Her Pact

Part 34

Chapter 34

Her heart pounded in her chest as he left the room.  Had he really said what she thought he did, or did she want to hear the words so bad that she imagined them?  She was half-afraid that when she opened her eyes, she would find out that she had been dreaming, that Zeke hadn’t told her that he loved her. 

Opening one eye, she looked over at Lilly who threw her thumbs up.  Letting the other eye pop open, Charlie glanced around the room a sighed.  “Where are the other children?”

Lilly bit her lip, and Charlie knew that the little girl was trying to form the right words.  As she struggled, a loud sigh escaped her mouth before she finally reached out and touched the side of Charlie’s head.  “It won’t work,” she mumbled as images flashed through her mind.  “I take that back; it will work.”  She didn’t know how, but she saw the kids from Ally’s old pack.  They were all in a room with annoyed expressions on their faces.  Charlie smiled.  “Ally locked them up?”

A large smile flew onto Lilly’s face as she nodded.  Charlie let out a chuckle.  “I’m just waiting for Barron,” Charlie said with a shiver.  “Once he gets here, I’ll leave you in his capable hands.”

The smile on Lilly’s face only brightened when Charlie mentioned Barron.  She frowned at the little girl.  What made her like Barron so much?  The man scared the hell out of Charlie, and she was a grown woman. 

“He’s nice,” Lilly whispered, her eyes connecting with Charlie’s. 

The little girl tapped the side of Charlie’s head and new images appeared.  Barron was throwing someone up into the air; laughter echoed through the room.  When he set her down on the ground, his expression became grave. 

“No matter what, I’ll keep you safe,” he whispered to her, before smiling again.

The image faded away, leaving Charlie feeling just as shocked as she had when the man had smiled at Ally.  It was a genuine smile, one filled with warmth and happiness.  Maybe, if the man would smile like that more often, he wouldn’t be so scary.

“So,” Charlie said while clearing her throat, “you’re showing me memories of yours?”

Lilly nodded, opening her mouth as if she were going to say something.  It snapped shut, though, as the door opened.  Standing there, Barron smiled at the little girl before looking towards Charlie with a blank expression.  “Go,” he demanded.  “I have Lilly.”

She couldn’t help herself.  As she rose from the bed, a small smile flew onto her face.  “I know.  No matter what, you’ll keep her safe.”

A growl vibrated from low in his throat.  “Careful,” he snarled as she walked out the door. 

Now that she knew the man had a soft side, she didn’t take his warning as anything more than playful banter.  That was the problem with Barron; he didn’t know how to joke.  Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she stepped outside of the room.  A man standing beside it held out a black object for her to take.

Reluctantly, Charlie gripped the gun in her hands.  She hated to use it, but if she had to, she would.  She grabbed it like Carrie had taught her and continued outside where Zeke was.  Ally should already have the major threat taken care of, but the other part was up to her.  If she wanted this to work out, she would have to plan everything exactly on time.  One second too late and someone would die.

As she reached the front door, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.  This was it.  This was what she was waiting for.  Pushing the door open, she snapped to the left and shot.  The shifter standing there fell to the ground.  Turning, she shot the other man standing guard for Ally.  His eyes widened as he fell too.  Neither of the shots were a mortal wound, but they would put the guards out of commission for long enough.