Read Rush (Roam Series, Book Four) Online
Authors: Kimberly Stedronsky
Rush (Roam Series, Book Four)
Rush
Roam Series, Book Four
By
Kimberly
Stedronsky
Rush (Roam Series, Book Four)
Kimberly
Stedronsky
Text copyright © 2013 Kimberly Stedronsky
All Rights Reserved.
This is a work of fiction. The Author holds exclusive rights to this work.
Unauthorized duplication is prohibited.
No part of this book can be reproduced in any form or by electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without the expressed written permission from the author.
To My
Dad
…for always
encouraging me to have
my
own point of view
All men's souls are immortal, but the souls of the righteous are immortal and divine.
-Socrates
Table of Contents
September 2012- Russia
“Logan
- wait.”
His voice
ignited a fresh wave of loathing as I turned. I clenched my fist, shifting my bag on my shoulder. “If you say one more goddamn word to me, I’ll take her away from you.”
I watched him gesture
to an empty gathering room in the small St. Petersburg hotel. “She’ll choose me.
Every time.
If you help, you can save her.”
Reluctantly, I moved to the
conference room, letting West close the door behind us. I fucking
hated
the way he towered over me. “What, are you afraid you’ll choke her to death again?”
He ignored me. “If Troy is there, I’m going to
trap him there. I already arranged to have the fountain bombed. I will get her back to the fountain, and you have to be ready to grab her and take her home. You can pass through with your numbers. You
will
follow us tomorrow.”
I grinned, slowly, and finally shook my head with a wry laugh. “You know what?
Fuck
you.”
He sighed, pushing the sleeves of his shirt up and looking down. “Okay, let’s do this. You love her- I love her. Let’s settle this right now.”
“What, you want to fight me?”
“No, I want you to do whatever you need to do. Punch me if you want to. Just get it all out of your system so we can get on with this.”
“I’m not going to punch you,” I glared at him, dropping my bag to the ground. “What’s the point? You’re immortal.”
“
Then say what you need to say, for Christ’s sake. Grow the fuck up and help me save her.”
His face turned menacing, and I curled my fingers into my palm.
Now I want to beat the shit out of him.
“Tell me this. Did
she
want
you
, or did you take advantage of her? Did you hurt her?”
The venom in my voice
cut through the air like acid. He raised his eyes, having the decency to look uncomfortable. “I only hurt her- for a second.”
When I realized that was talking about fucking her (and it took me about ten long, stupid seconds) I lost my mind. Rearing back, I curled my fist and slammed it into his
face with every shred of rage that I possessed.
T
o my satisfaction, he staggered, but the moment the pain in my hand crawled up my body and reached my brain, I growled, gripping my fist in agony.
“
Fuck
,” he burst forward like he was going to flatten me, anger boiling in his expression, but he managed to restrain himself.
My hand throbbed all the way to my elbow. “
You asshole.
”
“Okay, then.” He straightened, and
sniffing as he brushed at the blood trickling down from his nostril. “Good. Moving on.”
I dropped to the chair, and he walked to the vending machines in the corner.
He gathered some paper towels and pressed the ice dispenser, dropping cubes into his hands.
Assuming he was going to
hold the ice to his own eye, I watched as he walked over to hand me the towel filled with ice. Scowling, I barely raised my eyes. “Get the fuck out of my face.”
“Put it on your hand, Logan.”
I snatched the ice from him, reluctantly pressing the wet, cooling mass of paper to my fist. “I’m going to help you, but only for Roam.”
“
Fine. But she can’t know that you’re still here, or
anything
about this plan. She won’t mean to- but she’ll make Troy suspect if she’s anticipating you.”
“Okay.
Fine.”
“Logan,” he lowered slowly into the chair across from me, and I smirked inwardly as his eye quickly began turning dark purple. “If I’m stuck there, in 1977, I need to know that Roam will be safe. I need to… know,” he looked down at his hands.
“I can’t
wait
until you’re gone,” I agreed, focusing on the crease in his forehead.
“She might be pregnant,” he lifted his face and met my eyes, his expression grave. “If she is, I need you to promise to be there for her.”
I stared at him, exhaling with sarcasm. “You really are out of your fucking mind.”
“
You’ve killed her, again and again,” he gripped the table, and I felt the blood rush from my brain to my chest. “You know it.
Centuries of torturing her.
Your soul is damned, and
this
may your last chance to save it.”
Scenes from my nightmares rolled through my mind; shooting her, raping her, crushing her neck in my fingers. I
lowered my chin to my chest, unable to form words.
Long minutes passed. I nodded slowly. “Fine. I’ll do it.”
“You’ll follow us tomorrow, and keep your distance. I’ll put you in another room here tonight. All you have to do is cross over behind us, and be ready to take her through. Once you’re back in Russia, get the hell
out
of there before the explosion. Hold on to her and
don’t let her get hurt.
Before you cross, I want you to call speed dial one. This person will initiate a bomb threat. I’ll give you my cell phone- it’s untraceable. He will warn the people to get out of there. Do you understand?”
“
I
get
it.”
“And you’ll take care of her?”
I narrowed my eyes. “I would have, even if you didn’t ask me. I love her, and I always will.”
He kept my stare, steady, before finally sighing.
“You can’t possibly love her the way I do. And for that, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for
you
, Logan.”
With that, he shoved back away from the table and left.
November 27
, 2012
Logan
She hangs from the iron shackles, her red-blonde hair in matted strings on her shoulders.
Fuck.
The goddamn dungeon.
I cringe as she lifts her face. Emerald eyes, so filled with sorrow, plead with me.
Let me go.
“I’m getting you out of here this time, Roam,” I reach for her battered wrists, and she draws back in fear. “Cam, hold
still
.” Torchlight bounces off the uneven walls, casting morbid shadows.
“
Our Father, who art in Heaven,
” she begins, her eyes fluttering closed. Blood crusts near the corner of her mouth.
“Stop praying and hold still so I can unlock these,” I smash the chain against the stone wall of the cell, and she jerks and moans, her full breasts rising and falling beneath the force of her hysterical tears. “If you’d stop crying for five
seconds
, you’d see that I’m not going to hurt you-…,”
“
My lord God, deliver me from this evil.
”
“Oh for
Christ’s sake,
” I draw my hand through my hair, the first urging sensations of suggestion slithering over my neck and contaminating my ear.
Slap her. Clear her mind.
I beat my open palm against her cheek before I can think; her head snaps back and she cries, blood trickling down the soft dip beneath her nose and upper lip.
What am I doing? Jesus Christ…
“Roam, I’m sorry, please just stop-…,”
“
Damn you,
” she turns to me, mumbling soundless words from swollen lips. “
Damn you to an everlasting hell. Rot,
” she hisses, dropping to her knees and letting the chains crack her delicate wrists into shards. She throws her head back and screams at the ceiling, and I cover my ears, her madness worse than her mumbling.
I can’t do this again
,
I think, jarring my thumbs into my tear ducts.
“Take her.”
No… not him.
I grind the heels of my hands into my hollow eye sockets, refusing to look at him. I can tell by her accelerated breathing that he’s touching her.
Wake up
Logan- wake the
fuck
up!
She is sobbing now. “Please… please,
no, please, please-…,
”
“Let her go,” I grumble, knowing my words are wasted. The same script, the same lines,
every night, a different stage…
“Taste this,” he says, and I turn away, my moist palms sliding down the metal bars as I fight for a grip. West is inside the cell on the stone floor, unconscious, and I want to go in and kick the motherfucking
shit
out of him.
Get up, you asshole. Save her!
“Let her go,” I repeat, butting my head repeatedly between the bars to stop the inevitable need now dancing, taunting… justifying.
Take her. Just do it.
“A virgin
witch will rise again,” he chants, rhythmic, burning a path into my resistance. Always that same declaration… solemn…
And so
fucking
convincing.
“She’s not a witch- and she’s
definitely
not a virgin,” I snap, fumbling with the lock on the cell. The latch refuses to budge, and I smash my head against the stone, an untamed force turning me toward Roam. Pain whips through my temples like an afterthought.
I’m going to have one hell of a headache tomorrow.
“Take her
now
,” he commands, his bellowing voice digging into my gut and sawing me in half.
“Shut
up!
” I claw at my scalp, wanting to smother my brain. Don’t
do it, Logan, don’t fucking do it…
you are Logan Rush, and this is a
dream
… a dream of madness, of ancient, dark evil.