Chapter Thirty-Seven
––––––––
CATERINA COULDN’T KEEP the grin off her face after Ramiel kissed her.
Not even the short, yet intense battle she’d had with the enemy vehicles was enough to ruin her joy.
Her hope that her knight would see her worth had come roaring back.
His jealousy that she’d slept with two other guys didn’t bother her.
She felt exactly the same way about the ‘countless’ women he’d bedded.
The ham radio on the back seat emitted the quiet hum of static as she directed Ramiel to the first property he wanted to check.
She was glad the Mad Prophet’s message to them had been so direct.
Hearing that she was supposed to be Ramiel’s female had confirmed Granny Blaze’s vision.
Her warrior was no longer trying to fight his destiny.
The timing had sucked, but at least they’d escaped from the convoy unharmed.
“How much further is it to the country club?” Ramiel asked.
“It’s about a mile or so away now,” Caterina replied.
“I’ll stop here and go the rest of the way on foot,” he decided. She noticed his wood had finally subsided and almost snickered. Seeing her in action had turned him on, but he’d already been worked up by their kiss. She already knew he would be dynamite in bed.
“Should I stay here?” Caterina asked. “I can defend our truck if anyone tries to steal it.”
Ramiel glanced at the back seat that was covered in broken glass. “We’ll need to find a replacement vehicle,” he said, nodding at her suggestion. “Our belongings will get drenched if it rains.”
“We’ll need to keep our eyes out for raiders and steal one from them,” she figured.
Ramiel leaned over and she leaned in to meet him. He kissed her, cupping her cheek to prolong their contact. “Stay safe, female,” he ordered sternly, then climbed out.
“Holy crap,” Caterina murmured as she watched her warrior sprint away.
“That man can ignite my lust with a single glance.” Waving her hot face with her hands, she was glad he’d parked in the shade.
It was hotter than usual this summer and the heat would have been unbearable if he’d parked in the sun.
While she could control fire, she didn’t have any power over the sun.
She got out and shifted their gear to the bed of the truck, then used one of her t-shirts to sweep the broken glass from the back seat. Putting their belongings back on the seat again, she ate a snack and drank coffee from the thermos while she waited.
Ramiel returned a few minutes later, shaking his head to indicate the country club had been a bust. “It’s empty and no one has been there since the Rapture,” he reported.
“The next property is about an hour away from here,” she said as they climbed back into the truck.
Directing her knight to the next site, she received another kiss before he left.
Heart fluttering again, she’d never felt like this about anyone before.
The two guys she’d slept with had just been boys in comparison to her warrior.
Ramiel was everything she’d ever wanted and never thought she could have.
They spent the day visiting the properties Ramiel had circled, but his brothers were absent each time. The final location was a luxury retreat for rich people. “I’m coming with you this time,” Caterina decided. It was almost dark and she had a bad feeling.
“You can sense danger, too?” Ramiel asked.
“Yeah,” she confirmed as he parked beneath some trees. “I don’t think you should search this place on your own.”
They got out of the truck and he held his hand out. She clasped his fingers, then they raced down the road towards the cluster of buildings. Ramiel tugged her into the trees so they would have some cover. “I can hear people talking,” he said in a low murmur.
They paused when they reached the white picket fence that enclosed the sprawling property. “Fifteen people are in the main building,” Caterina said after scanning the place.
A pained female scream came from the structure, followed by callous male laughter.
“Bandits,” Ramiel said with his upper lip lifted.
“They’ve got at least one woman in there,” Caterina said, already feeling sick to her stomach at what they would find inside.
“You don’t have to assist me, female,” her knight said, picking up on her emotions.
“Yeah, I do,” she told him. “Let’s get this done,” she added grimly.
Circling around until another building blocked them from sight, they raced hand in hand over to it. The sun sank further from the sky. Shadows hid them as they sprinted the short distance to the main building.
“I can sense one male just inside the door,” Ramiel whispered, indicating the back door. “He’s probably supposed to be standing guard.”
“Is he sleeping?” Caterina asked, hearing the low rasp of steady, open-mouthed breathing.
“I believe so,” he replied, then quietly opened the door. They snuck inside to see the guard was slumped forward in his chair, dead to the world. Ramiel conjured up his sword and slid it into the male’s chest, extinguishing his life.
“Let’s hope we can take them all down this quickly and easily,” Caterina whispered.
“Five people are upstairs,” Ramiel said. “They’re probably more captives. One of them might be a guard.”
Another scream of pain made Caterina flinch. It had come from somewhere near the main entrance. “Screw this,” she said. “Those animals are torturing that poor girl.”
Seeing her resolve, Ramiel didn’t try to stop her. She held her hands out and four fireballs appeared on her palms. He strode along at her side as she marched down the hall to rid the resort of the vermin that inhabited it.
Filthy from head to toe, nine men surrounded a naked young woman. She was just as dirty as they were and she was covered in shallow cuts. Some were festering and she needed antibiotics or she would probably end up dying.
Caterina didn’t give the pigs any warning.
She sent the fireballs flying and they smashed into four of the men.
Ramiel leaped forward to attack the thugs who pulled guns from holsters.
Dodging a knife that was thrown at her, the cambion sent her magic into their weapons.
Screams of shock and pain came from the men as they dropped the boiling hot guns and knives.
Ramiel cut their remaining foes down, then turned to her with a grin. It faltered and turned to alarm just as she heard a gun go off. Pain slammed into her back and she staggered forward. Her knight roared in rage and sprinted past her with murder written all over his savagely handsome face.
Dropping to her knees, Caterina twisted her head to watch as her assailant was hacked to death with the magical gold and silver sword. The huge diamonds winked in the light that came from the camping lanterns the marauders had placed around the room.
Moans of pain came from the naked female. She’d curled onto her side and was shivering. Caterina used her power to extinguish the flames that were rapidly spreading before they could burn the victim. Ramiel caught her as she toppled forward.
“I’ve got you, my beautiful female,” he said, gently picking her up. “I need to remove the bullet.”
“Bathroom,” the victim croaked. “Down the hall. To the left. First aid kit.”
Ramiel placed Caterina on her stomach on the couch. “Did you work here?” the cambion asked, trying not to pass out from the agony.
“Yeah,” the female said, shivering even harder. “Should have run. Dying now.”
“You’re not going to die,” Caterina refuted, but she could feel the woman’s life force growing weaker.
“It’s okay,” the female said. “I’m ready. Been ready since they turned up.”
Her voice had become fainter with each word and Caterina had to strain to hear her.
The young woman took a breath, then shuddered.
Feeling the human fade from her radar, tears spilled over.
Caterina cried for all of the victims who’d suffered brutality at the hands of the evil people who’d been left behind.
Ramiel returned a moment later with a first aid kit. “She’s gone?” he asked, sparing a look at the corpse.
“The poor girl,” Caterina sobbed. “We need to rescue the others who are upstairs.”
“I’ll handle that, female,” Ramiel said as he tore her t-shirt open. “Brace yourself,” he warned her, then inserted long tweezers into her bullet wound.
Clenching her teeth to hold in her screams of pain, Caterina didn’t want to freak the prisoners out even more. She passed out just as she felt the slug being extracted from her flesh.