The wind moved her ponytail. It also made the leaves dance across the path in front of us. Natalie had lent Athena a coat. She shivered despite its warmth. What had Liam done to her?
‘I’m not sure. I never saw the fights he got into. He ordered me to stay at home if he ever had to deal with anyone. He tends to have two bodyguards. Hopefully he won’t have any more.’ She licked her lips, blinking when the cool wind hit them.
The tiny gesture made me squeeze her hand. She was amazing. She was a strong woman. How had she come to be in my life? Did she believe what she had said about fate?
Our mission was based on fate. It was what brought our twin flame soulmate to us. Was that the type of fate she was talking about?
‘Gemini…’ My name from her mouth flew away on the breeze. It was starting to get stronger. Did my emotions play a role in the sudden gust that wrapped around us? She paused, making me stop by pulling on my hand. Looking down at her, I smiled. Her top teeth nibbled on her lower lip. The red lipstick she wore smudged onto her tooth.
‘What is it?’ I said, bending down to her.
When my face was near hers, her hand came up my arm and onto the back of my neck. Chills pulsed down my spine as her fingers caressed the skin there. Her gaze was intense, searching. What was she trying to find?
‘Thank you,’ she whispered before putting pressure on my neck and leaning up to place her lips on mine.
It was a quick kiss but it sent heat racing through me. The unexpected feeling made me wrap my arms around her back and pull her to me. She gasped when my tongue plunged into her mouth. She held me tight against her as I ravaged her lips. Time ceased to exist. Light shone behind my closed eyelids. Our breathing grew heavy but it didn’t matter. It was just her.
‘Gem, get on with it!’ someone interrupted.
Athena thrust away from me. We stared at each other in the middle of the pathway. A passer-by apologised as they walked between us.
‘What was that?’ Athena asked.
I stood still, unsure how to answer. My mouth opened and closed. I glanced behind me to see who had shouted. Scorpio waited by a tree. He had interrupted the best kiss of my life. I would make him pay later.
‘A kiss,’ I replied when I looked back at her.
The corners of her lips lifted into her pink cheeks. The flash of humour that passed over her eyes was a positive thing. The last thing I needed as we faced Liam was a peed off woman. Especially one that would attack me at any moment.
‘Can we get a move on?’ Scorpio called.
Glaring at him, I grabbed Athena’s hand and started to walk down the path again. Scorpio needed to be careful. Liam’s men could be anywhere in the park. My conscience laughed at me. I had stopped to kiss the woman that Liam saw as his property in front of everyone.
‘There he is.’ Athena gasped, ripping her hand from my grasp.
Looking to where she stared, I caught sight of Liam. He lounged on a bench by the top entrance to the park. Marble Arch was behind him in its full glory. There was a man standing behind him but otherwise he was alone. The bag in my hand became heavy all of a sudden. Could I do this?
I was glad I had something to hold onto. If my hand was free, I would fiddle with my sleeve cuffs.
‘We need to show him we’re united,’ I said, taking her hand again.
She didn’t say anything. Her dainty fingers were shaking. I brought them to my lips and kissed the skin on her palm. Her eyes shot to me. The wrinkles of worry in her forehead smoothed out as our gaze met.
‘Let’s go,’ I muttered.
Nodding, she smiled gently before allowing me to take the lead. I marched over the clearing towards our enemy. When he spotted us, he sat up straight. The man behind him moved from one foot to the other. They were ready for a fight too.
‘Gemini. Good to see you,’ Liam said when we reached him.
Keeping our distance, we came to a stop in front of him. He clicked his knuckles with his thumb. Glancing at Athena, he smirked. ‘I see that your style has been compromised since you’ve been slumming it with…him.’
Her arm went rigid. I stroked her thumb with mine, not looking at her. Keeping my head clear was the priority. Worrying about Athena would distract me.
‘We have the money,’ I said, holding up the bag.
Liam smoothed his suit jacket as he stood up. Cocking his head to the side, he raked his gaze over Athena. He was using intimidation tactics to get to her. Would she be strong enough not to let him affect her?
‘So, if I have this right. You want to pay your debt and buy Athena from me?’
My teeth gritted. Athena gasped when my hand crushed hers. I released the pressure but didn’t take my hand away. United. That’s how we had to be. The choice of word flashed into my brain.
When Father and Mother had told us about our twin flame soulmate, they had mentioned that we would unite with them. How strange that I was now thinking of that word to describe us.
‘Not quite. She wants to buy her freedom. She-’
‘No.’
Liam’s refusal was cold. Athena shivered. I glanced at her. She looked at me with such trust. I couldn’t let her down.
‘It’s not a request,’ I said, offering the bag to him.
He scrunched his nose as if something smelt funny. He pulled on his shirt cuffs, one at a time. The silence in the park was countered with the traffic on the road, just outside the gate. Liam wasn’t going to back down. He held his body as still as possible. The fight would come.
‘You don’t actually want to be free from me, do you, sweetheart?’
Ripping from me, she stepped right up in his face. Her movement was so quick, I had no time to counteract it.
‘You disgust me. I shouldn’t even consider giving you money to get rid of you. I should have gone to the police and had you arrested. You do not own me.’
Liam’s jaw clenched. I reached forward and pulled Athena back to me.
‘He owns you now, does he?’ He pushed the words through his teeth.
Athena tried to go forward again. I managed to keep her back. ‘No one owns me. I own myself!’
The chuckle that fell from Liam’s mouth made my skin crawl. It took every part of my willpower not to launch at him myself. Wrapping my arm around her waist, I pulled her to my side. Slumping against me, she let the air out of her lungs in one long breath.
‘Liam. Surely you’ve had enough of her? You deserve someone that’s much more attractive. Someone who worships you. If you have Athena hanging around, the other possible beauties won’t flock to you. Imagine what it will be like once they realise that you’re a free man.’
He scoffed, glancing over his shoulder at his bodyguard. ‘I’m always a free man.’
An expression crossed his face. I couldn’t pin point what it represented but something told me he wasn’t telling the truth. The air changed around us. Was Liam telling me something with what he didn’t say?
‘You know I’m right, though. Athena has become a thorn in your side. She no longer plays by the rules. You need a woman that has your back. Someone that’s going to do your bidding because she loves you.’ I clenched her waist as I spoke, begging her with my mind not to say anything.
This was my thing. I could sell anything to anyone. If it was the best way to get rid of him, I would sell him my own soul.
‘It’s not enough money.’
Liam’s gaze darted to the side of my head. Either he had spotted Scorpio or someone else was behind me. What was happening? Something wasn’t right.
‘Let me take over from here, son.’
My eyes closed slowly. Athena tried to turn to look behind us. I didn’t need to. I recognised Nick’s voice without seeing him.
‘Father. I hadn’t even-’
‘You’ve done well. There’s no point in bargaining. There won’t be a solution.’
Turning to face Nick, I plastered a smile on my face. He stood with two of his men on either side of him. All three wore
their black trousers and jumpers. Nick’s grey hair matched the colour of his eyes. He’d aged quickly. The stress of keeping us from our soulmates must be getting to him.
‘How are you, Gemini?’
His smile was lazy. Athena looked between us, her eyebrows pulled low. ‘Who is this?’
Liam came around us to stand with Nick. His father. I should have known that Nick would be involved. I hoped the others would hold back. A breakout fight in the middle of Hyde Park would not be good. We still had to keep who we were under wraps.
‘It’s a man that wants…’
How could I explain who he was? I would sound like a nutcase. The whole tale of good versus evil and true love was a fairy tale. Who would believe such a thing?
‘Don’t say too much, will you? I doubt our lovely friend would understand,’ Nick said.
Liam stood next to his dad. Taller than him but not quite as formidable. The difference in energy was obvious. Liam was a thug. A man without the power it would take to get rid of us.
‘Love warrior sounds ridiculous!’ Liam laughed.
Nick smacked him over the head. Athena’s gaze met my own. It did sound stupid. I smiled and shook my head in dismissal. I didn’t even use that title. We had only found out about it recently. Taurus had got high with Nick and flashed back to a time where he’d learnt that we were warriors. Of love.
‘Shame our friend Taurus isn’t here,’ Nick said, gesturing towards a clump of trees to our right. A group of men in black outfits stood around my brothers. All three of them. ‘You really didn’t see this coming?’
My mind flashed to Aquarius. Why hadn’t he warned us that Nick was on his way to the park? Had Aries even let him know that we had called the meeting? Our family dynamic was not working well. The plan had been loose at best. We should have taken our time. Worked out a strategy.
‘Liam is your son,’ I stated.
They were nothing alike. The idea that Nick had children had never occurred to me. To any of us. Liam was in his late twenties so it was conceivable. Great. Two evil men out to get my blood. Especially since I had stolen Athena from him.
‘I don’t like this situation,’ Nick said, pointing at us.
My heartbeat increased. There was a reason Nick was involved and it wasn’t because of Liam. It could only mean one thing. My twin flame soulmate was near. Very near.
‘Gemini…?’
Athena’s hand wrapped in my shirt as I held her. I dropped the bag on the floor and put my other arm around her. My instincts had been right. Although, I still couldn’t be one hundred per cent sure. Why else would Nick be glaring at Athena with hatred in his eyes?
‘She’s innocent,’ I called.
The laugh that came from Nick was echoed by the men around him. I risked a glance at my brothers. It might seem like they stood around casually but Nick’s men would have threatened them with weapons. It hadn’t even entered my mind that they would be there.
‘She’s not innocent. As part of your soul, she’s as guilty as you.’ Nick was relaxed, confident. He was certain that he had the upper hand. He was correct in his assumption but it didn’t stop my mind from racing.
‘No one is guilty in this fight. Not even you. We know what happened to you. It looks like you might have found someone to be happy with.’ I gestured at Liam.
Nick scoffed which made Liam frown at him.
‘I have a lot of children. They’re my army. I don’t need family. Never have, never will.’
It was my turn to scoff. ‘Not technically true. I’m sure there was a time when one gentle woman had your heart. You know, the one my father prevented you from marrying.’
Athena held me tight when Nick’s face started to turn red. The memory, even after all the lifetimes he had been through, was still a painful reminder. My father had stopped him from marrying his true love. In turn, he wanted to ruin our lives.
‘Old ground is never worth going over. I only have one mission in life. To stop you from getting with her.’
Nick ran for me. I pushed Athena away and took his attack as he barrelled into my chest. My words had hit a nerve. The flash of emotion was not like the calm and calculating Nick I knew. We fell to the ground. My back cracked on the hard dirt. I grunted as I rolled to get him off me. Athena scrambled to her feet nearby.
‘Run!’ I shouted.
Nick’s fist pounded into my side. I brought my knee up, slamming it into his thigh. It didn’t do the trick.
‘You don’t deserve to be loved.’ I growled.
He roared as he rose above me. Pinning me to the ground, he threw his fist straight into my jaw. My head snapped back and darkness overtook me.
Chapter Fifteen
The weight of a body on mine confused me. It was soft, not hard. Why would Nick be lying on me?
‘Wake up, sleepy.’ The soft feminine lilt made my eyes shoot open.
Sitting up straight, I knocked her from my chest. She squealed as I looked around.
We were in a barn loft, lying on a straw bed. The girl that had been cuddling up to me was naked. So was I. Her long blonde hair curled to her waist. She was young, about eighteen.
‘What’s going on?’ I asked.
I rubbed my eyes. When I moved my fingers away, I looked straight into the eyes of the girl. Bringing my hand up to my hair, I cringed when I felt the long greasy strands. Scratching my jaw, I tried to remember what my siblings had said about their trips back to the past. It was different somehow. I wasn’t playing out a scene automatically like they did. I was in control of my thoughts.
‘I think you had a dream.’ The girl crawled onto me, pushing me to lay back.
When her hair fell forward and brushed my chest, an explosion of feeling ran over me. I was in love with her.
‘What year is it?’ I asked, stopping her when she went to kiss me.
Her head cocked to the side as she regarded me with a frown. ‘Are you serious?’
I nodded, biting the side of my mouth as I waited for her reply. A smile tugged her lips and dimples appeared in her cheeks. I couldn’t help but smile back at her.
‘1630. What did you dream about?’
Her lips descended on mine when I blinked. The smell of her engulfed me. I was too engrossed to think.
‘And where are we?’ I asked, moving her hair away from her face when she let go.
The giggle that left her mouth made me want to forget where I had just come from.
‘We’re in America, silly. We arrived last week. Father has no idea that we’re in love. He’ll kill you if he finds out. You know this. Why are you acting queer?’
She sat up straight, looking at me through the curtain of her hair. America. I had never travelled to the United States in my current lifetime.
‘Who are you?’ I sat up but kept a hand on the small of her back so she didn’t fall off me.
‘You’re starting to scare me,’ she whispered.
I stroked her head and held her face in my hands. ‘I know I sound strange. Please, humour me.’
She kissed the tip of my nose lightly before moving my grubby hair away from my neck.
‘I’m Annabelle. Your soulmate.’
Looking into her eyes, I saw the truth. Was it a coincidence that Annabelle had a name that started with the same letter as Athena? Were they the same person? If my sibling’s flashbacks were similar to mine, I would be visiting the person that was my twin flame.
‘Brother!’
The shout came from outside the barn. Annabelle pushed herself off me and started to get dressed.
‘Who is that?’ I said, following her lead.
She huffed as she pulled her dress over her head. ‘It’s your brother. He’ll kill us if he sees us together.’
I frowned as I went to do up the cuffs on my shirt sleeves. The garment was completely different from the tops I wore in the 21st century. I couldn’t fiddle with anything.
‘You need to go out to him. I must hide until you take him away. The wedding
is in two days. We have to run away.’
She pushed me towards the ladder. I went to smooth back my hair but didn’t bother when it got entangled in my fingers. I really let myself go in this lifetime. Turning, I put my foot on the rung and started to climb down into the barn. Annabelle grabbed me before I cleared the floor of the loft and kissed my forehead.
‘I love you. Nothing will keep us apart. Not even him.’
Grabbing the back of her head, I kissed her properly. The panic in me was foreign but it was there. I was sleeping with my brother’s fiancée. That wasn’t good.
‘Whatever happens, know that I will always find you,’ I replied.
Her frown was the last thing I saw as I jumped to the floor of the barn. The sound of a snorting horse led me to where my brother waited outside. The double doors of the barn stood slightly ajar. I looked out, expecting to recognise the face of one of my brothers from my life in the 21st century. Was I sleeping with Aries’ woman? I was in love with my twin flame soulmate but she was promised to someone else. Was it Leo?
‘Come on!’ the man called.
I watched his back as the horse he rode turned. He was holding a sword, ready to swing for my head by the looks of it.
Stepping out of the barn, I called to him. ‘I’m here, brother.’
The horse rounded to reveal the man that I had betrayed. My step faltered when my gaze met with a pair of grey eyes. Nick. Or the incarnated version of him before we had got to the 21st century. His hair was red. The freckles on his skin told of his Celtic ancestry. Glancing down at my own arm, I smiled at the same colouring. Nick and I were brothers in this lifetime. How interesting.
‘You’ve been with her again, haven’t you?’
His fierce scowl told me all I needed to know. He was not going to listen to me. Reason was not going to work on him. Either I stayed to fight or I ran away. ‘Brother, let me explain,’ I started.
I had no idea what I would say. Coming up with a lie wasn’t going to work. It didn’t matter, he wasn’t listening anyway. Did Nick know that I was one of the love warriors? Had he lived throughout the lifetime knowing that I was the enemy but having to accept me as his brother?
Gemini: Book 4 in a Young Adult Paranormal Romance Series (The Zodiac Twin Flame Series) Page 12