The door closed. My held breath flowed out of me as we descended. Antony didn’t speak. He wouldn’t even look at me.
As the door rolled open, I swallowed hard. I hadn’t even said goodbye. There was no way I could solidify what I was about to do with final farewells.
Antony’s phone beeped. He glanced down at it as we waited in the lobby of the building. ‘Derek’s almost here. He was at your father’s office.’
The expression on his face made me tense. There was no need to feel sorry for me. I could handle myself. I didn’t speak, though. Instead, I tucked my hair behind my ear and watched out the glass door.
Matt’s face came into my mind. His eyes had attracted me first. They were intense…I knew them; I’d seen them before.
‘There he is,’ Antony announced as his brother came into view.
I opened the door and stepped outside to greet him. Derek was the same height as his brother but his hair was a darker shade of brown. I glanced up at him as he put a hand on my back briefly. His eyes were framed by dark lashes that enhanced the green of his iris. He bit his thick bottom lip as he looked down at me.
‘I take it I’m taking care of you?’ he asked.
Pisces had spoken about Antony’s brother often when they had first got together. She said that he was immature and irritating but funny at the same time. I hoped that he had grown up in the two years since she had first met him.
‘Yes. Don’t leave her side, no matter what happens. Nick will try to take her…you have to go, too. I’m sorry.’
Derek frowned. He put his hands in the pockets of his jeans and eyed his brother. When he glanced at me, I ducked my head. His eyes were too probing.
‘He can leave me when he-’
‘No, he can’t. You need protection. Derek is the best at what he does. Why do you think he’s your father’s bodyguard?’ Antony put a hand on his brother’s shoulder, drawing his attention away from me.
The other man rubbed his stomach over his jacket. He moved from one foot to the other, glancing between me and Antony.
‘You want me to go into Nick’s lair with her? As a prisoner?’
That would not happen. There was no way I meant for Derek to come with me. I would never have suggested his company if I knew that Antony would make him stay with me.
‘Father didn’t say that!’ I moaned.
Derek’s phone started to ring. He held it to his ear, only speaking in monosyllables. Answering questions or demands I couldn’t hear.
‘It was good knowing you, brother,’ he said when he hung up.
Spinning from them, I was about to run when a hand grabbed my arm. The vice grip stopped me from moving even a foot forward.
‘Sorry, girl. This is my job. You won’t get away from me that easily.’
Looking up into Derek’s eyes, I resisted the urge to kick him in the shin. He was only trying to help. He was only doing his job. My father had obviously spoken to him. His new orders were pretty clear. There was nothing I could do about it.
Glaring at Antony, I grabbed my stomach when it flipped. The situation was going from bad to messed up. And it was all because of me.
‘Cancer. Good luck,’ Antony said, pulling me into a quick hug before letting me go.
Turning, he made his way back inside the building, waving one last time before the glass door shut. I would never see him again.
‘Where are we going?’
Derek watched me, his hand resting lightly on my shoulder. I hadn’t even noticed him put it there. I closed my eyes for a brief moment. That had been too easy. My family had given in far too soon. They had a plan, I reasoned. A part of me sighed in relief. The other screamed in frustration. My stomach rolled, announcing its uneasiness.
‘To the pub. We have to hurry. We don’t have long.’
I didn’t know Derek that well. He had been around the family a few times but spent most of his time at Father’s house.
Taking off, I glanced behind to see him striding close by. His walk was confident but cagey. His gaze flicked around us, spotting any hazards. He was a true bodyguard. My shoulders ached as I stiffened. I tried to release them but it was no good. My time as a member of the Zodiac family was up. I would be Nick’s prisoner…until I died.
Chapter Four
‘You’re meeting him in a pub? Does that mean I can have a pint? I’ve not had a drink for weeks.’
I slapped Derek’s arm. He glared down at me.
‘You can go now,’ I said, waving him away.
The corner of his lip lifted into his cheek. His hands were tucked into his pockets again. The slouch of his back made him seem relaxed. The shrewd glances he threw over his shoulder let me know that he wasn’t.
‘Don’t be silly,’ he replied, not looking at me.
The door ahead beckoned me. Was Matt inside? Nick would be a fool to let me see him.
‘What is the plan, exactly?’
Blinking, I smiled. Derek shrugged when I shrugged. There was no plan. I hadn’t even thought past rescuing Matt.
‘I’m surprised your father let you do this. He’s always going on about how he needs to protect you.’
I went still. He was right. My family were letting me go too easily. Did they not care about what happened to me? Was Matt more important? Now that I stopped to reason, I couldn’t believe that they hadn’t tried to stop me.
‘I have free will,’ I whispered.
Derek raised his eyebrows. The traffic went ignored. My old home stood behind us, probably housing a new family. The attic came to mind. The place I had first met Matt. We waited behind a building not far from the pub.
‘They rescued Pisces, though. And your father. They must be planning to get you back once Matt is free.’
I ignored him. How could they do this? Surely they loved me enough to do more to prevent me from giving myself up to our archenemy? The man that wanted us to fail.
‘What’s going to happen to me?’
Derek shrugged again, his slim shoulders moving quickly. ‘Same as what’s going to happen to me.’
I tutted as my phone started to ring. He was wrong. A bodyguard wouldn’t get too much stick from Nick. It was me he wanted.
‘Hello?’ I answered.
‘Cancer, its Matt. I’ve managed to escape. Where are you?’
My hand was already shaking. Now it was hard to hold my phone steady against my ear. It was him. His voice, his panting breath.
‘I’m about to meet Nick. Has he set us up?’
Derek’s hands came out of his pockets. His back straightened as he pulled me against the wall to hide our position.
‘No, he told me he was going to get you before releasing me. I managed to get free once he left. We need to leave London, Cancer. Come with me, please.’
Derek watched me closely. His gaze kept shooting around. His hand hovered by the bottom of his back. Did he have a gun?
‘Yes, okay. Where are you?’ I pushed Derek, striding away from him, towards the train station.
Matt’s panting started to slow. ‘I’m at Gatwick airport. I was going to jump on a plane but…I can’t go without you.’
The air caught in my throat, making me choke. Derek’s footsteps followed me but I blocked him out. I tuned out everything as Clapham Junction train station came into view. Matt was going to leave the country without me.
‘Cancer, what’s happening?’ Derek tugged my shoulder.
He reached for my phone but I sidestepped away from him. A woman screeched when I bumped straight into her. I didn’t apologise.
‘You were going to go without me?’
‘No. Well, no. I…please, can you come with me? I need you.’
I paused, causing someone to bump into me on the pavement. They swore at me, I ignored them. If I went abroad, I would leave my family behind. It wasn’t as if they were sorry to see me go. Maybe it was the best option. Nick might even leave us alone if we were somewhere else.
‘Okay. I’ll be there as soon a
s possible,’ I replied, letting a smile come to my lips when Matt laughed.
The excitement in that one sound made my decision final. I would set up a home with Matt abroad. We could have children and settle down, instead of being Nick’s captive for the rest of my life. There was no other option.
A hand grasped my arm and pulled me around. Derek’s face was red. His jaw was tight as he held out his phone to me. ‘It’s your father.’
Swallowing, I nodded. ‘Matt. Father’s on the other line. I’m going to tell him what’s happening. I’ll be there as soon as I can. Text me with a meeting place.’
Once he had agreed, I hung up. My heart palpitated all over the place. My twin flame soulmate was divorced. He had assured me that it would finalise the week before he was taken by Nick. That meant we could finally unite. My time had come.
‘Father. I have my passport with me. Matt has escaped from Nick. We’re leaving the country.’ I rushed my words into Derek’s phone.
Derek moved from one foot to the other, looking around him at all times. The crowd of pedestrians was starting to thin. It was time to get going. Without saying anything to him, I started to walk again.
‘You can’t just leave the country. What about us? Think about this. Bring Matt here. We’ll protect you both.’ Father sounded far more worried now than he had an hour ago.
It was funny that he all of a sudden cared more about me going abroad than he had with me giving myself up to Nick. It showed how much he cared in the first place.
‘I’m sick of running. I don’t want to hide. Matt is ready to go. It’s time.’ I hung up the phone, shoving it back towards Derek.
He caught it before it fell to the concrete ground. It rang again but I ignored him as he spoke. His footsteps marked my every move. He almost tripped me up twice. My skin itched when he finally shut up. What had been said between them? Although he was young, he had been my father’s bodyguard for a few years. He would only ever follow his orders.
‘You seriously need to leave me alone now,’ I said, smiling slightly as we neared the station.
Derek snorted. ‘You really think your father is going to let you do this?’
My step faltered but not for long. If Father was prepared for me to go to Nick, he would be prepared for me to fly away with Matt. Nothing he did would stop me from going with him. It was as simple as that.
Rushing into the station, I ignored Derek as I went up to the ticket booth. I knew he would follow me. He was my father’s dogsbody. When I ordered a ticket to Gatwick, he quickly changed it to two.
Huffing, I shoved my ticket into my pocket and walked away from him. ‘Do you really like your job, Derek?’
He bumped straight into my back when I stopped. People rushed around us, going about their normal routine. Not one of them had to worry about Nick. If only I could go back. If only I could change things. Not even my siblings knew what had happened when Matt and I were alone.
‘Of course I like my job. Why do you ask that?’ Derek started walking towards a platform. The Gatwick Express was a fast train, straight to the airport.
Following him, I allowed myself to be led to my destiny. My heart started to beat faster. Where would we go? Not Derek and I. But Matt. My twin flame soulmate.
‘Because if you’re not careful, I’ll get you fired.’ The smile came to my mouth unbidden. I couldn’t help it. I was excited about my future.
‘You can be harsh, can’t you?’ Derek had his hands in pocket, yet again.
I smirked up at him, careful not to get too close. I wasn’t being harsh, I was being truthful. If Derek didn’t leave me alone, I would have to take drastic action.
‘I’m not harsh, I’m trying to get on with my life.’ I climbed onto the train when it pulled up at the platform. Derek followed me, making sure to stay close behind my heels.
‘I know quite a bit about your family,’ Derek said, guiding me to a seat. ‘One thing that I do know is that your father will never give up on you.’
Choosing to ignore him, I pulled my phone out of my bag, pleased to see that I had a message from Matt. My new life waited. My man waited.
Chapter Five
The airport buzzed. I stood, taking a deep breath. The energy that surrounded me sunk into my skin. No matter what time of day it was, Gatwick Airport was busy.
Everything was real. Everything was safe. Even Derek made me feel better about what I was doing. Just his presence made me more aware of the freedom I was about to get.
‘He said to meet him here.’ I glanced up at Derek.
My new bodyguard hopped from one foot to the other. Checking my phone, I sent Matt a quick text. Waiting was hard. I was ready to start. Even if it meant running away.
An announcement came over the tannoy asking for Derek to go to the customer information point.
My heart sank. ‘Who do you think that is?’
Derek shook his head as he checked his phone. ‘My battery’s dead.’
Clamping his hand around my arm, he dragged me towards the desk. I tried to twist away from him. It didn’t work. I stumbled along beside him, wishing that he would let me go.
‘I have to wait back there,’ I insisted, gesturing towards the place we had just left. ‘Matt said to meet him by the bookshop.’
My phone buzzed in my pocket. I tried to reach for it but Derek hauled me too quickly. The announcement came again. The person that wanted him must have been desperate.
‘How do you know that it’s not Nick?’
Derek rolled his eyes as I clenched my bag against my arm. I had no spare hands to try and release his grasp.
The information desk came into view. Antony stood there, waiting. He didn’t smile when we approached, instead he handed Derek a bag. The black bag bulged.
‘There’s nothing we can say, is there?’ Antony said to me.
My gaze skipped past him, landing on a head that I recognised. The dark hair instantly told me who it was. He faced away from me as he pushed through the crowd but I knew.
‘No.’
Antony clasped his brother’s shoulder. The look that passed between them made me pause. Why were they sad?
‘Good luck,’ Antony said.
Derek laughed as he patted his brother’s back. ‘Thank you. I’m aiming to come back soon, though,’ he said, winking.
My gaze traced the man that made his way over to us. Matt’s eyes finally revealed themselves as he glanced up. When he caught sight of me, a beautiful smile lit his face. He rushed forward and wrapped his arms around my waist. I froze.
‘Matt, I’m not sure if this is such a good idea,’ Antony said.
I was grateful for his interruption. Matt and I had always had one thing that stood between us. One thing that kept us apart. His wife. When we had been in the attic, I had no idea that he was married. Although nothing happened between us at that time, our feelings had grown.
‘I don’t really have a choice, mate,’ Matt said, letting go of me.
He obviously picked up on my hesitation. My back was straight. My arms fell away from him. It was strange being able to embrace him without worry.
‘And do you believe that you’re her…?’
It was the penultimate question. I watched Matt’s reaction. His eyes closed briefly. It was the tiniest gesture, almost unreadable. Except I had seen it. The same hesitation I had felt ran through him.
‘I can’t stop thinking about her. The two years we’ve known each other, I have never given up hope. She is the one for me. Nick worried enough to kidnap me. Doesn’t that tell you something?’
My heart melted, not literally, obviously. But his words were enough. He was right. For two years, all I had ever thought about was him. All I had ever dreamt about was being with him.
‘I’m sorry,’ Antony said, getting his phone out of his pocket.
Grabbing Matt’s arm, I pulled him away from the other men. The look on Antony’s face told me one thing. My father was near. Which meant my brothers were also clos
e by. A part of me was glad that they hadn’t given up on me so easily. The other part was annoyed because now I would have to run.
‘What are you doing?’ Matt said.
People moved out of the way as I barged past. We needed to get a flight. Any flight, to anywhere. I didn’t care where we went as long as I was with him.
‘My family are here. They’re going to try and stop us. Let’s get out of here.’
Matt’s arm came around my shoulders. He propelled us towards the bank of flight desks. As far as I could tell, no one followed us. That didn’t mean that they weren’t there. My family were used to our type of situation. I had no idea how it had even come to it.
‘Where are we going to go?’ Matt asked.
I looked up at the flashing signs above the desks. We could go anywhere.
‘Where is the one place in the world that you’ve always wanted to go?’ I gazed into his deep blue eyes.
His grin confirmed what I already knew. He was prepared to go anywhere for me. He wanted to be with me.
‘Greece. Let’s go to Greece,’ he said, squeezing my hand gently. ‘We can dress up in togas and pretend that we’re from ancient history.’
I nodded at him. It sounded like the perfect dream. A beautiful country, a beautiful man and a home. A home just for us. My skin tingled as I followed him. The woman behind the desk grinned as we approached her.
‘We’d like a flight to Greece, please,’ Matt said, snatching my passport from me and handing it over.
‘Make that three tickets,’ a voice said behind us.
Another passport joined our pile on the desk. I scowled up at Derek as he looked over my shoulder. His hair stood on end. He’d obviously been running his hands through it.
‘I know you don’t want to come with us. So why don’t you stay here?’ I said.
The woman behind the desk watched us. A pretend smile on her face. We were acting odd. One woman, two men.
‘Don’t be silly, mate.’ Matt grabbed the passport and shoved it into Derek’s chest.
The bodyguard growled, catching the passport just in time. ‘If I had a choice, mate,’ he said snarling, ‘I would not be coming with you. But unfortunately, it’s my bloody job.’
Cancer: Book 5 in a Young Adult Paranormal Romance Series (The Zodiac Twin Flame Series) Page 3