Hello readers and writers alike, here is another chapter for you to read and hopefully enjoy. As I've stated before I don't own anything other than new ideas and characters. I make no money from writing and all rights go to the rightful owners. Leave a review, I appreciate all of them.

We had a long drive, having come from New York we only made it so far the first night and now the rain is holding us back. "They are probably going ballistic by now without contact." he drawled.

I retorted, "No doubt, now added to our issues is how far the corruption has gone and who they will send after us in retaliation. We can expect at least four to come after us." the tone used was not worried but tired with the anger lacing through on having to deal with the traitors while trying to find my sister.

He was silent.

Then looked down at me, and a low rumbling sound started in his chest, working up to the back of his throat. It was no use though we both understood the factors and the risks this job entailed we just never thought we would have to face a betrayal by them. Now the ride was silent my savage mood reflected on my face. I'd done some hard things in this life, but none of them had been as difficult as having to track and rescue my sister. I had to do whatever I could to keep her safe, even if it meant swallowing my pride and possessive instincts. She was safe enough with Will or so I had thought, safe enough with this partner she spoke of but right now all this feels so wrong.

My mind was going a mile a minute, everything was starting to click into place the silence was killing me because it left my mind open to think and when I started to think things became much clearer.

I finally spoke, the storm was bad now and we might have to pull off for a while our risk getting into an accident. "This is a trap. Nova never leaves anyone alive she is bait like I said before, we are going to walk into a trap. If you want I can go at it alone." giving this man who barely knowing a chance to turn back but the set of his cold eyes said he wasn't.

Warren's point of view…

I had to do whatever I could to keep her safe, even if it meant swallowing my pride and possessive instincts. She was safe enough right now but this woman was as headstrong and fierce as myself, this was dangerous.

I'd never been tempted to seriously date again, or even to take a mistress. Sex was casual, never on a regular basis with the same woman, and always carefully limited the number of times I saw anyone in particular. It had worked out well.

Until Astraea. She tempted me. Damn, how she tempted! She was nothing like Marilyn; she was comfortable and casual, where Marilyn had been fastidious and chic. She knew somehow, she knew too much about his way of life in general, while Marilyn hadn't realized even a fraction that much about me in the years we were married. I always liked Astraea while in high school but in no way back then was a freshman dateable no matter how stunning she was, than things changed when I was paired with her sister. Layla, she was this tree hugger hippie but she knew when to drop it and get down to dirty work. I loved hearing her talk of Astraea, or as Layla called her "As". High school was long ago and she had grown from a stunning nerd to this stunning weapon, my mind flash's back to a conversation her sister and I had in our hotel room late night.

Flash back

I looked over seeing her flaming red hair falling down her back as she waved her hands around, her ear glued to her burner while talking to her loathsome husband. "You will be fine, Magenta is the greatest. You know the rules we are married which means we can't be paired together. I am safe." not long after she turned looking frustrated once again.

Smiling I spoke, "He just can't deal with me being here." not like it mattered, she was safer with me. Her body flopped on her twin bed giving me a scowl trying her dandiest to be hard, but soon she was smiling again eating another slice of her personal pizza.

"He will live. I wish he was paired with As but she refused to come back once again, she doesn't trust the company. I talked to her, she seems content but not very happy she needs her family and a good man. She is alone all the time and it worries me."

"She's single?" my brow raised.

Now the scowl was real and directed right at me.

End flashback

I watched her, accurately reading the tension in her slender back, the tightness of her hands. Patience, the ability to wait even in the face of great urgency, was one of my greatest gifts. I knew how to wait, how to pick the moment for optimum success, how to ignore danger and concentrate solely on timing. I could literally disappear into my surroundings, waiting, so much a part of the earth that the wild creatures had ignored me and the enemy had at times passed within touching distance of me without ever seeing. My ability to wait was enhanced by my instinctive knowledge of when patience was useless; then I exploded into action. I once explained it to myself as a well-developed sense of timing. Yes, I knew how to wait... but waiting for Astraea to see me as a man. I wanted her back safe in my arms, in bed. Damn, how I wanted her in bed!

That was hard, it was odd feeling like this for a girl that I assumed was a crush, but it was more always hearing Layla talk of her made it more some time ago now seeing her was just icing on the cake.

"We have to pull off, the storm is getting worse."

She answered, "Okay, let us stop at a market so we can get a motel room with a stove. I hate fast food." her arms crossed over her chest, in no way did she want to stop but if we died in a wreck we are no good to her sister and my partner.

"You cooking?" I smiled at her and for once she smiled back at me, it didn't reach her eye's but it was real.

"Yeah."

I pulled her car into a local market letting her off at the very front being a true gentlemen never hurt. She just took her tote bag and slid from the car, I waited watching her enter the market until she just stood there with a cart waiting for me to enter.

I moved faster so no one noticed the rain never reaching me, only a few are out at this time ever since we ended homelessness three years ago no one was left out at this time or any other time. She just looked bored but that wasn't her style she was giving anyone and everyone the impression she was. "Can you grab a twelve pack of pop?' she asked the moment my body came close to hers.

"What type?"

"Coke. I will get what I will need for dinner." like that she fled from me with too much pleasure.

I helped her load the stuff into the small fridge, then we had nothing to do so she just sat in the chair and found a movie before taking her shoes off as I secured the room as best as I could.

"Sit and relax, the room is fine. Terminator is a classic." she mumbled to me. "Never seen it." I retorted and she gasped in shock giving me a real nasty look.

"Inhuman freak."

Like that I was drawn into the flick, it was actually really good, she was silent, but the silence was nice it wasn't odd or awkward. "Its seven you going to cook?"

"What I got is stuff to make Chinese food, you should be good at that." the tips of her ears tinted red.

"How did you know that I had worked at the paper lantern?"

She stood, "I didn't." but her words are hesitant.

"Oh yeah right, you liar." it being said with a slight chuckle, I grabbed the paper work as she texted from the kitchen, it was unnerving not knowing who she was texting.

An hour later she turned to me, but I had been watching her cook smelling her cooking it was mouthwatering. The small rickety table only sat two but we fit just fine, she made biscuits then cut them in half placing a fried chicken strip with country gravy and cheese, hash browns and three fried eggs. "It's supposed to be dinner time."

She scowled at me, "Shut it, breakfast is an anytime food. Eat." her knife pointing right at me.

It was the best I had had in a very long time, I was no cook but she was even with the fresh tomato. "I checked the weather it will still be stormy, maybe we should drop your car into a storage and get a truck to make better time."

"Sounds fine, we leave at five am, can you get it all done tonight?"

"No problem." thankful she trusted me with that my body made a slight groan of protest as I climbed to my feet. "I will just get it done now."

A new moon was just rising, a thin sickle of light on the horizon. I looked up at the clear sky, so clear, like Astraea's eyes, that infinity seemed within my reach. Her car smelled of her as I let it idle for a moment seeing the curtains moving as if she had been watching me. I whispered a curse into the night. She was too gallant, too strong, for her own good; why couldn't she play it safe and let me take all the risks?

The drive alone was refreshing this was not logical, they way I was feeling it couldn't happen. A small storage unit place was still open but looked dead due to the storm but the bell chimed and my wide frame filled the small space making the woman give me a look torn between lust and fear.

"I need a unit, with central A/C the best you have." her eyes racked me up and down taking in my body, hair, eyes whatever her little mind could imagine. "Now." more firm with the bubbling girl.

"Sure, we have a vip deluxe it is only a hundred and fifty per month with a insurance policy of your choice." the tone was firm and flirty but it did nothing to me.

"I'll take it and the best policy you can muster. I will pay three months rent as well." not wanting to think of it taking it so long to rescue Layla, Nova would keep her alive for only so long.

Like that paper work was signed and the car was nestled into the well sized and well taken care of unit, I covered it with the blanket in the trunk with a single look back, I locked the door and pocketed the small key. Now all I had to was walk to the rental car location in the high winds and rain, my first plan of action should have been rental car.

Not even three hours later I was in a Dodge Ram, the best they had with the best coverage too. It was passed eleven when I finally pulled into the hotel but the hair on my arms rose something was wrong even though everything looked in place.

I moved from the truck when the door belonging to us blew open, with no control my body flew back slamming with bone jarring paining into the iron bars of the pool. The iron protested with a whining metal noise that was until it buckled under the power and my weight, another loud heart pounding crash as I fell back with the gate landing in a Jupiter bush.

I groaned, "My god." getting to my feet seeing her walking from the dust, her eyes scanning until they caught a glimpse of me.

"Sorry." she called out stepping over a man who was not moving.

Every step hurt, my side was on fire but I made it to her but her face was pale white. "Oh god, I am so sorry. Hold still." I never noticed how soft her voice could be or how the fear and panic would creep into her eyes.

A metal rod was plunged into my side, her eyes scanned it "I can't remove it without knowing if it has nicked anything. Get in we have to move and get you help, I know someone close."

I just did as she asked this time, she drove off with no words of the danger she herself faced her face was pale her eyes focused on the road, but soon enough she picked her burner up. Her voice so urgent. "Honey, I know it's late but I need you. I had to take a mission Nova took my sister, I was paired with Warren Peace you remember him from school, shut up Honey. Well, I was under attack and didn't see him and well you know my powers, he was hurt."

Nothing but mumbling again.

She spoke, "Got you, see you." she hung up glancing at me. "Hold on, got you help now just need to get you to our secure location."

"Sure." I groaned holding my side.

Shame crossed her face, I tried to remember what Layla said about her sister, like she held hate in her when she spoke of their father. He did something to Astraea, wait no it was their mother he experimented on while she was unknowing and pregnant, it gave them twins but Astraea was his end goal. Smart and powerful, but with Layla, their mother and Gramps she never turned out evil like he had wanted before he was jailed at High state Max, the single most secured prison in the world, my own father was there.

I watched her until my eyes closed.

It felt like a blink before light was hitting me in the face, with a few more blinks voices can be heard. I was sore but it was manageable as I climbed from the bed, how in the hell?

Cautiously I opened the next door slightly, putting my eye to the small crack to make certain she was here. She stood with another girl, long brown hair and bangs, about the same height, but a little more weight but still good looking. Astraea was talking, "I swear Honey, you will be the death of me." her hand covering her face but she was smiling largely.

"Come on, As. You had the hots for Peace in high school we all did, but as you said it you didn't want to get a std from his nasty ass. Layla only spoke highly of him and you know this, but he is okay and will recover." she patted her friends arm as I moved back to the bed knowing they would come knocking.

But only Honey did, she took a seat on the edge of the bed. "I know you're awake, Peace. Let me get a look on that wound so I can redress it before leaving." her face was now pale making her freckles stand out more, her own eyes the color of Honey.

I asked, "Do I know you?"

She smiled, "Names Honey, you knew my brother Lash. I chose to be a sidekick and stay under the radar at Sky High much like Layla, Magenta, and Astraea. I am a Veterinarian but the wound looks good and healing fast too, I am going to clean and re-dress this and then have to go back to the convention." her tone was light and she had the same southern accent Astraea did, it was different than what mine and Layla's are.

"You live in the same area as Astraea, you both have the same accent." moaning as she poked my side.

Her eyes peek from beyond her bags, "Yes, we live in the same small town. She is my best friend."

Nodding was all I could do.

Think it hurt more her cleaning than anything else, not like I remember the rod being pulled from me. "All done, Peace." she smiled cleaning her hands on a white clothe.

"Where is Astraea?" I asked finally, she smiled.

When she spoke it was filled with pity, "She left, right before I came in. Said it best she go alone no one needs to be in danger anymore because of her."

My heart stopped but anger took over.

"That girl is nothing but trouble." the room became too hot and Honey fled, as everything within feet went up in flames as I dress. Every curse word I knew flew from my lips, Honey bought her a good two hours on me.

I walked from the burning log cabin seeing Honey was gone, only dust left. I had scared her that bad.

Now here I was stuck out in the forest, with that my anger grew as I walked in the direction of tire tracks knowing they would lead me into a town or road, either was fine with me.