Elixxir (The Brethren Series) (9 page)

“Don’t worry, I have a plan.” He rubbed her back. “The key is the first step. There’s a bus station where I think it’s probably from.” The elevator door opened. As they exited and looked at the sign on the wall to find their room number, he continued. “You’re going to stay here while I check it out.”

She stopped short. “Oh no, I’m not.” She crossed her arms. “You’re not getting this key and going anywhere without me. Don’t even think about arguing.”

“Do you have any idea how rough a neighborhood this bus station is in? It’s like a war zone! No one in their right mind would venture there. I’m not taking you, so forget it.”

“Then you can forget about me giving you the key.” She turned and stalked on down the hall.

“Uh, you’re going the wrong way. Our room is over here.” He pointed behind him. “So much for your dramatic exit, huh?” He laughed and flashed his perfectly white teeth as she huffed past him.

“Smartass….” she grumbled. “You’re not getting it unless I go with. Case closed.”

She stood, a silent statue by their door, while he put the card in the lock, pushed the door open, and waved her in.

He swore under his breath. “If you’re coming with me, then you’ll need to put on different clothes. Something much less revealing. I know I’m a big, strong man, but even I have my limits when it comes to warding off dangerous people. Do you have anything in here?” He dropped her bag on one of the queen-sized beds. And he did have his limits, probably. He just hadn’t reached them yet.

“I have shorts and tank tops. Everything else is gone.”

“Time to shop, then.” He dug into his pocket. “Here, take this. We’re going to get you some jeans, looser fitting ones, and a few baggy T-shirts.” She looked at his fistful of bills. “Listen, you can’t use your credit card, and whatever cash you do have, I want you to have for emergencies only. Oh, and since you can’t use your phone anymore, let’s get you a burner phone.”

“A burner phone?”

“Yes, a throw-away, untraceable.”

“Oh, okay. Thanks, that makes a lot of sense.”

“Yeah, well I do make sense every so often. Get used to it.” She snorted, grabbed the money, and started to leave. “Hey, wait! Here’s your room key, and you don’t get beyond five feet from me, you hear?”

She took the key from his offered hand and shoved it in her bag. “Trying on clothes should be quite interesting then.” She winked and sashayed out.

Oh, she’s asking for it
! Truth be told, the loose-fitting clothes were as much for his sake as for her safety. If he had to see her voluptuously kick-ass body in her skimpy shorts and tank top much longer, he might very well explode from carnal need. If only she wouldn’t argue so much, she’d be perfect! He did enjoy the verbal sparring, sometimes. Yeah, the banter teased his fun side, but the obstinacy was getting tiresome. He’d have to do something about that or he’d find this mission taking twice as long to accomplish. Holstering his Beretta, and shielding it against detection, he grabbed his leather duster and left the room.

“Nathanael?”

Her worried voice called to him. Well, as much as she was stubborn, he believed she was also, at times, still a young girl trapped in her woman’s body.

He smiled and squeezed her arm gently. “Right behind ya. Don’t worry.”

***

“They don’t make baggy jeans anymore, Nate! Now come on—” Callie flew her hands up. “This is the tenth pair I’ve tried on. I’m picking one and taking it. Enough is enough. It’ll be midnight before we make it to the station at the rate we’re going.”

“Then I’ll get you a bigger size and a belt. That’ll make them baggy and saggy. Perfect for blending. What size are you?” She gave him a look of death. “What? Just tell me so I can get you a bigger size. I promise I won’t tell anyone.” She raised six fingers. He turned and went to the jeans rack to pick out the larger size.

“Here, try these on.”

She sighed and took the pair into the dressing room. When she came out she looked miserable. He smiled. “See, that’s what I’m talking about.”

“Great, glad you’re happy to see me looking so frumpy.”

She’d pouted so adorably, it took him by surprise. She trudged back into the dressing room. He couldn’t help himself, and took a quick look around. Seeing no attendants nearby at the moment, his adventurous side had to follow. He moved the dressing room curtain aside and stepped in, drawing it back around him for privacy.

“Hey!” She swung around and whispered vehemently. “What do you think you’re doing?”

He towered over her, backing her up against the mirror and put one hand on either side of her head. Careful to leave only enough space so their bodies wouldn’t touch, he looked her straight in the eyes and whispered back. “For your information, you would look sexy as hell in a potato sack, and still do in those jeans.” He winked and left as her jaw dropped.

What the hell was that all about
?
Did he do what I think he did
?
Damn. The man just came on to me
! Anger warred with arousal as she tore the tags off her new clothes and collected her things from the bench. She whipped the curtain open and stormed out toward the cashier’s counter where the insufferable oaf leaned nonchalantly.

She gave the tags to the salesgirl, smiled, and turned to him, speaking in a hushed but intense voice. “You and I are gonna have words when I’m done here.” She heard him snort as she turned back to the girl and smiled, paying for her clothes, but paying him no mind. Grabbing the plastic bag with a couple pairs of skinny jeans and her own shorts and top inside, she marched past Nathanael and out the door.

“Have a great night!” an oblivious saleswoman called out to her. She waved her off with a grunt and a “Whatever.”

She watched as the overly-confident Neanderthal sauntered out of the store and headed straight over to her. Even though they were outside, he seemed to take up all the usable space in the immediate vicinity.

“You got words for me, Red?”

“I got plenty for you, Nate.” She poked his chest, trying to push him back a bit. “Wanna hear some? How about, you’re a jerk for walking into my dressing room without permission? How about, what the hell was that back there, asking my dress size and calling me sexy as hell? How about—”

Her next words were gobbled up by a hot, urgent mouth pressed against her own. Strong hands held her shoulders, guiding her closer to his body as he deepened his assault on her lips. At first, she didn’t know what to do. He’d shocked the hell out of her with his aggression. She couldn’t help noticing some of her protective walls had been torn asunder, and well-guarded ramparts were crumbling. Eyes that at first had flown open wide were now fluttering closed as her mind claimed temporary insanity.

She gave in. Her hands crawled up his stomach to his chest and on up to his face, where she held him and retaliated with her own brand of attack. Their tongues, like swords, thrust and parried while she let her hands roam onward through his thicket of wavy black hair.

A horn blared, bringing her back to reality and the cracked sidewalk where she stood, with lips being molested by a beautifully dangerous man.
Not again
!
I won’t fall for another employee of Brethren Security
! She ripped herself away and stepped back. Breathing heavily, she shot him a look she hoped would convey death if he so much as moved an inch toward her. In case he wasn’t good at reading signals, she raised her hands to stop any forward advance. To his credit, he looked possibly even more stunned than she, and stood his ground.

“I…I’m sorry. First, you were looking all pouty, and then you were in my face all angry, and I don’t know what came over me.” He raked a hand through his hair.

“You don’t know? Well, I’d hate to see what you’d do when you do have your wits about you.” She shook her head. “Nate, I can’t…we can’t….”

“I know. I know. You don’t have to spell it out for me. Come on, let’s go to the bus station and try to forget what just happened. Let’s do what we came here to do.”

“Right. That’s all I want. And to stay alive.”

Chapter Eight

Nathanael pulled the Harley into a parking space close to the entrance of the bus terminal. He tapped her knee, signaling her to get off, and grabbed her hand possessively, letting anyone who cared to know that she was his property. She flinched at first, but when he gave her his go-along–with-me-or-else look, she seemed to get the hint.

As they entered the station, they squeezed through a wall of unsavory people. His senses were bombarded by the flickering fluorescent lighting and an acrid odor of urine and cleaning fluid. Immediately, he raised his olfactory shields at the offense. Looking over at Callie, he saw her grimacing slightly. Humans were lucky sometimes not have the ultra-keen senses of the immortals.

Taking a visual sweep of the open area, he noticed a lull in activity. It was known to be a busy hub, but only a few people were in line at the ticket counter in front of them. A few others were seated on worn, plastic chairs, luggage tightly gripped in hand. A group of teenagers stood off to the side, huddled in a corner, looking over their shoulders. Probably a drug exchange going down. Not his problem at the moment. He spotted a wall of lockers to his right, floor to near-ceiling, rusty and deteriorated.

“Over there. The lockers.” He pointed to them for Callie.

“I see. Well, guess we should go take a peek and then, I don’t know how many showers it’s gonna take for me to feel clean again.”

“I agree. Come on.”

They hurried over and scanned the numbers on the locker doors until they found the B section and locker 34, sitting innocuously in between 33 and 35. Did he really expect it would be painted bright red with neon arrow signs pointing to it? She glanced at him, nibbled her lower lip, and slowly took the key from around her neck.

“I don’t mind saying I’m scared.”

“Want me to open it for you?”

“No, no. I’ll do it. I just have no idea what we’re going to find.” She extended a trembling hand and tried her key in the lock. It shook so much she took her other hand to steady herself. “Damn it,” she muttered.

“Here, no sense in going crazy. Let me.” He gentled the key from her hand, pushed it in the lock, and turned. It clicked open.

The hinges whined mercilessly as he opened the door. “God, that’s dreadful!” She put her fingers in her ears.

“What have we here?”

“What is it? She leaned against him, trying to get a peek as he reached in and retrieved a manila envelope.

He turned it over in his hands, checking it out. His angel warrior senses sought out any lingering traces of intent or motive from the last person who held it. No matter how long it’d been around, there could still be a thread or two he could exploit to their benefit. “Look. It says,
In case of emergency
.”

“Well. I’d say this is one heck of an emergency. Wouldn’t you?”

“Yeah. Come on.” Senses told him a male had left this envelope. Sadness and trepidation were the last emotions exuded by him. Her father perhaps? More than likely. He closed the locker door, took her hand once again, and proceeded to walk out the exit. “Let’s get outta here and back to the safety of our room.”

“No argument from me.” He stopped short and turned to her.

“Really? That’s a first. Thank you.” He laughed and continued on.

She swatted his arm playfully. “Oh, shut up.”

“Crap,” he muttered.

“What?” Alarm sounded in her voice.

“We got company at the bike. Damn it.” He knew it had been too good to be true. Their trip had gone far too smoothly up to this point. He didn’t want to make another scene in front of her. She already suspected something from the last scuffle. But these guys weren’t admiring the bike. His supernatural hearing picked up midway through their conversation. They were discussing prices for parts.

“Maybe they’re simply talking about its finer qualities, showing some appreciation for its beauty. They’ll move on when we get close.”

“Doubt it. All right, do exactly as I say.” He nudged her forward, adrenaline seeping into his bloodstream, hoping his sheer size would be intimidating enough to shoo them away. “Hey, gentlemen. Excuse us, but we’ve gotta be going.”

All four men turned, and in unison their eyes flashed a brilliant red.
Damn it all
! They would
have to be some of Satan’s minions
. He hoped Callie hadn’t seen it, but her immediate death grip on his arm told him otherwise.

One of the delinquents stepped forward, moving his shirttail aside like a curtain to display a gun in his waistband. “Gonna have to take the bus home, asshole. This here bike now belongs to us.” The other three joined him in creating a wall of thugs possessed by evil.

He passed her the envelope and patted her hands without shifting his glance. “Go back in the terminal, would you, darlin’?” He quickly peeled her fingers off his arm and shoved her behind him. She stumbled and then scurried away from the scene. “Now I can’t do that. You see, that would be letting you all win. And I just can’t let that happen.” He moved his hands to his waist and flashed his own piece. If they wanted a fight, he’d sure as hell give them one they’d remember, Brethren style.

“You’re one stupid fuck. There ain’t no way you’re gonna get out of this now.”

“Bring it on, feces.” He spat on the ground and beckoned them with a flick of his hands.

The four charged him with all the finesse of roosters in a cockfight. As one came close to peck at him with a knife, he swatted it away and landed an uppercut on the guy’s jaw. He roundhouse-kicked another, throwing him into a third guy, and finally landed a left hook on the last man standing. All in a matter of ten seconds. His entire body shook with a mixture of dark and warrior energy as he loomed over their still bodies, lying strewn on the ground. Blood shushed through his heart at a rapid pace and he saw nothing but red before his eyes. He heard scuffling behind him and turned blindly, ready to knock out the next sorry soul, and snarled.