Cancer: Book 5 in a Young Adult Paranormal Romance Series (The Zodiac Twin Flame Series) (15 page)

‘Are you that much of a coward?’ I asked Nick.

The corners of his lips lifted into his cheeks as his grey eyes looked at me. He lifted one shoulder but didn’t make a move to shoot.

‘I think I’m past caring,’ he said. ‘Four of you have been successful so far. Do you think I’m too scared to shoot him in the middle of the street?’

I licked my lips. What could I say?

‘You’ll never succeed,’ Derek said instead. ‘Even when I die, I’ll still love her.’

My mouth dropped open. Derek loved me? My mouth went dry as his words sank in. I couldn’t believe what he had said.

‘Well, isn’t that touching? I must admit, I was fooled for a while. I didn’t realise that you two would be soulmates.’ Nick’s hand shook as he tried to keep the barrel pressed against the back of Derek’s head.

I glanced at Gemini, hoping he had a plan. I bit my lip, trying to keep myself from saying something that would upset the man who now threatened Derek. My hands shook as my heartbeat raced.

‘Trust me, I didn’t know either.’ I squeezed Derek’s hand in way of apology. It was true. I had no idea.

Nick laughed. The sound echoed around us but fell flat to the floor. A siren sounded in the distance. Someone had called the police. A part of me was glad but at the same time, we couldn’t get caught. It was too dangerous. We had too many secrets.

‘Times up. I would say I’m sorry but I’m not,’ Nick said.

A gunshot sounded. I screamed, expecting Derek to fall to the ground. Instead, Nick swore as his gun arm fell to the side. Gemini pushed me into Derek, yelling at us to run. Another shot rang out, followed by a cry, but I didn’t stop to see who’d been hit. Derek pulled on my hand. We ran as fast as we could. We had to get away from Nick’s men.

‘What about Gemini?’ I shouted.

Derek didn’t say anything. The street was pretty deserted but a few people lingered. They moved out of the way as we escaped.

‘Derek, what about my brother?’

Derek turned his head. ‘Do you want me to go back?’ he asked.

I shook my head. He was right to get us to safety. He was the only one who could be killed. Certainly by Nick, anyway. If only we hadn’t made a pact to not kill one another, we could have ended the fight a long time ago.

The siren of the police car sounded at the other end of the street. I hoped Gemini had managed to get away before he was caught.

We were about to round the end of the road when I ripped my hand from Derek’s grasp and spun to get one last look. Nick was on the ground, clasping his shoulder. His men surrounded him. Gemini was nowhere to be seen.

‘Is that…?’ I spotted someone else on the ground.

‘We have to get out of here, Cancer,’ Derek said as the police car screeched into the bottom of the street.

I took a couple of steps forward but stopped when Derek put his hand on my shoulder. My heartbeat pounded in my head.

‘He’s dead!’ I cried.

Derek put his arm around my shoulder and tugged me away. I followed him into the next street, letting him lead me home. Our footsteps were quick, ducking in and out of people to get back as soon as we could.

Nothing was said as I kept my gaze ahead. My mind wasn’t clear, my life had changed.

Our new home quickly came into view. I still wasn’t used to living in such a high rise building. One day it would be student quarters but until then, I was glad we had full rein of the building. Derek didn’t pause when we reached the front door. Punching the numbers on the keypad, he pushed us inside and straight to the lift.

‘Are you okay?’ he asked as the doors closed.

My whole body shook as I stood there, staring at the crease in the doors.

‘They killed Matt.’

Derek didn’t speak. The doors opened, revealing some of my family. Most of them had gone about their day. They probably thought I was being dramatic.

‘Matt just killed himself for me,’ I blurted as Father approached us.

He looked at Derek. His gaze travelled down to where our hands were still joined. A smile lit his face. He quickly regained his composure when he spotted my frown.

‘What happened?’ He pointed at the sofa, silently demanding us to sit.

When we were seated, Derek put an arm around me, guiding my head to his shoulder. I sniffed his scent as I took a shaky breath.

‘I had to see for myself that Matt wasn’t my soulmate. When I saw his wife, I knew that it had been a lie all along. I don’t think Matt knew but I’m sure Nick did. I stupidly demanded to see Nick. He was already there. In the street.’

‘This happened in the street?’ Father asked.

A few of my siblings gathered behind the sofa. I didn’t look up from where I rested my head. It was too comfortable.

‘Gemini…’ I quickly grasped Derek’s knee with my other hand.

‘It’s okay,’ Aries said from behind. ‘He’s just called to say that he’s safe.’

I let the air rush out of my lungs as tears came to my eyes. My whole body slumped against Derek as the adrenaline finally left me.

‘At the courthouse, I… We… Well, actually, it was Gemini…’

‘Get on with it,’ Virgo muttered.

‘Gemini realised that it’s Derek who’s my…’ I couldn’t say it. It was foreign. One minute, I was convinced that Matt was my soulmate. The next, it was my bodyguard.

The corner of Father’s lip slipped into his cheek. His secretive smile made me frown. Had he known all along? He was my guardian, he knew more than any of us.

‘Did you do this on purpose?’ I demanded.

Everyone in the room giggled as I pulled away from Derek and went to stand up. Father gestured for me to stay seated and stood himself.

‘I told you, you have to find your own way. The universe has a way of bringing people together. Sometimes I may know a little about how things are supposed to unfold. But not always,’ he said, grinning.

‘Well, why don’t you let me know who my soulmate is so I don’t have to muck around like this useless lot?’ Leo called.

Even I cracked a smile when Father raised his eyebrows at my musical brother. None of us would have it easy. No matter how hard we tried.

‘You’re being very quiet, Derek,’ Pisces piped up.

My new man turned to look at her. The grin that lit his face made my heart beat ridiculously. He had been so quiet since I had known him. Pisces knew him better than I did.

‘What can I say? I knew it would be easy once it clicked. I don’t do mucking around like you and Antony did. I can’t be bothered with that.’ Derek squeezed my fingers in his.

Pisces smiled as she shook her head. She playfully slapped Leo when he said something under his breath. I didn’t want to know what it was.

‘It’s not over yet. You’ve got a long way to go. Please tell us what just happened.’ Father sat back down on the coffee table.

‘I think Matt shot Nick in the shoulder when he held a gun to my head. It’s the only possible explanation as to why they killed Matt,’ Derek said.

We watched him as he slouched on the sofa. His habits wouldn’t change just because he had found me.

‘So, even though Matt wasn’t your soulmate, he must have cared enough to risk his life for Derek.’ Pisces sat next to me on the arm of the sofa, clasping my shoulder as she did.

‘He didn’t do it for me. He did it for Cancer,’ Derek muttered.

I glanced up at him but he wouldn’t look at me. Reaching for him, I put my hand on his cheek and pulled his face so he had to make eye contact. When our gaze met, I swallowed. How had I never seen or felt the strong connection that sizzled between us?

‘Don’t worry,’ he said with a smile on his face. ‘I’m not jealous. I was at first, when we went over to Greece. I wasn’t sure why but I quickly realised. Not that I was your soulmate or anything. Just that I quite fancied you.’

I licked my lips. My mouth dried up whenever he spoke to me that way. ‘It’s all a bit strange.’

He grinned, which made my stomach flutter.

‘If this place gets any more romantic, we’re going to be overtaken by annoying kissing sounds. Surely, there’s a time and a place?’ Virgo wandered over to the kitchen area to occupy herself. The rest of us smiled at each other.

‘You managed to get away. Did the police see you?’ Father questioned.

Tearing my gaze from Derek, I shook my head. ‘No, we ran as soon as Nick was shot. I think he’ll survive. I don’t think Matt meant to kill him.’

Father got up. Derek clambered to his feet beside him. Offering his hand, he nodded at my father.

‘You’ve done an exceptional job.’ Father grasped his hand and shook it. ‘Now you have an even harder task. Taking care of this one for the rest of your life.’

Chapter Nineteen

The lift doors closed behind us, leaving my family on the other side. I squeezed my own fingers as I wrung my hands together. Derek stood beside me, his hands in his pockets.

‘That was interesting,’ I said.

Derek reached forward and pressed a button. The lift jolted and came to a stop. I put my hand on my chest as the movement made my heart jump.

‘What are you doing?’

Derek turned to face me. I watched him as he stepped forward. His hands were still in his pockets, even as he approached. Taking a step back, I bumped into the wall of the lift.

Derek didn’t speak as he stared down at me. I tried to avoid eye contact, my gaze darting everywhere but directly into his eyes. My breath deepened, making my chest rise and fall. He stepped forward again, almost pressing me against the wall with his body.

‘Look at me.’

My gaze clashed with his. I couldn’t look away. Everything I should have felt with Matt came pouring out of me. Derek took one of his hands out of his pocket and leant it on the wall beside my head. Swallowing, I tried to think of what I should say.

‘I-’

‘Don’t speak,’ he whispered, bending his head towards me.

I froze in place as his eyes came closer. I couldn’t keep up with the beat of my heart as his breath hit my cheek. When his lips finally met mine, my eyes fluttered closed. The touch of his mouth was so gentle, I could hardly feel it. And yet, my whole skin heated from the tips of my toes to the top of my head.

‘I’ve been wanting to do that since I first laid eyes on you.’

I licked my lips. His eyes traced the movement, his pupils dilating. He pressed his lips hard against mine, making my head hit gently against the wall. I gasped as my arms went around his back. He must’ve brought his other hand out of his pocket because he suddenly held me tight against him.

‘I think we need to talk about this,’ I whispered when he finally stopped kissing me.

He nodded his agreement, reached over and pressed the button to make the lift move again.

‘I can’t quite believe it.’

A part of me mourned Matt. It was strange that for so long I had been obsessed by him. However, as soon as I had realised that Derek was my twin flame soulmate, Matt faded away. My heart hurt because he was gone. I was grateful to him for saving Derek’s life. A part of him must have cared for me.

‘What are you thinking?’ Derek asked as the lift hit the bottom of the building.

When the doors opened, Derek pressed the up button. Now that we were more comfortable with each other there was no point going anywhere else.

‘I feel bad for forgetting Matt so easily when he gave his life for us.’ I took Derek’s hand when he frowned.

He smiled when he spotted me looking up at him. ‘When you meet the right person, and it becomes the right time, you can’t help the person you fall in love with. It’s natural. The connection is obvious. If the person isn’t the right one, they move out of your life. They’ve taught you what they need to teach you.’

I had to admit to myself that I had never imagined Derek to be such a philosophical person. I didn’t think any of us had known. Behind his immature facade there was a person who probably knew more than I did.

‘I never knew you were so clever,’ I said as the doors to the lift opened.

The room was empty; everyone must have gone back to their rooms. We could hear Virgo moaning to Father in the upstairs bathroom.

It was unusual for it to be so quiet in a house full of people. It was the middle of the afternoon so most of them were at work. The others had disappeared.

‘There’s a lot more about me that you’ll get to know.’

I was excited about that. Everything in me was ready for the next phase of my life. I had been jealous when Pisces went through her soulmate reunion before me. In my eyes, it seemed a lot easier than my own journey.

I walked towards the stairs that led to my bedroom. Nothing would happen until we got to know each other a lot better. In that much, I was determined. Especially after my experience with Matt. Hearing a whisper above us, I grabbed Derek and pulled him to the corner behind the television. For some reason, I thought we should listen.

‘The coast is clear,’ Leo said, coming down the stairs. ‘We have to hurry.’

I held my breath as Derek wrapped his arms around me and waited. I hoped that Leo wouldn’t see us hiding as he went about his business.

‘Why do you insist on sneaking around?’ a female voice said.

I bit my bottom lip as I smiled. Typical Leo. The musician was a big-time player and always had been.

‘If you want to sleep with a musician, you have to expect this,’ Leo said.

The footsteps on the floor were quiet as they came into the living area. Leo reached forward and pressed the button for the lift, putting an arm around the girl.

‘I think I deserve a little bit more respect than that.’ The woman smacked him on his tattooed bicep.

Leo chuckled, feigning pain by clutching at his arm. ‘Sorry, it’s habit.’

The girl sighed as the lift doors opened. ‘What are we actually going to do about this?’

I clenched my teeth together when she turned to the side and pointed at her stomach. My eyes widened at the bump that was starting to show under her jacket.

‘I’m not sure, yet. Let me have a think,’ Leo muttered, half pushing, half pulling her into the lift.

I shrunk back into our hiding place as they turned once inside. Leo was too preoccupied with her to notice us standing nearby. When the doors of the lift closed, both Derek and I let the air out of our lungs.

‘He didn’t see us, did he?’ Derek said.

I wrapped my arms around his back, burying my head in his chest. Squeezing tight, I sniffed him as hard as I could. It seemed that my brother was going to become a father. Knowing Leo, he would try to deny it or sort it out in his own way.

‘No, I don’t think he did. Did you see her?’ I pulled away, looking up at his face.

He nodded, a grim smile on his face. ‘I’m not sure Leo is exactly great father material.’

I didn’t have a clue how I would be able to keep my brother’s secret. Why had he been so reckless? Just because he was a musician didn’t mean he had to sleep around all the time. He could have at least stayed safe.

‘I’m going to be an auntie,’ I said.

I couldn’t help the grin that came to my face. I didn’t care about Leo; I was going to be an auntie. There would be a baby in the family.

Derek watched me as I frowned. I stepped out of his embrace and closed my eyes for a second.

‘Are you okay?’ He stroked my arm.

I took a deep breath and held it as images flashed through my mind. The war. A baby. Bombs, uniform and bricks.

‘You’re flashing into liquid again.’

‘I’ve known you before,’ I blurted, opening my eyes.

Derek frowned at me. ‘Have you not been listening to anything your father and mother have taught you?’ Derek smiled kindly.

Taking his hand, I led him to the sofa and sat down. ‘I know I had my issues with Matt but have you not noticed that we’ve united pretty quickly? I started to lose control of my power when we got closer. Maybe our connection had something to do with that.’

Derek stroked my cheek and leant in to kiss me. I let him for a moment but then pulled back.

‘I suppose you’re right. The others had a nightmare to get together. We’ve not had that… Yet. We’ll have to speak to your father about your power.’ Derek took my hand and sat back on the sofa.

I smiled as I stroked his thigh. ‘We’re not going to have the same amount of trouble. Neither of us are going to run. I did my running with Matt. Like Gemini said, he was the catalyst to help me change.’

‘Yes, you have changed. We both have.’

He opened his arms. I fell into them. My head rested against his chest as I listened to his heartbeat. It felt natural. It felt safe. It felt unlike anything I had ever experienced.

‘I’ve been dreaming about us. I didn’t remember the dreams until a moment ago. We were in the war…’

‘Go on,’ Derek said, kissing the top of my head.

‘In the dream an old lady told my wartime self that things would be difficult but I had to try. She said the world depended on it. We did it, though.’ I stroked the little hairs on his arm.

‘We were together in that lifetime?’

My cheek grazed on his T-shirt when I nodded. ‘You had a baby girl. From a previous marriage. You lost your wife in the war. I had a fiancé, which I didn’t tell you about, but you forgave me. We brought up a child together. I loved being a mother.’

His hand was on my head, stroking my hair. ‘It sounds wonderful. I wish I could remember.’

‘Trust me, you don’t. It’s quite painful to know what happened back then at the same time as trying to deal with life now. Seeing that Leo is going to be a father helped me to remember,’ I choked.

Derek squeezed me as hard as he could. ‘Well, you can be a mother in this lifetime now. It’s good to know that we managed to unite before. It means we’ll be able to do it easily again this time.’

His words made me grin. My whole heart almost exploded with joy as I looked up at him and kissed his cheek. I had always dreamt of being a mother. Having my own family and my own home.

‘You want to have children with me?’ I whispered.

He kissed my lips gently before nodding. ‘Yes, we might be young and it doesn’t have to be right now, but I would like to be the father of your children.’

Tears came to my eyes and slipped onto my cheeks. He stared at me, not saying a word as he reached up and wiped them away. I had never been so comfortable in my whole life, wrapped in his arms.

‘So, this is what it feels like to be united with my twin flame soulmate.’ I sighed against the skin just under his jaw.

Derek’s head moved, nudging me away from his neck. He lifted my chin and looked into my eyes. ‘No, this is what it feels like to be kissed by your soulmate. The uniting…that comes later.’

*

Sign up to my mailing list for free books and updates:
Rachel Medhurst Website