Taurus: Book 3 in a Young Adult Paranormal Romance Series (The Zodiac Twin Flame Series) (7 page)

‘Are you going to tell me what just happened?’

Her voice wasn’t whiny like the other girls. She was a bit more matter of fact than my watery sister.

‘We were chased,’ I stated.

As I downed the water I had poured myself, I tried not to smile as she clenched her fists.

‘And what about Cancer?’

‘I know, she’s annoying, isn’t she?’

I rinsed out the glass I had used and refilled it. Offering it to her, I waited for her to take it.

‘No, it’s you that’s annoying,’ she said, snatching it from my hand. The water sprayed her and she huffed, glaring up at me.

Her dark blonde hair fell away from her face as she tilted her head to look up at me. It struck me as odd that I had met two women that were similar within a week of each other. Sophie was much nicer than Kerry though. She was happier and liked me, which helped.

‘We need to keep our heads low until they go,’ I said, gesturing out the window as I moved back over to check on our guards. They were still there.

‘Will Cancer be okay?’ Her voice was strained.

I couldn’t ignore her probing questions anymore. It wasn’t fair. ‘I have no idea,’ I muttered, annoyed at myself for even arranging the meeting.

What had I been thinking? Why had I trusted a man that worked for our enemy? I hadn’t thought of Nick as an enemy because he seemed like a pathetic man. It was Aries that had declared him someone to reckon with. Even Father had warned us against him our whole lives. I wasn’t afraid, though. Maybe that was the problem.

‘Right, I’m going to phone the police.’ Kerry dug her phone out of her bag and started to dial.

I moved before my brain knew what it was doing. My body crushed down on her as my hand wrapped around the phone in hers.

‘Ouch!’ she screeched as my weight pushed her into the sofa.

Her body moulded to mine as I wrenched the phone from her hand and turned it off.

‘What are you doing?’

She tried to push me off, but I was too heavy. The left over adrenaline in my veins kicked in. I closed my eyes and buried my nose in her hair, sniffing when she went still. Her sudden complacency startled me, so I thrust away from her.

‘Sorry,’ I mumbled, going back to the window.

She cleared her throat and thumped the sofa with her small fist. ‘Why can’t I call the police?’

‘Because Cancer isn’t in any danger.’

How could I explain the predicament we found ourselves in? I couldn’t let her know that we were fighting evil men that didn’t want us to have relationships. It sounded bloody ridiculous. Aries had dragged me along for the ride when we had rescued Father from Nick. I hadn’t been interested in the politics of it. A part of me wished I had paid more attention.

‘Why are we hiding out up here?’

Her questions were going to grate on me. If I didn’t tell her something to shut her up, I would have to find another way to close her mouth. An image of Sophie popped into my head. I groaned as the memory affected me in the most inappropriate manner.

‘If you’re not going to tell me, I’m leaving,’ she declared, getting up from her seat and going towards the door.

‘I need help,’ I blurted.

She paused, looking over her shoulder at me. The strap of her top was threatening to fall off.

‘You need help?’

My brain tried to think of the best way to divert her attention away from the men outside. If she was scared, she would probably call the police. The last thing I needed was the cops to find out about my family.

‘They were right about my drug problem.’ The words stung as they left my mouth. It wasn’t true, but my mind tried to grab onto something to sound plausible.

‘You’re making no sense.’ Kerry turned towards me.

Her body was shaking. The small movement caught my eye as she watched me. She was scared. I hadn’t even noticed.

‘I’m sorry about all this,’ I said, gesturing towards the window. ‘Cancer has fallen in with a man from a bad crowd. He loves her, but it’s pretty complicated.’

I made no sense on purpose. I wanted her to draw her own conclusions. Hopefully they would be as tame as possible. She would never guess that the men were from a group called the Dysfunctionals.

‘Oh, I get it. Cancer fell in love with your drug dealer?’

It could be true. It could also be used to my advantage. ‘Yes, but he’s married. So his gang are gunning for him. I was just trying to keep Cancer safe.’

‘By setting up a meeting with him?’

It was a stupid thing to do. I couldn’t deny that I had put my own interests above Cancer’s. My selfish intrigue about Nick had put my sister in danger.

‘Haven’t you ever been in love?’ I asked, clutching at straws.

Her shoulders relaxed. ‘No.’

Her confession startled me. I blinked and checked out of the window again. When would the men move?

‘We can’t leave here until those men go,’ I said. If she was already scared, there was no need to hide that from her. ‘They are after me because I…’

My mind searched for a lie.

‘Do you owe them money?’

She was making up the fake story better than I was. Would she hate me if she ever found out the truth? I didn’t care. I wasn’t trying to be friends with her, I was trying to keep her safe. It was her fault she had been dragged into it in the first place.

‘Yeah, I owe them money. They’re going to stand there until I come out. They’ll probably shoot me if I leave.’

She gasped. A niggle of guilt wormed its way into my head. I pushed it down.

‘Are you going to ring Sophie?’

I chewed my lip as I debated her suggestion. If I rang Sophie, she would worry and tell the others. If I didn’t tell the others, I might have to stay locked up in the flat with Kerry forever. Aries would kill me when he found out what I had done.

‘Let’s just chill out here for a bit. I’m sure they’ll get bored soon and go.’

I hoped Kerry was right. She crossed her short legs and drummed her fingers on her plump thigh. Her blue eyes glanced at me when I didn’t respond.

‘Sounds good,’ I said, going to the fridge. ‘There’s no beer,’ I whined, checking the cupboards.

‘You could probably do with a break from all that,’ Kerry chastised.

I glared at the back of her head as I came back into the living area. She glanced up and caught me. Her eyebrows rose but she didn’t say anything.

‘Cup of tea, then?’ I offered.

‘I doubt there’s any milk.’

Rolling my shoulders, I slumped on the sofa next to her. No booze. No tea. At least I had a joint.

‘Want to share?’ I asked, pulling it out of my pocket and lighting it.

She waved the smoke away, pretending to cough. ‘No, I don’t! Put it out!’

‘Don’t be such a spoilsport,’ I said, poking her in the ribs.

If I had to be holed up with an uptight woman, I needed to smoke my gear. I started to relax into a normal state as I puffed on the joint.

‘Why don’t you try ringing Cancer?’

She must have been psychic. I wondered if she was, although I didn’t believe that anyone could be. The thought had just come to me when she’d said it. My phone was tucked away. It burst into tune as I dug it out.

‘Hello…’

‘Taurus, where are you? We were almost arrested, but they let us off. The police got some of Nick’s men. We pretended that we were tourists.’

At least Cancer wasn’t in any danger.

‘Where are you?’ I asked her, going to the window to make sure my stalkers were still stationed across the road. They were.

‘Matt’s taking me home. Where are you?’

It suddenly hit me how impossible her situation was. ‘Cancer, he’s married,’ I said into the phone.

Why had I even got involved with her problems? I had enough of my own. It wasn’t like we had ever been close either. I wasn’t close with any of my siblings, let alone one of the most sensitive ones. I always hurt her feelings without meaning to.

‘I know. Don’t worry, we needed to clear the air. We’ve spoken, and he’s going back to his wife. I can’t be in love with someone that’s taken.’

She sounded so convincing. I breathed a sigh. At least I didn’t need to worry about the others finding out about our little escapade.

‘Did you know that most men nearing forty go through a midlife crisis? That’s probably why Matt fancies you,’ I said to reassure her.

‘He’s thirty one, not forty!’ Cancer said.

‘Nah, he’s got to be forty. He’s like a dirty old man, isn’t he? Although, I quite like an older woman.’ I turned back to the room.

Kerry stood with her hands on her hips and raised her eyebrows. Chuckling, I cringed when abuse was hurled at me down the phone and in the room.

‘Okay, okay…just shut up,’ I said, quietening the women.

They must have been premenstrual.

‘Just get home as quickly as you can,’ Cancer said before hanging up the phone.

I wanted to get home. I needed to see Sophie to release some tension. I wasn’t sure how I would escape. I was trapped in a flat with guards outside, ready to shoot me on sight.

Chapter Ten

‘How much longer will they stand out there?’ Kerry asked from the window.

‘Don’t lift the net curtain, they might see you.’

She looked at me pointedly. ‘Do you think I’m that stupid?’

It was nearing midnight. I had run out of weed. Booze hadn’t magically appeared and I really wanted a hit of coke.

‘We can’t stay here all night.’ Kerry paced the room, yet again.

I thought Nick’s men would have given up, but they were persistent buggers. We had been in the flat for seven hours. Luckily there were tins of soup, so I wasn’t hungry for food. The hunger for a beer on the other hand was stronger than it had ever been in my life.

‘I think we may have to stay here all night,’ I replied, reaching out to stop her from moving past me again.

Her nervousness got on my nerves. She sighed and glanced towards the bedroom door. ‘Fine, if we’re staying here, I’m—’

She stopped talking when I vaulted from the sofa and made a run towards the room she was eyeing up. She caught on and chased me, pulling on my shirt. I was too quick for her as I yanked open the door and threw myself on the bed. It was pushed against a wall. I had to stop myself from colliding with the brick. Kerry stumbled behind me, falling onto my back.

‘No! You got me into this mess, the least you can do is let me have the bed!’

I grunted into the pillow. There was no way I was going to move. The soft duvet cuddled me. I wasn’t giving it up for anyone.

She wiggled as she slid off me and onto the bed, leaning against the wall. She braced her hands against my side. I frowned, wondering what she was doing. Thrusting as hard as she could, she yelped when I didn’t budge. Her head hit against the wall when the force of her push made her spring back.

‘Ha! You’ll never budge me.’ I laughed. I couldn’t help it.

She rubbed the back of her head as I snuggled further into the pillow, tucking my arm under it.

‘You need to get off,’ she moaned.

‘Stop whinging, there’s plenty of room for both of us.’

She had brought her feet up and tried to kick me off. The room was tiny. There wasn’t even enough room on the floor for me to lie on. I wasn’t going to get scrunched up on the small sofa either.

‘Sophie wouldn’t like that,’ Kerry said, groaning as she had to admit defeat.

I hadn’t arranged to see Sophie, so I got away with the usual texts we shared at night. She had signed off an hour ago, happy and completely unaware that I was stuck in a flat with another woman.

‘Why not? Are you going to jump on me when I’m asleep and defenceless?’

Her clenched fists thumped against the bed. I couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped me. My leg started to twitch. The longer I stayed still, the harder it was to relax. I hadn’t smoked enough to calm my brain.

‘Do you really think you’re that irresistible?’

I unburied my head to look at her. Moving onto my side, I propped myself up on my elbow. Her back was against the wall. She had her knees pulled up and her feet rested on the bed right next to me. Her hair was messed up from her efforts of trying to budge me. She was older. Her eyes were not quite as bright as Sophie’s.

‘How old are you?’ I asked.

Her head fell back against the wall. ‘Twenty eight, why?’

‘I remember you playing with Cancer when we were younger, but I didn’t realise you were so old.’

She punched my hip. The force of it rocked me back slightly.

‘I didn’t realise you were so horrible.’

Her plump lips puckered in distaste. They would look good with red lipstick on. I shook my head to clear the thought. Kerry was annoying and uptight. She was nothing like Sophie, who was fun and playful.

‘Why do you do so many drugs?’

She glanced at my leg as it bounced up and down. I couldn’t stop it moving, even when I tried.

‘I think a lot.’

I was about to bury my head again, to avoid further questioning, when she laughed.

‘What’s funny about that?’ I asked.

She shook her head. ‘I’m sorry. I just didn’t imagine you to be the thinking type.’

What did she mean? Did she assume I wasn’t intelligent because I smoked weed? Her assumption made me sit up.

‘Why not?’

She tried to stretch her legs out but mine were in the way. I debated whether to let her put her legs over mine. The thought quickly left when she answered my question.

‘Because you used to be a fitness buff…but you dropped out…’

When her sentence trailed off, a red glow crept up her neck and over her cheeks.

‘You sound like Aries,’ I muttered, lifting my legs and gesturing for her to put hers flat.

Smiling at me, she glanced away when I raised my eyebrows.

‘Sorry, I just heard how that sounded.’

She was wrong.

‘Don’t apologise, if that’s how you see me, it’s fine. I’ve always believed that we should be free to be who we want. The system we live in, doesn’t allow that. I refuse to play the game and others don’t like it.’

She bit her lip and watched me from lowered eyelids. ‘So what do you believe the system should be like?’

‘Free. We should be able to be who we are. If I want to smoke, so be it. It’s my body, it’s my life.’

She absently scratched her leg through her jeans. ‘But what about crime?’

Now we were getting onto a subject I knew something about. ‘There wouldn’t be anywhere near as much crime. Crime is invented by the government to show us that they’re in control.’

It had been a long time since someone questioned the way I looked at things. People were not interested in how life really was. They wanted to live in their ignorant world, with the rich people ruling and the poor people suffering.

‘So, you don’t think we should just get on with working our guts out for other people?’

The grin that came to my lips matched her own. Was she in the same boat as me?

‘I think we should have the choice to do what we want without others telling us we can’t.’

She looked away from me. Her shoulders tensed. Was I making her feel uncomfortable?

‘I once believed that there could be a better world, but I don’t think I do anymore.’

Her sigh made my leg jump even more. It was better that she realised the world wasn’t a perfect place sooner, rather than later.

‘The big bang happened,’ I said. ‘We evolved from apes. We’ll evolve again. It’s just how it is.’

She shook her head against the wall. ‘Don’t you think there might be something more?’

The chuckle that left my lips made her roll her eyes. She was never going to win.

‘No way. Science has proven that the world was created with the big bang. Humans would live much happier lives if they just accepted that everything is their fault. They believe in an outer god, or being, so they don’t have to take responsibility for what they do. They can plead ignorance and ask for forgiveness.’ I tutted as I shook my head.

Sitting on her knees, Kerry planted her hands on the bed. ‘What about aliens?’

‘Don’t you think they would’ve conquered us by now?’

She pushed against the bed, making it bounce. ‘No, they’re probably too intelligent to bother with us.’

‘Yeah, alright, if you say so. If they were there, they would’ve taken over by now. You know I’m right.’

I chewed on the edge of my fingernail. Her eyes sparked when they looked at me. She wouldn’t admit defeat yet, but it wouldn’t take too long.

‘What about miracles?’

‘No such thing. Everything is luck.’

She snorted as she ran her fingers through her hair. My gaze followed the movement.

‘I don’t believe that. Why do positive people tend to have better lives?’

‘Who says they do?’ I replied.

The bouncing of the bed intensified when my leg went into overdrive.

Kerry leant forward and put her hand on my thigh. I smiled when she couldn’t force it to stop.

‘Why did you get into fitness?’

I shook my head quickly. The change in topic threw me off guard.

‘It was the only thing I was good at. Don’t change the subject, you need to admit I’m right.’

She let go of me when I stilled my leg. I waited as she looked into my eyes. My usually fuzzy brain was clear for a change.

‘Right about what, exactly?’ Her sing song voice made me grit my teeth.

‘Everything…’

‘You seem like an intelligent person—’

‘I am.’

Her growl of frustration brought a smile to my face. I loved winding people up, especially pretty, uptight women. Not that I had often wound women up. Since quitting my course two years ago, I had kept to myself most of the time.

‘Why did you give it up?’

If I believed in psychics, she could have been one. Every thought I had was counteracted with a question related to what had gone through my mind. I was having a good time debating with her.

‘I knew that if I carried on, I would probably fail at that too.’

I surprised myself with the honest answer. I had never told anyone why I had dropped out. Yes, I had taken drugs and enjoyed it so much that I wanted to continue, but it wasn’t the real reason I stopped.

‘Are the drugs just a cover up?’

I growled. How did she do that?

‘What are you, a therapist?’ I asked. I actually had no idea what she did.

‘No, I’m a hairdresser.’

I choked on my reply. The last place I would have put Kerry was in a salon.

‘What’s so funny about that?’ she said, smacking my leg.

‘Nothing, I’m just surprised that’s all. Aren’t hairdressers usually…?’

Her eyebrows rose. I was treading on dangerous ground. I shut my mouth before she attacked me. I could imagine her trying to scratch my eyes out.

‘Just don’t,’ she muttered.

Rubbing her eyes with her small hands didn’t help her to disguise that she was tired.

‘Will you lay down?’ I asked, moving over on the bed so she had enough room.

She shrunk back. Before she could clamber off the bed, I leant forward and took her arm.

‘What is it? I know you don’t know me, but I promise I’m not a monster.’

She glanced at my scabby knuckles. I released her when she tried to smile at me. Something had changed. The easy debate had shifted into an uncomfortable stalemate.

‘I’m sorry, I’ll go sleep on—’

‘No! It’s okay. It’s just…I’m not used to sleeping in the same bed with a young man I don’t know very well.’

My muscles relaxed as she laid down next to me. She was on her side, pushing herself as far into the wall as possible. I suddenly felt uncomfortable, knowing that she didn’t want to be near me.

‘I can go in the other room,’ I said, going to move again.

She tried to wrap her hand around my bicep. I paused, smiling when she struggled to get a grip on the muscle.

‘It’s fine,’ she said, pulling back.

‘I’m not that much younger than you,’ I muttered, crossing my arms over my chest.

Her eyes drifted shut. My own eyes followed. It was well into the middle of the night. When I didn’t have drugs to help me to sleep in the past, I stayed up all night. The sound of her breath in the room made me feel tired.

‘Night, Taurus,’ she whispered as I let myself drift off after our pleasant conversation.