Lust (Sins of the Fallen Book 3) Read online

  “I’m fine. Is everyone else accounted for?” I said and found her hand in the darkness.

  “Yeah, we’re good, but we need to figure out how to get out of here before they figure out where we are,” Jones said as he directed Nikolai’s hand, shinning the light around the room.

  “Before we start wandering, why don’t we think about the layout upstairs and figure out which direction to take? Eventually we’ll hit water if we go the wrong way,” I said and moved towards where I thought the front door was from under here.

  “Smart thinking, Kid,” Nikolai said as he patted me on the back.

  Soon we found a hallway going in the direction to the front of the house. It was our only choice at the moment.

  With Angela’s hand still in mine, we jogged down the hallway with the rest of our group up ahead and Nikolai’s phone light leading the way.

  The trumpets up above were a mere buzz as we navigated the unfamiliar terrain of the tunnels. I tried not to think of what could be hidden down here or worse—what had happened to Jeremiel. His final days on Earth were pure torment at the hands of Samuel and The Wild Hunt—something I would never forget, much less forgive.

  “It shouldn’t take them long to follow us down here. What do we do then?” I asked.

  “Which is why we need to keep moving. We can’t slow down. There’s no plan B if they find us down here,” Nikolai yelled back and I felt my hands get clammy. The thought of not finding an exit gave me a slight feeling of claustrophobia.

  “Don’t worry, Max, we’ll figure a way out,” Angela said as she gripped my hand in comfort. I forgot she could read my mind. I squeezed hers back and nodded. Regardless of what transpired between us, I was glad she was by my side. I didn’t know if I would fully forgive her for my mother’s death, but I couldn’t ask for a better person in my corner.

  “Look!” Jones yelled as he pointed ahead to a light reflecting down from the ceiling.

  From my estimations, we’d been running for about a mile, and the light was a little less than half a mile away when we came to a halt.

  Thump. Thump. Thump.

  The sound behind us was like 700 pound boots dropping on the ground. Swirling a flutter of dust and sand around that engulfed us in a fit of coughs. Angela lost her balance, and I leaned against the concrete wall and pulled her toward me. It was as if an earthquake had erupted and the tunnels were caving in on themselves.

  “We need to move now!” Sienna screamed and without waiting for Nikolai and his light, she bolted forward.

  A melody of trumpets filtered in and I stumbled. My hands reached for my ears when I felt them pop as if a needle poked my ear drums.

  “Max!” Angela shrieked as she tried to hold me up. “What’s wrong?”

  I covered both my ears with my palms and she understood. My sensitive hearing had become a problem Nikolai was trying to help me with—sometimes I wasn’t able to control it—a side effect of being near too many Nephilim.

  Jones backtracked and helped lift me up from the other side. Between him and Angela, they dragged me the rest of the way as the footsteps closed in on us. The dust hadn’t settled and I squinted to see up ahead.

  “Hurry! There’s a ladder leading up,” Nikolai waved us over as Sienna started to climb. “Concentrate Max, I know you can block it out.”

  Tears welled in my eyes making my vision blur. The pain increased as the trumpets grew closer. They were almost upon us and we could have already made it out if I hadn’t slowed us down.

  “Go ahead, Nikolai, we’ll be right behind you,” Jones yelled as the sounds grew louder. With some hesitation, Greed relented and climbed toward freedom.

  “Come on, Max, we’re almost there. You’re strong, you can fight this,” Angela whispered. I wanted to be as strong as she thought I was, but there was doubt and I was tired. I wanted to give up. I didn’t know how long I could live like this—but then I thought of my mother. My beautiful and selfless mother. I couldn’t let her death be in vain. She wasn’t killed by Abbadon so I could give up and share a similar fate. I had to fight to stay alive.

  We made it to the ladder and Angela grabbed my duffle bag and started to climb up where a circle was opened in the ceiling and two heads blocked the light.

  “I’ll be right behind you, Max, I won’t let you fall,” Jones said as my arms tried to pull my weak body up. My energy had been depleted but I had to try. I had to make it before they found us or worse—they could take Jones. “There you go, buddy, you’re almost to the top. Come on,” he said behind me and I could see Angela’s hand sticking down to grab ahold of me. I was just a few inches from her when I heard Jones curse. They were here.

  I screamed as I pushed myself up with all the strength I could muster and let Angela and Nikolai pull me out the rest of the way.

  The sun blinded me as I rolled onto the grass in the fetal position, dry heaving. Angela pulled out Jones just as a dirty hand was reaching for him. Angela waved her hand over it, using her physical ability and froze the mystery hand in place as Nikolai found the cover for the hole and slammed it on top, knocking whoever it was back down into the tunnels.

  Sienna was about twenty feet ahead as she called out, “This way!” We all ran, Angela staying by my side as I didn’t have as much energy as the rest of them. We could see a busy road as cars zoomed by, which meant we were close to salvation. The overgrown weeds made it hard for us to run through the field we’d popped out of but we had no choice. We couldn’t risk a look back.

  “You’re doing great, Max, keep going,” Angela whispered to me and it gave me the extra push I needed.

  We caught up to the rest of the group just as Sienna threw herself into the middle of the intersection and stuck out the palm of her hand. The car barreling in her direction came to a screeching halt an inch away from her. The man behind the wheel was mesmerized. Her fiery locks swirled in the wind around her and green eyes shone bright like an emerald. She brought her hand down and sang, “Get out of the car.” Her voice flowed like honey and the man did just as he was told and stood on the side of the road dumbfounded. The other vehicles piled behind him blared their horns, waiting for him to move. Others tried to go around but couldn’t because of the oncoming traffic on the two way street. I squirmed, my amplified hearing trying to block out all the noises.

  “What are you guys waiting for?” Sienna said as she jumped into the driver seat and Nikolai in the passenger seat. The rest of us piled in the back and before Jones could close the door, Sienna slammed on the gas, and we took off, leaving the owner of the car on the side of the road, yelling for us to stop.

  “How did you do that? Is that your ability?” I said as I tried to catch my breath and stared at Sienna with shock.

  “Yes. I’m a siren.”

  “Like a mermaid?”

  She chuckled. “Minus the fins.”

  I sat between my Guardians as a calm silence took over the car for the rest of the ride. Did she use her ability on me when we were together? I shook my head, I didn’t want to think about that anymore. We barely got out of there and in a weird way, I wish we would have confronted them. I needed to see the face of my enemy. I knew Abbadon, but I didn’t know The Wild Hunt—they were a mystery to me.

  “The airport?” Nikolai said after twenty minutes. “What are we doing here?”

  “What do you think? We’re getting off this forsaken island,” Sienna muttered, giving Niko a sideway glance.

  “Won’t they follow us there?” I asked, not understanding. Going to the airport didn’t guarantee a speedy getaway.

  “They won’t make themselves known to the humans. It’s the one rule we all follow—we keep our existence a secret, no matter what,” Sienna said as she drove down US Departures Road and into a parking lot.

  “We can’t just hop on a plane like this. It’ll raise suspicion,” Jones pointed out as we all looked at one another. What he meant was our disheveled appearance—black smudges on our faces and arms, our clothes fill
ed with dust and sweat. There was no way security would ignore that and let us go through easily.

  “Then we clean up in the bathroom,” Sienna countered, sounding irritated.

  “No, Jones is right. If we even head in there and go straight to a restroom, someone will most likely spot us. We should go to a nearby motel and stop to get some clean clothes. The less conspicuous, the better,” Angela said.

  “Whatever,” Sienna mumbled and pulled out of the parking space.

  We took the East West Highway to a Solomon’s which was the closest thing we could find to a Walmart in the Bahamas for clean clothes and some food since we left everything behind at Jeremiel’s. Once we were done, we found the nearest Inn by the airport to get cleaned up. While Jones and Angela kept guard outside our shared room, Nikolai called first dibs on a shower since he was the most high maintenance out of the group.

  As he sang “Call Me Maybe” in the shower, I raised an eyebrow at Sienna.

  “You shouldn’t be surprised, he’s been humming it since he heard it at the store,” she said and rolled her eyes.

  “I guess not…so how do you know Niko?” I asked since it was obvious they knew each other from the warm welcome he gave her.

  “Who doesn’t know him, should be the question. Although, I am one of the rare few who has actually met him face to face. I came across Nikolai in the 1920’s if my memory serves right,” Sienna said as she scrunched her brows together. “Yes, mid-twenties in New York City.” She nodded in confirmation.

  “Oh.” I couldn’t believe how old they were.

  She chuckled. “The age thing still hard to wrap around?”

  “Uh, yeah,” I laughed and shook my head. “It’s a little weird, sorry.”

  “It’s okay, doll face, I understand.” She laid across the other bed, with one knee up and her arms splayed on the mattress. It was so normal and casual, but not. She looked every bit the Siren she was and it made me uncomfortable.

  I cleared my throat and sat stiffly on the edge of the empty bed. “Did you guys have a thing?”

  “What do you think, Maximillion?” She sat up and leaned on her elbows.

  “I don’t want to judge,” was all I could say.

  “I’m giving you permission,” she smirked.

  “Well,” I paused. “I guess so. Yeah, I think you did.”

  She eyed me quietly as if she were making fun of my answer. It was unnerving but I didn’t want her to know that I was bothered by it.

  “Are you jealous?” she purred.

  “No,” I answered too quickly. I wasn’t—at least I didn’t think I was—curious for sure but was I jealous? That Nikolai had her first? I shook my head at that thought and reiterated more calmly. “No, I’m not jealous. I was just wondering. He doesn’t seem to like you much.”

  She giggled. “Nope, he hates me but it doesn’t matter. I’d rather roll around with you any day of the week.” Her smile was so predatory, she reminded me of a red-headed Harley Quinn. Now that was unnerving.

  “Sienna, I might be reading too much into this, but what happened between us, can never happen again.”

  She frowned. “Why?”

  “Because it can’t.”

  “Who?”

  “What?” I said in confusion.

  “Who is it that you’d choose over me? Angela?” She sat all the way up and was very still and serious.

  “I don’t think it matters who.”

  “Trust me, Lover, it does,” she said just as Nikolai exited the bathroom, fully dressed.

  “That was the best shower ever. You wouldn’t believe the amount of dust and sand that came out of the weirdest places,” Niko said as he threw his dirty clothes in the trash and paused to look at us. “Was I interrupting something?”

  I shook my head.

  “I’ll go next,” Sienna chimed, pulling her tank top over her head. “Want to join me, Maximillion?” She stood from the bed and began to unbutton her shorts.

  I swallowed loudly and shook my head again. She shrugged and pranced to the now empty bathroom.

  “I’m so glad I’m not you. That chick is a sociopath,” Nikolai muttered as he patted me on the shoulder and made his way outside to swap with someone else. He was lucky indeed.

  After everyone had their turn in the bathroom and were ready to go, we headed back to the airport and abandoned the car in the parking lot by US departures again.

  “Where are we going?” I asked as we walked across the lot to the check-in stations.

  “I say Vegas. I have resources there,” Nikolai offered.

  “Wouldn’t that be the most obvious place? They’d be waiting for us,” Angela said.

  “Yes, but it’d be on my turf. We’ll have the upper hand.”

  “Fine, everyone agree?” Jones asked and everyone nodded. I didn’t think anyone wanted to argue. If we didn’t go back to Vegas, then where would we go?

  We went toward the check-in station for American Airlines where Nikolai stepped up to the customer service rep. She was a pretty blonde—just his type—and it didn’t take long for her to be captivated by Nikolai’s charm.

  “Hello beautiful,” he winked. “I need five one-way tickets to Las Vegas, Nevada.”

  The attendant blushed. “Of course, sir, when would you like to leave?”

  Nikolai leaned in and whispered with a smirk, “As soon as possible.”

  “O-okay.” She typed away on her computer, sneaking a few glances toward Niko and giggling every time he caught her. “Oh, I’m sorry Mister…”

  “Just call me Nikolai.”

  “Yes, Nikolai, unfortunately our earliest flight at 4:30 only has three seats left but we have another flight tomorrow morning at 6?”

  “Give me a moment,” he raised a finger and smiled charmingly at her. He turned back toward us and frowned. “We’re stuck here.”

  “No we’re not, two of us will just have to catch the next flight,” Angela said.

  “Well you all can fight amongst yourselves for the two spots left because I’m definitely leaving today. I’m not waiting until tomorrow morning,” Sienna said as she brushed past us to the counter.

  “Hey, hold on!” Nikolai grabbed her and twirled her around. “You can’t be selfish and make that decision. None of us want to stay here.”

  “Since when did you care about anyone else but yourself?” Sienna countered, “I thought all you knew was self-preservation.”

  “Things change, Sienna,” Niko said.

  “I can see that.”

  “I’ll stay,” I stated and everyone turned to me. “Niko you can head out with Sienna and someone else and get things set up for us when we get there tomorrow.”

  “If anything you should be the one to go today, Max. You need to be kept safe,” Angela put a hand on my arm.

  “Yes, but I won’t be killed if I stay, unlike any of you. They need me. Don’t worry, it’s just for a night.”

  “I’ll stay with you then,” Angela offered and I nodded.

  “And I expect all of you to pay be back, with interest might I add,” Nikolai said and turned back to the counter to get ours tickets.

  My Guardians took the opportunity and pulled me aside. “We need a plan,” Jones whispered. “I still don’t trust them. Especially Sienna, something’s not sitting well with me.”

  “She isn’t sitting well with anybody,” Angela gritted, “and Nikolai won’t reveal himself so early on. Let’s just wait this out.”

  “Reveal himself? What are you guys talking about?” I questioned in confusion.

  “Don’t pretend like you haven’t noticed, Max. Nikolai is hiding stuff from us and I’m positive he knows a lot more about The Wanderer than he’s leading on. Why would he keep him alive after showing up at Jeremiel’s yesterday?” Jones stated and it wasn’t too far-fetched. Nikolai had gone up against The Wanderer two days ago and lived to tell the tale. He was shaken and didn’t want to talk about it which made it all the more suspicious.

  I wat
ched him flirt with the customer service rep with such ease that I didn’t know what to believe anymore. Could he be capable of causing me harm? He’d been a little shady but I hadn’t seen anything to convict him.

  “I don’t know,” I mumbled. “Will you be okay traveling with them?” I asked Jones.

  “Will it be annoying? Yes, but I rather it be me than you going with them. I know Angela will take care of you,” Jones said as he gave Angela a sad smile.

  “We’ll be fine. If my fath—if Abbadon contacts you, call us right away.”

  “Will do.” Jones nodded.

  “Alright, here are your tickets for your flight tomorrow morning, we’ll pick you up at the gate, okay?” Nikolai said as he handed them to Angela and I.

  “Got it. Stay safe, alert, and in constant communication,” Angela directed her words to Jones.

  We watched as the three of them walked toward security and their gate. Sienna turned around and blew me a kiss. I could feel Angela stiffen beside me so I reached for her hand—not only to comfort her but as a heads up to Sienna so she could back off. Not that I thought it’d make much of a difference. She didn’t seem like the type to go down easily.

  Chapter Three

  Angela and I went back to the Inn and paid for an extra night. I was beyond exhausted and still had a little residual pain in my ears from the noise.

  “Why were they playing trumpets?”

  “Huh?” Angela looked up from a stack of food delivery menus.

  “The Wild Hunt, it was as if they were announcing their arrival over at Jeremiel’s.”

  “It wasn’t trumpets, they were horns. Honestly Max, I don’t know much about them. You have to understand that a lot of the stuff we’re dealing with was all myths and legends until recently.”

  They, we, were myths and legends to me as well, I thought as I stretched on one of the beds. My muscles were wound up tight and if I flexed the wrong way, I imagined a Charley Horse immobilizing me. I turned to look at Angela who was staring at me.

  “What?” I mumbled but I knew that gaze in her eyes—what she was trying to tell me—and I had no idea what to do. I froze as I watched her stand and climb onto the bed I was in. She snuggled up in the crook of my arm and chest as her hand came up to my cheek.