Bound by Sin: The Beginning of a Prophecy (Prophecy #3) (4 page)

The man
stared at me before grabbing the handle of the door.

“Did you hear me
, you asshole? Tell me what happened to my friend!”

The officer drew in a long breath. I watched his fingers tighten on the knob and he closed his eyes, trying to control the anger that my name-calling caused. He shook his head, and said, “I’m sorry,” as he pulled the door closed behind him.

Brooke

Chapter Four

I woke up to Gavin reaching across my lap to fasten my seatbelt. My eyes strained to focus, and I realized that those dreams weren’t dreams. All those things had actually happened. I was on a plane, running from – I wasn’t even sure
what
we were running from.

Gavin’s mouth curved up into a sweet smile. “
We’re about to land, love.” He kissed my cheek tenderly and sat back in his seat. Grabbing my hand, he rubbed his thumb across it slowly, reassuringly.

When the wheels hit the pavement
, the cabin jumped and Gavin squeezed my hand, causing me to look up at him. A serious look had fallen over his eyes. “You
cannot
leave my side. For any reason. I want you to keep your hand on me at all times.” His plump lip rolled underneath his teeth. “I can’t risk losing you.”

A tendril of hair had fallen in front of his face and I push
ed it away. I had so many questions and I was beyond confused but simply said, “Okay.”

When we were instructed to exit the plane
, Gavin stood up and pulled the strap to his duffel bag across his chest. Reaching back, he grabbed onto me.

“Don’t let go of me. If I need to use my hand and must let go of yours, I want you to grab onto my side, my arm, my back – some part of me where I can still feel the warmth of you
r skin. Understood, love?”

I tried to swallow down the fear that
was swelling inside me. “Yes.”

Gavin’s grip tightened on my hand and we walked down the aisle to exit.

My heart was drumming, pounding furiously. I could feel my neck pulsating from the adrenaline that was ferociously coursing through my veins. The thud of my heart echoed in my ears, my breath sounded raspy and harsh, and my feet felt like they weighed a hundred pounds as I followed Gavin out into the open, stark whiteness of London-Gatwick Airport.

The voices
resonated up into the tall, arched ceilings. Panic struck me as we emerged into a sea of strangers. There was no way to avoid bumping into people as we made our way to the luggage carousel. Each strange touch sent fear searing through my body because I had no idea who I should be afraid of. Gavin pulled me in closer to him, placing his arm possessively around my waist. We stopped in front of the belt and waited for our luggage to come around. My eyes scanned the people crowded around, wondering how many individuals I’d encountered on a daily basis who were demons, vampires, or fallen souls. The world now had a permanent dark cloud cast over it in my mind.

My gaze halted when it met with t
he steadfast stare of a man standing on the opposite side of the carousel. His eyes narrowed, the glassiness of them making them seem so empty. He was dressed in a business suit and standing completely still, almost like a statue, just watching me. I shifted, leaning down just a bit, and saw the man’s eyes follow me.

“Gavin,” my voice barely
came out, “that man over there –”

Gavin locked
his eyes with the strange man, his chest expanding and quickly deflating as his fingers dug into my side. He pulled me against him so tightly I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to draw my next breath in.

Continuing
to stare at the man, Gavin’s gaze never faltered as he spoke to me. “You’ll need to pull your suitcase so that I can keep one hand on you.”

The
somber deepness in his voice terrified me. “Who is that?” I whispered.

“A
Guardian,” he said in a deep growl.

“Are they –
”

He shook me
gently in an effort to make me stop speaking. “I don’t know.”

I
kept taking quick glances at the man in the suit, who was still staring at us. “Let’s go,” Gavin said as he reached across and pulled his bag from the belt.

Following
him toward the large glass wall at the end of the airport, I took a swift look over my shoulder, and the man had disappeared into the crowd. My palm was wet from my brooding anxiety and the hold Gavin had on it. His knuckles dug into my fingers as he gripped my hand tighter. We stepped out into the overcast afternoon light. A slight drizzle of rain was falling and there was a bitter chill in the air. I watched as Gavin's breath turned into small white puffs that floated off behind his shoulder, blending in with the grey sky. A black taxi, that resembled a mobster car from the 1940s, pulled up and Gavin opened the door for me. He placed our luggage in the trunk and climbed into the back of the taxi, still clutching his duffel bag.

The grey-
haired cab driver turned and glanced at us. "Where to, chap?"

Anxiously running
his hands down the front of his legs, Gavin rolled his tongue across his lips. I could tell his mind was racing, trying to figure out where we were going. Glancing up into the rearview mirror, he smiled and said, "The Berkeley."

"Very well."
The cab driver nodded and put the car in drive.

The ca
b pulled away from the curb, the wet tires humming as it slowly picked up speed. Gavin was facing out the window, his fingers curled around his chin, his elbow resting on his knee. I turned to stare out my window. The rolling green hills that surrounded the highway reminded me of when I'd come to England with my family a few years before. The sight of those hills had sent a rush of excitement through me then, but this time, I felt nothing as I stared out at the gorgeous landscape.

I was emotionally drained and numb, yet with each thump of my heart
, terror managed to course its way through me.

Gavin

Chapter Five

The taxi
pulled up in front of the Berkeley and I looked over at Brooke. Even under the circumstances, I knew that this hotel would please her. Her eyes widened as she peered in through the double-glass doors. The hotel was exquisitely decorated and sophisticated.

"Wait here
, until I get the bags," I said as I paid the driver.

Exiting, I
quickly drank in the surroundings. This country was the place I'd called home for the better portion of my existence. Something about the charm, about the history had drawn me here.

I s
tudied the faces passing by. No one seemed to be staring. There was no one lurking around the hotel. Pulling the bags from the trunk, I shifted the weight of my duffel bag so it wouldn't get caught in the trunk as I slammed it shut. I walked around to the side of the car and pulled open the door, reaching down to help Brooke out.

We
climbed the concrete stairs and the doorman let us in.

"Oh
– my God!" Brooke gasped as we entered.

"Lovely, isn't it? I thought you might like it."

I glanced down at her, and for the first time since she'd seen me with Ashley's lifeless body draped across my arms, she smiled from happiness.

The man behind th
e counter forced a grin as we approached the counter.

"Do you have a reservation
, sir?"

I released my hold on the suitcase. My
other hand still held Brooke as I used my free hand to retrieve my wallet from my pocket. "No. Afraid not. This was an impromptu trip," I said. “I hope that won’t be a problem?”

The man
looked annoyed. I knew our appearance made him question whether or not we could afford such an extravagant hotel.

Letting out a
short laugh, I said, "I thought a spur-of-the-moment trip to London would be romantic." I looked back at Brooke and smiled.

The man
coughed, peering at us over his thin, silver-rimmed glasses. "Ah, I see. Where did you travel from?"

"The States."

"That's quite a trip!" The man paused, "And what type of room would you like?"

"Something with a balcony."

"How many nights?" he asked.

"Three
. We'll be leaving for France later this week."

“Is cost something we should
–
worry
about?” The man asked. One side of his mouth twitching up into a mocking grin.

Raising one brow and giving
him a closed mouth grin, I said, “Price means nothing to me.”

"I'll need your ID. The total due at checkout will be 13,000 pounds. You'll pay 6
,500 now and the remaining balance will be paid upon checkout."

Handing
the man my card, I peered out the corner of my eye at Brooke, certain she was trying to convert that amount to American dollars. A slight drop occurred in her jaw and I knew that she had realized just how expense this hotel was. I drew in a slight breath and glanced back at the man behind the marble counter.

He handed me a receipt and I scrawled my signature across the line.

“Enjoy your stay at the Berkeley, Dr. Hunter.”

I sm
iled casually and nodded.

Immediately, a
young and awkwardly tall bellman scurried over and took our luggage. “I’ll take that bag from your shoulder, sir,” he said as he placed his hands on the strap.

I shook my head. “No, that’s quite al
l right. I’ll hold on to this one.”

As w
e followed him to the elevators, I pulled Brooke’s hand to my lips and tenderly pressed them to her skin. “It will all work out. I promise,” I tried to reassure her, although I knew damn well there was nothing that could be done to stop the series of events that had been put into action.

Making our way down a long hallway, we stopped outside
the large wooden door of the Opus Suite.

Th
e boy fiddled with the card key and pushed the large door open. The perfect climate swept around me and the pleasing aroma of fresh linens invaded my nostrils. The floor to the entranceway was marble and the walls were paneled with exotic wood. The back wall lead to hallways on either side of an abstract piece of art. The overhead light shone down on the figure that eerily resembled an angel.

B
rooke loudly drew in a breath. Her eyes sparkled at the aesthetically perfect suite. We followed the man through into a large living room with a small fire crackling in a grey slate fireplace.

The bellman’s lips curved up. “Breathtaking, isn’t she? This is the hotel
’s finest suite.”

“It’s am
azing!” Brooke whispered as she let go of my hand and walked into the large living room. “Oh, my God! How big is this thing?”

“Almost 300 square meters,” the bellman said.

Brooke looked back at me.

A soft smile formed on my lips and I said, “That’s almost 3,000 square feet
, love.”

She continued to wander
through the living room, stopping beside the marble-topped coffee table. Her fingertips danced along its surface and stopped on top of a book. “Picasso –” her eyes quickly found their way back to me. “Gavin, this is unbelievable!”

I made my way
to one of the large windows and pulled the heavy grey curtain back. I adjusted the strap of the duffel bag still hung across my chest as I looked over the lush landscape.

“Hyde Park,” the bellman said. “Shall I take your luggage through to the master suite?”

Glancing back over my shoulder, I nodded. “Yes, thank you.”

Brooke
stopped next to me to stare out the window. Her fingers lightly touched my shoulder. “This isn’t a dream I’m gonna wake up from, is it?” she asked, as the reality of why we were here came back to her.

“I’m afraid not
, love – afraid not.”

I heard the
bellman enter the room and I reached into my pocket for my wallet. I pulled out several pieces of currency and handed them to the boy.

He grinned widely. “Thank you
, sir!”

I nodded and he let himself out.

“Shall we see the rest of the place?” I asked.

Brooke turned away from the window and followed me through the living room to another hallway. We walked down and entered a study that opened up into
a large bedroom. The king-sized bed was centered on the back wall. A light grey upholstered headboard extended from the ceiling to the top of the mattress. The white comforter was pristinely displayed with two large, plush grey accent pillows. A large bouquet of white roses was set on the nightstand beside the bed. A wide doorway led into the bathroom, which was grey marble from the ceiling to the floor. In the middle of the room was a large, free-standing marble tub; emerald green glass bottles had been lined up along the side of it. Three large mirrors, illuminated by vertical lights, were hung on the center of the back wall. And white roses were set in between the two sinks on the vanity.

Brooke stopped in the doorway to the bathroom. A soft
giggle escaped her lips and she reached up to grip the doorway.

Pulling
the strap to my bag over my head, I carefully set it down at the foot of the bed before walking toward the bathroom. My fingers traced along the small of Brooke’s back as I passed her in the doorway.

“I think that
we should relax. The last twenty-four hours have been a bit much, aye?” I said, leaning over to close the drain and twist the silver knobs to the tub. Water poured from the elongated spout, resembling a waterfall as it rained down into the tub.

I
swirled the water to make sure the temperature was perfect before grabbing the bottom of my shirt to pull it over my head. Tossing it onto the floor, I walked toward Brooke.

My fingers felt along the edge of her shirt, my hands sliding underneath the material and rubbing against her soft skin before yanking
it over her head. Her hair caught in it and fell down weightlessly across her chest. Her eyes were sealed to mine with a look of helplessness, fear, and complete adoration. They truly were the most beautiful eyes I’d ever seen, she was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen – and she was all mine. Now, I was the only thing she had.