Infinity Chronicles Book Four: A Paranormal Reverse Harem Series

by Albany Walker

  “He has my wife,” the guy tells us again, wringing his hands together as sweat beads his brow.

  Milo turns to face Ares. “It doesn’t make sense. Why would he send this norm in here to get her?”

  “Maybe he thinks we wouldn’t hurt him?” Dante furrows his brow.

  “I think it’s a trap,” I suggest when I can finally speak again. My nerves are frayed.

  “It might be, but why send him in here and use his wife to control him? Why not just influence him to do what he wanted?” Milo balls his fists as he looks at the man standing across the way.

  “I work for him,” the man confesses. He swallows. “He’s not able to use his ability on me; I’m immune. That’s why he took my wife and sent me.”

  Chapter 17

  “Are you sure about this?” I look up into Dante’s amber eyes.

  “No,” he answers. “But Ares is, and I trust him.”

  I take a deep breath. He’s right. I do, too. “Okay,” I whisper back.

  “What if he hurts my wife? I’ve seen him do things…” The man trails off.

  “You put yourself in this situation by working for him. I’ll do what I can for your wife, but she’s not my priority,” Ares tells him without any regret or sympathy.

  The man bites his lip and grips the steering wheel. Ares continues, “Just remember: we’re the only chance you and your wife have. Leon will kill both of you either way. But if you do anything to jeopardize Laura…” Ares dips his head into the car, invading the man’s space. “What I’ll do to you will make Leon look like a saint,” Ares promises. He lets the darkness in his eyes seep out. The man next to me visibly shakes from the threat.

  Ollie pushes his way past Ares and squats down next to the driver’s seat. “Once you make it to the road, make the call. Dante will be in the trunk just in case Leon has anyone watching. Once he tells you where to go, repeat it. Dante will hear you and make sure we know where to go.”

  “Okay, then what?” The man is looking straight ahead.

  “Then we make sure you’re not being followed, and we switch cars. You’ll wait with one of my associates and we will go take care of Leon,” Ares explains.

  The man licks his lips. “And you’ll let me and Beth go afterward?” He looks up then, knowing he’s completely at our mercy.

  “As long as you do what you’re supposed to, you’ll be fine,” Milo informs him. “But you need to get going; he’s going to get suspicious if you’re here too long.”

  Dante pulls on the strap of my seatbelt before he places a chaste kiss on my lips. “Be safe,” he demands, and jogs around the back of the car.

  “Why can’t I go with her?” Ollie grumbles but comes over and places a kiss on the side of my mouth.

  “Because Dante has the best hearing,” Milo tells him, and grabs his fingers to pull him back from the car. He meets my gaze, and he doesn’t need words to tell me he’s nervous. I can see it in the way his eyes are searching my face, and how tightly he’s holding on to Ollie’s hand. I give them both a forced smile.

  Ares invades my sight, his eyes still glaring at the man next to me. “Cara, if he does anything besides what I told him to do, don’t hesitate. Kill him.”

  The man makes a strangled sound and glances over at me quickly then looks away. “Who are you people?” The question falls from his lips like he didn’t mean to say it out loud.

  Ares ignores him and focuses on me. “Dante will be with you the entire time, and we’ll be right behind you.” He cradles my cheek in his palm.

  “Ares, I feel like this is a trap. It’s too easy, too fast.”

  “I know, sweetheart, but it doesn’t matter. If it gets me close to him, we can finish this.” He searches my eyes. I reach up and hold his hand to my face.

  “I don’t want this to be over. I just found you guys.” My eyes get blurry as I watch his face crumple into a frown.

  “I won’t let anything happen to you,” he promises.

  “I’m not worried about just me,” I rush out. “You guys need to be careful, too. Promise?” I plead.

  “We will be. I promise. We’ll be two minutes behind you.” He leans in and gives me a soft kiss, and neither of us close our eyes. When he pulls away, I want to beg him to come back. But I don’t. I slide my hands under my thighs and look out the front window to avoid seeing them standing next to the car.

  “Remember what I told you,” Ares insists, talking to the man.

  “I got it. You’ll kill me if I mess up, or Leon will.” His voice sounds flat, resigned.

  Ares bangs his hand on the top of the car, and the man slowly pulls away, then he speeds up as he gains some distance.

  “Slow down.” I reach for the door handle, panic filling my voice. My hand fumbles as I realize I’ve become desensitized to touch again. I guess it’s a good thing if this guy crashes, but it won’t help Dante in the trunk.

  “I can’t,” is the man’s only answer as he speeds to the end of the driveway and skids into the turn to put us on the main road in front of the house.

  “You’d better, or you’re going to kill us all.”

  “Hand me the phone,” he demands.

  I feel a little more comfortable with the speed since we’re on a real road. I make sure to wrap my fingers around the phone completely before picking it up from the center console. “Here.”

  He snatches it from my hand, and the car slows a bit as he darts his eyes between the road and the phone. He smacks his palm on top of the steering wheel few times while holding the phone to his ear. “Yeah, I got her.” He peers over at me. “It wasn’t easy; she fought like a mule, glowing all white and shit, but I got her.” He falls quiet, listening on the line, and the car gains speed again. “The kid was ripping the place apart, but I probably don’t have much time before they realize she’s gone. Where am I taking her? Just drive? But how?” He winces. “Okay, okay. Can I talk to Beth?”

  “Fuck!” he shouts and slams the phone down. “I’m just supposed to drive; he must have someone following me.” He looks in the rearview mirror. I find myself looking out the back window, too.

  “Dante, did you hear that?” I hear a loud thud in response.

  “What’s your name?” I finally ask, after a long stretch of silence as we travel down the winding road.

  He peers over at me, his brows furrowed. “Dan.”

  “Well, Dan. You know him, work for him. What do you think he’s planning?”

  He takes a deep breath. “I think he’s got a screw loose, and there’s no way I can predict what he’s going to do.”

  “My mom, she thinks he somehow absorbed the abilities of other Infinites. Can he?” Dan might just give us some answers.

  He shakes his head in denial. “I don’t think so, but he’s obsessed with trying.” The car slows a little again as we talk.

  “What is it you do for him?” I try to ignore the situation I’m in and that Dante is crammed into the trunk.

  “Whatever Leon asks. I drive for him. Sometimes, he’ll give me an address, and I watch the people that come and go. But mostly, he just asks me to deliver things to people.”

  “Was it you who brought the pizza to the house?”

  “Yeah. I’m the only one who can touch his stuff and not get… affected,” Dan confirms.

  “So, was Leon there that night? What was he hoping would happen?”

  “He didn’t think one of you would answer the door. He told me you guys had people—maids or whatever. He didn’t tell me what he was hoping would happen, though.” Dan shrugs his shoulders.

  The phone rings before I can ask another question. “Hello,” he answers, after fumbling to get to the phone quickly. “Yes, I know where that is… Okay. We should be there in about ten minutes.” Dan nods his head with the conversation. “And you’ll let me and Beth go once I bring her there?” Dan winces and pulls the phone from his ear a little. “Yes, okay. I got it.”

  Dan sets the phone into the center console again, muc
h gentler this time. “The botanical gardens in Spearhead,” Dan announces loudly. His hand shakes as he brings it across his brow. “Leon might be crazy, but he’s not stupid. Don’t underestimate him.”

  “We won’t,” I tell Dan, trying to swallow the lump in my throat that comes with his warning. I know I’m not alone, but it feels that way right now. I glance in the side view mirror, but I don’t see Ares’s SUV. I don’t see any vehicle following behind us, but that’s the point, right?

  “A botanical garden—won’t it be busy?” I muse out loud.

  “Probably not this time of year, everything is going dormant for the fall,” he explains, while checking his mirrors and flipping on the turn signal. “I really hope you guys know what you’re doing,” he mumbles under his breath.

  “He’s going to know something is up. There’s no reason you would have stayed in the car with me without fighting,” Dan warns, as the sign for the botanical gardens comes into view. There’s a green metal gate that is pushed open, and the chain that must keep it locked when the park is closed is dangling down to the dirt road.

  “Everyone here knows this whole plan stinks to high heaven, but we can’t keep sitting around waiting for Leon to attack. He thinks he has the advantage, so do we. This is going to be a mess,” I confess under my breath, not doubting my Infinity, but nervous all the same. “Pop the trunk,” I order, before Dan slows for the turn.

  He snaps his head in my direction. “But Leon might know it’s open.” Dan leans forward and reaches for the latch for the trunk.

  “Dante, hold the trunk down so you can get out whenever you’re ready,” I say loud enough for him to hear me easily.

  I hear the latch snap when Dan pulls the lever. “Shit,” he curses. “It won’t open while I’m driving.”

  “Shit,” I echo. “Before you turn off the car, you better pull that latch,” I warn, my face in a scowl.

  “He should just pull the emergency thing.” Dan’s voice is a little high-pitched with panic.

  “Dante, is there a way for you to get out on your own?” I readjust in my seat. Dan’s nerves are wearing off on me.

  One loud thud comes from the rear of the car. “Does that mean yes?” Another thud follows. “That better be yes,” I say under my breath, and fold my arms over my chest.

  The car slowly bumps over small potholes in the gravel road. I don’t see anyone around, but we haven’t made it to the parking lot yet—I’m assuming there is one.

  “There’s no way for the others to sneak into this place unless they come on foot.” I look around at the open field with tall grass surrounding the single lane road.

  “Why do you think he picked it?” Dan shoots back. There’s another set of green gates ahead, and this one only has one side open. Dan steers the car through the gate and into a wide-open parking lot. There’s a black Town Car parked with its front end facing us. A small, shed-like building is situated behind the car. I can see a driver, but I can’t see into the rear of the car.

  Dan puts his car in park and looks over at me. “I think we’re supposed to get out.” I look out at the car again, then grab the door handle. Something inside me is telling me to stay in the car, but the Town Car flashes its head lights. “We need to get out,” Dan mutters urgently, while reaching for the handle and rushing to stand. “Come on.” He waves his hand at me to follow him.

  As soon as I step foot on the gravel, the Town Car lurches forward. I jump back to avoid being crushed between the open car door and the front end of the Town Car as it slides across the front fender of Dan’s car and slams my door closed. It swerves around me and skids to a halt, pinning me between the two vehicles.

  The rear door opens, and hands drag me into the sedan before my brain has a chance to process what’s happening. I scream as the door slams behind me. The Town Car scrapes against Dan’s car and speeds away.

  The shock has me frozen until I see Dante pop out of the trunk and Dan run after the car screaming about his wife. I look around the car and see an unfamiliar man sitting in the seat next to me. I struggle until the man under me shoves me over to land in the middle between them.

  “Stop the car!” I scream, scooting toward the front seat so I’m almost kneeling on the floorboard.

  No one acknowledges me. “Let me out!” I shout as we speed through the first entrance to the park. Again, no response. The man who pulled me into the car reaches for me again. I dip my shoulder. “Don’t touch me,” I growl. He pulls his hand back but doesn’t show any other reaction to my snarl.

  I look over at the other man; his face is blank. “Shit,” I curse, realizing that these men are more than likely under Leon’s influence. Leon probably controls most of the people who work with or for him.

  I tighten my elbows against my body, but I can’t tell if the phone tucked into the inside waistband pocket of my leggings is still there. My skin is still desensitized. I should have let the car just hit me, but my first reaction was to get out of the way. I can only hope that I still have the phone, and that the tracking app will work. None of us had wanted it to get this far.

  “Pull over the car.” I focus my attention on the driver. I want to scream in frustration when he ignores me, too. I could make him crash the car, but then it would probably end up killing these men, and I still wouldn’t know where Leon is.

  I glance at the rearview mirror, hoping to see Dan’s car, but I don’t. There’s a small sedan a few car lengths back with a woman in the driver’s seat.

  As spacious as the backseat is, I still feel crowded by the strange men. I’m not really afraid of them, though; I can hurt them if they try to harm me. But I hate being separated from my Infinity. I tuck my body as tightly as possible against the front seat. It leaves my back exposed to one of the men, but he hardly seems interested in me now that I’m in the car.

  The minutes tick by slowly, and the anticipation of what’s going to happen has my belly in knots. The car finally slows and travels up a short driveway, and the light filtering in through the windows dims as we enter a structure that looks like a large garage.

  I fidget, knowing at any second they’re going to expect me to get out of this car. I might need to fight for my life, and for my Infinity.

  Chapter 18

  I hear the hum of the garage door as it closes behind us. Most of the sun is blocked out, but there are exposed light bulbs hanging from the wooden rafters, keeping the space from being too dark.

  The man who pulled me into the car opens his door, grabs hold of the back of my shirt, and drags me from the floorboard. I struggle long enough to realize I’m only making it harder on myself . My nails elongate, and I feel the telltale ache of my gums telling me my body is reacting to the violence, even if I’m trying not to hurt them. I swipe behind me, hoping to catch his arm. He drops me as a hiss leaves his lips. I crouch on the seat, ready to spring at him, when I see him cradling his arm to his chest with rivulets of blood already streaming from his arm.

  He looks up at me, confused, with shock clear on his face. His eyes are clear as he looks around. I think the pain in his arm was enough to wake him from Leon’s control. But I still can’t trust him. I turn until my back is to the rear seat, so I can see both men and the driver.

  A door opens and I hear solid footsteps tapping on the cement floor of the garage. More on edge than ever, I peer in the direction the sound is coming from. Leon lowers his head and stares at me through the open door. He looks completely calm, smug even. “How was your drive?” he inquires, as if we’re old friends.

  “What do you want from me?”

  “Where are my manners? Come in, come in.” Leon waves me out of the car as if I’m to be greeted by a red carpet.

  I lick my dry lips, trying to decide how to best approach this. I need to buy time—should I play along, or fight him every step of the way? I slowly lower myself into the seat.

  Leon tilts his head, examining me. My stomach turns as he leers at me and the tiger stripes spreading up my a
rms. I want to pull the power back. I feel too exposed with the way he’s looking at me, but the beast inside of me wants to snap at him for even daring to look.

  “You’re quite lovely,” Leon mutters, almost like it comes as a surprise to him. My lip lifts, exposing my teeth in a snarl. If he touches me, I don’t think I’ll be able to stop myself from ripping his hand off, he sets every nerve I have on edge.

  His eyes go a little round as he blinks at me. “Are you coming?” He turns his back to me, which pisses me off more. Who does he think he is, dismissing me?

  “And if I don’t?” I growl back.

  “Well, then, you’ll never meet your father,” he says blandly and walks away, leaving me with my mouth hanging open and my thoughts spiraling, wondering if he’s telling the truth. The two men and the driver trail after him without prompting.

  Warring with indecision, I feel around the waistband of my leggings, and it takes me a second, but I’m able to get the phone from my pocket. The screen comes to life immediately. At least I didn’t drop it in the scuffle. Should I chance calling them? I look up to the door and see Leon poke his head back out. I lower my hand, hoping the glow from the phone isn’t obvious. He waves his hand, gesturing for me to come in before disappearing behind the door again.

  Trusting that the guys will find me, I work to get the phone back into my inner pocket and exit the car before he comes back looking for me again.

  I peek around the door, expecting someone to jump out and snatch me and pull me in the house, but the hall is empty. Climbing the two steps, I find myself looking at a wide, wooden staircase. I step onto the thin carpet, and the floor creaks beneath my feet. To the left, I see a doorway leading to a white-tiled kitchen. The appliances are old, antiques even, but it’s spotless. Taking another step, I look to the right and see another doorway, but the room beyond is dark.

  Footsteps above me have me ducking like I’m sneaking around, but I straighten, remembering they already know I’m here. Making my way over to the staircase, I glance up. The wooden banister is shiny, and the gold rods holding the threadbare carpet in place against the risers are clean, but this house feels haunted, like every corner should be filled with shadows and cobwebs. The neatness makes it even creepier.