Gemini: Book 4 in a Young Adult Paranormal Romance Series (The Zodiac Twin Flame Series) (10 page)

‘Liam might be keeping track of your transactions,’ I said, trying to keep my rising voice low.

She blinked before tears sprung to her eyes. I didn’t want to put her down. Her feet would most likely be bleeding. If the receptionist saw it, she might start to question us. Athena’s feet hung away from the desk.

‘Are you okay?’ the receptionist asked.

Athena shook her head. ‘I’m not feeling well.’

My head spun as Athena reached into my jacket pocket and handed my card over. It felt like déjà vu. I recalled Antony telling us the story of when Pisces had jumped in the Thames, almost freezing herself. He’d taken her to a hotel. I found myself in a very similar situation.

‘I hope you feel better soon,’ the receptionist said as we gave our thanks and made our way to the room.

As soon as the door closed behind us, I dropped Athena on the bed. I was strong but my arms ached terribly. Hunting around, I searched for a container of some sort. There wasn’t anything. She was silent as I pottered about.

Going into the bathroom, I filled the bath with a little bit of warm water before going back and picking her up again.

‘What are you doing?’ she murmured, burying her head against my chest.

I cleared my throat as the small gesture made my heart thump. ‘Sorting your feet.’

She kept quiet as I sat her on the side of the bath. Lowering her feet into the water, she gasped when they connected with the warmth.

‘That bloody hurts,’ she mumbled.

Getting a flannel, I soaked it, wringing out the water. ‘You owe me two dates now.’

The click of her tongue made me look up as I leant over the bath. I picked up one foot and gently washed away the grime and blood. The skin on the bottom of her feet was rubbed raw and grazed in places. I felt bad for making her leave her shoes.

‘I can’t believe…after everything…’

She shook her head, obviously too tired to berate me. It was true, though. I had saved her twice in one day. Surely she could pay me back.

‘What’s wrong with that? Don’t tell me you’re not tempted.’

Lifting up the other foot, I scrubbed her grubby heel. Athena slapped my arm when I rubbed a bit too hard.

‘That hurts!’

The grin that came to my lips was unexpected. ‘You like it, don’t you? Me tending to your wounds.’

Rolling her eyes, she looked down into the now dirty water. ‘Is everything you say and do to try and get someone into bed? It sure feels that way.’

I barked a laugh. Her forthright words were not a bad judgement of my character. So what if I was a charmer? I couldn’t help it.

‘What’s wrong with trying to make you feel better?’ That’s all I was doing, wasn’t it? She felt bad so I was making her feel better. I wasn’t being serious. Although, I would be taking her out on a date. She had no choice in that matter.

‘Everything seems to be an innuendo with you.’ She tugged out the plug and watched the water drain away.

‘Innuendo? I don’t even know what that means,’ I joked, picking up a towel.

Athena spun her legs over the bath and placed them on the floor. I bent in front of her and started to dry her wounded feet.

‘I’m never going to get away from him, am I?’

Her whisper made me pause. She was right. People didn’t treat Liam the way we had without consequences. He wasn’t a nice man. He was a thug.

‘I need to run away.’ She pushed herself to her feet, biting her bottom lip hard when the pain was too much. Picking her up again, I backed out of the bathroom and put her on the bed.

‘Right now, we need some food. And rest. We’ll think about it tomorrow.’

The memory of Antony telling me a very similar scenario came into my head. I couldn’t understand why I kept thinking about it. It had been almost two years since it had happened. Pisces and Antony had harmonised a long time ago.

‘Do you have a girlfriend?’ Athena asked as I took out the room service menu and scanned it.

Aries’ words came back to me. There was no way she was my twin flame. I avoided looking at her as I made my selection and handed her the menu. ‘No, I don’t,’ I snapped, impatient to order now that I knew what I wanted.

She glared at me before taking her time to read the menu. It was pitch black outside. I strolled to the window and looked out over the Thames.

‘You don’t relax easily, do you?’ she said, throwing the menu at me.

It hit my arm and slid to the floor. I bent to pick it up and went over to the phone on the bedside table.

‘Do you want anything?’

She wanted burger and chips. The same choice as me. When I had made the order, I shrugged off my jacket and went back to the window. I clenched my phone in my hand. None of my brothers had rung to see if I was okay. Did that mean they had been attacked too?

‘Why don’t you come and sit down?’ Athena said, patting the mattress.

The corner of my lip quirked without permission.

‘Not like that! Gosh, your mind is constantly in the gutter.’

I laughed as I dialled Taurus. It rang once before he answered.

‘Where are you? I thought I’d wait for you to ring me. What took so long?’ His worried tone confirmed what I already knew. My hard, down to earth brother actually cared about me. Ever since Kerry had come into his life, he had been getting softer by the day. It was good to see.

‘We’re in a hotel. Safe for now. I’ve ordered something to eat. I’m starving.’

‘Me, too!’ Athena shouted.

Glancing over my shoulder, I winked at her. She didn’t even know who I was talking to. Her acceptance of my family and the little she knew of it was encouraging.

Taurus grunted on the end of the line. ‘You’re not dead, then?’

The question made me blink. ‘Would I be talking to you if I was dead? Did you get the message to Mother?’

The television in the hotel room burst into life. I swung to Athena. She stretched her neck to the side and shrugged as she pointed the remote control and muted the sound.

‘Yes. She’s going to stay at Fathers’. That’s weird, isn’t it? It would be awful for her if Father made love to Bev when she was in the house. It would be like if Sophie was still alive…ow! Kerry just hit me.’ Taurus laughed.

Shaking my head, I looked out of the window again. Watching Athena inspect her injured feet was making me think all sorts of inappropriate things. Her leg was bent on the bed. The dress she wore wasn’t designed for that kind of flexibility. She had no clue that it had ridden high up her legs.

‘You’re disgusting, mate,’ I said, trying to get the image of her out of my mind.

‘Anyway. Aries said to stay where you are tonight. We’ll have a think and speak to you tomorrow.’

I glanced at the clock. It was getting late. I had no idea how I was going to get us out of the mess we were in.

‘Okay. I’ll speak to you tomorrow.’ As I hung up the phone, someone knocked on the door. I opened it, grinning when I faced a pretty girl holding a tray with two covered plates on it. She handed it to me. I smiled at her, winking when her cheeks turned red.

‘You’re the biggest flirt I’ve ever seen,’ Athena commented when I put the tray on the bed. Climbing onto the other side, I lifted the cover off one plate and picked up the burger. Taking a big bite, I ignored her comment.

‘You’re a pig,’ she said, doing exactly the same thing.

I grinned through my mouthful. She returned the smile, and for a moment, it was peaceful between us. We hardly knew each other but it felt like a lifetime had passed since she’d first come up to me in the casino.

‘What are we going to do?’ Athena asked.

I swallowed my mouthful as I watched her chew. Who was she? Something inside made me want to find out. Where had she come from? And most importantly, why was she now an important person in my life?

‘Tomorrow, we’re going to see Liam.’

Chapter Twelve

‘I don’t think that’s a good idea,’ Aries said.

He stood by the front desk, waiting in line. We had just joined him in the bowling alley.

‘How else are we going to stop him from chasing us? I will get his money somehow but I need more time.’

Athena linked her arm through mine. I glanced down at her upturned face. She blinked, causing her fake eyelashes to hit the top of her cheeks. It was a good job she carried a big bag with her. The amount of makeup she put on her face made me laugh. She didn’t need it, she was beautiful. Nothing I said made her feel better, though. She still plastered the stuff on.

‘You need to try and win it now. We can’t bail you out. You’ve been so wrapped up in yourself this week, you haven’t really made an effort to raise the cash.’ Aries glared at the woman serving as she leant over the desk.

‘I’m not sure if you can play with those,’ she said, looking at his titanium legs.

Seeing his back straighten, I pushed Aries out of the way. ‘He can put any type of shoes on those, including bowling shoes. I suggest you let him play. We wouldn’t want to complain to the-’

‘Of course he can play,’ an older man interrupted. ‘In fact, he can have a free game.’

Aries nodded his thanks before strolling over to the shoes. We followed slowly.

‘You’re playing.’ Aries gestured to us both.

I shook my head. ‘Don’t be stupid. I’ve got to sort out my life.’

Aries’ eyes narrowed on me. He looked at Athena, his gaze calculating the whole of her. I didn’t know whether to be pleased that he was checking her out or angry that he even dared.

‘I have a few things to tell you. I’m sure Natalie would like to meet Athena.’ Aries gestured to the alley where Natalie waited with her hands on her hips.

Athena couldn’t play, her feet were too sore. I left her sitting with Natalie as we started to play a quick game.

‘What did you want to tell me?’ I asked as I picked up a ball.

Aries bounced on his prosthetics. His frame was taller than my own and twice the size. How his legs held his weight often baffled me. He was pure muscle.

‘Nick has been sniffing around. Matt has-’

‘Crap! I completely forgot about him. What’s happened with him?’ How could my brain have forgotten the married man that Cancer was in love with?

‘Brothers! Be prepared to get your arses whipped!’

I turned to see Leo circling his hips in an uncoordinated type of dance. My gaze shot to Athena. Her eyes widened as she watched my brother swagger over to us.

‘You wish, bellend. It’s time to meet your bowling maker.’ Aries picked up a ball and went over to the lane. Swinging his arm back, he threw the ball as hard as he could. I raised my hand, about to send a puff of wind in the ball’s general direction. Leo put his arm around my shoulders.

‘No cheating! You have an unfair advantage. Just because you can control air, doesn’t mean you can use that skill on us.’

Athena was speaking to Natalie. They pointed at Leo’s tattoos. The taller man was covered in them. They told a story but I never listened when he drunkenly pointed at each one.

‘Aries, tell me about Matt,’ I said when he started to hump the air after getting a strike.

He ran over to Natalie and grabbed the back of her head. ‘Every strike, I get a kiss!’ he declared, crushing his mouth to hers.

She giggled when he let go and ran a circle around us.

‘Okay, my turn,’ Leo shouted.

Aries came and stood next to me as Leo went in search of a ball that he liked. He wanted an orange one to match his bracelet. Lifting my arm, I studied the white leather bracelet on my wrist. If we all united with our twin flame, would the bond be broken? Would the bracelet fall away? I wanted to get rid of the thing so I couldn’t be tied to anything. But then, I had purpose. How many people struggled to find purpose? At least I had a very clear idea of what it was I needed to do.

‘Matt is at Fathers’. He voluntarily agreed to be sectioned by us.’

‘Sectioned?’

We looked over at the women. They gossiped, engrossed in their conversation. Athena laughed. Her perfectly straight white teeth revealed as she squeezed Natalie’s hand. She had already won over my future sister in law. Would she need to get to know the others, too?

‘Yeah. He’s agreed to be locked in Father’s house with no contact to the outside world. In exchange, we keep him safe until we can work out what to do with him. We can use him to communicate with Nick. He’s done working for him.’

Leo waltzed over, showing off his ball to the girls. They shook their heads as he turned and did the moonwalk across the lane.

‘Are you talking about Matt?’ he asked, catching the end of Aries’ sentence.

‘He’s actually going through a divorce so Father is taking him to his appointments. Cancer hasn’t been to visit him. I’m not sure what’s going on there.’ Aries grinned when Leo’s ball went into the gutter.

‘Strike out!’ I called.

‘That’s not in bowling,’ Leo whinged, going over to the girls to commiserate.

I went over to collect a ball. Athena wolf whistled when I bent over to reach the best one. My eyebrows rose as I turned to look at her. ‘Come over here and do that.’

She shook her head quickly and giggled with Natalie.

‘Athena, goddess of war,’ I said to Aries as I gestured towards the women.

Going to the end of the lane, I threw the ball as hard as I could. It sped across the floor and crashed into the skittles, making them fly everywhere.

‘What?’ Leo exclaimed as the last one fell.

I walked back to Aries, intent on asking him a question about Matt. Opening my mouth, I suddenly spun back to Athena. ‘Does the strike deal work with us?’

Her mouth dropped open. Aries patted me on the back. Natalie bit her lip to stop herself from laughing.

Going over to Athena, I put my hand into her long hair and leant down. My mouth hovered above hers, testing to see whether she would pull away. Her breath was held but she didn’t move. Her whole body froze as I looked into her eyes. Questioning with just a gaze.

‘I will never force you,’ I whispered, standing straight as I let her go.

Her throat moved as a sad smile crossed her face. ‘Thank you.’

Going back to Aries, I cleared my throat. ‘So, Matt has no personal contact with Nick?’

I avoided looking in the direction of the women. I needed to clear my head and try to sort out my problems more than I needed to play with Athena.

‘No. Only what we’ve told him to say. Father has been spending time with him. He says he’s a decent man. I’m not so sure.’ Aries grabbed a ball off Leo and went to take his shot.

‘You said Nick’s been sniffing around?’ I asked.

Leo put a hand on my shoulder and leant towards my ear. ‘Is she your recent bird? She’s hot.’

Watching Aries take his second go, I debated what to tell my brother. She wasn’t my recent woman but I wanted her to be. I had no idea what drew me to her. Her beauty was undeniable but I wasn’t the type to be devoted. Not yet, anyway. I was only twenty-two.

‘Aquarius has tracked Nick to a couple of casinos that you’ve been to in the last few weeks. He may be searching for you. He’s gone into the casino, stayed for about an hour and left. We’re not sure of his motive.’ Aries punched Leo lightly on the arm when the musician looked up at the scoreboard and raised his eyebrows at Aries’ last score.

‘I’m going to beat you,’ Leo declared as he grabbed a ball to take his shot.

Not only did I have to run away from Liam, I now had to worry about Nick. Was there anyone else that wanted to kill me?

It would work out. I would make the money at another big game. I had no choice. Well, I did have a choice. If I lost another game, I literally would be dead. Either Liam, or whoever I lost to, would end my life. What to do…what to do.

‘Well, previously, Nick’s started coming around when the others first met their twin flame,’ I mumbled quietly.

Aries glanced at Athena. My gaze followed his. She crossed her legs as she gestured with her hands to whatever she was telling Natalie. I hadn’t even taken her to bed. How would I know if she was the one for me before that? I shouldn’t be such a man…I should respect her enough to want to get to know her first. Scrap that, when I had laid in bed as far away from her as I could the night before, it had taken pure willpower not to reach out to her.

Leo hit the skittles, yelling in excitement when he did. We laughed as he attempted a celebratory robot dance. It didn’t work.

‘Aries. I need to go and sort out this money. Will you take care of Athena?’

It was a lot to ask him. He saw me as a failure. My one big loss had changed my life completely. How the hell was I going to make it work for me? It was the end of the world. I couldn’t fix the problem. I was never going to win back that sort of money. I didn’t have anything to put down in the first place.

‘Of course. She’s safe here for a while. I’ll drag them both for something to eat before taking her back to the hotel.’

I clasped his shoulder for a second before going over to Athena. ‘I’ve got to go and do something.’

‘Are you leaving me?’ Her smile left her face as the colour in her cheeks drained away.

I couldn’t help the grin that came. ‘Are you that heartbroken about not being in my company?’

She raised one perfectly plucked eyebrow. Natalie left us to speak to her man. Taking her seat, I stroked Athena’s cheek. The soft glow returned under my touch. She seemed more innocent than I had originally believed. She was with a hard man. Her skin needed to be thick. Not only to protect her from his nasty words but from the beatings, too.

‘Don’t panic. I won’t be long. I’ve got to go and get this money.’

Her throat moved as she swallowed. ‘How are you going to do that? Liam will have his men in every casino.’

Grabbing my arm, she pulled my hand away from her cheek and clasped it between hers.

‘Leave it to me. Aries will take you and Natalie for lunch. I’ll meet you back at the hotel later. Don’t worry. It’s going to be okay.’

I wasn’t sure if I was as confident as I sounded. There had to be a way that I could not only free myself from debt but also free Athena from Liam. Forever.

‘I don’t think I’ll ever be free,’ she whispered.

I wanted to wipe away the tears that hovered on her eyelids. The sorrow that emanated from her was tangible. Her feeling of being trapped wrapped around me. I would never let Liam hurt her. He had caused her enough pain. It was time that their bond was broken.

‘I promise that I will do everything I can to get you away from him.’ It was the only reassurance I could give her. There were no guarantees.

She nodded, smiling softly. Why she put her trust in me, I didn’t know. Now that I had it, I had to make a sacrifice to accomplish my goal.

‘Gemini. The clock is ticking,’ Aries said, gesturing to the big clock on the wall.

Turning my head back to Athena, I froze when she leant forward and planted her lips against mine. The kiss was hard. Demanding. She had fire inside her. Her fear had dampened it but as her hand ran through my styled hair, I felt the burn of her passion. Her desperation.

‘Get a room,’ Leo moaned from the lane.

Our lips meshed together. Usually, I would have forced her mouth open with my tongue but I didn’t need to. The pressure of her lips against mine and the sound of our breathing as we inhaled through our noses was enough to send my body into adrenaline.

She let go of my mouth but kept her face right in front of mine. Her eyes were closed. Our breath mingled together as we stayed that way. Her hand squeezed the back of my head. I hadn’t even had a chance to touch her with my hands. They sat on my lap.

‘Sorry,’ she mumbled.

My heart rate slowed as I smiled. ‘Don’t be.’

I kissed her very gently for a split second. She released me completely and I got to my feet. My knees were a little weak. No woman had ever kissed me the way she had. Her cheeks were red as I waved goodbye to the others and left them. It felt like I had been branded.

I swallowed down my doubts about the move I was about to make. If Athena found out, she wouldn’t want to know me. Something had started between us. I didn’t know what, or how serious it could be, but I would never let her know what I was about to do.