by CY Jones
“Bloody hell,” I shout, bending forward and pulling at my hair. “Why didn’t you say anything, man? You did see me from time to time at O’Donnell’s house of horrors.”
He raises an eyebrow. “Tell you how exactly? You’re in deep with O’Donnell, just like us. I could not tell you anything without putting Remy and myself in danger,” he explains, pleading with me to understand, and I do.
I hate that he’s fucking right. I get it. I don’t know what I would have done if our roles were reversed.
Blowing out a breath of hot air I ask, “What now?”
We’re all in a difficult situation, and we need a game plan to work our way out of it. At first I thought I was only helping Remy find her brother, but now I sense there's something more they plan on doing. Something way more dangerous
Standing up, Phantom squares his shoulders, looking every bit the man everyone fears and respects. “Now, I need to have a chat with my sister.”
Cocking my brow, I look up at him like he’s crazy, and shite, he is. “Do you think that’s wise, mate? She did just deck you,” I tell him.
“Unlike you three, Remy doesn’t own my balls. I can handle her,” he taunts in return.
Cocky bastard. I hope Remy decks him again. “Your funeral,” is all I say, smirking.
Giving us a parting nod, Phantom disappears through the same doorway Remy stormed out of earlier.
Twenty-One
I could never live in a world without you in it
Remy
I hear him approaching before he speaks. His steps are light in the sand, barely audible over the waves. When I turn in his direction, he immediately holds both hands up in the air.
“I come in peace,” he says, fighting back a smile. Like me, he’s decided to keep an English accent, his deeper than my own.
“Look, I even brought a peace offering,” he says, slowly reaching behind his back and pulling something from his back pocket. When I see the orange package I can’t help it, I laugh. My anger towards him dissipates, at least long enough for me to hear him out. Smiling, I take the package of Reese cups from him.
“You even got the king size one,” I tease.
“Yeah, well I know they’re your favorite.”
This time he doesn’t hold back his grin, and it pulls me in. He’s my twin, my other half, and I will always love him.
“Well, a girl needs her chocolate and peanut butter,” I tell him.
He runs his eyes over me, searching for and cataloguing any bruises or injuries I might have sustained in during our separation.
“I’m fine, Row, I promise. I made it here without anything major happening,” I assure him, halting his examination.
We’re both quiet, but soon the silence grows uncomfortable, and my need to hear his explanation grows stronger, so I blurt out “You should have told me,” at the same time he says, “I wanted to tell you.”
“You are my twin,” I find myself saying. “The other half of my soul. Do you know how much it hurt to find out you were keeping something so major from me? Lying to my face, Rowen. You hurt me more than a bullet ever could.” My heart breaks all over again with our confrontation.
I watch as my words hit home, and he shuts his eyes, wincing in pain.
“I wanted to tell you, Bean, so fucking bad. You have to believe me,” he pleads, his voice breaking.
I can hear the sorrow in his voice, and I know this is just as hard on him as it is me.
“Then why didn’t you?” I shout. My whole body shakes with the force of the anger I thought I released just minutes ago, and I want to punch him all over again.
“I couldn’t,” he yells back. Stalking towards me, he grips my shoulders and looks me straight in the eyes. “I couldn't tell you because of how hot headed you are. You would have gone after O’Donnell, and you weren't strong enough then, not like you are now. You would have died, and I couldn’t lose you,” he cries.
“Bullshite,” I counter, shrugging him off. “If you would have told me, O’Donnell would be dead, his compound burned to the ground,” I growl. “Have you such little faith in me, brother?”
“You would have died, Bean,” he says softly.
“What makes you so sure?” I ask, dumbfounded by his lack of confidence in me.
“Because I saw it,” he whispers.
I must be mistaken, because he could not have said what I think he did. “What?”
“I saw it,” he repeats, louder this time.
I raise my brow, prompting him to continue.
“Our mother had prophet blood in her. I must have taken after her, because I get visions as well. I saw firsthand what would have happened if I told you. You died, Bean. O’Donnell killed you the same way he did our mother, and he let your body burn in the very same compound you wish to see burn down to the ground. I saw you die, Bean. Do you have any clue how deep that shite hurt me? You can go on without me, can survive, but me? I’m not that strong. I could never live in a world without you in it,” he whines, shattering my heart into a million pieces. I reach out and pull him close to my body, hugging him tight.
“I couldn’t let that future play out. I had to make a decision, and I chose you. We all have to make hard decisions in life, and I pray when it’s your turn, you will choose yourself,” he whispers into my hair, and I feel his tears splash on my neck. I don’t know what he’s talking about, but the hurt in his words were so intense that it broke the remaining piece of my anger.
“I love you, Jelly,” I whisper, calling him his old childhood nickname.
“I love you more, Bean,” he replies as we both just stand there, arms wrapped around each other.
I don’t know how long we stay out there as the waves crash around us. The sun was just setting when I first came out here, but now the sun is long gone, and stars light the night sky.
“Ready to go in?” I ask, pulling back and wiping away my tears.
“Yeah, I need to have another chat with your men in there,” he answers as we both walk inside.
“You say that like the first chat didn’t go well,” I laugh.
“Well enough,” he mumbles, turning the corner in this huge ass house heading back to the area I first saw him in earlier.
“Good, you’re all still here,” I quip, looking at the guys sitting about.
“We wanted to be close just in case you decided to kill your twin,” Cody says from a comfy looking leather recliner.
“You mean to tell me you would have helped my brother?” I mock-gasp, walking over and plopping down on his lap.
He wraps his arms tight around me. “Fuck no, princess. I would have helped you bury the body.”
Settling into a comfortable position on his lap, I rub my face against his scruffy blonde beard like a cat. He hasn’t shaved in a while, and the scruff of his beard feels good.
“What’s the plan?” Hunters asks from his seat on the sectional. “Where do we go from here?”
I glance over at my twin and cock my brow. This is his show, and as much as I want to take control, I have to let him take the lead. He’s the one who started all this.
“We need to take O’Donnell down, but it's going to be difficult,” Row begins. “He has his hands in everything, and the number of people on his payroll is staggering.”
This is nothing new to us. We all already know how well connected O’Donnell is.
“What about the thumb drive you left with our dads?” I inquire. “Can’t we use that against him?”
“It’s not enough. I originally left the thumb drive as a fail safe. It cannot be decoded by anyone but me.”
“I’m confused. Why leave it behind if you’re the only one who can decode it?” Looking around at the others, I can tell I’m not the only one confused by this little detail.
“By now O’Donnell knows the truth, and he knows that I have the thumb drive and what’s on it. I let him know that if either you or I were to die, the thumb drive will be decoded and sent out to the differen
t government agencies around the world as well as anyone else who might find the information valuable.”
“Well shite. You can do that?” I ask, shocked by his mad hacking skills.
“I can, and I have. Our death triggers another code embedded in the world wide web. When the thumb drive gets in range of any wifi or satellite signal the code will unravel and release the information.”
“That’s bloody genius,” Cody murmurs. I can practically see the wheels turning in his head, trying to figure out how my brother did it. “What’s on the drive anyway, mate?” Cody asks.
“Everything,” Row spits in pure disgust. “All O’Donnell’s shady dealings, every single person he has on his payroll, most of his drug routes, locations of different compounds and businesses he launders money through, information on the flesh trade he peddles, and locations of his slave auctions. The bastard even kept a log of all the supernaturals he's had killed over the years and their territories he took over,”
A look crosses his face as if remembering something, and he looks towards Hunter. “I’m sorry, mate. The land your pack sat on was rich with diamonds. Once O’Donnell killed your pack, he immediately took over the area and had his people start mining it. He wanted the diamonds, and killing the wolves was just a bonus.”
An uncomfortable silence falls over the room, and I bury my face into the crook of Cody’s neck, squeezing my eyes shut. Poor Hunter. He lost everything due to O’Donnell’s greed and prejudice.
“It’ll be ok,” Hunter says, surprising the fuck out of me. Since when did the cranky wolf not hold a grudge? Maybe he just reserves his special brand of angry just for me.
“Once O’Donnell dies my people will finally be avenged,” Hunter growls. When I look up at him, I see the hate shining in his eyes, but for once it isn’t directed at me. When he turns my way he nods in acceptance, and I nod back in understanding.
He doesn’t blame me anymore, but even though he may forgive me, he’ll never forget the hand I played in his pack’s death.
“So what do we do now?” I ask. “Storm the castle?” I offer changing the subject.
“I have a plan, but it will take some time to fully set up and put in play,” Row replies.
“How much time?” I grumble. As far as I’m concerned O’Donnell is already living on borrowed time, plus I’m starting to get upset again. Even after we hashed everything out, Row is still keeping secrets.
“I know what you’re thinking, and it’s not that I want to keep things from you,” Row says. “We need help for what I have planned, or we will all die. We can’t just rush into this, Bean.”
“What do you plan on doing?” I ask, trying to figure out what is going through my idiot twin’s head. I can’t get a read on him. Not like how I used to know everything he was thinking.
“You weren’t that far off when you said we should storm the castle, Bean.”
I look at my brother like he has grown another head. Clearly he has gone mad. I was just shooting the piss when I said that shite. No one is crazy enough to take on O’Donnell at his home base. That’s why the wanker doesn’t even bother to keep the location a secret. He’s that fucking confident, and honestly, it’s for good reason.
“You do know I was just joking, right?” I ask, looking my psychotic twin straight in the eyes.
“It’s brilliant, can’t you see?” he responds excitedly.
I groan, leaning back against Cody.“Fuck, you’re not joking.”
“Can’t you see it, Bean? We know every inch of that place. Where all the guards are stationed, how often they change shifts, the location of all the cameras, and the layout and design of the security systems.”
The guys remain quiet the whole time I’m arguing with my twin. They seem content to watch us bicker back and forth like it’s a ping pong match.
“Row, be serious. That compound is far too big to launch an assault. We may know the place, but I’m damn sure O’Donnell knows it better. There are countless places for him to hide, and people under his thumb to help him get away. That is, if they don’t kill us first,” I argue, trying to reason with him.
“Just hear me out first before you judge,” my brother pleads.
Crossing my arms over my chest, I hold back my next argument and allow him to continue.
“Five days from now, O’Donnell plans on having a private get together for his closest clients and some potential recruits at the manner. We could hit him then. I have a plan, Bean. We’re not going to go in there half cocked, all willy nilly. I’ve gotten us this far. Please trust that I can pull us through to the finish line,” he says, giving me his puppy dog face. The bastard is playing dirty. He knows I can’t resist his puppy dog face.
“Fine,” I concede. “Who else is supposed to help us in this suicide mission of yours?” I huff, annoyed that I caved.
“I’ve already started making some arrangements while I was waiting for you to get here.”
“Of course you have,” I mutter under my breath.
Giving me an irritated look, he continues. “I was able to hack O’Donnell’s private computer and gained access to the guest list,” Row comments with no small amount of pride.
It is truly scary the things my brother can do with a keyboard and a wireless router, but I don’t see what use a guest list was to us. “What good will that do?”
“It’ll come in handy, especially when someone,” he says, shooting me a pointed look, “needs to charm one of the guests on the list out of their plus one invite,” Rowen implores, almost begging with his eyes.
What the hell? So he’s pimping me out now?
“You’ve got to be joking,” I huff, not liking this part of the plan at all, and neither do the guys when all three of them wore mirrored angry expressions over their faces.
“Let's say I do somehow get an invite. What makes you think no one at the party will recognize me? Most of the guest won't, but O’Donnell and his Circus sure as hell will. I can’t just waltz on in,” I say, trying to reason with my brother. His plan is flawed. Why can’t he see that?
“Well it’s a good thing one of your men can cast a glamour on you to change your whole appearance,” Row says, looking at Cody.
That’s new. How do I not know this?
“You can do that?” I ask Cody amazed.
“That I can, princess,” Cody confirms, grinning from ear to ear and flashing his sexy dimple.
Damn. Sexy fairy is full of surprises.
“Also Oreo should be here by tomorrow afternoon,” Row says, breaking my naughty thoughts of Cody. “You will need his expertise in seduction.”
“The incubus,” I say incredulously. “What can he possibly offer?”
“Yes, the incubus. He hates O’Donnell as much as we do and possesses valuable intel, plus, you will need his help with seducing whomever you plan on getting to take you to this thing,” Row explains.
“What makes you think I need help?” I ask, jumping up off Cody’s lap and placing my hands on my hips. The way Rowen is talking, you would think I was a total leaper.
“If I were asking you to go shoot at the nearest gun range, I wouldn’t be worried, but let's face it, Bean. You don’t date, especially after...”
We both know what he means, and I don’t feel like living that nightmare all over again, especially with witnesses around.
“OK,” I waver, settling back on Cody’s lap. “I see your point. I’ll need the incubus’ help. Who else?”
Oreo seems too pretty to be of any actual use in a fight, but whatever. If my brother trusts him, who was I to argue?
“One of your boy toys can call our dads,” Row replies. “I’m sure they’re dying to help.”
I growl at my brother’s boy toy comment. It’s not my fault the universe thinks I should collect hot men like trinkets. “So that’s it? We’re going to head into O’Donnell’s stronghold and hope to take him down with nine people?”
It amazes me that I’m still considering going along with
this crazy plan. Anyone else would think my brother has lost the plot, but not me apparently. I run the numbers in my head, and as of right now, we only have a forty percent chance at survival.
“Have a little faith, bean. It’ll work,” Row says, sounding so sure of himself.
He’s so fucking hopeful, and a smile stretches his lips that lights up his whole face. A smile I haven’t seen in a long time. Who am I to tear him down? I only want to see him safe and happy, so I shut up. He has gotten us this far, after all.
I leave it to Hunter to make the call to my dads. I’m tired and extremely jet lagged. It seems like I’ve been on the go for days, and well, I guess maybe I have. Climbing the stairs, I go back to the room I commandeered earlier. It looks like the master, and it has a balcony with a great ocean view. I quickly shed my clothing and jump into the shower. Turning the water as hot as it’ll go without scalding me, I let the water work the stress from my body.
Despite all the craziness, at least I found my brother. We are free. A concept I never thought would happen, no matter how many times I dreamt about it. Maddie always said I would break free of my cage, and I wish he was here with me now. Why wouldn't he come with me when I asked him back at the club? Why didn’t he tell me he was my mate? Unlike Hunter, he knew why I’m the way I am. He’s seen what I went through first hand. Just like me and my brother, he knows how much a monster O’Donnell really is. But we are going to take down that bastard. I keep repeating this in my head until I finally believe it. By the time I step out the water, I’m as ready as I’ll ever be to go along with this crazy pants plan of my brother’s.
“Did you have a nice shower?” Silas asks, sitting on my bed. I wonder how long he’s been waiting for me.
“It was alright,” I answer. I’m aware that I’m in nothing but a towel, and that said towel only reaches the upper part of my thighs. My hair is still wet, dripping onto my shoulders and the floor.