Chapter Twenty-Five
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
“I want Parrot in first,” Damien said, dressed in all black. Yes, yes. An Armani suit, but his other clandestine outfits were at the cleaner’s. “Once he’s counted the number of soldiers inside and marked their positions, we’ll divide up accordingly and enter in two groups. One to distract, the other to pull Amelia and Miguel out. We will regroup on the other side of the docks at our cars.”
“Don’t you think the red convertibles are a little attention grabbing?” Maxton asked, adjusting his navy blue ascot.
“That’s the point. Bonbon and Gorgonzolina can drive them away if there’s an issue. The rest of us can escape in an Uber.”
“Uber?” MF scoffed.
“No one uses Uber for a hostage rescue. Trust me, they won’t be looking for a Prius or Honda.”
“Excellent point,” Maxton. “No one looks at them regardless. Not a very sexy car.”
Damien glanced at Maxton, his bro-affection growing. “You are so right.”
“So the plan is to enter, rescue, and run. But you mentioned something about killing anyone who got in our way.” Bonbon licked his chops.
“I don’t think we have five hours for you to drain someone via petting your furry ass, Bonbon. But by all means, if we rescue Sky’s sister and nephew without a hitch, and you wish to stay behind, be my guest.”
“Sweet.” Bonbon bobbed his white head.
“MF and Maxton?” Damien said. “If this goes sideways, kill everything in sight, except for Sky’s family, of course. Parrot, you help. Everyone ready?” Damien’s body ignited with adrenaline. This was the first time in his existence that he would be part of an attack that did not involve the rage demon. Frankly, it felt good—less dirty, somehow.
“Then it’s time,” Damien said. “Parrot, check out the warehouse. Be back in five minutes.”
Hooves of hell galloped across the concrete, and everyone held their breath. Two minutes passed. Then three, four, five and six.
As ten minutes hit, Damien looked at his watch. “Something is not right.”
“Well, I’m not going in there,” MF said.
“She is correct,” said Maxton. “If my hellhound is in trouble, then there are forces inside we cannot match.”
Damien growled. “So it’s up to me, then?”
Everyone nodded.
“I cannot believe you all think we are family.” Damien stormed off toward the warehouse.
Twenty feet from the entrance, his cell vibrated. “Christ,” he muttered to himself and answered. “This’d better be good.”
“Damien?” a soft voice came over the phone. “It’s me, Jac.”
“Jac, I’m in the middle of—”
“Heebie killed him,” she sobbed. “He ate Dash, and now he’s trapped between worlds forever. I tried to save him. I did. But I failed.”
“Are you crying because you want my help and I told you crying is effective? Because it won’t work on me. I mean, not tonight. Tomorrow, maybe.”
“No,” she bawled. “He’s dead, and I know it sounds cray, but there was something real between us. Oh…God…” She sobbed uncontrollably.
Changed my mind. The crying is working. “Jac, I’m about to enter a very dangerous place. May I call you back?”
“I need a body for him, Damien. A body. Just like you were going to get for Sky. I’ll do whatever it takes. Please. We deserve a chance to find out if we’re meant to be together.”
Damien sighed. “I must hang up now.”
“Okay.” She sniffled. “Call me back when you’re done.” The call ended.
He took two steps, and his cell vibrated again.
Sonofa— “I said I would call you back.”
“Tailor, what is going on?” said a deep voice.
“Votan?”
“Gabrán is up on the ridge, telling me you’re about to breach the warehouse where Cimil is hiding.”
And this night just got better. “We, uh, came early to get the lay of the land.”
“Get the hell out of the way, man! Or they will mow you down.”
“I cannot. The sister and nephew of the woman I love may be inside, and I—”
“You love me?” Sky’s blurry figure appeared in front of him.
He dropped his hand with the cell. “Sky?”
“Do you really love me?”
He had to think for a moment. He was still pissed at her and hated the fact that she’d tossed him aside so easily, but there was no denying he was here, trying to save the people she loved.
“Yes, I do love you, Sky. But that doesn’t mean I will be your doormat, your butler, your bodyguard, or unpaid assassin. I am here to help you one last time. That is all.”
“But you love me?” she repeated.
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“I guess…I didn’t think you really cared.”
“How can you say that?” he asked.
“When I told you I was leaving, you didn’t say a word. You gave up on us so easily.”
Oh, that’s just great! Great! Females were so damned complicated. “I was trying to be respectful of your career choices, like a modern man.”
“Why the hell did you think I wanted that?” she yelled, her voice coming in wobbly-pitched waves.
“Because you were always commenting on my old-man crustiness and antiquated ways.”
“I was kidding, Damien! I was so fucking into you. But you—with your aloofness and gentlemanly honor crap—didn’t bother to show me one ounce of fire. I figured you didn’t want me. What else could I think?”
“I don’t know? Maybe that I really want you, dead or alive? You are the most beautiful, intelligent woman I’ve ever known. How could you not think I love you?”
Her eyes softened. “Oh gods, Damien.” Regret filled her eyes. “I’m so sorry.”
“What? What’s wrong?”
“Don’t be mad, okay? I swear I didn’t know. I just wanted to help my family.”
“What did you…” A seven-foot-tall figure exited the warehouse. He had long blue-black hair and turquoise eyes.
“Votan?” Damien asked. “What are you doing here?”
Right behind him came twelve other gods, including Ixtab, the Goddess of Suicide; Belch, the God of Wine; Forgetty, the Goddess of Forgetfulness; and Zac, the God of Seduction.
Why are they all here at SBP? he wondered.
Just then, Cimil wandered out. “Hey, tailor. Did Sky fill you in yet?”
“Fill me in on—”
Like a storm, men in camo came from every direction, pointing guns at them.
“Hold your fire!” Gabrán walked out from behind a car in the parking lot. “Sir, I thought you were getting ready to leave for Pompeii?” he said to Votan.
“Change of plans, General.” Votan wiggled his brows. “I have work to do. So do you because the gods are out of retirement. But first, a nap. Must rest up.”
Damien looked at a smiling, giddy Cimil just as his phone vibrated.
“Hello?” Damien answered.
“Tailor! What the fuck is happening?” Votan roared.
Damien looked at his device and then at the man walking away. It suddenly clicked. “Cimil, what did you do?”
She shrugged. “Pure magic.” She waved her hands in the air. “Viva la revolution.”
Cimil loaded into an RV with the rest of the gods. She got behind the wheel and rolled down the window. “Ten o’clock sharp tomorrow, Sky baby! See you then.”
Cimil tore out of the parking lot, nearly taking down several Uchben in the process.
Damien turned to Sky. “Sky, what is this?”
She bit her lip. “Cimil promised to free my sister and nephew and give me a new body.”
“In exchange for?”
“She wants you all to herself. She says you’re instrumental to changing the world for the better.”
So this entire thing had been just another crazy, twisted Cimil plot to detach Sky from his life. Sky didn’t even have a clue that she’d gotten help from the very being who ratted her out to SBP.
Damien inhaled slowly, checking his rage. “Sky, you need to know that—”
“I’m sorry, Damien. But I really didn’t think you loved me. And honestly, I’m not sure it would’ve made a difference. Family first, yanno?”
“So you promised to dump me?”
“That and I can’t ever bother SBP again. Or the governor.”
He nodded at the ground, feeling his anger bubble.
She exhaled. “I have to go now. My family’s waiting.”
How could she do this to him?
“Tailor! Tailor, do not make me come there and strangle you!” Votan’s voice echoed over the cell.
Damien raised the phone to his ear. “I told you, Votan. I fucking warned you. Cimil is always ten steps ahead.”
“What the devil, man?”
“She was not raising an army. She was raising a new family.”
Damien hung up. I am done with all this.