Genesis (The Legend of Glory Book 3) (24 page)

“What do you mean, you won’t survive Jesse?” Mom asked.

“He’s teamed up with Lucifer. Our wards aren’t strong enough to keep them both out, and when I escaped Hell Jesse vowed to kill me. He’s coming, Mom. I’m just hoping Gen will get here first.” I struggled to still my trembling. “I didn’t hear any promises, guys.”

“Zane would be an awesome daddy,” Rory said.

Mom’s face became as white as the bitter snow that slapped at the windows. “I refuse to believe you’re going to die, honey, but if it does happen your child couldn’t have a better father than Zane. He’s a good man.”

Yes, I knew he was.

†          †          †

What had been a four-hour drive for Kate would have been twenty-four hours for Zane except—already exhausted from the marathon healing session with Joy, weakened by the violence his body had endured, and now all too human—he had to pull off at a rest stop and catch a few hours’ sleep. He arrived at Glory’s farm at sunset the next evening.

The snow had stopped falling, and the air was frigid. He pushed back fear and knocked on the front door. Unexpectedly, Rory answered it.

Her face lit up. “Zane. You look like hell.”

He hugged her. “Good to see you too, sweetheart.”

“Who beat you up?”

“A couple women got the better of me. Long story.”

She stepped aside and said, “Brace yourself, sweetie.”

Her words didn’t do anything to help the wild horses already tearing up his insides. He took a deep breath and walked past her. Glory stood by the wood stove and when their eyes met, the earth shook. When he saw her pregnancy, his world imploded. He staggered.

Rory put her hand on his back to brace him.

So, Glory had already made her choice. What was he supposed to do with that? He glanced over at Dominic.

Dominic shook his head. “Not my baby.”

Glory walked to Zane, took his hand, and placed it on her belly. “Her name will be Genesis Dillon. She’s yours.”

“Mine?”

She leaned into him and whispered, “Remember the falling star.”

His mind filled with light and everything became instantly clear. He sucked in a startled breath. “The memories are real?”

“Our love is big, Zane.”

Slowly, as if just awakening from an endless dream, he wrapped his fingers in her hair and drew her lips to his. Their tongues met in a reunion dance, and the ropes of time that had seemed hopelessly tangled suddenly straightened. Everything past, present, and future exploded in a love so fierce he staggered once again.

This time Glory held him up. She embraced him, and he knew that whatever else may come, this moment was as perfect as life could get.

)o(       )o(       )o(

Rory watched Zane and Glory kiss, then she glanced at Dominic. He turned away and walked into the kitchen. Rory really liked him, but for entirely selfish reasons she hoped Glory would choose Zane. Of course, Glory needed to survive in order to have a choice to make, and that probably wouldn’t happen. Their love affair was epic, and yet they had hardly ever actually been together. Now that they finally could be, Glory would likely die.
No, Momma, life ain’t fair. I get that, but it sucks when it’s so damn tragic.
For the first time in as long as she could remember, tears successfully stormed Rory’s gates.

When Glory and Zane finally let go of each other, Kate stepped up to greet him.

“It’s really cold in here,” Glory said, moving to the wood stove. “Let’s get this fire stoked up and maybe someone could get something warm for us all to drink? Oh, and find Lailah and Sasha. I want to introduce Zane to Lailah, and I know Sasha will want to say hi. Hallie, he’s not a vampire anymore so be nice.” Glory’s smile, absent since she returned from Hell, was radiant.

The sorrow Rory felt for her deepened, and a rogue sob escaped. She turned and headed toward the kitchen to make some coffee and hide her unruly heart.

Raven ran into the house, breathless. “Four vampires. Really dark energy. They showed up at D’s looking for Glory or Zane. I sent them in the wrong direction, but they’re going to figure it out.”

Rory looked at Zane.

“Was one of them a girl about yea high?” He held his hand out at chest level. “Long brown hair with blonde streaks?”

Raven nodded. “She’s the only girl.”

“Bo’s gang,” Zane said. “And a vamp named Leah who wants me dead.”

*          *          *

Bo!
I thought with alarm. Then I suddenly realized why my chill was so deep.

“Jesse’s coming too!” I shouted, and Lailah and Sasha instantly appeared with their blades in hand.

Earlier, when I had placed Zane’s hand on my belly, Genesis danced. Now, with a ripping pain, she ninja kicked. I doubled over in agony. “And Gen’s coming. She’s coming
now
.”

†          †          †

Zane pushed back the urge to run to Glory’s side and tried to figure out how he could possibly take on four vampires. Then an idea came to him, and he raced to his truck.

)o(       )o(       )o(

Rory watched as Glory sank to her knees. She saw a shimmer of Jesse appear, but the protective wards seemed to be holding for now. Understanding the metaphysics of it all, she knew they wouldn’t hold against Lucifer’s power, nor would the two angels be able to vanquish him. But maybe, just maybe, Genesis would be born before Glory was killed. However, with Bo’s gang coming, Glory needed shielding. Rory wiped away her tears and considered the tactical situation. A large area behind the wood stove used for stacked wood was practically empty.

“Help me set up a place for her on the hearth,” she said to Raven.

Together they kicked away the remaining wood, collected cushions from the couch and chairs, and made a bed. Then they helped Glory lie down.

Hallelujah whimpered. Worried the frantic dog would get in the way, Rory locked her in Glory’s bedroom. Returning to the living room, she glanced out the window and saw two black
SUV
s pull into the drive. “Kate, come quick.”

Kate left Glory’s side and looked over Rory’s shoulder. “The mercs are here.”

†          †          †

Zane joined Dominic at the kitchen table where there was a pile of weapons. He tossed his machetes on top of it.

“I’ve got seven shots of the vampire virus cure left,” Zane told him. “Its kick is instant and will give me an advantage. Don’t know how long I can hold them off before they kill me, but it’ll buy time.” He opened the medical kit that contained the syringes and started shoving them into his coat pocket.

Dominic extended his hand. “Give me three.”

“No, you’d be killed. Glory needs you.”

“The girls will take care of her. I’m not going to let you die alone.”

Zane snorted. “Why? I’m nothing to you.”

“Because you’re everything to Glory. You’re the man she’s in love with.”

“She loves you, too.”

“Yes, she loves me. She does. We’re good together. But she’s in love with you and has been for two lifetimes.”

Zane lost his breath. “She would have chosen me?”

Dominic closed his eyes and nodded.

Oh, thank God.
Glory loved him as much as he loved her. That knowledge gave Zane more strength than he could have imagined possible.

Rory rushed into the kitchen. “The men in black are coming.”

“Ah, hell.” Zane offered her his Colt .45. “Protect Glory.”

Rory shook her head. “Give it to Raven. I’m going with you.”

“No way, sweetheart. You have a better chance of surviving in here.”

“Seriously? After all the foxholes we’ve shared, I’d think you’d know me better by now. I don’t play safe.” She grabbed a machete off the table.

There wasn’t time to argue. He ran into the living room and found Raven standing guard by the stove. “You ever shoot?” he asked her.

“No, but there’s nothing I can’t do when I set my mind to it.”

He handed her the gun. “Use both hands to aim, grip it tight, squeeze the trigger—don’t pull it—and fire one round at a time. It’ll buck like a bronc, but don’t try to hold it down. When it runs out of bullets the slide will lock back like this—” he showed her “—then push this button to drop the old clip, stick the new one in, and pull this switch to release the slide.”

“Got it,” Raven said.

He demonstrated how to operate the safety, then gave her extra clips. “Twelve bullets each.”

She stuffed them into the pocket of her jacket.

Zane looked at Glory. “Don’t die. Don’t you die.”

“I’ll always love you,” she told him.

*          *          *

From my position I could see the entire room, and when I saw Jesse fading in and out it was obvious to me that he wasn’t alone in that body anymore. He seemed like an iceberg on fire. I wondered if Gen’s sudden urgency was due to the shock of his heightened demonic energy. She was fighting so hard for her only chance at life.

Mom crouched between my legs.

“As soon as Gen’s born, get her out of here,” I said to her. “Don’t stick around for me. She’s the important one.”

Mom looked uncertain.

“I’ll make sure that’s how it goes down,” Raven said.

Another shuddering pain ripped through me, and I screamed.

)o(       )o(       )o(

Rory looked though the kitchen window and saw the vamps coming from the direction of Dominic’s house. “They’re here.”

Rory, Zane, and Dominic each had a machete and syringes. In their pockets were some of Glory’s flashbangs. As sensitive as vampire senses were, they figured the disorienting effect would be useful.

“Let’s ride,” Zane said and winked at Rory.

She felt renewed confidence. “This ain’t my first vampire rodeo.”

Right before they walked out the back door, Dominic stuck the machete in his belt and grabbed a baseball bat.

“You do know that the whole wooden stake through the heart thing is a myth, right?” Zane asked.

Dominic nodded. “I just have a feeling it might come in handy.”

They went outside, and three mercs appeared from around the far side of the house. One of them threw a grenade. It soared through the air as if in slow motion, but Rory knew she couldn’t outrun it. Her last thought before it arrived was,
Crap
.

Then Dominic swung his bat and smacked the grenade right back at them. Zane pivoted to shield Rory, but the shrapnel didn’t hit any of them. The mercs weren’t so lucky. It was a home run.

“Score one for our team,” Rory managed to say.

Dominic smiled and dropped the bat.

Bo and his gang closed in.

“Well, here goes everything,” Rory said as she tossed a flashbang in their direction.

*          *          *

An explosion shook the back of the house and windows shattered. Then the front door burst open and people rushed in. I looked up and saw two men holding guns. And I saw Erica. She looked at me with wide eyes and said, “So, it’s true.”

My vision blurred as another violent contraction tore through me. Gunfire drowned out the sound of my scream.

†          †          †

Zane drew Bo and the other meanest vamp away from Rory and Dominic. He was as human as they were, but his body remembered how to fight like a vampire.

)o(       )o(       )o(

Rory figured Leah to be her best shot and immediately zeroed in. It helped that Zane’s presence distracted her because, by the time Leah noticed, Rory was perfectly positioned to swing the machete at the girl’s hand. The hand and the blade it held went flying. Taking advantage of Leah’s shock, she took the bitch’s head clean off.

*          *          *

Something was terribly wrong. Drowning in agony, I finally fought my way to the surface and saw blood. A lot of blood.

Raven was shot and crawling to where her gun lay. I looked past her and saw she had killed one of the mercenaries.

Then I noticed Mom’s hands coated in my blood. “Something’s terribly wrong,” she said right before the other merc slammed his gun into the side of her head and knocked her out. He bent to look between my legs and I somehow managed to lift one of them and kick him in the face. He fell backward.

I always had been a good kicker.

Swimming in dizziness, my mind clouded. Confused, I blinked, and Erica was at my side. Erica? Where had she come from? I struggled for thought, but my mind couldn’t seem to make connections. I clutched her arm. “Oh, you’ve come home.”