Crux (The Aurora Lockette Series) (13 page)

One of the shadows moved and merged with another one.
A sickly, creepy feeling moved up my spine.
Those fuckers were here.

I backed away, ready to fight, when a heavily armed guard
, patrolling the yard, stepped into view. He waved at me through the window as he talked on his walkie. He’d definitely seen it, too.

Gavyn burst through the door.
“Just as I thought, those bloody monsters have already found us.” He thrust a handful of clothes at me. “Your mum brought these. I hate to move you again, but Dennis said we have to get out now.”

“
He’s right,” I muttered. I pulled on the jeans and a low-cut scoop-necked blue t-shirt with a soft cotton bra. These were my clothes; actually, they were my old clothes from my room back in Wichita. Mother’s intuition, I guessed. She knew I was alive and that I would need clothes, so she must have brought them with her.

I shoved my feet into the silver
flip-flops from my undergrad days. Hand in hand, Gavyn and I stepped out.

The bustle of activity almost pushed me back. Armed men and women dotted the room, many talking into
cell phones and whispering amongst themselves. Dennis stood in the midst, quietly giving orders.

I listened in for a few seconds. He was sending out attack units to take down the Shyama, then we would leave.

“How are you, honey?” My mom appeared at my elbow. “Do you feel better after some rest?”

“
I’m fine. Thanks for the clothes.”

She smiled.
“I knew you were going to be okay. I just knew it.”

“
Eat!” She shoved a blueberry toaster pastry into my hand. “It’s all I could find, but you need some fuel after all you’ve been through.”

“
Mom!” I gave her a hug. “Are you sure it’s okay if I eat refined sugar?”

She smiled and her eyes glistened.
“My snappy daughter is still intact, I see.”

Dennis clapped once, and the room fell quiet. I scarfed down my food while he talked. My stomach was an empty hot pit. It felt like I’d never be full again.

“Listen up. This is what we’re doing. We already sent out one team to engage and destroy. Second team will be leaving in one minute as backup.” He pointed out a cluster of people waiting near the back door. “Group three is distraction. They’re going to pull out a big chunk of people and all the visible cars. Hopefully the Shyama will follow them.” He pointed at me. “Group four will move our valued asset, Aurora, and go on foot for three blocks.”

“
I’m valued?” I pointed at my chest.

“
They came for you,” he pointed out.

“
Right,” I whispered, mostly to myself.

“
Move out!” Dennis shouted. Team two ran out the door. Team three pulled out car keys and prepared to leave. My mom slipped in their group. “See you soon, dear.”

“
Ready?” Gavyn said.

I swallowed the last bit of food.
“Yes.” And I was. I had to be. I didn’t have any more time to rest and recover. This was happening now.

We waited for team three to leave. They made a dramatic exit, leaving in small groups and jumping into cars. Tires squealed and exhaust smoke lingered in the street after they were gone.

Then we waited and waited. Sure enough, shadowy figures—demons—dropped from the trees across the street and flashed away in hot pursuit.

Then they were gone and the world was normal again, just for a moment.

Gavyn and I went out the back door on foot. We were followed by a four silent and heavily armed women. I didn’t know their names.

“
North,” one of them hissed. We ran down the small, backyard. It was sand and rocks, like many lawns in Vegas. We opened the gate and moved through the back alley. “Turn left!” said another voice behind us.

We did, cutting across another identical block. We came to a battered blue cargo van. O
ne of the girls unlocked it and slid into the driver seat. We all settled in. She turned over the engine and we took off.

We were silent as the van rocked back and forth over
the bumpy streets. Turn after turn moved us along the city and soon I was disoriented. Once we were back on the smooth road of the highway, the walkie-talkie buzzed to life as it sat on the console between the driver and passenger seat.

“
You guys being followed?”

Even over the scratchy connection, I heard the urgency in
Dennis’ voice. Gavyn picked it up. “No.” He was twisted in his seat, scanning the cars behind us.

“
Copy that,” Dennis said. “We’ll wait ten more minutes to make sure. Head south and we’ll radio the address then.”

“
Roger,” Gavyn said. He put the walkie down. “You guys got that?” he asked the two women.

“
Yes, sir,” the driver, a remarkably tall, thin woman, said. She was a Blocker. I don’t know how I knew that, I just did. She exited the highway, made a U-turn and we got back on the highway, heading in the opposite direction.

I grabbed Gavyn’s hand, relishing
the feel of his palm against mine. The energy flowed between us, the special magic of our love and our bond hot against my palm.

“
I have to stop them,” I said to him. “The Shyama. They want to destroy the world.”

He kissed my hand.
“We will stop them. You can’t and won’t do it alone.”

“
You’re right. We will.”

Light posts and cars whipped by in colored blurs as we traveled down the highway. I stared out at the desert city stretched around me. So much beauty, so much desert, so much light. I was happy to be alive, right now. Right now was all I had. I would enjoy it. I would not despair.

After my internal pep-talk was over, I turned my attention to the magnificent creature that sat beside me, literally and metaphorically. I was lucky to have him. I was really lucky he just so happened to be so damn nice to look at.

He
wasn’t watching me, though. His amber eyes still watched the road behind us. Always looking out for us. He held the walkie-talkie to his mouth “Still clear.”

“
Roger that. Address incoming.”

Dennis read it to Gavyn. One of the other girls in the car punched the address into a cell phone and pulled up a map.

After a couple of highway changes, we exited the freeway and turned down a series of wide, palm-tree lined streets. Greenery sprouted around us, hiding massive homes behind gates and shrubs. It was almost like being back in L.A.

“
This is nice,” I commented.

“
One of the newest developments for the crème de la crème of Vegas,” the driver said. “Backs up to a state park. Had no idea we had property here.”

“
Nor did I.”

Our address led us to a wrought iron gate in front a three story white stone mansion with a fountain plopped in front of it.

“Whoa,” I said. “It looks like something out of a movie.”

For some reason, that made the girls laugh, probably because Gavyn was a movie star.

As we pulled up, the gate rolled back slowly. Two tall armed men stepped into view from behind the bushes. They peeked into the car, nodded at us, and waved us in.

After the gates closed behind us, Gavyn
straightened himself from watching out the rearview window and unbuckled his seat belt to scoot close to me. “Shall we place bets on how long we get to stay here?” he said in a voice that only I could hear.

“
Ha!” I tilted my head up so I could see the tall, wide steps that led to the double front doors. “Let’s see. It’s beautiful, nice, and probably safe. I’d say…twelve hours?”

He laughed.
“I say two days.”

“
You have a bet.” I held out my hand.

He held up his hand, but didn’t place it in mine.
“What are we wagering?”

“
Um, blow job?”

He smiled, but shook his head no.
“I want something more.”

“
Um, two blow jobs?” I tilted up one eyebrow and stared at him through my lashes.

“
A wedding date.”

I blinked fast, but held my smile because there was no reason to wait or delay.
“Winner picks the date?”

“
Yes,” he agreed, slipping his hand into mine.

We shook
on it.

“
What if the world blows up before our date?” I said.

“
Then it will be a very small wedding.”

GAVYN

I helped Aurora out of the car
; she let me even though she didn’t need any assistance. I wanted any excuse to touch her, and she seemed happy with the arrangement. I had to crane my neck up to see the doors to the house. The massive structure was set partially into a hill. I imagined many floors beneath us, maybe even a bunker.

Her mom was waiting at the top, fingers clasped together as she watched us climb the stairs.

Aurora and Aubrey embraced tightly when we reached the top. I stepped back to let them greet each other, but made a mental note to arrange for her mother to get out of harm’s way as soon as possible.

I followed them inside the house. Sleek, shiny tile marked the entrance. A double spiral staircase wrapped around the massive entry with a large, black crystal chandelier. I’d seen some obscenely tawdry mansions in the Hills, but this one took it to new levels.

Aurora didn’t seem to notice the grand entry, but Aubrey did. She gawked up at the chandelier dangling over her head. “Jesus,” she dropped her hand from Aurora and made a complete circle around her, “it’s beautiful, but almost too much,” she whispered to us. “I like my cozy house better, I think.”

“
Agreed. Your house is a lovely, comfortable home,” I said.

Aurora pushed past us both.
“Where’s Dennis?” she asked the nearest guard.

“
Aurora!” Konstantin emerged through a wood paneled door of an adjoining room, followed closely by Carmen.

Aurora hugged them both, giving them an extra tight squeeze. They were like family
to her, to us.

“
What do you think?” Konstantin asked us.

“
It’s...nice,” Aurora said. Her eyes lifted to the vaulted ceiling. “A bit much for my taste, but that’s not important. We need to talk to Dennis.”

Konstantin pointed at the large, wood-paneled door.
“He’s in there with the big wigs.”

“
I thought he was a big wig,” she said, following him to the room. I stayed right behind them, Aubrey and Carmen behind me.

“
There are bigger wigs than Dennis,” Konstantin said.

We arrived in
a very large, formal sitting room with chairs and couches scattered about.

Dennis
, along with two other men I’d never seen before, looked like they were waiting for someone. I was ready to ask Aurora if she knew them, but my question was answered when she boldly moved past Dennis and walked right up to them, head held high. “Are you gentleman in charge?”

They looked at each other, then back at her.
“Young lady, there is no one in charge as you are probably aware, but I’ve been in the organization for a very long time,” a man answered. He unfolded himself to his considerable height, maybe six and half feet. He had brown skin and dark eyes with white patches of hair around his temples. He moved with ease, one of those commanding, stately men that had spent a lot of time in his skin.

His hands were clasped firmly behind his back, but he bowed slightly.
“I am Abel.”

Aurora didn’t hesitate. In her jeans and flip flops, she returned the gesture.
“I’m Aurora. I need to speak with people who can mobilize all our forces. Are you that person?” She turned to Dennis. “Dennis?” He flushed deep red and tried to stammer a response.

I shared a smile with Aubrey. Aurora was a force to be reckoned with.

Abel smiled and returned to his seat but said nothing. He crossed one leg over the other and clasped both hands on his knees.

Dennis cleared his throat.
“Um, yes, Aurora. Abel is the oldest living member of the organization. He is very much our leader, though he is far too humble to say otherwise.”

“
And you?” Aurora swiveled to face the other man. He was young, maybe in his twenties. Black hair floated down to his shoulders, framing a face with a prominent nose and strong chin.

The man dipped his chin at her.
“My name is Sam.”

“
Sam?” she asked. “It’s nice to meet you.”

She pushed a chair to the loose circle of men.
“We need to talk.”

Dennis shifted his weight from foot to foot.