Chapter Twenty-Four
THE THOUGHT OF WALKING FOR MILES to the closest house or pub made me want to punch something.
Rook visibly faded beside me.
Her thoughts turned sticky with exhaustion and the pains she suffered bled into me thanks to the bond.
I did my best to lock down my own sufferings, not willing to make her suffer with me, but the longer we shuffled in silence, the harder I raged at the unfairness.
We’d won.
The dreams I’d nursed while I was imprisoned in Cinderkeep had finally been realised. Every single man and woman who’d betrayed my family, enslaved me, and tortured untold numbers of people were dead.
Yet all I felt was fury because...I was running out of time.
Time that I’d cursed and wished to end while I’d been trapped, yet now I wanted to get on my knees and beg for it to give me just a few more years with her.
I didn’t want to lose her.
I couldn’t.
My ears rang.
Tapping my temple, I tried to shake the sound out.
If my hearing was starting to fail...what then?
Would my eyesight be next? Would my senses slowly dissolve until my skin broke apart just like Rook’s on the mountain?
“It’s not just you,” Rook said with a brave smile. “Mine are ringing too.”
“That doesn’t give me any relief, you know.” I frowned and rubbed my ear. “If we’re both breaking down, then—”
A loud mechanical growl cut me off as multiple vehicles shot around the bend up ahead. Black paint and headlights cut through the dappled sun from the thick oak trees, aiming right for us like hunting hounds.
“Shit.” Grabbing Rook around the waist, I leapt off the narrow road and landed on the tiny verge just as the convoy zoomed past, narrowly missing us.
I gave them the finger as their red taillights arrowed down the road, only for the lead vehicle to slam on its brakes. One by one, the rest of the cars all screeched to a halt, the snarling engines loud in the hazy morning.
A man launched himself from the front 4WD. With a curse, he sprinted straight for Rook.
I stepped in front of her, shielding her, but he just shoved me aside, grabbed my reason for living, and hauled her into his arms. “Rook.”
Crushing her to his black-vested chest, he shuddered with a hoarse sigh. “Fuck’s sake, Elara Snowflake. I’m getting far too old for this shit.” He rocked her as if she was a runaway child. “This is the last time, do you hear me? You leave me again, and I’m chaining you to me for life.”
Rook shot me a look in the embrace of another man’s arms.
The bond hissed with possessiveness.
Wrong. Not permitted. A killable offence.
But I did my best to be human and didn’t move.
Rook was right. Dillon had come. Shot and hurt...he’d come for us.
The least I could do was not murder him.
Thank you. Rook’s soft voice echoed in my mind just before she slung her arms around her bodyguard and squished him back. “Hi, Dil.”
“Don’t you dare ‘Hi Dil’ me.” Dillon pulled away, wrapping his big hands around her shoulders.
Turning her left and right, he inspected the filthy nightgown she hadn’t replaced since we’d left Ashfall Cliff.
“Are you in one piece? What happened? What are you doing out here? I envisioned arriving and shooting a bunch of bastards.” His eyes tightened.
“I really, really want to shoot some bastards. Tell me you left me some to make an example of.”
Rook chuckled and pushed him away. “Lucien ensured they’re nothing more than a pile of ash, I’m afraid.”
Dillon’s bright blue eyes met mine. He studied me for a long moment, and a silent war of testosterone ensued before he bowed his chin in respect. “Thank you for keeping her safe. Thank you for protecting her when I couldn’t.”
“You don’t need to thank me for protecting what’s mine.”
Rook elbowed me.
“Fine.” I sniffed and narrowed my eyes. “You’re welcome.”
Dillon looked as if he wanted to hug her again, but...I had limits.
Placing her behind me, I crossed my arms. “Rook said you might show up.”
She stepped around me with a wince. “They found your GPS tracker before I even knew you’d tagged me.” Every bone in her body throbbed, and the urge to scoop her off her feet and cradle her in my arms came strong—
Don’t even think about it. She didn’t look at me, but the command came firm and sharp. I don’t need Dil fussing over me any worse than he already is. The less he knows about how close we are to dying, the better.
Fine, but if he touches you again, I can’t promise I won’t snap.
She smiled and wisely changed the subject. “How’s your arm?” She reached for Dillon. “Are you okay? What are you even doing here? You were shot. How are you running about as if you’re not hurt?”
“Cryolyt pill.” He shrugged. “Obviously.”
“Ah.” Rook nodded with a small smile. “How could I forget.” Narrowing her eyes on his arm, she added, “But that only blocks pain. It doesn’t stitch you up or remove a bullet.”
“The bullet went straight through, and Auntie Mei sent one of the gardeners to fetch two of her healer friends from the village. One of them sewed me up, dumped a bowl of horrible-tasting medicine down my throat, then let me leave.”
“How’s Uncle Wen?” I asked warily, bracing for bad news.
“He’s fine.” Dillon looked in my direction. “Last I saw he was being fussed over by his wife. He refused to let them treat him until they’d stitched me up so I could chase after you—”
“How did you come after us?” I cut in. “I get that you’re here because you tracked Rook like a stray dog, but it doesn’t explain how quickly you got here.”
“I take offence to you calling her a dog.” Dillon pursed his lips, fighting a smirk.
“I tagged her like the runaway heiress she is. And I told her.” He pointed a finger in her face.
“I told you one of these days I would resort to desperate measures and...after what you put me through on the mountain, the first thing I did while you were lying there—not waking up, by the way—was to follow through with that threat.”
Before Rook could say anything, he muttered under his breath, “Also, you and I are going to discuss a more permanent method when we’re home. Preferably something that can’t be removed.”
My temper bubbled. “If you’re thinking of implanting something in her, I’ll knock your teeth out.”
“I would’ve thought you’d be on board with a plan to keep her safe.”
“I am. I’m the plan. I’ll keep her safe.”
“You were by her side the entire time, and that didn’t keep her very safe now, did it?”
“What did you say?” My temper overflowed as I stepped toward him. “Say that again—”
“Eh, Mr. Brooks?” A black-suited man—who I vaguely remembered was the head of the team who’d helped us escape the bed and breakfast a few weeks ago—leapt out of a black 4WD. “We really can’t contain him any longer. He’s—”
A massive roar split everyone’s eardrums.
The sound hit me like a physical blow—deep and guttural and achingly familiar. I moved before I could think. Stumbling toward the vehicle, I didn’t make it far before the back door flung open and a blur of midnight fur launched out like a cannonball.
“Whisper!”
The panther hit me with full force, two hundred kilos of feline fury slamming into my chest. I went down hard; the air knocked completely out of me as Whisper pinned me to the road and rubbed his massive face against mine. His happy, rumbling purr vibrated through my entire body.
“Get off me, you stupid beast.” I chuckled, the sound cracking halfway up my throat as the faint taste of bitter blood appeared. Swallowing any evidence that I was breaking apart, I grabbed the huge cat around his ruff and hugged him.
He purred like a hundred chainsaws, giving me his entire weight, his tail lashing the air like a whip. His huge paws kneaded my shoulders, his claws threatening to stab me like tiny daggers.
“Get off, you crazy creature. You’re turning me into a pincushion.” Shoving him off, I sat upright and dragged him back, burying my face in his fur again, breathing in smoke and musk and home.
“I missed you too.”
Whisper made a low, chuffing sound, then swatted away my embrace to fling himself at Rook.
Rook laughed as the giant cat went to spring, but I grabbed his tail and kept him grounded. “Gently.”
She gave me a grateful look and dropped to her knees, hiding her wince as pieces of her continued to break just like they broke in me.
“Hey, little kitty cat.”
Whisper whimpered, licking her hair like she was his cub.
Rook’s giggle hurt my heart. My chest ached with loss.
Fuck, I can’t lose her.
Even though Dillon had managed to enlist the Sovereign Retrieval team...how much time did we have before this became a funeral procession instead of a recovery mission?
Staggering to my feet, I went to Rook’s bodyguard and held out my hand. “Thank you, Dil. For everything.”
He snorted and eyed up my hand. “Are you going to set me on fire?”
I smirked. “One day perhaps, but not today.”
He clasped my hand, squeezing roughly. “I’m glad she has you. Truly.”
“And I’m glad she has you.” My mind went to dark places, envisioning a future where I wasn’t there.
Where Rook stayed alive without me. Where only one of us made it.
And despite the agony at the thought of leaving her—despite the possessiveness of another man watching over her, loving her....
I was glad she had Dillon. No matter what happened.
Whisper nudged Rook to her feet then pushed her toward me, pressing her against me as if he knew we did so much better when touching. He studied us, sensing our pain—knowing better than anyone just how close we were to the end.
I held his glowing golden gaze while my arm snaked around Rook’s waist. I love you, you stupid beast.
He snorted as if he heard me.
More men appeared from the convoy of black 4WDs—masked and faceless—all wearing the tactical uniform of Sovereign Retrieval.
“You can stand down,” I commanded. “We’ve already dealt with those who were holding us hostage. We just require transportation to Iceland.” A memory came back as I said the same words as last time. “For three. Two adults and a full-grown male panther.”
Dillon cleared his throat.
“Sorry, three adults and a panther.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Ashfall,” the leader—who’d given me the bulletproof vest before he’d escorted us out of the bed and breakfast—narrowed his eyes. “On this particular job, we don’t take orders from you.”
“Then who—?”
“Her.” Dillon pointed at Rook. “I used her account code. And now that we’ve found her, she’s the one in charge.”
Rook and her bodyguard shared a look before she shifted her attention to the leader and said, like a true heiress, “I’d like to go to Vatnajokull Glacier. As fast as humanly possible.”
“The route has already been set. Mr. Brooks mentioned that would be your final destination.” The leader shared a quick glance with Dillon. “The plane is waiting. Shall we go?”
“Yep.” Dillon clapped his hands, assuming command which...I wasn’t exactly opposed to, seeing as every breath grew harder. “Let’s move out. The sooner we get you to Frank, the sooner we can find a cure.”
“Wait. You told Frank about this?” Rook stiffened. “But what if he’s not to be trusted? I’d planned on testing him first. Finding out if—”
“Can you honestly say you have time to mess around?” Dillon snapped, the depth of his fear showing.
“Whatever happens, it’s a risk we have to take.
Besides, Frank is the only one—apart from your parents—who knows if there are any secrets or hidden data based on the immortality subjects.
” A dangerous smile tightened his lips. “And don’t worry, if he turns out to be a betrayer, I’ll do whatever is necessary to keep you safe.
” His eyes flickered to mine. “Keep both of you safe.”
Pride reared its ugly head to remind him I didn’t need protecting, but...my vision wobbled and it took all my strength to stay standing.
Fine. Turned out, I kinda did.
Rook wrapped her arm around me, and I wrapped mine around her.
We started walking to the closest 4WD, but Whisper shoved his way between us, ensuring he took part of our weight.
I shot him a grateful look as we reached the vehicle and clambered in.
The panther took the middle seat, his internal heat combating the insidious chill creeping through my heart. Rook never let go of my hand as the convoy doors slammed shut and engines roared to life.
Leaning back against the headrest, my entire body felt as if it was moments away from shattering. Everything hurt. Everything ached. Yet I locked it all down so Rook wouldn’t feel it.
Rook sighed heavily, sagging against Whisper’s bulk. Even exhausted, pale, and streaked with soot, she was still the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.
She met my eyes, giving me the smallest, saddest smile.
And as Dillon took the front seat and we headed toward the airport, the decades of hatred, vengeance, and fury finally fell away.
No matter what happened from here, I was free.
I would never be hunted again.
Never be trapped.
Rook was mine and I was hers.
And even death couldn’t break us apart.