Read Online Out of the Dark (The Brethren Series) by Sara Reinke - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sara Reinke
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“Everything’s going to be alright. I promise.”
He couldn’t keep that promise, though, and they’d both known it. She’d seized his face between her hands, kissing him fiercely, wanting to remember the taste of him, the warmth of his skin and tongue and breath.
“I love you, Aaron,” she whispered against his mouth.
He smiled for her, but his blue eyes had been filled with sorrow and heartache. “I love you, too,” he breathed as they drew apart. “Hurry now. There isn’t much time.”
In the car, Naima jumped in surprise as something wet fell against the basin of her palm, striking the little medallion—a tear. She glanced up into the rearview mirror, and realized they were streaming down her cheeks, glittering in the dim light, glistening against her skin.
I lost this in the tunnel, she thought, curling her fingers around the pendant and clutching it near. It was the night of the fire, and everything was so crazy. I looked and looked for it after we escaped. Losing it had been like losing him all over again. God, I cried and cried…
Opening her hand, she stared at it again, her gaze blurry with tears, her breath hiccupping softly. You found it somehow, carried it with you, she thought, as if Aaron was there, as if he could hear her somehow . You do remember. I don’t care what Augustus says, or what that son of a bitch Lamar has done to you—you’re still there. You remember what happened. You remember me.
You remember that you loved me.
Naima could see the first hint of new morning sunlight visible as a dusky blush through the trees. Wiping her eyes with the heel of her hand, she took a long, shuddering breath. Time to move.
She shoved everything back into the center console except the necklace, keeping this last in her hand as she opened the driver’s side door and slipped out of the car. The woods around her lay still and silent and cold, but Naima worried that in the brightening light, she would be too visible and vulnerable if she stayed close to the car.
Having been careful to insure that she’d left everything as she found it, including locking the car before closing the door with her hip, Naima started to creep back among the trees. She heard a chirping sound—a car alarm—and jumped in surprise when, unexpectedly, the Infiniti’s headlights and taillights flashed once, the doors on either side of the car unlocking.
Oh, shit…! she thought. Wheeling around, meaning to bolt into the woods, she came instead to a skittering halt as Aaron, using the sound of the car alarm and the flash of its lights to find it, came stumbling out of the trees.
He backpedaled clumsily when he saw her, his eyes flown wide. To that moment, he’d been carrying Mason’s gun in his hand, dangling at his side, but he raised it now, a swift, startled movement, taking aim for the center of her face. His finger was against the trigger.
Naima couldn’t breathe. Her heart jackhammered beneath her breasts. Her entire body shook and she stared at him, her emotions torn all over again, her heart ripped open wide and left emotionally eviscerated.
“Aaron,” she breathed. She could have used her telekinesis against him, could have disarmed him with only a thought, but didn’t. The impact of his injuries was apparent now; his face was bloody and battered, his posture stooped and limping. Augustus had told her he’d overpowered Rene at the clinic, but she couldn’t imagine how; Aaron looked ready at any moment to crumple to the ground in a dead swoon.
“Get…away…from the car,” he rasped, leaning his shoulder heavily against the nearest tree as his knees threatened to buckle beneath him. The gunpoint wavered, but only for a moment. Brows furrowed, teeth gritted, he leveled the muzzle again at her head. “Get out of my way.”
“You won’t shoot me.”
Naima heard the distinctive snict! as he thumbed the safety off. “You…wanna bet?” he asked.
“Aaron,” she pleaded. “It’s me. It’s
He couldn’t keep that promise, though, and they’d both known it. She’d seized his face between her hands, kissing him fiercely, wanting to remember the taste of him, the warmth of his skin and tongue and breath.
“I love you, Aaron,” she whispered against his mouth.
He smiled for her, but his blue eyes had been filled with sorrow and heartache. “I love you, too,” he breathed as they drew apart. “Hurry now. There isn’t much time.”
In the car, Naima jumped in surprise as something wet fell against the basin of her palm, striking the little medallion—a tear. She glanced up into the rearview mirror, and realized they were streaming down her cheeks, glittering in the dim light, glistening against her skin.
I lost this in the tunnel, she thought, curling her fingers around the pendant and clutching it near. It was the night of the fire, and everything was so crazy. I looked and looked for it after we escaped. Losing it had been like losing him all over again. God, I cried and cried…
Opening her hand, she stared at it again, her gaze blurry with tears, her breath hiccupping softly. You found it somehow, carried it with you, she thought, as if Aaron was there, as if he could hear her somehow . You do remember. I don’t care what Augustus says, or what that son of a bitch Lamar has done to you—you’re still there. You remember what happened. You remember me.
You remember that you loved me.
Naima could see the first hint of new morning sunlight visible as a dusky blush through the trees. Wiping her eyes with the heel of her hand, she took a long, shuddering breath. Time to move.
She shoved everything back into the center console except the necklace, keeping this last in her hand as she opened the driver’s side door and slipped out of the car. The woods around her lay still and silent and cold, but Naima worried that in the brightening light, she would be too visible and vulnerable if she stayed close to the car.
Having been careful to insure that she’d left everything as she found it, including locking the car before closing the door with her hip, Naima started to creep back among the trees. She heard a chirping sound—a car alarm—and jumped in surprise when, unexpectedly, the Infiniti’s headlights and taillights flashed once, the doors on either side of the car unlocking.
Oh, shit…! she thought. Wheeling around, meaning to bolt into the woods, she came instead to a skittering halt as Aaron, using the sound of the car alarm and the flash of its lights to find it, came stumbling out of the trees.
He backpedaled clumsily when he saw her, his eyes flown wide. To that moment, he’d been carrying Mason’s gun in his hand, dangling at his side, but he raised it now, a swift, startled movement, taking aim for the center of her face. His finger was against the trigger.
Naima couldn’t breathe. Her heart jackhammered beneath her breasts. Her entire body shook and she stared at him, her emotions torn all over again, her heart ripped open wide and left emotionally eviscerated.
“Aaron,” she breathed. She could have used her telekinesis against him, could have disarmed him with only a thought, but didn’t. The impact of his injuries was apparent now; his face was bloody and battered, his posture stooped and limping. Augustus had told her he’d overpowered Rene at the clinic, but she couldn’t imagine how; Aaron looked ready at any moment to crumple to the ground in a dead swoon.
“Get…away…from the car,” he rasped, leaning his shoulder heavily against the nearest tree as his knees threatened to buckle beneath him. The gunpoint wavered, but only for a moment. Brows furrowed, teeth gritted, he leveled the muzzle again at her head. “Get out of my way.”
“You won’t shoot me.”
Naima heard the distinctive snict! as he thumbed the safety off. “You…wanna bet?” he asked.
“Aaron,” she pleaded. “It’s me. It’s
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