21 Shades of Night, page 87
“Is my original meal still alive?”
“She tasted better than anything on this earth,” I said, speaking the truth and knowing Lucifer would take that as a no.
He laughed. “So you’re not only running from me, you’ve got Michael on your ass, too?”
I remained quiet.
“And now with another of his descendants dead, I’m sure he’s going to step up his game.”
“Probably,” I conceded. There was no reason to lie. Michael was going to be fired up, even with Valerie still breathing.
“I’ve got a bounty out for your head,” he snickered and I looked at the floor, taking a deep breath. “You won’t get out of that house alive and I’ll have my pure virgin heart that I’ve waited so long to taste.”
“Fuck you,” I whispered and disconnected the call. I put the phone down, trying to frame a way to tell this sweet girl her parents were dead and it was my oversight that caused it. I should have never had them so close, but I figured I could keep them safe in this remote setting.
What a fucking joke.
“Damian?” Naomi asked.
I sat on the couch and ran my hands into my hair, resting my elbows on my knees while I grappled for words. When I came up empty, I just shook my head without bringing my gaze to either of them.
“What’s he saying?” Valerie asked and I kept my gaze locked on the floor.
“He’s saying they’re dead,” Naomi answered and I nodded.
“What do you mean, they’re dead?” The hysterics in her tone brought my gaze to hers. Naomi had moved to her side and wrapped her arm around the girl.
“Just like my grandfather,” she said meeting my gaze.
I nodded. “And Lucifer has issued a bounty for my head.”
“Lucifer?” Valerie’s voice rose. “As in the devil?”
“Yes,” I said straightening my back. “You’re a delicacy to him.”
“Why?” she asked in a voice filled with pain and sorrow.
“Because of your lineage,” Naomi said, taking over the conversation. “But neither Damian nor I will let anything happen to you.” She led Valerie to the overstuffed chair. “I know this all sounds crazy and unreal, but we won’t let your parent’s sacrifice be in vain.”
I laughed and stood, turning my back on their surprised gaze, surveying the landscape. The buildings were protected from angels and demons, but that’s not what he was sending to collect. He was sending his hybrid monsters to bring back his bounty.
Her hand on my arm pulled my attention away from the darkness.
“What is it?”
“He knows where we are,” I said. “And he knows how to kill me.”
Chapter 27
Naomi
“YOU CAN TAKE her away from here,” I said, ignoring the devastating twinge his words carried.
“I wouldn’t get a hundred yards,” he said and wiped his face. “I’m surprised we got the motorcycle out and back without being shot.”
My gaze landed on the glass he stood in front of and I turned, sweeping his feet out from under him a moment before the window disintegrated in a hailstorm of bullets. Valerie dove to the ground, shrieking, with her arms over her head.
“We have to get her downstairs,” I said to Damian and he nodded.
We crawled to her, each taking an arm and we got to our feet, running toward the back of the house, keeping low so the bullets passed over our heads. The atrium was off an enclosed mudroom but the distance between the doorway and the security panel seemed like an impossible feat. The front of the atrium had a line of plants that would help shelter us, but the back wall, that gave a clear view all the way to the wood line.
“Damian, you have to do this as a shadow,” I whispered and his gaze fell on Valerie. “It’s the only way you’ll get across the distance. I can get Valerie through the door if you can get it open,” I said when he hesitated.
“Naomi,” he started.
“We will all die if you don’t,” I said, my gaze planted on a line of advancing shadows.
“I don’t want to die,” Valerie said pulling his gaze from mine.
One minute Damian was the blue-eyed man that held my heart and the next, he was the fiend that almost killed me and Valerie gasped. He shot out into the opening and I wrapped my arms around Valerie and whispered, “He won’t hurt you, neither will I, but those things closing in on the house will. When he hits that panel, you have to climb on my back and hold on, understand?” I met her frantic gaze.
“What?”
I wrapped her arms around my neck. “Hold on!” I yelled as the bullets rained on the glass. The door slid far enough and I saw Damian slip inside and I closed my eyes. Valerie’s arms tightened around my neck and I waited a moment before darting out, my paws hitting the tile with intent, and when I slid through the opening I didn’t stop until I stood on the landing with Valerie sobbing into my fur.
I glanced up in time to see the wall close and Damian shut the door. He stumbled down the steps and closed the door, leaning on it with his breath wheezing. I padded into the room and stopped, putting my paw on the arms grasping me like I had done with Damian the other night.
Valerie cried into my fur and I traded a glance with Damian.
“We have to get out of here,” he said and stumbled, falling to his hands and knees. I shook Valerie off and sniffed her to make sure there were no bullet holes in her and then I licked her cheek in a gesture that stopped her tears.
I left her huddled and shaking and turned to Damian, it took me two strides to be back in my human form and I crouched next to him.
“Baby, where are you hit?”
He glanced up at me with a cocked eyebrow. “Baby?” he asked, his breath wheezed again.
I offered him a soft smile. “Where?” I asked again, not acknowledging his questioning gaze. Instead, I pushed him into a sitting position and peeled off his shirt. “Fuck,” I whispered. “Is the bullet still inside you?”
He shrugged. “You have to get her out of here,” he repeated.
I leaned him forward and didn’t find an exit wound on his back. Closing my eyes, I sighed. His shoulder was one thing, but his chest was another. I couldn’t just tear that open with my teeth and reach in and grab the bullet poisoning him. “I’ll get you both out of here as soon as I get that bullet out,” I said. “Do you have a knife in the kitchen?”
He nodded.
“How long before they get through that wall upstairs?”
“I don’t know. The outer shell is made of platinum.”
“In that case, I’ll assume I have the time to fix you up.” I hopped to my feet and glanced at Valerie. “Think you’ve got your shit together enough to help me?”
“Naomi,” Damian whispered.
“What?”
“Just leave me,” he said, his blue eyes pleading.
I hunched down and ran my palm over his cheek. “Not on your life.” My heart thundered at the request, fear biting me from the inside out. I wasn’t willing to lose him, to lose either of them; and the longer I chatted with him the more likely that bullet would make it impossible for me to bring him back.
“Come on,” I ordered Valerie and to her credit, she stood and followed me. Her eyes still wide amidst the pallor of her face.
“What are you?” she whispered as I rummaged through the drawers until I found a couple specially made steak knives that reminded me of scalpels. I grabbed one and handed it to Valerie. “Hold this a minute,” I said and opened the refrigerator.
It took all my willpower not to dig into the bags sitting on the shelf; instead, I grabbed three of them and turned toward her wide eyes.
“He’s going to need blood when I’m done,” I explained.
“What are you going to do?”
“I have to get that bullet out before it kills him,” I said and plucked the knife from her hand, trading the blood for the blade and made my way back to Damian.
He tried to shake his head, to deter me, to get me to leave, but I met his panicked stare. “I can’t just leave you like this,” I whispered and laid him down. “I think the bullet is in your lung. Just don’t move, okay?” I bit my lip and placed the blade on his skin at the point of entry. “I’m sorry, baby.” I met his gaze and pressed, slicing a slit an inch long from the base of the entry wound.
Damian screamed, but didn’t move. The second cut was just as painful for both of us, and I heard the slump on the floor behind me, assuming Valerie had passed out. My heart slammed against my chest and I prayed I would be able to get the bullet out. I dropped the knife on the floor and slid my fingers into the cut. The bullet was there, wedged between two of his ribs, spreading toxic poison through his abdomen.
“I’m so sorry,” I whispered again and pushed down on the rib. He cried out again, but this time it was weaker and the snap of the bone released the bullet. I yanked it out and tossed it across the room, like it was kryptonite and distance would help Damian.
He panted, blinking and I could tell he was barely hanging on. I turned and reached for the blood, ripping one end open with my teeth and pouring the bag into his mouth. Damian choked, and coughed and then his reflex took hold and he gulped, hanging onto my hand in a death grip until the bag was empty. I did the same with a second one and the haze over his eyes sharpened, his breath coming in a more natural un-wheezing rhythm.
When I reached for the third bag, he grabbed my arm. “No,” he whispered.
“You need it,” I said and his gaze traveled beyond me. I glanced over my shoulder at Valerie, still laying unconscious on the floor and turned back to Damian. “You won’t hurt her,” I said, unsure if it was true or not. All I knew is he needed blood, now, in order to have the strength to run.
“Naomi,” he started and I ripped the bag open, bringing it to his lips. He didn’t hesitate and when the bag was empty, I dropped it with the other two. The adrenaline that had propelled me, drained, leaving me shaking.
“I need to check on her,” I said and he nodded, leaning his head back against the floor. The wound on his chest was already patching itself up and I crawled to Valerie, turning her over. I tapped her cheeks lightly with the cleaner of my two hands. “Valerie?”
Her eyes blinked open and when they landed on me, her face scrunched.
“It wasn’t a dream?” she asked, the tears springing forth from her eyes.
“No sweetie, it isn’t,” I said and climbed to my feet. It was my turn to wince and I glanced at my thigh. Blood streaked my right leg and I took another step before the room spun into blackness.
Chapter 28
Damian
NAOMI FALTERED AND I was up and moving, catching her before she hit the tile. I traded a glance with Valerie and then focused on Naomi. She had saved my life twice tonight and I marveled at her speed and cunning, but now she lay bleeding and unconscious and my heart thundered as loud as hers had when she was trying to get the bullet out of my chest.
“Valerie, I need you to get me a couple pints of blood, okay?” I asked, meeting her wide stare.
She nodded without speaking and crossed to the kitchen, coming back with two more bags from the refrigerator. I poked a hole in the bottom of one bag and slipped it between Naomi’s slack lips. It only took a few drops before her eyes snapped open and she drank in greedy pulls. When she only sucked air, she let out a growl and I pointed to the hallway.
“Go to the bedroom down that hall and close the door.”
Valerie didn’t move.
“Go!” I yelled before Naomi lost all control. Valerie listened this time and I slid the second bag between Naomi’s lips. By the time she finished the second bag, the hole in her leg had closed and I picked her up, bringing her into the shower, and blasting the water while I peeled off her clothes and mine as well.
“What are you doing?” she asked and glanced around.
“I’m getting the blood off both of us before we get dressed and get the hell out of here.”
She glanced at my chest, tracing the angry scar with her fingers. “I’m sorry I had to hurt you,” she said and when she raised her gaze to mine, her eyes were filled with tears.
I pressed my lips to her forehead and switched the water off. Sweet moments could wait until after we got through the night. I tossed her a towel and grabbed one of my own, leading her to the bedroom and stepping inside to Valerie’s wide gaze.
“The bullet hole…” she trailed off, pointing at my chest.
I nodded in her direction and opened the closet, tossing Naomi a duffel bag. “Pack up your stuff.”
I slipped on underwear and jeans under the towel before letting it drop and slamming a handful of outfits into a second duffel bag.
“What about me?” Valerie asked and I turned.
“I’ll buy you new clothing when we find a safe place to hole up.”
I stalked out of the room, leaving the women alone. In the office, I slid into the controls and flipped open my laptop, connecting the two with a cord. After a few keystrokes, the hard drive started the transfer. I had five minutes before I could do the self-destruct sequence. I dropped my duffel bag on the floor and headed to the kitchen, grabbing the cooler under the sink and sweeping the contents of the refrigerator into it. I had a feeling we might need some back up.
Anger burned in my veins and I stormed across the room, catching sight of Naomi and Valerie stopped in the hallway.
“What?” I snarled and Valerie shrunk into Naomi.
Naomi cocked an eyebrow.
“I’m pissed, and I’m trying to get my shit together so we can get moving.”
“I get it, but you don’t have to snarl like a rabid dog,” she said and I stopped moving.
I hadn’t realized I was snarling.
She smirked. “Between the snarling and swearing, I could have sworn we were at an illegal dog fight.”
“Oh, fuck you, Naomi,” I said and stormed back into the office to her laughter.
“Are you two related?” Valerie asked just before I stepped into the office.
“No, we’re not,” Naomi answered.
“How long have you been together?”
I stopped and turned, meeting Naomi’s gaze. “Not long enough,” I said, dispelling the questions before I slipped into my chair. I had a minute left and I dropped the cooler by the door, pointing in that direction.
“What’s burning?” Valerie asked.
“The house,” I answered and sighed, glancing at Valerie before moving my gaze to Naomi. “Go get some blankets for her. It’s going to be cold where we’re heading.” I received a nod and then she disappeared, coming back a few minutes later with the chenille blanket at the same time the download finished. I stood and pushed the commands and the door opened.
“Take her down, I’ll be there in a second,” I said and disconnected the laptop, slipping it into my backpack along with the cords I would need. Once I had that zipped, I pressed the destruction commands and took a deep breath, slinging the backpack and duffel bag over my shoulder. I hit enter and grabbed the cooler, I stopped long enough to close and latch the door before jumping down the stairs.
At the bottom, I didn’t wait; I grabbed Valerie around the waist, whispering, “Hang on tight.” and then bolted. Naomi kept up, running alongside me and I grabbed her when I took the sharp turn away from the property and stopped, my hand running across the wall before I found the release. The squeak of metal met us and I pushed Naomi through, dropping Valerie in her arms before I forced the door back in place.
“Run,” I said. The timer in my head ticked off the seconds as we bolted. The fact that neither one questioned my command, gave me more speed and I traded Valerie for the cooler when Naomi started trailing behind. We had to make the outer door before the charges blew otherwise we’d be buried alive.
I heard the first explosion and turned on the speed. “Hustle!” I yelled and Naomi grunted. I could see the end of the tunnel now that my eyes had become accustomed to the blackness and put on the brakes, skidding to a halt and reaching for the latch. I swung the door in and stepped aside, letting Naomi skid to a stop beyond me and I slammed the door before setting Valerie down and leaning my back against the metal.
The ground rocked underneath us and I kept my back to the door, my gaze locked with Naomi’s as she held Valerie against her. I closed my eyes, gritting my teeth together. The thought of the murals burning hit harder than I expected, especially the one of Naomi and I crossing a snow-covered glen. The rest were ancient and reminded me of my youth, but that one, that was special and outshone everything. Even my auto collection, which I had taken great pains to procure, came a close second to that painted mural. But I had made allowances for the cars. The security sequence lowered iron plates lined with platinum across all the doorways and windows, securing the building from the pending blast.
“Damian,” Naomi said and I opened my eyes. She unfolded the blanket and held it up. Tucked inside was the mural and I bit my lip against the gratitude that swept through me, lifting my eyes to the ceiling in a silent prayer of thanks.
“We need to keep going,” I said once we caught our breath.
“How long is this tunnel?” Naomi asked.
“A couple miles,” I answered. What I didn’t tell her was I had no idea what we would do when we came to the end.
“I don’t like the dark,” Valerie whined.
I dug my cell out of my pocket and took her hand, placing the phone in her palm and curling her fingers around it. “It’s not much,” I said and took the lead, walking at a slower pace so Valerie could keep up.
Naomi followed behind Valerie and I could tell by her silence that her brain was trying to wrap around the events of the last few days. The number of lives that had been destroyed since I plucked her from the sky was unprecedented and I sighed, glancing over my shoulder at her.
The cell light kept going on and off, casting an eerie glow through the metal encased tunnel.
“How many do you think the explosion took out?” Valerie asked.
“I don’t know.”
“I hope it took them all,” she said, the darkness in her tone echoing my sentiments.
“She tasted better than anything on this earth,” I said, speaking the truth and knowing Lucifer would take that as a no.
He laughed. “So you’re not only running from me, you’ve got Michael on your ass, too?”
I remained quiet.
“And now with another of his descendants dead, I’m sure he’s going to step up his game.”
“Probably,” I conceded. There was no reason to lie. Michael was going to be fired up, even with Valerie still breathing.
“I’ve got a bounty out for your head,” he snickered and I looked at the floor, taking a deep breath. “You won’t get out of that house alive and I’ll have my pure virgin heart that I’ve waited so long to taste.”
“Fuck you,” I whispered and disconnected the call. I put the phone down, trying to frame a way to tell this sweet girl her parents were dead and it was my oversight that caused it. I should have never had them so close, but I figured I could keep them safe in this remote setting.
What a fucking joke.
“Damian?” Naomi asked.
I sat on the couch and ran my hands into my hair, resting my elbows on my knees while I grappled for words. When I came up empty, I just shook my head without bringing my gaze to either of them.
“What’s he saying?” Valerie asked and I kept my gaze locked on the floor.
“He’s saying they’re dead,” Naomi answered and I nodded.
“What do you mean, they’re dead?” The hysterics in her tone brought my gaze to hers. Naomi had moved to her side and wrapped her arm around the girl.
“Just like my grandfather,” she said meeting my gaze.
I nodded. “And Lucifer has issued a bounty for my head.”
“Lucifer?” Valerie’s voice rose. “As in the devil?”
“Yes,” I said straightening my back. “You’re a delicacy to him.”
“Why?” she asked in a voice filled with pain and sorrow.
“Because of your lineage,” Naomi said, taking over the conversation. “But neither Damian nor I will let anything happen to you.” She led Valerie to the overstuffed chair. “I know this all sounds crazy and unreal, but we won’t let your parent’s sacrifice be in vain.”
I laughed and stood, turning my back on their surprised gaze, surveying the landscape. The buildings were protected from angels and demons, but that’s not what he was sending to collect. He was sending his hybrid monsters to bring back his bounty.
Her hand on my arm pulled my attention away from the darkness.
“What is it?”
“He knows where we are,” I said. “And he knows how to kill me.”
Chapter 27
Naomi
“YOU CAN TAKE her away from here,” I said, ignoring the devastating twinge his words carried.
“I wouldn’t get a hundred yards,” he said and wiped his face. “I’m surprised we got the motorcycle out and back without being shot.”
My gaze landed on the glass he stood in front of and I turned, sweeping his feet out from under him a moment before the window disintegrated in a hailstorm of bullets. Valerie dove to the ground, shrieking, with her arms over her head.
“We have to get her downstairs,” I said to Damian and he nodded.
We crawled to her, each taking an arm and we got to our feet, running toward the back of the house, keeping low so the bullets passed over our heads. The atrium was off an enclosed mudroom but the distance between the doorway and the security panel seemed like an impossible feat. The front of the atrium had a line of plants that would help shelter us, but the back wall, that gave a clear view all the way to the wood line.
“Damian, you have to do this as a shadow,” I whispered and his gaze fell on Valerie. “It’s the only way you’ll get across the distance. I can get Valerie through the door if you can get it open,” I said when he hesitated.
“Naomi,” he started.
“We will all die if you don’t,” I said, my gaze planted on a line of advancing shadows.
“I don’t want to die,” Valerie said pulling his gaze from mine.
One minute Damian was the blue-eyed man that held my heart and the next, he was the fiend that almost killed me and Valerie gasped. He shot out into the opening and I wrapped my arms around Valerie and whispered, “He won’t hurt you, neither will I, but those things closing in on the house will. When he hits that panel, you have to climb on my back and hold on, understand?” I met her frantic gaze.
“What?”
I wrapped her arms around my neck. “Hold on!” I yelled as the bullets rained on the glass. The door slid far enough and I saw Damian slip inside and I closed my eyes. Valerie’s arms tightened around my neck and I waited a moment before darting out, my paws hitting the tile with intent, and when I slid through the opening I didn’t stop until I stood on the landing with Valerie sobbing into my fur.
I glanced up in time to see the wall close and Damian shut the door. He stumbled down the steps and closed the door, leaning on it with his breath wheezing. I padded into the room and stopped, putting my paw on the arms grasping me like I had done with Damian the other night.
Valerie cried into my fur and I traded a glance with Damian.
“We have to get out of here,” he said and stumbled, falling to his hands and knees. I shook Valerie off and sniffed her to make sure there were no bullet holes in her and then I licked her cheek in a gesture that stopped her tears.
I left her huddled and shaking and turned to Damian, it took me two strides to be back in my human form and I crouched next to him.
“Baby, where are you hit?”
He glanced up at me with a cocked eyebrow. “Baby?” he asked, his breath wheezed again.
I offered him a soft smile. “Where?” I asked again, not acknowledging his questioning gaze. Instead, I pushed him into a sitting position and peeled off his shirt. “Fuck,” I whispered. “Is the bullet still inside you?”
He shrugged. “You have to get her out of here,” he repeated.
I leaned him forward and didn’t find an exit wound on his back. Closing my eyes, I sighed. His shoulder was one thing, but his chest was another. I couldn’t just tear that open with my teeth and reach in and grab the bullet poisoning him. “I’ll get you both out of here as soon as I get that bullet out,” I said. “Do you have a knife in the kitchen?”
He nodded.
“How long before they get through that wall upstairs?”
“I don’t know. The outer shell is made of platinum.”
“In that case, I’ll assume I have the time to fix you up.” I hopped to my feet and glanced at Valerie. “Think you’ve got your shit together enough to help me?”
“Naomi,” Damian whispered.
“What?”
“Just leave me,” he said, his blue eyes pleading.
I hunched down and ran my palm over his cheek. “Not on your life.” My heart thundered at the request, fear biting me from the inside out. I wasn’t willing to lose him, to lose either of them; and the longer I chatted with him the more likely that bullet would make it impossible for me to bring him back.
“Come on,” I ordered Valerie and to her credit, she stood and followed me. Her eyes still wide amidst the pallor of her face.
“What are you?” she whispered as I rummaged through the drawers until I found a couple specially made steak knives that reminded me of scalpels. I grabbed one and handed it to Valerie. “Hold this a minute,” I said and opened the refrigerator.
It took all my willpower not to dig into the bags sitting on the shelf; instead, I grabbed three of them and turned toward her wide eyes.
“He’s going to need blood when I’m done,” I explained.
“What are you going to do?”
“I have to get that bullet out before it kills him,” I said and plucked the knife from her hand, trading the blood for the blade and made my way back to Damian.
He tried to shake his head, to deter me, to get me to leave, but I met his panicked stare. “I can’t just leave you like this,” I whispered and laid him down. “I think the bullet is in your lung. Just don’t move, okay?” I bit my lip and placed the blade on his skin at the point of entry. “I’m sorry, baby.” I met his gaze and pressed, slicing a slit an inch long from the base of the entry wound.
Damian screamed, but didn’t move. The second cut was just as painful for both of us, and I heard the slump on the floor behind me, assuming Valerie had passed out. My heart slammed against my chest and I prayed I would be able to get the bullet out. I dropped the knife on the floor and slid my fingers into the cut. The bullet was there, wedged between two of his ribs, spreading toxic poison through his abdomen.
“I’m so sorry,” I whispered again and pushed down on the rib. He cried out again, but this time it was weaker and the snap of the bone released the bullet. I yanked it out and tossed it across the room, like it was kryptonite and distance would help Damian.
He panted, blinking and I could tell he was barely hanging on. I turned and reached for the blood, ripping one end open with my teeth and pouring the bag into his mouth. Damian choked, and coughed and then his reflex took hold and he gulped, hanging onto my hand in a death grip until the bag was empty. I did the same with a second one and the haze over his eyes sharpened, his breath coming in a more natural un-wheezing rhythm.
When I reached for the third bag, he grabbed my arm. “No,” he whispered.
“You need it,” I said and his gaze traveled beyond me. I glanced over my shoulder at Valerie, still laying unconscious on the floor and turned back to Damian. “You won’t hurt her,” I said, unsure if it was true or not. All I knew is he needed blood, now, in order to have the strength to run.
“Naomi,” he started and I ripped the bag open, bringing it to his lips. He didn’t hesitate and when the bag was empty, I dropped it with the other two. The adrenaline that had propelled me, drained, leaving me shaking.
“I need to check on her,” I said and he nodded, leaning his head back against the floor. The wound on his chest was already patching itself up and I crawled to Valerie, turning her over. I tapped her cheeks lightly with the cleaner of my two hands. “Valerie?”
Her eyes blinked open and when they landed on me, her face scrunched.
“It wasn’t a dream?” she asked, the tears springing forth from her eyes.
“No sweetie, it isn’t,” I said and climbed to my feet. It was my turn to wince and I glanced at my thigh. Blood streaked my right leg and I took another step before the room spun into blackness.
Chapter 28
Damian
NAOMI FALTERED AND I was up and moving, catching her before she hit the tile. I traded a glance with Valerie and then focused on Naomi. She had saved my life twice tonight and I marveled at her speed and cunning, but now she lay bleeding and unconscious and my heart thundered as loud as hers had when she was trying to get the bullet out of my chest.
“Valerie, I need you to get me a couple pints of blood, okay?” I asked, meeting her wide stare.
She nodded without speaking and crossed to the kitchen, coming back with two more bags from the refrigerator. I poked a hole in the bottom of one bag and slipped it between Naomi’s slack lips. It only took a few drops before her eyes snapped open and she drank in greedy pulls. When she only sucked air, she let out a growl and I pointed to the hallway.
“Go to the bedroom down that hall and close the door.”
Valerie didn’t move.
“Go!” I yelled before Naomi lost all control. Valerie listened this time and I slid the second bag between Naomi’s lips. By the time she finished the second bag, the hole in her leg had closed and I picked her up, bringing her into the shower, and blasting the water while I peeled off her clothes and mine as well.
“What are you doing?” she asked and glanced around.
“I’m getting the blood off both of us before we get dressed and get the hell out of here.”
She glanced at my chest, tracing the angry scar with her fingers. “I’m sorry I had to hurt you,” she said and when she raised her gaze to mine, her eyes were filled with tears.
I pressed my lips to her forehead and switched the water off. Sweet moments could wait until after we got through the night. I tossed her a towel and grabbed one of my own, leading her to the bedroom and stepping inside to Valerie’s wide gaze.
“The bullet hole…” she trailed off, pointing at my chest.
I nodded in her direction and opened the closet, tossing Naomi a duffel bag. “Pack up your stuff.”
I slipped on underwear and jeans under the towel before letting it drop and slamming a handful of outfits into a second duffel bag.
“What about me?” Valerie asked and I turned.
“I’ll buy you new clothing when we find a safe place to hole up.”
I stalked out of the room, leaving the women alone. In the office, I slid into the controls and flipped open my laptop, connecting the two with a cord. After a few keystrokes, the hard drive started the transfer. I had five minutes before I could do the self-destruct sequence. I dropped my duffel bag on the floor and headed to the kitchen, grabbing the cooler under the sink and sweeping the contents of the refrigerator into it. I had a feeling we might need some back up.
Anger burned in my veins and I stormed across the room, catching sight of Naomi and Valerie stopped in the hallway.
“What?” I snarled and Valerie shrunk into Naomi.
Naomi cocked an eyebrow.
“I’m pissed, and I’m trying to get my shit together so we can get moving.”
“I get it, but you don’t have to snarl like a rabid dog,” she said and I stopped moving.
I hadn’t realized I was snarling.
She smirked. “Between the snarling and swearing, I could have sworn we were at an illegal dog fight.”
“Oh, fuck you, Naomi,” I said and stormed back into the office to her laughter.
“Are you two related?” Valerie asked just before I stepped into the office.
“No, we’re not,” Naomi answered.
“How long have you been together?”
I stopped and turned, meeting Naomi’s gaze. “Not long enough,” I said, dispelling the questions before I slipped into my chair. I had a minute left and I dropped the cooler by the door, pointing in that direction.
“What’s burning?” Valerie asked.
“The house,” I answered and sighed, glancing at Valerie before moving my gaze to Naomi. “Go get some blankets for her. It’s going to be cold where we’re heading.” I received a nod and then she disappeared, coming back a few minutes later with the chenille blanket at the same time the download finished. I stood and pushed the commands and the door opened.
“Take her down, I’ll be there in a second,” I said and disconnected the laptop, slipping it into my backpack along with the cords I would need. Once I had that zipped, I pressed the destruction commands and took a deep breath, slinging the backpack and duffel bag over my shoulder. I hit enter and grabbed the cooler, I stopped long enough to close and latch the door before jumping down the stairs.
At the bottom, I didn’t wait; I grabbed Valerie around the waist, whispering, “Hang on tight.” and then bolted. Naomi kept up, running alongside me and I grabbed her when I took the sharp turn away from the property and stopped, my hand running across the wall before I found the release. The squeak of metal met us and I pushed Naomi through, dropping Valerie in her arms before I forced the door back in place.
“Run,” I said. The timer in my head ticked off the seconds as we bolted. The fact that neither one questioned my command, gave me more speed and I traded Valerie for the cooler when Naomi started trailing behind. We had to make the outer door before the charges blew otherwise we’d be buried alive.
I heard the first explosion and turned on the speed. “Hustle!” I yelled and Naomi grunted. I could see the end of the tunnel now that my eyes had become accustomed to the blackness and put on the brakes, skidding to a halt and reaching for the latch. I swung the door in and stepped aside, letting Naomi skid to a stop beyond me and I slammed the door before setting Valerie down and leaning my back against the metal.
The ground rocked underneath us and I kept my back to the door, my gaze locked with Naomi’s as she held Valerie against her. I closed my eyes, gritting my teeth together. The thought of the murals burning hit harder than I expected, especially the one of Naomi and I crossing a snow-covered glen. The rest were ancient and reminded me of my youth, but that one, that was special and outshone everything. Even my auto collection, which I had taken great pains to procure, came a close second to that painted mural. But I had made allowances for the cars. The security sequence lowered iron plates lined with platinum across all the doorways and windows, securing the building from the pending blast.
“Damian,” Naomi said and I opened my eyes. She unfolded the blanket and held it up. Tucked inside was the mural and I bit my lip against the gratitude that swept through me, lifting my eyes to the ceiling in a silent prayer of thanks.
“We need to keep going,” I said once we caught our breath.
“How long is this tunnel?” Naomi asked.
“A couple miles,” I answered. What I didn’t tell her was I had no idea what we would do when we came to the end.
“I don’t like the dark,” Valerie whined.
I dug my cell out of my pocket and took her hand, placing the phone in her palm and curling her fingers around it. “It’s not much,” I said and took the lead, walking at a slower pace so Valerie could keep up.
Naomi followed behind Valerie and I could tell by her silence that her brain was trying to wrap around the events of the last few days. The number of lives that had been destroyed since I plucked her from the sky was unprecedented and I sighed, glancing over my shoulder at her.
The cell light kept going on and off, casting an eerie glow through the metal encased tunnel.
“How many do you think the explosion took out?” Valerie asked.
“I don’t know.”
“I hope it took them all,” she said, the darkness in her tone echoing my sentiments.
