by M. Goldsmith
Weakly, he spoke, “What is it, babe?”
“We are going to have a baby, my love. You see, so you have to come back to me because we both need you.” Lily’s shaking persisted, but her voice gave nothing away.
The room spun in a dizzying motion as Laurel absorbed the impact of Lily’s announcement. River and Lily were going to be parents. But River may never get to meet his child or hold him or her. He would never be able to share this joy with Lily. Laurel swallowed down a lump in her throat. Folding her arms over her stomach, she bent at the waist trying not to vomit. Her eyes filled and once the first tear had leaked out, she couldn’t hold them back. She sat up, her face wet with tears. Even Bear looked like he might lose his tightly held control. Poor Lily, it was truly heartbreaking.
“Oh, babe, that’s the best news ever,” River said, in a hushed and sluggish tone. “I’m fighting with everything in me, babe…but…just in case… I want you to know that I love you more than anything in this world…and if I don’t come back…I need you to move on with your life…you deserve love in your life, my beautiful Lily.”
Lily lost it with River’s loving words, and she was racked with heaving sobs. “I love you, too, River. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. You fight…you hear me…fight. Come back to me, my love.”
Kai’s voice was the next one they heard. “Lily, he’s exhausted and he needs to rest now. But I want you to know that I won’t give up on him no matter what. He’s strong, and I’m doing everything I can for him. Try to hang in there and if anything changes I promise to call you right away.”
“I know you’ll do your best, Kai,” Lily said, between sobs, “you’re a good man. Stay with him no matter what, promise me.”
“Of course, I will. Hang in there, sweetheart. I’m going to go see to River now. Take care of yourself and we’ll see you soon.” Kai sighed dejectedly, as he rang off.
Laurel wrapped her arms tightly around Lily and held on while her friend collapsed with grief. How could this be happening? River was the strength of Aether, the lead Protector; he had to make it. Didn’t he?
Chapter Seventeen
Ashlyn
Once the trio crossed the threshold, Ash’s fingers dug into Hawk’s arm, and she froze in place. Devlin’s slashed jaw curled up in a sneer as he held a knife to Brooke’s throat. Small droplets of blood ran down her neck, and Brooke’s eyes were filled with tears that did not spill. None of them made a move, worried what the unhinged man might do.
“Well, there you are, Firecracker. I wondered when you would show up to collect your friend. I’ve been watching Brooke here since the day she stumbled upon you and our little experiment. Charles, my arrogant friend, insisted Brooke would forget all about what we were doing down here. I, on the other hand, was much more skeptical. And rightly so it would seem. When my men alerted me about the camera feeds going down, I was nearby, and I just knew this little backstabbing bitch had something to do with it. I headed this way and sent extra soldiers to the entrance. I hoped you enjoyed our little welcoming committee.”
Hawk’s posture changed when Devlin made his last comment. Ash could feel the anger radiating off him through their link. She didn’t need a bond to see Quill’s reaction. His fists clenched tightly at his sides, and his gaze turned hard. Quill eyed Devlin with daggers the likes of which she had never witnessed from the easygoing Protector.
“Ashlyn, you need to get out of here right now,” Brooke squeaked out. A single tear leaked out of the corner of her eye and ran down her cheek.
“I’m not leaving you with this lunatic. Let her go, Devlin, and I won’t hurt you. You know what I can do,” Ash said. She straightened her spine. Then squinting her eyes with as much venom as she could muster, Ash stared down her tormentor.
“Now, Firecracker, is that any way to talk to me? If you, or your bodyguards make one move, I will take great pleasure in slicing Miss Barrington from ear to ear,” Devlin retorted. He laughed, and his scarred face, with its distorted features, made him look like he stepped out of a horror movie. A chill ran through Ash’s entire body. “Charles is on his way here, escorted by more of my men. And when he arrives, we will all have a nice chat. I’m sure your friends have some skills Dr. Barrington would be interested in.”
Hawk stood erect, his gaze piercing the mercenary. “That’s never going to happen, Devlin. We have this place surrounded by sharp shooters who have orders to kill anyone who approaches. I suggest you let the girl go, and stand down immediately.”
“Listen up, Tonto. I don’t take orders from you. Your people will never see my men coming. There’s more than one way into this facility. And if you freaks make one wrong move, I will kill Brooke before you can say Firecracker.” Devlin harshly yanked Brooke making her lose her balance. He kept her upright with a vice-like hold and to prove his point, he dug the knife into her neck a bit more. She winced. Then he put his mouth to Brooke’s ear, and Ash watched her friend cringe from the contact. “You’ve always been a giant pain in my ass; you and your whore of a mother. I warned Charles you two were a burden he didn’t need, but he liked the image he portrayed as a family man. Best thing that ever happened was when your mother died. And when a horrible accident befalls you all the better.”
“You are sicker than I ever imagined, Devlin. My father isn’t going to let you get away with this,” Brooke spit out. She struggled against his hold.
“You really believe that, don’t you? He doesn’t care about you. He never has. He only cares about his image, success, and making money. And when he finishes developing the drug synthesized from Firecracker’s blood, we are going to make billions.”
To Ashlyn, it felt like a standoff in an old western movie. Then on Devlin’s emphatic statement, gunfire erupted in the hallway. There was shouting and the sounds of thunderous footsteps. Ash heard the whoosh of the door opening, and as she turned her head she saw Charles Barrington slip into the room. Ash watched Brooke heave a huge sigh of relief and hoped her friend would not be disappointed by her father once again.
The Protectors both tensed, and Hawk shoved Ashlyn a little bit behind him. “What on earth is going on here, Devlin? Who are all these people? And why in God’s name are you holding my daughter at knife point?” Charles questioned.
Charles stared Devlin down. It was the first time Ashlyn had seen the two men at odds. She wasn’t sure if it boded well for her and her friends or not. They had always presented as a united front; the calculating mad scientist and his evil mercenary.
Devlin’s face flushed bright red, and his voice was abrasive and harsh. Spittle flew from his scarred lips when he spoke. “I’ll tell you what they’re doing here. Your stupid bitch of a daughter helped them to enter our secure facility. And I lost some very valuable men in the process. I told you not to trust her, but your arrogance has overridden your common sense once again.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Robert. Brooke had nothing to do with their presence here tonight. Isn’t that right, Brooke?” Charles questioned.
“Go ahead. Tell him the truth. You only care about helping your friend Firecracker escape from us. You don’t care about what your father and I might lose in the process. You, and this saint act you’ve got going.” Devlin shoved the tip of the knife into Brooke’s chin, drawing more blood. He was shouting now. “Go on. Tell him! You nosy little bitch, you’re just like your mother.”
A flood of tears ran down Brooke’s cheeks. “What you’ve been doing to Ashlyn is wrong. You can’t just take people and experiment on them. Hurt them. Keep them prisoner. I had to help her. You were going to kill her.”
“They are not people, Brooke. They don’t deserve to live. I knew when I met that self-righteous know it all Kai Sanders back in medical school. He tried to take everything from me. He may have beat me in our rankings, but no one beats Charles Edward Barrington III.”
Brooke’s body shook as she wept openly. “That’s what this is all about? Some guy beat you at being number one,
and you want Ashlyn and her people to pay. Oh my God…you’re as crazy as Devlin.”
Poor Brooke’s defenses cracked in two. It seemed she finally understood her father was as off balance as Devlin. A plan formed instantly in Ash’s head, and Hawk’s body became rigid next to her. Telepathically he connected to her. “I know what you’re thinking. Don’t you dare do it. I mean it, Ash. These two are completely nuts.”
She responded in his mind. “Please, I need you to trust me. I know what I’m doing. Just be ready to move quickly.”
Before Hawk had the chance to react, Ashlyn closed her eyes and concentrated all of her focus on her Fire. Slowly, she raised her palms and directed a burst of flame toward Devlin. His sleeve ignited with a whoosh of blue flames. He dropped the knife, and it clattered to the ground echoing through the room. Enraged, Devlin roared inhumanly snarling as he tamped out the flames while still clutching Brooke. Ash barely caught a glimpse of Quill. He moved like the wind that was his power. Swooping in, he freed Brooke from Devlin’s deadly grasp.
Devlin lunged seizing the knife. He grabbed Ash by her ankle before she knew what happened, pulling her off her feet. Startled, she slammed hard to the concrete floor. Jolts of pain radiated through her shoulder. Momentarily stunned, and with nothing to grip onto, Ash’s hands skidded along the floor. She tried to brace herself attempting to fight Devlin’s rage-fueled strength. He gained purchase and drew her to him. Before she could even call to her Fire, Hawk flew at him like a flicker of light. Devlin’s eyes opened wide, and his grip on her loosened as Hawk attacked. Ash yanked her leg back and rolled away. With the power of the Elements behind him, Hawk pounded Devlin. The Mercenary’s eyes glazed over, and he fought back viciously slicing deeply into Hawk’s forearm. His blood splattered from the considerable sized wound.
Ashlyn didn’t hesitate. Her Fire raced down her arms. She targeted Devlin and sent a barrage of Flames straight at him. His pant leg caught alight, and once again he lost his hold on the knife. Dropping to the floor, he rolled around dousing the flames. Then quickly arching his back, Devlin landed on his feet in a move that was almost acrobatic. He followed up by planting a solid punch to Hawk’s nose. It responded with a resounding crack making Ash shiver all the way down to her toes. But Hawk did not slow down, in fact, it appeared to provoke her man further. Even as blood flowed into his mouth and soaked his sleeve, the Protector kicked and punched Devlin mercilessly. Fury permeated his every pore, and Ash could sense it to the point of pain. Hawk unleashed the full strength of his powers revealing them to all those present. The ground beneath them quaked. Strong gusts of wind whipped through the air sending debris flying around the room. Devlin fought him off, but Hawk was too fierce and relentless.
He screamed in Devlin’s face as he continued his assault. “How dare you take her! How dare you hurt her!” Each blow was punctuated by another word or phrase until Devlin lay motionless unable to fight back. “I will kill you…you…son…of…a…bitch!”
Ash stared open mouthed at Devlin who was curled up in a protective ball. Bloodied and unmoving, she couldn’t believe the terrorizing mercenary had been rendered helpless. Hawk crouched down grabbing Devlin by the chin. He pulled him up off the ground and with a twisting motion, Hawk snapped the man’s neck. The nauseating crunching sound rang in her ears. Dumping his lifeless body with a thud, Hawk stood over Devlin. Ashlyn heaved a sigh of relief. Devlin was gone. The monster of her nightmares was dead, and she felt no remorse whatsoever. She scrambled across the floor until she reached Hawk. He lowered himself to his knees to catch her as she threw herself into his opened arms.
“You’re hurt. You’re bleeding,” Ash said. She wiped his face with the blanket she had wrapped around herself.
“I’m okay, honey. It’s not bad, don’t worry. Everything is going to be all right now,” Hawk reassured her. “He can’t ever hurt you again. You are so brave, my Guardian.” He stroked her hair holding her tightly. “But you and I are going to talk later about you being so reckless.”
Hawk pulled back just enough to gaze directly into her eyes. She saw so much love reflected in their depths, it melted her heart. He threaded his fingers through her hair drawing her close to him. His mouth crashed down on hers, and he kissed her deeply, passionately, the way she always dreamed about. It was better than any fantasy she could have ever imagined. His lips were strong yet tender. His tongue swept into her mouth, and a moan involuntarily escaped.
Quill cleared his throat. “Um, guys? You know there are other people in the room, right?”
They reluctantly separated and Hawk shot Quill a death stare which made Ash chuckle. Leave it to Quill. Ash wondered if he would ever change, but then she noticed he still held Brooke snugly to his chest.
Hesitantly disengaging herself from Hawk’s strong grasp, Ash stood and approached her friend. “Brooke? Are you okay? Are you hurt?”
Brooke’s sobs had subsided, but every now and then she shuddered in the aftermath of her emotional state. She removed her tearstained face from Quill’s chest yet continued to keep her arms wrapped around his waist. “I’m okay, Ashlyn. I guess I’m just in shock. I can’t believe that happened. Is…is Devlin dead?”
Hawk got back up on his feet. “Yes. That sadistic psycho will never hurt anyone again. I’m sorry you had to see that, Brooke, but he left me no choice.”
Ashlyn’s gaze scanned the expansive room searching for Charles Barrington, but he was gone. She also noticed, the hallway, which had been filled with the sounds of gunfire, was now eerily silent. She clasped the blanket more securely around herself. “It’s quiet out there. Do you think the other Protectors are safe? And where did Charles go?”
“I have no idea where Barrington went, but we will definitely find him. Quill and I will check on the other Protectors and see if they have him in custody,” Hawk said. “But, Ash, honey, um, where are your clothes? What did those animals do to you?” He questioned, with a mix of anger and worry in his voice.
Her eyes met Hawk’s and heat rose to her cheeks. “It’s nothing like you’re thinking. My hospital gown burned up when I used my Fire to try to break out of my cell. I haven’t had clothes since I was taken from Aether. They’ve been providing hospital gowns. Every time I get angry my Flame seems to take over. Let it suffice to say, I have been burning through quite a lot of them. I’d give anything for a pair of jeans and a T-shirt.” She re-secured the blanket around herself.
“Ashlyn, I brought you some clothes to wear. I didn’t think you would want to leave here in a hospital gown,” Brooke offered.
Quill added, “I think the blanket is a strong fashion statement. It really works for you, Ash. I like it, and I definitely think Hawk likes it. Right, buddy?”
The two women laughed, but Hawk rolled his eyes. “You know I’m going to tell you to shut up, right?”
“Yeah, I figured, but I couldn’t resist,” Quill joked.
Ignoring Quill, Hawk addressed Brooke. “Why don’t you grab those clothes for Ash, and we’ll check the hallway and make sure it’s safe for you ladies. Try and be quick, we need to get out of here.” Hawk leaned in and touched his lips to Ashlyn’s. “We’ll be right back. Come on, Quill.”
Appearing hesitant, Quill released Brooke from his firm hold and began brushing his hands up and down her arms in a comforting gesture. Ash wasn’t sure what it was, but something definitely passed between the two.
Hawk cracked the door open and stuck his head out glancing both ways before he and Quill exited the lab. Ash’s eyes were glued to him until he disappeared from sight. Devlin was sprawled out on the floor his head canted to the side. Ash watched on as Brooke shivered and then quickly looked away. “Brooke, are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yes, I’m sure. I’ve just never seen anyone killed before. It was awful, and I was so worried about Hawk. He is one, tough, scary guy, that man of yours. I’m glad he’s on our side.” She grinned at Ash but then sobered quickly. “My father… I-I don’t even know what to say
about him. I always knew he was horrible, but I can’t believe how far reaching it is. He’s petty and vindictive, not to mention completely irrational. How could my father have so much hate in him? I don’t want to talk about it anymore right now. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I want to thank you for everything you’ve done for me. You’ve been a true friend. Now you have to let me help you. You know you can’t stay here right? Please come home with me. Aether is the only place you’ll be safe. Every instinct I have is screaming you belong in Aether. Please, trust me. Also, I think Quill may not have it any other way,” she joked. “I’ve known him my entire life, and I’ve never seen him react to a woman the way he’s reacting to you.”
Brooke smiled. “He is really something. The way he moved and saved me from Devlin. Plus, he is the hottest guy I’ve ever laid eyes on.” She fanned herself. “Do all the men look like Quill and Hawk where you come from? Because if they do, I don’t think I’m going to be able to speak when I get there.”
Ash laughed loudly. “Yes. The people of Aether are all quite beautiful to look at and very diverse as well. You can see for yourself…hey, wait a second, you said when you come to Aether. Does that mean you’ve decided to join us?”
Brooke moved to the corner of the room where she produced a large suitcase on wheels and a small duffle bag. She beamed brightly. “I decided before any of this went down. I don’t belong here. I think I’ve always known it. My mother used to call me “my gift.” She said I was special and meant for great things. And one day, when I was ready, I would believe it was true and follow my heart. Well, I think the time has come. I’m finally going to follow my heart. I’m coming to Aether with you.”
****
Hawk
Power pulsated off Hawk in waves. He did it. He actually succeeded in freeing Ashlyn. The pain and longing for her which had become his constant companion didn’t dissipate though. Even having her in his arms and kissing her, didn’t ease the tightness in his chest. The heat of their passion ran hotter than Ashlyn’s Fire, and he knew he would never be able to get enough of her. Tearing himself away even for a few minutes was one of the hardest things he’d ever had to do. However, he needed to ensure her safety and that of the other Protectors.