“For what?”
She drew him backward toward the bed. “For doing this. I appreciate this moment with you, Declan, every heated second of it. But right now, I feel I must warn you…I—”
Someone began knocking loudly at the bedroom door. Zahrah gasped but Cyclops hung on to her and rested his forehead on her shoulder.
“Cyclops!” Zero hollered.
“Yeah?” He replied.
“We’ve got incoming!”
Cyclops growled.
Chapter 14
“Grab your bag. We’re leaving.”
Zahrah nodded and Cyclops rushed from the room. He joined forces with the others and soon there was a plan. The others would escort Zahrah out to their vehicles and Cyclops would remain behind with Ronin as bait. By the time Zahrah was with them, they others barely had enough time to get out the back. Cyclops turned to look at his brother.
“I’ll be right behind you.” Ronin said as if reading Cyclops’ mind.
Cyclops nodded and watched as Ronin peeled the paper off the back one of his small explosives. Without another word, Ronin took off running just as engines filled the front yard. Cyclops grabbed his bag and tossed it over his arms and was already armed when it hit his back. He moved to the curtains and watched from the corner of the window as two men scrambled from the first vehicle. He opened the window just a bit and fired taking out the first two up the porch. But he knew he couldn’t hold them off with a handgun for another SUV pulled up.
He only needed to buy time until Ronin finished setting the charges. The men outside dove for cover but Cyclops waited. The first head to peer out of its hiding spot was rewarded with a bullet.
“We should go!” Ronin said from behind him.
Cyclops didn’t wait. He took off with his brother, through the backdoor.
“We don’t have time for the stairs,” Cyclops said.
Together, the gripped the wall and hoisted their bodies over. They hit the ground hard but rolled over to alleviate the weight on their knees. The moment they were on their feet, a roar filled the air. Debris sailed after them and the shockwave of the explosion lifted them off their feet. This time, when Cyclops fell, he couldn’t control the landing. This time, he jammed his ankle but couldn’t stop to focus on the pain that surged through him like rolling waves.
Ronin helped him to his feet and the two of them ambled off, through the trees as planned and out the other side where Zero waited with an SUV. Both brothers dove into the backseat and Zero had the vehicle in motion before the doors were even closed.
“Where are Zahrah and Thunder?” Cyclops asked.
“Safe.” Zero told him. “We’re heading to them now. Anyone grabbed the laptop?”
Cyclops frowned. “The last thing on my mind.”
Ronin swore and turned to watch the flames rising in the air with smoke bellowing to the sky. Cyclops knew the feeling, but he said nothing. He watched the smoke for as long as he could before Zero turned right and eased to a stop. Thunder and Zahrah emerged from the wreckage of an old house and climbed in.
“Jesus! Declan, are you okay?” Zahrah turned and knelt in the seat to reach behind and caress his cheek.
“I’m fine.” Cyclops sucked in a breath as her fingers roamed a tender spot.
“You’re bleeding. You’re not fine.” She looked at Ronin. “You either!”
“We’ll be fine, Sunshine.” Ronin winked at her. “You’ll see.”
“Any idea where we’re going?” Zero asked.
“We need to find somewhere to lay low and regroup.” Cyclops told him. “We need supplies too. All we had went kaboom just now.”
They all sat in silence before Zero cleared his throat. “Well, I know a certain team four hours away who could hook us up. After all, we have no way of getting in touch with Tex right now.”
“He can’t really hack our phones,” Zahrah said as she turned to sit. “They are burners.”
“Wow—she just got to like a twelve on the sexy scale.” Ronin laughed.
“We need to find somewhere with a descent Wi-Fi connection.” Cyclops said, trying to ignore the fact his brother just called his woman, sexy.
He frowned. Zahrah wasn’t his. No matter how much he wanted her to be—she probably didn’t want him forever.
“Or…” Thunder said from the back seat. “I have a better idea.”
“I’m all ears.” Cyclops shifted to alleviate the pressure on his ankle.
“Hadeel has weapons, right?” Thunder asked. “I mean, he can’t supply his thugs without some kind of incentives on keeping them safe, right? I say we borrow a few pieces.”
“And how do you propose we do that?” Zahrah asked. “You’re so smart.”
Thunder smirked. “We ask him for it.”
The others chuckled but Zahrah rolled her eyes. “Look, maybe it’s time I just walk in there and confront this. I can’t have anymore deaths.”
“I disagree.” Ronin growled. “As long as they keep dying, I don’t have any problems with that. I mean, you can’t reason with fools and you shouldn’t make friends with evil.”
Zahrah dragged a hand over her face. “I can’t.”
“Look,” Thunder cut in. “All I’m saying is maybe it’s time we put some of his bullshit to use and get this over with. Right now, we’re homeless. We have at least another half tank of gas and any help we need is at least four to five hours away. So, unless anyone else have any ideas, this is the best we have.”
“What about Kraken?” Zero asked.
“We have no idea where he is.” Ronin replied. “And even if we did, he would have zero incentives to help us.”
“Okay.” Cyclops turned to look out the mirror. “We find a place to gather ourselves and then we’ll get a few things rolling. We need to get our shit together because like Thunder said, we don’t have Tex right now and help is too far away.”
“That means, we’re going to make a run for this.” Zero said from the front seat. “And we’re going to hit ‘em where it counts.”
Cyclops said nothing. Instead, he rooted around in his backpack and pulled out a map he’d gotten on the plane. He found where they were and tracked their position to the closest hostels he could find. They weren’t really hostels—they were worse. But Cyclops was pretty certain everyone was looking for them. Hadeel had money and would no doubt escalate things since Ronin had blown up a number of his men.
The place wouldn’t be fancy, but at least no one asked questions and it would give them some time to gather their thoughts.
“Make a left at the next turn,” Cyclops said.
“Roger that,” Zero replied.
Cyclops kept giving instructions until they drew to a stop at a building that had seen better days. He noticed the arch in Zahrah’s brows but instead of addressing it, he tossed the knapsack over one shoulder and headed up the front steps and in through the front door. The others followed and by the time they were checked in, Cyclops had managed to sweet talk the owner into renting them an entire floor.
Money talked—no matter who or where.
The others didn’t use their rooms. They all piled into the one he shared with Zahrah. It wasn’t much of a one and smelled like dust and body odor, but it would have to do until they could do better.
With a map spread across one of the broken-down beds, they all went over the information they could remember from Tex. If Hadeel had weapons, he would keep it in a place he didn’t think anyone would search. It wouldn’t be at the house. There really wasn’t anywhere they could hide them. No, the house was off the table.
“How about here?” Ronin asked. “There hasn’t been any movement there according to Tex, but it looked big enough.”
“That doesn’t make sense. They would have had to go there to stock up.” Zahrah pointed out.
Everyone nodded agreement.
“How about the restaurant?” Zahrah asked. “He goes there all the time. It could be the perfect cover. I mean, as far as everyone aro
und him knows, he’s just going in for a meal and a good time, right?”
Ronin chuckled. “Lady, ever thought of becoming a cop?”
“A long time ago.” She shrugged with a giggle.
“Okay.” Cyclops cut in. “We hit the restaurant after they close. We don’t want to draw any attention to ourselves because if we lose this place to stay, we’re screwed for a while. We want weapons, refills, and maybe another car.”
They all nodded and went through the idea a few more times. While Thunder went out with Zero for food, Zahrah and Ronin went to wash up while Cyclops tried contacting Tex. But the computer guy didn’t make it easy to find him. Cyclops frowned and texted Caroline instead. After the text was sent, he plugged the phone into the weird looking outlet beside the old dresser, then peeled his shirt over his head and dropped it on the bed.
Cyclops checked the time.
He’d told Zahrah if she wasn’t back in five minutes he’d come looking. He didn’t care if she was dressed or naked. The thought of her without clothing made him tremble and he closed his eyes for a moment to reign in his arousal.
“I really love walking into a room and find you shirtless.” Zahrah’s voice was soft, like a cool breeze on a hot day. It floated over him and he moaned.
He turned from the window to stare at her. She had her hair wrapped in a towel and was dressed in a pair of jeans that were slightly too big for her and a long-sleeved shirt. Parts of the top was damp, and he assumed it was from her hair.
She placed her things back in the bag and stood to face him.
Cyclops gathered a small red bag from his things and leaned his back against the wall beside the window. He held the bag at his side and smiled at her. “Come here, Kitten.”
For a moment, she stared at him with an amused look in her eyes. Still, she dragged her palms along her thighs as she approached him.
“I know you’ve been having a shitty few days—few weeks.” Cyclops caressed her left cheek softly. “I wanted you to—well, I got you something.”
He thrust the bag at her like a little boy giving a girl a flower for the first time before running away. Only, Cyclops didn’t run away. He waited.
“For me?” Zahrah asked.
Her hands shook as she reached into the bag and pulled out a long, green, velvet box. The bag slipped to the floor and she looked at him then opened it. Zahrah gasped and a tear rolled down her cheeks and landed inside the velvet folds of the material holding her gift.
“Declan…”
“It wasn’t supposed to make you cry.” He used a large thumb to wipe away her tears. “Is it the wrong one? I know you loved the dragonfly pendant. I paired it with white gold necklace because I figured it would go with any outfit.”
“It’s beautiful!” She hugged him tightly. “It’s perfect. Thank you. Can you put it on me?”
“Sure.”
Zahrah stood away and turned her back to him. He reached over her shoulders to pick up the dainty necklace and pulled it up so he could clasp it around her neck. Once he did, Zahrah turned and smiled up at him through her tears.
“Thank you…”
Cyclops kissed her. “I wish we had more time together.”
“We may have a few minutes now.” She told him.
Cyclops sat on the bed, his back to the wall and pulled Zahrah into his chest. He kissed her forehead and wrapped his arms around her. “Have you given any thoughts to what you’re going to do about your brother?”
“No. I’m thinking I’d like to cross that bridge when we get to it.” Zahrah sighed. “There is too much going on in my brain. I have this guilt about my father dying and not knowing, about my older brother being in trouble and not knowing, my younger brother being a murderous assbuckle and not knowing…”
“Um…assbuckle?”
“Yes, assbuckle. There aren’t any other names that seem appropriate right now.” Zahrah kissed his chest. “All I ever wanted was a family who loved me. After I left home, I thought I would just create my own. I thought, I could find a good man, get married, have my kids and then show them the love and loyalty my own blood never showed me. Now, look at me.”
“You can still have that.”
“I can’t.”
“First, you need to stop seeing yourself as broken.” Cyclops advised.
“And as what?”
“Mine.”
She sat up to look down into his face. Cyclops closed his eyes, his heart slamming inside. The word had slipped out before he could cage it. Even with his eyes closed, he could feel her gaze on his face and Cyclops licked his lips and met it.
“I’m sorry.” He told her. “I had no right to say that. I have no right to…”
Zahrah kissed him. “When you say mine do you mean as—well, a girlfriend?”
“Maybe.”
She smacked his arm and he groaned. “Declan Stone!”
“Yes, I meant as my girlfriend…”
“I was never anyone’s girlfriend before.” She admitted as she settled back against him.
But before she could give him an answer, the others returned. The room was full and there was no room for him to be tender with Zahrah, to hold onto her, to kiss her like he’d wanted. That thought irritated him, but he ate with the others, tried being involved in their conversations until his phone started ringing. He stared down at the screen.
“I don’t recognize that number.”
Ronin grabbed it.
“You’ve reached the voicemail of Cyclops,” Ronin said with a wink at Zahrah. “Unfortunately, he cannot take your call at the moment. He’s out pissing off Zeus and devouring worlds. But if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to go fuck yourself—oh, hey Tex. How’s it hanging?”
Cyclops frowned and yanked the phone from his brother. “Hey, Tex,”
“You’re an ass.” Thunder laughed while throwing a pea at Ronin.
“Was that your brother?” Tex asked.
“Sorry, I can’t take that fool anywhere.”
Ronin laughed and shoved a piece of fish into his mouth.
“What’s up?” Cyclops said.
“I tried pinging the laptop…”
Cyclops went into the story of what happened to the computer and what they planned on doing. Right then and there, Tex began hammering out logistics. In the end, the Texan came to the same conclusion they had.
“I’m going to pull Barbie into this conversation.” Tex told him. “Hang on.”
When Barbie came on the line, they discussed where a man like Hadeel would hide his weapon stockpile. In the end, they settled on the restaurant. Cyclops’ chest swelled with pride—Zahrah had been right. The restaurant was a place Hadeel frequented daily, and it seemed to have a basement.
“They close at two in the morning.” Tex reported. “I’ll stay awake and be your eyes through the drone. It’s unarmed but at least it’ll be an extra pair of eyes.”
Cyclops didn’t like it but nodded. “I’ll take it.”
“Declan, can I talk to Tex?” Zahrah asked.
He arched a brow but nodded and handed over the cell.
“Tex? Can you do me a favour? My friend Craig Tunstall—could you check in on him for me?” She paused then smiled. “I’ll text it to you when we hang up. Thanks, okay?”
After she hung up, Cyclops turned to face the window. The sun was gone now, and the moon was rising over the broken-down top of an old Mosque. The thought of her and Craig tore at his heart for some reason.
She tapped his back and when he turned, Zahrah handed him a cold bottle of water. Cyclops smiled, kissed the side of her head and accepted it.
“I’m going to put my hijab back on,” Zahrah explained. “I’m going to need you guys to turn your backs. Except Declan.”
The other three turned their backs and Zahrah removed the towel. Her hair fell over her shoulders. Cyclops took the brush and hair tie from her hands and brushed her hair gently. He ensured to work the knots out at the ends then tied it up
in a ponytail for her. When he was finished, she faced him and lifted the scarf over her head then proceeded to show him how to fold and pin it all together.
In the end, she dropped a kiss to his lips. “You guys can turn around now.”
Chapter 15
A strange scent of sulfur filled the air even as rain fell. It had been years since she’d been in Egypt while it rained. It made her uneasy. Zahrah hadn’t managed to sleep at all. Even after she climbed into Declan’s arms and rested her head on his chest. The rhythm of his heart and the pitter-patter of rain should have made a cleansing lullaby. But all it was to her was a symphony of dread.
Zahrah wasn’t sure what time it was. The moon was shining through the thin curtains leaving eerie shadows across the walls. But she knew they’d have to be up soon. Her mind wandered to Craig and she prayed he’d listened and stayed out of town like she’d told him. But she’d been gone a while—and Craig had to work. She sighed and rolled over to face away from Declan but remained in his arms. Her ass went into his groin and his hardness startled her. He was aroused and she couldn’t help wondering if she was the cause.
“You should be sleeping.” Declan’s voice was raspy. “If you keep moving like you are, I’m liable to forget I’m supposed to be a gentleman.”
“You?” Zahrah smiled in the dimly lit room. “Never.”
He laughed softly and kissed her head and climbed out of the bed. “Take a nap, at least. We have half an hour before we need to move out.”
“Where are you going?”
“The little boy’s room.”
Her cheeks heated and she nodded. She watched his large back until it was out the door. Still, she didn’t sleep. She laid there, wide awake until he returned and sat in the only chair in the room. When he did, Declan unplugged his cellphone and put the charger away. Next, he pulled out a gun, did some fancy handwork with it then set it on the dresser. He strapped the holsters around his thigh and shoved the first gun into the holster then pulled out another. It was hard to believe they needed more weapons than that but Hadeel seem to have an army. A few handguns weren’t likely effective against all that.
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