping at a tear that’s threatening to fall.
    “I could lie to you really easily right now,” he points out.
    “You won’t,” I say.
    “What do you want to hear?”
    “The truth, duh!”
    “The truth is that I have a tiny window of time before they capture Deathblow and go for the next most powerful cape,” he says. “That’s me, at least it is unless Mimic finds a powerful one early,” he admits. “Honestly, power-wise I might be number one, but D.B. has no self control. If I keep my head down there's a chance I'll be ignored for a bit, but I can’t swear to it. There were only seven of us