Uendeligt: An Infinitely Forever Novel

by S King

  Slade shrugged again, “the file wouldn’t say. The secret went down with Judge Holt.”

  “Blast from the past much?” Dristan rolled his eyes and shook his head, “in other words we’re looking at someone who is just as deadly and favored as Luminous. From a completely different sect, in a city five hours away and otherwise unknown to the world around us.”

  “In short,” Slade nodded and glanced at me, “if I had to put money on it? I think he might be the one holding Luminous.”

  My head snapped around as my eyes narrowed, “why?”

  “According to the file, when he doesn’t want to be bothered or is working on an order. It’s next to impossible to get him to go to a meeting with the other guard members. Not only that but he likes to work alone. As far as to what his weapon of choice is?” He shrugged, “nobody knows. The scientists made a whole bunch of notes about him being skilled with anything he was handed.”

  “So we don’t even know what to expect should we run up against him?” Dristan asked.

  Slade shook his head, “guns, swords, hand-to-hand all of it he excelled at it but when asked what he wanted to specialize in. He never gave a clear answer.”

  “Meaning?” I asked, biting back my temper.

  “His response was whatever works.”

  “What the actual fuck?” Dristan growled, letting his head fall back.

  Slade blew a hard breath and grumbled something.

  “What?” I narrowed my eyes on him.

  “Think about it, boss. The guy is basically her match in every way; yeah, ok, you two were created to be together. Some would say destined for lack of a better term. But Shang Wylan? He’s just like Luminous in the worse way and we all know how she is. If she doesn’t want to be found, she’s not going to be.”

  “So what the hell are you saying, Slade?” I snapped, not liking where the conversation was going. Or caring that my temper had met its limits.

  He glanced at Dristan for a second, catching the subtle shake of his head before looking at me. With a deep breath and an audible gulp, he said.

  “What if she had been with Shang this entire time and…when she saw you in the club. She went back…to Shang?”

  A screen of black clouded my vision as I tried to stare at him.

  “You think Luminous would really choose someone she doesn’t know in comparison to Demir?” Dristan frowned, trying to connect the pieces.

  Slade tensed for a second, looking out the window, “all I’m saying is both are about as elusive as a phoenix. If neither want to be found or Shang is the one that saved her when she went over that cliff. There’s a strong possibility Shang knows exactly where Luminous is and had been convinced by the Silver Angel herself not to tell anyone.”

  I kicked off the couch, storming to my bedroom. I may have been in the wrong for not having strong enough will power in that club. I may have deserved a lashing or ten from Luminous’s whip. But I would be damned if I allowed some mother fucker with a cartoon character’s name to hold the only woman I’d ever love hostage in some fucking mountains.

  Grabbing my sword and pistol along with three rounds of ammunition, I ripped my jacket from the hanger. Slamming off the lights in my bedroom, I didn’t bother telling either Dristan or Slade what I was planning. Hell, it should’ve been obvious at this point.

  “What the hell are you doing?” Dristan raised a brow at me before motioning Slade to join in.

  “What the fuck does it look like? I’m going to bring Luminous home.” I said through gritted teeth and turned off my phone.

  “Demir, you can’t.” Slade stepped in front of me, blocking my path to the front door.

  “Give me his general location.” I ordered, making sure I had everything I would need.

  Slade slowly shook his head, “I can’t do that boss.”

  Slowly, my eyes met his and I knew what look was covering my face as he unconsciously took a step back.

  “Give me the location,” I growled.

  His eyes shifted past my shoulder to look to Dristan for help. Before he had regained some of his nerve.

  “Demir, you’re forgetting your position as well as the circumstances surrounding this situation.”

  Without warning, I grabbed Slade by the throat and pulled my sword. Stopping just shy of ramming the thing through his eye, I glared at him.

  “Give me the fucking location, this is the last time I’m going to ask you nicely.”

  §§§§§

  I balanced on the branch, looking out over the river. But I wasn’t captivated by the serenity and the peace the view granted me. Instead, I had my sights locked on the house situated on the river bank. With the sun barely kissing the horizon, I could almost see into the back windows.

  Taking in the shattered glass scattered close to the flowing water I wondered what had happened. The back door was fully replaced with fresh double panes; a not so easy feat to get into if I had to Rambo my way into the house. Narrowing my eyes on the other windows I couldn’t tell if anyone was breathing or moving within the four walls.

  Deciding to change my tactics, I jumped from branch to branch only to land in a tree situated on the north side of the house. Much like the back facing the river, there was no movement to indicate anyone’s presence. Maybe Slade’s information was bad. It was a strong possibility that Shang could’ve moved frequently, and this was just an abandoned house.

  However, as my luck and the fates would have it, all of my acrobatic feats weren’t for naught. In a window, overlooking the mountain range there was movement within the room. In the back of my mind, I had wished I were skilled in using a sniper. Narrowing my eyes further on the person moving about the room, I held my breath. If Shang was so special in the eyes of my friends and the courts I knew there was a battle on my hands.

  Devising a plan in my mind, I tried to reason with myself. If Luminous were inside the house and had made friends with Shang. I didn’t want to think about what might’ve transpired between the two during the time she had been with the PG sect leader. Shaking my head of the thoughts I focused on the person in the room.

  “Come into the light,” I breathed through gritted teeth. Prepared to take two shots. One to the window and one aimed at his head.

  Cocking the gun, I took another deep breath as my finger settled over the trigger. But nobody came to the window. Instead a door further into the room opened, a sliver of light reflecting just enough of a shadow leaving the bedroom.

  “Ok,” I growled, throwing my body back to my starting tree and prepared my gun again.

  As the sun set fire to the early morning sky, I caught sight of someone moving along the other side of the river bank. Tilting my head just so, I found Shang walking over the underbrush and lazily looking around. If he were there…then that means.

  My head snapped around in time to see the black door opening and the only woman who could kill me softly and make it the most beautiful death known to man. Her hair was tied back into a high ponytail. I’d admit it was hard not to water at the mouth as I stared at her.

  In a black sports bra, tight matching leggings and new black tennis shoes. The woman was a damn Fabletics model. However, she had more curves than the last time I had seen her. Blowing out a hand breath, I cleared my throat. Focusing on Shang coming out of the tree-line, I mentally dared him to say something to her.

  “Give me a reason to shoot you.” I hissed, knowing he couldn’t hear me.

  He stared at Luminous from head to toe, getting his optical pleasure from the woman I had once called my wife. From the woman I still loved.

  “I’ll be back,” her voice was like a sinner’s prayer being answered.

  A too familiar look came over the other man’s face. For a minute, I debated with myself to wait for Luminous to leave so I could just kill Shang. But would she hate me more for killing her friend and taking him away? Or was this what she wanted? The only way to get my answer was to ask her myself.

  Shang said something to
her before watching her run away from him up the river bank. I made sure he wasn’t going to try a sneak attack and follow her. But to my surprise, the cocky son of a bitch crossed over the river and went into the house.

  Here was my chance. Tucking my gun back in the holster, I dropped from the tree and forced my legs to carry me to Luminous River.

  She was running faster than a fleeing deer. Obviously trying to rebuild her strength from the last three months. It was as if she had lost most—if not all—of her fighting skills and was desperate to get things and her body back to the way they were. I couldn’t blame her, but damn she was fast.

  Narrowing my eyes, I followed her through the trees, over the mole holes, under the low hanging branches.

  “Luminous!” I cut right as she threw her body over a fallen tree.

  Skidding to a stop, using her hand to slow her on the ground. She turned to me. Those harsh slate eyes narrowing on me as I approached. Had I know we were going to do a couples run, I’d have dressed for the occasion. Still, I didn’t slow my speed.

  Not until I was closer to her. Grabbing her to me, I ignored the pounding in my chest. The steady thump, thump, thump in my ears. The sweat beading at my brow. All of it I ignored as I held her to me.

  She was real. She was alive. Somewhere in my heart I had tried to ignore my internal doubt. Over the course of these three months I had constantly wondered if I had misjudged my ability to strike a nonfatal point in her. Over and over, I had replayed those final moments on the cliff’s edge trying to tell myself that I had done nothing to the point of putting her life in danger with that dagger. Hell, I was more concerned about the fall from the cliff.

  I’d gone over those final moments constantly when there weren’t any phone calls or texts to keep me busy or reports to sign off on for the courts. I was stuck in my mind and the memory of watching Luminous fall over the edge of the cliff had caused me to doubt myself. It gave me a chance to doubt she was still alive.

  But she was alive wasn’t she? She was standing right here, in my arms, slowing her breathing with her head pressed against my chest. I had been right, I didn’t kill her. I couldn’t kill her. Even though I could tell she wasn’t particularly happy about me holding her from the way her arms remained loose by her side. Then again, who could blame her for feeling this way toward me? I sure as hell didn’t and wasn’t going to force her hand.

  But I was going to try to make things better between us.

  “I missed you so much,” I breathed against her hair, clutching her to me. Staring at the sky, I let a relieved breath leave me. However, like the time spent apart had changed me. She was no longer the same either.

  Shoving against my chest, she stepped away from me. Her face hard from the months of having to figure out her own way without the threat of a Diamond Black Order hanging on her back.

  Searching her face, I tried to find the woman she once was in order to explain why I had done what I had done. Why I couldn’t come sooner for her. But she wasn’t hearing any of that.

  “What’re you doing here, Demir?” Her tone was dead to my ears. No surprise really, but that didn’t mean it had hurt any less.

  “I…I’m keeping my promise to you.”

  She scoffed, a fox like smirk kissing those lips I had dreamed about for close to a hundred days.

  “Your promise to me?” Crossing her arms over her chest, she raised a brow. “Which one would that be? Finding me? Staying true to me? I mean, the possibilities are endless at this point, wouldn’t you say?”

  So, Slade was telling the truth. She had seen me in Nine Lives. She saw what I’d done against my will and the conclusions that had been made in the absence of the full truth. Nothing I said was going to change her mind. Granted, had the tables been turned I couldn’t say I blamed her.

  “Luminous, listen to me—”

  “Don’t you have a pretty blonde waiting for you back in Castlehedge?”

  “That’s not—”

  “What?” She snapped, “it wasn’t you? The devil made you do it? It’s not what I think? Come on Demir, give me your best bullshit lie!”

  If it had been any other woman, I knew I wouldn’t have to do anything other than tell her I was sorry. Buy her a new car, a nice dinner—or two and maybe do what she said without any objection for a month. Then it’d be forgiven, and things could return to normal. For the most part.

  But Luminous River wasn’t anything like any other woman and it didn’t matter that I could do all of those things ten times over. I had ruined the only thing she ever entrusted anyone with and now. Judging from the look in her cold slate eyes, I knew there was no regaining that. Ever.

  “Luminous, let me explain.”

  “No thanks,” a muscle in her jaw clicked for a second. “I’m fine and you don’t owe me anything.” She started forward and didn’t even blink as she passed me.

  My hand shot out, grabbing her arm as I spun her toward me and forced her back against a tree.

  “I’m trying to tell you what you don’t want to see,” I growled.

  Her brow ticked up and a smirk lifted the corners of her mouth, “tell me then. Since that’s the only way I can get you out of my sight.”

  It would do no good. I realized that now. I knew as much, but no matter how badly I convinced myself I needed to walk away. To chalk hers and my relationship to nothing more than a lesson well learned, I might as well be dead to ignore the attraction roaring through me.

  Without caring about the repercussions or the pain she was bound to inflict on me, I grabbed her ponytail. Not hard enough to pull the strands but just to remind her who she belonged to. Forcing her lips to mine, I kissed her like my life depended on it.

  For a second, I had a spark of hope ignite my heart as she remained still. That was until the sharp sting of her long nails dug into my neck and dragged along the skin. Like her hair and her hips, the damned things had changed from shortly trimmed fighter nails to damn claws.

  I grunted, breaking contact enough to breathe against her lips. “I don’t care what I have to do to prove to you that you are the only one for me. I will prove to you in more ways than one,” I tilted her head back, forcing her to look me in the eye. “I love you, Luminous River and nothing is ever going to change that.”

  “Luminous?” Shang’s cocky voice cut through the tense silence surrounding us.

  Neither of us moved, but my eyes bore into hers. Pressing her into the tree, I allowed her to feel every part of me and see just how serious I was.

  “I’m going to bring you back home and when I do, I’m never letting you go again.” I warned. Crushing my lips to hers, I fought the urge to smile at the subtle moan clawing its way up her throat. However, I wasn’t going to continue to run the risk of being caught by the PG member.

  I had no clue where Shang’s legions lay and didn’t want to kill him in front of Luminous. Just in case she had developed some type of bond with him. For now, I was just going to have to face the music and pray everything was going to be ok. So, with a steadying breath and another longing look at her. I did the very thing I hadn’t wanted to do since I held her in my arms just a few minutes ago.

  I left my heart in the care of a guard member who` could kill her at any given moment without so much as a second thought. All in the name of protecting himself from the judge’s wrath and the punishment for not following a Platinum Diamond Order.

  §§§§§

  Stepping over the threshold of Nine Lives, I narrowed my eyes on the dance floor. The woman who had thrown herself at me was here somewhere. At least, I was banking on her presence. Considering the favor I called in, I needed her to be here. Just so I didn’t look completely psychotic to my friends. The only problem? I had to find out where she was in the mass of people and hope nobody was with her.

  Narrowing my eyes on the thrashing bodies in the middle of the dance floor, I smirked as I caught sight of the one woman who had turned what could’ve been an amazing reunion with Luminous to
shit in matter of minutes.

  “Gotcha,” I beelined across the dance floor, pushing my way through the crowd.

  “Dance with me!” She tried the lock and seal move again.

  But this time I was ready for it. Grabbing her wrist, I spun her away from me, only to bring her back to my chest with her arm pinned to her spin between us.

  “Let’s talk instead,” I whispered low enough for her to get a clear message behind our stance on the dance floor.

  “What do you want, Demir?” Her drunken tone was no more. Replaced with a completely serious tone I hadn’t known her capable of having. Then again, I didn’t know this woman from Adam and couldn’t really decipher which was her real tone and which was all an act. Hell, she could be acting right now.

  “Private room. Get a drink and meet me there in five minutes. You choose to be stupid,” I hiked her arm higher between her shoulder blades. “Understand?”

  “Make it six minutes,” she hissed.

  “Four.” Twisting her hand to an unnatural angle, I moved enough to not be a statue on the dancefloor.

  Negotiations were my thing. I was the king of them. But for once, I didn’t like negotiating in the middle of a club with so many listening ears. Drunk or not, I didn’t need anyone trying to climb the ranks with Sadvidge by throwing me under the bus.

  “Deal.” She bit out.

  Letting go of her, I pretended everything was normal as I looked around the main area of the club. When the blonde bombshell disappeared around the corner toward the back rooms. I nodded once to the person watching me in the VIP booth before making my way through the throng of people to the private room.

  Closing the door behind me, I blocked the attack I had known was coming. Bending back her wrist, I raised a brow at her.

  “Is this really something you want to do?” I asked, staring into her lime green eyes.

  The claw blade clinked on the floor at our feet. Had I been stupid and full of myself, she would’ve landed the blow. And wouldn’t that be a good welcome home present for Luminous? Me dead on the floor of a nightclub and her strapped to the scientist’s table.

  “How do you know me?”