by Austin, RB
The boss must still be pissed at him. Well, fuck them all. They were the ones with the problem.
Why hadn’t Kate sought him out during her break? Had she just been too tired?
No. Something was off. She’d barely met his gaze in the kitchen. It was like she was pulling away from him.
And that scared him. More than anything else.
He turned down a street outside his patrolling area. It ran parallel to the river. Searching in circles wouldn’t make the Fallen appear.
Gabe had already dispatched his Fallen. Cade seemed to be getting in to it with another one. They wouldn’t be worrying about Lucas. Besides, that’s what the earpiece was for—letting him know when someone was coming to check up on him.
The streetlights in this section were practically non-existent. He blinked and his eyes shined blue, the area in front of him magnified. His gums tingled and he allowed his fangs to drop. The Behn masked helped ease the vibes running through his bloodstream.
His hand tightened around the sigma in his right hand. He pulled the dagger out of the holster at his back with his left. Better to be safe.
He walked two more blocks, passing the marina and heading into the thickest suburban area of Astoria, before he finally heard something. It was the sweetest sound he’d ever heard, apart from Kate’s voice, laughter, or moan when she was coming. He shook his head. Concentrate. Listen. The ring was coming from the left. Lucas eyed each house as he passed, walking in the street near the sidewalk.
A baby cried.
Food commercial played on a Follower’s TV.
Low conversation.
Dog barked.
The ring hadn’t diminished or increased with his steps. After he walked another block, Lucas stopped, turned around.
Where was it coming from? It was as if the Fallen were moving as he moved. A step for a step.
He tapped his foot, stilling when his sole hit a storm drain cover. He cocked his head. Could it be?
The ringing in his ears grew. Then increased to ear splitting levels. As if the Fallen were right in front of him. Lucas looked both ways down the darkened street, confirming he was still alone.
“Mother fucker,” he whispered.
He put a hand to his earpiece, ready to tell Cade and Gabe what he learned. What this could mean, but paused. Lowered his arm slowly.
The ring started to grow faint. Lucas walked forward. Followed the signal. Allowed it to lead him. The Fallen had to come up to ground eventually. Hopefully.
Over the decades, Lucas, as well as every member of Sept One, had memorized Astoria’s city grid, but not the underground system. Lucas had no idea where the one below him ran. If luck was with him, the Fallen would lead him. Lead him right to their death.
He lost track of how far he traveled. Of the turns he made, although he was now closer to the river. The cookie-cutter houses on postage-sized plots of land had started to spread out, grow bigger. A few of the homes were abandoned.
He paused when the ring, constant in his ears, changed. They were rising. He glanced at his surroundings. His gaze ran over the fenced area ahead. In seconds he was at the gate. He extinguished the light in his eyes. Retracted his fangs. Another look at the perimeter, then he climbed over the fence, avoiding the barb-wired on top.
The low hum of conversation, filtered through the ring. More than one.
Jackpot.
He, again, toyed with the idea of calling Cade and Gabe, but the Fallen came into view.
Lucas smiled.
Five.
Five Fallen.
He eased his dagger back into its holster and pulled out the star in his pocket.
The shaking in his hands eased along with the buzzing in his veins. As if his body knew it would soon get what it wanted.
This was going to be fun.
Chapter 49
Henry’s new cabin was only forty minutes out of town. It used to be a hunting cabin. And like his old one, was positioned deep in the woods.
He eased off the gas and turned onto the hidden driveway. The car’s headlights didn’t travel farther than a few feet in front of the bumper. If Henry were still human he wouldn’t be able to see well enough to maneuver down the path without hitting one of the overgrown trees. As it was, branches and brush scraped the top and sides of his car.
At first he’d thought the noises were particularly rough foliage, but when the path finally grew wider and the trees taller he still heard the thumps.
The female was awake. He hadn’t been able to get in contact with his supplier yet and had to make do with an inferior sleeping medication. One not to use again, apparently. He liked his victims to wake in the room that would be their salvation.
Henry drove slowly, whistling softly, smiling when the noises in the back grew louder, more frantic. Sobs turned into screams.
Pro, his cabin was the only thing around for fifteen miles.
By the time they reached it, the female had quieted. Henry pulled underneath a set of low branches and turned off the engine. Headlights still on. He waited. Listened. Everything was already prepared inside.
His heart drummed in excitement. The tips of his fingers tingled, as if the warmth of anticipation was bringing his extremities back to life. Everything was already prepared inside. He slowly got out.
Should he fill another syringe? It’d make the next few minutes easier.
Father said real men didn’t run away from challenges, they found a way through them.
Henry unlocked the trunk. Yanked it open.
The female leapt out. He stepped back, moving so quickly she fell to the ground instead of on him. Before she could rise, he gripped the back of her neck.
“Don’t hurt me,” she sobbed. “Please let me go. I have a daughter.”
Henry smiled. Held her in front of him, facing the cabin. “You’ll thank me before this is finished. I’m saving you. Making you better for your daughter. She deserves the best, doesn’t she? Don’t you want to be the best parent?”
The female gave an unintelligible answer that was half-whimper. He watched her eyes dart around. Taking in the lone cabin. The woods. Then widening with sinking realization that she was far from civilization.
“Come.” Henry carted her forward. “Don’t worry. Soon you’ll understand why you need to be here.”
He unlocked the door. Pushed it open. Reached inside to flip the switch. His gaze ran over the furnishings he’d lovingly assembled.
Henry turned to the woman he was about to save. They were never grateful during this moment. Some took longer than others to get there.
The blood had left her cheeks. She resembled the victims Mark and Dean had sucked dry. Her mouth opened and closed like a fish. Eyes so big they could easily be popped out.
“Welcome,” he said. “Welcome to my home, and yours, for the next few days.”
She opened her mouth again and screamed.
Chapter 50
Kate paused. Lucas waited outside her room. Waiting wasn’t really the right word. He paced. His hands were in constant motion. Running through his hair. Across his eyebrow. Up and down his forearms.
When he noticed her he stopped pacing, but his head continued moving like he was listening to music and his arms swayed in a wide arc from behind to in front of him.
She stopped a few feet away. “What’s the matter with you?”
His whole body froze. “Huh? What?”
Kate cocked her head. If she didn’t know better, she’d think— “Are you on something?”
His demeanor changed instantly. His shoulders pushed back, spine stiffened, whatever emotion playing on his face when she walked up vanished. “I’m not on anything,” he said quickly, the words tripping over themselves.
She
frowned, rubbed her forehead. Martha had worked her hard today, standing near him was making her nervous. She probably smelled. Kate took a step back.
Lucas’s gaze trailed the movement. Now he was frowning. “I wondered if you wanted to catch that movie, but if you’re . . .”
She didn’t have many nights left at the HQ. “Okay,” she said before she could talk herself out of it.
He’d started to turn toward his room, but now swiveled back, expression hopeful, eyes wide. “Okay?”
She nodded. “I want to shower first. Meet you there?”
He bounced from foot to foot, smile wide, arms swinging again. “I’ll get things set up.”
Ten minutes later she walked into the Entertainment Room. She’d cleaned this room before. Her gaze slowly trailed over the large flat screen, the multiple gaming systems, a computer with three screens—which seemed excessive to her—and a bunch of other electronic-looking stuff she didn’t even know the names of let alone what it did. Kate was surrounded by hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not more, and just last month she only had enough money to buy a jar of peanut butter. How fast her life had changed.
Soon it would change back. Not easily. It’d be hard to go back to living in poverty. But it wouldn’t be for long. Once she found Stacy she’d get a job. They’d never live in a place this extravagant. Though, maybe one day she’d own a TV. And if Stacy went to college, Kate would find a way to get her a computer.
“Do you want action, drama, or comedy?” Lucas asked. He was at her side, holding out three DVDs.
She hadn’t seen any of the movies he was holding.
Hangover III. She never had a hangover. Rarely even drank.
The second one featured a boy and a girl in an embrace on the cover. Too close to what she and Lucas had done against his bedroom wall.
She quickly pointed to the one on the left without reading the title.
“The Wolverine. Good choice.”
The cover was of a man holding extremely large knives. Perfect. In no way could it lead to thoughts of Lucas and his bedroom.
Kate settled on the couch while he started the movie. He handed her a bowl of popcorn then jogged over to the door. The room plunged into darkness just as a preview erupted across the screen, bathing the place in light.
He sat next to her. On his own cushion. None of their body parts touched.
So why did it feel like they were? Her heart sped up.
“This okay?” he asked softly.
She turned and stilled, breath catching, staring into his eyes until a loud bomb blew up on the screen and she jumped.
“It’s fine,” she managed, swiveling back to the screen.
Quick think of something else.
When was the last time she watched a movie? Probably when she was a kid. In the group home, Fridays were Disney movie day.
Twenty minutes into the movie she sort of managed to forget Lucas was next to her. It helped that the guy with the knife hands was pretty hot.
“The popcorn is for eating you know.” Lucas leaned close to grab a handful.
She’d forgotten the bowl was there. Popping a couple in her mouth, she moaned. “Oh my God, this tastes awesome.” Just the right amount of butter and salt.
Lucas laughed, reaching for more. They fell silent. The room filled with sounds from the movie and their chewing. Kate found herself glancing at Lucas out of the corner of her eye.
The lights from the movie played over his face, sometimes highlighting his eyes, sometimes his cheeks, and sometimes his mouth. Heat that had slowly cooled since the start of the movie rose again, seeming to burn even hotter. Her grip tightened on the bowl.
Focus on the movie. Don’t even think it.
She couldn’t. It would end in disaster. Possibly death.
That should douse her lust.
So why didn’t it?
The conversation she had with Emma suddenly popped into her head. The woman knew without a doubt that she loved Cade. Had changed her whole life for him. Sure there were kinks to work out, but Emma knew leaving wasn’t an option.
Would Kate ever feel that way?
She glanced at Lucas. He was watching her, eyebrows furrowed.
“What’s wrong? Don’t like the movie? I can change it.”
She shook her head, not trusting herself to speak. Her throat was tight all of a sudden and she was afraid she’d burst into tears at any moment. With two hands, she set the bowl on the table next to the couch, rested her fists on her thighs.
If she planned it right, she wouldn’t kill him. Just a graze was all she needed.
It was a dark part of the show. Light had faded from the room. His silhouette was all she could see.
“Kate?”
Do it fast. It’d be okay. She wouldn’t kill him. Just a quick sweep.
Kate lifted her head, leaned forward, and brushed her lips across his cheek.
Chapter 51
Kate felt three things before the vision pulled her in.
Lucas stiffened.
The stubble on his cheek grated against her soft lips.
Heat bloomed in her body.
Then the room vanished.
The sun was setting. Lucas stood in front of it wearing a weird looking suit. The brown coat went almost to his knees. A matching hat was perched on top of his head. The white triangular collar of his shirt, flipped up under his chin. His facial hair, comparable to the actor in the movie they were watching.
He stood next to Gabe, wearing a similar outfit, in the middle of a street. A Saloon sign hung from an overhang just behind Gabe’s shoulder. Two horses were tied to wooden posts in front of the General Store. The street was made of dirt. Everything seemed dirty. Women wore long dresses. Men were in outfits like Lucas’s. No jeans. No tennis shoes. No cars. No pavement.
“Can you pinpoint where it’s coming from?” Gabe asked.
Kate turned, followed Gabe’s gaze to Lucas. Then stiffened as emotions rolled in. From all directions. She bent forward. Air burst from her mouth, emptying her lungs.
Where was this coming from? This wasn’t just what Lucas was feeling. She couldn’t even tell what he was feeling.
Hands covering her ears, she tried to block it out. It was so loud. But the noises were coming from inside her.
She was back in the Entertainment Room. Lucas’s hands were on her upper arms. He was talking, but she couldn’t hear him. The noise in her head was still there. It was too much. Anger. Worry. Love. Guilt. Triumph. Greed. Hunger. Regret.
Surrender.
Sacrifice.
Too much. She rubbed her chest. Her heart ached. With pain, love, happiness, or sorrow? Which one was it? Which one should she deal with first?
She buried her face in her hands, realized she was crying. Heard the half sobs, half gasps escaping from her mouth. It was hard to breathe. Where was the air?
“Kate.” Finally Lucas’s voice came through.
Twisting, she threw her arms around him. Crawled onto his lap.
Her body wouldn’t stop shaking. She gripped him tighter. Focused on Lucas’s strong arms round her. His hand rubbed her back. He was speaking. She could hear his voice but not process the words.
The buzz in her head slowly subsided. Her sobs slowed. Tears faded to a slow trickle that made her cheeks itch. The curve of Lucas’s neck where her head rested was damp.
She froze.
Lucas did as well. “What is it?”
She moved a fraction of an inch and placed her lips upon the skin of Lucas’s neck, where her nose had been pressed moments before.
He inhaled sharply, didn’t move.
Kate was holding her breath, too. One second passed. Two. A third. She was still here. No memory.
&
nbsp; She rose, met Lucas’s wide eyes. Lifted a hand to touch his cheek. Her gloves were still on. A small noise in the back of her throat escaped. She pulled at the tips of her gloves, tugged to get it off.
The other one.
No. That was stuck, too.
Her heart pounded. What if the moment disappeared? What if in five minutes the effect wore off?
“Easy, easy.” Lucas trapped both of her hands between his.
“I want my gloves off.” Her voice was high, panicked.
Hurry. Hurry.
She lifted her gaze. Met his. Stilled.
Lucas slowly pulled up the sleeves of her shirt. He gripped the end of the glove on her right hand. Peeled the pleather off of her hand in one slow move. Her heart was still pounding but for a different reason now. Lips parted as her breathing increased. Heat stirred deep within her as he moved to the other arm.
Then both of her hands were free. She clenched and unclenched her fingers. The skin stark white. A severe contrast to the black gloves. Her hands were damp. She wiped them on her shirt. Wanted to wash them before touching him. Make them worthy of touching. But the niggling worry was still there. The moment might fade. She lifted her hands. They were shaking.
Lucas held perfectly still. Breaths escaped from his mouth in quick succession and were warm across her face. She was an inch away. Her eyes bounced from her hands to his cheeks.
“What if it doesn’t work?” Lucas asked softly.
Her gaze flitted to his. She paused. He was right. She didn’t know for sure. She might kill him. Her shoulders slumped, hands fell into her lap. What was she thinking? Tears pricked her eyes.