Gemini: Book 4 in a Young Adult Paranormal Romance Series (The Zodiac Twin Flame Series) (11 page)

Chapter Thirteen

‘I can’t believe you called. I thought you were avoiding me.’

The older woman tied the rope of her dressing gown as she led me into the hotel bedroom. She had just got out of the bath. Her hair was wrapped in a towel. I was pretty sure she was naked under her robe.

‘I’m sorry about the other night. I had a family emergency,’ I said.

She lounged on the bed, gesturing for me to join her. I paused, not sure if I could do what she wanted.

‘I was a bit baffled when you left me alone at the big game. Especially since I won.’ Her lips were painted bright red. I had called her as soon as I left the bowling alley. She was the only woman that I knew with the amount of money I needed. She may be forty but I had taken many women that age to bed. I could do it again.

‘Well done,’ I muttered, going over to the side of the bed.

Looking down at her, my gaze travelled up her long legs. The wrinkles on her face were few and far between. She obviously used her money to make her appear younger.

Her fingers went to the belt on her robe. I knelt and placed my hand over hers to stop her.

‘Oh, you want to do it yourself, do you?’ Her smile was wide.

When I had called, she had instructed me to go to her hotel immediately. The predator in her had been thwarted in her earlier attempt at getting me to do what she wanted. Now she had her chance, she wasn’t going to lose.

‘I need something from you.’ I sounded like a child. My eyebrows dropped as all sorts of emotions came over me. My heart pounded. I was about to sell myself. Her other hand stroked down my shirt, feeling the flatness of my stomach underneath. A part of me on the inside cried like a little boy. Could I really do this?

‘What is it, darling?’ Her hand travelled further south. I stopped her before she made contact with the button on my trousers. I could do it but I had to be the one in control. I had never had trouble with women before. Old, young…it was all the same.

‘I need a loan.’ I looked her in the eye.

She giggled as she waved her hand in the air. ‘Of course, darling. You can have a loan. Now, come here.’

She knelt up on the bed and twined her hands around my neck. I could do this. It had to be done.

‘I want twenty thousand pounds.’

She froze. Her back went straight as her gaze searched mine.

‘I’ll tell you what,’ she whispered as she relaxed, pressing her body against mine, ‘I will give you twenty thousand pounds for you to be at my beck and call. That way, I get what I want. And you get what you want.’

‘No, I want a loan.’ I was prepared to sleep with her once. I wasn’t sure I could keep doing it.

Her tinkling laugh grated on me. She ran a finger over my jaw. ‘You’re so young. So fresh. Not so innocent but still quite jaded. There’s hope for you.’

Pulling away, she peeled off her dressing gown. Her figure was extremely toned. I swallowed at her nakedness. What deal was I making?

‘No. You can only have the money if you let me give it to you. I like to give gifts.’

‘It’s hardly a gift. Okay but there will be a limit. I’m expensive, you know.’ I grew more confident as her breathing grew heavy. Her chest rose and fell as I spoke. Was I making the worst mistake in my life? I was used to whoring without money but this was a whole new ballgame.

‘How many times do I get the pleasure of your company?’ she demanded.

She liked me taking control. I could tell by the way she submitted to me so quickly. To be an old soul in a young body had its advantages sometimes. Although, maybe it didn’t. An image of Athena popped into my mind. I wouldn’t be cheating on her. We weren’t even together. In fact, I would be saving her.

‘Five nights. That’s it.’

Her eyebrows shot up but she smiled at the same time. ‘You really are expensive. Exclusive to me in that time, I hope?’ She shuffled forward again, reached up and undid the buttons on my shirt.

She wanted me to stay loyal to her because she was paying me? That seemed contradictory. However, I was willing to be hers for five nights only.

‘Deal,’ I stated, grabbing her shoulders and shoving her roughly. She fell back on the bed, laughing as she went.

‘Deal!’ she shouted as I fell on her.

*

‘I’ve got the money.’ I pushed my way into the hotel room.

Athena stepped back when she saw it was me. Her face was clear of makeup. She was beautiful. Her bare skin made her seem vulnerable somehow. She was no longer able to hide from me.

‘How did you get it?’

‘Don’t ask questions, love,’ I replied, placing the bag stuffed full of cash under the bed.

She climbed on top of it, frowning as she watched. ‘Ring Liam and arrange a meeting.’

I couldn’t look her in the eye as I undid my tie. My body was clean and fresh from the shower I had taken before leaving the cougar but my conscious wasn’t.

‘How did you get the money, Gemini?’

I turned towards where she sat on the bed. She had wrapped her sore feet in wet flannels. She wore a pair of ripped jeans and a red strappy top. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail. Moving towards her, I paused when my foot kicked an empty bag on the floor.

‘Natalie took me shopping. I needed another outfit.’

She was painting her nails bright red. They were naturally long. An image of her using them on my back made me move to the mini fridge and take out a can of lager.

‘You don’t need to know where the money came from. I’ll sort it from here but I need you to arrange a meeting.’

I watched out the window, waiting for her reply. The last couple of hours, I had fought with my conscience. Seeing Athena so natural and almost free from fear made me regret my decision. However, the alternative was much worse. I had to swallow it down and get on with it. Once Athena was free to live her life, she would probably forget about me anyway. And I would forget about her.

‘I’m not sure I can speak to him.’

I only just heard what she said. The wobble in her voice made my back stiffen. I needed to put distance between us. It wasn’t fair to expect her to understand why I would sell myself. I wasn’t sure if I could actually keep my mouth shut.

‘Throw me your phone,’ I said, turning from the window.

She caught my eye. I froze. The tears that hovered there were real. The pain she was feeling was probably deeper than I had even imagined. How did I deal with that? I was just a man. I hardly knew her and yet…

The phone hit my chest. It started to fall so I held up my hand and imagined a gust of wind keeping it upright. The phone floated in mid-air as I pulled it to me, using only my mind. I realised my mistake when I glanced up, smiling.

Athena’s mouth hung open. Her eyes were wide and the shock on her face was undeniable. I had shown her my power.

‘What did you just do?’

Getting caught in the act was something I avoided as much as possible. I had managed to distract her from remembering the wind in the garden. Why had I let my guard down?

‘What do you mean? I caught it.’ Maybe if I pleaded ignorance, she would think it was a trick of the mind.

‘No you didn’t. You made it…float.’ She gestured with her hand, copying the same motion I had used.

‘A trick I learnt when I was young. Used to be into magic,’ I said.

She shook her head as she bit her lip. How could she read me so well? There was no way I could let her know the truth. However, I didn’t want to lie to her. Instead of offering an explanation, I dialled Liam’s number.

‘Where are you, Athena?’ he hissed into the phone.

My gaze met hers. The shiver that shook her body didn’t escape my notice. She probably didn’t hear him but the thought of him scared her. I would do anything to keep him from hurting her again.

‘Liam.’

He choked on his words before he managed to clear his throat. ‘I’m going to get you.’

His threat was real. The battering his pride had taken was not going to be easily forgotten.

‘I have your money. Where can we meet?’

Athena blew on her nails absently. The paint had already dried. Her side fringe fell forward when she looked away from me.

‘You think I’m interested in the money?’ Liam’s bark of laughter filtered down the phone.

Athena’s head snapped up. She must have heard it.

Spinning from her, I went to the window and looked out at London.

‘I want to negotiate. I have more money than owed. Will you meet without killing me? Just to talk.’

I rolled my shoulders, stretching my jacket as I did.

‘You want to pay me off?’ The sudden calm of his voice was a good sign. He was interested.

‘Yes, not only me…but Athena, too.’

Her gasp was audible in the room. I ignored it. Not telling her my plan had been part of the plan. I almost wished that I had Liam’s number to arrange the meeting without her in hearing distance.

‘What do you mean?’ Liam’s voice was low.

He knew exactly what I meant.

‘I want to give you money to leave Athena alone. She will no longer be beholden to you.’

The movement of the bed cautioned me but I wasn’t quick enough to turn before a hand hit me over the head.

‘What am I? A piece of meat to be bargained?’

Her scream made Liam laugh down the phone. I ducked as she swung for me again.

‘You don’t know our girl that well, do you? She can be pretty feisty. Why do you think I like her so much?’

I dodged out of the way of the onslaught. She had messed up my hair with the first blow. Running my hand over it, I tried to get it back to normal as I moved away from her.

‘And you’re worried about your hair?!’ She hobbled across the carpet towards me.

‘How much were you thinking?’ Liam asked.

I held up my hand to stop Athena’s advance. ‘Another ten thousand. Twenty grand in total.’

She paused, her eyes growing wide, her head shaking slowly. Her ponytail swung behind her. I raised my eyebrows. If she wanted to be free, it might be the perfect opportunity.

‘She humiliated me by running off with you. However, I no longer want the tart. It’s a deal. You’re both taking up too much of my time.’ Liam said something to someone else in the background. ‘Meet me at Hyde Park, near Marble Arch, in two hours.’

The phone went dead.

‘He agreed.’ I looked at the phone, gobsmacked that it had been so easy.

Athena blinked slowly before she turned away and went to the mini fridge. Pulling out a small bottle of alcohol, she downed it in one. I watched her, waiting for the backlash. It had been brash to bargain for her.

‘I’m sorry-’

‘You really think he’s going to let us get away with it that easily? Are you bloody stupid?’ She sat on her knees, staring at the ground.

I moved across the room and sat on the floor next to her. Reaching up, I stroked the skin on the back of her neck with the tip of my finger. Her hair was pulled into a small band. I resisted the urge to take it down and run my hands through the length of it. She leant away from me, causing my finger to drop.

‘We have to try. He said he no longer wanted you. I thought it would make you happy.’

It had been the only option I could think of. Liam was a gambling man. Maybe a bet would have been a better way to raise his interest. She knew him a lot better than I did.

‘He’ll be waiting with his thugs. He won’t let you get away. Or me. We humiliated him, Gemini. He’s cruel. He…’ Her throat closed, causing her to cough.

I stayed still, unsure of what to do. The memory of the cougar was still on my skin. Trying to comfort Athena wouldn’t be appropriate. In fact, I needed to let her go. Going from one gambler to another was not the best way for her to live her life. She needed someone stable. A man that was capable of settling down. With my lifestyle and mission, I would be useless for her.

‘You stay here while I go and speak to him. I’ll be back soon. I want to meet up with my brothers. I need some backup.’ I got to my feet and retrieved the bag from under the bed.

‘You’re going to leave me here?’

Athena jumped up quickly. I reached for the door. Arms wrapped around me from behind as she flung her body onto my back. I dropped the bag and spun, trying to dislodge her.

‘What are you doing?’

She grunted when I threw her on the bed. Bouncing on the mattress, she went to rear up again. I fell forward, my whole weight landing on her. I grunted as she tried to shove me off. I was too strong. Her clenched fists came towards my head. I grabbed her forearms, sliding my hands to her fists. Forcing my fingers between hers, I pinned her hands above her head on the bed.

‘Why are you attacking me?’

Our breath mingled together. Her eyes watered when I stared into them. There was only an inch between our faces. She blinked rapidly as she gave up the fight and slumped beneath me.

‘Why are you trying to buy me?’ she said quietly.