Avalon (24 page)

“I don’t think we have time. We need to get as far from Warshire as we can. Go somewhere where we can slip in unnoticed.”

Ryan returned with a wad of cash. “This is all I could get out of the safe.”

“How much?” Leo asked.

“There’s about ten grand.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Ten grand?”

“Yes, but it won’t last long,” Leo said.

Ryan opened a cupboard in the kitchen and took a key off of a hook and handed it to Leo. “All set?” he asked.

“Yes, except for Holly’s clothes.”

Leo turned and ran upstairs and brought down a leather motorcycle jacket. “Put that on. Once we’re on the bike it will get cold.”

I put the jacket on and followed Leo to the garage and sat on the step putting my heels back on. Leo sat on the bike for a second and glanced over at me in deep thought. I was now wearing my formal dress, silver strappy heels and a oversized leather jacket. He smiled. “I don’t think you should ride in your dress,” he said as he hopped off the motorcycle seat and dashed upstairs again, returning this time with some motorcycle leather pants. “I know they will be way too big for you, they are made for me, but you need to put them on for now,” Leo said.

I put the pants on over my dress and looked completely ridiculous now. “Oh well,” I shrugged.

“Holly, you look good in anything,” Leo announced.

“Sara,” I mumbled thinking to myself. “What will I tell Sara and Stuart? I have to tell them something. They are expecting to see me tomorrow and I don’t think that’s going to happen.”

“They definitely won’t see you tomorrow. I don’t know how long it will be until you see them again, but it’s for your own safety and theirs too. Are they Avalon guardians?” Leo asked.

“Yes.”

“So if you tell them about me it won’t come as too great a surprise. Don’t tell them if you don’t have to because if the Royal League Hunters gets to them they may think there’s some kind of conspiracy going on. The less they know, the safer it is for them.”

“But, I have to tell them something.”

“So tell them that you’re running off with me.”

“But they know me. That’s so out of character.”

“They know about me, right?”

“Yes, but not that you’re from Avalon.”

Leo walked over to me and looked at my necklace. “You still wear it?” he said referring to my ring.

“I do. I was having a hard time parting with it.”

“Tell them you’re getting married.”

I gulped. “Pardon?”

“Tell them you’re getting married to me, that I turned up out of the blue and you have decided to elope with me.”

“They would be worried. That’s not like me either.”

“I don’t know what else to suggest.”

“Then again, Sara did see the ring and she knew how emotionally ruined I was because of you.” I playfully thumped him.

“I never meant this to go on for so long. Call them, Holly, because you will have to get rid of your phone. We don’t want the Royal League tracking us.”

“OK,” I said looking at my watch and then opening up my clutch purse to retrieve my phone. I dialled my home number knowing I would wake Sara and Stuart up, but I had no choice.

“Hello,” came Sara’s sleepy voice.

“Sara, it’s Holly, I, I…um, don’t want to worry you but…”

“What is it? Are you OK?” Sara said, suddenly wide awake, “Holly what is it? Do you need me to collect you?”

“No Sara, nothing like that. I, um, well I just wanted to tell you some good news actually. I saw Leo tonight and I’m getting married.”

“What? Have you got a gun to your head?”

“No, it’s a long story. I haven’t got time to tell you. I promise I will tell you soon, but I don’t want you to worry, we’re eloping. I’ll be in touch soon,” I said and hung up the phone.

“Do you want to give me the phone?” Leo said.

I handed it over reluctantly. Leo turned it off and pulled the battery out then walked over to the bin and threw it in. “It’s best this way,” he told me.

“I just know Sara will be up and frantic right now. She’ll wake Stuart up and tell him and the two of them will be going out of their minds. They’re going to be so worried.”

Leo held me close, the way he used to “I know, but you’re doing the right thing. In the long run this will only protect them. The Royal League will find them and question them. If they send a Truth Collector with a Hunter they will know if they are lying. This way the less they know the more protected they are.”

“I know, but they deserve more from me.”

“It’s just until I know they have given up on us. I hope they do eventually.”

I pulled away and looked into Leo’s eyes. “You mean they might not give up?”

“I don’t know, I hope they will.”

“They won’t give up on the Prince of Avalon.”

“They might if they know I am married to you. Can you imagine if it got out that I was married, matched, paired with someone other than my chosen one? It’s my only way out, our only way out. The Royal League and my parents can tell Avalon society that I absconded, or I have given up on the throne. I don’t care what they make up, but I don’t want it, I only want you,” he said pulling me into his arms again.

Leo opened up the garage door and revved up the bike. “Come on then,” he said patting the back seat “Hop on, crazy biker chick.”

I smacked his arm and straddled the seat. Leo handed me a helmet. “Have you got that, or do you need some help?”

“No, I can put it on.”

“Hold on tight,” he said pulling my arms around his middle and putting my hands where he wanted them. “We’re goin’a ride fast.”

“Ready,” I confirmed closing my eyes tight as Leo put his foot down on the peddle and we took off like a flash of lightening. It gave me a thrill I had never experienced before, a type of ‘feel the fear and do it’ sensation.

Leo touched my hands every so often to make sure they were warm and fastened tight. I was just so pleased to be with him, leaving all my concerns for others behind. I was living in the moment and loving every minute of it.

The roads were pretty empty in the early hours of the morning giving Leo the perfect opportunity to push the gas even further as we road on for another hour, going at speeds I had never known before now. As the sun started to come up, we got even closer to our destination, London. Leo sped through the streets like someone who knew the city well, curving round the roads with speed. He started to slow down when we approached Park Lane Hotel, next to Green Park. Parking right at the front of the hotel we came to a halt and I slowly lowered my body off the bike handed the motorcycle keys to the parking attendant while I let the leather trousers fall off my body and took off the jacket. Leo took them from me and held them with of his arms while he took my hand with the other and led me inside.

The interior of the hotel was exactly what I expected. Several large paintings were mounted on the wall; grand sofas and luxurious furniture in rich colours were carefully placed into small groups for guests to sit on. Indoor plants were tastefully dotted around the room and the marble floor was freshly polished. We walked towards the receptionist desk and Leo asked for a room for the two of us. The receptionist looked me up and down, unsure of my age. “Do you have some ID?” she asked me.

“Yes,” I said handing over my driving licence which I had brought to ensure entry into the nightclub.

“It’s me,” I confirmed as the receptionist looked at it closely.

“Yes it is,” she said handing it back to me. “Can you give me your credit card?” she asked Leo.

“No, but I’ll give you a deposit,” he said handing over five hundred pounds. “That should cover it.”

The receptionist looked at the wad of cash and counted it, as fast as a bank teller. “OK that should be fine. This is your key. I’ve given you a suite, a free upgrade.”

“We’re on the third floor,” Leo said looking at the key.

“Great.”

“You must be tired.”

“I am.” I said making my way to the elevator.

“It’s been a long day.”

“It has.”

We stepped into the lift and made our way up to the third floor then found our suite about ten metres from the lobby. Leo slid the key card into the door and it clicked open. We walked inside, the two of us having a good look around. “This is huge,” I announced.

“I know. This is a pretty big suite.”

“It’s like an apartment.”

“Check out the bathroom,” Leo said as I stepped into the gigantic room; the double sized bath which would easily fit two people and the massive open shower with nozzles coming out in every direction.

“Oh I am going to need a shower,” I said.

Leo walked over to me standing in front of the showers and said nothing. Oh boy, my heart pulsated excitedly, the tiredness depleted and transformed into adrenaline. He feathered my arm gently with his hand and I looked at him directly and did the same to him. I didn’t have much to take off, I was wearing my strapless formal dress and heels, but Leo stood there in front of me in a navy blue jacket, t-shirt and jeans. I removed his jacket and let if fall to the ground, neither of us looking at where it landed, the two of us continued to keep our eyes on our prize. I lifted one of my arms up to reveal the side zipper and took Leo’s hand and guided him to undo it. He didn’t need to be told twice as he unzipped it and I slowly manoeuvred myself free from the fabric. I stood in front of Leo wearing my strapless silk bra, matching pretty silk knickers and heels. Leo smiled. “You are simply breathtaking. It’s a mystery as to what someone like you sees in me.”

“What are you talking about?” I said lifting his t-shirt up and over his head. I hit his firm chest playfully. “Look at you, you are so fit, you’re… hot.”

Leo laughed at my use of words. “If you say so.”

“Oh I do,” I said lifting my eyebrows for emphasis.

He undid his jeans and stood before me in his cotton boxers. I moved closer to him and he took me in his arms and looked down to meet my eyes again. “This is it I guess,” he said referring to what was about to occur.

“Yes.”

“I thought about you all the time, you know. I will never let you down again,” Leo promised.

I looked up at him and put my fingers though his velvety dark hair, admiring this perfect Adonis in front of me. I undid the straps on my heels and took them off, now standing two inches shorter. He put one firm hand around my neck and used his other hand to hold my chin and guided my face back so that he could kiss me. I closed my eyes and kissed him instantly, feeling his soft mouth, the mouth I had desperately missed for way too long.

“I don’t want this to ever be over,” I said.

“It never has to be. I won’t go anywhere again, not without you,” he said leaning down to meet my lips again and gently kissing me.

I left his embrace for a moment and turned on the enormous showers, a space easily big enough for four people, but there was only the two of us. The steam began to build a haze in the room but we were close enough to each other to see. I removed my bra and knickers and Leo followed by taking his boxers off. I wasn’t nervous. I took a step closer to him, our flesh on flesh, a sensation both of us had privately dreamt would one day become a reality.

To think I had thought about doing this with Henry only the day before, I shivered at the idea. It wouldn’t have been the same, but I know I was only trying to escape my desires for Leo, trying to rid him from my head and my heart. But here he was now, with me, he was all I ever wanted, like some kind of miracle.

I led Leo to the shower and made him stand under the large rounded showerhead, the water flowing down his magnificent body. He was happy for me to take the lead for now and I instinctively knew what I wanted without previous thought. I placed my hands firmly over his wet chest and pushed him to the shower wall, kissing his mouth delicately. Leo brushed my cheek with one hand and with the other he put me under the shower and began to sensitively kiss down my neck. Using both my hands I pulled his face up to meet mine and insatiably kissed him, he returned my kisses ravenous to move on further as I was.

He picked me up; my thighs straddled around him and pushed me towards the shower wall still kissing. I managed to mumble, “I hope you’re strong enough to hold me.”

“Oh there’s something else I need to tell you about myself, but later.”

I stopped kissing him and looked at him, my legs still wrapped around him while he held me with ease using both his arms under my buttock. “What is it? Is it a deal breaker?”

He shook his head and hungrily kissed me again. I stopped him for one second, looking into his eyes. “What is it?”

“I’m strong, really strong. It’s an ability and I’m fast, very, very fast, faster than a train,” he said thinking nothing of it, only interested in resuming what we had started.

I moaned dreamily, my eyes closed, lost in the moment. “Oh Leo, this is what we have been waiting for.”

“Yeah,” he agreed his tongue now circling my breast.

I murmured, “S’pose this isn’t the best time to tell you I’m a healer?”