Page 90 of A Light in the Darkness
And now I know why the works of art in the Louvre bored me so much when I was younger. It’s not because I don’t have an appreciation for fine things. It’s because I knew that when I saw something worthy of all that fanfare, I’d know. Back then, I would have never imagined something—someone—as beautiful as this.
“I’ve loved you from the first moment I saw you. I just didn’t know it then.”
Her lips tremble as they fall open, preparing for words she can’t yet find. I don’t give her the chance. Instead, I consume her again, pulling her against me with a hand on the back of her head and tilting her to give me deeper access to her. She tastes as heavenly as she looks… my perfect angel, fallen for the son of the devil. I thought she was my temptation, but she’s my salvation, the only thing that may still be capable of saving my soul. And I’ll lay it down for her to take if she wants it, because I’m suddenly struck by the realization that I’ll give her anything she wants for the rest of my life…
Including in this moment.
Fuck.
When she feels the barrel of the gun, she pauses just long enough to give me the strength to pull away from her. Her eyes are on mine, seeking answers. “You remember the first time on the boat?”
It takes a moment, and then recognition dawns on her pretty face. “I know you like knives, but I’m not taking you out there with only a blade standing between you and the unknown. Can you handle this?”
She finally looks down at the piece I’ve rested against her thigh, and when her eyes flit back to me, there’s no hesitation or fear in her eyes. I know Dimitri taught her how to shoot when I first sent him after her, so I’m not worried about that part. And I shouldn’t be worried about whether she has the nerve to pull the trigger. I can see the resolve in her eyes.
When her hand slips in mine, she takes the gun in her other, and I pull her to her feet. I hold out the Kevlar vest I tossed aside a moment before, and when she looks at me questioningly, hold it out for her to slip an arm through. She must sense that the only way I’m willing to relent on this is if she’s got the vest on, to offer me just a little peace of mind.
Rook blinks at me in surprise, but when I only stare at him in response, he nods his understanding and grabs his rifle off the bar top. When the others turn to see us, they similarly don’t object.
Maybe it’s not the best choice I’ve ever made, but I know it’s not the worst either. If I left her here, no matter how capable I think Rook is, and something happened to her, I would never forgive myself. I’ll never forgive myself if something happens to her anyway, but at least this wayIcan be the one to keep her safe. When Kent’s eyes lock with mine, I know what he’s thinking without him having to say it, and his quick nod tells me he’ll do whatever he has to in order to protect her. Both Kent’s wife, and the woman I’m going to make mine, are the priority tonight. He relays the information to the others, who nod without hesitation.
Something feels wrong from the first moment I taste the stale evening. It hangs like dead air around us, and despite the thick forestry that surrounds us and the full sun sinking slowly into the mountains, there’s not a fucking sound to be heard. No birds, no crickets, not even the buzz of a mosquito. I brush a kiss to Claire’s knuckles before letting her hand fall from mine so I can tighten the grip on my gun and ensure she’s got hers at the ready.
I don’t like this one bit, and I turn to Kent, who nods his agreement with my unspoken command. He takes point, brushing forward through the tall grass around us. He briefed us all on the way here about what the plan is, where exactly we’re headed.
The town is four miles north, which is too far of a walk… and the precise reason he had the dirt bikes delivered ahead of time, thanks to a friend of a friend who apparently lives somewhere in the state. We only have to walk a short distance to find them, the lights of the jet illuminating the space ahead of us where they’ve been left. It’s pitch dark around here outside of that light, the sun having disappeared entirely in the space of seconds, as if even it didn’t want to stick around in this place longer than it had to. I make a mental note to give Simon a raise just as he cuts the lights, plunging us into the dark night.
Kent switches on the flashlight mounted atop his scope, and the others follow suit. They’ve naturally fallen into a V shaped pattern, the way we have the other times, though right now, Claire and I aresituated behind him, with Rook at the back and Rich and Michael on either side, forming a ring. I wonder whether any of them play chess or whether it was just Kent’s command, but they move in all the right ways to protect the queen—my queen.
The keys are all in the ignitions—all four of them.
“We’re one short.” Michael says, as Kent wastes no time swinging his leg over the closest one and getting himself in position.
“Two,” Claire corrects him, prompting a laugh from me. It dies when I grip her around the waist and swing her over the back half of the bike next to Kent’s. She turns to me, bewildered, and I want to savor the look of surprise on her face, but I don’t have time. “You’re with me, sweetheart.”
“You know how to drive this thing?” she asks, skepticism mingling with a hint of apprehension in her voice.
“Do you?” I challenge, as if I would have let her try.
“No, but—”
I laugh again as I climb over and flex my hands on the grips, my rifle situated across my legs and secured by the strap around my neck. It’s been a minute, but you never forget how to ride a bike. Next to us, Michael grumbles about having to hop on the back of Rook’s bike.
“Relax, Claire.” I tell her over my shoulder. “I’ve got this.”
“You’re a secret biker?” She challenges, a bit of her old sass creeping in.
“Guess you’ll find out. You trust me?”
There’s no hesitation before she says ‘yes’, and I have to ignore how that makes me feel so that I can focus on the situation at hand.
“You better hold on tight.” Rich warns her.
I just see the smirk on his lips before he sinks onto his own bike, and then Claire does as she’s told, wrapping her arms around me and sliding closer, so that she adheres to my back. Her gun’s in her right hand, and I glance down to make sure she’s got the safety off before I turn the bike on, overwhelming any further complaints or banter.
Kent blazes the way again, forging forward so that he can lead us. We go single-file, Rook and Michael then me and Claire, with Rich bringing up the rear.
I hear Claire’s surprised yelp as we take off, and then she wraps herself against me tighter and I can feel how tense she is as we rip over the uneven terrain. But the bikes were made for this, and I’ve had a lot of time to explore my hobbies, so I know she’s safe with me. I just have to make sure she knows that.
