I elbowed my way through the crowd until I reached the front where yellow police tape prevented me from going any further, but I could already see enough.
The house had been blown up. All that remained was ashes.
My eyes darted over the policemen who were searching through the debris. From the look of things nothing had been found yet. Dare I hope that the bodies of the Hunters I killed were taken care of too?
I licked my lips as my eyes darted over the ground. If the bodies hadn’t been destroyed then the people were going to start asking questions. It was something we couldn’t afford.
Had Silas and the others survived or not? Had they been kidnapped or were they dead?
What am I going to tell the twins?
My thoughts were interrupted by the prickling of my skin. Someone was watching me.
I lowered my head to hide more of my face and then glanced around from beneath my lashes. Had some of the Hunters stayed behind to make sure that we left town? If that was the case then I needed to get back to the twins as soon as possible so we could leave.
But I couldn’t risk leading them back to our hideout.
Movement from the corner of my eyes had my head snapping to the right. A woman was trying to push her way through the crowd towards me.
Spinning around, I hurried away as fast as I could. Angry shouts spurred me on to move faster. Finally free, I glanced over my shoulder and caught sight of the blond still hot on my heels. She glanced up and for a few seconds our eyes locked.
Her lips parted as if she wanted to speak but I didn’t stick around to hear.
I took off running in the opposite direction from where I came from.
The only weapon I had on me was a knife. I left the gun behind in case they needed it. Fuck! I had no idea if they knew how to use it or if it would trigger bad memories from Ariana’s kidnapping.
After running four blocks, I slowed and glanced over my shoulder. My eyes widened in surprise. The woman was still behind me and quickly starting to catch up.
I glanced around. Taking a left, I headed into the alley. The only hiding place there was were two dumpsters. I hesitated a moment before I darted behind one and crouched.
I held my breath and waited.
Her footsteps echoed around the brick walls. “Son of a bitch!” she hissed when she reached the wall that blocked the exit of the alley.
I stepped out of my hiding spot, blocking her only escape route.
The woman spun around as if sensing me. She froze and took me in from head to toe.
“Y-you look bigger up close,” she muttered.
I raised an eyebrow and tilted my head to the side. It was interesting how she studied me because I knew exactly what she was looking for.
“I don’t want to fight you,” she told me. “I’m only here to give you a message.”
My eyes narrowed. Her voice sounded oddly familiar but I couldn’t remember where I’d heard it from. I tensed when she reached into her jacket.
“It’s a note,” the woman muttered.
She pulled a folded piece of paper out, hesitated and then took slow steps forwards to hold it out to me.
“Read it.”
I glanced around and then looked at the note again.
The woman wasn’t a Hunter but that didn’t mean that she wasn’t working for them. Humans were easy to manipulate when you used their weaknesses against them.
Taking the paper, I unfolded it and quickly scanned over the words.
“How do I know that he really wrote this note and not someone else?” I asked her.
“I...” she trailed off.
My eyes dropped to her mouth when she licked her lips before they dropped to her fidgeting hands. I was making her nervous, I realized with some surprise. True, the woman was short and much smaller than Ariana but she was fit and had a gun strapped to her hip within easy reach.
“If this”—I held the note up between us—“is true then you have to prove it. I’m not risking my mate’s life based on a note.”
Nodding, she glanced around. “Fine. Okay. We’ll meet back here tonight at midnight. I’ll make sure that he’s here.”
“Good.”
I stepped aside and waited.
The woman caught on easily. With a hesitant smile, she hurried past me and nearly ran for the exit. She didn’t stop or look over her shoulder and I didn’t stick around in case it was a trap.
Turning to face the wall, I took three steps back and then ran forward. When I was close enough, I jumped, grasped the top of the wall and pulled myself up. For a moment I hovered there as I looked down at the note that lay on the ground.
If they were still alive then it would be proven at midnight.
If it was a trap then Eva was going to have to take care of her sister.
***
I glanced around to make sure that nobody was in sight before I unlocked the door and slipped inside. After double checking to make sure the door was locked, I turned to face the twins.
A body slammed into mine, making me stumbled backwards into the door.
“I got worried,” Ariana said. “You’ve been gone for more than an hour.”
I wrapped an arm around her waist and took a step forward. Dropping the bag to the floor, I reached up to slide a hand into her hair. The moment she raised her head, I kissed her.
Ariana sighed and slipped her arms around her neck. Her body relaxed against mine as her lips parted and she kissed me back with just as much need.
My hand slid down her back, over her ass and to the back of her thigh to guide her leg around my hip. Her other leg automatically followed.
Eva cleared her throat. “Did you find them?”
Breaking the kiss, Ariana pressed her face to the crook of my neck.
I glanced at Eva to find her sitting up on the bed with her hands in front but thankfully still tied, however the gag had been removed. Our eyes locked for a few seconds before I dropped mine, unable to hold her gaze for long.
“No,” I answered her. “The house was blown up.”
Ariana tensed. “A-are they...?” she trailed off.
“I don’t know.”
I walked over to the bed and took a seat on the edge of it. Placing Ariana on my lap, I waited until she looked up at me.
“There’s nothing left of the house, doll. Everything’s been blown to pieces,” I told her.
“Dad’s still alive,” Eva called out. “I know it!”
I ignored her and focused my attention on Ariana. Tears filled her eyes and slowly rolled down her cheeks. My chest tightened as I watched the emotions flash through her eyes.
What really confused me was the guilt.
“I—” my words died down when Ariana pushed me away and hurried towards the bathroom. I stared at the closed door for a few seconds before I got up and walked over to Eva.
“You’re not lying,” she whispered. “Please tell me that you’re lying.”
Leaning down, I untied her feet and then took a seat on the edge of the bed next to her. I said nothing as I untied her wrist and rubbed the reddened skin.
I was debating whether or not I should tell her about the note. There was a possibility that Silas and the others got out in time but there was also a possibility that they were dead and the Hunters had set a trap for us.
I didn’t want to give them false hope.
Sighing, I blinked down at Eva’s hand in mine. I raised it to my lips and pressed a kiss to the inside of her wrist over the reddened skin. Unable to help myself, I tasted her skin with the tip of my tongue.
A strange sound fell from Eva’s lips, making my eyes snap up to hers.
She was watching me with wide eyes and slightly parted lips.
Keeping our eyes locked, I turned her hand slightly and moved my lips down. Her eyes darkened and I traced the veins with my tongue.
My breathing sped up. I could feel her pulse beating against my lips. My mouth started to water as I traced the veins up her arms to the base of her neck. Slipping a hand into her hair, I tilted her head back for better access. I used my teeth to nip at her skin and my mouth to suck on the same spot.
“Lucas,” Eva moaned.
She gripped my hips and tugged my body closer to hers.
I was so lost in Eva, in the strange hunger that suddenly coursed through my body that I wasn’t paying attention to our surroundings.
Someone knocked on the door.
“Room service,” the person called out.
Jerking away from Eva, I grabbed the gun and pushed it into her hands.
“Bathroom. Now!”
Eva blinked but she didn’t move.
Muttering a curse, I jerked her to her feet and pushed her in the direction of the bathroom. She stumbled but it seemed to snap her out of whatever daze she was in.
“Get in the bathtub with your sister and stay there!” I ordered as I rushed to the bag that held the rest of the weapons.