Where Darkness Lies
Page 60
“How long until we can get there?” Hendrix asks.
“I don’t know that we’ll do it in two days,” I say, feeling that familiar tightening in my chest again.
“We’ll fuckin’ get there,” Hendrix growls. “Men! Let’s move. We need to push this baby up to full speed.”
I give Hendrix the address and walk up onto the deck, gripping the railings so hard my knuckles ache. If I don’t make it in time—if she dies or is severely injured because of me—I’ll never forgive myself. I let her down, I believed she had run instead of even thinking she might have been taken. If it wasn’t for my fuckin’ mistake, I could have found her earlier.
“Are you okay?”
I turn to see Indi staring at me, her face full of concern.
“How can I be fuckin’ okay? I thought she’d come back to Hendrix. If I didn’t have my head rammed so far up my ass, I would have gotten to her sooner.”
“It’s not your fault, Dimitri.”
I spin around. “Then whose fault is it?”
She tilts her head and studies me. “You love her, don’t you?”
I turn away, clenching my fists.
“It’s okay to feel like that,” she says softly. “You should never fight how you feel.”
“She changed me. She made me see things differently. No matter what I did, she always had a way of coming back at me and completely throwing me. She never showed fear. But she’ll be scared now, Indigo. She’ll be so fucking scared.”
“She’s a tough girl, she’ll fight for those she loves.”
I shake my head. “You don’t understand . . . if she gets in that cage, she won’t be coming back out. He’s putting her in a death trap.”
“That fighter, she won’t kill her . . . will she?”
I turn and stare into her eyes. “She’s killed before and with someone Jess’s size, she’ll do it again.”
She makes a small squeaking sound. I know I shouldn’t be so blunt with her but she has to know. She can’t live in fantasy. Her friend is in danger and if we don’t get to her in time, she’ll likely be killed or beaten so severely her face won’t ever be the same again.
“We have to get to her, and we have to be quick about it.”
Indi nods.
She knows I’m right.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Jess
He’s coming for you,” Damon whispers as he spins me around, pressing me to his back. “Now get out of my grip.”
“He’s coming?” I ask, feeling something big and emotional swelling in my chest.
“He’s coming, but I can’t promise it’ll be before this fight.”
My heart sinks.
“She’s going to fuck me up, isn’t she?”
He grumbles and holds me tighter. “It’s not looking good. Now get out of my grip.”
I take hold of one of his fingers and twist it so far back he groans. “Nice try, but if I was using strength . . .” He pulls his finger back down, showing me I’d never be strong enough to pull it if he was trying. “You need to do better than that.”
“Where is he?” I ask, lifting my foot and stomping hard on one of his.
“Ow, shit. That’s a great move except your opponent probably has shoes. He’s out at sea.”
Out at sea? Why the fuck is he out at sea?
“Why is he not on land?” I growl, lifting my leg and shoving it backwards into his shin.
“Good, that’s a good move,” he groans, hopping slightly. “And he’s out there looking for you.”
Looking for me? Why would he think I’m on the ocean? Oh God, he thinks Hendrix has me. He’s taken himself out on the ocean and so far away from where I really am.
“He’s coming back as quickly as he can. Don’t doubt that.”
“But there’s a huge chance it won’t be quick enough, right?”
“Right,” he says, putting me in a headlock.
“Ow, you’re hurting me, you great big bully,” I mutter, squirming.
“Suck it up. She’s going to hurt you a whole lot more if you don’t start paying attention. Get Dimitri off your mind and focus on this. He’s not here right now and the chances are high that you’re going to be in this fight. You need to put everything you can into it.”
“Fine,” I grumble. “But know this . . . I’m not happy about going up against Catwoman.”
He chuckles. “Fire Cat?”
“What sort of name is Fire Cat anyway?” I mutter, reaching up and pinching his skin so hard I draw blood. His arm flies away from my neck.
“Jesus, that fuckin’ hurt.”
I grin at him. “You didn’t teach me that one, did you?”
He grins back at me. “Apparently running with pirates has done you some good.”
“If you gave me a gun, I’d knock Cat’s fire right out of her.”
He chuckles. “I don’t doubt it.”
He gets into the fighter stance and I do too. He begins swinging soft punches and I begin ducking them.
“So, why Fire Cat?” I ask, panting and ducking between his flying fists.
“You’ll see when you’re face to face with her. You think your hair is red . . .”
“Okay,” I grunt as he pops me in the belly. So that explains the fire part, but what about the cat part?”
“I don’t know that we’ll do it in two days,” I say, feeling that familiar tightening in my chest again.
“We’ll fuckin’ get there,” Hendrix growls. “Men! Let’s move. We need to push this baby up to full speed.”
I give Hendrix the address and walk up onto the deck, gripping the railings so hard my knuckles ache. If I don’t make it in time—if she dies or is severely injured because of me—I’ll never forgive myself. I let her down, I believed she had run instead of even thinking she might have been taken. If it wasn’t for my fuckin’ mistake, I could have found her earlier.
“Are you okay?”
I turn to see Indi staring at me, her face full of concern.
“How can I be fuckin’ okay? I thought she’d come back to Hendrix. If I didn’t have my head rammed so far up my ass, I would have gotten to her sooner.”
“It’s not your fault, Dimitri.”
I spin around. “Then whose fault is it?”
She tilts her head and studies me. “You love her, don’t you?”
I turn away, clenching my fists.
“It’s okay to feel like that,” she says softly. “You should never fight how you feel.”
“She changed me. She made me see things differently. No matter what I did, she always had a way of coming back at me and completely throwing me. She never showed fear. But she’ll be scared now, Indigo. She’ll be so fucking scared.”
“She’s a tough girl, she’ll fight for those she loves.”
I shake my head. “You don’t understand . . . if she gets in that cage, she won’t be coming back out. He’s putting her in a death trap.”
“That fighter, she won’t kill her . . . will she?”
I turn and stare into her eyes. “She’s killed before and with someone Jess’s size, she’ll do it again.”
She makes a small squeaking sound. I know I shouldn’t be so blunt with her but she has to know. She can’t live in fantasy. Her friend is in danger and if we don’t get to her in time, she’ll likely be killed or beaten so severely her face won’t ever be the same again.
“We have to get to her, and we have to be quick about it.”
Indi nods.
She knows I’m right.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Jess
He’s coming for you,” Damon whispers as he spins me around, pressing me to his back. “Now get out of my grip.”
“He’s coming?” I ask, feeling something big and emotional swelling in my chest.
“He’s coming, but I can’t promise it’ll be before this fight.”
My heart sinks.
“She’s going to fuck me up, isn’t she?”
He grumbles and holds me tighter. “It’s not looking good. Now get out of my grip.”
I take hold of one of his fingers and twist it so far back he groans. “Nice try, but if I was using strength . . .” He pulls his finger back down, showing me I’d never be strong enough to pull it if he was trying. “You need to do better than that.”
“Where is he?” I ask, lifting my foot and stomping hard on one of his.
“Ow, shit. That’s a great move except your opponent probably has shoes. He’s out at sea.”
Out at sea? Why the fuck is he out at sea?
“Why is he not on land?” I growl, lifting my leg and shoving it backwards into his shin.
“Good, that’s a good move,” he groans, hopping slightly. “And he’s out there looking for you.”
Looking for me? Why would he think I’m on the ocean? Oh God, he thinks Hendrix has me. He’s taken himself out on the ocean and so far away from where I really am.
“He’s coming back as quickly as he can. Don’t doubt that.”
“But there’s a huge chance it won’t be quick enough, right?”
“Right,” he says, putting me in a headlock.
“Ow, you’re hurting me, you great big bully,” I mutter, squirming.
“Suck it up. She’s going to hurt you a whole lot more if you don’t start paying attention. Get Dimitri off your mind and focus on this. He’s not here right now and the chances are high that you’re going to be in this fight. You need to put everything you can into it.”
“Fine,” I grumble. “But know this . . . I’m not happy about going up against Catwoman.”
He chuckles. “Fire Cat?”
“What sort of name is Fire Cat anyway?” I mutter, reaching up and pinching his skin so hard I draw blood. His arm flies away from my neck.
“Jesus, that fuckin’ hurt.”
I grin at him. “You didn’t teach me that one, did you?”
He grins back at me. “Apparently running with pirates has done you some good.”
“If you gave me a gun, I’d knock Cat’s fire right out of her.”
He chuckles. “I don’t doubt it.”
He gets into the fighter stance and I do too. He begins swinging soft punches and I begin ducking them.
“So, why Fire Cat?” I ask, panting and ducking between his flying fists.
“You’ll see when you’re face to face with her. You think your hair is red . . .”
“Okay,” I grunt as he pops me in the belly. So that explains the fire part, but what about the cat part?”
