Cancer: Book 5 in a Young Adult Paranormal Romance Series (The Zodiac Twin Flame Series) (3 page)

‘Cancer. Good luck,’ Antony said, pulling me into a quick hug before letting me go.

Turning, he made his way back inside the building, waving one last time before the glass door shut. I would never see him again.

‘Where are we going?’

Derek watched me, his hand resting lightly on my shoulder. I hadn’t even noticed him put it there. I closed my eyes for a brief moment. That had been too easy. My family had given in far too soon. They had a plan, I reasoned. A part of me sighed in relief. The other screamed in frustration. My stomach rolled, announcing its uneasiness.

‘To the pub. We have to hurry. We don’t have long.’

I didn’t know Derek that well. He had been around the family a few times but spent most of his time at Father’s house.

Taking off, I glanced behind to see him striding close by. His walk was confident but cagey. His gaze flicked around us, spotting any hazards. He was a true bodyguard. My shoulders ached as I stiffened. I tried to release them but it was no good. My time as a member of the Zodiac family was up. I would be Nick’s prisoner…until I died.

Chapter Four

‘You’re meeting him in a pub? Does that mean I can have a pint? I’ve not had a drink for weeks.’

I slapped Derek’s arm. He glared down at me.

‘You can go now,’ I said, waving him away.

The corner of his lip lifted into his cheek. His hands were tucked into his pockets again. The slouch of his back made him seem relaxed. The shrewd glances he threw over his shoulder let me know that he wasn’t.

‘Don’t be silly,’ he replied, not looking at me.

The door ahead beckoned me. Was Matt inside? Nick would be a fool to let me see him.

‘What is the plan, exactly?’

Blinking, I smiled. Derek shrugged when I shrugged. There was no plan. I hadn’t even thought past rescuing Matt.

‘I’m surprised your father let you do this. He’s always going on about how he needs to protect you.’

I went still. He was right. My family were letting me go too easily. Did they not care about what happened to me? Was Matt more important? Now that I stopped to reason, I couldn’t believe that they hadn’t tried to stop me.

‘I have free will,’ I whispered.

Derek raised his eyebrows. The traffic went ignored. My old home stood behind us, probably housing a new family. The attic came to mind. The place I had first met Matt. We waited behind a building not far from the pub.

‘They rescued Pisces, though. And your father. They must be planning to get you back once Matt is free.’

I ignored him. How could they do this? Surely they loved me enough to do more to prevent me from giving myself up to our archenemy? The man that wanted us to fail.

‘What’s going to happen to me?’

Derek shrugged again, his slim shoulders moving quickly. ‘Same as what’s going to happen to me.’

I tutted as my phone started to ring. He was wrong. A bodyguard wouldn’t get too much stick from Nick. It was me he wanted.

‘Hello?’ I answered.

‘Cancer, its Matt. I’ve managed to escape. Where are you?’

My hand was already shaking. Now it was hard to hold my phone steady against my ear. It was him. His voice, his panting breath.

‘I’m about to meet Nick. Has he set us up?’

Derek’s hands came out of his pockets. His back straightened as he pulled me against the wall to hide our position.

‘No, he told me he was going to get you before releasing me. I managed to get free once he left. We need to leave London, Cancer. Come with me, please.’

Derek watched me closely. His gaze kept shooting around. His hand hovered by the bottom of his back. Did he have a gun?

‘Yes, okay. Where are you?’ I pushed Derek, striding away from him, towards the train station.

Matt’s panting started to slow. ‘I’m at Gatwick airport. I was going to jump on a plane but…I can’t go without you.’

The air caught in my throat, making me choke. Derek’s footsteps followed me but I blocked him out. I tuned out everything as Clapham Junction train station came into view. Matt was going to leave the country without me.

‘Cancer, what’s happening?’ Derek tugged my shoulder.

He reached for my phone but I sidestepped away from him. A woman screeched when I bumped straight into her. I didn’t apologise.

‘You were going to go without me?’

‘No. Well, no. I…please, can you come with me? I need you.’

I paused, causing someone to bump into me on the pavement. They swore at me, I ignored them. If I went abroad, I would leave my family behind. It wasn’t as if they were sorry to see me go. Maybe it was the best option. Nick might even leave us alone if we were somewhere else.

‘Okay. I’ll be there as soon as possible,’ I replied, letting a smile come to my lips when Matt laughed.

The excitement in that one sound made my decision final. I would set up a home with Matt abroad. We could have children and settle down, instead of being Nick’s captive for the rest of my life. There was no other option.

A hand grasped my arm and pulled me around. Derek’s face was red. His jaw was tight as he held out his phone to me. ‘It’s your father.’

Swallowing, I nodded. ‘Matt. Father’s on the other line. I’m going to tell him what’s happening. I’ll be there as soon as I can. Text me with a meeting place.’

Once he had agreed, I hung up. My heart palpitated all over the place. My twin flame soulmate was divorced. He had assured me that it would finalise the week before he was taken by Nick. That meant we could finally unite. My time had come.

‘Father. I have my passport with me. Matt has escaped from Nick. We’re leaving the country.’ I rushed my words into Derek’s phone.

Derek moved from one foot to the other, looking around him at all times. The crowd of pedestrians was starting to thin. It was time to get going. Without saying anything to him, I started to walk again.

‘You can’t just leave the country. What about us? Think about this. Bring Matt here. We’ll protect you both.’ Father sounded far more worried now than he had an hour ago.

It was funny that he all of a sudden cared more about me going abroad than he had with me giving myself up to Nick. It showed how much he cared in the first place.

‘I’m sick of running. I don’t want to hide. Matt is ready to go. It’s time.’ I hung up the phone, shoving it back towards Derek.

He caught it before it fell to the concrete ground. It rang again but I ignored him as he spoke. His footsteps marked my every move. He almost tripped me up twice. My skin itched when he finally shut up. What had been said between them? Although he was young, he had been my father’s bodyguard for a few years. He would only ever follow his orders.

‘You seriously need to leave me alone now,’ I said, smiling slightly as we neared the station.

Derek snorted. ‘You really think your father is going to let you do this?’

My step faltered but not for long. If Father was prepared for me to go to Nick, he would be prepared for me to fly away with Matt. Nothing he did would stop me from going with him. It was as simple as that.

Rushing into the station, I ignored Derek as I went up to the ticket booth. I knew he would follow me. He was my father’s dogsbody. When I ordered a ticket to Gatwick, he quickly changed it to two.

Huffing, I shoved my ticket into my pocket and walked away from him. ‘Do you really like your job, Derek?’

He bumped straight into my back when I stopped. People rushed around us, going about their normal routine. Not one of them had to worry about Nick. If only I could go back. If only I could change things. Not even my siblings knew what had happened when Matt and I were alone.

‘Of course I like my job. Why do you ask that?’ Derek started walking towards a platform. The Gatwick Express was a fast train, straight to the airport.

Following him, I allowed myself to be led to my destiny. My heart started to beat faster. Where would we go? Not Derek and I. But Matt. My twin flame soulmate.

‘Because if you’re not careful, I’ll get you fired.’ The smile came to my mouth unbidden. I couldn’t help it. I was excited about my future.

‘You can be harsh, can’t you?’ Derek had his hands in pocket, yet again.

I smirked up at him, careful not to get too close. I wasn’t being harsh, I was being truthful. If Derek didn’t leave me alone, I would have to take drastic action.

‘I’m not harsh, I’m trying to get on with my life.’ I climbed onto the train when it pulled up at the platform. Derek followed me, making sure to stay close behind my heels.

‘I know quite a bit about your family,’ Derek said, guiding me to a seat. ‘One thing that I do know is that your father will never give up on you.’

Choosing to ignore him, I pulled my phone out of my bag, pleased to see that I had a message from Matt. My new life waited. My man waited.

Chapter Five

The airport buzzed. I stood, taking a deep breath. The energy that surrounded me sunk into my skin. No matter what time of day it was, Gatwick Airport was busy.

Everything was real. Everything was safe. Even Derek made me feel better about what I was doing. Just his presence made me more aware of the freedom I was about to get.

‘He said to meet him here.’ I glanced up at Derek.

My new bodyguard hopped from one foot to the other. Checking my phone, I sent Matt a quick text. Waiting was hard. I was ready to start. Even if it meant running away.

An announcement came over the tannoy asking for Derek to go to the customer information point.

My heart sank. ‘Who do you think that is?’

Derek shook his head as he checked his phone. ‘My battery’s dead.’

Clamping his hand around my arm, he dragged me towards the desk. I tried to twist away from him. It didn’t work. I stumbled along beside him, wishing that he would let me go.

‘I have to wait back there,’ I insisted, gesturing towards the place we had just left. ‘Matt said to meet him by the bookshop.’

My phone buzzed in my pocket. I tried to reach for it but Derek hauled me too quickly. The announcement came again. The person that wanted him must have been desperate.

‘How do you know that it’s not Nick?’

Derek rolled his eyes as I clenched my bag against my arm. I had no spare hands to try and release his grasp.

The information desk came into view. Antony stood there, waiting. He didn’t smile when we approached, instead he handed Derek a bag. The black bag bulged.

‘There’s nothing we can say, is there?’ Antony said to me.

My gaze skipped past him, landing on a head that I recognised. The dark hair instantly told me who it was. He faced away from me as he pushed through the crowd but I knew.

‘No.’

Antony clasped his brother’s shoulder. The look that passed between them made me pause. Why were they sad?

‘Good luck,’ Antony said.

Derek laughed as he patted his brother’s back. ‘Thank you. I’m aiming to come back soon, though,’ he said, winking.

My gaze traced the man that made his way over to us. Matt’s eyes finally revealed themselves as he glanced up. When he caught sight of me, a beautiful smile lit his face. He rushed forward and wrapped his arms around my waist. I froze.

‘Matt, I’m not sure if this is such a good idea,’ Antony said.

I was grateful for his interruption. Matt and I had always had one thing that stood between us. One thing that kept us apart. His wife. When we had been in the attic, I had no idea that he was married. Although nothing happened between us at that time, our feelings had grown.

‘I don’t really have a choice, mate,’ Matt said, letting go of me.

He obviously picked up on my hesitation. My back was straight. My arms fell away from him. It was strange being able to embrace him without worry.

‘And do you believe that you’re her…?’

It was the penultimate question. I watched Matt’s reaction. His eyes closed briefly. It was the tiniest gesture, almost unreadable. Except I had seen it. The same hesitation I had felt ran through him.

‘I can’t stop thinking about her. The two years we’ve known each other, I have never given up hope. She is the one for me. Nick worried enough to kidnap me. Doesn’t that tell you something?’

My heart melted, not literally, obviously. But his words were enough. He was right. For two years, all I had ever thought about was him. All I had ever dreamt about was being with him.

‘I’m sorry,’ Antony said, getting his phone out of his pocket.

Grabbing Matt’s arm, I pulled him away from the other men. The look on Antony’s face told me one thing. My father was near. Which meant my brothers were also close by. A part of me was glad that they hadn’t given up on me so easily. The other part was annoyed because now I would have to run.

‘What are you doing?’ Matt said.

People moved out of the way as I barged past. We needed to get a flight. Any flight, to anywhere. I didn’t care where we went as long as I was with him.

‘My family are here. They’re going to try and stop us. Let’s get out of here.’

Matt’s arm came around my shoulders. He propelled us towards the bank of flight desks. As far as I could tell, no one followed us. That didn’t mean that they weren’t there. My family were used to our type of situation. I had no idea how it had even come to it.

‘Where are we going to go?’ Matt asked.

I looked up at the flashing signs above the desks. We could go anywhere.

‘Where is the one place in the world that you’ve always wanted to go?’ I gazed into his deep blue eyes.

His grin confirmed what I already knew. He was prepared to go anywhere for me. He wanted to be with me.

‘Greece. Let’s go to Greece,’ he said, squeezing my hand gently. ‘We can dress up in togas and pretend that we’re from ancient history.’

I nodded at him. It sounded like the perfect dream. A beautiful country, a beautiful man and a home. A home just for us. My skin tingled as I followed him. The woman behind the desk grinned as we approached her.

‘We’d like a flight to Greece, please,’ Matt said, snatching my passport from me and handing it over.

‘Make that three tickets,’ a voice said behind us.

Another passport joined our pile on the desk. I scowled up at Derek as he looked over my shoulder. His hair stood on end. He’d obviously been running his hands through it.

‘I know you don’t want to come with us. So why don’t you stay here?’ I said.

The woman behind the desk watched us. A pretend smile on her face. We were acting odd. One woman, two men.

‘Don’t be silly, mate.’ Matt grabbed the passport and shoved it into Derek’s chest.

The bodyguard growled, catching the passport just in time. ‘If I had a choice, mate,’ he said snarling, ‘I would not be coming with you. But unfortunately, it’s my bloody job.’

‘Is it two tickets or three?’ the lady asked, ‘and whereabouts in Greece do you want to go?’

Matt and Derek stared each other down. We would be there all day if they carried on. Glancing around, I saw my father waiting by the information desk. He spoke to Antony but his gaze was on me. His hands were clenched by his side, his forehead creased. I hated to see my father worry.

‘He has to come, Matt. We need to do this for my father. He only wants my safety.’ I interrupted their stare out.

Taking Derek’s passport, I banged it back down on top of ours. There was no point in fighting. My family would never let me go without someone there to protect me. I supposed that was a good thing, considering how hurt I had been when they had shown no interest. I should have known that I would not be able to leave without some sort of fight. However, I thought the struggle would be with Nick. Not my family.

‘The first available flight, please,’ Matt said, glaring at Derek.

Looking back to my father, I nodded at him gently. His forehead eased, the lines smoothing out. His fists unclenched. Antony also watched us. He smiled when I grinned at him. He was Pisces’ twin flame soulmate, he would know how happy I was. My new life would allow me to complete the first part of my mission. Maybe once Matt and I had united, we could come back to help the others.

‘Okay. There’s a flight leaving for Crete in an hour. You will have to hurry.’

The false smile on the attendant’s face made me laugh. How must it feel to have to pretend every day?

‘That’s fine. We’ll have three one-way tickets, please.’ Derek took over. He pulled a credit card from his wallet.

Matt reached forward and snatched it out of his hand. I was about to do the same. Why should our bodyguard pay for our tickets? Derek shook his head and turned around. My father approached with Antony in tow.

‘You really think that I won’t at least pay for your flight tickets?’ he said.

My throat tried to close. He did support me. Running away from reality, abandoning my family. Father’s supportive smile made it all worth it.

‘Thank you so much, I…’

My skin started to prickle. We were not alone. Someone watched us. Hugging my father quickly, I snatched the tickets out of the woman’s hand as soon as she offered them to Matt.

‘We need to get out of here straightaway.’ Taking Matt’s hand, I dragged him away from the others.

Glancing behind, I clocked a man wearing black clothes hovering by the information desk. Nick’s man. My archenemy somehow knew that we were there. How was that even possible? Father faded into the distance. He retreated quickly, Antony at his heels.

‘Where’s Derek?’ Matt asked.

Passport control came into view. I didn’t wait around to see where our bodyguard had got to. I didn’t care either way. If Nick managed to get to us before we could leave, we would be in trouble. Big trouble.

People queued, waiting for their turn to get out of the country. Matt wanted to push past but I stopped him. There was nothing like slowing yourself down by panicking. The airport officials would become suspicious if we didn’t act normally. Nick was limited in a place like the airport. There were too many witnesses.

‘Did you miss me?’

Derek’s shout made me jump. The man at passport control glanced over. Matt chuckled to himself, revelling in my discomfort.

‘I really hope they hurry up,’ Derek said, ‘Nick’s man is over there.’

I searched for the man that Derek spoke about. My fingers tightened around my passport and the ticket that would take me away from England. Matt’s arm came over my shoulders. The squeeze he gave me made me feel better. Surely they wouldn’t attempt anything?

Derek glanced down at his phone. The expression that passed over his face made my stomach clench. I hadn’t even stopped to think that maybe he was leaving someone behind.

‘Do you have a girlfriend, Derek?’

The line moved slowly. My gaze kept looking for the man that could jeopardise our escape. The flash of a black jumper made me grab Derek’s arm. Matt let go of me as he too spotted his former colleague. The man moved closer, getting in line behind us. How the hell would he get through passport control?

‘Not right now. Why? Do you know someone?’

‘That’s not funny,’ I said.

The people in front of us put their stuff into a tray. It was our turn next. Wiping my palms on my jeans, I stared longingly at the intimidating passport controllers. The man checking our bags didn’t even look up at us.

‘Don’t worry, any minute now.’ Derek rubbed the bottom of his back.

My eyes widened when I remembered that he had been carrying a gun. He must have disappeared earlier to get rid of it. That’s what I hoped, anyway.

Once the people in front of us had cleared away, a man gestured for us to go to him. My breath left my lungs as I stepped through the detector. Luckily, it didn’t beep. The same could not be said when Derek walked through. He winked at me when the man searched him. Matt came through with no problem. I was tempted to leave Derek to it. It would serve him right.

Picking up my bag, I followed Matt away from passport control. We waited for Derek on the side-lines. The real reason I waited was to see if the man in black came through after us.

‘Don’t worry, baby, he won’t attempt it,’ Matt said, tucking his passport and ticket away.

Derek finished being checked over. Grabbing the bag that Antony had given him, he fell into step beside us as we moved away. We didn’t go completely out of sight. We had to see what the man would do.

‘We didn’t think about this.’

I really hadn’t given our predicament enough thought. How would I live without my siblings? I hadn’t gone more than a few days without talking to them, without seeing them. I believed that I could live without them. But now I doubted myself.

‘No, you really didn’t think it through,’ Derek said.

I stepped away from them when the man in black seemed to vanish. I smiled to myself when I caught sight of his retreating back disappearing away from passport control. Nick’s man would not be coming after us.

‘Don’t think about it. As soon as we’re settled, Derek can come back home.’ Matt slid his arm around my waist and guided me away. He was right. As soon as we were settled maybe my siblings would come to see me. Maybe not. Either way, I had made my choice. It was time to start again. It was time to be with my twin flame soulmate.