Page 45 of Retaliation
“Fine. What if I tipped off a detective? Anonymously, of course. Not about you, but say there’s crazy drugs at the house or something? Nova, I have to do something. I’m going crazy.”
I clicked my tongue once. If the cops caused a distraction, maybe I could escape. I guess it was worth a shot.
“Are you hurt?” Tibby whispered.
I sighed and clicked my tongue twice. I was a survivor. This could be a good thing. My identity was still a secret, and I could use that to my advantage. Why they decided to kidnap me now, I didn’t know, but I’d find out soon enough.
“I’m here, Nova,” Tibby said quietly. “I’ll be here. Always.”
I clicked my tongue once in agreement. She was the only friend I had in the world. As the adrenaline finally fizzled out, my muscles ached. My eyes began to droop, heavy with exhaustion. I tried to fight it, afraid to close my eyes, but it was no use. I drifted into the darkness to the sound of Tibby’s music playing softly in the background.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Andras
Ipaced my room, unable to even attempt sleep after the fucking mess this night had become. My body shook with adrenaline, the daemon raging inside me, begging to be unleashed. I recited the Latin alphabet under my breath, taking my time, sounding out the letters to calm my mind. Sara Braun was a very unexpected surprise. I plucked the blade from the leather sheath we found strapped to her toned, milky white thigh. It was an expensive weapon, but ordinary. I set it down and picked up the key we found hanging around her neck. It was old and familiar all at once. I could feel an echo of something in my mind. I sat on the floor and crossed my legs, slowing my breathing and focusing my thoughts. I sifted through my memories with the image of the skeleton key. There, many years ago at a bank downtown. A very old vault with very old keys.
I knew who she was, though, even without the key. This was a secret even my brothers did not know. They might very well hate me for keeping it all these years.
I pulled a hidden file from my desk drawer. The young girl in this picture looked nothing like the fiery woman locked in my bathroom. This girl, with ocean eyes and long auburn hair, she was an innocent, a pawn. Sara Braun was…well she was enthralling. She was a woman I wanted to worship as much as I wanted on her knees before me. My dick pulsed at the thought, and I continued my pacing. Such fantasies were highly unlikely. As much as I ached to tame her, I knew already that would be a near-impossible task.
My mind pulled memories from the depths of my soul, a carnival, over a decade ago. I was only thirteen then, two years before the ritual. Laszlo curated a team to investigate a family that was potentially the one he sought, and I was sent with them. By then, I was training with men ten years my senior, and while I didn’t have the strength I had now, my mind was already sharp enough to understand what to do. We had to blend in and look for someone else who was attempting to do the same. Our team was made up of four men, and each had what looked like a watch but was actually a special kind of radar device to detect what The Obscuritas called “parahumans.” These parahumans were stronger, faster, and often capable of incredible things. I wasn’t a believer in magic and I’d never witnessed such things, but stories of their existence were passed down for generations in my family.
We split up at the carnival. I played a couple games and assessed the families. They were all humans, living naive lives, and I envied them. I envied their innocence, their…togetherness. I never had that. Laszlo raised me to be a soldier who would one day be a leader, just as ruthless as he was. I never knew my mother. She was ripped from my life before I could walk. I wasn’t even allowed to mourn her death. It was the same for the others, except for Devon, of course.
I rounded a booth and stopped short when I saw her. She laughed, and the bright, happy sound drew me in instantly. She was shooting a gun at balloons, missing her mark over and over. There were no adults with her, and I watched, entranced as she failed the rigged carnival game. She couldn’t be more than eleven years old. My wrist buzzed as I walked closer, and I knew without looking it was responding to this girl. Because how could a soul shining so keenly be human? I didn’t want to turn her in. I didn’t want them to find her.
I watched until she finished her game. Our eyes locked as she turned to leave. She was smiling, and I couldn’t help but smile back. Her round, teal-colored eyes captivated me. I knew then I would never forget them. She turned suddenly and ran away. I tried to follow, but the captain called out in the earpiece, announcing they found a woman and her daughter. Sweat coated the back of my neck as I walked through the crowds, debating what to do. I didn’t want my father to have this girl. He would take away her light, her smile. When I joined the captain, I followed his gaze, and my knees nearly gave out. They found another parahuman. She was beautiful too, with long, blonde hair. Her daughter looked exactly like her, and it was not my mystery girl. The relief I felt made my stomach ache. The captain reported the sighting to my father, but I kept my own sighting a secret from everyone.
How I didn’t recognize her instantly is absurd. When I took the contacts out, I knew it was the same girl. I think it hurt more that she didn’t recognize me. But what would a parahuman like her care about a boy at a carnival? I was only human then.
For now, Sara Braun would stay as she was. I would tell my brothers what I knew, but not yet. I needed to form a new plan. While she was locked up safely in our care, my father couldn’t get to her. And if I could use her to lure him and the other Kings out, we could end their reign once and for all. I shoved the file and the blade back into my desk. The sun was rising, and I changed into a pair of black gym shorts and a white T-shirt. Generally, I went to Radnor’s to workout, but today I’d use our home gym, where we converted one of the larger rooms on the basement level. I stepped out into the hall, pausing in front of the bathroom Sara was currently locked inside. I sensed her heartbeat, steady and even, likely still asleep. My feelings were a mess, and I had the urge to look in on her, but forced the thoughts away.
The others could deal with her for now. Devon was already obsessed with her and he needed to be monitored. Yes, he’d pledged to work with us after the latest developments, but his feelings could impair his judgments. Feelings caused problems, and I sure as fuck didn’t need any more of those.
I texted the others, letting them know I’d be in the gym for the next two hours. I didn’t expect an answer, considering it was just now 5 a.m. Levi was off work the next three days. Between him and Ty, she’d be under our protection. I smirked at the word, protection. Sara Braun was surrounded by monsters, not heroes. She’d find that out soon enough.
After two solid hours in the gym and a long, cold shower, I picked out a simple suit to wear for classes and followed the voices of the others, finding them all in the kitchen. I stopped short at the sight before me. Sara was tied to a chair at the dining table, rope wrapped around her middle and separate ties strapping her ankles to the legs of the chair. Levi was sitting on one side, trying to force feed her a bagel. Devon was scowling on her other side, ignoring his own food.
“Good morning,” I uttered the greeting under my breath, sweeping into the kitchen and ignoring Sara’s lethal gaze.
She looked absolutely delicious tied up, and my cock stirred beneath my boxer briefs at the sight. I poured a cup of coffee and returned to the table, taking the head seat on the opposite end. The smirk on my face only angered our little prisoner further, and I struggled not to laugh.
I raised an eyebrow, indicating her position. “Enjoying your breakfast?”
Sara scowled, and my eyes traveled to her full, edible lips. “Oh yes. Because being strapped to a chair and force fed bagels is every girl’s fucking dream.”
Dev frowned into his coffee as I set my own on the table, arching a single eyebrow. “And why is our houseguest tied to a chair?”
Levi grinned. “Our girl managed to escape her cuffs and punched Ty in the face when he opened the door. It was hot as hell.” He turned to Sara with a wink, caressing her lip with his thumb as he pressed a grape to her mouth. “Open up, babe.”
I couldn’t help but stare as her lips parted gently. Levi groaned, dipping the fruit between her plump lips, and she sucked his thumb in with it. Her eyes locked on mine, mischief dancing in the dark depths, just before she bit down, hard. Levi grunted in pain, ripping his thumb out, and a bark of laughter escaped me before I could stop it. Devon snorted a laugh as Levi sucked his sore thumb into his own mouth.
“Sucks for you, diabla. I like it rough,” Levi growled as his eyes darkened.
I watched him wearily. Levi was a strange creature, easy going and unwaveringly loyal, no one would suspect the monster within. While Ty wore his beast on the outside, most people rarely saw Levi’s daemon. But if they did, it would be the last thing they ever saw.
“Leviathan,” I called his name casually, trying to draw his attention away from the dark angel at our table. “Where is Typhon?”
