Page 34 of Revenant (Spirit Realm #2)
ELLIS
T hree hours into the drive, Rue passes out from sheer exhaustion. She rests securely slumped between Gunner and James, cute little puffs of air escaping her parted lips with each breath. After a fierce battle of rock, paper, scissors, the two idiots won the honor of sitting next to her.
I’m not proud to admit I played…and lost.
To my surprise, Jace accepted his loss with grace, seeming content to be able to see and touch her whenever he wanted. I understand that sentiment. Every few minutes, I glance at her in the back seat, checking that she is real and not a figment of my imagination.
Hicks is no better. The instant he slipped behind the wheel of the truck, he adjusted the rearview mirror to keep her in view. I swear he watches her more than he watches the road.
What shocked me most was that Hicks played the game as well. Never in my wildest imagination would I have guessed he would willingly give up control of the vehicle just to sit next to her. It became a nonissue when he lost.
Gunner happily crammed himself into the back seat, his knees practically to his chest, his head tilted forward at an awkward angle to clear the ceiling. His new supersize shrinks the interior until it resembles that of a clown car. His expression softens when he peers down at a sleeping Rue, the man careful not to breathe too deeply, lest he disturb her.
James is on the other side of Rue, arms and legs spread like a starfish, forcing Rue to practically sit in his lap. Every time her breathing changes, one of his eyes pops open. When she remains sleeping, he cuddles her closer, a possessive hand on her body, before closing his eyes again.
Jace sits next to his brother, crammed against the window with barely enough room to breathe, not that he’s complaining. He watches over the others, keeping an eye on our surroundings, probably too worked up to sleep. It’s like we’re all terrified she might disappear again.
It will take some time for us to heal from the trauma of watching her being taken from us.
I can’t even blame the others for being so clingy when I’m battling my own instincts to bundle her up in my arms. While the others rest, I feed directions to Hicks and work on covering our tracks.
It takes three more hours for our little caravan to reach our destination. It’s in the middle of the night when we arrive, not a speck of light visible anywhere on the horizon. I didn’t think places so off-grid like this even existed anymore.
Hicks drives up to the main cabin, which turns out to be more of a chateau. The place is nestled in a little flat area halfway up a mountain. How anyone managed to build here is a minor miracle. The outside of the structure is a bit faded, the building a tad rustic, but it oozes a homey feeling.
Like it has just been waiting for us.
When we park, two other vehicles pull up behind us. We are all in big trucks to combat the trails some idiot generously labeled a road. It’s so overgrown with weeds and brush that the rutted tracks have all but vanished.
After closing my laptop, I take off my glasses and rub my weary eyes. Hicks jumps out of the truck, then arches his back and stretches his arms over his head to work out the kinks in his spine from sitting too long without stopping. With a heavy sigh, he heads toward the two other vehicles.
A total of ten inmates decided to join us. While many didn’t have a place to go, a few refused to rejoin their families for fear they might hurt someone. Almost everyone was terrified they would be recaptured if they were left on their own.
The vote was evenly split on what to do with Crystal. More than a few of us just wanted to kill her, she’s done enough damage, but Rue has a soft heart and refused to allow anyone to execute her while she was defenseless.
We debated dropping her off at a nearby hospital, but feared it would be too dangerous without anyone to monitor her. If she woke, we didn’t want to give her a chance to hunt us down and retaliate. Not to mention it would be a huge red flag for a Jane Doe to be dropped off at any hospital after our recent escape.
The last thing we want is to draw attention to ourselves.
No one has seen Crystal’s ghost since she disappeared, but the bitch is like a bad rash—she will eventually be back, especially since we are the only ones who can communicate with her.
Since she hurt Rue more than once, the vote was unanimous that her body be housed with the others. When Rue looked ready to protest, Gunner warned her that he didn’t have control of his rage. If she stayed, he would kill her.
Left with no other choice, we sent her off with the others.
It’s a fifty-fifty shot if she will survive their tender mercies.
It’s not long before the vehicles behind us back up and continue down the trail to where a couple of smaller ski cabins are hidden by the snow laden trees. Since it’s the middle of the night, the only light is from the shimmer of the full moon reflecting off the snow. When the other vehicles disappear, the silence is almost too loud.
Hicks opens the tailgate and gathers the supplies James had hidden at one of the dozen caches across the state. Gunner and the twins reluctantly leave the warmth of the truck to help. The chill of the mountain air swirls around the interior of the cab, and the snick of the doors shutting rouses Rue from her nap.
She stretches languidly across the back seats, a sigh escaping her. Pushing herself upright, she rubs her tired eyes. Despite her healing abilities, she still needs at least a full week of rest and food to recover from her ordeal.
She yawns, remaining silent as she sleepily takes in the view of the outside world through the windshield. Without looking at me, she taps the computer sitting on the console. “Are we going to be safe here?”
“Yes.” I place my glasses back on my face, then rub my hand along my jaw, the scratchy sound of my scruff loud in the silence. “James is a master at what he does. He picked this place specifically with your safety in mind. He would never put you at risk.”
Rue wilts back into her seat like a weight has been lifted from her shoulders. When the others tromp toward the cabin, she flings open the door and crawls out. I follow and meet her at the front of the vehicle, unable to let her out of my sight yet.
She halts in the middle of the yard and tips her head back, watching the snow come down in a lazy pattern. I’m silent when she lifts a hand in the air to catch the snowflakes, an awed expression lighting up her face. A tiny smile softens her features, snow clings to her lashes, and it’s the most beautiful sight I’ve ever witnessed.
“I’ve never seen snow in person. I never thought I would get the chance.” Her voice is just a whisper, like she doesn’t want to disturb the peaceful calm of the night. “It’s so beautiful.”
“Stunning,” I murmur, staring at the gorgeous picture of her standing in the sparkling white field of snow. It’s like she’s a dream come to life. When she catches me blatantly staring, a blush fills her cheeks, and she shyly ducks her head.
I capture her chin, nudge her face up, and brush my lips over hers. When she shivers, I tug her closer and guide her to the cabin. “You’re cold. Let’s get you inside and somewhere warm.”
Snow crunches under our feet, and I keep my arm around her waist as we head up the wooden steps. When we near the top, a startled yelp escapes Rue as she slips on a patch of ice, and her feet nearly slip out from under her. I catch her before she can sprawl across the deck, sweeping her up in my arms. Our faces are only inches away, and her breath catches when she peers up at me from under her lashes. She’s so light that I scowl, and I have to bite my tongue to keep from fussing over her.
“I’m too heavy,” she murmurs, wiggling to be put down, but I can’t make myself let her go.
Not now.
Not ever.
Not when I finally have her where she belongs.
“Nah, I got you.” To prove my point, I toss her a couple of inches in the air, then quickly catch her again. “You’re light as a feather.”
With a gasp, Rue loops her arms around my neck and clings to me. Her big teal eyes stare up at me in astonishment, and damn if my chest doesn’t puff up with pride. I wait for her to scold me for scaring her, but she just sighs and tucks her head under my chin.
By the time we reach the cabin, Hicks opens the door and stands back to allow us to enter. Boxes are haphazardly stacked everywhere. A number of them are empty, and I realize James must have been visiting this place during his frequent absences.
“Pookie’s room is the main bedroom up the stairs,” James says, his voice muffled from where his head is stuck in one of the crates. When he straightens, his arms are full of household staples. As I head up the steps with Rue still in my arms, he putters around the cabin, humming happily under his breath as he puts things away.
Hicks, Gunner, and Jace take turns carrying in the fresh supplies we brought with us, their quiet voices fading as we reach the second level. There are half a dozen doors up and down the corridor. A cozy light spills from the room at the end of the hallway, the crackling fireplace beckoning us to make ourselves at home.
As soon as I cross the threshold, I stop dead.
Master bedroom, indeed.
The room has been recently remodeled, occupying nearly the full width of the chateau. Two California king beds rest side by side in the center of the room, the giant mattresses not even taking up a third of the space. I eye the beds dubiously, snorting at the ridiculousness of us sharing…then stop when I imagine sleeping in my lonely bed without Rue.
Turning away from that troubling thought, I survey the rest of the room. A set of French doors leads out to a snow laden balcony, the glassy surface of the windows reflecting our image back at us. A massive fireplace sits opposite the bed, its flames lighting up the entire room and keeping the chill of the night air at bay.
Stepping farther into the room, I spot a massive walk-in closet next to the bed. It’s so full of clothes that it’s practically bursting at the seams. The cavernous space looks like a passageway, and when I glance at the other side of the bed, I realize it wraps around the length of the room like a walkthrough closet.
I smother my snort as I recall the many times I’ve spotted James sneaking bags back into the house whenever he would leave. I questioned him about it once, but he just yelled that they were tampons and that I should mind my own business.
I shake my head, a tiny smile on my lips as I head toward the bed. As I bend to lower a sleepy Rue to the mattress, she startles and tightens her hold around my neck.
“No,” she protests, clinging tighter and shaking her head. “I’m disgusting and stink of smoke. I don’t want to dirty everything.”
I straighten, then slowly spin and locate the bathroom behind us. I step inside the space, hitting the lights with my elbow, and my brows shoot up at the sight of the remodeled bathroom. It’s every girl’s dream. The whirlpool tub is massive, easily able to fit even Gunner. The shower is a granite masterpiece, fixed with multiple shower heads. The place even has a heated towel rack.
A toilet is tucked around the corner for privacy, and a large linen closet takes up most of the far wall. A massive mirror lines the full length of the room, and I count four large sinks along the counter. Recessed lights are built into the ceiling and fill every corner of the space with light, banishing even the most persistent shadows.
Rue ducks away from the brightness, and I quickly dim the lights. Once she relaxes, I reluctantly release my hold, lowering her feet to the ground. Releasing her is akin to peeling off my own skin, and my arms feel empty without her. When I straighten, her arms tighten around my neck, and concern squeezes my insides. “Rue?”
“I don’t want to be alone,” she murmurs, her words muffled against my chest.
“Of course.” I’m instantly relieved that I don’t have to be parted from her. My hands settle on her hips, and I drag her closer. I feel stupid for not realizing that she might be terrified of being separated from us…almost as much as we are afraid of being parted from her. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Rue nods, taking a shuddering breath and stepping back. Her eyes meet mine, her gaze steady…then she reaches down and boldly pulls her shirt over her head. My breath stalls in my lungs, and my heart threatens to pound out of my chest. I’m afraid to blink and miss even a second.
“Rue…” I swallow hard, my throat bobbing. “You don’t have to do this. I’ll stay, regardless.”
A sexy smirk kicks up the corner of her mouth, mirth sparkling in her tourmaline green eyes, and her right eyebrow kicks up. “And if I want you to join me?”
I harden so fast at her husky offer that it nearly drops me to my knees. I clench my hands into fists to keep from lunging for her. It’s hard to shake off the effect that she has on me, the need to claim her impossible to resist, but I refuse to take advantage of her when she’s vulnerable. “Rue…”
My resolve crumbles when she reaches behind her and releases the latch to her bra. Her gorgeous breasts bounce into view, her bra drops to the floor, and my resistance vanishes in the face of her bountiful charms.
“Touch me, Ellis.” It’s both a demand and a plea, and I’m helpless to resist. I search her eyes one last time, looking for even a hint of doubt, but find none.
My body aches at the thought of finally claiming her after so long. I dreamed of her every night she was gone, fantasized about this very moment. If I were a good man, I would insist we wait, but I just can’t let her go again.
If she wants me, she can have all of me.
Heart and soul.