Redeemed In Shadows (20 page)

“Talk to my girl like that again bright eyes and I’ll end you.” Dietrich said coming to her defense.

That’s when Xee realized she was way in over her head. She’d stood next to a blazing inferno and didn’t get singed, but roasted. She had no business entering into a casual fling with the man. None whatsoever. She felt stupid. Naïve. Clearly, he meant every word he said to her that first night. And clearly, she didn’t understand the rules of engagement. He didn’t want her, just her body, and she’d willingly given up the goods in order to spend a night in his bed. Out of curiosity, out of the possibility of building something more stable in her life. She knew he was leaving, yet still she allowed hope to set up shop and confuse her. Just like everyone else that had come before him, he was going to leave. Abandon her. Like a pair of sneakers you saw in the store and thought they’d look good on you until you tried them on. He was giving her back to the clerk at the register.

Gabe looked between her and Dietrich and the smile he wore was deadly.

Xee let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. Strong arms surrounded her, pulling her close to a rock hard chest.
Dietrich.
Everyone in the room looked on.

“Um, this is awkward.” Adam said.

“Clearly.” Dravaggio agreed.

Jesminda walked in at the tail end of the current fiasco looking from Gabe, to Dietrich, then over to her.

“Xee,” Jes said hesitantly, “Why don’t you come with me? You guys go and make preparations for how we rescue our friends. Every second we spend here is more time they lose.”

Draven walked over to his mate and pulled her into his arms, kissing the side of her neck.

“We’ll get them back Petal. Don’t stress okay, it stresses the baby.”

Jes nodded, placing her head on his chest. She moved out of his arms motioning to Xee. “Come on.”

Micah took that moment to comment on the entire situation.”

“Told you he was using you. How does it make you feel knowing he used you. Treated you like his play thing.”

She ignored his taunts and followed Jes out of the room leaving the rest of the men to make plans.



“So you and Gabe huh?” Jes said turning towards Xee. They were packing because they were scheduled to take off in thirty minutes. Jes had already said goodbye to Faith. Draven’s mate could see the embarrassed flush across the other woman’s face as they checked and double-checked the plane.

“No, we’re not together. It was one night.” Jes watched as Xee stuffed a pair of jeans further into a black duffel bag that wasn’t closing all the way.

“Keep telling yourself that. It doesn’t look like one night is ever going to be enough for you two.”

Whirling around, Xee’s hazel eyes blazing with anger, the newest member to the Unit raised her voice. “What the fuck do you know about it? You some kind of expert on matters of the heart?” She tossed the bag into the back with the others, knocking down a piece of equipment with the force.

“I know a lot about being used Xee. A lot.” Jes took a step forward and Xee stepped back. She wasn’t going to push up on the other woman, but she wasn’t going to let her wallow in her misery either. She knew what that felt like.

“Really? You know huh? You know what it’s like to be turned away, thrown out with the trash, because lady you look well-adjusted to me.”

Jes could only nod in agreement. She could see it now, that dark place that Xee was trapped in.

“Honey, I know something about being discarded. My first husband was despicable.”

“What, he wouldn’t buy you Coach, or Prada?”

Jes smiled. If only that were it. “No, he beat me. Stabbed me in the side of my hip with a No.2 pencil, just because I walked by. Just because he could.”

Xee’s eyes widened in shock. “What did you do?”

“Nothing at first. I was weak then. I thought if I tried hard enough, things would get better. They never did. Finally, when I realized I was worth more and that my daughter was too, I left. We didn’t need to be a part of that type of life.

“Well, you have Draven now.”

“I do, and in the beginning it wasn’t easy. I fought him at every turn, and then I fought even harder to be with him. I didn’t trust my heart to him at first, and when I lost him, things went from bad to worse. I felt abandoned and tossed out, it was a different kind of abandonment, but it still feels the same. I even had to deal with the knowledge that during our time apart he was sleeping with another woman, and we were mated by then.”

“Oh hell no!” Xee said balling her fist at her side.

“It wasn’t his fault.”

“Girl, they always say it ain’t their fault.”

Jes laughed. “I know they do, but this time he had a valid excuse. He couldn’t remember anything, not our time together, our daughter, or the team. His memory was taken from him.”

“That’s still fucked up in my book.”

“It’s the world we live in. Listen, you of all people should know this, more so than me. I’m still new to all this immortal stuff. The things that scared us as children, the stories we were told or shown on the television, it all pales in comparison to dealing with it in real life. I wish sometimes it wasn’t true, but then I’m glad it is. I have amazing friends who can do amazing things. I’m officially amazing and so are you. We’re in a world that most humans don’t know exists. Imagine if they did know.” Jes shook her head once. “Total mind trip I tell you. Total mind trip.”

Xee tried walking away but Jes blocked the aisle.

“Let me be your friend.”

“I don’t need any. Besides, people always leave.”

“Not this time. This time I’m here and if you let me show you, I promise things will get better. They always do, right?”

Jes waited for a response and when she didn’t get one, she was disappointed. Then Xee spoke.

“Before we get all emotional, lets grab a seat on the plane.”

Chapter 17

They were back at the arena again, and this time there was a large ass crowd. Some dressed as Bedouin’s, some in togas and Grecian dresses. There were even Egyptians dressed in fine linen, and actual mummies. They’d been going in circles. First, the Dune people were watching them as they kept coming back to the large structure that was most definitely an arena of some sort. Now they were being surrounded by large ass guards that literally looked like the Egyptian God Anubis. The guards had the head of a jackal and body of a man. Luckily, there were not Anubis in truth. Royce personally knew the God, and that whack job was doing a stint in Daedalus’ labyrinth on Crete where he was likely playing sex slave to Minotarus. Royce knew the day was fucked, but he was really hoping to bypass all the crazy and just get straight to finding the damn relic.

“I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore children.” Royce commented.

“No, I think we’re in an episode of Spartacus Blood and Sand, only we’re in Egypt, and no one’s swearing by Jupiter’s cock.” Sam commented as he grabbed for his gun. The Anubis wannabes crowded around them in a tight circle. His twin grabbed their mate, pulling her to his side, shielding her from what could turn into an all-out blood bath.

Cleopatra and her Consort did nothing but stand there looking picture perfect in their Egyptian garb.

“Just surrender, these dead heads can’t die. They are part of her guard.”

Who is here, and why the hell were they going to surrender?

The heavy breathing of the non-dying guards was stirring up all kinds of dirt from the ground floor and Bells started coughing.

“Just do it. We avoid a fight, and wait for pick up. You know they’re coming. Besides I don’t want Belinda fighting.”

His brother was right of course, so they surrendered.

“Sam, lower your weapon.”

Sam looked to him like he’d lost his mind. Royce just shook his head. The team would come. It wasn’t something they needed to worry about. Surrendering felt like a bitch move, but they did it anyway. Sam’s gun was taken and they were led underneath the arena to a cell that looked old and decrepit. Royce took Bells into his arms and squeezed.

“I’m going to behave baby. Dravaggio and the team will get here soon.”

“Listen,” Ronin whispered.

Royce stood still taking in the sounds around him.

The crowd came to a deafening crescendo above them. The walls shook and dirt from the ceiling showered the floor. Bells squeezed his, she wasn’t scared, but everyone had something to worry about, especially when it came to the person attached to the voice they now heard.

“Good patrons of Asa, I bring you here to the Sixth hour, not for sport or entertainment, but for judgment. For those of you who have never left, I offer you my gratitude.”

Dread slid down Royce’s spine as realization hit him. They were in Asa, also known as the Sixth Hour. Only the dead passed through the sixth hour and they were not dead. This was an immortal’s worst nightmare. Everyone knew how dire their situation was. Ronin cursed loudly and pulled Bells into a bear-crushing hug. She was frozen stiff, her hand clutching Ronin’s chest while her other hand clung to Royce’s arm.

Sam let out a string of curses followed by a deep growl. Cleopatra and Alexander were the only two unfazed.

It was a precarious situation at best and as he’d said so many times already today.

“Utterly fucked.”

Chapter 18

He didn’t like the fact that she was chilling with Dietrich in the cockpit. The man always flew solo. Now all of sudden he wanted company. She was up there locked behind a tiny metal door, doing whatever it was she was doing.

Shouldn’t have been a massive dick to her.

Dravaggio was eyeing him while Cyrian talked to Draven and Jes.

“You disobeyed a direct order.”

He’d done that and a whole lot more. Taking the brunette back to his place was more than a little fucked up.

“I’m well aware of my actions Stefan.”

“Are you
Gabriel.”
The Captain’s tone dared the other man to step out of line.

He turned to his long-time friend. A man he’d wronged in more ways than one and sighed. When they’d first met, he could only be in the other man’s presence for short moments at a time. He’d been determined to do something right for once while he spent his time on Earth. But still, he was messing up.

“Stefan, it’s over. It was just the one time.”

The Captain arched a brow and Gabe arched his brow right back in challenge.

“You’re a heartless bastard. That girl up there has genuine feelings for you and you’ve destroyed what little trust she was building. Her heart was already a mess. You’ve succeeded in killing again Gabe, and she wasn’t even on one of your precious lists.”

Wide-eyed he starred at the man he’d come to call friend. She couldn’t possibly have had feelings for him. There wasn’t enough time.

If that’s the case, why are you so concerned about her and Dietrich?

He wasn’t. Not even a little.

Jes chimed in at that point. He’d thought she was deep in a conversation with Cyrian and Draven.

“She’s still a child in a lot of ways. If you would have stuck to your whores at the Lotus instead of engaging Xee, she’d be out here now socializing. Maybe even laughing. You’re leaving us and that sucks. Xee’s a part of this team. Your actions were selfish and completely lacking in the man department.

“Nice going meat head.” Draven growled.

“Who told any of you to bring this shit up. I get it. I’m an asshole. Damn, you guys know my true nature. I’m a killer in all things. I have no remorse, no compassion. Redemption is not in the cards for me when it comes to her. I’m sure the Fates have someone else in mind for her, and it isn’t me. Love isn’t fucking fair, you all think you get to choose, but you don’t. Destiny is a bitch and an even better chess player. She moves us all around like rooks and pawns. Once the thread is weaved, and the tapestry complete, there is nothing left to do but play your role. Not one of you, myself included gets a fucking choice in the matter.”

Gabe slammed his fist on the armrest of his seat, splintering it into pieces.

“I don’t know whether to give you an award for your speech or call bullshit.” Jes said.

They could all go and sit in oncoming traffic for all he cared.

The loud speaker on the plane popped on, and it was
her
voice that came through. Her tone was devoid of emotion as she said, “This is your co-captain speaking. If there are no snakes on this mutha-fucking plane, then no one should be breaking anything. Clean that shit up, or we’ll make an unscheduled stop over the fucking Atlantic. There is the chance that only two parachutes are in the cock-pit, in which case, you all are shit out of luck.”

The speakers went silent and everyone on the plane except Gabe, laughed.

“Man, good luck getting back in her good graces. You really fucked that up. I bet she would have loved you for the rest of her life.” Draven said earnestly.

Maybe.

But he wasn’t going to think about that, nor was he going to tell his teammate that he’d love her for the rest of his. Which meant he would love her for eons to come.



Xee smiled when she put the headset back in its holder. Dietrich had a shit-eating grin on his face, but otherwise said nothing. She didn’t know the first thing about flying a plane, but when he’d suggested she sit with him, she’d decided it was better than sitting out there with
him.
She was being too emotional. Overtly so. She’d fallen for an Angel. The Angel of Death. He’d said only one night, and she’d agreed thinking she could handle it, but somewhere between the first time and the almost second time he’d come to actually mean something to her. Which was completely ridonkulous. She was the Queen of casual of sex. When did it stop being casual? Falling for Gabe wasn’t something she should even be considering.

“I never once took you for a coward Hale.” Dietrich said.

A coward. Her?

Never.

“How so Johnson?”

His face turned to her and he removed his shades, something she now knew he almost never did. His eyes were as white as snow and stricken with what could only be death. He was a Walker, and something a little bit more. Walkers could put themselves into another’s body. But he looked like he could walk among the dead. She tried to repress the full body shiver that was on constant repeat in the small space of the cockpit. Cold air surrounded her as his eyes took her in and the corners of his mouth tilted up into a sinister smile.