Crimson Desert

by Melissa Jane

  “You might be the type to do that, but I’m not.”

  “Then you will die along with them.”

  “You are a heartless fucker.”

  “Heartless and a fucker, but I speak the truth.” Jorge pulled the gas hose out the tank and turned to return it to the pump. I strolled forward casually, hiding the fact I had heard the whole heartbreaking discussion.

  Jorge locked eyes with mine for a split second before mumbling something to Aiden who hesitated a moment before turning to face me. His face was void of all emotion as if the conversation with Jorge had never happened.

  “All good?” Aiden asked.

  I nodded in response as a hard lump formed in my throat. What Jorge was saying was the truth. Aiden had done so much already to save Ethan and me. He had betrayed his family and was now even trying to kill them.

  If he continued to help us, Aiden would die.

  That was the cold, hard truth of the matter.

  There were men already tailing us, eager to take Aiden out. He had a bounty on his head and they wouldn’t stop until Hector had his revenge. Just thinking about that awful fate made my heart lurch with untold grief. I didn’t want his life to be in ruins over me. I didn’t want him to always be on the run. He didn’t deserve it. But as long as Aiden was with me, that’s exactly the destiny that awaited him.

  “Let’s head off before we lose our lead,” he said, a curious frown marring his features.

  Numbly, I made my way back to the car and sat in the back seat. Aiden joined me but I kept my gaze out the window, staring at nothing in particular.

  I couldn’t bear to look at his beautiful face.

  Seeing him would only make it hurt more.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Aiden

  Laila was quiet.

  Too quiet.

  There had been a dramatic shift in her demeanor since we left the gas station. She wouldn’t even look my way. Soon after we hit the road again, I covered her hand with mine as it rested on the leather seat. Without a second’s hesitation, Laila had slowly pulled away from me, folding her arm tight around her body, out of sight and out of reach.

  She hadn’t done it out of spite. That much I knew. The road travelled thus far hadn’t been kind to her and I understood her need for space. Deep down, however, I could sense the demons playing catch up. Taunting from their safe spot.

  I had taken for granted Laila’s ability to compartmentalize. To put up walls to block the undesirables. It was a commendable strength. My fear was for when they all come crashing down. How would she deal with it then?

  No one uttered a single word the entire trip and neither of the siblings cared enough to even ask where we were going.

  The silence allowed me enough time to digest the conversation I’d had with Jorge. I understood his concern and his points were valid. I also wasn’t blind to the fact the man also had a life he had to get back to.

  I couldn’t keep him in my employment forever.

  But I couldn’t do what he was asking.

  I couldn’t leave Laila. It wasn’t about having to live with myself and the guilt if something happened to her, it was more than that. She had become the light in my dark world, breathing air into my dying body. I couldn’t fathom my life without her.

  I didn’t want to imagine a life without her.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Laila

  The drive was long. The minutes ticked by at a painful pace, but I knew it was because no one in the car was talking. There was a new, overbearing tension settling down on everyone, suffocating us all in the confines of the cab.

  I wasn’t sure where we were headed and it didn’t matter because, for some of us, this would be the end of the road. Ethan and I would go our separate ways while Aiden figured out how to survive his family without having to deal with me as a distraction. My plan was only in draft version, but I couldn’t see it failing.

  Taking its time, yes.

  But failing, no.

  Aiden had been adamant from the beginning we couldn’t go to the police. He said they would be no good to us because somehow Hector would still be in control of the situation.

  I didn’t believe that.

  Hector was a powerful figure in the drug world, but I refused to believe he was the be-all-and-end-all. There would be some authority figure out there determined to put a stop to the Florez empire and someone who could help and Ethan and I seek safety without becoming a burden to anyone else. Hector and Juan would be arrested, hopefully put away for life, and no one else would ever have to suffer at the hands of these monsters. In saying that, I couldn’t exactly front up to the police station with Aiden by my side. All the crimes that have been committed would connect directly to him. He would go down just like the rest of them.

  Without me around, Aiden would be free of the chase and perhaps one day he and I might even have a future together. Now, in its current state, it simply wasn’t possible.

  When we hit our next town, finding the nearest police station was first on my agenda.

  Saying goodbye to Aiden was my next and undoubtable the hardest move.

  As much as I craved normality, Aiden also needed his brand of normal. If I didn’t do something about it now, we were both likely to be on the run for the rest of our lives.

  “You are thinking again,” Aiden’s mouth grazed my ear, startling me from my thoughts. Without thinking, my head spun around to meet his, our lips only a hair's breadth apart.

  This was temptation at its utmost worst. It felt instinctual to kiss him, to claim his sweet sexy mouth and never let him go.

  Instead, it felt like a crushing weight knowing I couldn’t. I couldn’t lead him on any more into thinking we had something because in a few hours we would be saying our goodbyes and I would leave him forever, a changed woman.

  “I told you,” he began, his eyes hooded, “thinking is dangerous for your health.”

  “Aiden, I– ”

  From the front, Ethan cleared his throat in an obnoxious ‘I can see you’ kind of way and I jumped in fright, causing a divide between us.

  “Do you mind?” Ethan asked from the passenger side.

  “Not at all. Do you?” Aiden was losing patience with my brother’s immature overprotectiveness that had reached boiling point ever since we met in San Diego.

  “Actually, we do.” Ethan waved his thumb between him and Jorge.

  “Then look through the front window and mind your own business,” I snapped, pissed at all the attitude he was giving. He had no right to be that way about any of what was going on.

  Ethan turned to face me, a nasty scowl etched across his face. “You don’t fucking get it, do you, Laila?”

  What was there to get?

  He hadn’t been through what I experienced. It was inconceivable for him to know. We hadn’t even had the time to discuss everything that had happened. All he knew was the nutshell version, yet what lay beneath the nutshell was a whole lot of fucked-up I wasn’t yet prepared to talk about. He could speculate, he could contrive a whole lot of fiction, but up until this point, Ethan had no clue.

  “Watch your mouth,” Aiden snapped back at Ethan through clenched teeth.

  “Oh yeah, and why is that? So she keeps thinking you are the knight who saved her? Well, you are one royally fucked up knight.”

  “Ethan, please just – ”

  He turned his seething gaze to me. “No Laila, I won’t ‘just’ anything. Grow the fuck up before you are pulled back into his world and it’s too late to save your ass again.”

  “I gave you a warning, asshole,” Aiden’s voice was so controlled it was frightening. He was super mad and Ethan just wasn’t seeing it. “Quit being an asshole about shit you know nothing of.”

  Ethan’s comment was enough to even push me over the edge. How dare he pretend to be so self-righteous! “I think you are forgetting something, little brother. You pulled me into that world when you took off without telling me. Do you remember that or hav
e you conveniently forgotten your role in all of this?” I was yelling and I didn’t care it was our first screaming match in years.

  “Oh, I remember all right, and trust me, every time I look at you it’s going to be a constant reminder of what has happened. But to then shack up with this guy who is no better than his criminal family and think I would be ok with it is just plain stupidity. Mom and dad would be so ashamed of you right now, Laila.”

  “Ethan, how could –”

  “I warned you...” It was all Aiden said before lurching forward in his seat and hooking his left arm around Ethan’s neck in a choke hold. Jorge lost momentary control of the car and it swerved dangerously across the road, causing us all to fall against the doors and each other. My brother’s arms were flying in every which direction, sometimes attempting to pull Aiden’s arm away, sometimes aiming for his face.

  “Do not speak to her like that when you have no fucking idea what has happened to her.” From where I was, I could see Ethan’s face growing a sickening shade of purple and panic tore through me.

  “Aiden, please stop. He is just upset, he didn’t mean it.” Gripping his shirt in an attempt to pull him off Ethan was futile. Just as my pleas were.

  Somewhere amidst the commotion I could hear Jorge yelling at the two to stop, but he too went unnoticed.

  “If you wanna fucking take off, then go. They are not after you, they are after your sister and me. But please, by all means, take your leave and stop fucking upsetting her. Blink once if you get me.”

  A sickening thud met Aiden’s face as Ethan swung at him. While it wasn’t enough to send Aiden back to his seat, his hold round Ethan’s neck was loosened by another sudden swerve of the car.

  “Fuck you, asshole!” Ethan raged, his voice hoarse from lack of air. “Your scare tactics alone will have her fucking killed.”

  “Scare tactics?” Aiden took a swing, his fist connecting loudly against Ethan’s nose. Blood poured down my brother’s face and my heart sank. I hated seeing him hurt, even if he did deserve it. Aiden gripped the front of Ethan’s shirt pulling him around in his seat. “You don’t know shit. It was you, you fucking dumbass bastard, who caused all this. You can’t save her from them, Ethan.”

  As if he had suddenly gotten his second wind, Ethan, looking possessed and roaring like a maniac, lurched over the back of his seat, gathering Aiden in an awkward tackle.

  I screamed in terror as a gunshot rang through the confines of the car. Crouching again by the door, I felt as if my ear drums had been blown to pieces. I couldn’t see through the blur of tears but I could feel both Aiden and Ethan lying haphazardly still next to me on the back seat. I felt for their bodies unsure of who was hurt in the commotion.

  “Fuck! Ethan, Aiden, what the hell… fuck, someone say something, please.”

  Wiping furiously at my eyes with the sleeves of my top, I blinked, confused at the sight before me.

  “Who is hurt? Someone say something.”

  “Get the fuck off me.” Aiden’s voice sounded strained as he tried to push Ethan’s weight off him.

  “Aiden, are you hurt?” I asked, frantic for some answers.

  “Nah, babe. Jorge, you fuck, stop the car.”

  Ethan rolled off Aiden, a pained groan sounding from his throat. Blood from his nose now stained the front of both his and Aiden’s shirts. Jorge obediently pulled to a stop beside a stretch of road that at first glance looked deserted.

  I watched shaken and numb as Aiden opened the door and stepped out, wiping Ethan’s blood off his face. Rounding the car he approached the driver’s door, reached through the open window, gripped a sheepish looking Jorge by the collar and pulled him through the small space.

  I was amazed by two things.

  Why Aiden’s attention was now focused on Jorge and how Jorge actually managed to fit through the gap. He was not a petite guy.

  “Ethan, what happened? Who shot the gun?”

  “You are about to find out.” he said, somewhat relieved that Aiden’s attention had turned to someone else.

  I watched in horror as Aiden kneed Jorge in the stomach, then landed a crushing blow to his face. It was an incredibly violent scene to watch and I could feel my stomach lurch.

  “Give me the fucking gun.” Aiden yelled at Jorge, who was now on his knees attempting to straighten his jaw.

  With one hand, Jorge took the Glock from his waistband and handed it to his furious colleague. I looked to the roof of the car and saw a small hole that allowed daylight to pierce through. What the fuck? No wonder it sounded like a bomb went off in my head. He had recklessly shot the gun only an arm length away from us.

  “You have a fucking gun to protect us, not to fucking put us all at risk. Do you understand that?” Aiden continued the verbal attack.

  Jorge resentfully nodded, his tongue running along his bloodied and swollen lip.

  “Get the fuck in the car.”

  I looked to my brother who was now feeling sorry for himself. The whole situation had been uncalled for from the beginning. Ethan had no right to say the things he knew would cut deep. His lack of empathy was truly surprising, even for his standards. Aiden on the other hand hadn’t needed to react so violently against someone struggling to deal with the gravity of the situation. My head was spinning and my stomach rolled. Clutching desperately for the door handle, I stumbled from the car and fell to my knees, the contents of my stomach spewing onto the road.

  Great… just fucking great.

  ***

  The rest of the trip was uneventful to say the least. Jorge still drove while rubbing his bruised and swollen jaw. Ethan sat in the back with me seemingly lost in defiant reconnaissance, his nose a bloodied mess and Aiden worked furiously on his tablet in the front passenger seat.

  A welcome to Reno sign flew past my window and I knew we would be coming to a stop shortly. My now empty stomach felt like it had a swarm of butterflies flying around in it as I thought about talking to the police. I would have to start from the beginning, sparing no detail and enlist the help of Ethan who could describe the whereabouts of the Florez household. While I had stayed there almost a month, I had no clue as to where in Mexico it really was.

  I knew I would have my brothers’ support when it came time to tell the police. Not only would he want the truth to be revealed, but he was keen to create as much possible distance between us and Aiden.

  We drove for ten minutes through the city, which had a certain charm about it I liked. High above us floated almost a dozen hot air balloons, their array of vibrant colors and patterns bringing a new life to the clouded gray sky. Beautiful mountain peaks framed the city and I felt myself relax at the thought of somewhere new offering a fresh breath of life into me. Of course, it was just a stopover. A place where the authorities would ensure we had the protection we needed from any further threat.

  We pulled to a stop in a driveway outside a newish-looking row of two story apartments in a residential estate. Jorge and Aiden climbed out of the car and stretched their legs in silence while Ethan and I exchanged dubious glances.

  “I suppose this is us,” he said, offering me a small smile that was his way of calling a truce.

  “Yes, I guess it is, but not for long.”

  Ethan’s brows knitted at my statement. I hadn’t had the time or the privacy to fill him in on my plan. Perhaps if we had, Ethan and Aiden wouldn’t have come to blows earlier.

  I gave his hand a squeeze, trying to ignore the hardened, dried blood beneath my touch.

  “First, we need to tidy ourselves up a bit.” I said, motioning towards his face as I climbed out of the car.

  “Shotgun the shower.” Ethan announced as he strolled past an unimpressed Jorge and Aiden.

  Thirty minutes passed and we were all fresh and clean sitting in the lounge of our new safe house. It was nice and modern inside, but I knew I couldn’t get too comfortable. From the moment we arrived I could feel Aiden’s eyes following every step I took. He had a knack for reading
me, for understanding my thoughts before I did and now paranoia was setting in. I didn’t want him intervening before I had the chance to action my plans. Eager to escape his intensity, I left via the backyard and sat on the bank of the Truckee River. I was less than thirty yards from the house and still in plain sight of anyone who cared to know my whereabouts.

  Lying on my back, staring at the sky, I relished the feel of the soft, lush green grass under my body. Being locked away from the world for so long, I knew I would never take the small things for granted ever again.

  It was beautiful and grounding.

  There was a gentle cool breeze and I found my skin goose bumping with each caress.

  I knew he was there. He hadn’t said a word, but I could feel him. Watching.

  “I stayed where you can still see me from the house.”

  “Even that’s too far.” He wasn’t giving me a warning about security and safety. Aiden’s voice was gentle and… sad?

  My heart tore at my chest hearing his words and I squeezed my eyes closed, a hard lump painfully lodging itself in my throat.

  It was simply soul crushing.

  He took a seat on the grass next to me and I sat up, our arms brushing against each other.

  “I am sorry for my abhorrent behavior today.” Aiden stared off into the distance across the river, a blade of grass twisting between his fingers.

  “It was quite a display.”

  “I don’t like the way he treats you, Laila.”

  “We are both in a foreign situation. I guess he is dealing with it as best he can.”

  “Doesn’t excuse the fact he’s punishing you for no reason.”

  “Well, I guess you both have excelled at your Neanderthal impersonations. So if the real Aiden and Ethan could return maybe we could learn to get along.”

  Aiden’s chuckle brought a smile to my face. He was so beautiful yet so damaged, it was heart breaking. A sudden devastating thought struck me that I had only experienced a month of fucked-upness but Aiden had lived it his whole life.

  Aiden’s hand came to rest on the nape of my neck, his fingers gently stroking my skin, working the magic only he possessed.