FALL (The Senses) (23 page)

“You
will never discuss where I live. Ever.” Fair enough. “A few rooms remain
locked. Do not attempt to open them. For any reason.” Okay, so he had more
secrets locked away. Figures. “You will not venture outside the premises.” She
rolled her eyes. “And despite what I show you tonight, you will not speak of
the Lilac. Do you understand me?”

“Pez, I
know your narcissistic, kaleidoscope of rules.”

“Then
you know that I will accept nothing but compliance from you in my house.”

“I can
follow a few rules, Pez. I’m a Senses. A warrior. Or have you forgotten that?
Because it seems you’ve forgotten a hell of a lot lately. Like that I’m single
and can fuck whoever I want and you dragging me away from him won’t stop that.”

“You’re
trying to hurt me.”

“Damn right
I am.” She had to and she hated it. But if it was the only way to protect him
then she’d do it. He couldn’t lose his Taldeburu. She was hoping he’d turn the
car around and change his mind after her harsh words. He didn’t.

“How
long have you been with Xamien, Delara?”

Damn it,
this is not something she wanted to discuss with him. Having him know that she
went to Xamien after the bargain with Trinity, the witch-bitch—that she stayed
with Xamien to heal from her emotional wounds Waleron cut into her soul. God,
her pride would take a beating. He didn’t deserve to know she still was
tortured.

“Delara.”

“A
while.”

He
glanced at her and she recognized the scowl. It meant
spit it out cause I’m
not letting the issue go
. Fine. “When you decided to sleep with Trinity, I
went to Xamien.”

More
silence. The air was so thick she felt like she couldn’t breathe. Her heart was
slamming against her rib cage and her hands were gripping her jeans so tight
she knew there would be bruises on her thighs.

He
turned at the next corner and stopped at a red light. When he looked at her his
eyes were…haunted. The steel ice-blue had dissipated to reveal a bluish-gray
that was swirling with emotions. She noticed his jaw clench and the muscles in
his cheeks ticked.

“I never
wanted to be with her. You know that, right? I felt nothing, Delara.”

Maybe
she did know. It had been a bargain. He sacrificed himself for Trinity’s
visions, but it was still thrown in her face that night. Knowing Trinity would
fuck him instead of her. And it ruined a piece of her innocence. She thought
their love would overcome whatever distance Waleron had put between them
because of the Lilac. Him agreeing to sleep with Trinity showed Delara how
wrong she was. It had been the beginning of her men-capades, Xamien being her
first.

“I need
you to stop. I am asking you to stop seeing him, Delara. I cannot… I know what
I am asking you is wrong, but understand that… Jesus.” He ran his hand over top
his head then pounded his fist into the steering wheel. “He can take you from
me.”

That was
the issue. He saw in Xamien what was more dangerous than Liam and Edan, Xamien
had the capability to make her forget him. He was the one man that could steal
her away and Waleron might not be able to stop him. Her voice was soft as she
said, “I’m not yours for him to take away, Pez.” A lie.

Waleron
gripped the steering with both hands, the leather crackling beneath the
pressure. The light changed to green and suddenly his eyes widened. Delara
sensed it at the exact same moment.

 “Delara.
Down!” Waleron pushed violently on her head as a bullet came smashing through
the back window, grazing Waleron’s right ear. He pressed on the gas and swerved
the car through the intersection.

“Stay
down,” Waleron said as he glanced in the rearview mirror. He reeved the engine
and the car jolted forward as he made a sudden turn onto the ramp for the
highway.

She
peaked over her shoulder and saw a dark SUV following them. She grabbed the gun
attached to her belt and rolled down her window.

Delara’s
shoulder hit the door as Waleron cranked the wheel left and they went skidding
across the highway.

“Can’t
you follow instructions, damn it?”

“Like I
was saying—I can fight, remember?” Delara had already tried to track who was in
the SUV, but the scent of fish and garlic was muffling them. The same as when
Xamien was shot with the dart. Whoever it was knew she was a Tracker and was
using other scents to hide their own. “The scent is masked.”

She
undid her seat belt and aimed out the window. She shot off two rounds at the
tires, but both missed as the SUV swerved back and forth through traffic. They
had to be going over a hundred and seventy kilometers an hour and the cars they
passed looked like they were standing still. A shot rang back and Waleron
grabbed her by the back of the jeans hauling her inside the car.

Another
bullet went through the window, this time narrowly missing Waleron’s head
again. But another one hadn’t and she saw the blood on his shoulder. It looked
like it passed right through him. He swerved back and forth, between cars.

Delara
reloaded, climbed over the back seat and kicked out the remaining back window.
Her body went slamming into the door as Waleron took a hard right and the car
careened onto the off ramp for the 404 highway north. She righted herself and
aimed. Her shot broke their windshield and the SUV slowed for several seconds
before speeding up again.

“Delara,
call the others.” Waleron went onto the shoulder to get by slow traffic. Cars
honked and slammed on their brakes, narrowly missing them.

Delara ducked
in the backseat and dialed Jedrik’s number—no signal. She tried Keir’s—no
signal. Oh god, they were jamming it. If it was Tarek, he knew damn well they
were too far away from any of the others to speak telepathically—except Danielle.
“No signal.” Tarek waited to attack them until they were far enough away from
the Talde.

The SUV
gained on them and it slammed into the back bumper, sending Delara onto the
floor. She grabbed the gun that went flying and tried to aim, but the SUV rammed
them again. Her shot went wild, dinging the roof of the SUV.

Another
car came up beside them.

It
hammered into the passenger door, sending their BMW onto the left shoulder.
“Delara—” Waleron’s words were cut off as the car jerked into them again, this
time so hard that they went off the shoulder into the deep ditch and the car
rolled twice times before landing on its roof.

Delara’s
temple hit the door handle in the roll, and her body had taken on a few
bruises, but she held onto the gun. She righted herself, so she was crouched on
what was now the roof of the car and pulled her Talwar from her boot.

“Delara?”
When he said her name, his voice sounded alarmed.

She
looked into the front seat. Waleron had blood above his right brow where he
must have banged his head in the roll. “I’ll live. How many?”

Waleron
climbed over the seat. “Two cars. At least four. He brought both hands up and
attempted to throw the SUV over on its side, but it remained untouched. “Some
kind of shield is around it. Tarek has powerful friends.”

“Tarek,”
she whispered.

Waleron
grabbed her hand as it started to tremble. “I won’t let him hurt you. Do you
hear me?”

She
nodded. Could she face Tarek again? Just the thought of seeing his face, the
way his black eyes watched her every move, knowing what he’d done to her... Him
being so close was throwing all her nerve right out the door. It had been
twenty years and his abuse still terrifies her.

“I’ll
cover you. Head to that building over there.” Waleron nodded to the northeast.
“I’ll be right behind you.”

Delara
crawled through the back broken window, her knife ready as Waleron fired off a
few shots in warning. She hesitated.

“Go!”
Waleron demanded.

Instead,
she bent down beside the car and took aim over the roof at the car and SUV that
had pulled over beside them. No, way was she letting Waleron take another
bullet. “Got you covered.”

He
rolled out of the car and came up beside her. “Stop disobeying me.”

“Yeah,
well, I will when you start trusting me.”

Waleron
said something beneath his breath. She thought it was
impossible
, but
with all the cars driving by she couldn’t be sure.

She
stared at the car, the tinted windows hiding who was inside. She smelled the
air, and still came up with nothing except fish and garlic. Tarek knew how to
disguise his scent because he was one of them.

“Delara?”
The familiar, deep baritone of Tarek’s voice made the entire world come to a
stand still. Her breath sucked in and trembles coursed through her body.

Waleron’s
hand reached over and he cupped her chin, but he kept his eyes focused on the
SUV. “Do not listen to him.”

She
swallowed the bile in her throat.

Waleron’s
grip tightened. “Delara! I need you here with me now.”

She
heard Waleron’s voice, yet she remained trapped to her past. In Tarek’s voice.
What if she didn’t go to him this time? What if she fought? She knew what
happened when she did, but could he break her like he had before? She’d already
been broken.

“Delara.”
Tarek called from the other side of the car. “Do you remember what I told you would
happen if you ever left me?” His voice crept across her mind, images shooting
like electricity through her body and she dropped the knife from her hand.
He
will hurt me. He’ll hurt them.

Waleron
grabbed her by the shoulders and gave a harsh shake, meeting her eyes.
“Delara!”

Please
don’t Tarek.

“Christ!”
Waleron swore under his breath.

****

The
sound of sirens was the distraction Waleron needed. Waleron yanked on Delara’s
arm and they ran across the parking lot of a low office building. He never
heard gunshots; instead, he heard the sound of squealing tires.

He
chanced a look behind him and saw the SUV pull a U-turn and disappear while the
other car came after them.

Delara
stumbled. He hauled her up, wrapping his arm around her waist. She was in a
daze, her limbs working, but her mind caught in the past.

“Delara.
I am ordering you to run. Run damn it. Do you hear me?” That did it, he noticed
the pull on his hand and her eyes narrowed in on him. “Get moving.”

They
rounded the side of the building and placed their backs to the wall, while he
reloaded his gun. “Cops are on our tail. We start shooting, were going to have
more trouble than we can handle. I’ve contacted Danielle. Help is coming.”

He heard
the SUV stop around the corner and two car doors slamming. Waleron lowered his
voice. “Do not do anything he says. Nothing.” He grabbed her hand and squeezed
hard enough that she objected by punching his chest. “I need your attention on
me, Delara.” He held her knife up. “Use it. No hesitation.”

She
nodded.

Waleron
clenched his jaw. She was still remembering her past. It was a leach sucking
her under. Taking on Tarek wouldn’t be an issue for him; his fear was what
Delara would do. She was unpredictable with Tarek so close. The last time she’d
seen him, he’d nearly killed her. “I want you to stay here, Delara.” Taking on
two Senses was simple enough as long as he didn’t have to worry about her.

“Something
is—” She sniffed the air and peered towards her right just as a golden rope
came down around her neck. It tightened like a noose until she was struggling
for air.

Waleron
grabbed the knife from her hand. He sliced at the rope that was coming from above.
As soon as the metal touched the rope’s golden fibers, he was thrown back
several feet and landed on his butt.

Delara’s
hands grabbed at the rope, trying desperately to loosen it. She coughed and
choked on the small amount of air she managed to breathe in.

A sound
of laughter came from the right, not where the SUV had been parked. Jesus, the
other car had come around in the opposite direction. A man walked out from the
shadows, his tall, lean stature almost matching Waleron’s.

Tarek.

Waleron
jumped to his feet and threw a wave of energy at Tarek. It should’ve sent him
flying, instead it had no effect. He was protected by a shield just like the
SUV. The question was a shield from whom?

Tarek
looked up then flicked his wrist to someone beside him and the other end of the
rope flew through the air and Tarek grabbed it. He yanked, knocking Delara off
her feet.

Waleron
reached in his boot, pulling out his knife.

“Ah, I
wouldn’t,” Tarek countered. He walked towards Delara and pulled her up by her
noose. Someone had obviously put a spell on it. “Only I can release this rope.
You would want the love of your life to have air at some point, don’t you?”

Waleron
lowered his hand.
“Danielle? ETA?”

“Balen
and Damien are two minutes out.”