Anarchy (Hive Trilogy Book 2) (22 page)

I rolled over on the bed and fought to control my breathing, focusing on the plain white ceiling. Life was weird. You grew up as a kid with big dreams. Like wanting to be a famous actress or an NBA star, then in high school you scaled those dreams down as you ended up waiting tables with some acting on the side, or hopes to play college ball.

By the time you were in college you decided to just pick a safe major and end up in accounting or marketing. Why did that happen? Why were dreams slowly whittled away until there was nothing much left but the mundane existence of get up, go to work, come home and then die. That was life.

Well, fuck that. No longer was I content to be an accountant. Life purpose had fallen into my lap, and I could feel the rightness of my convictions. I was going to take this entire system and shake it up. By the time I was done with the world of vampires and Hives, I hoped nothing would remain as it was now. Ash should be free and vampires shouldn’t even exist.

The realization that I could change things, that I was meant to, lifted a huge weight I had been carrying since I found out I was an ash, cleared away some of the agony I faced regarding Tessa and the little girl who was changed, and all the children who had suffered. One day there would be no more suffering, no more families torn asunder.

There was a soft knock at my door. I sat up, clearing my throat and wiping my face. “Come in,” I said, my voice steady.

It was Kyle and Lucas. Lucas had wide eyes and a clenched jaw. Something was wrong. Of course it was. That was pretty much the story of our lives.

“What is it? What happened?” Adrenalin flooded me, my heart beating out a rapid rhythm. If Ryder was hurt, I was going postal on everyone.

Lucas crossed the room, quickly grabbing me under the armpits and yanking me out of bed.

“Hey!” Kyle said, moving across the room in a smooth stride, gun raised toward the former Quorum member.

Lucas stopped him. “I would never hurt her.”

In a flash, he hauled me into the bathroom and turned the shower on full blast. I barely had time to suck in a breath before we were both under the freezing cold spray, fully-clothed.

I’m going to be honest here. When I first met Lucas, I might have had one or two fantasies that involved him … but being fully clothed in an Antarctic shower with him … was not one of them.

I met his feral gaze. “What the crap, dude?”

Kyle had followed us into the room still holding his gun, but his trigger finger was relaxed. He was giving Lucas a chance to prove his intentions before he shot him. Before Lucas could answer me, music blasted out of the radio in my room and Sam joined us in the bathroom. Again, not time for those early day’s fantasies. Plus, I was a one ash woman now. Ryder was everything I wanted, and as soon as I figured out what crazy pill Lucas was on, I was going to the pit to get my man.

Lucas’ voice was a low growl. “I finally figured out what the hell is up with your blood. All of the tests … dammit! The puzzle has finally been pieced together. I can’t believe you would hide that from me.”

My heart skyrocketed, and then fell when I saw the look of hurt on his face. Now it made sense, the shower, the music—my apartment was bugged. Lucas clearly had decided he wouldn’t rat me out with this information, or he wouldn’t be working so hard to cover the conversation now.

Water pounded on my back as I leaned in closer. “Do you blame me, Lucas? You’re a powerful vampire and I’m the fucking cure. I’m the one who could take away all of your power and make you weak again.”

Lucas shook his head. “You could make me human again, make me
feel
again.” His voice could barely be heard over the music and water.

Kyle’s gun was at his side now. “Who else knows?”

Lucas waved his hand at the enforcer. “No one. Pure luck of course. If you had told me the truth, I would have stopped all testing. As it was, the vampire scientist who had been dealing with Charlie’s blood went a little crazy when she found out. She was supposed to call me the second she got results but didn’t. Luckily, I had a feeling I should check on her and caught her right before she was about to alert all the Quorum members. Let’s just say she won’t be around to break my trust again.”

My stomach rolled at the casual way he spoke of “disappearing” someone, but part of me was grateful.

Lucas reached out and touched my face in a tender way. Kyle cleared his throat.

“You need to leave the Hive. Now,” Lucas said to me, and judging by the look on his face he was sporting a major Nutella-flavored unicorn crush.

I shook my head. “Not without Ryder.” I felt sick at the thought of him in that dingy room, without light, or food, enduring God knows what. Damn! We had to get him out.

“Yes, Ryder. Her boyfriend,” Kyle snapped out.

Lucas smiled. “Yes, I’m aware she’s taken. Still, Charlie needs to leave now and he can follow later.”

Sam shook his head. “No, we have a code. We do not leave a man behind. Ever.”

Lucas turned his angry, swirly eyes on the two enforcers. “Do you have any idea how powerful Charlie is? In a world torn apart by a virus that kills a high percentage of those infected and changes the other percentage to bloodsucking monsters, she’s the way out. They will either kill her, experiment on her, or torture her by repeatedly draining her blood.”

Sam stood to his full height now, looking absolutely deadly. “Yes, we know all of this. Give me one reason why I should let you live now that you have knowledge of her abilities.”

Holy shit. I knew Sam had my back, but wow. Threatening to kill a vampire—one strong enough to be a Quorum member—took huge, platinum covered balls.

Lucas only grinned, looking completely unworried. He turned back to me. “You’re in good hands. I’ll help you get Ryder out of the pit and then you must run. I only ask one thing in return.”

Please don’t say kiss me or some weird shit like that.

“Anything,” I replied, because if it was for Ryder, I truly would do anything.

Lucas’ entire face changed then, desperation in his eyes. “Cure me,” he said.

My mouth dropped open.

“No,” Kyle said.

“I’ll do it,” I said. Sam let out a very animal like growl. “But not today. We’re going to need someone on the inside, especially with Tess here. Are you okay with staying vamp for a little while longer? Until this war plays itself out?”

He sucked in a few deep breaths, and finally nodded. “Yes, you’re going to need my help. I’ll figure out a way to communicate with you once you’re gone. We can do much together.”

He was right, but now wasn’t the time to make those plans. We had to deal with the immediate threats. Moving as close as he could get, Sam and Kyle leaning their bulk into the shower with us, the vampire began laying out the plan for getting Ryder out of the pit and us out of the Hive’s prison gates.

All of us listened intently, throwing forward arguments on the logistics of his plan. Finally, we were all in agreement. It was a good plan, and I really hoped it was going to work.

Lucas brushed a hand across my cheek. “You have a responsibility now, Charlie, to make a change. There is so much you don’t know. I wish there was time to show you.”

I was confused. “Show me what?”

Lucas’ eyes glittered at me. “Ash aren’t privy to the inner world of our kind. Tessa will soon find out the vampires have built their kingdom on a bed of deceit, blackmail, and murder.”

Goosebumps broke out on my arms, and I swallowed. He was a hell of a scary storyteller, and I was thinking of those files in the room. How much more ugliness could there be?

Lucas waved his hand at Sam. “With your computer skills, you could find out what I’m talking about. You just have to search in the right places.”

Sam and I exchanged a look, and I knew he was thinking about that information he found on that message board, about Sanctum. I could practically see the thoughts churning through his mind. No doubt, next chance he was at a secure computer, he was going to have another attempt at finding the dirt on the Hive, following these bread trails from Lucas.

Wrapping my arms tightly around myself, I fought off the shakes, which were partly to do with the freezing water and partly with fear. My world was about to be turned on its head, and no way was I ready for it to happen.

Leaning forward, Lucas kissed my cheek. “Be safe, Charlie. I couldn’t save my wife but … I will save you.”

My eyes felt hot and damp. But before I could say anything or thank him, he was already out of the shower and gone from the room, leaving the three of us in a heavy, and uneasy silence. I wasn’t sure about the boys, but my thoughts were nothing short of tumultuous. I was not ready for this. No way at all.

After Lucas left, the boys and I got to work on our new plan. Kyle lifted his walkie-talkie. “Shift change. Oliver, Jared, and Markus to Charlie’s apartment.”

We were on point now. Time to put the “Ryder rescue and escape from Hive plan” into motion. First step, we needed all hands on deck. There were so many different elements to the success of this plan, and if even one got messed up, it could screw the entire thing sideways.

Pushing through the boys, I threw both of them a towel. They were only a little damp in places but I needed to change. Stepping up to my closet, I pulled out clubbing gear. If I was going to play this part, I was going to do it right.

Waiting until Kyle and Sam had left, the boys closing the door behind them, I stripped off my soaked clothing and shimmied myself into new underwear and a short black dress, a dress I had been waiting for the perfect moment to wear.

I’d had this piece handcrafted by an ash who specialized in concealed weaponry. The material was soft, flowing, but still tight in the right places. I could run, climb, and kick ass in this thing without a problem. There were even little sewn-in booty shorts so I didn’t crotch flash anyone while laying a smackdown.

I added black tights and calf-high black boots, which had small side inserts for a few knives. I strapped on the thigh holster, and as I dropped the dress down I was more than pleased to see that it was invisible under the dress. That dressmaker ash was a freaking genius.

A few moments in the bathroom for dark makeup and sexy, tousled hair. We didn’t want anyone to think we were anything but party people tonight—stupid, drunk, and out-of-control.

By the time I stepped into the living area, six males were standing around, hulking out the place. I gave a bit of a wolf-whistle. “Well, don’t you boys clean up nice. I’m totally looking forward to a night of fun. I need a break from all the stress in my life.”

I was slipping into my role, hoping like hell that whomever was listening on the other side of the bugs in here was relaying this shit word for word. It pissed me off so bad that we were under constant surveillance and had to watch everything we said. Thank God we’d be long gone from here soon.

Jayden stepped out from the shadows and threaded his arm through mine. “I dressed them up. Poor things can’t seem to get out of enforcer black.” He kissed me soundly on the cheek. “And don’t you look gorgeous. Unlike them, you should wear this little black dress much more often.”

I grinned, my eyes shifting across the enforcers as I took much more notice of their clothing this time. Hot dayum, Jayden had done a fantastic job as the stylist tonight.

Jared was in a fitted, olive-green shirt. It clung to his honed muscles and brought out the real blond Aussie surfer thing he had going on. Markus wore green also, but it was a different shade, much lighter, and his beard was neatly trimmed, a perfect man-bun on top. He looked extra-bulked and tall tonight, his combat boots topping him out near six and half feet. Oliver was all Latino lover. He had on a dark gray dress shirt, and slacks, and I knew Jayden had drooled the entire time he was picking out that outfit. Sam was still pretty much in black, although I caught a peak of a white cotton shirt beneath his leather jacket. He was epitome of tall, dark and mysterious. The last of the sexy six, Kyle, wore a blue shirt which brought out the lighter highlights in his dirty-blond tousle of hair. As our eyes clashed, I could see how unhappy he was. Like me, he was not taking this thing with Ryder well. But we were going to sort it out tonight.

Our mood was falsely jovial as we made our way to the karaoke lounge. The Hive was pumping tonight, and there seemed to be a great mix of ash and vampires around. I liked that. More victims for us. In a sad way, I was really looking forward to the next hour. I was not only going to let loose in the club, but I was getting my Ryder back. Bastards had messed with the wrong unicorn ash.

I threw my head back and started to dance as I entered the room. The music was blaring, and as we stepped further into the dark room, the beat enveloped me. All of us headed straight to the bar. The plan was in motion, and the next thirty minutes were the most important. We had to be seen drinking. A lot.

There were ash behind the bar, even though vampire females were prowling the floor taking orders. Kyle leaned in and ordered our first round of shots, the special vampire moonshine ones, and also a chaser beer for each of us. The moonshine was potent; it would knock me on my ass, but I wasn’t planning on actually drinking it. The second the shot glasses and bottles were in front of us, we gathered our drinks closer. I grabbed my beer first, pretending just to take a sip, before discreetly gulping down half the bottle.

“Ready?” Kyle grinned, flashing those perfect teeth at me. I gave him a wink in return.

The seven of us lifted the clear glasses and took the shot. I made a face, managing to keep the disgusting contents in my mouth, before lifting the bottle and spitting it into the beer.

I shuddered a little. Hopefully these shots weren’t so potent that I’d still get drunk from just having it in my mouth, because I was pretty sure I could spit fire right now. We continued this for thirty minutes, ordering beers and shots like they were going out of fashion. The bit of alcohol I was getting was enough to loosen me up, and then it was easy to start acting drunk. We were drawing attention, the enforcers around me were both feared and revered amongst the ash, even tolerated by the vampires, sort of. Not to mention the rumors were running wild about why our security clearance had been revoked and where Ryder was. Vamps were gossiping bitches.