3 Hit the Road Jack

by Christin Lovell

  “It’s a little late for that. They’re right beside me and can probably hear everything,” Al offered.

  “Hi Auggy,” I chuckled. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

  “Put me on speaker Bancroft.” Al pulled the phone away from his ear and put it on speakerphone. “Don’t fuck with me Lex. I’m protecting your ass not mine. Kellan, have you finished the boot camp yet?”

  I cocked my head, eyeing Kellan questioningly. “Yes. Last week.”

  “Good. Now all of you pack your shit and get ready. I’m having guards meet you at the airport to provide weapons and permits to you. They’re military permits so don’t act like floozy civilians.”

  “Yes Dad,” I chuckled.

  “Don’t mock me Lex. I could buy you and sell you.”

  “I love you too Auggy,” I smiled.

  “Just be ready, and for God’s sake don’t get yourselves killed.”

  “We’ll try. Now where are our plane tickets?”

  “Kellan has them.”

  “Oh.” He was full of surprises today it seemed.

  “Send me a text that says ‘Rome has fallen’ when you arrive safely. Until then people, stay quiet.” He immediately hung up.

  “Only you could talk to him like that,” Al smirked. Not even a second later he sobered. “Alright. Let me pack.”

  “Wait. How many tickets did Auggy give you Kellan?”

  “Two.”

  “Don’t worry Lex. They e-mailed me my ticket and itinerary. I just have to print it,” Al advised as he stepped into the master bedroom.

  “And you?” I looked at William.

  “I have resources,” he smiled curtly.

  “Well heck,” I furrowed my brow.

  Kellan finally smiled. “You can’t say heck; you just have to curse.”

  “It’s actually quite lady like of Lexi to say heck.” He turned to me. “Although I’ve always found the British form of cursing to be a bit more appropriate for women. Bloody hell is much more civilized than fucking shit.” My eyes flew open. William smiled innocently at me.

  I chuckled. “I do believe you’re full of surprises Will.”

  “Thank God you didn’t call me William, but the nickname is Wills, not Will.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you wills call me Wills or I will have a bloody fit.”

  “Ok, Mel would totally kill me if I didn’t call you out on that one.”

  He flipped open one of the notebooks in his hands. “Ah yes. Melanie Marie Hartford, your best friend, who is currently dating Craig Alexander Scott, Kellan’s best friend.”

  I narrowed my eyes at him, serum rising and hands fisting. “How the hell do you know about her?”

  “Relax Alexa Lorrayne Jackson and Kellan Alejandro Phoenix Bancroft. You can find names anywhere if you know the vicinity and associations of which you’re searching.” William closed the notebook.

  “Wait. Can you search for Jack that way?” I asked. Kellan perked up beside me at the idea.

  “I already have my dear. I told you you would need me.”

  “What did you find?”

  “I found out that his name isn’t really Jack. It’s Jacques Lenore Ambroise.”

  “He’s French?”

  “Ah, wi, wi.”

  “Not funny Will.” Kellan rolled his eyes.

  “Cut the shit. What else do you know about this guy?”

  “That’s it. He literally doesn’t exist beyond his name and the assassinations he’s marked.”

  “That can’t be good,” I groaned.

  “We’re starting from nothing basically,” Kellan agreed.

  “Not necessarily. Do you have all the terrorisms he marked throughout the years?” Al returned with a black book bag and a few sheets of paper.

  “Of course. That’s what’s in this binder,” Will pointed to the bottom of his pile.

  “Good. We can study his work. See if there are any patterns or at least use it to try to predict any future attacks he might aim at us.”

  “You’re brilliant. He’s brilliant,” Will beamed approvingly at us.

  “Now let’s get out of here. I’ll call Beth on the way,” Al said.

  “Don’t compromise the mission by saying too much,” Will warned.

  “She’s my wife and his mother so I’ll tell her whatever I want. My phone scrambles the line when I call her though so don’t concern yourself.”

  Kellan avoided me all the way to the Bladangs. I tried not to be upset about it, but it bothered me. After all I’d learned about him today, I almost felt like I didn’t even know the man I was prepared to marry. I twisted my ring around my finger as I listened to him, Will and Al discuss the situation.

  When we arrived, Craig, Mel, Gabi and Rafi were deep in conversation.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked.

  “Don’t think you were gonna squiggle away from my loveable lup,” Craig chuckled.

  “I told you I would hang out with you before I left. We don’t leave until tomorrow night.”

  “No, we leave tonight,” Kellan bit out as if I had committed a crime.

  “Oh, sorry.”

  “What’s up my testy toast?” Craig asked, standing and clapping Kellan on the shoulder. He looked directly at me giving me a tortured look.

  I’m sorry. I really am sorry, I projected. He sighed and sat on the couch next to Craig.

  “Ok. Well, I think us ladies should go upstairs and leave the boys to do whatever boys do together,” Gabi suggested, studying me and Kellan with curiosity. I knew I was going to be drilled.

  Chapter 6

  The moment her bedroom door shut they started in on me. I explained it all from start to finish. In a way I was hoping it was nothing, that they would find something I didn’t, but I wasn’t so lucky.

  “Well, honestly Lex, you’ve known from the beginning that Kellan had a dark side. I thought you’d already seen it and knew about it, but I guess not,” Mel said.

  “I don’t really think it’s a dark side though. I think he’s frustrated. Every guy has a god complex in some form. They think they’re the know all, do all and be all. He’s probably upset that he can’t protect you how he wants. It doesn’t help that Kai and Kalel are so willing to step in and do his job for him,” Gabi added.

  “Yea, but it’s like I told him, it’s not his place to protect me.”

  “Lex, it is his place to protect you. You’re his mate. Do you feel a need to protect him?” Gabi pressed.

  “I hate that you’re right. I just don’t want him running around behind my back, going to the ends of the earth risking himself to protect me. I’d rather lose my life than him lose his.”

  “And he feels the exact same way about you chica. You don’t ask someone to marry you because you like them. It’s because you love them and can’t picture your life without them.”

  “You’re right,” I frowned.

  “Don’t be so upset. I’d be jumping up and down if Craig felt that way about me.”

  I grabbed her hand and smiled. “Don’t worry, he will one day.”

  “Um… I should go talk to him.” I finally understood where he was coming from. It’s sad that it had to be pointed out to me though.

  “Don’t feel bad. Go talk to him now before you leave. You don’t want to go out risking everything without resolving this spat,” Mel said.

  “Thanks.” I left them and went downstairs to where Kellan was.

  "The sooner we leave the better," Al stated, pacing the Bladangs' living room.

  "I agree." Kalel stood with his arms crossed defensively beside Al. His face was set, a statued god somewhat angered and certainly determined.

  "Do you have your stuff packed and ready Leka?" Kai asked.

  "Not yet. I just got back."

  "I'll help you," Kellan offered. I nodded and headed upstairs. He hadn't unblocked his thoughts and was still giving me the cold shoulder.

  "I’m really sorry," I sighed placing mysel
f in front of him. He stepped past me avoiding eye contact as he separated my clothes into a luggage bag. "Kellan."

  "Don't push Lex. I really don't want to talk about why my fiancé thinks the ring I gave her is just for show."

  "I know it's not just for show, but it's also not a contract for me to rely on you entirely for everything."

  "I never said you had to," he snapped, turning around and racing towards me, stopping inches from my face. My heart skipped a slow beat as a bit of serum rose up within me. His fists clenched at his side; his emeralds eyes narrowed on me. "I said it meant it was my responsibility to protect you, and that's nothing more than you."

  "What does that mean?"

  "It means we both feel the need to protect each other, only I put a ring on your finger to remind you of how I feel." He ground his teeth, looking around the room.

  "I already know how you feel Kellan," I said, taking his fists into my palms. "I don't need a ring to declare that or remind me. I know it every day because of everything you do for me, how you treat me and of course the kisses you give me," I smiled. He faced me, his features slowly softening. "I love the ring, and I love that you love me enough to give it to me. I don't see it as a symbol of what you owe me though. You're not an employed security guard; to me this is a promise of a future filled with love and happiness with you." I gazed at his eyes as they slowly darkened with desire. Apparently my words were setting in.

  Abruptly my back was against the wall and my legs wrapped around his waist as his lips crushed mine. He opened his mind to me; his thoughts overwhelmed me. I returned the favor.

  “You have no idea how much control this is taking.”

  “I believe I do.” I tightened my grip, his mouth scorching mine.

  “Holy bubbling blowfish. Can’t keep your fiddle sticks off each other can you mateys?” Craig asked as he barged in. We separated like children caught with their hands in the cookie jar. “You ready love? They’re waiting on you.”

  “Did you pack everything?” I checked with Kellan.

  “If not I’ll buy it,” he replied. I shook my head once.

  “Alrighty then my cuddly cupids, let’s get you two to the big birds’ playland.”

  “The what?” I laughed as I grabbed my bag. Kellan immediately took it from me.

  “The airport,” Kellan clarified, shaking his head in amusement at his best friend. He placed a protective, guiding hand on my lower back.

  “Oh, ok. Let’s go.”

  Mel ran right up to me the second I hit the bottom of the stairs. I knew she was coming to see how things went, but the second I saw the bag in her hang, my mind refused to focus on anything else. “Where do you think you’re going?” I was a tad harsher than I meant to be.

  “None of your business mother,” she rolled her eyes.

  “She’s not coming with us, is she?” I looked to Kalel and Kai to read her thoughts. Kalel nodded his head once letting me know she intended to. “You are not coming!”

  “Don’t babble blubber. I already talked the tansy out of her and somehow she nickered me into another squabbly.”

  “A what?” I was agitated.

  “I talked him into another deal without him realizing it,” she smirked. “I’m coming Lex. I’m good bait. I can distract.”

  “Not if you can’t catch up,” I smiled victoriously crossing my arms over my chest.

  “But you wouldn’t leave me alone and defenseless in a foreign country.” She smiled way too sweetly. This was the closest we’d come to a catfight.

  I narrowed my eyes at her. “Lock her up and don’t release her til after I leave.”

  “Don’t you dare put your grimey paws on my girl,” Craig bit out between Kai and Mel.

  “Mel, you can’t be serious. I won’t let you risk yourself like that.”

  “It’s my choice,” she defiantly declared.

  “Does your dad know?”

  “Yes. He said he knew you would protect me.”

  “Wow. No pressure.” I looked around, but no one offered me an answer. I finally turned to Kellan behind me on the stairs still. He shrugged his shoulders. What the hell?! No one was willing to step in and back me? “I don’t like this one bit. Do you know how devastated I would be or how guilty I would feel if anything happened to you?”

  “Do you know how I would feel if anything happened to you and I didn’t try to help? Do you even know how much guilt I carry around still for what my mom did?” She sighed. “Look, we have nothing to worry about; nothing’s going to happen.” She skipped off towards another suitcase.

  Butterflies danced around my stomach as an uncomfortable feeling settled in. This was one time I wished vamps could vomit. Mel was making this much more complicated. As much as she was going to hate me, I was going to have to leave her and Craig behind somewhere, and I knew he was coming. He wouldn’t leave her in this situation. I didn’t know what kind of view she had of the vamp world, but it was definitely skewed.

  “Who’s taking care of Ruby?”

  “Kyle. Paid him ten bucks up front and promised him twenty more if he did well, which basically means she’s still alive, not missing any chunks of hair though color was exempt, and had a little food and water in her dish.”

  “What about school?”

  “My dad’s a vamp. He got me the time off no problem. I’ll have to catch up later, but you can help me.”

  “I’m so not a fan of your dad anymore. I really can’t believe he let you go.” I was lost in disbelief.

  “Auggy thought it was a good idea too,” she shrugged.

  My eyes flew open, fists bunched faster than the speed of light as serum gushed into my mouth. “What?!”

  “My dad mentioned it to him since he’s running the whole mission. He thought it was a good idea. He said it would keep you focused if my life was on the line too.”

  My breathing was shallow, heart racing as if it was still in a human body. “Get her out of here now,” I calmly ordered.

  “Our flight leaves in two hours. We have to go,” Al cut in.

  “I’m doing this because I love you,” I said to Mel before heading out to the car quickly. I was about to lose it any second. I couldn’t believe Auggy would stoop so low. Clearly he and the High Authorities had no regard for human life anymore. All they could do was sit on their high horses and flick orders at the ants not caring who survived. The second I saw him again, he was in for it; he could send me to a concentration camp if he wanted to, but he could not and would not decide the fate of the ones I loved.

  By the time Kellan and Al were there, my vision was watered over. I couldn't believe she made me do that. I couldn't believe Auggy set that up; he was definitely on my shit list now.

  "You did the right thing," Al said placing a gentle hand on my shoulder.

  "He's right. I'm proud of you," Kellan projected. "That wasn't easy, but you did what you had to to protect her. She knows that."

  "Thanks." I stopped and looked around suddenly realizing William was missing. "Where's -"

  "He said he'll meet us there," Kellan cut in having read my thoughts. I didn't even bother asking how he was getting there.

  Somehow we were able to skip security and receive a bag of weapons for carry-on. Come to think of it though, the vamp army probably glamoured a few leaders somewhere along the line. Usually I would be opposed to this entirely, but in this case, I was relieved that we weren't walking in with only my necklace.

  I looked down at my ticket as we boarded the plane. "Why are we in first class?"

  "It's the best way to fly," he said. I swung around to Kalel and the rest of the gang behind him.

  "Where... How... What?" I couldn't believe they were here.

  "You didn't think we'd let you face Jack alone did you chica?" Gabi smiled. "Move your ass Kai. I want to get comfortable before the plane takes off.

  Kai looked directly at me. "I'll always have your back." My heart pounded in my chest as I gazed back into his big brown eyes.
>
  Kellan cleared his throat. I shook my head, breaking my focus. "Thanks everyone, but if any of you get hurt or killed, I will never forgive you, and I give you permission to haunt me."

  "Don't encourage the lot," Will said as he went to the seat behind me.

  "Ooh, great cackling Casper! Who could skitter at such a gelato of a gapper?" Craig exclaimed, racing onto the plane right as they were getting ready to close the door. I gasped, choking at the sight of him.

  "Where is she?" I asked. He stopped beside me and Kellan.

  "I locked her up and called her dad to get the code from Art."

  "She's going to kill you."

  "As long as she doesn't get killed I'll take whatever lashing she lacquers on me."

  I cocked my head, looking at the blond Australian surfer who'd just saved my best friend's life at the risk of his own happiness. "Thanks." I tried to control the tears that quickly gathered. "He loves her." I looked at Kellan, lost in awe.

  "And I love you." He kissed me softly, pulling me into him.

  Chapter 7

  Two stops and nearly twenty-four hours later with the time change, we arrived at San Sebastian Airport. A black van picked us up; apparently they were prepared for us.

  “I’m branching off on my own. I won’t be far if you need me,” Al stated. I was caught off guard by his announcement, despite what Auggy had ordered.

  “Take care Dad,” Kellan said, clapping his dad on the back. Al looked at his son, respect in his eyes despite the concern on his face.

  “You too. Take care of her,” he lifted his chin towards me.

  “Always.”

  “Be careful Al,” I hugged him briefly. I felt a tug at my heart. He wasn’t my father, but he’d stepped in and played an important guiding role in my life over the last couple months. He waved at the others before heading to a taxi a few cars down. I returned my attention to our transportation.

  “Hello. I am Matteo, and I will be your driver while you are here,” he introduced, his accent slightly marring his English. He was young; tan skin, jet black hair and dark brown eyes that stared directly at me as he spoke. I shifted uncomfortably at the attention as nearly every male around me bristled.