Gemini: Book 4 in a Young Adult Paranormal Romance Series (The Zodiac Twin Flame Series) (13 page)

‘Father. I hadn’t even-’

‘You’ve done well. There’s no point in bargaining. There won’t be a solution.’

Turning to face Nick, I plastered a smile on my face. He stood with two of his men on either side of him. All three wore their black trousers and jumpers. Nick’s grey hair matched the colour of his eyes. He’d aged quickly. The stress of keeping us from our soulmates must be getting to him.

‘How are you, Gemini?’

His smile was lazy. Athena looked between us, her eyebrows pulled low. ‘Who is this?’

Liam came around us to stand with Nick. His father. I should have known that Nick would be involved. I hoped the others would hold back. A breakout fight in the middle of Hyde Park would not be good. We still had to keep who we were under wraps.

‘It’s a man that wants…’

How could I explain who he was? I would sound like a nutcase. The whole tale of good versus evil and true love was a fairy tale. Who would believe such a thing?

‘Don’t say too much, will you? I doubt our lovely friend would understand,’ Nick said.

Liam stood next to his dad. Taller than him but not quite as formidable. The difference in energy was obvious. Liam was a thug. A man without the power it would take to get rid of us.

‘Love warrior sounds ridiculous!’ Liam laughed.

Nick smacked him over the head. Athena’s gaze met my own. It did sound stupid. I smiled and shook my head in dismissal. I didn’t even use that title. We had only found out about it recently. Taurus had got high with Nick and flashed back to a time where he’d learnt that we were warriors. Of love.

‘Shame our friend Taurus isn’t here,’ Nick said, gesturing towards a clump of trees to our right. A group of men in black outfits stood around my brothers. All three of them. ‘You really didn’t see this coming?’

My mind flashed to Aquarius. Why hadn’t he warned us that Nick was on his way to the park? Had Aries even let him know that we had called the meeting? Our family dynamic was not working well. The plan had been loose at best. We should have taken our time. Worked out a strategy.

‘Liam is your son,’ I stated.

They were nothing alike. The idea that Nick had children had never occurred to me. To any of us. Liam was in his late twenties so it was conceivable. Great. Two evil men out to get my blood. Especially since I had stolen Athena from him.

‘I don’t like this situation,’ Nick said, pointing at us.

My heartbeat increased. There was a reason Nick was involved and it wasn’t because of Liam. It could only mean one thing. My twin flame soulmate was near. Very near.

‘Gemini…?’

Athena’s hand wrapped in my shirt as I held her. I dropped the bag on the floor and put my other arm around her. My instincts had been right. Although, I still couldn’t be one hundred per cent sure. Why else would Nick be glaring at Athena with hatred in his eyes?

‘She’s innocent,’ I called.

The laugh that came from Nick was echoed by the men around him. I risked a glance at my brothers. It might seem like they stood around casually but Nick’s men would have threatened them with weapons. It hadn’t even entered my mind that they would be there.

‘She’s not innocent. As part of your soul, she’s as guilty as you.’ Nick was relaxed, confident. He was certain that he had the upper hand. He was correct in his assumption but it didn’t stop my mind from racing.

‘No one is guilty in this fight. Not even you. We know what happened to you. It looks like you might have found someone to be happy with.’ I gestured at Liam.

Nick scoffed which made Liam frown at him.

‘I have a lot of children. They’re my army. I don’t need family. Never have, never will.’

It was my turn to scoff. ‘Not technically true. I’m sure there was a time when one gentle woman had your heart. You know, the one my father prevented you from marrying.’

Athena held me tight when Nick’s face started to turn red. The memory, even after all the lifetimes he had been through, was still a painful reminder. My father had stopped him from marrying his true love. In turn, he wanted to ruin our lives.

‘Old ground is never worth going over. I only have one mission in life. To stop you from getting with her.’

Nick ran for me. I pushed Athena away and took his attack as he barrelled into my chest. My words had hit a nerve. The flash of emotion was not like the calm and calculating Nick I knew. We fell to the ground. My back cracked on the hard dirt. I grunted as I rolled to get him off me. Athena scrambled to her feet nearby.

‘Run!’ I shouted.

Nick’s fist pounded into my side. I brought my knee up, slamming it into his thigh. It didn’t do the trick.

‘You don’t deserve to be loved.’ I growled.

He roared as he rose above me. Pinning me to the ground, he threw his fist straight into my jaw. My head snapped back and darkness overtook me.

Chapter Fifteen

The weight of a body on mine confused me. It was soft, not hard. Why would Nick be lying on me?

‘Wake up, sleepy.’ The soft feminine lilt made my eyes shoot open.

Sitting up straight, I knocked her from my chest. She squealed as I looked around.

We were in a barn loft, lying on a straw bed. The girl that had been cuddling up to me was naked. So was I. Her long blonde hair curled to her waist. She was young, about eighteen.

‘What’s going on?’ I asked.

I rubbed my eyes. When I moved my fingers away, I looked straight into the eyes of the girl. Bringing my hand up to my hair, I cringed when I felt the long greasy strands. Scratching my jaw, I tried to remember what my siblings had said about their trips back to the past. It was different somehow. I wasn’t playing out a scene automatically like they did. I was in control of my thoughts.

‘I think you had a dream.’ The girl crawled onto me, pushing me to lay back.

When her hair fell forward and brushed my chest, an explosion of feeling ran over me. I was in love with her.

‘What year is it?’ I asked, stopping her when she went to kiss me.

Her head cocked to the side as she regarded me with a frown. ‘Are you serious?’

I nodded, biting the side of my mouth as I waited for her reply. A smile tugged her lips and dimples appeared in her cheeks. I couldn’t help but smile back at her.

‘1630. What did you dream about?’

Her lips descended on mine when I blinked. The smell of her engulfed me. I was too engrossed to think.

‘And where are we?’ I asked, moving her hair away from her face when she let go.

The giggle that left her mouth made me want to forget where I had just come from.

‘We’re in America, silly. We arrived last week. Father has no idea that we’re in love. He’ll kill you if he finds out. You know this. Why are you acting queer?’

She sat up straight, looking at me through the curtain of her hair. America. I had never travelled to the United States in my current lifetime.

‘Who are you?’ I sat up but kept a hand on the small of her back so she didn’t fall off me.

‘You’re starting to scare me,’ she whispered.

I stroked her head and held her face in my hands. ‘I know I sound strange. Please, humour me.’

She kissed the tip of my nose lightly before moving my grubby hair away from my neck.

‘I’m Annabelle. Your soulmate.’

Looking into her eyes, I saw the truth. Was it a coincidence that Annabelle had a name that started with the same letter as Athena? Were they the same person? If my sibling’s flashbacks were similar to mine, I would be visiting the person that was my twin flame.

‘Brother!’

The shout came from outside the barn. Annabelle pushed herself off me and started to get dressed.

‘Who is that?’ I said, following her lead.

She huffed as she pulled her dress over her head. ‘It’s your brother. He’ll kill us if he sees us together.’

I frowned as I went to do up the cuffs on my shirt sleeves. The garment was completely different from the tops I wore in the 21
st
century. I couldn’t fiddle with anything.

‘You need to go out to him. I must hide until you take him away. The wedding is in two days. We have to run away.’

She pushed me towards the ladder. I went to smooth back my hair but didn’t bother when it got entangled in my fingers. I really let myself go in this lifetime. Turning, I put my foot on the rung and started to climb down into the barn. Annabelle grabbed me before I cleared the floor of the loft and kissed my forehead.

‘I love you. Nothing will keep us apart. Not even him.’

Grabbing the back of her head, I kissed her properly. The panic in me was foreign but it was there. I was sleeping with my brother’s fiancée. That wasn’t good.

‘Whatever happens, know that I will always find you,’ I replied.

Her frown was the last thing I saw as I jumped to the floor of the barn. The sound of a snorting horse led me to where my brother waited outside. The double doors of the barn stood slightly ajar. I looked out, expecting to recognise the face of one of my brothers from my life in the 21
st
century. Was I sleeping with Aries’ woman? I was in love with my twin flame soulmate but she was promised to someone else. Was it Leo?

‘Come on!’ the man called.

I watched his back as the horse he rode turned. He was holding a sword, ready to swing for my head by the looks of it.

Stepping out of the barn, I called to him. ‘I’m here, brother.’

The horse rounded to reveal the man that I had betrayed. My step faltered when my gaze met with a pair of grey eyes. Nick. Or the incarnated version of him before we had got to the 21
st
century. His hair was red. The freckles on his skin told of his Celtic ancestry. Glancing down at my own arm, I smiled at the same colouring. Nick and I were brothers in this lifetime. How interesting.

‘You’ve been with her again, haven’t you?’

His fierce scowl told me all I needed to know. He was not going to listen to me. Reason was not going to work on him. Either I stayed to fight or I ran away. ‘Brother, let me explain,’ I started.

I had no idea what I would say. Coming up with a lie wasn’t going to work. It didn’t matter, he wasn’t listening anyway. Did Nick know that I was one of the love warriors? Had he lived throughout the lifetime knowing that I was the enemy but having to accept me as his brother?

‘I thought I could keep you apart. Father wanted us to get along. He didn’t know that we would never see eye to eye. You’re my enemy and always will be.’

I shook my head, cringing when a red strand of my disgusting hair fell into my eye line. How did I handle the situation? History could be changed if I just knew what I was doing. I wanted to fight him. If I killed him, maybe I could unite with my soulmate this lifetime. However, he was my brother. Even knowing who he was, the fondness of kinship rested in my chest.

‘We can work something out. Let’s-’

‘Always the smooth talker! The charmer!’ he shouted. ‘Don’t try your communication skills on me. I know you’re fighting with yourself right now. You want to kill me. Oh wait, no you don’t. Does it drive you insane going back and forth in your mind? You’re quick. I’ll give you that. However, I know you. I know you well.’

A scream made me swing around. A burly young man dragged Annabelle out of the barn. One of Nick’s men. I couldn’t really call him Nick. I had no idea what his name was in the current life.

‘I may be a smooth talker but I’m also a fast thinker. I process things ten times quicker than you do and quite frankly, I’m bored.’ I lunged towards his horse.

Wrapping my hands around his leg, I tugged him to the ground. He yelled as he fell and landed on the hard dirt. His men surrounded me, expecting me to attack. Instead, I grabbed the horse’s mane and heaved myself onto its back. Spinning her, I pushed through the men that surrounded me. My gaze was fixed on my lover. I would not let them hurt her.

‘Wait!’ my brother called.

I didn’t pause. The man holding Annabelle looked up too late. I smashed him in the side of the head with my boot. He fell back, releasing her as he slumped to the floor.

‘I can’t,’ Annabelle said when I leant down and offered her my hand.

Frowning, I glanced behind me. Nick was on his feet, advancing towards us. Annabelle breathed hard. Her chest heaved as she glanced up at me.

‘Run away. Leave me here with him. I want you to be safe. You’ll never be safe with me.’

My heart pulsed in my ribcage. She wanted to save me but I had to be with her. There was no point in running away without her.

‘I love you, please come me with?’ I asked.

The shake of her head was followed by a scream as Nick’s advance started to build speed. If Annabelle wouldn’t go with me, I would stay and fight. My brother was ruthless. He wouldn’t let her live in peace knowing that she was in love with me.

‘Fine. Then I will fight for you,’ I declared, swinging my leg over the back of the horse and dismounting.

Spinning towards Nick, I ignored her as she pleaded with me to leave. The man with grey eyes came to a stop in front of me. His fists unclenched as he watched me. I stayed close to the horse, not wanting to lose my cool before I had put a strategy into place. Nick wouldn’t be satisfied with a simple scuffle. He wanted blood. Somewhere in my head, I hoped that I would go back to the 21
st
century soon.

‘A duel,’ Nick called.

My eyebrows lowered as he nodded once and turned away. ‘Tomorrow at dawn. Meet me here.’

As I watched his retreating back, I was tempted to run at him. A duel meant death. I couldn’t remember when the pact that stopped us from killing each other had come about. Could I kill him in this lifetime?

‘Why didn’t you leave?’ Annabelle came over and threw herself into my arms.

I brushed the hair out of her face, cupped her cheeks and looked into her eyes. I would do anything for her. Anything at all. There was no way I was going to leave her behind.

‘We have to go,’ I said.

Being in love was new to me. The emotion of wanting to protect, comfort and keep her with me was unfamiliar. A spark of that protective streak had come out in me with Athena. I still had a long way to go to feel what I felt in front of Annabelle.

‘He’ll find us,’ she sobbed.

Her tears dripped onto my hands but I didn’t pull away.

‘Okay, we’ll stay.’

The sniffling paused as she frowned up at me. ‘You constantly change your mind.’ She laughed.

I grinned back at her. How did I explain that my Gemini traits were still strong in this lifetime?

‘We haven’t got long. Let’s go and enjoy each other’s company for one last night.’

Nick’s men had scurried after him. Leading Annabelle back into the barn, I helped her up the ladder and into the loft. The sky was starting to darken.

‘It won’t be our last night, you know that, don’t you?’ she said, lowering herself onto the straw bed.

A glow radiated around her. I looked up to the ceiling of the barn. There was a hole in the roof. It wasn’t big but the moon’s bright rays shined directly through it. My chest swelled when she pulled her dress over her head and lay back, waiting for me.

‘We’re so young,’ I whispered as I joined her on the bed.

Her chuckle was light as I tickled her sides. ‘Yet, we’ve seen a lot of the world.’

She was right. We were in America. Even though I couldn’t remember the journey, I could feel the difference in the air. The countryside had a different feel to it too. I had been so caught up fighting off Nick, I hadn’t taken a proper look.

‘You seem strange today. Ever since you woke up from your nightmare earlier.’

We lay together. I held her to my side as we gazed up at the moon. The calm brought the mental storm. What had happened to make me come back? Was Athena okay back in London? Would I ever get back? Of course I would. As soon as I woke up there, I would leave here. Then Annabelle would be left alone. Well, she wouldn’t. Surely, the person I had been in this life would still be there.

‘Jeremy?’ she said, nudging me in the side.

I kissed the top of her head as she melted into my side. ‘Sorry. I’m a little overwhelmed.’

She chuckled, leant up and looked into my eyes. ‘You? Overwhelmed? That’s not like you.’

I wanted to tell her everything. Somehow, I didn’t think she would believe me if I told her the truth.

‘I’m worried,’ I blurted.

A smile tugged her lips. ‘Now, that is like you.’

Pulling her down for a kiss, I distracted her from her probing. If I could just work out a way to get back. Her tongue darted into my mouth. The surprise of it made my eyes open. She watched me intensely as she kissed me. A bolt of heat shot through me as I melted into her this time.

*

Sleep pulled at me. I fought it, knowing that I had somewhere to be. If I opened my eyes, I didn’t know what lifetime I would be living. Who would I be surrounded by? The soft hair that tickled my cheek belonged to Annabelle. Athena wouldn’t wrap herself around me the way Annabelle had. Two women. Two lifetimes. Or was it the same woman? The energies of each one felt similar. My protective streak came out for both of them too.

‘Morning, sunshine,’ I sang.

Annabelle stretched. I ran my hand down her body one last time. Surely I would go back to my lifetime soon? Not that I didn’t enjoy being in the new world…back when it was new. I wasn’t supposed to be there, though. I was supposed to be in London, England.

‘It’s almost dawn.’ Her gaze searched mine as we lay close together. ‘Please tell me why you won’t leave.’

The grin that came to my lips was wicked. ‘Because I won’t live a life without you. I would rather die. Plus, who would I have to warm my bed?’

She giggled as her fingers twirled my red hair. I tried not to wince when she brought it to her lips and kissed it gently. She was obviously used to my greasy hair. It wasn’t something I wanted to get used to. The flutter of her eyelids made me want to forget Nick and the duel.