Tycho

by Stevens, Madison

  He slid in next to her, his heavy cologne nearly suffocating her as he did so. She swallowed and glanced out the window as they pulled out of the alley and onto the street. She just had to make it to Tycho. From there she’d be fine. They’d save her sister. They had to.

  “Mia?” Dmitry asked.

  She turned back to Dmitry who was staring at her expectantly. “Sorry?”

  “I said, how did my beautiful Mia sleep last night?”

  For a moment, she thought about how she should answer. Maybe she should just plaster on the face she knew so well. It was a role she’d gotten so used to playing.

  A wide grin spread across his face, and she tried not to let any panic spread across her own. Did Dmitry know? Was it all some sort of game?

  “Maybe you not sleep so well, because of big day?” he asked. “I heard about long shower, how you want to be specially clean as new bride.”

  Mia nodded. Maybe it was easier to let him think she was nervous about the wedding. Most times she might be able to act her way out, but today was different. There were more things on the line than just her own life and freedom.

  “I had a little trouble getting to sleep,” she said. “It helped.”

  Dmitry leaned toward her and winked. “Looks like another sleepless night tonight. I’m sorry, but you can sleep the next day.”

  Her stomach rolled at his comment, but she still managed to nod back. She just needed to keep stalling, and everything would work out. Tycho would make sure.

  Relief flooded her when Dmitry got a message on the phone and turned all his attention to whoever was on the other side. Much better that he be distracted. The less she said the better. Something she’d learned from Tycho.

  Mia watched out the window as a light rain sprinkled on the street. She wondered if Tycho was waiting outside the shop already. Maybe he had been there for ages. They had never really set a time. Although he did know the shop opened at noon.

  It was hard not to let her mind wander to the hybrid. Even now it still seemed like a miracle that he was even alive. After thinking for so long that he was gone, Mia had spiraled down. She needed Tycho. He completed her.

  She didn’t know if that was destiny or something else. So much about the hybrids still confused her, but it didn’t matter. She knew what her heart craved.

  The car pulled up outside the shop. They waited as the driver stepped out and opened Dmitry’s door. He slipped his phone into his coat pocket and held out a hand for her.

  “You come,” Dmitry said.

  Mia made sure her bag was in the opposite hand as he helped her out. He held her hand and brought it up to his mouth for a kiss, a smile on his face.

  “Today, you will be mine.” His hungry eyes looked her up and down.

  Mia tried to nod and smile, but she was certain it came out a little off by the fallen look on his face. It was only luck the shop owner stepped out to distract Dmitry.

  “Mia,” John said with the same fake-ass smile he’d used when she first came in. “So good to see you. A bit earlier than I expected, but nothing wrong with hurrying something wonderful, is there?”

  Dmitry was a regular customer of his. It was where he bought all his ill-fitting suits and dresses for forced brides.

  Not that John cared. He was all about the bottom dollar. The middle-aged man had likely never had business this good, and he wasn’t planning on losing it over a mere inconvenience like a marriage built on a man threatening his bride’s sister.

  “Please, come inside.” John smiled.

  Mia walked forward first, trailing behind John.

  “The dress is ready,” he said when he turned around, not actually speaking to her but to Dmitry who was close behind. “I had to really hurry things along, but of course I’d do that for my best customer.”

  Dmitry waved dismissively. “Good, good. Put in bag, and we go.”

  Mia’s heart kicked up. She needed them to stay longer. It was all a part of the plan. She tried to think of a reasonable stalling tactic.

  “I really think I need to try it on first,” Mia said as she turned to Dmitry.

  “It’s a pretty dress already.” He shrugged.

  She could see the hesitation in his face.

  Mia pouted a little and stepped forward. “If I don’t try it on, how will I know it’s going to be perfect? It’ll ruin our big day, which should be perfect. We’ll remember this for the rest of our lives.”

  Dmitry sighed and glanced behind her to John who nodded. He threw up a hand. “Fine, try on dress, and then we go. Hurry.”

  She smiled sweetly at him. “Thank you.”

  Dmitry held out his hand. “You try on dress, and I hold purse. This is what husbands do, eh?”

  John and the driver both chuckled as if either of them had the slightest idea what being a good husband actually meant. Mia panicked. There wasn’t a reason she could come up with on why she needed her purse.

  The men stopped laughing, and she playfully waved him off. “You’re far too important to be holding a purse.”

  Dmitry shook his head. “No, I’ll hold purse.”

  Clearly he was making this a sticking point, and the longer she resisted, the more suspicious it would seem. Maybe she could hand him the purse and bolt out the back. That seemed like a better plan than pulling out the gun in the bottom and trying to take all three men on.

  The driver and Dmitry had killed men before. She wasn’t even sure she could pull the trigger to save her own life.

  Mia slowly brought the purse out away from her body.

  The shrill chime of Dmitry’s phone cut into the air. She froze as he dropped his hand to his pocket and frowned at the phone he’d pulled out.

  “Try on dress,” he said sharply to her, frowning. “I take call. Hurry.” He grunted.

  Mia inwardly let out a sigh and nodded as Dmitry stepped outside to the sidewalk.

  “Okay,” John said with his fake smile now mysteriously gone. “Let’s try on this dress.”

  He stepped toward the back but stopped when the driver started to move that direction as well.

  “This is not a peep show,” John told the driver. “I’m sure Dmitry wouldn’t want everyone seeing his bride to be.” He frowned.

  The driver froze and looked between the two of them before deciding that John was likely right.

  He moved quickly to the back, and although she’d been there before for the initial measurements, it seemed much larger now.

  John pulled the dress out of the bag and held it up to look at it.

  “Now let’s get you stripped and into this so we can all get about our day. Dmitry seems in a hurry, and no one likes an unhappy customer.”

  Mia held up a hand. “Actually, could I use your restroom first?”

  John sighed loudly. “Really? You can’t hold it?”

  She frowned. No way in hell she was letting this prick railroad her.

  Mia shrugged. “Well, I guess I could hold it, but it would be a shame if there was an accident, and I’m sure I know who Dmitry would blame for getting his wedding day off to a poor start.”

  John’s face paled, and a small sense of satisfaction passed through her.

  He sighed and rolled his eyes. “Fine, but make it quick.” He nodded over to the spot she’d remembered from before. “Down the hall to the left.”

  Mia moved as quickly as she could. She was sure John just thought she really had to go, but she knew Dmitry wouldn’t wait forever. The man wasn’t known for his patience, and that was before the feds started breathing down his neck.

  She stepped quickly into the bathroom and locked the door behind her. Just as she’d remembered, there was a slim window just over the toilet. It would be tricky getting out, but she could do it.

  Carefully Mia climbed onto the toilet and unlatched the window. It was only luck that the old thing moved without a sound. She could only thank her stars. Mia peeked her head out.

  Coast was clear.

  As quietly as s
he could manage, she dropped her purse to the ground. It sloshed in a puddle, and she froze. Nothing. It was far too noisy in the city for something like that to cause concern.

  She let out a sigh of relief. Now she had to get herself out.

  Mia hiked one leg out the window. Her other teetered on the lid of the toilet in a precarious manner. The lid wobbled underfoot, and she wondered if she might fall.

  John knocked on the door. “You almost finished in there?”

  Mia sighed. “Almost,” she said as nicely as she could. “Please just…let me do it.”

  Time was running out. She was going to have to do this quickly. With all her strength, she hoisted her other leg up until she was sitting on the ledge, her legs dangling just outside the window.

  Another low knock came at the door. “Open the door right now.”

  It was the driver this time. She knew it was now or never. Mia shimmied her body through, the pocket on her coat catching just as a loud pounding came at the door.

  “Shit.” She grunted.

  Mia tossed her whole body through, ripping the pocket as she fell to the puddle with a splash. On the other side of the wall, she could hear the force of the door as the large man crashed through.

  “Mia?”

  She blinked and turned to find Dmitry at the end of the alley just around the corner, staring at her with surprise. Likely this was the last thing he expected. Seeing him there certainly was for her.

  Not bothering with a second glance, she grabbed her bag and broke into a dead sprint.

  “You can’t leave,” Dmitry screamed from behind her.

  Mia only ran faster. Her boots were a good choice in the rain and mud. She could only hope that Dmitry was having trouble running in his shiny slick shoes.

  She skidded around the corner and found Tycho on his bike.

  “They know!” she shouted to him.

  The roar of the bike ripped through the air.

  From the corner of her eye, she watched as the back door opened in slow motion, the large brute from before filling the full frame. Mia only ran harder.

  “Get on!” Tycho shouted as she reached the bike.

  The hybrid yanked out his gun and fired at the two men. The loud sound echoing in the narrow alley.

  “Get your helmet on,” he yelled over the gunfire.

  It might have seemed funny if she were watching it, that he would be concerned about her wearing a helmet when they were in a gunfight, but at the moment, it seemed better to just do as he said.

  Mia slipped on the helmet. The two men found cover behind a dumpster. A part of her wanted it all to be over right there. But if Dmitry were dead, there was no telling what would happen to her sister.

  “Hold on!” Tycho yelled.

  Mia wrapped her arms around Tycho as the bike lurched forward. Just before they sped away, she glanced over to where Dmitry hunched by the dumpster. There was a look of pure hatred in his eyes that sent a chill right to her soul.

  This was it. There was no going back after this.

  With that final thought in her mind, they sped out into the traffic in the street.

  Chapter Eleven

  Police sirens rang out in the distance. Tycho frowned. It wouldn’t be long before they were crawling all over the place, and he wanted to be as far away from any cops. If he were really lucky, Dmitry would get popped by the feds, and this would all be over. He was doubtful it would happen like that, but he could still hope.

  He loosened his grip on the bars of the bike as Mia tightened her arms around him. They’d completed the first step and escaped. She was safe. That was all that really mattered to him.

  He understood she still needed her sister, but as long as they were together, he was sure with the help of Maximus they could handle that problem.

  A crack of thunder ripped through the air as they reached a stoplight. Tycho glanced up and could see the ominous dark clouds overhead. Just what he needed, nature conspiring against him.

  “Fuck,” he grunted. Tycho looked behind him at the small woman clinging to him. The helmet hid most of her face, but he could only imagined she was terrified. “We can’t stop until we get to the safehouse. Just hang on.”

  Mia nodded and slipped her cold hands inside the flaps of his jacket. Tycho zipped up the leather coat to keep her freezing fingers warmed. The bike had always seemed like the best choice for an easy getaway, but he’d never once thought about what it meant for a non-hybrid.

  The light turned green as another blast of thunder roared around them, and the skies opened up.

  Rain drenched them as he zoomed and weaved through the town. The rain made traffic slow, and the longer it took, the more Mia shivered. The only small comfort Tycho took was that the weather would be slowing Dmitry as well.

  By the time they pulled into the parking garage of the apartment, they were both soaked to the bone, but there was no sign they’d been followed, and he hadn’t heard any sirens for several minutes.

  Tycho stepped off the bike and helped Mia down. Her hand shook in his, but still she smiled up at him.

  “We made it,” she whispered.

  Tycho kept her hand in his as they made their way up the three flights of stairs to the apartment. Again, he put the key in the lock and swung the door open, watching the red string fall.

  He let out a sigh of relief. For once, everything looked like it might work out. He was still putting a lot of trust into Maximus, but at the minimum, he knew Mia would be safe.

  “Come inside,” Tycho said.

  He kept hold of her hand as he led her back into the bathroom. He turned on the water to the tub and watched as it began to fill. It was time to stop worrying about fleeing and attend to some basic needs.

  “What are you doing?” Mia asked. Her teeth chattered as she spoke.

  Tycho shrugged. “You’re taking a hot bath while I get us something to eat. We’re safe for now, so no reason to go hungry and stay cold.”

  Mia shivered and slipped off her coat. “But what about you?”

  Given the suggestive way she lifted her brow, he couldn’t help more than a few dirty thoughts flittering through his mind. Tycho shook his head and placed a soft kissed against her chilled lips.

  “Get warm,” he said softly. “I’ll be back soon. You have the gun?”

  Mia pointed to the purse on the floor.

  Tycho gave her a grim nod. “Anyone besides me comes in, you shoot first and run.”

  She nodded. Her sweet blue eyes even bluer with how pale her skin was.

  “Get in the water,” Tycho said. “You’ll feel better.”

  Summoning all his willpower, he turned and left her to a bath alone.

  * * *

  Mia sighed as she climbed out of the hot water, her muscles relaxed, and all the tension gone from her body.

  Tycho had been right. It had been exactly the thing she needed to soothe the cold that cut right down to her bones and the aches from the day. She wrapped the large towel around her body and glanced at her foggy reflection in the mirror.

  Escape. It seemed only a dream days before, but now she was gone, free from Dmitry.

  For the first time in a long time, Mia felt more like herself. It was amazing what a little bit of hope could do for a person. They’d save Mya soon, and she could be together with Tycho and her sister forever, happy and free.

  She opened the door to the bath and was surprised to find the air warmer than she would have thought. A small smile played on her lips. Clearly, he’d turned up the heat for her. So thoughtful. Even in a stressful situation like this, he seemed concerned with her needs first and foremost.

  Mia gathered her wet clothing and hung it in the bathroom along with her coat. Everything had all gotten soaked. Even the clothes in her purse she had on top were soaked by the downpour. All that was left dry was the blue satin set.

  Carefully, with the gun still wrapped inside, Mia placed the set back into her purse. She was more grateful than she had expected th
at she hadn’t had to use the gun after all. Although she hated Dmitry, she’d never had to take a life before and wasn’t certain she had it in her to do so.

  The apartment was quiet when she stepped into the hall, the tick of a clock and the faint hum of heat in the vents keeping silence at bay. Clearly Tycho was still out getting food for them. She set her purse on the counter in the kitchen and slowly made her way around the place.

  There wasn’t much there. A couch and TV with a small coffee table in front. She walked back to the bedroom where she found a few more things, dresser, night table, and bed.

  A small gray blanket lay at the end of the bed. Mia picked it up and wrapped it around her body as she made her way back to the living room.

  A noise at the door made her freeze as she walked into the room. Without a thought, she grabbed the gun from her purse and held it in her shaking hands. She wouldn’t go back. She couldn’t go back. Not to her gilded cage, not under Dmitry’s thumb. Her heart thundered.

  The door opened, and she breathed a sigh of relief as Tycho stood there staring down the barrel of her gun. She lowered the weapon slowly as he stepped inside.

  He set his bags on the coffee table, leaving a trail of water where he walked. After finishing with the bags, he stepped over to her.

  “Sorry,” Mia said quietly. “I thought you were Dmitry.”

  Tycho picked up the gun still in her hand and flicked a switch on the side. “You have to turn off the safety to fire. It’s my fault. I should have explained that before.” Exhaustion colored his voice. “And don’t apologize and hesitate to fire if you think there’s danger,” he said quietly. “We don’t live in a world where we can hesitate. Not yet at least.”

  Tycho disappeared back into the bedroom. Mia flicked the safety back on and placed the gun back in her purse. She picked up the blanket and made her way over to the couch with a sigh, her heart finally slowing.

  The deep rich smell of spices wafted over to her from the bags, and she instantly knew where he’d gone. Her stomach already started to rumble at the thought of good food.