Zeno: #8 (Luna Lodge) (11 page)

Zeno had watched as Ava cleaned the wounds Anita had received and packed some of her clothing into a suitcase.

Even though he was still annoyed over Ava giving him the slip earlier, it was hard to get too angry, given that from what he could tell, the whole outing had been an attempt to get to and protect the old woman.

He wasn’t honestly sure if he would have taken Ava there if she asked, but he still respected her motives.

The train station hadn’t been far from her house, and they were able to get Anita a ticket on the next train out. It was the best way for her to disappear.

The plan was for her to head north until she hit the next station. From there she’d take two more trains in the other direction to make sure Antonio’s men couldn’t follow her.

Zeno doubted Antonio would go to the trouble, but he wouldn’t have suspected Antonio would send his men to ransack a widow’s home either.

It was clear they had been looking for something, and it didn’t appear to be Ava. From what Anita had said, they didn’t even ask about her.

The train whistle blew. Ava wrapped her arms tightly around the woman.

“Call my sister when you’re safe,” Ava said and handed Anita a slip of paper with the number Zeno had given her. It was really to the main line at Luna Lodge, but they would make sure the call made it through to Paige.

Anita nodded, her cheeks damp from more tears.

Ava pulled back and bent to the ground. She rummaged through her backpack and then hastily unzipped the travel bag Anita was taking with her.

Zeno watched as Ava stuffed a large lump of money into the bag and then looked around. No one paid them any attention as they hurried onto the train.

She stood up and pressed the bag into the old woman’s arms.

“I can’t take your money,” Anita whispered.

Ava shook her head. “It’s only a fraction of what you’re owed,” she said. Her voice caught in her throat. “Piero was…” Her voice trailed off as tears sprung to her eyes.

Anita leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss to her cheek.

“He cared for you,” she said warmly. “You didn’t kill him. He died saving someone he cared about. You understand?”

Ava nodded, but her tears continued to fall.

“And now I’m saving someone I care about,” Ava said quietly. “Use the money. I’ll be fine.”

The old woman turned her observant eyes to Zeno. It was the first time she’d actually looked at him since they had arrived at her house.

“I know what you are,” she said as she leaned in. “We all have a purpose in life. You make sure she gets to find hers.”

Zeno nodded, not quite sure how to respond, but certain of one thing: he’d protect Ava.

Anita nodded to them both and then walked to the train. They watched as she handed her ticket over and stepped through the door.

“Do you think she’ll be okay?” Ava asked.

He felt her small hand slip into his, and he gave a little squeeze.

“Yes,” he said quietly.

They watched in silence as Anita found her seat on the train. She gave a little wave through the glass as the train started moving.

The train eased away from the platform, rolling away. Slowly, it sped up until it disappeared around the corner.

Zeno looked down at where their hands were still joined and gave a little tug.

“Let’s go back. She’s safe now.”

She nodded and followed him, neither one bothering to loosen their hold.

Chapter Fifteen

Content.

The word kept rolling through Ava’s mind as they made their way back to the hotel.

Although she could sense Zeno’s agitation, especially as he led her through a number of back alleys, Ava was at peace. Knowing Anita would be far away from that sick bastard Antonio was enough to set her at ease.

They stopped near the hotel, just a few alleys away.

Zeno stared out across the way.

She took the moment to study him. There was no question he was handsome. Previously she’d found some of his facial expressions harsh and intimidating, but now she understood they really just meant he was worried.

He worried about her.

Ava squeezed the hand she still held. He looked back to her and then turned to the hotel.

“Looks clear,” he said.

Hand in hand they crossed the street. Several people passed them, and she wondered if they saw a couple at first glance. Her heart thumped at the idea. She swallowed and tried to push the thought from her mind.

They weren’t a couple. She was done with that crap. And she certainly didn’t have time to worry about that sort of thing when she was still on the run.

Zeno pulled her through the lobby and into the tiny elevator. He pressed the four button.

“You could have told me your plan,” he said. His low voice filled the small cramped space. “Instead of pulling that little stunt.”

Ava laughed and looked over to him. “And you would have taken me?”

His face fell at her words, and for a moment, she wondered if she’d been wrong.

He dropped her hand. “You could have tried.” He stepped into the hall when the doors opened. She trailed behind quietly.

She had been so certain he wouldn’t agree to the trip over concern for her safety, but Zeno wasn’t a bad man. He might have, if she’d given him the chance.

He didn’t make her leave immediately when he found her. And he even helped collect Anita’s pictures. Those were hardly the actions of an unreasonable guard who’d stop at nothing to ensure she remained near the hotel.

They reached the door to their room, and he slipped the card through the key. The green light flicked on, and Zeno swung open the door.

They stepped in, but he stopped just inside. The door clicked shut, and she frowned as he whirled around to look at her, his massive form pressing in on her.

She stopped when her back met the cold metal door, his arms bracketing on either side of her.

“You are the most exasperating woman I’ve ever met,” he rumbled.

Ava frowned. Oh, he did not get to lay into her like that, not after the last few months that she’d just had.

“What you did today was reckless, dangerous and…” Zeno sighed. “Kind.”

Her eyes widened with surprise. His face softened. One of his hands slid away from the door and played with a lock of her hair.

“You are just full of surprises,” he said and leaned in. She could feel his hot breath on her lips and licked them in anticipation.

The door in the room next to them banged open. Crashes and thumps reached their ears. Someone was throwing things around.

He tightened his arms around her.

He shook his head when she opened her mouth to ask a question.

“I’ll get the other room,” a man said in the hall in Spanish. The sound of his footfalls closed on the door.

Zeno’s hand clamped down on the knob. He furrowed his brow, a faint look of confusion. She wondered if he could understand any Spanish.

They could hear the sound of the card sliding through the lock. The lock clicked, but the door stayed closed under Zeno’s firm grip. They heard the sound of the card again, but he held firm.

“It’s not working,” the man said loudly. “Go get another fucking card.”

The footsteps receded, and Zeno’s pinched expression and tight neck muscles relaxed.

He nodded toward the other door.

Ava peeked around him and saw with horror that the lock on the door between the rooms was open. She carefully squeezed around him.

She gripped the lock in her hand, and as slowly as she could, Ava turned it.

Nearly finished, the tension dripped away. At the last second, something caught in the lock, and it slipped into place with small click.

“Did you hear that?” a man asked next door in Spanish.

“They heard me,” she mouthed to Zeno.

She looked over to Zeno, who nodded for her to come away from the door. She watched as the handle jiggled before turning back to him.

“Two guns,” he whispered just above a breath. “Bed and loveseat.”

Ava crept around the room and slipped a hand between the mattress. She carefully pulled out the hard metal she found there and laid it on the bed. Just as quietly, she reached between the cushions and pulled out an even bigger gun. She laid that on the bed and looked back to Zeno.

She’d say this for him. He always had a plan.

She walked over to the closet and opened it. The door creaked just a little, but she ignored it. She grabbed the pack he had in there and handed it to him. The door squeaked loudly as she tried to shut it. She froze at the sound.

“Someone’s over there!” a man shouted on the other side of the wall.

Zeno dropped his hand from the door. Even if he didn’t understand Spanish, the tone was unmistakable.

“Are you afraid of heights?” he asked.

Ava glanced over to the door and frowned at his question. “No.”

Zeno nodded and stepped over to the bed. Ava trailed behind, not really sure what he was getting at. He slipped the pack on.

“What are we—” she said. Zeno grabbed her wrist and pulled her out the balcony door. “Are you crazy?” she nearly shouted. “We’re four stories up!”

The men banged against the room door.

Whatever Zeno had in mind seemed way more dangerous than staring down the barrel at some thugs. He lifted her in his arms. She gasped in surprise.

“Do you trust me?” he asked.

The words echoed in her head. They had only known one another for a day, but she did trust him. She had trusted him from the moment he came for her. She nodded, not certain of her voice.

His eyes blazed for a moment, the sunglasses no match for the brightness of his eyes.

“Good,” he whispered. “Hold on tight and don’t let go.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck and locked them together. His muscles tightened as he pulled her close to his chest. His strong arms flexed around her.

Behind them, the wooden door between their rooms splintered open. Two men rushed in, guns drawn.

And then she was falling. The air rushed around her as she plummeted to the ground with Zeno.

She wanted to scream or cry out for help. Instead, Ava wrapped her arms around Zeno and clamped her eyes shut.

The impact with the ground jarred her body, but nowhere near as much as she’d expected. Zeno apparently taken most of the impact.

Ava shook as he placed her feet on the ground, her eyes blinking as she stared at the street around them. Several people ran away, fear on their faces.

“We’ve got to run,” he said when she looked back to him, his face close to hers.

She nodded.

A shot rang out. The bullet pelted the street near them.

Zeno looked up at the balcony. The men aimed their guns at them, but he doubted they’d hit much at this range. Still, they fired. Several people screamed and took cover.

He pulled on Ava. They had to get out of there. He looked around for a way out. There had to be something. Another barrage of bullets summoned more screams from the people around. The bullets suddenly stopped.

“Shit,” he cursed.

They would be on them in minutes, and if the men had a car, there would be no way they could outrun them, especially in a place he didn’t know.

He spied the old man, Luís, from the restaurant down the road. The man nodded to his door, and Zeno didn’t hesitate. There was no way to know if the old man would keep them hidden, but it was better than trying to outrun Antonio’s men on unfamiliar streets.

Zeno pulled Ava along. She leaned hard to one side, her foot in obvious pain from her earlier escape attempt. They finished their sprint by stopping in front of the restaurant.

“Upstairs,” the old man said quickly in English.

They raced inside and headed toward the back. The young waiter stared at him in horror.

He listened as the old man locked the doors to his empty restaurant.

When Luís turned around, a look of surprise crossed over his face.

“Why are you still standing there? Go,” he said to Zeno. He shouted something to the waiter in his native language, something obviously not Spanish.

From the look on his face, the kid didn’t seem to want to comply but did all the same.

The old man nodded to the back.

“There’s a hidden door,” he said. “My nephew will show you. You’ll be safe there.”

Zeno followed the young man into the back and was surprised to find the door was well hidden. The boy opened the door and waited for them to step in. He slammed the door shut and rushed away.

Despite the darkness, Zeno’s superior vision let him make out a narrow stairway that led to the attic. They would be safe here as long as the owner and his nephew kept them that way.

He bit back a growl as he glanced behind at Ava. Her eyes were wide with fear and confusion. He had to protect her and suddenly questioned if taking the old man’s offer was a good move. Still, if he’d intended to betray them, it made no sense to show the hidden door.

The bells on the front door chimed. Heavy footsteps sounded.

Ava bit her lip and listened, gripping Zeno’s arm.

One of the new arrivals said something. He recognized the voice from the hotel room, even if he couldn’t understand the Spanish.

He glanced down at Ava.

“He’s asking if he’s seen a big guy and a girl,” she whispered. “And he’s telling them we went ‘that way.’”

Zeno could only hope he was pointing down the street.

He could hear feet as the other men raced out the door, but the door didn’t chime closed.

Ava pressed in close to him. She shivered as they stood in the dark. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. Not even thinking, he placed a kiss on the top of her head, as she continued to whisper the translation of the remaining conversation.

“You didn’t see anything here today.”

Luís cleared his throat.

“Nothing at all, sir.”

“And him?”

“He didn’t see anything either,” Luís hurriedly said.

The thug snickered. This was corrupt power: going around pointing guns at innocent people, making them bend to your will. It made Zeno’s blood boil. He resisted the urge to burst out of hiding and show the thug what true power was.