Page 32 of Nora
Nora glanced at the clock and took a deep breath. “Thank you all. And I’m sorry I didn’t say anything earlier. It’s just that, well, Six was going on vacation, and Cyn has the party to get ready for and, well, you know how it is. Since I’m out here on my own, I didn’t see the need to interfere with anyone’s plans.”
In addition to the big birthday bash Cyn threw for the four of them, she also hosted a holiday party every year. Decorating her forty-thousand-square-foot house took a few weeks. And then there was Devil. She was enjoying her new relationship with Darius, and that was something Nora didn’t want to interfere with. Shereallywanted them to work out as a couple.
Her friends grumbled, but eventually, Six spoke. “Just promise you won’t leave us out in the cold again. And promise you will call on Lucian should you need him.”
Nora repeated the promises back and after a few minutes of catching up, they ended the call. Nora set her phone on the desk and powered off her computer. Then turning her head, she looked out the window. The snow had stopped that afternoon, and the accumulated inch had already melted away.
She glanced at her winter gear hanging up in the closet. She’d heard Lucian’s door open and close while she’d been on the phone. Hopefully, everyone in the lounge was back in their beds.
She had a trail to find.
CHAPTERTHIRTEEN
Lucian wasabout to crawl into bed when his phone dinged on the bedside table. There was only one person who would text him this time of night. Sure enough, Violetta’s name appeared on his screen.
“Are you with Nora?”she asked.
A simple question, but a sharp spear of panic had him shooting off the bed.“No, why?”
“I’m going to kill her,”Six wrote.
Lucian thought he might, too. He had no idea what she was up to, but he didnotlike the feelings he was currently experiencing.
“Why?”he repeated.
“She’s out. From what I can tell from the GPS locator on her phone, she’s still on the grounds, but it’s past eleven o’clock at night. Where is she going?”
Damn, she must have gone out while he’d been in the shower. He hadn’t heard her door open or close. And yes, he’d been listening. He’d half expected her to show up in his room and give him a set down for bringing Violetta into whatever it was she was doing. He’d wanted to be prepared.
“Send me the coordinates. I’ll go find her,”he said. And then he’d throttle her. Not really, of course. But he’d be sure she knew how much her little nearly-midnight jaunt had upset his cousin. And him. But she didn’t need to know that part.
Five minutes later, he stepped out into the frigid night, thankful for his layers of clothing and the hand warmers he’d shoved into his gloves. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his phone and used facial recognition to unlock the device. In the time he’d taken to get dressed and get outside, Violetta had sent a second set of coordinates. It appeared that Nora had circled around the north side of the perimeter and was now off the grounds. He’d seen the few holes in the fencing when he’d been following her that morning. He had a pretty good idea which one she’d slipped through.
Setting his phone to vibrate, he slipped it back into his pocket and started jogging toward the training grounds. From there he turned north toward the path he was sure Nora had taken. The movement warmed him up but as he neared the gap in the fence, he slowed to a walk. Texting his cousin, he asked for an update. She responded with new coordinates, and he checked the map on his phone, confirming his original assessment.
Careful not to snag any of his clothing, he ducked under the curled-up chain link. Once on the other side, he brought out a small penlight. The grounds had been dimly lit, but on the trail, it was dark as pitch. Especially with just a sliver of the moon peeking through the night clouds every now and again.
Using the penlight, he navigated his way onto the only trail in the area. It didn’t appear to go in the exact direction Nora was, but he hoped it wound around and would lead him to her.
He was ten minutes into the woods when he froze. A noise. Footsteps. But not on the trail, in the woods.
Switching his light off, he stepped silently into the forest, where he stilled and listened. Frozen foliage and detritus were scattered across the ground. It would be next to impossible to move throughwithout making any sound.
A minute passed, and still he waited. It was possible he’d heard nothing more than an animal, but he wasn’t going to take any chances. There! Another noise. This time, the grunt that accompanied the sound of a cracking stick confirmed what he’d heard was human.
And male.
His adrenaline spiked, and he fought the urge to text Violetta. He desperately wanted an update on Nora’s position—or to be able to reach her himself. But pulling out his phone would be like sending a homing beacon up. There was no way to use it without it lighting up everything around him and giving away his presence.
As his eyes adjusted to the night, he caught sight of a figure moving slowly through the woods. Black hooded jacket, black pants, black shoes. The form was nothing but a shadow moving through the dark. But from his position about thirty feet away, Lucian took note of how the man moved. He was remarkably quiet given the circumstances. He also possessed a grace that led Lucian to believe he had either experience or training. Or, perhaps, both.
The shadowy form passed Lucian, and he debated whether to follow him or find Nora. The debate lasted less than two seconds. He stepped back onto the trail and continued north toward the last coordinates Violetta had sent. He needed to find Nora. And he needed to find her safe and healthy. If not, and the man he’d just let pass by had hurt her in any way, then Lucian had let him get away.
Five minutes up the trail, he heard another sound. Just a quiet shuffle of leaves crunching under a foot. Again, he stepped into the shadows and listened. This time, the noise was ahead of him and whoever it was was moving away. He strained to see, but in the dark, and with the distance, there was nothing.
Then the slim moon slipped from behind the clouds and a soft glow filtered through the branches. The light was just enough for Lucian to see the woman in front of him. Nora was indeed moving away, and she was indeed safe and healthy.
Until he got his hands on her and then, at the very least, her ears were going to be blistered.
