“How do I know you won’t ask me to?” he countered. “Just like you did before!”
She froze, momentarily speechless. Standing there in the darkness, looking up at him, she could see the outline of his tightly clenched jaw, lit by the radiant hue of his eyes. He was pissed, and it took her a few painfully slow seconds to comprehend what exactly he was saying to her.
As if she were daft, he said, “Come on, Olivia, how many times do we have to go through this? I can’t violate your free will, and don’t you think a mind scrub falls a bit within that realm? Do you honestly think I wanted to erase myself from your life? I did it because it was the only way I could ease your pain—the constant nightmares—and because you asked me to!”
“How old was I?” She could barely get the words past her grief-trembling lips. Not in a million years would it have occurred to her that she’d done this to herself. Guilt and embarrassment over the way she’d reacted made her want to crawl under the nearest rock. Lord, he hadn’t deserved that—not then, not now.
“Six. One night, after a particularly vivid nightmare, I was holding you in the rocking chair that sat in the corner of your bedroom. You were crying and you asked me to make it stop. You wished for it to all go away. So I did. I made it go away. You think that I don’t live with the fear that you’ll eventually hit your breaking point again and ask me to make it all go away?” His grip on her arms tightened and she stifled a wince.
“Liam… I’m sorry… I didn’t realize—”
“Yeah, well, now you know. So get back in the car,” he all but growled, letting go of her and pointing over her shoulder to the idling Camaro. She’d upset him by her outburst and, no doubt, offended the hell out of him by insulting his integrity—something he prized above all things and served as his moral compass.
She wanted to throw herself into his arms and apologize again for the way she’d reacted. She wanted to tell him not to worry and promise him she’d never ask him to do that again. No matter how painful the memories were, it was still better than no memories at all. But at the moment, he didn’t particularly look like he wanted to be touched—not that she blamed him. So instead of risking making a fledging ass of herself—again—she submissively nodded, turned around, and trudged back to the car.
Chapter Thirty
Ashley’s ass was numb from sitting in one position for so long. They had to be getting close, although they’d been following signs for the House of Night for the last five miles. A brothel didn’t exactly strike her as a place Liam would bring Olivia, so she could only conclude they were meeting up with someone else, and that thought sent a lead bomb of dread settling into the pit of her stomach. She anxiously glanced over at Mitch when they turned right, following the red convertible down a long, winding driveway and past a seductively artful sign that read “House of Night.”
Mitch sat beside her, ridged as a board. His jaw clenched, knee bouncing, anxious with restless energy. She knew what he was thinking—that Liam had brought his fiancée to a skeezy motel, and the fact that he believed this only proved the depths of cluelessness Mitch had reached. He wasn’t thinking straight—his emotions having long overridden his common sense.
“Relax, Mitch, they aren’t here.”
His brows were drawn tight in a scowl when he looked over at her. “How do you know? They said they were bringing me to her.”
“Because this is a whorehouse, Mitch. Liam wouldn’t bring Olivia here. They must be meeting up with someone else.” As they rounded the last curve of the long driveway, Ashley noticed a guy pacing back and forth along the short stretch of sidewalk that ran between the parking lot and the modern day brothel. The man was easily six-two, maybe three, two-hundred-twenty pounds tops. His clothes looked disheveled and worn, his shirt hanging off his muscular frame, exposing smooth bronze skin over a chiseled chest. His low-riding jeans put the “low” in “riding.”
As they pulled into the parking lot, he stopped his caged tiger routine and shot a dark scowl at Cale and Rhen. If not for the menacing glare in his overly acute pale green eyes, the guy would have been handsome. Give him a haircut, shower, and a fresh change of clothes, and he would have been gorgeous. Who was this guy, and what was he doing with these demons?
“Who is that?” Mitch demanded as if she should know. “Is that him? Is that Liam?”
Ashley shook her head. “Not even close.” When she parked the Mustang and cut the engine, those predatory eyes grazed over her before locking on Cale and Rhen. Goose bumps prickled up her arms as she murmured, “I have no idea who that is, Mitch, and I don’t think we want to.” She cracked her window down far enough to hear the exchange between him and the demons as they casually strolled over to the stranger.
The glower on his face grew darker with each approaching step. “He seems sweet…” she commented dryly, glancing at Mitch, who was also watching them intently.
“Haden—” Cale greeted, his stance rigid as he and Rhen stopped in front of the guy, partially blocking their view of the third wheel in this little road trip from Hell.
“So…where is he?” Haden asked, cocking his head to the side to look past Cale, searching the back seat of the cherry red convertible
Rhen raised his arm, thumbing in their direction, and the guy turned his Velociraptor gaze on them.
“Oh shit…” she muttered under her breath when Haden began to stride toward them. She reached over and clutched Mitch’s hand in mounting panic.
Haden walked up to the Mustang’s passenger side and rapped his knuckles against the window. Mitch lowered the glass a few inches. It was just far enough so Haden wouldn’t be able to fit his arm inside were he to decide to strangle him.
“You Mitch?”
“Yeah. Who are you?”
“Doesn’t matter. You love Olivia?”
“I do.”
Either A: Mitch was a total badass himself. B: He was a complete idiot and had no idea that they were in serious danger here, or C: He was one hell of a poser, because his voice didn’t even harbor a note of fear as he answered the stranger’s questions.
Haden gave a curt nod, as if Mitch’s answers satisfied him, and said, “Well, Mitch, my name is Haden, and I’m your new best friend—”
“And why’s that?” Mitch asked skeptically.
“Because I’m going to help you get Olivia back. And believe me, you’ve got your work cut out for you ‘cause Liam’s got his nose so far up your female’s skirt, I doubt she even remembers your name. Hope you don’t mind a little more road tripping because you, my man, are too late. They left Vegas about four hours ago.”
Mitch snarled a foul curse, and Haden’s top lip curled in what couldn’t quite be called a smile. “Where did he take her?”
Haden cocked his brow and shrugged, giving them a sardonic grin. “Don’t know, but I’ll find her. I always do, and the hunt is half the fun.”
Ashley watched wide-eyed as Haden turned and ambled away. He walked back to Cale and Rhen, and without breaking stride, he smashed his fist into the side of Cale’s face.
The demon dropped, and then instantly leapt to his feet, dark eyes turning coal black with rage. “What the fuck was that for?” he yelled, looking like he wanted to jump Haden and return the bone-crunching blow. She wondered why he hesitated. Surely they weren’t afraid of this Haden—were they?
“That,” Haden growled, “was for being stupid enough to bring along the only other female on the face of the planet who has a damn warrior for a guardian!”
“He knows who I am,” she gasped. “This is bad, Mitch. This is really, really bad.”
“How bad can he be, Ash? He’s going to help me get Olivia back.”
“Yeah, but at what price?” she whispered.
He looked over at her and with a dead calm voice replied, “Whatever it takes.”
***
“Ugh! I’ve got to get some rest!”
Mitch glanced over at Ashley. Her hand was wrapped around the back of her neck, and
a grimace graced her lovely face as she massaged her stiff, sore muscles. He wasn’t fairing much better. Mustangs were not built for luxury and cross country trips. “You want me to drive for a bit?” They’d been traveling for over eight hours, and at this rate, it didn’t appear the red convertible had any intention of stopping soon. As far as he was concerned, that was just fine with him. The quicker he got to Olivia, the better. He’d meant what he said—“Whatever it takes.”
“No, I’ve gotta stop.” Ashley turned on the blinker, signaling to Cale and Rhen she was taking the next exit a quarter mile up.
He tried to tamp the surge of anger rolling up inside him. What in the hell was she doing? If they stopped now, they’d just fall farther behind. “Ash—”
“I can’t take it anymore, Mitch. I’ve got to get out of this car. I’m tired, I’m hungry, and I’ve got to go to the bathroom. This is ridiculous. We’re not going to fall behind. Olivia will need to stop and rest, too. Liam won’t force her to travel at this pace. It’s inhumane!”
Dramatic much? “All right, Ash. Jeez, take it easy.”
She shot him a “you’re on my last nerve” glare. Neither one of them had said very much in the last eight hours. Since meeting Haden, Ashley seemed even more convinced they were heading to their doom. Mitch wasn’t so sure—not that he really cared. The only thing that mattered to him right now was getting his fiancée back.
“You want to tell me what’s eatin’ at you? Because you haven’t been yourself since Vegas.”
“You’re right, I haven’t been, Mitch. I can’t help but think that you’re making a terrible mistake here. I know you want Olivia back, but I don’t think this is the way to do it. I’m worried for you, and I’m worried for her.”
“You worry too much.”
Ashley reached over and cuffed his arm. “Stop patronizing me! You want to know the truth? The truth is that I’m glad they’re gone! I hope we never find them! If you think this Knight in Shining Armor stunt is going to win her heart, then you don’t know Olivia nearly as well as you think you do! I really don’t think you get that this isn’t about you. It isn’t personal—”
Mitch disagreed. It felt personal as hell.
“—this is about them!” She pointed to the convertible. “Demonic forces are trying to kill her, Mitch! Don’t you get that? How can you think that being in cahoots with them is going to end up well for either one of you?”
The last strand of Mitch’s finely threaded temper snapped. “Why are you even here, Ashley? It’s obvious you never wanted to come, and I never asked you to. So, if you’re going to insist on dragging me down all the time, then maybe I should just finish this trip alone! I think you fail to comprehend the level of contempt I feel toward Liam and what he’s done to me! I was left standing at the altar, Ashley!—humiliated, in front of all my friends and family. The woman I love, gone! You can’t even begin to imagine what that feels like. And if I can’t have Olivia, if this doesn’t work out, then I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure he can’t have her, either!”
Ashley wrenched the wheel, and hit the off-ramp, barely missing the turn. Ahead, the convertible’s break lights flashed as it took the shoulder. She had no doubt they’d follow her. Getting rid of those assholes wouldn’t be that easy.
Pulling into the gas station, she came to a tire-screeching halt. The force of deceleration threw Mitch forward and his hand flew out to keep from eating the dash. She looked over at him as if she was staring at a complete stranger.
He hadn’t intended to let those words come flying out like that and he wished like hell he could suck them back in—not that he didn’t mean every single one of them. It was just that she didn’t need to know it. And neither did Balen…
“‘Why am I even here?’” she snapped. “I came here to do what I’ve been trying to do since the day we left! To get you to change your mind and go home before it’s too late and you get yourself killed, you fool! If you really loved Olivia, then you would love her enough to let her choose. I’m starting to think that the only reason you’re here is for revenge, and I won’t be a part of it, Mitch!”
Bloody hell… This was a crucial moment, and he needed to choose his words carefully, because the next few minutes were going to make or break this friendship. He didn’t really want Ashley to leave. Having her here was like having a Balen safety net. He knew the angel would protect him if Ashley wanted him to, and for that reason alone, he needed her on his side.
At this moment, he would say or do just about anything to keep her with him, to keep stringing her along. Painting a hurt, regretful look on his face, he turned to look at her. “I’m sorry, Ash. Really I am. I guess I just got emotional back there and said some stuff I didn’t really mean. I am glad you’re here with me. Your friendship and support has meant more to me than you’ll ever know. Olivia is lucky to have you for a best friend, and so am I.” Gag… Just to make sure he was convincing enough, Mitch reached over and took ahold of her hand. “Please forgive me,” he asked, flashing a charming grin as he bent to press his lips against her hand in a dramatic plea for forgiveness.
When the faintest hint of a smile cracked her scowl, he gave her a big grin. “Come on, Ash. Pull up to the pump and I’ll fill it up. We can get a fresh start in the morning. I’m sure we’ll both feel better once we get some rest.”
Ashley hesitated, seeming skeptical at first, not entirely convinced of his sincerity. After a tense moment, she reluctantly nodded and pulled forward, parking beside the pump.
“Thanks, Ash. You’re the best, you know that, right?”
“Yeah, yeah…” She waved him off, and he flashed her one more grin before climbing out and walking over to the gas pump.
He swiped his card, began filling the tank, and locked the lever in place before walking over to the guys. Cale was standing at the pump, leaning against the car, when Mitch came around the corner. He nodded in acknowledgement, but didn’t say anything as Mitch approached.
“We’re stopping for the night,” Mitch informed the guy. “Ash is beat. I’m going to go get her something to eat before we crash.”
Cale grinned and wagged his brows. “You tappin’ that, buddy?”
I wish. Mitch let out a short, derisive snort of unamused laughter. “You don’t know Balen very well, do you?”
As he turned to walk away, Cale called after him, “It doesn’t matter. If that’s what she wants, there’s nothing he can do about it.”
Mitch froze mid-step, and it suddenly dawned on him that Cale held a wealth of information that could be very useful to him. He was clueless to the rules and laws of the eternal realm, but if Cale was what Ashley claimed him to be... He could learn more about these angels and then he’d have a better chance of getting Olivia away from Liam. Just maybe, he could beat that bastard at his own game.
“Hey, Cale, you want to grab a drink after we get checked in?” Mitch asked, nodding at the Super 8 across the street.
“Sure. Hope you know Haden’s going to be pissed we’re stopping.”
“Can’t be helped. We need the rest, my man.” Mitch turned and walked away, the pump clicking off as he rounded the corner. He pulled the nozzle out of the tank, hung it back up, and refastened the cap. Getting into the car, he said, “All right, I told ‘em we’re stopping for the night. Let’s go get checked in.”
***
It was after ten when Ashley dropped her bags onto the motel floor and flopped down on the bed in total exhaustion—physically and mentally. Her stomach growled and she pressed her hand against it to silence the complaint. She wasn’t sure she had the energy to eat, or the patience to have dinner with Mitch after the thoughtless douche bag remark he made in the car.
She laid there with her eyes closed, letting the exhaustion overtake her as her thoughts drifted to Balen. Where in the hell was he, anyway? She’d been anxious to see him all day, and the fact that he hadn’t showed made her wonder if he wasn’t avoiding either her or Mitch—possibly both.
>
The more time he spent with her, the harder it was to resist the urge to touch him—to kiss him—hell, to throw herself at him. She knew it was wrong. He didn’t want her like that. Well, perhaps he did, but she’d never know for sure, because he would never let things get that heated between them. Everything about him appealed to her—the way he looked, the way he smelled, and the way he cared for her as if she were the most precious thing in the world to him.
She had no doubt that he loved her, but the problem was that she was irrevocably “in love” with him. Despite the convoluted relationship Liam and Olivia shared, she was secretly envious of them because, although they experienced their share of pain together, they also experienced a passion she would give anything to have with Balen, even if it was only for a little while. To be loved that fully…that passionately…
What woman wouldn’t want the chance to experience that?—even if it did ruin her for all other men. As it was, she compared them all to Balen, anyway—measured them by his kiss… It had only been once and all too brief, but the feel of his mouth against hers, the taste of his tongue, was forever imprinted on her memory. She wasn’t saving herself for him. He’d made it clear she’d never be his. But the problem was that no guy had ever been able to heat her blood since him. Not even Nate, and believe her, he’d tried. But after several unsuccessful attempts, he’d figured it out quickly enough, and their relationship had failed to launch, right from the start.
Sighing, she grabbed one of her duffle bags and trudged into the bathroom, feeling like she had a lead weight in each leg. Perhaps a shower was what she needed to clear her mind and help her gain a fresh perspective on the whole Balen situation. It didn’t help matters to know that he’d been right—she could see now that it’d been a mistake to come here with Mitch. The closer they got to finding Olivia, the clearer it became that Mitch might not be the great guy she once thought he was. Maybe that little stunt he’d pulled with her in his bedroom had been the real Mitch, after all, and the alcohol had just been the catalyst for him to let his guard down enough for the true him to come out.
The Redemption Series Page 59