Rush (Roam Series, Book Four) (25 page)

I ordered us two breakfast meals and coffees, and we ate in the car and then took turns using the restroom. A young mother carried her pajama-clad daughter, about Eva’s age, into the restroom, and I watched Logan stiffen as he noticed her, too.

He took the wheel, and as he pulled back onto the highway, his words nearly broke my heart all over again. “I hope he’s…
patient
with her.
He can’t be hurting her,
” he exhaled once, twice, sharply and ran one hand through his hair. His struggle for control brought me to tears.

“
Logan
,” I straightened my engagement ring and wedding band, taking a deep breath, “
She has magic.
She may be able to protect herself… in ways we can’t imagine.”

“God I hope so. I love that little girl
so much.
”

I reached for his hand, and he took mine.
Tell him. Now. You’ve already waited too long.

“Logan… I need to just come right out and tell you something, okay? Please don’t say anything until I’m finished.”

He gave me a long, sideways glance before nodding once.

Taking a deep breath, I turned toward the window. “I am… not mortal. You know that already,” I cleared my throat, exhaling slowly. “When you were gone, I went to a doctor because I guessed that I was healing… after we made love. Every time.”

He started to speak, but must have remembered my request and kept silent.

“I found out that- it’s true. I heal. I can’t
carry
a baby, not in this body. I can’t have children.”

When I stopped
speaking, I turned to him. His fingers sought mine again, and I let him take my hand.

“Can I talk?”

“Yes.”

“You went through this, all by yourself? Wasn’t anyone there with you?”

“I went by myself. But I told my mom. No one else knows.”

“Jesus, Vi,” he slowed the Jeep to a stop along the highway, turning to me. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I was afraid you’d leave. And I am… selfish.”

“Selfish?” He caught my chin in his hand, searching my eyes. “
Take a second and think about what selfish means. Think about the moment you were born, and all that you’ve been through.”

The worst moment, the seven times that I stabbed Two with a steak knife, surfaced as I lowered my face to my hands. He reached for me, and I let him unbuckle my seatbelt and pull me into his arms.

“Do you hate me?”

“No.” He pressed his lips to my temple, and then my forehead. “No, I love you with all of my heart.”

I folded, fighting the burning tears. “Even if I can’t give you children?”

“
Give
me children? This isn’t the 1500’s.” He chuckled softly. “You know more than anyone- there are so many children without parents. We’ll find our child. Someday. And we have… a forever… of days.”

If I had any doubts about my love for him, they all extinguished at that moment. I kissed him slowly, so slowly, memorizing every one of his words.

We’ll find our child.

When we finally pulled into West’s driveway, we were beyond exhausted. Logan began to feel the effects of traveling so much in such a short time, and it was all he could do to make it up the stairs before falling in bed.
The house was exactly as I’d left it- all locks were secure. Though he’d already turned on the alarm in the house, I checked it and rechecked it three times, finally dropping to the bed, into his arms.

Sometime later,
his fitful shouting roused me, and finally a hard knee in the back forced me awake. “Vi- I’m sorry-…,”

“
I’m fine,” I let him tuck me against him, closing my eyes at his lips on my bare shoulder.

“Maybe I should sleep in the other room.”

“
Just hold me,
” I managed to mumble before sleep claimed me once more.

The window was dark by the time I finally
opened my eyes. Logan’s cell phone was buzzing incessantly, and his arm came down over me, reaching for the nightstand. After a moment, I heard his sleepy greeting. “Rush.”

“Anything?”

West’s voice on the speaker jerked me into a sitting position.

“No. You? How’s Roam?”

“No leads. She’s…,” he cleared his throat. “She’s out searching.”

“Is she… okay?”

“No.”

I didn’t know what that meant, but it couldn’t be good. “We slept all day. I’m awake now. I need a firearm.”

“Help yourself.”

They agreed to keep in
contact. I slipped into the hallway and down the stairs, shuddering at all of the open windows in the living room. The multiple, darkened glass reflected everything within the house. I began closing the blinds, one by one, moving toward the front door. Eva’s toys were everywhere; her books, her crayons and artwork, everywhere I looked I was reminded of my sister’s absence.

It took me three full seconds to realize that I was staring at a face in the window.

My heart stopped beating.

Troy
.

“
Wait
,” his voice through the door drew a scream from my throat, and Logan nearly flew down the stairs, a rifle in his hand.

“Get down,” Logan aimed at the window, but Troy held his hands up defensively.

“
No
,” I dropped behind the couch, pressing my hands over my ears and waiting for Logan to fire.
How is he alive?

The next thing I heard was the door opening. I shot to my feet, staring at Logan open-mouthed as he lowered his weapon.

“Will,” Logan held the door open, reaching for me. “Violet, it’s okay.”

“Logan,” Will nodded once toward him, and then turned toward me.
Will… the one who helped them escape from the castle.

Troy’s son.

“Hi,” I choked, extending my hand. I expected him to shake it, but he gathered my fingers, bringing them to his lips.

“Violet, so good to
finally meet you,” he acknowledged, his frosted blue gaze much softer than Troy’s icy glare. “Logan, I had hoped to find you or West.”

“West is in North Carolina-…,”

“And young Eva?” He urged. Slightly taller than Logan, he turned and scanned the living room. “She is safe?”

“No,” I pulled my hand away. “She’s missing. A man- an immortal man- has kidnapped her, and-…,”

“I know.” He turned back to Logan. “She called for me to help. Through her dreams; Asher alerted me, and I came as quickly as I could.”

“Her dreams,” I covered my mouth, meeting Logan’s eyes. “Logan, she’
s so smart… she called for help…,”

“
She is somewhere unfamiliar. She is not harmed, but she is very frightened,” Will held his hand out to the kitchen. “May I?”

“Come in,” Logan urged, closing the door and securing the alarm system. He wore only boxer shorts, and pointed upstairs. “I’ll throw some clothes on. Violet, do you want to come upstairs with me?”

I shifted uncomfortably, glancing at Will, and he bowed, holding his arms out to the stairs. “I take no offense. I am a stranger to you. Please,” he urged.

Following Logan, I waited until we were inside the bedroom to talk. “
Can we trust him?”

Logan nodded, tugging on his jeans. “I trust him completely. He saved all of our asses in that castle. And- he came all the way here to help find Eva. Absolutely.”

“Okay.” I searched through my dresser, finding white shorts and a blue, floral-printed cami. I grabbed a sweatshirt and zipped it as I followed Logan back downstairs.

Will stood at the counter with a crayon in his hand, gesturing to a piece of construction paper. “This is what she’s shown Asher.
A lighthouse? I apologize for the crude drawing.”

“
No- this helps.” Logan lifted the piece of paper, turning to Will. “What color is the lighthouse?”

“White, with a red point. And a building, with beds and a television.”

“A motel?” I suggested, staring at Will’s drawing.

“Stone and wood.” He crossed his arms over his chest, leaning against the counter. Logan clasped him on the shoulder.

“Will, sit down. You’ve come a long way.”

“
She called for me… she asked for me to come to her.” His even voice, so collected, was a refreshing change from West and Logan’s constant, urgent tone. “I will not rest until I’ve found her. Roam and West must be devastated.”

“
They’re searching for her, in North Carolina. There are lighthouses all over the world,” Logan was already at West’s laptop, Googling ‘white lighthouse red tip.’ “Washington… North Africa… fucking
Norway
,” he groaned and ran his fingers through his hair. “Where do we start?”

“
She refers to a child’s game.” Will took the paper again, using the black crayon to sketch something else. “Marbles. Asher told me she focuses on the word ‘marbles.’”

“Marbles? What kid plays marbles anymore? I can tell you she’s never played with those in her life. Unless there’s a
Wii version of Marbles that I don’t know about.” I shrugged, shaking my head.

“Marbles,” Logan mouthed, moving the curser back to search ‘marbles lighthouse.’ “Marble flooring, installation, sales-…,”

“Logan, no,” I reached for the laptop, replacing his fingers with mine. “Marble Lighthouse.”

“Marble
head
,” he watched the images of the white lighthouse appear on the screen, shoving the mouse away. “Ohio.
She’s here
.”

Logan

“West and Roam are on their way- they’re flying. Morgan and Jason are staying with Christopher.”

I
drove, and Violet sat next to me with Will in the backseat. “How dangerous is this man?” He asked. “You say that he is immortal?”

“Apparently, I also father immortal children. I had a child in 1955, and he watched me kill Roam…
Annie
,” my knuckles whitened over the steering wheel. “And he knows about the prophecy. He thinks he’s protecting Eva by keeping her away from me.”

“
Asher claims that Eva possesses magic.”

Violet and I exchanged glances, and I lifted my eyes to the rearview mirror. “She is capable of… strong magic. She cast a spell last year, taking Roam’s immortality and giving me eternal life.”

“The
child
did this?” Will asked. “She understands, then, what she is?”

“I don’t think she understands. I think she just does what she wants,” Violet smiled fondly, her eyes sparkling. “She’s… one of a kind.”

I glanced down at Violet’s phone, checking our ETA from her navigation app.
One hour and forty-five minutes.
“Roam and West have another child.” Will confirmed.

“Christopher,” she answered.

He leaned forward, lowering his voice. “I suspected as much.”

“I’m sure they’ll have more. All they want are children.” I tried to catch Violet’s eyes, but she kept her gaze rooted out the window.

“They cannot.” Will sighed, leaning back against the seat. “In their… love for each other, they have forgotten the prophecy. It is their child…
any
of their children… that burn my world. Christopher’s birth has returned the second sun. My people see only one; the second creates a halo behind the first.”

I tapped the brake, turning in my seat. “
It’s not just Eva…,”

“No.”

“
Fuck
,” I reached for my phone, but Violet grabbed my hand.

“Wait Logan, don’t tell them like this, not while they’re flying here and scared out of their minds for Eva’s life.
Not a good time.” I let her thread her fingers through mine. “I really don’t believe they thought about this, Will. Please believe that.”

“I do believe that, Violet. I have never known a love as powerful as West and Roam’s. After what my father did to her… to both of them… she deserves happiness. If Christopher and Eva bring them happiness, I am willing to do all that I can to wait for as long as possible.”

“Wait?” I hit the brake slightly.

“For Eva.” He met my eyes in the mirror. “Her presence in
Icepond is the only way to stop the burning sun. Now, it is Christopher that must stop the second son.”

“Or
their deaths.” I added, trying to drive and read his expression at the same time.

“
I have vowed to protect her-
with my life.
”

His even voice
made me want to believe that he was sincere.

“And Chris? You won’t hurt the baby?”

“Of course not. I will find another way. Asher is working on developing spells to try to reverse the curse.”