Uendeligt: An Infinitely Forever Novel Page 11
Glancing at Karina, I asked, “who is Talay?”
“I don’t think I’ve ever been afraid of anyone as much as her.”
“Why?”
“She can see when someone lies.”
For the second time, I stopped in our trip to the city limits and stared at her. “She…can see when someone lies?”
“Yeah,” Karina breathed, shaking herself as if an actual shiver had over taken her body. “It’s just weird, like we couldn’t do any missions with her or anything because she’d call us out on the BS.”
“Really, Karina?”
“What? It’s true,” she made a face before stopping shy of the city limit line. “Look, I’ll do what I can in order to get you the information on Shang but don’t hold your breath.”
“You didn’t know he was a part of Platinum?”
Slowly, she took her head, “no, everyone knew better than to spit which guard they were from. There were even some of your people in the training.”
“Oh yeah,” I breathed lost in my own thoughts. Frowning, I stopped and looked at her, “by the way what’s going on with Lovett?”
“What do you mean?”
Her tone had become hard at the mention of her former friend and present sect leader. Obviously, the bad blood from three months ago still lingered between her and Lovett Joker O’Qhuinn. Rightfully so. The prick had fooled us all in the worst type of way. He had claimed to me he loved Luminous with every fiber of his being.
Yet and still, he didn’t think twice about taking her position as sect leader over the Silver Guard. Maybe it was self-preservation. Maybe it was thanks to the little ego boost he got from the superior members. But whatever the case was, he was still an asshole and Karina didn’t have any respect for him. Understandably, because neither did I.
“I mean, I haven’t heard anything from him or the Silver Guard, outside of you.”
“That’s because Joker O’Qhuinn runs the sect like a god damn cult. Everything has to be done before we can go home, and nothing is to be done in the field without prior authorization.” She snapped, clutching the strap of the bag tighter against her chest.
Raising a brow at her, I waited for all of the anger to somewhat vanish from her before asking.
“Do you want me to have a talking to him?”
She snorted and smirked at me, “thanks Demir, but the thing is you and Lovett have never been able to have an idle conversation.”
“Those are facts, I’ll give you that much,” I shoved my hands in my pocket. “Listen, Karina, if you need help handling him. You know Dristan and I have your back.”
She made a face and shoved her hair from her face. “I know, Losett, don’t worry about it.”
I nodded, knowing she wasn’t one to take compliments. “Thanks Karina. I appreciate it.”
Another sarcastic smirk played on her lips, “I know.” With a parting wave and a merrily skip to her step. Karina went ahead to the city limitless, leaving me to go home and wait.
§§§§§
Finally, I had put the last of Luminous’s pictures up on my wall in my room and stepped back. The first picture with her looking out the window was facing my bed. The second, facing the window. The third by the bathroom door. But the fourth picture, the one that was a close up on her, was sitting on my nightstand. Right where I could stare at her while I was falling asleep.
Sitting down on the bed, I picked up the gun mental frame and stared at the picture. For now, she was still alive and ok. For the most part. Tracing her face, I swallowed my guilt.
“Wait for me,” I breathed.
I couldn’t do anything for her. Not right now. She was going to have to fend for herself until I got something to help her. What that something was, I didn’t know.
Setting her picture gently back on the night stand, I leaned into my elbows on my knees and sighed. What the hell was I going to do? Against the back of my eyes, I replayed all of the lies I had told her. All of the secrets I kept behind closed lips. Everything I never got to tell her.
Luminous had been the very embodiment of what I had wanted, had I been looking for a woman. Maybe it was due to the genetic modifications both of us had undergone. But I knew in my core of cores, Luminous River was the kryptonite to my Clark Kent and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it. Not that I would anyway.
Pushing off the bed, I left the bedroom and went into my living room. Nights like this made me especially miss the time I had spent with her. I missed the times where me, Dristan, Karina and Luminous would sit around the living room talking about orders and the courts. Everyone wasn’t necessarily happy, but at least the four of us were together.
Falling into the couch, I diverted my thoughts from Luminous and focused on what Karina had said about Shang. He was connected to this situation, that much I had figured out. But the question that reigned prevalent in my mind was how? Sure, everyone had their secrets but for whatever reason I couldn’t shake the way he looked at me from my mind.
The guy had a talent for playing on fears and desires. But what was he really hiding behind that cock sure smirk he had shot my way before he left the chambers of Onyx Elite?
My phone ringing stopped me from questioning the move from the Platinum Guard member. Maybe this was the kind of distraction I needed in order to keep my mind from tail spinning further into a shit show.
Grabbing the device from the coffee table, I answered the call.
“What’d you find out?”
“Damn, don’t even ask me how I’m doing,” if we were standing face-to-face, I knew Dristan was probably rolling his eyes. Trying to make light of the situation.
I smirked and stared out my windows, “how are you Dristan?”
“I’m fine thank you, but that’s not what I called you about.” He blew out a hard breath, “so PG has been underground since the beginning.”
“What do you mean?”
“Like their creation wasn’t announced until the first order was handed down. And only a select handful know about them and their inner workings.”
I sat up straighter as I felt my adrenaline kick start my heart, “who knows about them?”
“Don’t get excited boss, it’s not good news,” he immediately shot down any hope that was blooming in my veins. “Whoever went around telling others about PG’s creation were killed by someone.”
“What type of someone?” Out of all of the documents I had read to familiarize myself with the inner workings of the BC, I never saw anything on Platinum Guard or orders made to take out anyone on the grounds of explicit indiscretion.
“I don’t know, that’s where things get foggy. Some say it was Holt and Heinze behind being the main driving force. Others say it came from someone higher up.”
“Higher up?” I repeated, frowning at the statement. “There isn’t anyone above the judges.”
“I know, see what I’m saying? Things are getting weirder and weirder the more I dig. It’s almost like there’s an unknown phantom figure driving the machine right now.”
“What do you think about it?” I knew Dristan to be someone who hypothesized and rationalized situations that didn’t make sense to the naked eye.
If anyone had a theory to what was really going on behind the undeniable fear of the Onyx Elite and their secret guards, it would be Dristan. And sure enough, he didn’t disappoint.
He blew out a hard breath, falling silent for a second, “the truth?”
“Preferably.”
“Someone’s above the scientists and the courts. There’s no way they aren’t. If I had to put money on it,” he clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. “We’re probably looking at the same one who had gotten the bright idea to start this shit show in the first place.”
“You’re telling me, you think someone just randomly went to a select group of scientists and is still on the scene after all these years? To the point they’re still calling the shots.”
“Yes,” he deadpanned.
“True, but do you really think a whole bunch of scientists got together on their own and decided hey, let’s create a species of specially designed experiments and see what happens?”
“You’ve got a point.” I rubbed a hand over my face and sighed. As if this situation couldn’t get any worse.
“Right, the good news is Slade got a file on Shang.”
“How?” I frowned at the phone and prayed Dristan was not about to say what I thought he was going to say. However, my best friend never let me down when it came to doing exactly what I didn’t want him to do.
“He took it.”
“From?” Here it comes. Slowly my eyes closed on their own conviction as Dristan said.
“The BC.”
“Dristan,” I blew out a hard breath and fell back into my couch, “how in the hell did he manage to pull that off?”
“I don’t know, he does what he does and that’s the end of the story.”
I shook my head and looked at my watch, “what’re you doing now?”
“Getting ready to head out on a few orders. Slade said he’d be at Nine Lives if you wanted to meet up with him in order to get the information about PG.”
“Thanks man,” we didn’t bother saying goodbye.
Tossing the phone aside, I rubbed my hands over my face. Slade had broken into BC and stole confidential information without getting caught. How in the hell had he done it? I almost didn’t want to know.
Grabbing my phone, I sent him a quick text before going back in my bedroom. As I looked through my closest, the phone started ringing for the second time in less than thirty minutes.
“This is Losett,” I answered not bothering to look at the caller ID.
“Demir Losett,” an unfamiliar voice responded.
Frowning, my hands stilled on my clothes as I stared at nothing. “Who is this?”
“Someone of rather great importance to your current situation.”
Dropping the phone in my hand, I looked at the number only to find it blocked. Pressing the speaker button, I grabbed a long sleeved tee and slapped the light switch.
“Care to explain?”
“Not particularly.”
“Why?”
“Because you don’t need to know right now.”
“Then I’m hanging up since you don’t have anything important to say.” My thumb hovered over the disconnect as I waited for the mysterious caller to find his or her insolence.
“I’m going to make the assumption you don’t want to know about Luminous River.”
I froze. There was nothing in this world I wouldn’t do in order to get Luminous back home. And somehow, the caller knew as much. Slowly, I removed my thumb from over the disconnect button and didn’t breathe.
“We’ve been watching the two of you for some time, Mr. Losett. I’ll admit, you and Luminous never cease to amaze us in rebelling against the rules set forth for the night society.”
“Meaning what exactly?”
“It means, Mr. Losett, Luminous and yourself are going to face harder times should you continue the rebellion. However, we are not so heartless as to ignore the signs of hatred and longing for something more in life.”
Riddles. All of the fucking riddles being passed around my head weren’t making sense. First of all, who was this person to question me on mine and Luminous’s reactions toward the situation we were in? How did this person even know about Luminous and my relationship? My first thought. None other than Judge Sadvidge herself.
“Answer me something,” I took the chance to get a clue from this unknown person. It wasn’t like I was afraid to get another Black Diamond Order. Hell, I had survived one by pure luck, why wouldn’t I take the chance on getting another?
“Go ahead.” The tone was neither bored nor interested. Obviously, I wasn’t talking to someone from BC. All of the judges—I learned—had a certain way of expressing interest and curiosity. Whether it be by the way they looked or by the tone of their voice. Each judge had a signature tip-off and the person I was talking to right now, had none of that.
“How do you know about myself and Luminous?”
There was a pause, causing my heart to jack knife in my throat. For a single second, I hoped I hadn’t put Luminous in danger; then again, if this person was sitting here talking to me about understanding where I was coming from. Where Luminous was coming from. There may still be some hope for us.
A deep breath came across the phone before they said something I wasn’t expecting.
“I am one of a few above the creators and judges. To know about the experiments is within my right. Along with the others. However, I’ll tell you something, Mr. Losett, you and Luminous River are probably my favorite two.”
I swallowed hard and frowned as I found myself on the bed. Another riddle meant to be solved.
Whoever was on the other end of the phone took my silence as something to be proud of. As if bored with the conversation and not wanting to take a chance on getting another round of questions. The voice left me with a not so simple statement.
“Mr. Losett, you will be an amazing judge if you learn to let go of what you can’t change.” A second later, the phone went dead as the call disconnected.
In my mind, I was still trying to figure out what the hell was going on. Somewhere during the conversation Slade had texted back and told me to meet him at Nine Lives.
Deciding there was nothing left to do but wait and see what was going to happen. I hurriedly got dressed and grabbed the keys to my Hummer. However, as I got into the electric monster truck and headed through the mountains, I couldn’t stop thinking about the mysterious call.
The…person neither answered nor denied my questions. The only thing I had going for me was the fact I knew someone was halfway in mine and Luminous’s corner. But it wasn’t the type of support either of us needed right now. We needed an out that was going to stop the judges of both BC and RS from coming after her.
We could handle our own, but with Shang and his Platinum Guard buddies, I didn’t know what type of war we would be starting should we break ranks. As if I didn’t have enough on my mind, now this.
Twenty-minutes later with no answers to any of my unasked questions. I was getting out of the Hummer and heading for the double guarded front door of Nine Lives Nightclub.
“Losett, what’s going on?” Maverick, a former Gold member smiled broadly at me as he offered his hand.
“How are you?” I shook what was offered and smiled at him.
“Living the dream,” he nodded toward the door, “it’s a wild time in there, just a heads up.”
“Yeah?” I asked, stepping over the threshold and raised a brow to him.
He blew out a hard breath, “some ladies in there are dressed in some fine dresses.”
I smirked at him and went forward into the club. Whatever he was talking about, I was almost afraid to see. I wasn’t the weak type of male that lusted after anything and everything I saw in a nice dress.
Besides, I wasn’t going to start off the reunion with her trying to explain why I was staring at some girl in a club. Luminous wasn’t the type of female to get jealous of someone else in the club. But she was territorial and seeing Luminous River mad wasn’t something I wanted to face once she got back.
Banger music bumped through the speakers imbedded in the walls while bodies thrashed against each other in a sea of movement on the dancefloor. Naturally, the bar was packed to the brim with thirty patrons and alcohol buzzing bartenders.
Narrowing my eyes at the back wall toward the VIP section, I found Slade hidden beneath the shadows of the overhead balcony that was reserved for birthday parties and special events.
Thankful for my leather gloves, I moved through the sea of people. Seeing someone’s death wasn’t on my agenda tonight and I wasn’t trying to add it now. Sure, I mumbled an apology for walk
ing through couples trying to get close enough to meld their bodies together. And I kindly rejected any female who threw herself at me in the name of no inhibitions for the night. But that didn’t stop one girl from latching onto me.
“Dance with me!” She slurred as her body followed the command to the heavy bass song coming out of the speakers.
I tried backing away from her. Slade was only a few short strides to me, and I needed to get to him to find out just how much danger he would be in if the information were as damaging as I thought it was.
“Go home and take a cold shower.” God how I wished I had the ability to command people to do my bidding.
I had only ever encountered someone like that once—maybe twice in my life. Granted, the guard members who had that talent liked to take it to the extreme and weren’t cautious to the downfalls that came with gloating. In turn, the courts deemed them too much of a risk and the guard members were never heard from again.
“I want you to dance with me,” she sloppily threw her arms around my neck and dragged me down.
For whatever reason, whether it was from her natural talent or because she had been trained to the brink of breaking. The girl was strong. Like a steel padlock around my neck, her arms wouldn’t give as I tried pulling away from her.
“You need to—” I was cut off as her lips crushed against mine and my world went into a tailspin.
Chapter 7 Who Am I To Stand in Your Way
I didn’t know what was worse. The fact I had stolen someone’s hoodie in one of the private bedrooms in the back of the club. And had the audacity to wear it like the thing was mine. Or the fact I was sitting at the bar, watching the fuck show going on at the center of the dancefloor. Hell, who was I kidding? The pain of watching the man I had—not so easily—convinced myself I loved and loved me in return holding a woman who had seemed too far gone to be alive.
I had done everything to get back to Castlehedge. I’d learned to stand, walk, and run in a matter of days. I nearly got myself killed on a number of occasions. I committed a crime so horrible if anyone from the Onyx Elite found out, I’d have more than a PDO on my head. And what was my big reward? What was behind lucky door number one?