Page 43 of Judas (The Lito Duet #2)

Chapter twenty-two

Babalon

I feel like I have been on the road for months now, the blacktops never wanting to end.

Just winding and bending on for miles with no end in sight.

When Ra stopped loading coordinates into the GPS it felt like I was finally on the right track, that I’m closer to Sadie now than I have been since the day she was born.

As I creep up on the last ping—I think that’s what Ra calls it—I take a moment to look around.

The town I’m in is absolutely stunning. The roads are clean and lined with trees that nearly reach the top of the buildings.

There must be apartments on top of the stores sitting at the bottom, families living their quiet lives without so much of a care in the world.

Unaware of the monster who came through here days ago with a girl confined in the trunk of an inconspicuous car.

Slowing down to the posted speed limit, I truly absorb everything around me.

Amongst all of this beauty, a thin veil of darkness casts across the picture perfect town.

By the end of this, I’ll never want to look at it again.

Gathering what little hope I can manage to make it through whatever in the hell Lucien has done to Sadie and what may happen to me.

Thankfully, if we make it out whole, we will never have to come back here.

The last bit of footage Ra sent over was all there has been of Sadie.

Not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing, frankly.

Lucien has had ample opportunity to end her life and throw her body into a ditch by now.

Shockingly, Ra hasn’t heard anything on any of the radar-type things he monitors all the time.

It’s a wonder that he never gets bored, sitting behind a mass of computer screens day in and day out.

Oh, there’s me too, he bugs the fuck out of me.

Must be all the action he gets. Definitely not any better, at least I’m someone to talk to—he’s that person for me.

Finding a parking spot at the end of the building on the right hand side, I ease the car into a parallel position.

It's a little rusty and takes me a few times to get it just right, but I finally make it and shove the gears into park. Not waiting, there’s no time for that really, I snag my go bag and push out of the door, giving it a firm slam—an old habit of driving that truck of mine.

“Slam that door again, Nadia, and I’ll tie you to it and whip you for good measure.”

Good lord, not him.

Twisting at the waist, I reach for the strap hanging off my shoulder and start fumbling for the zipper on the front pocket.

Did I accidentally call his insufferable ass when putting everything inside the compartment?

Finding the zipper, I yank it and the teeth split apart, giving me a bird eye view of the items other than the phone tucked away inside.

There’s the car key with Sadie’s Batman key chain on it, the obnoxious wallet given to me by Ra and Ez, and chewing gum.

Frowning, I note the phone isn’t lit up.

Tapping the screen, there’s not a call on it either.

Creepy fucker must have hacked the computer screen again.

Taking a few steps away from the driver door, heading to the front of the car, I pull the zipper closed again and toss the bag over my shoulder where it’s supposed to be before I turn and run into a tree.

Jesus Christ, Nadia.

“I’ll add seeing eye dog to your tab, since you’re also blind.”

Not wanting to look up, because I already know, I groan.

Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Instead, I stare at a broad chest. Black shirt stretched across it like a small was the last one on the rack and he just couldn’t wait any longer.

Tattooed arms hanging heavily out of the sleeves squeezing his biceps, more ink trailing down to his fingers, and god-awful looking rings circling them.

Ra.

“Go away.”

“Now why would I do that?

He reaches for me and I brace myself for the manhandling he’s promised me during our first phone call.

Yet I’m met with the softest of touches when he hooks a single finger under my chin and tilts my head back.

My stomach drops at the sight of him—the computer screen does this guy zero justice.

Dark, menacing, and I’m finding it hard to think of anything smart to say. So, I close my eyes.

Blind as a bat, motherfucker.

His huff is obnoxious and grates my nerves, but what’s worse is when his voice lowers next to my left ear and my stupid body turns towards him.

“There are so many things I can do to you with your eyes closed, Nadia. Would hate to frighten you when you so graciously told me you’d, and I quote, ‘beat the shit out of me.’ It’d be so much safer if you kept them open after a threat like that.”

Begrudgingly, I open one then the other.

He’s right; closing my eyes in the presence of a jaeger was silly but I’ve been known for making some poor choices.

When they slide open, meeting his more intense stare, I forget how to breathe.

My breath catching makes his pupils dilate and a slight grin pulls at the right side of his lush mouth.

Big fucking mistake.

He’s fucking scary, not unattractive, but…

I don’t know how to explain it, he’s so much .

Nothing like Kace. Where he was bright and sarcastic, playful and domineering when needed—this guy is the opposite.

Dry as fuck, darker than hell, and I bet you he likes one of those twenty-four hour relationships. Where he’s always in control.

Ra’s staring down at me, the finger that was hooked under my chin now running the curve of my jaw while he soaks me in. It’shighly unnerving to be standing on the side of a road in some random ass town, having someone check me over like prized cattle.

“Take a picture, it lasts longer,” I quip.

“I have plenty of photos, Nadia.”

“Ohhhh-kayyyyy.”

“Do I make you uncomfortable?” Ra asks, tone flat. His other hand finds my arm and grabs it firmly, giving a slight yank to pull me off my balance. He probably thinks I’m about to bolt—I would if I didn’t need his help.

Answering truthfully, I murmur, “Yes.” Most men make me uncomfortable, especially the ones that are twice my size. Yeah, I dealt with them when I worked in the prison but that was before—no. We’re not going down Nightmare Lane today.

“Good. The screen won’t keep you safe anymore. Suggest you rein in that smart ass mouth of yours.”

“How did you get here? You were states behind me.”

“SUV, plane, motorcycle. In that order. No deviation,” he answers.

“Efficient. No lack of fossil fuels.”

“Nadia, you’re too close to me to be mouthy.”

“What do you kids say? Sorry, not sorry?”

The one roaming hand, reverent in its touch, grasps my face now. He places his palm over my lips like makeshift duct tape while his finger digs into the apples of my cheeks until the maxilla and mandible bones ache.

“I got you a room on the top floor, for as long as you need it. Consider it a gift for your lack of good behavior.” Ra tosses my word right back at me.

All I can do is nod, then he lets my mouth go, sliding his big-as-fuck hand around to the back of my neck and leads me away from the car.

“Should probably be mindful how you handle me in public—“

“Careful with your words,” he warns.

Yeah yeah, I know.

“As I was saying. Want to be mindful, you may draw unwanted attention. In my line of work, that’s a bad thing.”

“Your line of work? Precious, you’re a convicted sex offender. Let’s not attribute you to a specific line of work, okay?”

“That’s not what I meant, and you fucking know it, Ra!” My words bite as much as his did.

“You’re right. I apologize. You’re referring to being a correctional officer. If it is any consolation, when I look at you, I only see a woman. Not a job, not a conviction, just a woman. Even if it's a maddening one.”

That… was sort of sweet. Much kinder than the opinions from other strangers I’ve received through the years. Makes me hate him less. Er, no, I hate Ez—he’s the one that resembles Lucien. Ra? I… whatever. Stop over analyzing shit, Nadia.

Stepping into the little store on the ground floor, Ra releases me and I wander around to look at the things inside.

It’s cute in here—a mashup of a coffee shop and ice cream parlor.

There’s a door closer to the back, near the stairs I assume we will be climbing once he gets our room key, that has ‘Tails even had a kitten backpack once and used it until it fell apart.

“Always wanted a kitten.” Speaking quietly, I don’t want to frighten the babies on the other side of the glass.

“When we make it out of this, with your daughter, I’ll buy you all the kittens you want, Precious.”

“I don’t want to buy them. I want the ones who people threw away.” My voice cracks a little, making my mouth snap shut. Knowing what it’s like to be cast away.