Aries: Book 2 in a Young Adult Paranormal Romance Series (The Zodiac Twin Flame Series) (16 page)

Chapter Twenty Four

‘When I tell you to go in, you’ve got to be quiet.’ I looked at the small group.

They nodded and watched me for direction. Some of the others waited a few streets away, just in case they were needed. Gemini and Taurus watched the hotel in London. They confirmed that Nick had entered.

The house that supposedly held my father, was further out of London than I realised. Open fields surrounded the property. I had to work out how many of Nick’s men were in position.

‘What if we can’t find him?’ Scorpio asked.

I refused to believe that it could be the case. I had been impatient when I had seen Cancer’s text message. I had rushed straight to the address, instead of taking more time to scope out the place.

‘This is the best chance we’ve had all year. Cancer, you’re coming with me.’ I grabbed her arm when she went to back away.

‘I still don’t know if we can trust her,’ Scorpio said.

We crouched behind a bush. It was tall enough to cover us. It also sheltered the house from the road. I looked around the greenery but couldn’t see anyone in the garden. There was no movement or lights in the detached cottage. It was getting dark. The sun had sunk below the horizon. The cool evening air surrounded us.

‘I can’t come,’ Cancer pleaded.

I resisted the urge to squeeze her arm. Her confession had silenced us. Did she have any idea what she was implying? We couldn’t contradict her without seeing them together but it was highly unlikely that one of Nick’s men was her soulmate.

‘You don’t have a choice. If your soulmate…’ I almost choked on the word, ‘…is in there, we can use you to bargain with him.’

She gasped and so did the others. Scorpio and Leo shook their heads.

‘Not like that! Just trust me, will you?’ I hissed.

I was hardly going to swap Cancer for our father, although a part of me was tempted. She was the reason Leo had got stabbed. She was lucky that he hadn’t been seriously hurt.

‘Don’t you see what you’ve done?’ I gestured towards Leo’s leg.

‘I didn’t know he was going to do that. He promised he wouldn’t hurt anyone. He said he would go quietly,’ she sobbed.

I shook her gently so she stopped the theatrics. I didn’t mind a bit of excitement but I couldn’t understand why women cried.

‘Can we stop gossiping and get on with it?’ Scorpio said.

I reached into the back of my jeans and took out the gun that Antony had lent me. Being a bodyguard, he owned a couple of them. I didn’t actually need one. I could use my fire. But I had brought it, just in case.

‘Please don’t shoot anyone,’ Cancer said.

I glanced at Leo. He shook his head as he scowled. ‘Aries won’t…I will.’

Leo took the gun from me. I frowned but let him have it. I wasn’t inclined to use it, although I would be happy to shoot if needed. Leo wasn’t usually the vengeful type. I was shocked when he checked to see if the gun was loaded.

‘Have you ever shot a gun?’ Scorpio asked him.

Leo handed it back to me. ‘No. I just wanted to see how it felt.’

The metal of the handle felt heavy in my palm. Fire was my weapon but I liked having the gun as a warning.

‘Let’s go.’ I darted around the bush, dragging Cancer with me.

The others spread out and followed. We circled the house and crept over the lawn. As we approached, I crouched below a window. My legs held me well. I felt amazing. It was the first time I had been able to walk around for a long time.

I enjoyed the power that washed over me as I rose up to look into the house. I had the gun in one hand and Cancer’s arm in the other.

‘You’re hurting me,’ she whispered, trying to ply me off her. ‘I won’t run off.’

I didn’t trust anyone. I was engrossed. I ignored her as I investigated my surroundings. There was no one in the kitchen but I heard talking somewhere in the house.

Pulling on Cancer’s arm, I moved to the next window. I caught sight of Leo further along as he gestured to another window. He was letting me know that there was someone in the room. I stuck up my thumb, hoping he could see me in the dim light and approached the back door. We were going to storm the house to search high and low. We had nothing to lose. We would get out of there before anyone else came. I placed my palm on the handle of the door and slowly pulled it down. It clicked open. I smiled back at Cancer. She didn’t return the smile; instead she scowled and tried to shove me away. I glared at her until she went still.

‘How long did you say he would be?’

Mother’s voice drifted out to me. She wasn’t in the kitchen. She must have been in a nearby room.

‘As long as it takes to move your husband to the new house. They took him an hour ago. I’m going to torch this house in about…ten minutes. So you better get out of here.’

I froze. They had already moved Father. Mother had spoken about the possibility that they would move him but I thought she would have warned us.

I glanced at Cancer. She frowned at me. I gestured at Leo to join us. We needed to search the house to make sure that Father wasn’t there and to pick up any clues.

‘Mother’s in there,’ I whispered.

He nodded and waited for me to push the door open. It was silent as it swung inwards, letting us gain access without drawing attention.

‘Where have they taken him?’ Mother asked.

My attention was drawn to a door in the corner. It was slightly ajar. It was where the voices came from. The man chuckled as a footstep indicated that someone in the room had moved. ‘Why do you want to know?’

I scanned the kitchen again but it was clear. I didn’t want to make a sound. I handed Cancer to Leo. She was coming in with us. I recognised the voice of her man. If it was definitely him, I was going to do him some damage.

‘I want to be kept informed,’ Mother said.

‘What do I get for keeping you informed?’ the man asked.

I edged towards the door. My shoes were silent on the lino floor. I was surprised, and pleased, that my legs worked so well. I was so engrossed, I had forgotten they weren’t even real.

‘I’m twice your age!’ Mother spat.

He chuckled again. I looked over my shoulder to see Cancer cringe. She waited with Leo by the worktop.

‘And I’m married, so what?’ the man said.

I heard shuffling in the room as I got closer to the door.

‘Don’t be so absurd,’ Mother exclaimed.

I pushed the door open silently and aimed my gun. As soon as I had sight of the man, I swung it towards his back. He was facing away from me.

Mother saw me. Her eyes widened but she quickly glanced away.

‘Step away from my mother,’ I said in a low voice.

The man jumped away from her as he spun towards me. ‘Hello again.’

The gun was aimed at his chest but he still took a step towards the desk in the corner. The room was full of books. It would be a shame to let the house burn down.

‘Stay still,’ I demanded.

I didn’t want to use the gun. The blast would draw attention to us if there was anyone else in the house.

‘You look good on those legs.’ He brushed against the desk.

Taking a hand away from the gun, I felt the rush of energy as I pulled fire into my palm and threw it towards his outstretched arm. It hit him. He yelped, jumping away from the desk. Cradling his singed arm, he frowned at me. The smell of burnt flesh filtered into my nose. I couldn’t help the smile that came to my lips.

‘You stabbed my brother!’

I stepped into the office.

Mother didn’t move. She hadn’t been expecting us to storm in. The look on her face showed that she was glad I was there.

‘You would have done the same in my shoes,’ he said.

A movement behind me threw me off guard. Cancer had got free and was striding straight into the room.

‘How could you?’ she blurted, pushing past me.

I let her go. The man’s eyes widened.

‘Cancer, I…’ he stuttered.

She approached him and raised her hand. The sound of the stinging slap rang out. I didn’t stop her as she lifted her hand to strike a second time. I turned to see Leo shrugging at me.

‘Go and search the house.’ I told him.

He nodded and backed away. I shut us in the office and glanced at my mother. She stared at my legs with tears in her eyes.

‘I had to get out,’ the man said to Cancer.

She stood in front of him with her hands on her hips. He tried to reach out to her but she batted him away. Maybe she had been telling the truth.

‘You’re married?’

I heard the hitch in her voice but couldn’t see her face. Her blonde hair was longer now and had fallen forward, covering her face.

‘Yes, I’m married,’ he muttered, hanging his head.

Mother lowered herself into a chair and released the breath she had been holding. I was surprised at how calm everyone was. The man worked for Nick, and Cancer was having a conversation with him.

‘What about everything you said?’

I couldn’t believe that my sister had been foolish enough to fall for the man. He was at least ten years older than her, and he worked for our enemy.

‘I meant it,’ he whispered.

I glanced past my sister to look at his face. He wasn’t lying. I could see it in the way he looked at her. She was a young, pretty girl. He probably felt flattered that someone like her would take an interest.

‘Why didn’t you tell me you were married?’

He straightened his back and sat forward. ‘I needed to get away… I…’

‘No!’

She shook her head violently. Tears sat on the bottom of her eyelids.

She had only spent a few weeks with the man. What was wrong with her?

‘That will do. We have more important things to discuss.’ I stepped forward.

She spun away from him and stood in front of me. Her head tilted up as she craned her neck to look me in the face. Her small frame was almost half my height.

‘I’m fed up with being bossed around by you. Just because you have your twin flame, doesn’t mean you can control us. I’m talking to him and that’s that!’

My mouth dropped open but I didn’t say anything. She huffed and went back to the man she believed was hers.

‘Please, will you tell me where my father is?’ she asked him. Her voice was soft and her muscles relaxed.

The man looked at his hands and blinked a few times. He smiled up at her and nodded. ‘If you forgive me, I will tell you.’

I lowered my gun. There was no threat from him the whole time she was in the room. Maybe she had been telling the truth.

‘Aries, there’s no one else here,’ Leo called from the kitchen.

I glanced at Mother. She pointedly looked at the couple in the room but I ignored her. I wasn’t going to leave them alone. He could use the way she felt about him to his advantage.

‘There’s no one here. I’ve got to torch the house before I go.’ He was talking to me but didn’t take his gaze away from Cancer. ‘This can never be,’ he said as he reached out to her.

She let him take her hand. She stroked the blister that had formed on his skin. My fireball had hit him exactly where I intended. I tried to ignore the blast of pride that washed over me when he flinched.

‘I know,’ she whispered back.

Mother blinked. I didn’t understand why. I still wasn’t convinced that he was her twin flame soulmate. Why would he be working with Nick if that was the case?

‘Is everything okay in there?’ Leo called.

‘We’re coming,’ I called gesturing for Mother to go to him.

She stood but didn’t do as I said.

‘Where is my husband?’ she asked the man.

He let go of Cancer’s hand and looked away from her. She stepped back, hovered for a second, and then spun to leave.

‘Wait, Cancer!’ he called.

She froze but didn’t turn to him.

‘You can be happy. Just remember to be happy,’ he said.

She shook her head and left, leaving the door wide open.

‘Tell us where our father is, and I’ll let you go,’ I said.

Mother gasped. I didn’t react. There was no point in holding him anymore. Something had passed between my sister and the man. I had to respect that. Even if I wanted to put a bullet through his head.

‘He’s been taken to Bournemouth.’

I frowned and glanced at Mother. A look of recognition was on her face. She knew exactly where he was. I was relieved but there was something else that had to be done.

‘Mother…?’ I said gently.

She turned to me and nodded, before looking back at the man. ‘Give Nick a message from me. Tell him that I’m with my children, and I’m never coming back.’

A part of me wanted to end the message she had given him right there. I had to force myself to take my finger off the trigger as I kept the gun aimed at the man. He nodded once but didn’t move.