S.A. Price (27 page)

"Sure am boss." Jax growled appearing out from around the door and grabbing Evelyn around her waist. He held a knife to her throat in one hand and a gun pointed into her gut. Two more men walked in training guns on the girl that came with Evelyn and Homer. "Told you I'd find her bud."

Fuck. This was a doozy. Catherine stood there, her gun out of sight, and Homer counted himself lucky for that. He looked at Jax and then at the other two sizing them up. The woman that had come in with Evelyn had palmed her knife, and again he counted that as a point on their side. “Get your hands off her Jax. She’s not yours.”

"Really? You so sure?" He grinned trailing the knife tip down her throat to between her breasts.

"Cuz it kinds looks like it from here." Keeping eye contact with him he buried his nose in her hair breathing her in deeply. "Heh, we smell good together."

Homer saw red. The meat sack had gone to the limit, pawing and now smelling his woman.

Evelyn’s eyes were on his, determined. He knew what to do, had to go for it, and he knew damn well he would be faster than the knife, but the gun was another story. He reacted quickly, moving with a speed he didn’t show before, making it from in front of him to behind him in the blink of an eye.

That’s when three things happened at once. He grabbed for Jax, both arms, the woman that came with Evelyn threw a dagger into Jax’s gun toting arm, and Catherine shot the guy holding the gun to Evelyn’s companion.

Jax’s hand dropped the gun to the ground with a hiss, and as he tried to slice Evelyn’s throat, Homer attacked. He moved in and bit Jax’s bicep, tearing from it not seconds later, two puncture marks visible as venom flew from his mouth. Evelyn dropped and rolled out of the way as Jax screamed.

Jax hissed in a feline like manner leaping back from them. "Son of a bitch!" He shouted shaking his head trying to clear it. "I should have fucking known you were one of them!" He glared up at Homer his now yellow eyes reflecting the light. "Just thought the smell was from spending too much time with them." He shook himself all over then held the wound up venom dripping from it. "What type is it?"

~110~

Homer smirked. “Does it matter? You got about forty-five minutes, give or take how strong you are. I told you to stay off her, but you didn’t listen. Prick.” His eyes reflected his other half, silver with black slits set in a menacing gaze. He looked at Jax and confusion set in. Why would a cat be helping Cristof?

"Oh I'm pretty strong, so I guess we'll be giving." Jax panted sweat beading on his forehead. He looked at Evelyn who was staring at Homer wide eyed with her gun hanging loosely in her hand, and laughed. "Oh it looks like you've got some explaining to do lover boy."

“Catherine? Do me a favor? Shoot him in the leg.” He smirked and winked at Evelyn. The other woman who had come with Evelyn moved quickly, grabbing her blade from his forearm, his blood dripping to the floor.

"In the leg?" Jax shook his head and staggered away from them. "Hardly necessary. I'm dying that'd just be cruel and you’re not that... nope. Not at all." He braced himself against one of the cages with his good hand.

Evelyn took a few steps backwards shaking her head muttering. "A snake eh? All this time... and venom... wow." She was clearly in shock.

Using the distraction Jax leaped across the room to Homer cracking him in the back of the head with a police rod. He grabbed Catherine snapping her wrist and pulling a fresh gun to her head as he edged to the door. "Ain’t exactly wine bottle but it'll do the trick..We're not almost even for the bite, cunt." He snarled. "I'll square you up for that some other time. See ya bitch." He kicked Catherine into Myra knocking them both over, he got in one last shot at Evelyn before leaping out of the door into the darkness.

Homer hissed and shook his head his eyes flashing in the light as he saw Evelyn on the ground, a pool of blood under her left shoulder. “Fuck!” he was holding her a second later, assessing the wound.

It was clean; the fuck caught her in the shoulder just under her collarbone. The arm was dislocated, it was apparent, but other then that she would live. “Evie, Love, fuck!” he said shaking her. “Don’t you dare lose consciousness! We aren’t outta this yet.” He was torn between getting the girls to safety and going after the fucking cat, but Evie’s safety took precedence over everything. “Baby, say something!”

"Am I going to die?" She looked up at him pain and fear all over her face. "I think he shot me... it hurts."

“He did shoot you but no... You’re going to be fine.” He ripped a piece off the bottom of his shirt and pulled his bandana from his back pocket, pressing it to both sides of the gunshot, he ripped off her sleeve and tied it around the wound tightly, his heart breaking at the sound of her gasp of pain.

The wound dressed he sat her up. “Evelyn... baby you gotta walk...”

“Catherine needs medical too. Fucker just snapped her wrist.” Evelyn’s associate said over the other woman’s sobs. The majority of the girls that had been in a daze had come to and were stretching, grabbing weapons and going to each other’s aid. Homer took it as a lucky break; they wouldn’t have to carry many. “Then let’s get them outta here. Now. That fuck might be bringing back reinforcements, and I can’t fight with him with them hurt. Come on baby... on your feet, we gotta get the hell outta here.”

She whimpered letting him help her up while tears streamed down her face. Her chest heaved as her breathing increased rapidly. "It really hurts..." She gasped leaning against him shaking her head.

"I can't go that far Homer."

He hefted her up into his arms. His sweet Evie was going to get the royal treatment, and as long as he could use his right hand to shoot he was ok. “Don’t worry love...” he said and looked to Myra, who was already herding the girls out the door. “Girls don’t fucking stop for anyone!” he called. “Follow Catherine and...” he blushed realizing he didn’t know her name.

"Mmm that’s Myra." Evelyn whispered hazily into his ear, "She paints things with her scales."

He chuckled and then paled. Evelyn’s speech was slurring and that wasn’t a good sign. “Yes, Myra, sorry, fuck.” He followed them out at their back watching left and right. With all of the explosions and gunfire going on outside, they weren’t even noticed, and if they were, their escape from the compound

~111~

was unhampered, as they made it to the van in record breaking time. Homer saw two men by the van who nodded to Myra and left quickly as Myra and a very irate Catherine ushered the girls inside. Myra and Catherine both climbed into the front as he crawled in with Evie still in his arms. One of the girls slammed the door and they were off like a shot, Myra driving like a bat outta hell on some well worn trail tracks. They were soon at the highway and hauling ass at about ninety, when Myra called back to him. “Will she be ok? We are not fifteen minutes to the airlift.”

“She will be. I need to make a call.”

“To Olivia? You’re Ryan, aren’t you? She’s been looking for you. This explains it.”

Now Myra was not a snake that was part of his home nest, and this bothered him. “How the hell?”

“The five nests are working together, and they have been looking for you. You’re going to have a lot of explaining to do guy.”

“Don’t remind me. So she’s part of this?”

“Yep, and she’s waiting at the Orpheus.”

Homer sighed and applied pressure to Evie’s wound, talking to her in soft tones, to keep her conscious. What seemed like minutes later, he was being ushered into a black hawk helicopter with her still in his arms, the girls that were worse for wear with him. Evelyn moaned, and that was a good thing, the pain would keep her awake, and when everything was fixed up, he was going to have a lot of things to explain to her, the woman that he knew was going to be his mate.

~112~

TWENTY-SIX

The bag of tricks was heavy against Aiden’s shoulder as he carried it the short walk to the battle site. He walked ahead of Merrick trying to avoid direct contact with him. Merrick had been in a rage since they’d left the van. Evelyn didn’t look so well and the fact that another snake had been carrying her didn’t make much sense. They hadn’t had time to check her over or even find out if she would live.

Myra was in good health and that did much to ease Aiden’s spirits. He’d been worried about her but not so much that he could fuck up his work here. Aiden could set the charges in his sleep and if you asked Merrick he’d probably testify to that.

He’d always had a thing about fire. It hailed back to his days at the circus when they’d placed him next to a fire demon. He’d always envied that kind of power. Of course the demon had lied to him telling him he could have the same power but Aiden got over that soon enough. He’d learned to create the same effects just using a little more tools than the demon needed.

A man jumped out of the woods gun raised to attack them. Aiden dropped to the ground pulling his gun and shooting three times into his chest before the enemy could get a shot off. Merrick walked by them kicking the man’s chest raising him off the ground making him land on the base of a tree.

Aiden winced as he heard the snapping of bones.

“You know I think he was dead already.” Aid drawled as he stood brushing himself off.

“He is now.” Mer’s eyes were ice cold.

Aiden hated when Merrick got like this. It was mostly anger at himself for letting Evelyn get hurt but it was still scary. “I’m sure she’ll be fine.”

“Fine? That was a lot of blood she lost.”

“It was in a non threatening place and Evelyn’s tough. She’s a survivor; you had no choice but to let her come. We would have lost them all… there was a lot of girls saved today.”

He kicked the body again snapping more bones. “Oh I had a choice. And what the hell was Olivia’s nephew doing with her?”

“Looked like action man was carrying her to me.” Marcus had radioed them to let them know that Ryan, Olivia’s nephew was indeed with them and on his way to the Orpheus. Merrick had put two and two together and figured out Evelyn’s savior was Ryan.

His Archon growled. “You know who that was?” He fumed continuing before Aid could reply.

“That was Ryan… the one she’s been trying to contact.”

Yeah, he heard the same radio message as Merrick did. “So?”

“So if she’d had a man on the inside this whole time I swear I’m going to tear her a new one…”

“I think that’s a little unlikely.”

“Oh you do, do you?” He barked angrily squaring up to the smaller Aiden.

“I gotta blow something up.” Aiden sighed turning away from Merrick and walking back toward the base.

He loved Merrick and looked up to him but when the guy was in a rage he just couldn’t be reasoned with. Thankfully it didn’t happen often. They reached the base, Aiden drawing up to look at

~113~

the practicalities of the buildings. There were two main buildings along with three out buildings.

“Missionary eh?” he asked sizing the place up.

“So he said.”

“What was it before?”

“It’s not on record.” Merrick growled angrily. “Will it work?”

“I think so…” Aiden answered on automatic pilot, his brain working furiously. He’d need to get the bodies inside the first main building but that was Merrick’s job. “Gas leak?”

“That’s the plan.”

Aiden glared at Merrick the sooner he was away from him the better. “Fine.” He took a map that Ed had sent of the gas lines in the area and began to formulate the plans.

“What do you need?”

“Bodies inside and set up, bibles and robes are still in the trunk. Clear out the out buildings, in the side and where they had the girls. I’m guessing they were in the smaller of the two main buildings.

It’ll look good so we don’t have to perfect it, just as long as there is nothing glaringly obvious. General tidy up and then, once I’m inside, I need you to open the pipes in these places. They should be old and not need too much manipulation, don’t force them. If it ain’t broken move on to another close by.” He held up a map pointing at a few openings that he needed. “Try not to blow me up though.” He joked before remembering that Merrick was lacking in humor at the moment.

He shook his head and moved off to the dying battle with Merrick marching purposefully ahead of him. Two shifters approached them their guns held loosely in their hands. They walked with a cocky swagger that made Aid inwardly cringe. This was a job and anything but total obedience got its ass whipped. Merrick hated attitude on a good day today he was bound to rip through them if they didn’t change quickly. There was no way in hell he was putting himself in their way to save their cocky asses.

Actually it would be good to watch it from the other side for a while.

“Who’s in charge here?” Merrick barked at the men, both in their thirties.

“I am.” One of them said laced with the attitude of a man who didn’t take orders from anyone anymore.

“Wrong, I am. We have a job to do.”

“We did our job.” The other spoke out earning him a glare from Merrick.

“Wrong again!” Merrick snapped shouting like the drill sergeant he used to be, grabbing the man in charge and pulling him up to his face. “You did the easy part and now you get a taste of what it’s like to clean up your own damn mess. Just so we’re clear on this I’m speaking to you because you speak for your men and your men speak for you. Such insubordination should not be tolerated. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes.” The soldier paled practically squawking.

“Yes what?” Merrick growled.

“Yes sir!” He answered sharply falling into line.

Merrick eyeballed him for a few more seconds before lowering him back to the ground. Aiden didn’t envy the poor man who in all likelihood hadn’t taken an order for a very long time. Merrick looked around assessing the scene as Aiden had done from the hill.