Текст книги "Burning Blood"

Автор книги: Pepper winters

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Whisper huffed as if he agreed.

“If you’re ready?” The closest man checked his watch, the digits glowing red in the night. “The plane is waiting for us.”

“Plane?” I squeaked. “What plane? What about Dillon?”

“Your bodyguard is too late.” Fisting my hand, Lucien jerked me behind him. “Lead the way.”

“You don’t sound unhappy about this,” I snipped, my fingers tingling in his.

“I’m not.” He smiled smugly. “I did warn him he had a couple of hours to find you. He failed.” Ducking a little, he whispered into my ear. “And now, you’re all mine.”

Two men slipped around us, taking up position at our rear.

The two men in front turned to retrace their steps. “Please heed all our orders, and we’ll get you back to the mountains safely.”

My stomach twisted as Lucien jerked me into motion.

I had no say as I was dragged down the stairs and hurried into the chilly night. With Whisper flanking me and Lucien pulling me, I gingerly stepped over the bodies of either dead or unconscious Cinderkeep guards.

Mist ribboned around the hedgerows, sending out ghostly fingers across the grass.

I suddenly understood why this bed and breakfast was named Misty Meadows.

A convoy of black vans appeared from the night, and I wondered—just for a second—if I should run before Lucien could trap me somewhere new.

Because wherever we were going, I doubted Dillon would find me.

Corpses and empty rooms. Blood-soaked towels and my forgotten tatty rucksack.

He’d think I was dead.

And I might end up that way if he ever hunted me down.

Chapter Twenty-Three

THE SLEEK SILVER PLANE LOOKED FAR smaller than the one I’d flown in when Marcus dragged me to England. Back then, as a nine-year-old, everything had seemed so huge—

“That concludes the extraction part of our service, sir,” the masked man—who hadn’t shown us his face, even in the one-hour car ride—pointed at the plane and awaiting airhostess by the open stairs. “The crew works for Sovereign Retrieval. You’ll be perfectly safe. A helicopter will take you the rest of the way when you arrive.” Backing up, he added, “Is there anything else you require before we depart?”

I tried to answer him but...the outside world was too much. Too bright. Too noisy.

Having twenty men surrounding me set my system on a razor-sharp edge.

The entire drive, Rook had been in the backseat with Whisper, while I’d been up front, which meant I hadn’t been able to touch her.

And the burning was getting bad.

Even now—even on the cusp of vanishing from Marcus’s control forever—I was still fucking weak...just like he’d made me.

Something feral snarled inside.

What if I got on that plane and they flew me back to hell?

What if they betrayed me like everyone else?

“Lucien.”

I flinched as Rook’s dainty hand slipped into mine, wrenching me back onto the private airstrip in the dead of night.

Her touch.

Fuck.

I could breathe again for the first time since we’d left the room.

I could move without flames chewing my joints like I’d somehow ingested the sun.

Whisper chuffed and headbutted me, sensing my pain as Rook squeezed my fingers. “Whatever you’re thinking about...stop.”

The heat in my blood cooled as if she had the ability to pour ice directly into my veins.

I shuddered.

All those moments where I’d relied on her in Cinderkeep reminded me all over again how dangerous she was.

She could calm my heart and quieten my mind just by touching me.

She could leash and control me with a single orgasm.

The fact that she was the only thing to grant me peace didn’t offer me comfort but fear.

Because I was taking her home...

And if she ever betrayed me—

Fire surged.

“Lucien,” she hissed under her breath. “I really need you to calm down so you don’t start steaming on the runway, okay?” Flicking a look at the masked men waiting behind us by the black vans, she kneaded my forearm with her other hand, reminding me of the night she’d massaged me in my quarters. How I’d jerked her over the back of the couch and kissed her.

How I’d wanted to do so much more than just steal a kiss—

“Don’t touch me.” Pulling out of her grip, I did my best to ignore her pained inhale.

Fresh anger arrowed through me.

I didn’t want to be cruel but...I was starting to trust this girl.

And that made everything so much worse.

“If you’re concerned that the plane won’t make it in one flight,” the extraction leader said. “Rest assured, you’re travelling in a Gulfstream G800. It will get you home in one leap.”

I nodded tersely as if that was what I was concerned about. “Fine. You can go.”

Rook blinked beside me, looking small and fragile in her bulletproof vest. She also looked cold. Her teeth chattered as a particularly icy breeze kicked around the hangar.

Without thinking, I tapped Whisper’s head as he leaned against me. “Go to her.”

The panther shot me a look before pressing protectively against her side.

Rook smiled in gratitude as Whisper shared his heat, even as his gaze locked onto the horizon. A soft grumble echoed, no doubt thanks to the wide-open space triggering his need to run.

Pity I didn’t have a gazelle for him to hunt.

“Bet you’d love to race down there, huh?” Rook asked quietly, mirroring my thoughts as she tugged his ear. “I bet you could fly as fast as a plane.”

Another gush of heat crippled me.

These two kept putting me in a highly vulnerable position because how was I supposed to keep my guard up when I kept melting around her?

Behind us, the company who’d been hired by my father all those years ago vanished into the night, pulling away with silent tyres.

I breathed a little easier with less people, but my skin crawled at the thought of spending the next long hours in a claustrophobic tin can.

What if I overheated?

What if I set it on fire like I had with the wall and the tap and the carpet?

The night ticked past until Rook finally asked, “Are we going to board...or just stare at it?”

Not answering her, I gritted my teeth and strode toward the plane.

Chapter Twenty-Four

DESPITE MY WEALTH, I’D NEVER SPLURGED for a private plane. However, I had to admit, this might’ve spoiled me for public travel forever. And it wasn’t because of the creamy interior, muted gold accents, or plush carpets. Nor was it the ability to drive right to the door and stumble on with a pet panther and no questions asked.

It was the silence.

The steady drone of powerful engines and the fact that we’d been able to skip all the stressful nonsense like immigration, check-in, and security.

That alone was worth the exorbitant price tag because airports always left me with a migraine.

“Top up?” The brown-haired, very pretty airhostess smiled, holding up a bottle of expensive champagne.

Both Lucien and I had drunk a few glasses after we’d taken off and been treated to a six-course in-flight meal. The delicious array of decadent dishes had filled my empty belly and I’d happily accepted the bubbly alcohol, all while my mouth watered for those exotic fruity, blossomy wines from Cinderkeep.

I glanced at Lucien where he sat by the window beside me.

He hadn’t said a word ever since I’d escaped from the bulletproof vest and taken our seats. He shut me out as we hurtled down the runway and catapulted into the sky. He didn’t look at me while we ate. Acted as if he wanted nothing to do with me. And now that the cabin lights had been dimmed and Whisper had stuffed himself on numerous prime steaks—falling into a contented snooze on the couch behind us—he barely breathed.

His hands clutched the armrests, his knuckles white. His eyes tightly shut, forehead furrowed, and sweat beading on his temples.

I didn’t bother tapping him to see if he wanted any more.

If he got drunk onboard who the hell knew what would happen?

Turning back to the airhostess, I whispered, “No thanks. We’ve had enough.”

“Would you or Mr. Ashfall like anything else or shall I turn down the bed so you can rest?”

“Turn down the what?” Twisting in my luxurious leather recliner, I looked down the back of the cabin. “There’s a bed?”

“Of course.” She straightened and pointed at the door that I’d assumed led to a bathroom. “There’s a full suite at the back. You’re welcome to use it. Feel free to retire whenever you’d like.” Shifting the dew-covered bottle of champagne in her hands, she added, “We’ve been in the air for two hours with another nine to go. I’ll close the blinds so the sunrise in a few hours doesn’t disturb you.”

Turning on her heel, she returned to the front and set about shrouding the cabin in darkness for a peaceful rest.

Unfortunately, Lucien missed the memo about finding peace.

Glancing at my very old and very dead cellphone resting on the small table across the aisle, I wished I’d brought my charger so I could tell Dillon I was alright. That I knew what I was doing and I wasn’t worried at all about being flown across the world—with no documentation or destination—at the mercy of the man who’d decided I now belonged to him.

Sarcasm.

And that isn’t even the worst of your problems...

Snowflake.

Lucien’s reaction when I’d asked if he’d ever heard of Snowflake Corp replayed on a vicious loop—the way his brow had furrowed for half a second too long. The way his eyes had gone distant as if trying to recall something old and buried in his mind.

He’d almost recognised it.

Hadn’t he?

My stomach twisted as I glanced at him.

Was he ignoring me because he’d remembered something?

Was he plotting how to kill me even now?

As if sensing I was looking at him, his fingers curled tighter around the armrests. His head tipped back against the seat, throat bared, eyes tightly closed as if he was afraid of what might happen if he opened them.

The odd chill inside me chose that moment to swell.

While his body exuded heat, my body snuffed it out.

The longer I stared at him, the more the coolness spread, slow and deliberate, as if my bones wanted to hollow themselves out to make room for his excess heat.

Lucien suddenly exhaled, shuddering with relief. His shoulders dropped an inch, the edge of his tension smoothing out.

I stiffened as the cold kept blooming outward, webbing through my veins as if something that’d always lurked inside me had finally woken up and yawned—

PAIN.

It smacked me right in the face—a violent, blinding bang.

My hands flew up on instinct, fingers digging into my temples as if I could massage out the misery.

A sandpaper tongue licked my wrist as I drew my legs up and buried my face against my knees. I turned to look at the pitch-black panther. His glowing eyes were luminescent in the gloomy cabin, gleaming brighter than the pinprick stars glittering in the ceiling.

“I’m okay.” I trembled as fresh agony scraped through me. “I’m fine.”

He tried to push past me to get to Lucien, but I kicked out a leg and stopped him.

“Don’t disturb him. I’m okay.”

He sneezed in frustration but slowly dropped to his belly. Rubbing his silky side with my foot, I gave him a grateful smile before drawing my leg back up and pressing my face into the cradle I made of my own body—trying to disappear, to slip into sleep so I could hide.

Beside me, Lucien let out a low, broken sigh.

The frantic edge of his warmth dulled as his breathing finally evened out. His grip loosened on the armrest, hinting he’d slipped into unconsciousness. As his tension bled free, he leaned slightly toward me as if seeking whatever pain relief I offered.

I scowled at the unfairness of it.

I soothed him, yet he didn’t soothe me.

Why did I have such a power over him when he was obviously definitely not...human.

Fear pooled low in my gut.

Had Snowflake Corp meddled in his past?

Had they done something to me?

Because I shouldn’t have this kind of influence over another person.

Which meant something was going on that was far, far bigger than either of us and...I should tell him.

I should tell him who I was, where I came from, and why I was running away.

I should tell him what I’d overheard the other girls whisper.

I should tell him absolutely everything so he couldn’t accuse me of betraying him because things had the habit of spontaneously catching fire whenever he got emotional and I really didn’t fancy being burned at the stake.

I glanced at him again.

Whatever relief he’d found seemed to have worn off already. Heat wafted off him as if he held back the fire through sheer force of will, even while asleep.

I was jealous.

I wanted to escape too.

But sleep refused to come as questions flooded me instead.

How had he arranged all of this?

Where the hell were the Gaoligong Mountains?

And what exactly was he planning to do to me once he got me there?

Chapter Twenty-Five

THE PLANE PLUMMETED.

My stomach lurched into my throat as gravity vanished and my hips jerked downward thanks to my seatbelt. My eyes flew wide as dreams dumped me into yet another nightmare—

We’re going to die.

For all my frequent flying, I’d never lost the fear that one day I’d end up splattered across some mountain range like a bug on a windscreen.

“Relax,” Lucien muttered quietly. “I can feel your fear and it’s making it really hard to concentrate.”

“You can feel my fear?” My head whipped to him, finding him awake and fuming. “Eh, I’m going to need more information on that because...how?”

His eyebrows knitted together as if he hadn’t meant to say that.

A chill worked down my spine and I had to know...had to understand what the hell was going on with him but...the cabin bounced, hitting another pocket of turbulence.

I tensed but it stopped as quickly as it started.

Okay, that wasn’t so bad.

I’d been in worse...

Whisper didn’t seem to agree with me. Slinking down the aisle, the giant panther planted two front paws on my knee. I groaned at his weight then flinched as he prepared to leap onto my lap—

“Don’t even think about it.” Lucien turned to look at him, arching an eyebrow as if daring him to try.

The poor beast hung his head and flopped down beside me.

Yawning, I reached to give him a scratch. “It’s okay, scaredy cat.”

“Shouldn’t I be saying that to you?” Lucien quipped under his breath. “You’re both as bad as each other and I’m the one who’s meant to have issues.”

“You do have issues.” I rubbed at the crick in my neck. “More and more by the hour, apparently.”

“Careful,” he purred. “Just because I’ve decided to bring you along, doesn’t mean you’re safe.”

“Believe me, I’m highly aware of this fact.” I crossed my arms and sat primly. “I have a lot of questions actually and if you’re finally ready to acknowledge that you did, in fact, bring me along on this little adventure, then I’d like to start by asking where the hell are you—”

“Quiet.” He rubbed his temples. “I’m really not doing well and if you start needling me—”

“Needling you?” I undid my seatbelt so I could twist to face him. “How am I needling you? I’m just asking you not to ignore me, that’s all. What’s—”

“I’m ignoring you, so I don’t kill us all, alright?” A few misty wisps appeared over his shoulders. “It’s taking everything I have not to burn the hell up and believe me...I would really fucking appreciate it if my body stopped condemning me every time you decided to breathe.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means you’re loud.” He shot me a glare. “Every breath you take, every move you make, every twitch, every stupid little frown—I’m aware of everything.”

Was this what he’d been silently enduring since we’d taken off?

Glowering at me as if all of this was my fault, he said coldly, “I feel you sitting next to me. I feel the space you occupy. I feel it when you look at me with a thousand questions, wondering if I’m a monster or a mistake.” He shifted closer, his breath coming quick and short. “It’s messing with my mind.”

His eyes shimmered an incandescent red. “Whatever is happening to me is making it really, really hard to sit here, but I can’t leave as I need you.” He chuckled blackly. “I need you to keep me calm because I can’t contain it on my own. Yet the longer I’m free from the vitalsync core and its nasty trick of knocking me out, the more my system intensifies. I hate it. I’m pissed that I’ve traded one leash for another, and you seem to be worse because each time you move...each time you flinch or feel or think, everything inside me threatens to incinerate if I don’t stay close and listen.”

I couldn’t breathe as if every word he’d said—the most words he’d ever said to me in one sitting—wrapped around my throat and squeezed.

What had they done to him?

Where would it end?

In the few short hours since he’d killed that nasty pacemaker, his inhumanness had escalated to a terrifying degree.

How was he changing so fast?

And what would happen when his system couldn’t take it anymore?

Panic gushed through me, bringing vertigo and blind spots. “We need to go to Iceland. Right now.”

“Iceland?” He scowled. “You think shoving me into a snowdrift is going to stop this?”

“No...but my company is there. They might be able to help.”

“Ah, yes.” He went fatally still. “The company you’ve told me nothing about and somehow provides you with millions of dollars and a bad-tempered bodyguard.”

“H-How do you know how much money I—”

“Doesn’t matter.” Twisting to face the window, he muttered under his breath, “If I start thinking about all the things you’re keeping from me, I can’t promise this plane won’t turn to ash.”

“Things I’m keeping from you?” I shook my head. “I’m not keeping anything from you. It’s just...my past never came up in conversation—”

“Quiet.” Another blast of scalding energy escaped him.

“I really do think we should go to Iceland. You’re burning up—”

“I’m well aware.” Looking at me with utter exhaustion, he chuckled blackly. “I’m barely holding on, so don’t do anything that will make me lose control, alright? Don’t think, don’t move, don’t talk. Just sit there.”

Our eyes locked.

My hand strayed over the enemy lines he’d drawn and landed on his forearm.

His reaction was instantaneous.

Sucking in a sharp, broken breath, his entire body seized. Heat exploded off him in a brutal wave, making the air shimmer. With a violent shudder and a sound that was half snarl, half relief, he reached for me.

His hand shot out, fisting the front of my dress and hauling me into him with enough force to knock the breath right out of my lungs.

His mouth crashed on mine.

His lips burned so, so badly.

His tongue shot between my lips, scorching and frantic.

But it wasn’t a kiss.

It was survival.

My hands flew up on instinct, landing over his stitches.

He groaned into my mouth, and I felt something inside me answer back.

A frosting, a freezing...

I cried out as the vicious darkness of yet another vasovagal syncope tried to knock me out.

But then, he jerked away.

Tearing his mouth from mine with a sharp curse, he shoved me back as if he’d suddenly realised what he was doing and hated himself for it.

“Fuck—” He dragged a hand down his face and spun to face the wall. With a snarl, he lunged for the window, wrenching the shade up as if he needed air.

I hissed like a nightcrawler as blinding dawn exploded into the cabin.

Lucien gasped, shying away from the brightness, only for his gaze to adjust far faster than mine and lock onto the view. Sagging toward the window, he rested his fingers against the thick pane, utterly transfixed.

My heart pounded as I shifted closer, needing to see what hypnotised him.

My mouth fell open as I drank in the most sublime sunrise I’d ever seen.

The entire sky dripped in molten rivers of celestial light. The horizon was painted with exquisite brush strokes, fluffy clouds were illuminated from within with their own miniature sun, and everything was gilded in gold. The heavens glowed with a riot of lavender and peach, coral and crimson.

Lucien exhaled heavily.

Every muscle in his body went still, and for one fragile moment...he looked exactly how he did on the night I’d dragged him into the media room and showed him the wilderness of Borneo.

His lips parted as the sunrise poured over him, caressing his cheekbones with a bronze so bright, it seemed to make him otherworldly.

Untouchable.

On fire.

My heart seized and I stopped looking at the sunrise.

I’d never seen anyone more breathtaking.

I couldn’t look away as emotions drowned me—deep aching waves of violence and agony.

I froze because...those emotions weren’t mine.

They slid into me like fog creeping under the door of my heart—a door I hadn’t even realised I’d flung wide open.

I felt him.

I glimpsed behind the mask of the man I’d fallen ridiculously in love with, and his grief crushed my ribs. Followed by fury so raw, it threatened to kill me if I held it back.

But it was his fear that broke my heart.

Fear of what was happening to him. Of what would happen when he couldn’t withstand the burn anymore.

My vision swam as pain flared sharp and sudden. My body protected itself by slamming the door, breaking the bond and—

Lucien spun to face me as if he’d felt that too.

The instant his scarlet-rimmed eyes met mine, the air between us snapped taut.

For one electrifying second, I thought he was going to kiss me again.

But something inside him broke.

Launching to his feet, he snatched my wrist and jerked me up. “Come with me.”

I squeaked as he almost stepped on Whisper. The panther shot out of the way, narrowly avoiding his tail being stomped.

The world blurred as my pulse roared, pain and heat and that impossible connection made everything hurt and ache and blaze.

“Lucien...what are you—?”

“Don’t talk.” Dragging me down the aisle, he opened the door to the bedroom suite and pushed me inside.

The lock clicked as he shoved me onto the bed, then pounced on me.