Vengeance (Out For Blood Book 2)

by CY Jones

  Humming to himself, he moves forward, and I follow, as I watch his ass in his tight jeans. He’s so at home up here, and I’m guessing this is where he spends most of his time.

  “You look very domestic,” I say, laughing when we stop inside a miniature greenhouse, and I watch him trim the stems around a bunch of tiny white flowers that I recognize as hemlock. I only know what it is because it’s the assassin’s choice of poison to the Ancient Greeks.

  Maddie’s all black outfit contrast greatly with the pair of bright yellow garden gloves with printed pink flowers he’s wearing.

  Moving on to another plant, this one a vibrant, violet blue, Maddie asks, “do you know what this plant is, little bird?”

  I’m no plant expert. I found bottney boring when the tutors tried and failed to teach me, so I have no clue. Shaking my head, I tell him, “no.”

  “This plant has many names. Aconitum, the poison queen, but it’s widely known as wolf’s bane,” he answers, trimming off one of the flowers, and twirling it in his hand. He’s staring at the small flower like it holds all the answers to his problems, instead of the deadly flower it is.

  “It’s beautiful and deadly just like you, and do you know what else, little bird?”

  “No,” I answer, entranced by his gaze. It’s like his orange red eyes are all that I can see. The intensity of them speeds up my already racing heart, with every thump calling his name.

  Moving close to me, he leans in and whispers in my ear, “it’s going to kill you.” Then he kisses me, like a man dying of thirst, and I’m putty in his arms, not caring he just threatened me.

  When he pulls back allowing me to breathe, I ask him what he meant by that? But instead of answering my question he restarts his humming as he trims the leaves around the plants in his deadly greenhouse. Just when I’m about to give up, and turn back to my room, he starts to sing.

  "Little bird, little bird, caught in a cage.

  She thought revenge would ease her rage.

  But then she decided to give in to love, and the price?

  Her life."

  “Little bird, do you want to know the story of how I came to work for O’Donnell?”

  “Yes,” I answer, taking a seat on one of the white concrete benches. I always wondered how Maddie and his sister came into O’Donnell’s care, and ever since I found out that Red isn’t really his sister, I’ve been even more curious.

  “I was born on the other side of the veil. My parents were fleeing with me when we came to the human lands. After only a week of being here my mother fell ill from a fatal wound she sustained while we were on the run. The dagger that cut her was laced with a rare poison. My father was desperate to save her. He knew, being a reaper, they would die one day to fulfill their calling, but he did not want my mother to leave him. In his search to find someone to save my mother, he came across O’Donnell.”

  I gasp loudly when I hear that arsehole’s name, not liking the direction this story is going. Sure I knew it didn’t have a happy ending since he’s here, but I didn’t want his parents involved with O’Donnell like Silas’s dad. Maddie gives me a knowing nod, and continues on where he left off.

  “O’Donnell told my father he could cure my mother, but the price was that he will have to work for him. My father knew what sort of man O’Donnell was. He heard stories in his search for a cure, but he loved my mother enough to sell his soul to the devil, so she would live. Once he had the cure in his hands, my father returned home, but it was already too late. She had already died, clutching me tight to her chest.”

  “I’m so sorry, Maddie,” I cry out, squeezing his bouncing knee in support. He gives me a sad smile, and continues on like I never interrupted him.

  “In his grief, my father killed himself. Choosing to follow his wife into the afterlife, instead of caring for the product of their love. When O’Donnell came to retrieve my father, he found their dead bodies and me. Red was already with him when he came, and even as a little girl she was wicked. O’Donnell had us both get rid of the bodies, and told us from then on we will be siblings, and they were my family now. When he took us to the manor, I wanted to run. Reapers are born with their powers, and I could have easily gotten away, but then I saw you. A big pair of turquoise blue eyes on a skinny little girl with the most beautiful face I have ever seen. I understood right then and there how my father could leave me behind for love, because at that moment you owned me. I never wanted to leave you, and just like my father, I happily sold my soul to the devil just to stay near you. O'Donnell knows the only thing that keeps me working for him is you.”

  I don’t know what to say. I think I always knew Maddie was here because of me, like he was made just for me. Two kids finding comfort with each other through a fucked up childhood.

  “I…,” I cut off.

  “Don’t say anything. Love makes you do crazy things. Just like when you saved Hunter, we both chose a monster in order to protect the ones we love, and because I love you, I will take this wolfsbane, and mix a poison that will stop your heart from beating and kill you. Only then will that shock collar around your neck unfasten.”

  “But I.. I’ll be dead,” I stutter.

  “Yes, little bird. You’ll be dead.”

  “But…,” I’m about to say something else, when he hold his hand up interrupting me.

  “I have a remedy as long as I can get it to you within the hour. It’s a risk I’m willing to take, and the stakes are high since I’m betting six lives.”

  “Don’t you mean five. I haven’t bonded with my fifth mate,” I tell him as I remember that if I die they will too. “This is crazy Maddie. You and the others will also be dead in that hour?” I remind him.

  “The others will, but I’m a reaper. Even in death, I will be able to walk among the living. It’s asking death to give me back that’s the real problem.”

  “Maddie, we have to find another way. Something less risky,” I say, exasperated. I’m just as frustrated in finding a solution as he is, but this. It was a little too extreme, even for me. This solution involved too many people. What kind of person would I be if I gamble all their lives just to save my own?

  “You will be alive, and I know the others will gladly lay down their lives if it meant saving you.”

  I don’t get to reply, because the guard from my room interrupts us.

  “It’s time to go. Your father wants you both to get ready for dinner.”

  Standing, Maddie gives me a wry grin. After pulling his gloves off, he helps me to my feet.

  “Until later, my love,” he whispers, before giving me a light kiss on the lips.

  Fourteen

  Dinner from Hell

  Remy

  I follow O’Donnell’s hired guard in silence going over everything Maddie just told me. Sure it solves our problem, but the risks are far too great. I keep thinking about what Maddie said about Romeo and the poison. That shite didn’t work for them. Shakespeare is a witness to that, so why try it?

  “I don’t know why you’re fucking that dude. Hatter is certifiably insane,” the hired muscle on the side of me says, breaking my thoughts.

  “And you think I’m all there,” I reply, smiling wickedly at him.

  He quickly looks away muttering, "crazy bitch," under his breath.

  When I enter my room, there's already a dress laying out for me on my bed. Unlike the last outfit O’Donnell picked out for me, this one isn’t too bad. It’s all black made from the finest silk. The top is tight, and it flows all the way to the floor. Taking a quick shower, I put the dress on and it fits perfectly. I was wondering what to do with my hair when Natalie walks in, grinning widely at me.

  “It’s not fair for you to be so damn gorgeous,” she says as greeting.

  “You look beautiful as well. Are you going to the same forced dinner as me?” I ask, taking in her pretty dark blue dress.

  “Yes, as well as my brother and mother,” she answers.

  “What?” I gasp. What the hell i
s O’Donnell up to? My stomach starts to turn, and I have a really bad feeling in my gut.

  “Does your brother know your mum will be there?”

  “Yes, he’s the one who told me,” she answers as she motions me to sit down at my vanity so she can do my hair.

  If Nat’s worried, she isn’t showing it, but I can’t shake the feeling something bad is about to happen. Maybe this is her way of coping, or maybe I’m wrong, and this is just a regular dinner with the devil. Since coming out of my coma, I’ve only had dinner in my room, and have yet to dine with the wanker.

  When she’s done, Nat has gathered all my hair in a series of complicated braids on top of my head, and then twisted it all into a thick bun. It’s way more elegant than anything I could have done. There's a light knock on my door before it opens, and Silas steps into the room.

  “You look beautiful,” he says kissing me on the cheek.

  “Nat told me about your mum being at dinner today.”

  “It’ll be ok,” he says, face determined as he takes his sister’s arm, and we all walk out the room. Like his sister, he’s putting on a brave front, but unlike his sister, I know him, and I know he’s just as worried as I am. His mother being requested to dine with us isn’t normal, and we all need to be on our toes.

  We take the elevator since we’re going a couple flights down, and neither Nat or I wanted to walk down the stairs in heels. The dining room is another one of O’Donnell’s massive rooms with a huge rectangle table dominating the space. The asshole in question isn’t here yet, but Maddie is, wearing a fitted all black suit that instantly makes me drool. Don’t get me wrong. I love Maddie’s usual emo look, but damn, he looks as hot as sin in a suit.

  Another woman I have yet to meet is also seated at the table, and I’m taking a guess that this must be Silas and Nat’s mother. She’s breathtakingly beautiful. I know instantly she’s whom they got their looks from. Her hair is dirty blonde, and their mouths are different, but besides those differences, everything else is all her. Her eyes are a beautiful grey-blue, the same shade as Silas one eye, her facial features delicate, and she has a slight frame, reminding me of a porcelain doll.

  “Mum, this is Remy,” Nat says introducing me.

  A hollow smile graces the women lips. One that doesn’t quite meet her eyes, and she gives me a dainty hand to shake.

  “Evanora,” she replies in a small voice. Sounding nothing like the Wicked Witch of the East she’s named after, or how I pictured Silas’s mom to be. This woman is beaten. Gone is the strong woman she may have once been, and in its place is this beautiful, but empty, shell.

  I take a seat right next to Maddie at the long table, and Gabriel enters next, making me clench my hand in a tight fist. This really isn’t good if he’s here. I know his only purpose at this dinner is to be O’Donnell’s lie detector. Lucky for us, I decided last night to work with him, or we all would have been screwed.

  O’Donnell finally enters, bringing the rest of the dinner party with him. A bubbly looking Alice who is dressed no better than a streetwalker, Hangman who is also in a suit, and Red who opted out of dressing up, and is just wearing a plain blood red shift dress. Instead of giving me her regular bitch face when she sees me, her gaze is instead focused on O’Donnell and Alice’s joined hands. Poor girl has it bad. It looks like she still has yet to get over being replaced. Only O’Donnell and Alice joins us at the table, while Hangman and Red hang back as guards.

  “Daughter,” O’Donnell says in greeting, and I give him a nasty glare, letting him know how pleased I am to be here. Instead of being bothered, the sick fuck smiles back at me wickedly.

  “Hi,” bimbo barbie says, and I ignore her just as the others do. Her shoulders drop, but besides that small tell, she doesn’t appear to be bothered by everyone’s cold reception.

  As soon as O’Donnell is situated in his seat, the servers come out of whatever dark corners they were hiding in, and places our plates in front of us, and fills our glasses with a dark red wine. I don’t pay the fish and vegetables on my plate any attention, but I do grab the wine, downing half of it in one go. Something tells me I’m going to need alcohol to get through this dinner.

  “What have ye been up to?” O’Donnell asks me as he cuts the big juicy steak on his plate. In fact, besides me, everyone else has steaks and fluffy piles of mashed potatoes on their plates. It’s O’Donnell’s sneaky way to jab at my weight without having to open his mouth.

  “Oh you know, the usual, going to the gym, and plotting the many ways to kill you,” I drawl, and Natalie damn near chokes on her wine.

  Not in the least bothered by my answer he asks, “and have you come up with any?”

  “Are you that excited to die, father? I promise when I do kill you, it will not end quickly.”

  Chuckling, he replies, “I would be more worried if you didn’t plan on killing me, daughter. We wouldn’t want you to lose that fighting spirit of yours. You’ll end up looking like her,” he says, looking pointedly at Evanora.

  I ignore his jab, but the rest of what he said is right. Killing him and thinking about ways to escape should be the only things on my mind. Not worrying about the fragile woman seated in front of me, or her children who will have to play spectator to whatever O’Donnell plans on doing to her.

  Picking up my fork, I pick at my fish on my plate. I’m sure it’s cooked to perfection, and it smells delicious, but I find I don’t have much of an appetite. We were halfway through dinner when O’Donnell turns his attention back to me.

  “Tell me daughter, where did you get that marble bracelet on your wrist?”

  “Haven’t we gone through this conversation already?” I ask boredly.

  “Humor me,” he states.

  “As I said before, I don’t know where the fuck it came from. I woke up with it on my wrist.”

  “And you, boi. You still haven’t found any information on it?” O'Donnell questions, looking straight at Silas.

  “No,” Silas answers.

  “Have you even tried to find anything about it, or are ye too bewitched by my daughter?”

  Schooling my face. I don’t show any emotion, especially after I figured out why we’re all here. O’Donnell suspects Silas is deceiving him and Gabriel is here to confirm it. Everything I care about is riding on the loyalty to the man who put me in this situation in the first place. I hope Oreo and my brother have put fear in the vamp, or we are screwed.

  “I’ve tried and only have come up with empty leads. I’ve already told you everything I know,” Silas replies. Silas is a very good liar, and if I didn’t already know the truth, I would believe him.

  “You should give me credit, father. I don’t fuck Hogwarts rejects.”

  “And I don’t fuck fang bangers,” Silas growls, referring to Gabriel. I see Hangman has been running his big mouth.

  “I like real men with big cocks. Not little boys who still play dungeons and dragons, mage,” I sneer, scowling at Silas.

  “That’s enough you two. This is an adult dinner not the playground,” O’Donnell chastises us, and I flip Silas the bird before turning away.

  “They’re telling the truth," Gabriel says boredly before taking a deep sip from his drink that I suspect isn’t wine by how thick it is.

  “Is that why I’m here?” I question O’Donnell, laughing. “So you can use your pet lie detector.”

  Shrugging, O’Donnell ignores me, and turns his green gaze back on Silas.

  “You know, boi, you may be telling the truth, but I don’t think you’re motivated enough. Maybe ye need a reminder of what’s at stake if you fail me.”

  At his words, Red moves swiftly behind Silas’s mum, and wraps her garrote around her slender neck. She presses it tight enough for little beads of blood to form around her neck, and her grey blue eyes grow wide in surprise.

  “Let her go,” Silas roars, and jumps up from the table knocking his chair over. Hangman moves for him, and Silas simply flicks his hand, sending Hangman crash
ing into the wall.

  “Sit ye ass down, or your mother’s head will be rolling on this table next,” O’Donnell threatens.

  With little choice, Silas picks up his chair, and sits down, watching Red the whole time. If his mother wasn’t in dire straits, I sure Red will be dead right now.

  “Now that’s better. Ye have a week to solve the riddle of that bracelet, or your mother will pay the price of your failure. Do I make myself clear?”

  “Crystal," Silas answers through clenched teeth.

  After that little display, I’m no longer hungry. I excuse myself, and let Maddie take me back to my room. After his little show of power, O’Donnell didn’t seem to care that I left. He had already gotten what he wanted from dinner. A way to make sure Silas will do whatever it takes to find out the information he needs on this bracelet. Sometimes I wish Cody never given it me. It seems to be causing more problems than helping.

  Once we reach my room, I turn to Maddie, “in a week, before Silas’s deadline is over, you’ll kill me.” I’m done thinking about it. We’re running out of time, and options are few. I know Silas will never tell O’Donnell Cody was the one who gave me this bracelet, or any information about what it does. I can’t have his mother’s blood on my hands.

  Nodding solemnly, he leaves me to do whatever he needs to do on the rooftop, and I flop on my bed dress and all, and fall into a restless sleep. When exhaustion finally takes me under, I know I’m dreamwalking.

  In this dream I’m pushing a little girl and boy gathered close together on a tire swing. Both children have dark hair like my own, and sparkling emerald green eyes.

  “Higher mommy higher,” the little girl squeals as her twin brother bounces on the tire tightly gripping the ropes.

  In the distance, I see Cody and Maddie running after a boy slightly older than the twins with a head full of curly blonde hair and turquoise blue eyes. His face is full of mischief as he clutches whatever he took from them in his small hand.