Cancer: Book 5 in a Young Adult Paranormal Romance Series (The Zodiac Twin Flame Series) (9 page)

‘I’m sorry. I don’t know how to communicate with him. I thought that it would be amazing if we were able to be together. I didn’t think there would be any problems.’

Virgo put her hands on her hips. ‘Have you actually sat down and tried to have a proper conversation? Not fighting or talking about the divorce, but discussing the pair of you together?’

Biting the corner of my lip, I shook my head. Although we had spoken in the hotel room on the very first day, we hadn’t tried to work anything out since moving into our new home. The court date for Matt’s divorce was in three days’ time. I didn’t know whether he was going back or not. It felt like he was keeping it secret. But I hadn’t even asked him.

Fiddling with the end of my hair, I stepped towards Virgo. She backed away from me quickly, which made me smile. Maybe she thought I was about to burst out crying. I wouldn’t, I pulled myself together. The most important thing on my mind was to buy clothes. Going past her, I went into the shop and started to search the rails.

‘I can’t believe you just did that,’ Derek whispered in my ear.

I jumped as I spun towards him. His breath had hit my ear, making me shiver. His tall frame towered above me. Not like Leo and the others but still tall enough to make me nervous.

‘Don’t do that,’ I snapped, turning back to the rail and picking out a pale blue top.

Derek’s hand wrapped around mine where it held the hanger. ‘If I am going to protect you, you cannot do that again.’

I glared up at him, shaking my arm to get him to let go. He reluctantly pulled away, glaring at me before he turned and stalked out of the shop. What was his problem? So what if I had run away for a second? I hadn’t exactly gone far.

‘He can’t do his job if you disappear. I like that, you should get it.’ Virgo picked out a dress to show me. I screwed up my nose. It wasn’t my colour.

‘Sometimes I need some space. I could do without everyone lecturing me.’

Virgo shrugged as she put the dress away and held up another one. Her gaze travelled over to the woman standing behind the payment desk. Her frown made me look in the same direction. The dark skinned woman was standing so rigid it was odd. Glancing back at Virgo, I nodded once.

‘Just act normal,’ she muttered. ‘How about this one?’ she almost shouted.

I shook my head when she held up a pair of jeans. The hairs on the back of my arms stood on end. Someone else was in the shop with us. That, or the lady had somehow seen me transform. Maybe there was a camera in the changing rooms.

‘No, I don’t like those either. Shall we try somewhere else?’ I put everything back and turned away from the rails.

Checking the shop, we tried not to appear too obvious. I couldn’t see anyone in plain sight. Why was the lady behind the counter acting so weird?

‘Yes, let’s go.’ Virgo went to move towards the front of the shop.

The lady behind the counter stepped forward, blocking our path. ‘Are you sure I can’t help you?’ she said in a thick accent.

Her smile was forced. My muscles went still when her gaze flicked behind us. Virgo grabbed my arm and pulled. We rushed forward, knocking the girl out of the way. We were almost at the front door when something wrapped around my legs. I screamed as I fell to the floor. I let go of Virgo as the force made me move a lot quicker than she could. I had no idea what it was that had me by the ankles but I couldn’t get free.

‘Get Derek!’ I shouted.

My arms bashed into clothes railings as my body was dragged backwards towards the changing rooms. My top rose up. My bare stomach scraped on the harsh surface of the floor. I cringed, thrashing as much as I could. The lady had disappeared. The smashing of poles covered any other noise as I was pulled further away from my sister. Virgo ran out of the shop, leaving me behind. I was glad. I didn’t want her to get into trouble.

‘Get off!’ I pushed through my teeth as I tried to reach backwards to unwrap whatever it was that was tangled around my legs. It didn’t work. I couldn’t get enough momentum to turn around. My heart thundered in my head. It got worse as I slipped through the door that led to the changing rooms. A rush of wind made my hair fall into my face as I left the safety of the shop. My stomach hit hard concrete, making me scream as I came out of the back entrance.

‘Got you,’ someone said from behind.

Closing my eyes, I quickly cleared my head. Relaxing my muscles as I moved across the ground, I envisioned myself as liquid. The movement suddenly stopped. I went completely still as my body turned to water, and whatever had been dragging me, fell away. The sting of grazes on my stomach still resonated throughout my liquid form. Pausing for a second, I tried to get my mind clear enough to work out what to do next.

I had to know what it was that had managed to catch me. A van was parked in the little area behind the shop. A man in black stood by the open doors. There was a big metal machine inside. A winch protruded from the machine. Instead of a chain wrapped around its core, there were, what looked like, silicone tentacles.

‘What happened?’ someone shouted from the back of the vehicle.

The man by the door searched the ground with his eyes. ‘I have no idea, she just disappeared.’

The growl from inside the van made me shudder as I moved towards a drain cover. There was a tiny hole. I could squeeze down there if they started to look for me. Not that they would notice a puddle of water.

‘Her power,’ the man’s voice said. ‘She’s changed into water.’

My mind swore as the man outside the van scanned the area. Running footsteps sounded from behind me. Derek and Virgo were coming. They would be caught if I didn’t do something to warn them.

Concentrating, I pulled myself back into my full form for the third time. My head spun. I wasn’t used to changing quite so often. The man glared at me as soon as I came into view.

‘Derek, Virgo,’ I shouted. ‘You need to get out of here! I’m going to disappear.’

They were coming out of the door but paused when they heard me. The man rushed forward, determined to grab me. I fell back into water instantly and dropped straight onto the drain.

My form slid against the steel of the cover as I slunk down and let myself drop into the sewers below. I hoped that Derek and Virgo had managed to run away. There was nothing more I could do.

The expanse of tunnel resonated around me. Dripping water echoed as I moved across the concrete ledge. I rarely stayed in my form longer than a few minutes. It didn’t feel healthy to be a splodge of water.

Sliding along, I searched for a way out of the sewers. I was grateful I couldn’t smell anything. I could imagine what the Greek waste smelt like. They couldn’t even flush tissue down the toilet.

A tiny ray of light came through the ceiling, revealing my escape. If I could climb up the wall, I should be able to force myself through the gap in the grate. I had never attempted to climb anything in my current state. It would certainly test my power.

Facing the wall, I pushed myself towards it. Gravity was a real thing, even as water. However, my power was something that defied all odds. No one other than my siblings and guardians, plus a select few enemies, knew about it. That meant I was able to defy all odds. I wasn’t going to let gravity stop me.

Concentrating as hard as I could, I forced myself up the surface of my escape route. Somehow I travelled along the concrete and over the ceiling towards the drain. I didn’t really think about it. My aim was to get up and out of the disgusting place.

As I squeezed through the small hole, the rush of air that washed over me wiped away the stench of the drains. I didn’t change back into my normal form, preferring to make sure it was clear first.

Climbing onto the pavement, I moved towards the car park in the distance. If I could sneak into our car and drive away, I might be able to get back home. My liquidy-self paused when I realised the stupidity of the plan. Hopefully, Derek and Virgo had already taken the car. It was better to go in the opposite direction and get a taxi home.

Spotting a taxi rank in the distance, I slipped along as quickly as I could. The concrete was cool under me. When I came near to the first car, I sneaked into the doorway of a closed shop. Glancing around, I did my best to make sure no one watched. Pulling on my strength, I changed back into my normal body.

Crouching on the ground, I waited to get my bearings. Images of the flowing tentacles that had wrapped around my legs, consumed me. I shuddered, not from the cold, but fear. Shaking myself, I stood straight and stretched my back. Blinking a few times, I made my way over to the taxi.

‘You need to go somewhere?’ the driver asked.

I nodded quickly, climbing straight into the back of his car. He smiled at me in the rear-view mirror as he pulled away from the curb. Digging out my phone, I showed him the address of our villa. Derek and Virgo were probably already home.

Watching the green trees speed past me, I clenched my teeth. There was no denying it, Nick’s men were on the island. They were going to work hard to try to keep me and Matt apart.

I almost dismissed the importance of my sibling’s journey when they had gone through it. I had been able to disconnect myself from the idea of someone chasing after me. Now it was my turn, I had no choice but to face it. Nick would never leave us alone. Not only did he make it his mission to stop us from uniting with our soulmates, he had the added fury of one of his men betraying him. He would never give up. But then again, neither would I.

Chapter Twelve

‘Do you think they know you’re staying here?’ Leo said later that evening.

We sat around the table on the patio. Virgo and Derek had managed to get home safely.

‘No, I’m sure they would’ve come here by now if they knew we were here.’ Matt picked up his beer and took a swig. Leo nodded without replying.

I glanced sideways at my soulmate.

‘Don’t you think it’s time that you told us more about Nick?’ Virgo asked.

Matt glared at her but she ignored him. She wasn’t the type of person to back down quickly. If she wanted to know something, she would ask outright. ‘Come on, you might as well tell us. If you’re going to be with Cancer for the rest of your life, you need to help the rest of us, too.’

Matt sat forward, leaning his arms on his thighs. He wore jogging bottoms, which had shocked me. I had never seen him wear casual clothes before. It made a nice change to see him comfortable. He had been tense ever since we had landed.

‘Okay, I’ll tell you about Nick.’ He downed his drink and gestured at Leo to hand him another one.

Leo did as he was told, sitting straighter as he prepared to listen to what Matt had to say. His six foot five bulk only just fitted in the garden chair. Matt slouched against his seat, looking small because his shoulders were slumped.

‘Nick’s rage is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. It’s as if the more he hates, the more powerful he gets.’ Matt reached over and took my hand. ‘When I first met him, I was about 10 years old. My father sneaked out of the house most evenings. My mother told me that he had an important job. She believed that what he did was worthwhile.’

I squeezed his fingers in mine. He stared at the bottle of beer in his other hand.

‘One day, my father ordered me to go with him. I was so excited, believing that I would finally know what he did. Nick was kind to me, very kind. He gave me sweets and spoke to me like an adult. We were in one of his houses in the middle of London.’

He closed his eyes briefly, swallowing before opening them again. We stared at him, waiting for him to go on. We were fascinated by what he could tell us. We knew that our father had spoken to him about Nick but they hadn’t shared the information.

‘In the house, there were rooms full of computer screens. Some of the monitors had photos of you lot on them, some of them had videos playing. You know, CCTV from when you were growing up. He watched you for many years. In fact, he made us watch you, too. He told us that you were the enemy, and one day, we would have the chance to ruin your lives. Looking back now, I see how bad it was.’ Letting go of me, he rubbed his eyes with the balls of his palm.

Virgo shook her head, glancing at us as she did. ‘What is wrong with the sick…?’ She let her sentence trail off when I glared at her.

Matt had been raised by someone who believed we were his enemies. He had also hung around with Nick for more than half his life. Kids were easy to manipulate. That’s why Nick started his army so young. If he taught them from an early age, he could mould them into any shape. Ready to do his bidding.

‘He told us that you planned on destroying the world. He never mentioned anything about twin flame soulmates when we were young. It wasn’t until we were teenagers that he told us there would be someone else involved. Well, a lot more people involved. That’s when I started to question his reasoning. Being told that you were going to destroy the world, that’s easy to believe as a young boy. Watching television and films, it makes you believe that these things could happen.’

I reached out to him again but he didn’t take my hand. I bit my lip as I pulled back and stared down at my lap. I suppose he needed to process his life with Nick without me crowding him. It still made my heart hurt, though.

Leo shifted in his seat. ‘What did he say to you? What did he say to make you believe that we were a threat?’

I knew Leo. He was an intelligent man, even if he pretended he wasn’t. An artist he may be but he also had a brain on him.

Matt put his hands flat on his thighs without looking up. ‘He said that you were being trained by two villains. He actually used the word “villain”. He’s a good storyteller. He knew what to say to make us fascinated with your story. And it was a story. The way he weaved the tale was just like reading a book.’

Virgo stood and started to pace by the pool. She was usually quite calm and collected. Hearing how our archenemy convinced young boys that we were dangerous obviously annoyed her. I didn’t blame her. If I saw Nick now, I wasn’t sure what I would do.

‘It’s like when you’re a kid and someone tells you not talk to strangers. They say that anyone offering you sweets is a danger. You instantly become on guard with those people. Or anyone that might be suspicious. When you’re told that they’re going to threaten your life when they grow up, you get it into your head that you need to do something about it. Nick has been doing this for many lifetimes. I haven’t got a clue about how many lives I’ve lived. I’m ignorant. I believed him.’

Leo swigged his beer. ‘Oh, but do you still believe him?’

Matt lifted his head and our gazes clashed. For the first time in a long time, I felt my heart. A warm glow surrounded my chest as he gazed at me. The movement of his throat made me want to reach out and stroke it. I couldn’t look away. It was as if he was seeing through me, down into me. Seeing that what Nick had said was not true.

‘I hate to break the love fest but can you please concentrate. We need to know more,’ Derek interrupted.

I had completely forgotten he was even there. He sat away from the table, nearer the pool, dangling his feet in the water. When he had first placed his chair, I had been tempted to push him in. I was glad I had resisted. It had given us a chance to listen to Matt. It was so good to hear him open up. We had never spoken about Nick.

Matt cleared his throat and looked away from me. ‘I started to go to the house every other day. Sometimes we sat and watched the monitors. Other times, we played in different rooms. There were weapons. They weren’t real, just plastic. However, he had us training pretty quickly. Not that we knew what was happening. My father never explained why we were allowed to run riot with toys. In fact, they encouraged us to fight. It was a bunch of lads in a home where they could run around and do what they liked.’

I glanced at Derek, unsure how he had become involved with my father. Had he literally hired him from a security company? Protecting our father was a pretty hard task. How could my father trust such a young man if he worked for someone else?

Matt finished his next beer. I wanted to reach out to stop his extending hand when Leo offered him another one. Clamping my hands together, I resisted the urge. If he needed beer to open up, I wouldn’t stop him.

‘After a year or so, they started to discipline us. One day we were allowed to run around doing exactly what we wanted, and the next, there were men telling us what to do. If we weren’t well behaved, we were beaten. Fights became necessary to build strength. Whispers started. We didn’t train for no reason. We still watched the monitors, listening to Nick’s hateful words about you. Even when the younger lads became teenagers and eyed you up instead.’ Matt winked at me.

Leo laughed. ‘That’s so creepy. A bunch of boy’s perving over you as you were growing up. Does it make you feel weird?’

I hit his arm but it didn’t make an impact. His muscles were too big. He was right, it was pretty freaky knowing that a bunch of boys watched me as I battled my teenage years. I shivered, unable to control my body as I cringed.

‘Don’t worry, Virgo, they wouldn’t have eyed you up.’ Leo ducked when Virgo swiped a hand towards his head. He giggled like a girl. I couldn’t help but laugh with him. Even Matt cracked a smile. Derek shook his head but his own laughter joined in too.

‘Shut up. I bet some of them were even looking at you,’ Virgo said.

Leo’s mouth dropped open. He jumped up from his seat and rushed towards Virgo. She stood her ground until right at the last minute. Stepping to the side, she covered her mouth as Leo tumbled headfirst into the swimming pool. Our laughter echoed around the patio as Leo spluttered.

‘Fair play,’ he called. ‘I don’t blame them for fancying me anyway.’

Virgo smirked down at him, her arms crossed over her chest. She had managed to get him back for pushing her earlier in the day.

I glanced at Matt, pleased to see that he was amused. Leo deserved comeuppance. It was good to see that Matt appreciated my family.

‘Virgo?’ Leo called as he made his way towards the edge of the pool.

She looked down at him, raising an eyebrow instead of answering.

When Leo reached the side, he lunged from the water. Grabbing Virgo’s leg, he pulled her straight in with him. Her head only just missed hitting the concrete ledge. As she plunged underwater, I jumped up from my seat. It had been too close.

‘Leo, you need to be careful!’ I shouted as he rose to the surface of the pool.

Virgo spluttered as she attempted to throw a punch at Leo’s head. He swam away quickly enough to avoid her. She growled low in her throat when she struggled to catch up to him.

‘The fun never stops with your family, does it?’ Derek said from his seat.

Leo turned and grinned. Virgo threw her middle finger up at him. I laughed at them.

When I glanced back at Matt, I found him watching me. His eyes travelled over my figure as I turned around and put my hands on my hips. A smile quirked his lips, which made my heart beat. He was checking me out again. At least it was in the flesh this time.

‘Derek, you’re very quiet tonight,’ Leo said as he climbed out of the pool and made his way over.

The bodyguard shrugged, not turning to look at us as we settled back around the table. Leo dripped everywhere. Virgo pulled off her wet clothes as she walked into the house. Derek’s eyes trailed after her, not resisting the near nakedness.

‘Okay, go on.’ Leo gestured at Matt.

For some reason, my gaze was drawn to Derek’s back. Why was he not fully engaging? Something didn’t feel quite right.

‘Wait for Virgo to get back. In fact, let’s get a few snacks. I’m hungry,’ I said, getting up. ‘Can you help me, Derek?’

Derek stood, keeping his eyes averted as he went into the villa. Smiling at Matt, I followed my bodyguard inside. Something was wrong with him. I needed to find out what it was.

‘Are you okay?’ I asked as we rooted around in the cupboard.

When we had attempted to get clothes earlier in the day, Matt had popped to the local grocery shop and stocked up on food. At least he had bothered to do something. I clenched my teeth as I tried to take back the negative thought about him. I shouldn’t be so harsh.

‘I’m listening, that’s all. Taking it all in.’ Derek handed me a bar of chocolate.

Taking it from him, I tucked it under my arm and reached for the cookies. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so…’

When I turned round, he was smiling at me. I smiled back, unable to help myself. It wasn’t very often he focused his whole attention on me.

‘This is how I learn. I’ve been with your father for a long time. Since I was the same age as Matt was when he first met Nick. Almost fifteen years ago. I’ve learned a lot in that time. But I’ve only known the full extent of your mission in the last few years. I never realised I would be so involved.’

It was nice to have someone on our side. Matt might have switched to our cause but his conditioning fought inside him. Since being away from Nick, his mood had been lower than I had ever seen. Could he really transcend his belief?

Taking a bottle of fizzy drink out of the fridge, Derek nodded at me before making his way back outside. He wasn’t the chatty type either. What was it with the men in my life not being able to communicate with me? Maybe that was something I had to see within myself.

Looking around the kitchen area, I sighed. The breath left me in a rush. All I wanted was a home of my own, a man to love, and children in the future. Running away had pulled me down.

‘Our brother is such a moron,’ Virgo stated, coming out of her bedroom with a handful of clothes. ‘You can borrow these clean undies, too.’

I smiled and pecked her on the cheek as I grabbed the garments. ‘Thanks, sis.’

The villa was the perfect size. Leo would have to sleep in the lounge area but it was big enough for him. The four bedrooms were already taken up. Virgo had managed to snag the last one as soon as she walked through the front door.

‘No different to usual, then.’ I handed her packets of food.

She rubbed her hair with a towel as we walked outside. She had changed into a nightie. Her small frame gave the impression that she was a lot younger than she was.

Dumping the food on the table, we sat down with the boys to continue our conversation. Virgo crossed her legs in the chair and pulled her nightie over her knees. I glanced down at my jeans, glad I now had a change of clothing.

‘Go ahead,’ Leo said, nodding at Matt. ‘Sorry I interrupted but I was getting a little bored. No, I’m only joking.’

There was no point hitting our brother or reprimanding him. He didn’t listen, anyway. Instead, I rolled my eyes and smiled at Matt. Derek had pulled his chair around to sit with us.