What the Heart Needs

  Not anymore.

  The realization jolted her body, stealing the breath from her lungs. She didn’t deserve the air. His air. The breaths she struggled for were his. Without him, he wouldn’t survive. Without—

  “Dylan.” The word formed on her lips. Did they actually pass? They sounded off, like a drunk slurring his words. Damn her mouth for not cooperating.

  Maybe because she didn’t deserve to speak his name. She’d hurt him. Broke his heart with her secret. He’d never forgive her or Layne for the betrayal, no matter how much they showed him it wasn’t as bad as he thought. At least not on her part. But Layne…he was confused. Once all the stuff with Faith died down, he’d get back to being his normal self. A player.

  The thoughts ripped from her mind as an unfamiliar voice replaced the seagulls crying nearby. “We have to go. How long until you juice up?

  “I am juiced,” a lower voice replied. “The problem is I’m too charged. If I transport now, I could kill all three of us.”

  Transport? She didn’t like the sound of that. Didn’t like the way their vibrations weaved around her, pulling her soul in opposite directions. She gripped the ground beneath her, fighting back the bitter taste of disappointment when her fingers slipped though thick, cold grime.

  “They won’t be pleased that she’s not subdued.” The first man spoke again. Blinking her eyes once more, she struggled to focus on the form in front of her. Most of him remained a blur, except for his coal black hair.

  Another form shifted to the right. This man had lighter hair, but how light she didn’t know. A few more blinks had her vision clearing with each passing second. Though she couldn’t see his face, the tattoo covering his upper arm proved discernable. A spiral encased in a triangle. The design seemed odd. Even odder than the two men holding her captive. The longer she stared at the tattoo, the more she swore it rotated.

  “You’re lucky she’s submerged.” Tattoo guy moved from his spot near what looked like a huge rock. He didn’t stop until he stood in front of the other man. “This one packs a punch. If you can’t even mask her from him–”

  “I could have done it. Eventually. Luckily, I didn’t have to bother. Something else is blocking her.” The cockiness in his voice made Heaven’s cheeks burn. What exactly did they mean by masking and blocking? Were they referring to Dylan? She could sense him. Could sense the raw emotion flowing through their connection. How each pulse of fear and anger made her belly tighten.

  Did he really care about her or was this an attempt to keep his word? To protect her. What did it matter? If he didn’t find her, her captives would follow through with their plan.

  A trail of gooseflesh crossed her arms as she trembled. What did they plan to do?

  The dark haired stranger brushed past the other, bumping his shoulder when he did. “Masking Empaths is not an easy task. Especially when there’s a bond as strong as theirs. If you knew all the details, you’d wipe the smug look off your face.”

  “I don’t care about any of that. I want to do the job, get my money, and go back to my life. This chick makes my skin crawl. There’s something about her that’s…off.”

  “That’s why they want her. She’s…” His voice trailed off as he turned in her direction. “She’s awake.”

  The fogginess that had once clouded her vision had disappeared, revealing a set of ice blue eyes. And pinched brows. She tried to speak. To ask who they were and why they’d kidnapped her, but the dark haired stranger advanced on her.

  “Been enjoying our conversation, dear?”

  Rising on her arms, Heaven scurried backwards, digging her heels in the wet sand. Its thickness prevented her from getting far before tall, dark, and creepy stood above her, his feet on either side of her legs. “What’s your hurry? You don’t have anywhere to be. Not since your wedding was called off.”

  “We don’t have time for this, Marco,” tattoo guy called from behind. He glanced over his shoulder, past the rock, as he rubbed his hands together.

  Marco waved away his comment as he squatted over her. His icy stare forced her heart to take a few extra thrashes against her ribs. “It’s a shame they want you.” He stroked her cheek with the back of his hand, making her stomach do somersaults. “I wouldn’t mind keeping you for myself.”

  “Save your twisted S&M bullshit for some other time. If she’s awake, there’s a good chance that he can sense her. We need to get out of here before he finds us.”

  Snorting at the comment, Marco kept his eyes locked on Heaven. “Doesn’t matter if he does. He can’t do anything. He’s a Seeker. From everything I’ve gathered, she hasn’t found her Keeper yet.”

  “I’m not here for a battle, regardless if it’s an easy win. If you start something, I swear I’ll grab the girl and transport. You can get yourself out of whatever mess you create. I’m getting paid.”

  “Don’t worry about the money.” Marco’s eyes trailed over her again. She hugged her arms against her chest, wishing she had something to protect herself. Even a seashell would serve its purpose. But the beach lay void of anything worthwhile. Then Marco’s eyes met hers, though his words were directed toward his accomplice. “I can pay you whatever they are if you get us out of here and walk away.”

  What little breakfast she’d managed to force down this morning made its way onto the sand as her chest heaved. Marco didn’t seem to mind. Wicked intent shone in his eyes as he stroked her arm. His laughter sent a new wave of chills over body, each goose pimple making her arms itch.

  Then the laugh that turned her stomach was replaced with a loud gasp. Marco’s grin gave way to wide eyes and gaping mouth before he crumpled beside her. She gazed above, meeting a set of brown eyes that made her belly flutter.

  * * *

  Sand scattered across the beach as Dylan sailed through it. His legs pumped in perfect rhythm with his heart, feeding the desperation fueling him. The moment his connection with Heaven resurfaced, he struggled to keep his head on straight. Every ounce of their combined fear zapped their bond, sending a ripple to every nerve in his body.

  He screwed up this time. Worse than the last time he’d almost lost her. This time, he had no clue where to find her. Could only rely on the instincts his mother swore he had. As well as the pull of his bond with Heaven.

  “Are you sure we’re going the right way?”

  Layne’s voice still grated his nerves, but the longer it took to find Heaven, the less he stressed over everything that happened. He’d rather lose her to his best friend then for something to happen to her. Not that he would lose her. Soulmates never fell out of love. Not even the unfortunate pair. The constant pull remained. Unless one went bat shit crazy, like his father.

  “Trust me. She’s down here. I can sense her.”

  “Whatever that’s supposed to mean,” Layne grumbled, slowing his pace as they neared a rock formation.

  How could he be her Keeper when he had no clue what that entailed? He should be linked with her so he could know when to protect her. That link should guide him to her location, regardless if he knew how to get there.

  Then again, even Dylan hadn’t been in total sync with her lately.

  Before he could respond to the comment, Layne pushed his shoulder, knocking him forward. A second later, he landed in the sand beside him.

  “What the hell is your—”

  Layne cuffed his mouth with his hand, shushing him. “Listen,” he whispered, pointing to the bottom of a rock formation. “I just saw someone on the other side. A man. Dark clothes. There’s a woman with him in a white dress. It’s got to be her.”

  Dylan’s instincts buzzed to life, prickling his insides like he’d swallowed a thorn bush. The thrum of Heaven’s energy plucked his. Maybe Layne had some type of connection to Heaven after all. Which would mean one thing. He was her Keeper.

  Damn it.

  This wasn’t the realization Dylan wanted to deal with at the moment, but if it meant Layne could save her, he’d accept about any scenario at
this point. So long as Layne could figure out his abilities and use them.

  “So what’s your strategy?”

  “You keep going this way.” Layne said, pointing to the path around the rock. “I’ll go the other way. Catch this asshole off guard. If he gives us any trouble, we do a repeat of The Cavern.”

  Biting the inside of his jaw, Dylan fought the urge to grin when Layne mentioned the bar they visited in Tennessee. How they’d got in a huge brawl with some locals when Sebastian made the moves on a married woman.

  What an idiot Dylan had been for defending his friend that night against the near-seven-foot mountain man with the broken bottle of Jack Daniels. If Layne hadn’t snuck up on the giant, or beat him over the head with a pool stick, none of them would have survived that night.

  While they might be short the pool stick, the initial objective remained. Shock and awe. As ludicrous as the plan sounded, they didn’t have any alternatives. The sooner they got Heaven away from this whack job, the better.

  It wouldn’t have mattered if he’d wanted to argue with Layne’s proposal. His friend had already made it to his feet, carrying out his end of the plan. He’d almost reached the other end of the rock before he signaled Dylan to go.

  Pressing his lips together, Dylan braced himself for the confrontation. He sent comforting vibrations to Heaven, hoping it would soothe her nerves. The less she stressed, the easier it would be for him to face her captor. The minute he stepped forward, her energy wound itself around his soul, constricting his breaths. Then his eyes fell upon her.

  The sight before him sent a jolt to his core. Heaven lying in the sand, something spewing from her mouth as a man hovered above her. The minute his hand touched her skin, Layne’s plan disappeared from his mind. Only one thing mattered.

  Saving his soulmate.

  CHAPTER 26

  Dylan didn’t remember leaving the spot where his heart dropped on the ground. The same spot where a raging fire ripped through his core. But he did remember slamming into the dark haired devil standing over Heaven, taunting her.

  Colliding with the man didn’t come easy. His head throbbed like he’d hit it against a brick wall. Yet, when he gazed into those golden eyes, he noticed the relief shining inside, and nothing else mattered.

  Except the guilt eating at his soul. He was the reason she laid on the beach, feet caked with wet sand, scared out of her mind at the hands of this deranged man. Did she realize that, too? Maybe that’s why her eyes widened like—

  The air in his lungs exploded from his mouth in a grunt. Bones popped and cracked as arms crushed against him. He fought to stay on his feet, but the scene around him began to fade. Even Heaven’s image became a blur, like she’d been frozen in time. Or he had.

  His stomach began to roll, just like the waves in the distance until they, like the images before him, faded. Was he still conscious? Hard to say when his head spun as if he’d been strapped into a carnival ride. The more his mind twirled, the more his stomach swayed forward and back. Again and again, forcing the contents upward. He choked on the particles begging to spew from his mouth, but each swallow grew harder.

  As his mouth watered for what he swore would be the final time, everything came to a halt. The spinning. The sickness. Even the darkness clouding his vision.

  He turned back to Heaven, ready to pull her in an embrace. She no longer stood beside him. Not even close. Twenty yards of untouched sand lay between them. Gripping the rock beside him, he noted that he stood opposite the side of the beach from where he’d entered. How, he didn’t know. Couldn’t think about it. He had to get back to Heaven.

  The sand barely gave under his shoe when arms wrapped around his neck, restricting air from entering. He fought against his assailant, but the man only squeezed tighter.

  “Want to go for another trip?” His voice snaked into Dylan’s ear, igniting the rage burning through his veins. “Let’s see how far I can transport you this time.”

  Transport? Fuck.

  A Transporter. Nicholas mentioned them during their talk. About how they, like Benders, protected Seekers, which made no sense considering this man wanted to hurt Heaven.

  And him.

  Stilling his body, his eyes fell on Heaven, still lying in the sand. Streaks lined her face as her shoulders shook. The ache in his gut ate at his heart. He had to get out of this mess. Had to get back to her. Protect her. Tell her he’d been the biggest jerk alive. He’d beg for her forgiveness. Because life without her…what life? Without her his didn’t exist.

  The crumpled form on the ground rocked side to side, uncurling from the ball it had formed until it stood every inch as tall as him. Then a vibration crept down his head, past his neck to his shoulders.

  “I told you that I didn’t want to do this shit. You’re going to pay me extra after I get rid of him.” Another squeeze from the Transporter’s arms spread a layer of warmth across Dylan’s face. He wanted to fight back but couldn’t risk being transported from Heaven before he could get his shit together.

  Staring at the dark haired man, he squeezed his fist when the man nodded, his demented gaze making its way back to Heaven. “She’s not a problem. Deal with him. I don’t care what you have to do. Knock him out. Transport him to Tibet. Just hurry back. I need you to get us out of here.”

  “Not a problem.”

  The ground shifted beneath Dylan as he stumbled back. Thank God he had quick feet. Each step back decreased the sight of Heaven. Then she was gone. The fear building in both of them exploded through their bond, almost sending him on his ass. The man pulling him complained as he jerked him up, cutting off his air supply again.

  Enough was enough.

  Feeding off the panic pounding in their bond, Dylan pushed up on his feet, smashing his head into the other man’s face. Groans filled his ears as he broke free of the arms holding him. He spun on his heel, facing the shorter man who had a fresh scarlet trail forming at his nose.

  The Transporter didn’t stand there for long. Like a flash of lightening, the side of Dylan’s face exploded. His ear rang, making his eyes water, but he didn’t back down. Even connected his fist to the tattooed man’s face.

  Another strike of retaliation brought a metallic taste to Dylan’s mouth. His lips burned with liquid fire, but he pressed on, swinging toward the man again.

  Then he was gone. A jab in the ribs followed from the right as Dylan spun in the new direction. Yet faced an empty beach.

  The blow to the kidneys weakened his knees. He couldn’t turn in time to look for the man when a foot slammed behind his left knee. Another round of the same assault came, rendering Dylan powerless. He couldn’t fight against transportation. Couldn’t fight against the same pattern, second after second.

  The same pattern…

  Just as the kick to his knee came again, Dylan stood his ground. In less then a blink of an eye, he thrust his hand forward, gripping skin and coarse hair. His fingers flexed, tightening around the transporter’s neck.

  Staring into the man’s eyes, a surge of energy rumbled through his soul. One squeeze and this man would cease to exist. But he didn’t seem to mind. His laughter filled the space between them.

  “You should say goodbye to your girl. This is the last time you’ll ever see her. Once you make it back from where I’m taking you, she’ll be long gone.”

  “Like hell.” Dylan curled his fingers, feeling the transporter’s windpipe against his palm. Cracking it would bring satisfaction. Justice even.

  A whoosh resonated to his ears as he noticed a hand slicing down on the transporters neck. He lost his grip on the man, but the relief of seeing him crumble to his knees proved satisfying.

  His eyes darted from the transporter to the face he’d know in his sleep. A face who’d always had his back.

  “You okay?”

  Dylan nodded at Layne, rubbing the heated ring around his neck. “You should have let me kill him.”

  “You’re not going to jail on my watch. Not when you ha
ve some explaining to do. What the hell is going on?”

  “It’s complicated.” He didn’t want to talk about their secret life. Not when he didn’t have all the answers. The only thing that did matter still needed their help.

  Stepping away from the rock, Layne’s hair swept across his face as he shook his head. “That man…what he did is impossible. He traveled faster than light. People can’t do that, Dylan.”

  No shit. Dylan bit back the response, part of him empathizing with the confusion cascading through his friend. The same confusion that once stormed through his mind. Yet he couldn’t give him the answers he wanted. Heaven’s screams filled the air.

  The present conversation ceased to exist as both glanced at each other. The same crease in Layne’s brow mirrored the one tightening Dylan’s. Then their feet shifted, slinging sand everywhere their shoes landed. The edge of the rock gave way to a scene that stopped Dylan in his tracks.

  Cold eyes glared at him from behind Heaven. The dark-haired devil held her against him with one arm. The other lingered behind the folds of her wedding dress. Taking a step back, he dragged Heaven with him until waves foamed around their feet.

  “Guess I underestimated Stephan’s abilities. I thought for sure he’d take care of you. Then again, two against one is an unfair fight.”

  Dylan stepped forward, his shoes sinking inside the sand with each one he took. “You’re one to complain, considering that’s what you had in store for me.”

  Another step had the man going further into the waves, forcing Dylan to mimic him. Then fingers curled around his shoulder.

  Meeting Layne’s gaze, his friend nodded toward Heaven’s captor. “Right hand,” he whispered.

  The sunlight caught the edge of the blade, sinking Dylan’s heart even further when it met the side of her neck.

  Instinct had him moving forward. Friendship held him back.