Her words gutted me. It was as if she had taken a blade and sliced through the delicate flesh of my midsection to watch my insides spill about her feet. My heart squeezed in a way that made my chest hurt. I was having a heart attack. She had killed me. My body seized as the pain overwhelmed me.
“Reese?” A flicker of understanding crossed her features. “I didn’t mean to bring him up, but I feel like you need to hear it.”
Shutting my thoughts behind an internal locked door, the emotional rage that splintered the core of my being simmered to a dull roar. She was right. No matter how much I didn’t want to hear it, I couldn’t deny it. Steele would hate to see me like this.
I shrugged. “You’re right. Everything you said is without a doubt the truth.”
She took a meager step toward me but faltered. “I didn’t say it to be right. I said it to help you fix it. And all I’m asking is for you to take the first step by going with us to grab a bite to eat. Then after we gorge on delicious food, the three of us will take care of that last portal together.” She winked. “One last hoorah before we take on the big bad. I think it’s only fitting it’s the three of us locking that last one down. Besides, we’ve been working on something while you were gone. I think you’ll be interested in knowing the plan.”
There were definitely more pressing matters to be addressed before going to some eatery with my friends. The portal should have been first priority. But the thing was these weren’t just friends. These girls had been with me for years, through some of the hardest times in my life, and if they wanted some greasy ass fries, we would go get some greasy ass fries. And she was right. It should be the three of us that got the last one together.
“Who’s driving?” I asked, giving in.
An hour later, we were at a table full of food between us. Since it was so late, we were the only people in the restaurant. It was nice, like old times. We teased and picked at each other as if the world was teetering before us.
Shayla slammed her iced tea down on the table. It shook underneath the blunt force. “I did not act like that.”
I leaned back and crossed my arms. “Who said anything about did? You still act that way.” I gripped the collar of the shirt and yanked it down until a generous amount of cleavage was displayed. Wrapping my hand around the back of Savannah’s head, I yanked her down toward my exposed skin. “Jace,” I started, mimicking Shayla the best I could. “Does that shirt make me look sexy? Look real close.” I flipped my head to the side to swish hair across my face. “I mean, I’m really not sure.”
She picked up a french fry from the glob of ketchup smeared over my plate and tossed it across the table. Before I could swat it away, it landed in the crease of my boobs. She clapped her hands once before throwing them into the air. “Yes! That’s what you get.”
A smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. Laughing, I reached for a napkin. Before I could scoop one up, the doorbell chimed and in walked two Valks. The startled workers shrieked and disappeared into the kitchen. The blood drained from my face as they approached our table.
“Reese Salt. You have a job to finish. Dermetheus is tired of waiting. Please get up now and make your way to the portal, so we can take the relic to him.”
The three of us shared a look and with a nod of understanding, we stood. I tossed a few bills on the table and led the way out. We climbed in the Jeep. Savannah adjusted the rearview mirror, bringing the two Valks into view.
“They’re in the pickup behind us. Are we ready to do this?” she asked.
“Turn up the Bone and Biggie,” Shayla said, sitting back with a smug smile across her face. Over dinner, we had hashed out the details as to what we were going to do if someone from his side showed up.
Savannah cranked the music up as she tore out from the parking lot and headed toward Devil’s Den. She veered through the streets, keeping a close eye on the truck behind us. We made the last turn and plowed through the overgrown branches. She came to a sliding halt in the front of the dark building.
They allowed me go in first. The two Valks followed close behind, then Shayla and Savannah. I climbed up to the top level and stopped when my eyes fell on the last portal. Jamming my hand into my pants pocket, I fished around until my fingers brushed against the metal relic. Slowly, I pulled it free and held it out in front of me. The flames clawed out from my tattoo and covered the relic like they had done the other times. The portal morphed and pulled inward in my direction. It made a sucking noise and eventually disappeared entirely. I pressed my lips together as I stared at it. It was done. Finally.
“Give it to me,” one of the Valks demanded and yanked my shoulder back. The relic flew into the air. His eyes widened as he scrambled to catch it before it hit the ground. It slipped between his big fingers and skidded across the floor in Shayla’s direction.
She ran forward, kicking it in the process. “Oops!” Bending at the waist with her back toward us, she quickly recovered it. “Got it. Here ya go.” She tossed it at the Valk. This time he caught it and gave her a scathing look afterward. Neither of them said another word, merely turned and left. Moments later, the lights from the pickup illuminated the room and the roar of their truck vanished.
I released a pent up breath. “Holy shit. That was intense. You still got it?” I asked Shayla.
She pulled the relic out of her bra and handed it to me. “The old switch-a-roo. Can’t believe they totally fell for that junk Dax made to look like it.”
“In his defense, he did a pretty bang up job on recreating it,” Savannah said. She looked around, and then her eyes landed on mine. “Let’s complete this job, ladies. It’s long overdue.” We walked out and went to the Jeep. Opening the back, the smell of gas reeked out. Each grabbing a jug, we went back in and covered the building with fuel.
After we were done, we backed out and Shayla struck a match. She flicked it down and it caught the trail instantly. Orange and yellow danced before us as the unsightly structure burned.
“No more Devil’s Den,” I said, relishing in our work.
31
Reese
“The copy worked?” Fuzz asked when the three of us got back. I nodded. He clapped his hands. “Hell, yeah. At least this buys us a bit of time. Payne is down in the lab trying to figure out a way to destroy it. Let me have the relic to take to him. You get some rest. I have a feeling we’ll be in a shit storm soon.” He turned to leave. “Oh, and Reese?”
“Yeah?”
“In the morning I’m moving us to a more…how do I say this? A more battle-friendly location. One that I’ve had prepared for years in case this day happened. There will be our best chance at fighting.”
“Sounds good.”
I turned in the direction of the hallway and walked, knotting and unknotting my hands. I had made a decision as I watched Devil’s Den turn to ash. I couldn’t keep distancing myself from Harley. I owed it to him to see if there really was something between us. I stopped at his door and paused. On the other side, I could hear his low voice singing as he strummed his guitar. A smile touched my lips, and I shook the nerves from my hand before I balled it up and knocked. For a split second, I considered bolting when I heard his footsteps near. All too soon, the door swung open and he stood before me.
“Reese…”
I crashed my mouth into his. He greeted it with surprise and hunger. Together we pushed back into his room and slammed the door shut behind us. My back pressed against the wall as we greedily pawed at each. I pushed him away slightly as my chest rose and fell rapidly. “Need to shower first. Be back shortly.”
Rushing through the shower, I shampooed my hair and cleansed myself from the smoke smell. I stepped out and wrapped myself in a towel. My nerves were frayed. Trying this was the only way to truly know if I was ready to move on from Steele. I didn’t have all the time in the world left. Soon Dermetheus would figure out we didn’t give him the true relic, and we would have to fight him.
I swiped the steam-covered mirror wit
h my hand, clearing the reflection. Mascara stained the skin beneath my eyes. My gaze lingered for a second before dropping down to a white scar along my chest. I slowly reached up and rubbed at the reminder of that awful experience with my fingertips. Pain lanced through my insides as if the wound were fresh. I winced, realizing what I was feeling was emotional agony. When would it stop? I had a loyal, dedicated man who loved me waiting on me just down the hall. Shouldn’t that be enough for me? Why wasn’t I happy?
I swallowed. It was time to move on. He would have wanted that for me. Harley wasn’t Steele. But nonetheless, I loved him.
There was a gentle tap on the door. “Reese, you okay?” Worry laced his voice. I had done nothing but string him along since we arrived back in Jackson. No matter what I did, what words I said to him, he had stayed by my side, ready to die for me.
“Fine. Be there in a minute,” I managed to get out, though it was hard to speak. I reached for a black silk housecoat and covered my body in it. Why was I so nervous? It wasn’t like I was new to sex. I had done it countless times before. I rolled my eyes, feeling silly. He wasn’t a stranger. Everything would be okay. My chest rose as I reached for the knob. I wrapped my shaking fingers around the brass and twisted.
A blast of cool air licked my hot flesh. I padded down the hall to his room and opened the door. Harley looked up from where he sat on the end of the bed. His mouth opened, but before he could say anything, I peeled the robe away and dropped it to my feet.
He didn’t get up. He waited for me to come to him. I think it was his way of allowing me to work on my own time, take things at a pace I was comfortable with. I wrapped my arms around his neck and straddled him. He pulled up close and pressed his lips to mine before twisting our bodies around and putting me beneath his muscular form.
His lips slid to my jaw and then my earlobe as he ground himself against me. I panicked. Heat pulsed through my veins, but not in the good way that I wanted.
“Wait.” I pushed him back slightly. He stared down at me and licked his lips. I blinked, clearing my thoughts. “Okay.” I forced myself to try again. He smiled and touched my lips with his again. The kiss was nice. There should have been no problem getting into it. Hell, tomorrow was the apocalypse. This might be my last shot at being this close to Harley. So what was wrong with me?
Don’t think anymore. Clear your head. That’s the problem.
His tongue flicked against mine.
My palms pressed against his thick shoulders. I shoved with all the strength I had to get him off me. “I’m sorry. I can’t do this.” My voice was small. I couldn’t look at him. I knew what I’d find. The same hurt expression he wore the day I came out of that cave and everything between us changed. “Please don’t hate me.” I shuffled back into a seated position and covered myself with the twisted sheet.
He sighed. The bed dipped low as he inched closer. He placed his hands on top of my head. “Is it me?”
I looked him directly in the eyes. “No. You’re perfect. It’s me. I just … I’m still in love with someone else.” The tears began to well in my eyes as he released me. “Crazy, I know. When I’m with you, I can feel something I’ve never felt before with anyone. Like we’re meant to be together, but my heart is stubborn. It wants him.”
“It’s not crazy, Reese. It’s far from it. Beautiful is the only way to describe that. Love like it is something not many people possess. Steele was truly a lucky man.”
The mention of his name made me cry harder. Harley was admitting defeat to a man who wasn’t even alive anymore.
He wrapped his arms around me and squeezed. I buried my damp face into his shoulder. “I love you, Reese. This decision doesn’t sway that. I’ll protect you with my life, even if all we can ever be is friends.”
The room felt as though it were closing in around me. I had to get out of there. I needed to be in the open. “I need to go.”
He nodded and waved a hand. “Go.”
I snatched my robe from the floor and darted down the hallway in the direction of where I kept some clothes. Quickly, I dressed, stuffed some things into a bag, and tossed it over my shoulder. I gave the room once last look-over before I turned off the lights and headed out.
Outside, the air felt lighter. I stopped as the door snapped shut behind me and inhaled the crispness. I closed my eyes, trying to push everything that happened out of my thoughts. I exhaled through my mouth and rolled my head back down. Giving the building a glance, I started walking toward the tree line and pushed a limb to the side as I entered the woods. All those months of traveling alone through the forest were scary as hell, but somehow it now seemed they were my sanctuary.
I trudged on for about an hour and finally settled in a nice area near the compound in case of emergency. Still, it was far enough away that the tension seemed to lessen. Shifting the backpack off my shoulder, I dropped it at my feet.
Wood. I needed wood.
The more I thought about what tomorrow might hold, the more nauseated I became. This was everything we had known was coming. Now that it was here, it seemed too soon. I shook my head. I couldn’t think that way. There was no way we could be more prepared. All the things we’d been through, all the training we had received, we were ready to fight. Despite all that, I knew there was a good chance that tomorrow might be the last time I saw the people I loved. Any one of them might not make it out. I might not make it out. I piled the broken limbs together and tossed a lit match into them. As the fire crackled and popped, I took seat and stared into it.
I tossed the stick on the flames as they rose over the wood. The searing heat was almost too much to bear, but I didn’t move. My body wouldn’t let me. I had to remain positive. The others depended on me. If they saw any sign of doubt in my actions, they would crumble. Sure, death was inevitable for each and every one of us, but there was no sense in dwelling on it. We had to fight. It was what we were destined to do. It was our curse to own.
Smoke burned my nose, making it difficult to breathe. I draped a hand over my nose, and used a stick to shift the wood. I stopped. My eyes darted to the side. Did I hear something? I closed my eyes, focusing on nature.
Crack! Trepidation paralyzed my rigid body for a split second. The nerves throughout my back and arms felt as if they were live wires ready to pounce. My eyes remained closed as I listened. Leaves shuffled to my right. One stealthy footstep right after the other. Silently, my hand inched down and wrapped around the blade tucked under my thigh. I stilled, preparing to lunge up and attack. My eyes snapped open to see a dark shape above me. The sharp edge of a sword pressed against my neck.
“Don’t even think about it,” a deep voice said.
I remained still, waiting for the right time to pull my blade free. I wasn’t going down without a fight. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the figure move. The orange flames illuminated the familiar shiny black mask that I had run into before. The reaper. I licked my lips, still tasting his kiss, the heat and pressure as his mouth had moved against mine.
“What do you want with me?” I asked, not taking my eyes off him as my hand slowly moved toward my back.
“It wouldn’t be smart to reach for that weapon, Ms. Salt.” Before I could form my rebuttal and deny what he said, he reached down and yanked the only weapon I had free of its hiding place.
Hands it was then. He had no idea how deadly I could be without weapons.
“Answer the question,” I commanded, trying to keep him talking. I needed him distracted, so I could attack without getting my neck sliced open. The spirit was wrong. This reaper couldn’t claim me to be his. I refused to belong to anyone.
“I want everything from you.”
My eyes narrowed. What kind of answer was that? Did he mean he wanted to kill me? Didn’t make much sense considering he’d kissed me last time we met. Maybe that was his thing, a kiss of death or some stupid shit like that. I bit my bottom lip pondering all the possibilities of his answer.
“Haven’t I told you bef
ore what biting your lip can do to a man?”
I froze. I remembered those words. The memory was clear as day. We were at the training facility about to grab lunch after he taught me my lesson for the day. Anger surged through me. I twisted my head to fully face this thing in front of me. The blade pressed harder into my neck.
“I don’t know who you are, but you’re going to die. Only a sick asshole would try to play these games. No one is allowed to use memories that are close to my heart against me.”
Beneath his mask, red eyes went ablaze. In the distance, something that sounded like a horse shrieked with rage. He mumbled something too low for me to hear, ceasing the unnerving cries.
I blinked trying to see clearly. My heart stopped, and then sped up. I reached for the sword and pushed it away before jumping to my feet to stand before him. I twisted and grabbed his mask. He remained motionless, allowing me to tug it and the hood away from his face. My mouth dropped. At first, I wasn’t sure what to do. My eyes were surely dreaming. I would wake in a moment and reason this was just my heart begging to see something I missed so much.
Please. Just one touch.
Every dream. Every memory. All I wanted to do was touch him. I swallowed, a tear coming to the corner of my eye as I stepped forward. His gaze narrowed, guarding me with caution, but he didn’t move. My hands visibly trembled as I closed the gap between us and wrapped my arms around his neck.
I could feel him. The heat from his body. A familiar scent that had been long forgotten. “Ollie,” I breathed.
I waited. I waited for him to disappear like all the other times in my daydreams. But the seconds turned to minutes. I drew back and looked up.
War Page 20
