Chapter 5

<Gavin Forrester>

"Gavin, he dropped my phone into a pitcher of iced tea! Why didn't you defend me?" Victoria plops down on the bed and crosses her arms.

"I told you to use the disposable phone because then the FBI wouldn't be able to track you. Why didn't you just listen to me? We're in serious circumstances. There's a government agency after me; the least you could do is try to deal with it. I promise someday we will be in a better position but you can't keep endangering us." I pull a t-shirt over my head and come out of the bathroom.

"Quit acting like everything is my fault. I've never done something this illegal before."

"Then you really should be listening to me." I say in an even tone and walk past her to lay down on the air mattress that's on the floor.

"Are you mad at me too?" Victoria asks in an annoyed voice.

I don't say anything, causing her to peer down at me from the bed.

"I'm sorry, you guys just need to give me a chance to get used to everything."

"Victoria, you need to listen to us then. We know what we're doing." I push up off the air mattress and stand in front of her.

"Fine, can you guys at least give me chance and stop treating me like some naïve child?"

"Then don't give us reasons to. We told you not to use your real phone, so listen to us and don't do that. We told you that we have to only go outside for necessities so don't try to make us go out for random things. I know it sucks but we just have to have faith that it'll all work out." I sit down next to her and put my arm around her shoulders.

"I guess that was selfish of me. I'm sorry, I really am trying but I just can't get used to always being on my toes in case I have to go on the run. I can't stand all of the anxiety." Victoria turns to face me with an exhausted look on her face.

"I'm here, I'll make sure nothing happens to you. That's a promise." I lean in and place my lips gently on hers.

She pushes me back a little and bites her lip.

"What?" I cock an eyebrow at her and tilt my head.

"Are we going to get caught now, I mean since I left my phone on...." Victoria maintains eye contact with me as she waits for my answer.

"Blaze is just as on edge as you are. He's freaked out and can barely take a step without thinking that someone is after him. Give him some time and he'll get over it."

"You didn't answer my question." Victoria looks down sadly at her lap.

"I honestly don't know. I'm not sure of anything." I hold her gently and rub her shoulder.

We both lay back on the bed and I hold her close until I hear the even breathing of her falling asleep.

~~~~~

The doorbell rings and Victoria stands up from the couch where we're watching a movie to answer it. I hear a female voice on the other side of the door and I roll my eyes. Victoria comes back, arm in arm, with Ainsley of all people. Blaze takes a seat on the couch next to me and tilts his head towards Ainsley. I shrug and face the TV. I get bad vibes from Ainsley and I don't like her being in my safe haven.

"Hello, Hunter." Ainsley says with a smirk, obviously enjoying how much her presence bothers me.

She sits down on the chair that's right next to my side of the couch.

"Guys, I'll be right back. I need to go get a jacket from my room." Victoria grins before walking down the hallway.

"Who are you and what the bloody hell are you doing here?" Blaze grimaces and gives Ainsley a heated glare.

"I met Victoria and Hunter in town and I thought I'd invite them to the fish fry on the beach tonight. You're welcome to come if you want to." Ainsley does her best to look innocent but I'm not buying her charade for a second.

"Cut the act. I don't want to go to your fish fry; I'd rather be run over by a bus in all honesty. I don't know why you're trying to be involved with us but I don't need your friendship and neither does Victoria."

"Victoria likes having a friend who isn't male and I don't think she'd like you talking to her new friend this way." Ainsley crosses her arms and leans back in the chair with a smug look.

"Why are you doing this? There's more to it than being friendly." I lean over the arm of the couch and make her look me straight in the eyes.

"I'm just showing some tourists around." Ainsley states, trying to close the conversation.

"No, you're not. You're up to something."

"Aren't we all?" She chuckles and uncrosses her arms.

"I swear, you need to go now." I whisper and clench my fists out of anger.

"Go where?" Victoria asks with a small smile as she comes back into the living room.

"Hunter was just telling me how excited he is to go to the fish fry with us. Right, Hunter?" Ainsley's smug look makes my blood curdle.

Victoria looks between the both of us like she suspects something's up.

"Right," I mutter through tight lips. "Blaze is excited too."

I feel Blaze tense up behind me and I turn to face him with a pleading look in my eyes. He's practically seething at the prospect of leaving the house for a party.

"I'd love to go." Blaze lets out a deep breath and his eye begins to twitch.

"What's up with you guys tonight?" Victoria laughs and raises an eyebrow at me and Blaze.

"Is she for real, Hunter? Does she not know what's at stake if we leave the house?" Blaze is red with anger he's failed to keep secret.

"I tried to explain it to her but she just won't listen." I whisper as the girls leave.

"If you weren't so whipped on her, I would've kicked her out by now and let her get herself caught while we live it up in Barbados." Blaze grabs the Jeep keys and walks towards the front door.

"I'm sorry." I hang my head as I follow him down the steep staircase towards the Jeep.

"All I'm saying is you better get it through her head that we aren't messing around. I don't care if we have to tie her to a chair, she is not dragging us to do anymore tourist activities. We're not here on some damn vacation." Blaze's says, venom laced in his tone.

"I know, I just don't want to hurt her."

"Grow a pair or you'll be dealing with the FBI by yourself 'cause I ain't saving your ass again. Don't let her screw this up for us." Blaze pats my shoulder as he slips into the driver's seat.

"I swear I won't let her." I watch as Blaze turns the key in the ignition and drives the four of us away from the house.

~~~~~

We arrive at the beach where the fish fry is being held. There are at least three hundred people on the beach and the sounds of grills sizzling all over. I get out of the car and help Victoria out. Ainsley looks at me like she expects me to help her out too.

"I'm pretty sure you can get out on your own. Your brain is the only thing that's incapable of doing its job around here." I link arms with Victoria and walk ahead of Ainsley who catches up within a few seconds.

"Why are you being so rude to her? She's really nice, Hunter." Victoria whispers as Ainsley begins to walk right next to her.

"I have a feeling you'll figure it out very soon." I glare at the she-demon that's standing next to my girlfriend.

"What do you think she's taking me from you or something?" Victoria hits my arm playfully as we come to a tiki bar on the beach.

I take a seat at the bar and Victoria sits next to me. Unfortunately wherever my girlfriend goes, Ainsley follows which means that the seat on Victoria's other side is now taken by a she-demon.

"Shot of Tequila for me and the lady." I smile as the bartender pulls out two shot glasses.

"How would you know what Victoria wants to drink?" Ainsley crosses her arms and cocks her eyebrow at me.

"Victoria, what do you want to drink?" I ask with a smirk.

"I'm good with tequila." Victoria smiles, obviously not effected by the awkwardness of this conversation.

"I rest my case, Ainsley. If you have any more dumb questions, take them up with some who actually wants to put up with you." I give her a fake smile and accept my shot from the bartender.

"She's a big girl, she could've ordered that for herself." Ainsley narrows her eyes at me as I tip the liquid back into my mouth.

"Last time I checked, I'm her boyfriend."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Ainsley crosses her arms and gives me a challenging look.

"Stop being so damn concerned with everything she can and can't do. I was being nice and I think I know her a bit better than you do."

"I was just trying to make sure she got to keep her independence." Ainsley glares at me and waits for my response.

"Shut up, you're just trying to get on my last nerve."

"I'm Victoria's friend and I'm trying to keep her best interests at heart."

"You've known her for three days. I've known her for months. How do you know what her best interests are? Quit acting like you're better than everyone else." I grip the counter and turn towards Ainsley.

"Guys, do I need to remind you that this started over the fact that my boyfriend ordered me a drink that I was perfectly fine with? Can you all just stop getting at each other's throats?" Victoria gets up from the bar and walks off.

"Now look what you've done." Ainsley's eyes flash with a hint of anger.

"I know you're bad news; just leave us the hell alone and quit trying to break up our relationship. I don't know what your deal is or why you attached yourself to Victoria so quickly but I don't like it. Stay away from her or you'll be sorry." I get up from the bar and begin to walk away.

"Quit trying to play superhero, Gavin. Sometimes you can't save people." My head snaps around and I find Ainsley giving me her signature smug look.

There's only one person that's told me that and he's supposed to be on the run.

Her arms are sprawled across her lap and I notice a leather cuff on her wrist. I recognize that cuff, mostly because it's the same one I was forced to wear on every mission the minute I started working for Talon. She's working for Talon and I think I know who her latest target is.

"You work for Tenebris Industries, don't you?" I stare straight into her eyes and watch for a hint of fear since i'm pretty sure i just figured her out.

Much to my dismay, there is none.

"I'm surprised it took you this long to figure it out." Ainsley smirks and stands up from her seat at the bar. "You really are just looks, Gavin Forrester."

She brushes something from my shoulder and leans in close to my ear.

"You'll be sorry you ever crossed, Talon." She whispers before creating some distance between us.

"I knew your asshole attitude could only be a product of Talon Tenebris."

"That man's a genius. Don't you dare question him." She fumes and shoves my shoulder.

"What is he making you do?" I clench my fists and glare at her.

"I think you already know the answer to that." Ainsley chuckles which makes me want to strangle her more.

"Tell him to stay the hell away from Victoria or I will find him and I'll kill him with my bare hands."

"Your threats mean nothing to him. You're an idiot for thinking he would ever be scared of you." Ainsley rolls her eyes and tries to walk away but I stop her.

"I'm the only person who's ever dared to defy him and I know more about him and his business than he'd ever tell a rookie like you. Tell him if he comes anywhere near Victoria or my friends, I'll leak all of his information to the cops. He'll never see the light of day again after that."

"You're too scared to ever do that." Ainsley says in a questioning tone.

"Oh really? I'm willing to get a lethal injection as long as Talon goes straight down with me."

"No, you're not. You're just all talk, Forrester." Ainsley's features harden because she can't tell whether I'm lying or not.

"You really don't know me, sweetheart. I own Talon Tenebris and he damn well knows it. If there's anyone you don't want to cross, it's me. I've killed over a hundred people with no remorse and you could be next. You wouldn't want that since I'm feeling a little trigger happy. Also, I've worked with Talon for almost ten years, I could bring his whole organization down with one click of a button. You don't want that? Then tell him to stay away 'cause I am not playing his game." I give her a harsh glance and cross my arms.

"Talon is not someone you wanna mess with." She mutters dangerously.

"I know that and I also know exactly what buttons to push. Have you forgotten that I'm his best operative? He basically taught me how to take down his organization. I gave you my warning so what happens to you and Talon now is all up to you. I'm going to go find Victoria."

"Good luck but it would've done you a lot more good if you had never let her go away in the first place. God only knows where she is now." With that Ainsley walks away, never once looking back.

I feel my stomach knot up as I rush to look for Victoria. I call out her name and eventually run into Blaze who gives me a quizzical look.

"Can't talk now; we have to go look for Victoria. Talon's operatives are here and they could be killing her as we speak!" I shake his shoulders and drag him towards the Jeep.

"Calm down, man. Get in the car and we'll go look for her." Blaze gets in the driver's seat and then waits for me to slip into shotgun.

He speeds away from the fish fry and back towards the road that leads to Jeffrey's house.

"Why are we going home?" I yell and glare at the side of Blaze's head.

"I thought I saw her running this way. It looked like she was trying to get away from someone and we're not that far from Jeffrey's house so it's not impossible for her to walk home." Blaze grips the steering wheel as pulls onto the dirt road.

I hear a scream coming from a little ways down the road and urge Blaze to drive faster. A group of people come into view with Victoria at center of them. I jump out of the car and rush towards the group. I punch the face of the first guy I come into contact with. His friends try to beat me up but I take them out by slamming their heads against a nearby tree. The first guy runs away when he realizes that his friends are unconscious. I help Victoria to the Jeep and while I'm moving the guys into the woods I notice a little 'T' embroidered into their suits.

It seems that Satan has made his return from hell and by Satan I mean Talon Tenebris.