Ronan choked on his coffee. Ten grand?
“I’m an artist, or did you forget that? I’m pretty damn good, too.” Devyn stomped over to the kitchen and pulled open her refrigerator. Taking out a yogurt, she peeled back the top and licked the lid, making him think of her taking Gavin in her mouth yesterday. He shifted in his seat, trying to find a comfortable position for his hardening cock. “I want it back. My suitcase as well.”
“Not happening,” Gavin replied, closing the laptop. “You’re going to Haven.”
“Last night changed nothing.”
Ronan always knew that Gavin had the longer fuse than him. He could take shit over and over, but he always remained calm. But he had the feeling that Devyn just laid down the gauntlet. Ronan shook his head at how hardheaded Devyn was being but knew eventually she would figure out they weren’t going anywhere without her. He guessed now was as good a time as any.
Gavin slowly stood up and walked around the table. Devyn was smart enough to place her uneaten yogurt on the counter, but not keen enough to step away. It gave Gavin the perfect opportunity to corner her, trapping her by setting both hands on the granite.
“I love you.”
“No, you don’t.” Devyn was shaking her head. “Stop saying that.”
“I love you.”
“Ronan, tell him to stop.”
Ronan heard all of her emotions through those four words—fear, pain, hope, love—but knew it was time for her to accept the inevitable. “Angel, we love you.”
“Damn it! Why are you two fighting me on this!”
“Say the words.” Gavin wasn’t going to let up now that he started, so Ronan got up and went to stand side by side with him. If they were going to do this now, then they were going to do it right.
“No.”
“Say the words. I promise, once you say them, there is nothing the three of us can’t do. It will give us more power than you ever imagined.”
Devyn bit her lip and shook her head again.
“Angel, we’re standing in front of you holding our hearts in our hands. They are yours, no matter what you see in your head. If you tell us about these visions that keep us from living our lives, we have the ability to change them. Please let us hear what we already know.”
“It doesn’t work that way,” Devyn whispered. “You’re having a baby.”
He saw the tears form and watched as she blinked them back. He wanted nothing more than to hold her and tell her it was okay, but he knew she needed to take this step by herself. She needed to say the words, without either of them touching her.
“Is that what you saw?”
“I saw Cane congratulating you. Don’t you see, this can’t work!”
“It does work that way, angel,” he reassured, placing his hand over his heart. “We’re not saying there aren’t going to be trying times, but if you’re honest in how you feel and let us love and protect you, we can do it together. You will be the mother of our children.”
Her eyes held such fear and hope, each emotion warring with the other. He held his breath, not knowing which one would win out, until he saw her lips move. His heart lurched in his chest and he made a fist where his hand lay. Did she just say what he thought she said?
“I love you, too,” she whispered, a tear falling down her right cheek.
Gavin stepped closer, pulling her tight against his chest. Placing his head on her head, Ronan watched as the two people who meant the world to him held each other close. He would forever keep this image in his head. Closing the distance, Ronan came up behind her and leaned down until his head rested on her shoulder. His heart had never felt fuller.
“I hate to break up this touching moment, but we better get our asses moving if we want to make it out of here in one piece.”
Chapter Ten
Gavin lifted his pack higher onto his shoulders, looking back to make sure Devyn and Ronan were right behind him. Talon was bringing up the rear, obviously not happy to be traipsing through the woods. She certainly wasn’t the outdoorsy type, with her black dress pants and white blouse with ruffles around the sleeves. Who the hell would wear that when they knew they were coming to Alaska? He shook his head when he saw her bat at the tree branches that were getting stuck in her hair. Turning his attention back to the trail in front of him, he saw the clearing up ahead.
When Devyn had uttered those three little words, he had wanted nothing more than to sink balls-deep into her body and keep her in bed for as long as she would let him. But then Talon had come with news that one of the dead bodies had an imprint of their last few days left on earth, and it wasn’t good news for them. Right before that guy who had been at the diner came to the cabin with his reinforcements, he had spoken to someone on the phone. He had given whoever was on the other end their exact location and expected pick-up by ten o’clock the next morning.
Gavin looked quickly at his watch, seeing they only had fifteen minutes left to reach the helicopter and leave, before who knew how many Fray descended upon this area. He pulled more energy, making sure a magnetic field surrounded them. The last thing they needed was another ambush.
“Ronan, twelve o’clock,” Gavin said, indicating the chopper directly ahead of them by fifty feet.
They had come to the edge of the clearing. The chopper was situated dead center, the sun shining down and glinting off the grey metal. It was hard to see the pilot with the sun glaring off the window, but he could see the shape of the man from the side. Nothing else surrounded the area, except grass that still seemed damp from the snow Ronan had dumped on it the night before.
Stopping, he couldn’t quite figure out why everything was so quiet if the Fray’s lackeys were supposed to be here within the quarter of the hour. The only thing that unnerved him was not knowing if the Fray had acquired Rogues. Those Nobles that worked for their enemies for cash were the lowest of the low, turning against their own kind. It made it hard to know what types of powers they were up against.
“Do you have us covered?” Ronan asked.
Gavin looked over and saw that he had a tight grip on Devyn’s hand. Talon had come to a stop behind him and was busy pulling a few leaves out of her hair, cussing softly. For someone so feminine, she certainly had the mouth of a sailor.
“Yeah, so on the count of three, I want us to move in unison. Talon, stay close to me.”
“Trust me, you’re not leaving me in this fucking place.”
Gavin ignored her, looking toward the pilot, who seemed to be giving them a thumbs-up. He took the lead, making sure his safety was off and keeping his eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary. Surprisingly, they reached their destination with no surprises and were seated within minutes.
“Everything is clear. Nothing unusual.”
Gavin nodded his thanks to the pilot. Tom had been with Jagger for a while now and was a trusted employee. He was grateful it wasn’t someone new, or Gavin might never have put Devyn on this contraption. Making sure everyone was in their seats and strapped in, Gavin took the seat across from Devyn, while Ronan was sitting next to her. He looked to his right, seeing Talon tapping her foot and staring at Devyn and Ronan as if they had the plague. What was wrong with her? She was starting to freak him out.
As Tom started the helicopter, Gavin watched as Ronan leaned in to whisper something to Devyn. She shook her head, but whatever she was saying no to, Ronan was insistent. They were slowly lifting off the ground, and Gavin reached for his headset. When he turned back, he realized what Ronan had wanted Devyn to do. She was still holding his hand, but right now, her eyes were closed. She must be calling up a vision.
Gavin indicated to Ronan to grab his headset. Ronan shook his head, implying that he wanted to wait until Devyn snapped out of her vision. Within seconds, she blinked. Panic swirled around in the blue depths of her eyes, but Ronan leaned over and started to talk her down. He was glad to see that it was working. Ronan reached up and snagged the set, placing it over her hair and settling it on her ears. H
e did the same for himself.
“We need to land. Make him land this thing right now!”
“Devyn,” Gavin said, speaking into the mic, “think about what you saw and tell me every detail that you can.”
“I saw Ronan and you exchanging gunfire with some men at an airport. We need to turn the helicopter back around. We can’t land, Gavin!”
“Tell me what the airport looked like.” Gavin spared a glance back at Tom, making sure he was getting this information. “Are you getting this, Tom?”
“Yes. Devyn, if you can give me a description, I’ll be able to tell you if it’s the airport we’re flying into in Anchorage or the one we will be landing at in Colorado.”
Gavin knew that Tom had their private plane scheduled to leave Anchorage within the next hour, but whatever they decided to do next would hinge on what Devyn saw. Turning back to face Devyn, Gavin leaned forward and grabbed her other hand. “Think about it, Devyn. Did you see any signs that indicate what airport? What about the planes? Were they private or commercial?”
“It was small,” Devyn said, squinting while she thought back to her vision. “There was a beige hangar with some rust on the roof and a white plane sitting inside. Wait! There was a building on the side surrounded by glass windows.”
“Where were the men situated and where exactly were Ronan and I?”
“They drove up in a dark SUV, but for some reason, Ronan raised his hand in a greeting. You were both standing just outside the hangar. You yelled for him to get back and then the windows rolled down, shots rang out, and then all I saw was both of you pull your guns.”
“That’s the airstrip in Colorado,” Tom said.
“Then get us to Anchorage, and we’ll contact Theo and Jagger to see what they suggest.” Gavin focused on Devyn, who was gripping his hand tight. “Devyn, if we changed the outcome for Ronan, we can change this one, too.”
“But what if we can’t?” Devyn whispered.
* * * *
Devyn was on pins and needles. They had made their connection in Anchorage with no problems and had landed twenty minutes ago in Colorado. Even though she hadn’t been hungry, Gavin and Ronan had made her eat a sandwich before the connecting flight. It had tasted like cardboard and felt like a golf ball going down her throat, but she did it to appease her men.
Her men. Those two words created another lump in her throat, but this one was due to the fact that now, after admitting she loved them, she was scared to death she was going to lose them. She did love them, with her heart and soul. She had been so terrified to reach out and take what they offered, but seeing the determination in their eyes—they made her believe anything was possible. And now doubt was creeping in, as she stood off to the side of the hangar where her vision had occurred. What if they were wrong? What if saving Ronan had been a fluke and she was about to lose her men?
“Tell me again why we landed here?” Devyn asked, wiping the palms of her hands on her jeans. “I thought the point of telling you my vision was so we could avoid situations like this.”
“It’ll be okay,” Gavin assured as he turned to face her. “Remember, now that we know what’s coming, I can create a magnetic field to protect us.”
“Why can’t you just do that all the time?” Devyn snapped. His calm demeanor was starting to irritate her.
Gavin laughed and pulled her into his arms. “Just like you can’t go around touching people twenty-four hours a day. It would drain us and leave us no energy for when we needed it.”
Devyn buried her face into his chest, smelling his scent through his dark-green cotton shirt. He looked like one of those poster models for the military, and she couldn’t believe her body would respond to his right now. Things were about to go to hell, and all she could think about was last night. She didn’t think that that feeling of his cock entering her anus would ever be forgotten. Devyn clenched her cheeks when remnants of the sensation tried to spark to life, causing cream to drip out of her folds. She hated damp panties, but it seemed she would have to live with them if she was going to be with these men.
“If you keep stroking me like that, my energy will definitely be depleted.”
Devyn gasped when she realized her fingers had made their way into the waistband of his pants. She was turning into a sex-craved maniac. He might think her mind might save them, but her body was bound to get them killed. “Sorry,” she mumbled against him.
“Don’t be. Just remember where we were, so we can pick back up when we get to Haven.”
“Time to move.” Devyn lifted her head to see Cane coming toward them, with Sloane by his side. “Jagger is pulling a vehicle around back. Sloane is going to escort her out, while we deal with the incoming targets. He’ll get her out of the way until the coast is clear.”
“What?” Devyn couldn’t believe what she just heard. “I’m not leaving.”
“Yes, you are.” Gavin took ahold of her shoulders, forcing her to look at him. “Ronan and I can’t concentrate on what needs to be done if we’re worried about you. We trust Jagger with our lives, which means we trust him with yours. Go with Sloane, and we’ll see you in a bit.”
“I’m not leaving you.” Devyn didn’t care if they stood here and argued until that black SUV pulled up with guns blazing. She wasn’t leaving them.
“We’re running out of time,” Cane said. “I can hear them coming. They’re no more than a mile away. We have maybe a minute. Ronan’s in place. Tavia was with Jagger, but she’s out of the car and in position. Sloane, take Devyn to the car. Talon is already inside.”
“I said I’m not going, damn it!” Devyn pulled away from Gavin. “I won’t leave this spot, I promise. But there is no way I’m leaving here, not knowing what is happening.”
“Shit!” Gavin ran his hand through his short hair. His lips were pursed, and she could see he was trying his best not to physically pick her up and take her out back. Let him try, she thought, but she would fight him every step of the way. “Cane, she’s staying with me. Tell Jagger to get Talon out of here.”
Gavin grabbed her hand and ran toward the front. Ronan was right outside the hangar, looking casual as he leaned up against the side. He placed her on the inside, though, toward the corner, and she was grateful that he hadn’t made her go. Because no matter how hard she would have fought him, Gavin was way too strong for her to overcome, and he could have easily placed her in Jagger’s car.
Everyone knew what was coming, and she glanced over at Sloane. This had to be eating him alive, to know one of his teammates had turned Rogue. Gavin had touched base with Jagger during the connection in Anchorage, giving him the license plate number that Devyn had seen on the vehicle. It turned out that Tye had called up a few hours before, saying everything was all right with his sister and that he wanted in on the mission. If Gavin had not alerted Jagger to Devyn’s vision, he would have gone ahead and had Tye secure the hangar before they ever landed.
Instead, Jagger gave him a later time to arrive in order for them to be ready. They still weren’t quite sure why Tye would turn on them, but everyone knew what they had to do. Sloane gave Cane some type of hand signal and went out the back. He was an enigma. He had the face of a saint and the eyes of a sinner. He showed no emotion, his eyes as dark as night and face as blank as a statue. Yet she knew he would take a bullet for anyone, even a complete stranger. And now here he was, being betrayed by someone he thought was a friend. Devyn felt for him.
She heard the gravel from the tires and knew it was time. Ronan must have raised his hand in greeting, because Gavin walked out into the evening sunlight, giving a wave himself. Devyn curbed her urge to stick her fingers in her ears, knowing that sounds of gunshots were about to be fired. Even knowing what was coming didn’t stop her from jumping when the first shots rang out. She heard Gavin yelling at Ronan and then a big swoosh.
Devyn heard Ronan yell and couldn’t stand not knowing what was going on, so she peeked around the corner. The black SUV that she had seen in her visio
n was now engulfed in flames, and Tavia was now standing in front of it while the other members of the team stayed where they were, except Sloane.
She watched as Sloane walked up to the vehicle, and suddenly, the flames died down. Devyn was envious of the amount of control he seemed to have over his power, especially considering how emotional this must be for him. He opened the driver’s-side door and pulled out a man who appeared to be in pain, holding his head. Tavia must be inflicting it. He was of average height, very light skinned with blond hair. His face was contorted in agony, and the minute Sloane let go of him, he fell to the ground, holding his head.
Sloane reached in and dragged another man out, the same look of pain on his face as the first one. This man was as tall as Sloane, but not as muscular. He had brown hair that matched the color of his goatee, but even through the facial hair, his lips were pulled back in distress.
“Tavia, ease up,” Cane yelled out, walking past her. It was by happenstance that he brushed his hand against hers. With Devyn not expecting the contact, her body accepted the energy of his, and the vision hit her head-on.
Cane was standing next to Sloane, telling him to let Jagger handle the situation. He was saying Sloane shouldn’t let emotion rule the mission and that they needed to get information about who it was that got to Tye in order for him to turn Rogue.
“Jagger is on his way and—”
Sloane turned to him, obviously waiting to hear the rest of what Cane was about to say. Cane was looking straight out to where the sun was setting.
“What is it?”
“I smell someone, but they’re far away. There’s something off about it, though.”
Sloane looked to where Cane was still staring. “Are they coming this way?”
“No,” Cane said, shaking his head. “And it’s just one person. A man. I can smell his sweat. He’s in the perfect wind position for me to pick up his scent. But I also hear—shit! Gavin, we need a bigger shield! Bomb!”
Elizabeth, Peyton - Noble Yearning [Nature's Nobles 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 9
