Crux (The Aurora Lockette Series)
Read Crux (The Aurora Lockette Series) Online
Authors: Miranda Kavi
CRUX
Flee, Book 2
MIRANDA KAVI
For my sister, April: A
real-life superhuman, mom, and paramedic.
Last year, she miraculously survived a direct hit from a speeding car going 60+ mph as she loaded a patient into an ambulance on the side of the highway. She badly injured her leg.
Six months later, she won an extreme marathon—first finisher of 100 miles in 24 hours.
She’s my hero.
COPYRIGHT © 2013 BY Miranda Kavi
Published by:
Midnight Blackbird LLC
This novel is a work of fiction. Any and all names, characters, places and events are the product of the author’s imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to persons (alive or dead), organizations, businesses or actual events is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved by the author. It is unlawful to copy and/or reproduce this novel in any way without the express written consent of the author. The author is a litigation-happy, super-ninja attorney that gets angry when people steal her book.
EBOOK EDITION
ISBN-13: 978-1494907723
ISBN-10:
1494907720
Co
ver Art: Mae I Design — Regina Wamba
Editor: ALDJ Editing
— Ami Johnson
CHA
PTER 1
“
Aurora,” his deep voice startled me in the dark room, “you know, we could just do it here.” As he spoke, his fingertips traced a path from my shoulder to my wrist.
“
Um, didn’t we...”
He chuckled quietly.
“Not that, though I plan to do much more of that before we leave. I’m talking about, you know, us getting married.”
I flipped over on the plush bed so I was facing him. I strained to see his face in the faint light that crept around the thick curtains over the window.
“Are you being serious? Here? As in Vegas?”
“
Yep.”
I formulated a careful response to the unusually direct question from my new fiancé. Panic set in as I turned it over in my head. If
I said no, he might take it the wrong way.
My cell phone buzzed
, flashing a hazy green light. I was saved.
I stretched my hand out to the marble nightstand and groped blindly a couple of times before I finally wrapped my fingers around it.
“Yeah?” I answered my work-only phone.
“
Change in plans. Meet us in the lobby in five, fully armed.”
That jolted me to attention.
“Okay. On my way.”
I hung up and turned back to Gavyn.
“Change in plans, we gotta go. Fully armed, downstairs in five.” I rolled out of bed and rifled through my suitcase, searching for black clothes loose enough to conceal my gun, extra magazines, and a switchblade.
“
I like how Konstantin always manages to interrupt our most interesting moments,” Gavyn grumbled. He jumped out of bed, stretched, and began rummaging through the loose pile of clothes on the floor.
“
Oh, come on. That wasn’t our most interesting moment, was it?” I pulled on dark stretchy pants and an oversized sweater. I searched the floor, feeling for my trusty side-arm and ammo in the dark room.
“
Maybe not.” Gavyn tapped me gently on the shoulder and handed me my missing Glock. “Not that we’re short on interesting moments.”
I turned and gave him a quick peck on the lips.
“Indeed. You ready?”
“
Sure.”
I tucked the Glock into my waistband and the knife into
an ankle sheath in my high-heeled black boots. I handed Gavyn my extra magazines, which he shoved in his pockets.
He followed me out the door
, into the hallway. Like the rest of the hotel, the hallways were overdone with opulence. Abstract Asian prints festooned the walls, with bronze faux-flame sconces marking the path every couple of feet. The carpet was thick and colorful and sank a little when I stepped on it.
He groaned when we reached the elevator bank. The doors were shiny bronze with a gilded gold frame marking their outline.
“This place is so bloody gaudy it makes me sick,” he spoke in his ever-fading British accent.
“
Oh, hush.” I punched the down button. “It’s not so bad. We’ve had a little bit of fun here, no?”
“
I guess, but all jokes aside, I’m worried. Something doesn’t feel right. My instincts are screaming to get you out of here.”
“
I know.” There was a soft ding as the elevator doors glided open, and we stepped in. And I did know. Ever since we got the phone call from Konstantin ordering us to report to Vegas, Gavyn had expressed the same sentiment. Something was really bothering him. Of course when the Shyama were involved, there was always danger.
“
It’ll be all right. There’s like, what, eight of use here, plus the locals? Don’t worry. I’m ready.” I gently patted my hidden gun and gave him a reassuring smile.
“
No, it’s not that. You should’ve sat this mission out and stayed in L.A. I have to be back in a few days anyway for pre-production. I’m still pissed at Konstantin. I told him I didn’t want you to come here. I told him my instincts were to keep you in L.A. with me.”
“
He doesn’t have the authority to...”
“
But he could have taken care of it and he didn’t. I don’t like it. Something doesn’t feel right.”
His tall, lean profile reflected in the mirror of the elevator. The tension was making his normally obscenely handsome face look harsh under the elevator lights. His thick curly black hair, which was wild and un
tamed from our earlier activities, flopped on the side of his face. I admired him next to me—he was beautiful, tall with perfect cappuccino skin and large caramel eyes, a reflection of his mixed race ancestry—he was movie star handsome, which makes sense since he
was
actually a movie star.
I suppose I should have listened to him. After all, he was more than my fiancé.
He was my handler.
ER 2
The elevator doors slid open to reveal the busy chaos of the
casino floor. Slot machines and tables stretched across the huge open space. Konstantin and Carmen were easy to spot across the lobby. Carmen’s bright red hair stood out like flames of a fire.
Konstantin stood against one of the columns in the lobby, his lean, muscular arms crossed over his chest
; the veins and tendons stuck out in his arms. His steely gray eyes were unfocused, gazing off into the distance.
Carmen was there, too,
her arms crossed over her petite form, her aqua eyes tight and watery. She would not meet my gaze.
Yep, something was definitely off.
A shadow of anxiety flickered around me. If Carmen was worried, then something was most definitely wrong. She could sense and see things that most people could not. Gavyn must have noticed her anxiety, too. He put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me closer to him.
We weaved our way
through the noisy and colorful lobby. We passed through throngs of tourists, long gambling tables, brightly lit machines, and scantily clad cocktail waitresses. As we closed in on Konstantin and Carmen, Konstantin motioned us to continue walking to the front doors of the casino.
I snaked my hand around Gavyn’s waist and steered him in the direction of the sliding-glass doors. Konstantin and Carmen fell into step behind us.
“What’s the big rush?” Gavyn glanced over his shoulder, directing his words at Konstantin.
“
We have a problem. I’ll tell you about it outside. We can’t stay in the lobby. It’s not safe here,” Konstantin spoke loud enough so we could hear him over the noise of the lobby.
“
I know, I told you that before we left,” Gavyn shot back. He tightened his arm around me.
The very recent bickering between Gavyn and Konstantin bothered me. Gavyn was my handler, my best friend, and my lover. Konstantin was my mentor and father figure. It was Konstantin who had introduced me to the world I
was now a part of. He’d connected me to the society of people who have preternatural abilities, like me. Carmen and Konstantin taught me everything I knew: what I was, what the others could do, all about the handler bond, and most importantly, how to fight the dark ones—the Shyama.
The tinted gla
ss doors slid smoothly open, and we stepped into the dry desert heat. The blue backlit face of my watch informed me it was 11:35 at night.
Konstantin stepped around me to hand his valet
ticket to the uniformed man at the podium. “Please make it fast. Really fast.” Konstantin pressed a bill into the young man’s hand. It was too dark for me to make out whether it was a twenty or fifty.
“
Sure. Yes, sir.” The man drawled out his words. His accent evoked the very Deep South, maybe Georgia or Mississippi.
Konstantin’s gray eyes darted around him. He was in combat mode. Not a good sign.
I glanced around at the tourists streaming in and out, the valets in their blue uniforms, and the bright neon lights that surrounded us. I didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. Nonetheless, I lowered my hand so it was resting near my firearm.
I stepped closer to him.
“Konstantin, what the hell is going on? Are they here?” I hissed.
At my words, Carmen stiffened and turned towards me, her bright red hair billowing in the soft
desert breeze. Her moist, wide eyes regarded me. I could barely hear her voice. “There is always danger nearby, but I can’t, I just can’t understand.”
Konstantin cut her off.
“Carmen. Not now. Pull yourself together.”
I’d never heard Konstantin speak harshly to his wife or anyone else. It made my blood boil, but I bit back my retort. Konstantin would only do that if he was afraid
, and stoic Carmen would only be on the verge of tears if something was really, really wrong. She crossed her arms over her chest, as if to protect herself from a chill in the air that only she could feel.
Konstantin’s black shiny rental car pulled up in front of us. I glanced at my watch
—11:37.
“
Move out,” Konstantin barked.
I slid into the back seat next to Gavyn. As soon as I was buckled in, he wrapped his fingers around mine. He sat quietly,
facing forward, not saying a word as we pulled out of the casino driveway and into the bumper to bumper traffic on the Strip.
Konstantin was quiet as he maneuvered his way through the dense traffic.
I tried to follow suit, but silence was not my thing. “Okay, what the heck is going on here?” I spoke so loud that Carmen jumped.
“
You’ll find out soon enough. I want to tell everyone at once. Can you be patient?” Konstantin asked, his faint eastern-European accent stronger than usual.
Embarrassment warmed my cheeks.
“Who is everyone? What does that even mean?”
Konstantin took his left hand off the steering wheel and used his forefinger and thumb to rub his forehead like he had a bad headache.
“We’re going to an emergency meeting in the desert. Dennis will be there along with some of the locals. I’ll explain everything once we get there. I don’t want to repeat it.” His voice softened as he said, “I don’t want Carmen to have to speak about it more than once, okay?”
I glanced at Carmen who was sitting quietly in the passenger seat. To my surprise, there were two glistening trails of tears on her cheeks. Carmen never cried, never shouted, and never raised her voice.
I sat back in my seat, trying to ignore the needling prick of fear in my chest. There were only so many things that could cause Carmen to cry and Konstantin to be a dick, none of them good.