Storm Brew

One of the things I'd missed was waking up next to Nathaniel. My head on his chest, listening to the steady, beautiful sound of his heartbeat. In these moments nothing seemed wrong with my life. My parents didn't matter, The Order and the Hive were a far illusion in the back of my mind, nothing made me hurry. All was calm.

I finished tracing the silver chain around his neck. With a smile I glanced up to his sleeping face. Biting my lip, I drew closer to his golden neck planting a kiss, going lower, lower, lower—Nate grunted in pleasure, jerking softly to lean on his side, staring at me.

"You can wake me up like that every day…" he mumbled trying to stifle a yawn. His head leaned in, lying close to my shoulder—he kissed it.

Nate's breathing flushed my olive skin making the hairs on my neck stand. It was a marvelous sensation. My leg moved over his—and I blushed feeling his utter nakedness from what happened last night.

He gave a sexy smirk, "You fell asleep," he began. "I wasn't about to disturb you so I could hunt a pair of boxers." Shaking my head, I combed his ash hair. "I love you."

I glanced into his eyes a little startled. He'd said those words before, it didn't mean it was usual for him to do so.

I cleared my throat before speaking, "I love you, too." Suddenly his content expression shifted into a frown. His arm came from under the covers, hand brushing a few strands. "Oh that..." I muttered as Nate's finger ran along the thin scar on my collar bone. "It was from training with Aric—but it wasn't him, I fell and a branch cut me…" I trailed off when he didn't react. "It's ugly, huh?"

Blinking four times, my boyfriend stared into my eyes with a sort of amused expression.

"Ugly?" Nathaniel questioned propping his head on a fist. "How could anything about you be ugly?" I smiled timidly. "Besides, I don't mind scars as long as I can see them. It's the ones you can't see that sting."

He said such amazing things sometimes… it blew me away and it reminded me why I loved him so much. Because even after everything he'd gone through in his life. Nate could still be a good person—when he wanted.

"You don't have any scars." Not on the outside. He had plenty on his heart. I hoped that with time—with me—they would fade.

Nate pecked my nose, "That's because of my total awesomeness." I rolled my eyes kissing him longingly.

When my waist was in his embrace, Nathaniel jerked us apart. If he had dog ears they would've been standing firmly upright. Nate sat on bed listening carefully. Next, he shot from bed grabbing for the scattered clothes.

"What…" I whispered getting up like he had, fishing my own clothing. I didn't go on so we could hear what the people outside the Bungalow were saying.

"…they said they saw a girl with her description here. Let's hope it's true." A man's rough voice sighed at the end.

I caught the duffel bag Nate threw. He was dressing his jacket when there was another voice.

"Vincent says we all end up in jail if she's not dead soon." A door began to open; the sound came from the living room. Only a door separated us now. "It's a good thing Marcus took care of that other one—she was feisty."

I glanced at Nate with alarm. There was silent shake of his head when my lips parted. He shove the giraffe from yesterday in his backpack and tugged me along—my heart began beating slower when I remembered our room had a door that led to the outside. We could sneak away…

"Anna…" I whispered when he closed the door meticulously.

"Shh," he hissed. "Go to the car, okay? I'll be right there."

Nathaniel had that look in his eyes, the one that told me to trust him. Grabbing his backpack and keys—I ran. I was halfway to the car—sliding along the wooden walls—when there was another piece of conversation. I glanced up to see a window open. I inched my ear closer…

"How long do you think it takes for someone to freeze you idiot? She's not dead yet." Relief was overtaking when I processed the word… Freeze?

"I guess… Riley and Nolan think that deserter will go back for her? Ah! All Aric cares about is himself…" there was a loud ruckus from behind, I looked over my shoulder. Nate was messing with a car—a silver Lexus. "…poor girl, I think she's going to wish she were dead."

Where was she? Where was Anna? Couldn't they say that?!

Nathaniel's hand came to my arm, tugging me.

"I told you to go to the car." He breathed hurrying us to the Mustang. "Why can't you do as told?"

"I've been spending a lot of time with you—that doesn't matter right now. What did you to their car?"

"I disconnected the distributor wire." Nate grabbed the key from my fingers—I didn't let go. "It keeps the car from starting." He tried tugging the keys from my hand once more. "Mel give them—"

"No, we can't leave!" I hissed pulling them.

"Why the hell not? Look, I can't kill them here. It's too much of a risk with the owners living right behind."

"They know where Anna is—they have her and… they said something about freezing her!" I clung to the car key with force, enough that it dug into my palm.

Nate clenched his jaw. He was upset. He didn't like being cornered and that's exactly how he felt.

"They won't say where she is just because I ask…" he gritted, musing. "Damn, this is a bad place."

I watched Nathaniel pondering what to do next. I couldn't tell him what to do. He was right about the owner's house part, it was risky to kill Order members when innocent people were so close and could report the crime. But Anna… how were we going to find her?

"What about Aric? Isn't he with her—wasn't he an expert on staying alive?" Nate's hands curled on the wheel.

I glanced to the outside, waiting for the men to come bursting through the door at any minute once they realized we weren't there.

"He… they didn't catch him, yet. They said Riley and Nolan expect him…" Nate glanced at me. I sighed. "They're expecting him to go back for her."

He snorted. "Yeah, right. If he's Anna's only hope than she's going to become an ice-princess." When he saw my glare his head shook. "Sorry."

"So what do we do?" I asked feeling a pit in my stomach being molded deeply.

"We leave," Nate snatched the key and plunged into the hole, the engine roared as he pulled up from the driveway quickly. I felt gob smacked. "We'll find other Order assassins. These aren't the only ones who know, I'm sure."

"But, Nate," I put on the seatbelt, because the way he was driving had me crashing into the door. "It takes at least a whole day to get to Chicago! If Anna's being held in some freezer or something… she doesn't have that long."

"No, if it were under normal circumstances she wouldn't have." The velocity meter kept rising. I felt like I was in a Fast and Furious movie. "But they want her as bait for Aric. They'll be letting her out a few times, the thermostat will probably be set on low… and since I don't see Aric showing up—not soon, anyway—she'll be fine 'till we arrive."

"We still have to find out where she's being held." I pointed out.

Nathaniel nodded, "Don't worry," he flashed a brief smirk. "I always wanted to try and break the sound barrier." The motor purred strongly and my body felt engulfed by the leather seat behind me.

I laughed weakly, closing my eyes as he drove at a sickening speed. I could only pray that we didn't get pulled over.

"Nate?" I called. "How are you so sure that's what they're going to do?"

"Personal experiences," my hands closed into fists, what was that supposed to mean? Did he use that or was it used on him?

I hated both ideas.

***

If Nate hadn't stopped the car I would've emptied my stomach. I didn't remember getting car sick.

My head was spinning with a ginormous dizzy spell. When I climbed out of the Mustang I tripped over my feet—it was horrible. When I glanced around and saw Nate, there were two of him. I strained to wipe my eyes, knowing something was very wrong with my head; one Nate was enough, no matter how much I loved him.

He came to me—after seeing me walk into a street lamp—and I reached out for support, but my hand met air instead of a firm, strong arm.

I guessed I grabbed at the illusion.

There was a light jerk and I was pressed into a hard, warm surface.

"You don't get sick after riding the Twister, but when I drive you get tipsy?"

I moaned into his chest as my legs threatened to give out, the world was spinning like the swirling in a wash machine. My stomach was consuming itself by now.

I hadn't eaten anything since last night—and, like I correctly guessed—cotton candy and hotdogs hadn't been enough.

"Okay," he breathed, heaving me back into the car seat. My head tumbled on the seat, when I opened my eyes, Nate was kneeling looking at my green face. "I'm going to get some food. I'm locking the car, alright?" he glanced around.

I groaned shifting into another position, curling my arms against my belly.

"Alright," he answered his own question. Nathaniel pressed a kiss on my head and I moved away. My head was heavy. "I'll be quick and then we'll find out where Anna is."

I cringed when the door made noise—probably closing.

The coolness from the window didn't calm the headache. It was washing over me like a continuous tidal wave. Why couldn't the world sit still?

Soon, we were together again, but all I could do was eat. I didn't even know what I was chowing down by the time I finished two bags of chips. I didn't even know if Nate was eating, or if I was doing all of it myself.

"Slow down, princess, I don't wanna make a hospital stop." I heard him, and then there was a silent pat on my back. I realized I'd been coughing up. "Seriously, it's like you haven't eaten in days."

I finished an apple, throwing its core into a plastic bag from the gas station.

"Feeling better?" I nodded wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. "Fantastic, let's get to work then." He winked.

My back was pressed into the leather when he took off, again. We were on the verge of arriving at Illinois. Now that I wasn't clouded by hunger, and headaches, I could actually think of the danger my best friend was in. I didn't want to doubt Nathaniel... what if he was wrong, though? If they didn't set it on low—or didn't take her out?

"Where are we going to start looking?" I questioned, pushing insurances from my chest. "It's not like they have some hang out spot, or club we can knock on."

Nate made a curve after decreasing speed, which I was relieved for, I didn't feel like crashing into a wall, thank you!

"Wouldn't that be super great?" he rolled his eyes, I didn't see it, since they were glued on the street, but I heard the sarcasm in his voice. "I don't know, actually. I didn't think that far ahead this time."

My eyebrow pricked, "This time?"

Nate's wavy locks were tossed as he stared me with a what's-that-supposed-to-mean glare. I felt a bubbly laugh getting out, and I squirmed under his eyes.

"Shouldn't your eyes be on the road...?" the exquisite brandy gaze moved zero from my form. "Have I told you how hot you are, today?"

A sneaky smirk jumped a muscle in his hard jaw.

"No, not today—or ever, but thanks. Even if I already know it." He whipped to the front, I disguised my scoff with a heavy sigh.

You'd think he was God's gift to women.

My incisor bit my lip; not that he wasn't a gift to me. As my mind swarmed with little heart clouds, a thought crushed into them—making me sane again.

"I know where we can go!"

Nate jumped at my sudden outburst. Blinking once, he slowed down.

"I can't read your mind... you know." He said with a little dismay, probably due my current attention span.

"Oh, right." I brushed my hair. "When we went to the cold cases room we needed someone to get us into the Police Department, so, Aric and I went to see a Lieutenant that works for The Order. He probably knows where we can find some Order people."

Nate's mind ran the information through his brain.

"You know where he lives for sure?"

"Huh... I think it was somewhere around La Salle street... if we drive through there I'm sure I can identify it. I have a very good memory."

"So modest."

I bumped his head with a small smile.

"Look who's talking."