Forever - 02

by Lauren Burd

  When I finished showering, I joined Samuel and Duncan at the table. One of them must have gone to pick up dinner because the table was loaded with enough food to feed a large family. By the time we finished eating, only a small piece of cake remained.

  Duncan turned on the television, and we all sat down to watch some horrible B movie. Periodically, one of us would get up to check on my dad. Despite the hilarity of the show and the over-the-top gore, I felt my eyelids slowly falling.

  “I’m heading to bed,” I said, standing up. I went to the telescope to check my dad’s condo, but the lights were out. He was probably already asleep. Despite my confinement and the guilt I felt at spying on him, it was nice to know he was safe.

  “Aren’t you going to watch the end of the movie?” Duncan asked.

  “The good guys win, the world is saved, and the hero gets the girl.”

  “What did you say?” I asked after Duncan mumbled something.

  “Great. Now, you ruined the movie.”

  I gave him a skeptical look. I was pretty sure he said something along the lines of ‘I wish,’ but I was too tired to argue. Besides, it was his turn to train with me tomorrow so I could always annoy him until he told me.

  I walked back over to the sofa and leaned over to whisper in Samuel’s ear. “Are you staying up?”

  “Yeah, for a little while longer.”

  I did my best not to roll my eyes. He’d yet to come to bed at the same time I did, despite our sharing the same room. He usually snuck into bed with me just as I was falling asleep or very shortly after. Even though I tried to wake up so I could spend some downtime with him, I was always too tired and drained from training to get out much more than a few mumbled words and a kiss before passing out. Tonight would be different.

  “I guess I’ll see you guys in the morning, then.”

  Once in the bedroom, I quickly locked the door. My heart raced while I began my preparations for the night. Several sets of candles left by the previous occupants were scattered around the room. I found a box of matches and lit all of them. It didn’t take long for the sweet scent to fill the room. The subdued light was a nice change from the glaring bedside lamps as well. After running around and picking up the dirty clothes, I glanced around at my handy work. It wasn’t perfect, but at least it was clean.

  I took a deep breath, trying to calm my fluttering heart as I dug through the drawers to find the lingerie I’d gotten in Switzerland─ a dark blue silk slip with creamy lace accents and a set of matching underwear. Well, they at least resembled underwear, but with so little fabric, I couldn’t be sure. It took me a couple minutes of fumbling to get the outfit on correctly. I checked myself in the mirror, but that was a mistake. The reflection staring back at me was barely recognizable.

  “What am I doing?” I asked the stranger in the mirror.

  I didn’t care what Tabby had said, there was no way it was going to work. Walking back out to the bedroom, I was about to grab a change of clothes and get into bed when I heard footsteps in the hall. I froze in place, waiting to hear where they would go.

  When the doorknob jiggled, my already rapid heart rate went into overdrive. I glanced around the room, trying to decide what I should do. The candles were all still lit, and I stood in the middle of the room in my barely there outfit. If he came in, he would see what I’d been doing. How was I going to explain? Maybe I could get into bed and pretend to be asleep. Or maybe I should just go through with my insane plan to seduce my boyfriend? Before I could make up my mind, I heard the lock click open. I ran for the bed and sat on the edge.

  I watched as the confusion on Samuel’s face transformed to shock and then some other emotion as he took in the scene. I did my best not to squirm when his gaze fell on me. His eyes widened in either shock or desire, but I wasn’t experienced enough to know which.

  He shut the door. “What’s all this about?”

  I shrugged, unsure if my voice would work. I felt so small and awkward as he walked across the room. He got closer. I stared down at my knees, afraid to look at him. Samuel stood in front of me, and I felt his eyes tracing their way along my body. As the silence dragged on, I began to believe I’d made a huge mistake.

  “When did you get that?” He ran his finger along the thin strap on my shoulder.

  “I got it in Switzerland. Well, actually Frau… I can’t remember her name… she got it for me. I think she thought I would want it. I didn’t ask her to. Maybe I should have returned it…”

  “No. I like it. The color brings out your eyes.”

  I glanced up, blushing. “You really like it?”

  Judging from the way his eyes kept tracing their way down my body, he didn’t really need to say anything. “Not that I mind, but I really would like to know why you’re doing this.”

  “Um…well…” My mouth was suddenly dry. I hadn’t planned on talking. From all the movies I’d seen, I thought this sort of thing just happened. Maybe I should have paid closer attention when I talked with Tabby earlier. “I wanted to… you know…” I bit my lip and turned away again, unable to continue.

  Samuel chuckled lightly. Placing his hand under my chin, he forced me to look at him. He leaned down, and his sweet breath washed over me, making my head spin. Just before his lips touched mine, he paused. I stared up into the liquid blue of his eyes and watched as it caught fire. Unable to wait any longer, I laced my fingers into his hair and lifted myself up a few inches and pressed my lips to his. He tensed for half a second and then relaxed.

  Throwing his arms around me, he pulled me off the bed. I wrapped my legs around his body and felt the smooth muscles hidden beneath his shirt. I felt him harden against my thigh. Then without warning, we fell through the air. I landed on the bed, my lips still on Samuel’s. The weight of his body pressed down on me, making it harder to breathe.

  I ran my hands up under his shirt, letting my fingers trace the contours of his body. His hands moved up my thigh and under the silk nightgown. As he reached higher, he suddenly stopped and pulled away. I thought I might have done something wrong until I saw him reach for his shirt. With one fluid movement, he stripped it off. Then before I could react, he reached down and pulled off my gown. I stared up at his bare chest in awe as he glanced down at me. With slow deliberate movements, he traced the lines of my body with his eyes and fingers. Goosebumps rose everywhere his skin touched mine. He covered me again with his body, and I reveled in the sensation of his skin against mine.

  Our hands never stopped exploring each other’s bodies. I relished every new sensation. When I reached down to undo the button on his pants, he grabbed my hand.

  “What?” I asked, confused.

  “Are you sure you want to?” he asked, studying my face.

  I nodded. I had never wanted something so badly in my life. He hesitated for a moment, so I wrapped my leg around him, molding my body to his. He loosened his grip on my hands, and we continued where we left off.

  A little while later, we lay next to each other, breathless. I had trouble thinking as waves of pleasure washed over me. I leaned up on my elbow to stare at Samuel. A slight sheen of sweat covered his body, making him glow in the soft light of the candles. I felt the familiar sensation of desire growing as I watched him.

  “What are you smiling about?” he asked, playfully pulling me onto his chest.

  “I was wondering if you might be interested in a repeat performance.”

  He returned my smile and finished pulling me on top of him.

  Seed

  The sun streamed through the window when I awoke to an empty bed. Samuel had left around five to shadow my dad. I’d woken up to say goodbye, but had quickly fallen back to sleep.

  Checking the clock, I noticed it was close to ten. I wondered why Duncan hadn’t come in to wake me up but was glad he’d let me sleep in for once. Usually, he came in at six and dragged me out of bed to start training. I was tempted to take advantage of the reprieve and get a little more sleep but decided to get u
p instead. My body felt a little strange once I got up and started moving around. The sensations weren’t unpleasant, just different.

  After showering, I got dressed and headed out to the kitchen. Duncan was nowhere in sight, so I poured a bowl of cereal. When I was halfway through my breakfast, Duncan finally joined me.

  “You finally decided to wake up?” His voice sounded strained.

  “Yeah. I would have set the alarm, but I thought you were going to wake me up.”

  “I’m not your babysitter. If you don’t care about learning how to protect yourself, then why should I bother getting you up?”

  I stared at him in shock. “Did I miss something?” I asked, glancing around. I couldn’t understand why he was so hostile.

  “Sorry. I didn’t sleep well.”

  His words hit me like a slap. I felt the heat as I turned red. I turned around to hide my embarrassment. I didn’t think he would know about last night, but maybe he heard us or just suspected. Either way, it was a conversation I didn’t want to have.

  “Well, what’s on the schedule today?” I asked.

  “We’ll start with stretching, then do some warm ups before getting into anything.”

  “So the usual?”

  He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

  I finished my breakfast and was cleaning up when Duncan said something I didn’t catch.

  “What did you say?” I asked, turning off the water.

  “Is your dad expecting someone today?”

  I thought about it. “I don’t know. He doesn’t exactly give me a copy of his schedule. Why?”

  “There’s someone in his condo.”

  “It’s probably just Wendy,” I said, but it was a little early for her to get there.

  “No, this is a man.”

  “What? Let me see.”

  I joined him at the telescope and peered through the lens. On the other end, I could saw a guy in a suit walking around inside my dad’s condo. He appeared to be examining everything. He disappeared from view and came back with several sets of documents and laid them out on the kitchen counter. What was he doing?

  “Should we call the cops?” I asked.

  Duncan seemed unsure, but shook his head. “Do we have one of those throw-away phones?”

  “I think there’s a couple in the kitchen.”

  He went to the kitchen and brought back a phone. “Call your dad’s house, and let’s see what he does.”

  I punched in the number and hit Send. Duncan kept his eye glued to the telescope. I listened as the phone rang. “What’s he doing?”

  “It looks like he’s checking the number. Now he’s writing it down. Crap.”

  “What?”

  “He’s found the remote for the blinds and closed them. Shit.”

  “I think we should call the cops. I don’t want some guy stealing all of my dad’s stuff.”

  “We don’t know if it’s a robber.”

  “Who else could it be?”

  “I don’t know, but something feels off. It could be a Hunter or an Enforcer. I really don’t want to get the police involved until we know for sure.”

  “Let’s at least call Samuel.”

  Duncan paused. “Okay. Let him know what’s going on and that I’m heading over to check it out.”

  “I don’t think you should go by yourself. We can have Samuel come back, and he can go over with you.”

  “You want to leave your father unprotected?”

  I would have argued, but he was right. The guy could just be the backup plan. There could easily be someone at my dad’s office, waiting for Samuel to leave his post.

  “You can keep an eye on me with the telescope, and I can stay on the line with you in case there’s trouble.”

  His idea was dangerous, but at least we could get some answers.

  “I’m going to have to come with you,” I said.

  “What? No, you’re not.”

  “You don’t have a choice. The door to get in the building, the elevator up to the condo, and the front door are all fingerprint recognition locks. You’re not in the system, but I am.”

  “Then, how did that guy get into the building?”

  I shrugged. “I’m just letting you know.”

  “Fine, you can come. But you have to do exactly what I say, and if things get dangerous, you find a dark corner and stay put.”

  “I can do that.” He didn’t need to know I had no intention of leaving him to the wolves.

  I followed Duncan out of the apartment, and we quickly made our way downstairs. I squinted when he opened the door to the outside. I’d been indoors for over a week, and the sunlight beating down from the sky nearly blinded me. Grabbing my hand, Duncan pulled me along until we hit the street, and we ran the next two blocks without stopping.

  “Wait here,” Duncan said after leading me into a dark alley.

  “What? Why?”

  “I want to check things out before you go over there.”

  “You can’t get in without me,” I argued.

  He rolled his eyes. “I know that. I just want to make sure we aren’t walking into a trap.”

  “Fine.”

  “If I’m not back in five minutes, I want you to head back to the apartment.”

  “Fine,” I repeated in frustration.

  Duncan walked to the end of the alley, and after checking that I hadn’t followed, he took off. I ground my teeth together. I hated being treated as if I were incapable of protecting myself. Granted, I wasn’t the best but I was certainly better than some robber.

  The seconds ticked by at an interminably slow rate. I walked down to the end of the alley and peeked around the corner. Several passersby cast wary glances in my direction. I almost laughed as the women clutched their purses tighter. Then, I caught a faint but very familiar scent that set my teeth on edge. Forgetting my promise to Duncan, I followed the smell for nearly a block before I found the source.

  Sitting outside at a small café, with a guard close by, was Lucina. I debated about what to do. If I went back and told Duncan, he would be upset with me for leaving. But if I went over to see her, he wouldn’t know where I had gone. I made up my mind and turned around to leave, but it was already too late.

  “Won’t you join us?” a man asked. He seemed vaguely familiar but I couldn’t remember where or if we’d met before. Without waiting for a response, he took my arm and led me over to Lucina’s table.

  “I guess Dr. Williams was right,” Lucina said. “Won’t you sit down?” She gestured to the chair opposite her.

  Looking around at the people staring in our direction, I didn’t feel I had much choice. “What are you doing here?” I asked.

  “I came to talk.”

  “We have nothing to talk about.” If it wasn’t for the public location, I would have taken a swing at her─ that was probably why she had picked that spot.

  “I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”

  “I know what you did to my mom, and I know what you’re planning to do to my dad and me.”

  She chuckled. “And who told you all of this?”

  “Why does that matter?”

  “You always have to consider the source. Not to mention, you have only one side of the story.”

  “I am considering the source.” I stood to leave. “I suggest you leave before Samuel and Duncan get here.” I turned to go and find Duncan, but the guard from earlier blocked my exit.

  “We didn’t have your mother killed.”

  I whirled around to glare at her. “I don’t believe you. Duncan told me─”

  “Duncan told you what he knew at the time. Thanos planned on having you killed and even ordered Duncan to do it. At the last minute, though, he decided to take a calculated risk. Before he could tell Duncan the plan, the three of you were gone. We would have contacted you sooner, but you’re being watched.”

  I stared at her in disbelief. I had to admit, she was a pretty good liar. “What proof do you have?”

&
nbsp; “If you want me to show you, meet me later tonight. I’m staying at the Beverly Wilshire under the name Lucy Bell in the Governors’ Suite.” She got up and prepared to leave.

  “Aren’t you supposed to tell me to come alone or not to say anything?”

  She let a hard laugh escape. “Tell them or bring them; I don’t really care. Just make sure you come. You may want to get back to your hiding spot before Duncan notices you’re missing.”

  “You’re just going to let me leave?” I asked incredulously.

  “If I wanted to kidnap you, I would have met you in that alley you were hiding in. I told you, I just want to talk. I have to get back to the hotel and report in. I’ll see you later.”

  I watched in disbelief as she walked away without a backward glance. What was her game?

  Wicked Games

  I only just made it back to the alley when Duncan returned.

  “Sorry it took me so long. There was an Immortal nearby I had to deal with.”

  “What did you do?” I asked, fearing for the man I’d never met.

  “I chased him, but he’s pretty damn fast. I lost him three blocks from here. I doubt he’ll be back anytime soon, so we should probably go check things out.”

  I followed Duncan to Dad’s building and around to the maintenance entrance. “I can’t get in this way. You have to have a key.”

  “I know that.”

  “Then, why are we here?”

  “We’re going inside,” he said, twisting the door handle. The knob turned without a sound. “I didn’t think your father’s guest would use the main entrance. He’s also been planning this for a while.”

  He pointed up at the camera stationed over the door. It should have been focused on the entrance and the walk leading up to it, but instead, it pointed at a similar door on the other end of the alley. I felt a cold lump in the pit of my stomach. If the guy was a robber, he was really good, but I had a feeling he was something far worse.