Lucifer's Sin (Walker Security - Lucifer's Trilogy 1)

“I miss my mom,” I whisper.

“I know you do,” he says. “But feeling sorry for yourself gets you nowhere. And one day, you’ll understand that. Just like one day, they will come for you to get to me. You have to be their worst nightmare.”

“Why now? Why must I train now? You never made me before.”

“That was a mistake. We learn from our mistakes.”

“Send me away.”

“They’ll find you, Ana.”

“Who?” I demand, my voice lifting. “Who will find me?”

“My enemies. Do you want to live or die?”

Tears burn in my eyes. “Live.”

“Then let’s go.”

“Where?”

“Into the woods.” He stands up and flips off the light, and I can tell he’s leaving.

“Did Mom really die in a car accident?” I call out urgently.

He’s silent a moment and then, “No.”

My heart is racing again. “Did they kill her?”

“Yes.”

“Did you kill them?”

“Yes, but there is always another enemy. No more fear, baby. No more.”

The door opens and shuts, and tears stream down my cheeks with his confession. Mom didn’t die in a car accident. I’m glad he killed them. I wish I could have killed them. I stand up. No more fear.

Chapter Ten

ANA

Present day…

Darius lives on three acres in an area of Littleton that borders a heavily retailed section of the city, but nevertheless, the houses are more rural. This means my escape goal must include protecting those nearby homeowners. With that in mind, I don’t travel left or right or even forward toward the nearest homes, but rather back and down, into the woods. It’s far from the easiest path in what is now the dark of night, but as I start the treacherous hike, not for the first time, I’m thankful Kurt treated me like a soldier in training all of those years.

Not daring to use the flashlight I carry in my pocket, moonlight is both my friend and enemy as it guides my path, but in doing so, also limits my coverage. The sooner I’m deeper into the onset of trees, the better, and in an effort to achieve said goal quickly, I cover my eyes with my arm and push myself forward, charging through the foliage. As branches and the cold night bite at my body, I thank God I’m in thick jeans and boots. A coat would be a plus. I simply don’t have one. About a third of the way into my travels, I pause, squat down, and listen.

Seconds tick by, and I hear nothing but nature, crickets chirping and an owl hooting. Moving again, I maneuver through a darkening path for another mile or so before I cut left toward an attendant-free gas station I’ve been to with Darius. Of course, I was smart enough to travel there by car, not on foot like last time, but at least I have an idea of where the woods open to its location. Once I’m on the outskirts of the parking lot, still sheltered by the woods, I scan the area to find no one present.

My next move will be risky and must be strategic.

On the other side of the station is a shopping center that is deserted at this time of night. In other words, I’d be easy to spot, though there would be nooks and crannies in store entrances worthy of consideration. For now, I need to get to the opposite side of that station, hidden by the building, where I can decide the best coverage move. It’s not a far run, but to get there from here, I’m still forced to expose myself, and I can almost hear my stepfather saying, “be invisible, not stupid.” Sometimes invisible isn’t possible, I think—a tic forming in my jaw. Unless Luke and his men killed the enemies, one of those enemies is coming after me in the woods. The longer I sit here, the longer I give them to catch up to my position.

I spend about three minutes listening for any signs of trouble, then I draw my weapon from the holster under my jacket and take off running. My heart races, my body pumps, and when I round the corner of the store, I think I’m safe, only to have a man in all black, including the ski mask covering his face, point a gun at me. But I’m also pointing my gun at him. It’s not my first stand-off, and I’m confident I’ll win this confrontation until I feel the energy shift at my back and know someone is behind me. I’m going to die, and all I can think is that kissing Luke wasn’t such a mistake, after all.

The very next moment after that thought, there is a gunshot at my back. I sense the man in front of me is going to shoot me, so I shoot him first. I whirl around to find another man on the ground and Luke right beside me. “You’re welcome,” he says, and before I know it, he’s strapping a zip tie to my arm and his own. “You aren’t getting away again. You almost died.”