“What the fuck for?” Jasper boomed.
“I don’t know her exact reasoning. All I know is that Bennett tracked down an Executer that was working at Divided Paths and left recently. She told him that Mariah had been feeding visions of Sam to the followers for months. Before Taylor even got there.”
“I guess we figured out why they hand-selected Taylor,” Jasper noted.
“Taylor told me not to come to Divided Paths. She told me to let her save me. That’s got to be the reason why she wouldn’t want me to come for her.”
Macie nodded as sadness overtook her expression.
“Did Shiloh have anything to say about Taylor being able to reach out to Sam the way she did?” Jasper asked.
Again, she nodded.
“So, it’s common then?” I asked.
Jasper grabbed Macie’s hand and rubbed his thumbs across her knuckles. He was trying to comfort her, but I could still see tears welling in her eyes.
“Shi reminded me that unique things happen when people are in love.” She sniffled as she said love, and my stomach dropped.
“I take it it’s not common then,” Jasper muttered as he put his arm around Macie’s small shoulders.
“Are you saying Taylor is in love with me?” I asked. “You think she loves me?” I asked even louder.
“There’s no other way to explain it, Sam,” Macie said with a shrug.
I headed toward the door. When they didn’t follow me I stopped. “Let’s go,” I ordered.
“Where?” J asked.
“We’re getting Taylor and taking her home. I’ve gotta hear it from her.”
Jasper smiled as he started to pull Macie out of the hotel room.
“Hold on, Romeo. We need a plan. For all we know, everyone in that building thinks you deserve to die.” I wanted to roll my eyes at Macie for being the voice of reason, but I knew she was right.
“We’ll figure it out on the way. J, will you call for a taxi?”
We were pulling up to Divided Paths within an hour. If Macie had come up with a plan, I hadn’t heard it. My nerves were shot and the only thing I could think about was Taylor. I loved her, and I knew she loved me. I just hoped she was ready to admit it to me and herself.
Taylor
Taryn let herself into my room without knocking.
“How did you do that?” she asked as she slammed the door behind her. She was mad, and I didn’t care because so was I.
“I focused on the truth. On the true character of the man I’ve devoted most of my time to over the last year. Everything I showed you was true, Taryn.”
She shook her head and pointed her finger at me. “You had no right to get in my head,” she snapped.
“Maybe not,” I shrugged. “But I need your help. I need to show everyone what Mariah is doing. I need them to see the real Sam Johnson.”
“What makes you think I’d ever help you?”
“Because I’ve seen your hesitation to be a follower since my first day here.”
Confliction was written all over her face.
“Mariah has been lying to all of you, Taryn. You’re a good person, and it’s not too late to fix this,” I continued.
Tears welled in her eyes. “I have no one else, Taylor. My brothers wrote me off years ago. Matt and Mariah have been there for me. I can’t betray them just because you say she’s a liar.”
I nodded in understanding. “You don’t have to believe me, Taryn. You can see it for yourself, just like I did.”
She cocked her head to the side as she considered what I’d said. “Tell me what I have to do.”
I explained everything to her the way Martha had to me. She was able to see Sam struggle to hold it together the night Jarren died. But it wasn’t until she saw a woman named Tracey that she was completely on my side.
“I’ll do it,” she said with a fierce look in her eyes.
I wanted to ask her who Tracey was, but I didn’t have any time to waste. I knew Sam wouldn’t wait the full twelve hours he’d promised, and if he showed up before I’d convinced enough people of his goodness, then I could lose him forever.
“I think we should start with Brent, then the three of us can go to Ana and Matt together.”
Taryn agreed, but the look in her eyes was turning to fury with every passing minute.
I knocked on Brent’s door lightly and waited. Taryn was obviously not feeling patient and beat on the door three times before opening it and letting herself in.
Brent stood in the doorway of his bathroom with a towel around his waist. Taryn stopped in her tracks to take in the sight of his muscular chest. At least, I assumed that’s what she was doing when she stopped walking, because I was doing the same thing.
“Can I help you?” Brent asked as he crossed his arms over his chest, effectively putting his biceps on display. I was able to pull my eyes away from his body then, and I noticed the smirk on his face.
I elbowed Taryn in the ribs to pull her out of her lustful trance. “Put some damn clothes on. We need to talk.”
I’d never heard Taryn be so aggressive. I was impressed with her willingness to get shit done.
A fully-clothed Brent sat on the foot of his bed as he listened to our pitch about seeing for himself that Mariah had been using him. He was hesitant, at first, until Taryn closed her eyes and forced him to see what she wanted him to see. I cringed as I watched him bend over in pain. He cradled his head in his hands and whined quietly until Taryn released his mind. I felt guilty for a brief moment for not putting him to sleep first so he wouldn’t have had to feel the pain. But we just didn’t have time for that.
When Taryn opened her eyes, I noticed the tears running down her cheeks. It took Brent a moment longer to open his eyes, but the pained look on his face matched Taryn’s.
“This can’t be real,” he muttered to himself. I placed a hand on his shoulder in effort to comfort him, but he pulled away.
“Oh, God,” he groaned. “What have I done?” He started to pace the floor while simultaneously shaking his head. I glanced at Taryn and she was wiping her eyes on the sleeve of her t-shirt.
“Brent killed his ex-girlfriend’s mom. Mariah made us all believe that she’d taken the life of her husband so she could run away with his best friend. The truth was that her husband died in a car accident caused by a drunk driver. She found comfort in his best friend and eventually fell in love with him.”
My heart broke for Brent. And Taryn. She’d clearly done something she regretted but wasn’t ready to talk about it.
“I saw the whole thing,” Brent mumbled. “It was so real when Mariah showed me. It seemed so fucking real. What have I done?”
“Brent, this is not your fault. Nothing you’ve done under Mariah’s influence is your fault. You have to believe that,” I said firmly. “You have the chance to show everyone what she really is now. You have the chance to stop her from taking advantage of other people like us. Will you help us?”
He looked from me to Taryn several times before slowly nodding his head. I sighed in relief at the same time Taryn did.
“Who’s next?” Taryn asked.
“Why don’t the two of you get Ana and meet me at Matt’s office?”
They agreed, and we went our separate ways. I took the stairs while they waited for the elevator to take them to the bottom floor. Ana was most likely behind the front desk.
I waited in the stairwell down the hall from Matt’s office. I didn’t want to take a chance on him seeing me before Brent and Taryn showed up. When almost twenty minutes had passed, I started to worry. Did Mariah catch them? Did they trick me? Were they on their way to tell Mariah about my plan at this very moment?
I’d decided to give up on them and go talk to Matt on my own when I heard the elevator. Brent walked out first, holding Ana over his shoulder. I rushed to him and realized that Ana was unconscious. “What happened?” I asked in a panicked whisper.
“We ran into a little problem,” Taryn said as she walked
out, holding Macie by the arm.
“Mace? You’re really here?” I shrieked as I wrapped my arms around her. I squeezed her tightly as I tried to push my emotions away.
“No time for this, ladies,” Brent reminded me.
I nodded as I released her. “You have to hide.” I placed my room key into her palm. “Room 412. Go into the bathroom, lock the door, and turn on the shower. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“Wait! What about Sam and Jasper?” She asked, quietly enough that only I could hear. “They’re planning to come through one of the back entrances.”
“Shit. I’ll take care of it; just go.” I squeezed her hand before turning toward Matt’s office.
“Explain this,” I gestured toward Ana.
Brent shrugged. “She wasn’t willing to listen, and then your friend showed up and she got all feisty. I just put her in a choke hold; she should be coming to any second.”
I looked at Taryn with a concerned expression and she winked.
“Let’s try not to use violence with Matt, okay?” I asked before knocking on his office door.
Matt opened his door with his coffee in his hand. The relaxed look on his face disappeared when he saw Ana on Brent’s shoulder. “What happened?”
Brent gently laid Ana on the couch, and Matt knelt down beside her. “Tell me what happened,” he demanded.
Taryn looked at Brent and nodded. They both closed their eyes. When Matt started to groan and wince in pain, I knew what they were doing. It was becoming obvious that the people who weren’t prepared to let us in were the ones who experienced the most pain during the vision.
“Don’t waste time with small talk,” I muttered to myself.
I walked over to the large window behind Matt’s desk and looked out across the large yard. I could see Keelie and a few people I didn’t recognize having meditation time in their usual spot, but no sight of Sam or Jasper. I silently hoped they’d gotten inside without being seen.
“What the fuck?” Ana groaned as she tried to sit up. “What was that shit?”
“It’s the truth,” Brent told her.
“It can’t be.” She shook her head vehemently. “You’re wrong.”
“Ana, that was a pure vision. We’re not strong enough to manipulate them in any way,” Taryn explained.
I glanced at Matt, curious as to why he hadn’t said anything yet. He looked around the room quickly. When he jumped to his feet, I realized that he was looking for a way out.
I ran to the door and blocked it before he could reach it. “You knew.”
His mouth dropped open as he feigned shock. I shook my head and narrowed my eyes at him. “Don’t you dare deny it, Matt.”
“Oh my God. You’re serious? You knew about the bullshit visions? You knew that Mariah was convincing us to kill innocent people?” Ana asked, hurt evident in her voice.
Matt turned to her with pity in his eyes. “Ana, those people were hardly innocent. Just because she gave you inaccurate reasoning doesn’t mean it wasn’t deserved.”
Taryn stepped forward and slapped him. Hard. I could hear Matt gritting his teeth in anger.
“Plan B,” Brent muttered before hitting him with a solid right hook. Matt’s knees buckled, and he fell to the floor, unconscious.
“I’ll take care of him. Go find your friends and get to Mariah.”
We nodded and left the office quickly and quietly.
“I’m going to take the stairs to get Macie. I’ll meet you both in the Gathering Room,” I told them.
“Be careful, Taylor. You haven’t seen Mariah mad yet,” Ana warned.
I nodded and squeezed her hand lightly. I never thought Ana would be on my side, but I was really glad she was.
Sam
The older woman in the restaurant downstairs had told me where to find Taylor. She’d advised me to take the stairs to her room on the fourth floor and stay out of sight, which made me believe that she knew exactly who I was. I didn’t waste time asking her name but made a mental note to thank her for being an ally later.
I took the stairs two at a time with Jasper close behind me. I reached for the door to exit the stairwell and enter the hallway, and when I opened it someone came running through and collided with my chest. I stumbled backward and fell into Jasper who, thankfully, kept his balance and helped me right myself again. Once I was steady on my feet, I looked at the person in my arms. The red curls that were trying to escape from her ponytail were a dead giveaway.
Taylor slowly lifted her head and locked eyes with me. “You’re here,” she whispered, her eyes filling with tears.
“I’ll be damned, that was easier than I expected,” Jasper said behind me.
“Glad to see you both made it inside,” Macie said from the entrance to the stairwell.
I still hadn’t said anything, and I hadn’t let go of Taylor. I wanted to say everything at once but knew this wasn’t the time or place. So, instead, I continued to stare at her.
“Tay, we have to get downstairs to meet the others,” Macie said as she tapped Taylor’s shoulder. Taylor pulled away from me and shook her head as if she were coming out of a trance. “This way,” she said as she grabbed my hand and led me down the stairs. My body hummed at the feel of her hand in mine once again.
We followed Taylor to a large room on the first floor. Two women and a man were waiting for her. Taylor released my hand and walked over to them. “These are my friends, and they’re here to help us,” she said to them. “What’s the plan?”
“We actually have an idea,” Macie chimed in.
“Let’s hear it,” the man said with a flirty smirk. Jasper stepped forward and took Macie’s hand in his, causing the man to avert his attention rather quickly, and I grinned.
“Bennett has called some people that are interested in holding Mariah accountable for the crimes she caused others to commit. They have a way to block her mind manipulating abilities. She’ll be locked in a cell and will serve time for each individual crime. They also mentioned her boyfriend, Matt something. They want him in their custody, too,” Macie explained.
“So, all we have to do is get her down here and hand her over. Sounds easy enough,” the man said with a confident nod.
“Wait,” the girl with dark hair held up one hand. “What does that mean for us? Mariah goes to some supernatural prison for the murders we committed and what? We get away with it?”
“Taryn, you aren’t responsible for any of those deaths. None of you are,” Taylor said gently. “You were only doing what—”
“They were only doing what I, their leader, asked of them,” a woman interrupted from the doorway.
Jasper and I moved to stand in front of the women. The other man joined us. “Mariah. Just the person we wanted to see.”
“Brent, what are you doing? If you turn your back on me, you’ll be forced to live with guilt of killing Sara’s mother for the rest of your life. Is that really what you want?”
Taylor took two hard steps at Mariah, anger was written all over her face. “You are the reason he has anything to feel guilty about. You are the one responsible for her death. You took advantage of these people and countless others. Now, you are going to be the one to pay.”
“Is that so?”
“Why are you doing this in the first place?” Taylor asked. “What’s in it for you?”
“Raiders,” she started as she glared at me, “are dangerous and too powerful for their own good. The same goes for Protectors. What have they ever done to deserve the gifts that they’ve been given?”
“Are all of the people we’ve killed Protectors or Raiders?” Taryn asked as she went to stand by Taylor’s side.
“I won’t lie to you, Taryn. Not all of the deaths were necessary, but how else would I test your loyalty to me?”
“She was my sister,” Taryn said through gritted teeth.
“I gave you a new family here. How dare you be so ungrateful.”
My hands were balled into fists at my si
des, prepared for whatever might happen next. When Taryn reared back to hit Mariah, she didn’t even flinch. Instead, she calmly closed her eyes. I noticed Taylor and the others start to panic when they realized what was about to happen.
I heard Taylor cry out just as the familiar piercing pain rushed through my head. I heard Jasper grunting next to me and I knew he could feel it, too. None of us had expected her to incapacitate all of us at once, and as far as I could tell, none of us had a back up plan.
I’d fallen to my knees and prepared to submit to the pain when it suddenly stopped. I tried to open my eyes immediately, but my head was still a little fuzzy. I heard Taylor thanking someone and forced myself to focus on her voice. Soon after, my head cleared and I was on my feet. The elderly woman who had told me where to find Taylor was standing over Mariah’s body. I was about to ask what had happened when I noticed the iron skillet in her hand.
“Are you okay?” I asked as I placed my hand on the small of Taylor’s back. She turned and threw her arms around my neck. I sighed as I returned her embrace.
I heard footsteps pounding behind me. I looked up to see Macie running toward the door. “Bennett? What are you doing here?” she asked in her high-pitched voice.
Taylor released me but stayed close enough that I could still smell her shampoo.
“Just here to save the day.” He winked, and she smacked his chest. Three men dressed in black suits walked past them and straight to Mariah. They placed cuffs on her hands and wrapped something that resembled a wire around her head. I assumed that was to prevent her from playing any mind games but didn’t have time to ask before one of the men scooped her up and carried her out of the room.
“Don’t forget Matt on the fourth floor,” Brent spoke up. “I tied him to his chair with the cord from his lamp.” I smiled and nodded my approval of his detaining technique. The men in suits seemed to be pleased with him, as well.
“Martha, what does this mean for everyone else?” Taylor asked the elderly woman who had taken out Mariah.
“Bennett has offered to help them transition back in Seattle if they’d like, or I intend on staying here and using this building for a legitimate rehabilitation center and will take any help I can get.”
Want Me (Protector Series Book 3) Page 10