Forgotten Curse (Curse Trilogy)

by C. M. Owens

  “I do. I think I just made some others realize I’m right.”

  I walk out to the furious face of Leon.

  “You can’t tell a suspect you’ll release them. You’re out of line. He’s guilty of blood fucking a girl without permission until she says otherwise. I’ve already contacted Captain Hawkins.”

  “Good. You saved me a phone call,” I snarl, and then I walk back into the other viewing box.

  “So you know it’s a major felony to file a false blood rape report?” Brazen says.

  “What are you accusing me of?” she barks, and I smile at the anger he has been able to provoke.

  “Nothing. I have to inform you of these things while filling out the paperwork. It’s protocol.”

  “No it’s not. You just fill out your statement, and then they arrest the man who took advantage. Then you walk out, and he goes to jail.”

  “I think I know better than you about what’s protocol,” he says to play along.

  “Apparently you don’t. I’ve fucking done this before, and I’ve never been asked these questions.”

  “I see. You poor girl. This sort of thing is rare. I hate you’ve had to endure it more than once,” and his eyes look for mine through the glass.

  I’m already typing on my phone - working on his silent request.

  “What are you doing?” Leon asks.

  “I’m looking up Melinda Hanbrook to see how many times she’s been blood raped.”

  I finally find her file, and I see the seventeen cases with her name tagged as the victim. I shake my head in disgusted disbelief, and then Nicholas walks in.

  “What’s going on? I thought this was an open and shut case of blood rape.”

  “Sir, Ms. Crush is showing leniency on the hybrid by blaming our full blood victim.”

  Nicholas’s eyes widen, and he tilts his head in confusion.

  “Araya? Is this true?”

  “Yes it is. I don’t prosecute innocent people when I have proof the other party is guilty. She’s a serial falsifier. She has been involved in seventeen cases of blood rape in which all the men were hybrid, all the attacks were jugular, and the locations were always suspicious. No one stopped to listen to the hybrids, but I’m not going to let him go to prison for something he didn’t do. You can fire me if you want to.”

  Nicholas’s eyes burn toward the lying wench behind the glass. For so long she has been the Jezebel pretending to be the Mother Mary, and until she rolled into my interrogation room, no one caught on.

  “Leon, you forgot to give me all the facts it seems,” Nicholas growls, his glower forcing Leon to look away. Then he turns to me. “Start from the beginning.”

  “The hybrid boy is new to his change - his eyes are still adjusting. She’s a seasoned full blood claiming he forced himself on her, and he bled her from the throat. He’s terrified, and she’s pissed. She has a record of attacks, as I mentioned, and she’s not the least bit intimidated by Brazen. If you send in a hybrid male, she’ll show her attraction, and she’ll sell herself out. I’m going to go release the terrified boy who looks to be close to the same age as your daughter. He doesn’t have a dad looking out for him,” I snap, and Nicholas takes a deep breath.

  “I’m not going to fire you for releasing an innocent man. I thought you knew me better than that. I fully agree with you,” he murmurs, and Brazen steps back into the room to join me at my side.

  “She’s definitely guilty,” he utters in disgust. “She’s so used to everyone believing her that she doesn’t even try to sound convincing anymore.”

  “You don’t know that,” Leon scoffs.

  “I’ve been a detective for a damn long time. She’s lying. You’re welcome to prove me wrong. Get a hybrid male and see how she reacts.”

  I laugh a little, and Nicholas lets a smile free.

  “What’d I say?” Brazen asks innocently.

  “Nothing. Go with me to let our real innocent victim free.”

  He smirks, and then Nicholas glares at Leon very disapprovingly before turning his gaze back to me.

  “I’ll call for a hybrid male, and I’ll make sure she goes to jail for this.”

  “I’ve already sent an email to the commander of the United to have her seventeen victims set free,” I add, and Brazen’s eyes show absolute shock and disgust.

  “No one bothered to question her? She’s the worst liar I’ve ever seen.”

  I look directly at Leon while muttering, “Not everyone cares enough to listen to the truth.”

  I hand the documents with my signature to the officer by the door with instructions and release papers for our innocent male suspect. Brazen follows me over to the interrogation room where the newbie is an absolute wreck.

  “Do you really believe me?” he cries as soon as we enter, and it’s all I can do to fight my own tears for his pain.

  “Yes. You’re being released, but I don’t want you to go back into the visitor’s section due to the publicity this has received,” I murmur softly, and his arms wrap around me as he sobs out his relief and appreciation.

  “I promise I’ll leave tonight, and you’ll never see me again,” he whimpers.

  “No. It’s late, and the lands can be dangerous at night when you’re by yourself. You can stay with me. I happen to have a very comfortable couch, and you’ll be safe there.”

  “You would do that… for me?” he asks in disbelief. “After what she accused me of?”

  “You’re innocent. Had you done it, I would be locking you up instead of offering you sanctuary. You have no reason to feel ashamed, but people are cruel. That’s why I’m bringing you in with me. The officers will need you to give a statement about the whole incident as it truly happened, and then they’ll escort you to my place. I’ve already filed the paperwork.”

  “Thank you so much,” he cries more, and I smile lightly. “I’m Grayson Morris,” he continues.

  “I know your name, but it’s nice to meet you, Grayson. I’m Araya Crush, and this is Brazen Mordel.”

  Brazen gives him a cordial smile while shaking his hand, but I see a twinkle of worry in his eyes. I don’t want to question it in front of Grayson though.

  “I’ll see you later,” I murmur sweetly, and he sits down with the weight of the world sliding free from his shoulders.

  “Thank you so much, Araya.”

  Brazen takes my hand, and we walk out to head back up. His distracted mind baffles me, and the concern on his face is all too pronounced.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing,” he murmurs gingerly while kissing the back of my hand. “I think I’ll stay with you tonight though. I know he’s innocent, but I wasn’t prepared for you to offer him a place in your home. I don’t trust anyone enough to leave them alone with you - innocent or not.”

  I laugh a little while nudging him, and he smirks curiously at my humorous outburst.

  “I can make myself invincible, shatter houses, and he’s a newbie without a fraction of my strength. I can handle myself and you know it. You just want to sleep with me,” I tease.

  He laughs this time, and then he twirls me around to face him. His lips almost brush mine when he lifts me into the air. His arms hold me at my waist while he walks, and my feet dangle while I hold onto his neck and stare into those sexy pale eyes.

  “I planned on sleeping on the floor. You’re the one who mentioned sleeping together,” he sizzles out.

  Oh fuck.

  “You don’t have to stay with me. I’m a grown, badass girl with some seriously unmatched skills. Some of which not even you have seen,” I seduce, and his eyes narrow while his devious grin emerges.

  “Is that a challenge? I’m starting to think you’re trying to seduce me. Mission accomplished,” he murmurs with his Brazen lips, and then his mouth covers mine.

  I revel in the delicious kiss for a fraction of a second too long, and then I feel his hand sliding under the back part of my skirt just as my feet hit the ground in the hall just outside m
y apartment. His delectable, daring, and fuck-worthy tongue plays with mine, and his erection begins grinding into me as I begin undoing his belt.

  I slide my hand down the front of his pants to feel the piece of his body I haven’t fully appreciated in far too long, and his desperate desire becomes all the more vicious when he rips my underwear off.

  “We can fuck here, or in your place,” he murmurs against my lips, and I feel like a bowling ball has just rolled down to slam into my quivering area.

  “My place.”

  The steel behind me gives way when he breaks the knob off the locked door. He grips my ass as he jerks me up, and the head of his erection almost skims my sex before my sanity comes crashing back.

  “Fuck. Stop,” I blare. “I can’t do this yet.”

  His tongue explores my mouth more fervently to ruin my attempts to speak again, and he gets even closer to thrusting inside me when I use my gift to pull him off. He slams against the far wall, and disappointment cloaks his face.

  “You want me.”

  “Yes I do, but I want closure first. I can’t do this to you knowing how I feel about Hale. You deserve more.”

  “I just want you, Araya. Damn it. Why can’t you see that?” he growls. “He’s never going to love you the way I do. Why can’t that be closure enough?”

  My heart breaks again upon hearing the brutal truth from someone else’s lips. I know Hale doesn’t love me, he told me so himself, but it hurts so fucking much to fully embrace the truth. Hearing Brazen force me to acknowledge it aloud… it’s almost too much.

  I look down, reality’s cruelty dragging my eyes away from the pale blues, and then I shake my head.

  “Because it’s not enough. I’ve got too much history with him to be left with a cliffhanger ending. It’s just too fucked up as it is. You are too important to me for me to put you through this without knowing if I can really be yours.”

  I release him from my grip, and he cracks his neck from side to side before walking over to me with a lesser seductive air.

  “I’m not giving up, and you get closer to falling for me by the minute. You’ll be mine again, and I’m never giving you up once you are.”

  I look up into his eyes while his right hand cups my face, and I shake my head while huffing out a breath of frustration.

  “You’re impossible,” I grumble.

  “I’m in love. There’s a difference,” he jokes, and I just roll my eyes while walking over to the kitchen to grab a glass of whiskey.

  “Make that two, and make mine a double,” he mumbles while walking with stiff posture.

  I stifle my laughter, and he rolls his eyes this time.

  “You think it’s funny to see me teased and tormented?” he chuckles out.

  “You haven’t ever seen me tease,” I smolder out, and he swallows hard against the whiskey in his throat.

  “Damn you,” he gripes, and I let a small smirk escape.

  He’s suddenly flying backwards again, and his eyes widen when he slams into the kitchen wall while I stalk toward him. He narrows his eyes at me, and I grin all the more deviously as his pants are opened by my telekinesis.

  “I’m sorry. I wasn’t teased. Please don’t torture me,” he snickers out, and I drop to my knees right in front of him to almost put my mouth over his erection.

  My breath heats the head of it, and I just linger there - almost touching, but just not. The moisture of my breath dampening him sends his eyes rolling around in purgatory. He groans at the sheer torture he only thought he knew. My tongue lightly swirls around it, and then I let my lips trail up his stomach while using my gift to slowly unbutton his shirt ahead of my ascent.

  “Fuck,” he breathes out through a strained huff.

  I smirk while dragging out the wet trail, and then I very slowly draw back while undoing my own shirt.

  “Please fuck me,” he almost begs, and I let my wry grin cock up more before revealing my sexy lace bra.

  “No. Now you’ve been thoroughly teased, and you have something to complain about. I’m hybrid. This is how I really am. You don’t know me, Brazen. I’m not the conservative, gentle, soft creature you loved for two years. I never was,” I murmur guiltily, and then I release him once again from my hold.

  “I know,” he softly counters. “I’m sorry you felt like you had to hide from me. Araya, I love you without sex. I have to admit, I’m thrilled to know this is how you really are. I want you back.”

  I shake my head, and my eyes leave his. I glance out the window to see sparks flying, and I know that sight. Fuck.

  “Brazen, they’re shooting,” I panic, and he glances over before darting out the door.

  “Fuck,” he growls on his way out, and I rush over to the window to unlock it from its hinges.

  I strap my gun and clips to my side, and then I check the ground below to make sure no one is under me. I leap over the side, and I land on my feet to break my heels off. The useless shoes are kicked off as I sprint toward the shots I can hear now that I’m not in the soundproof apartment.

  I see Grayson lying on the ground as some of the officers fire into the armed crowds.

  “What the fuck?” I blare.

  Grayson is bleeding out, and the bullets rip through my clothes as I step in front of him to shield him from the raining showers. I start firing back at the visitors who apparently don’t give a damn about the law here, and several fall after my uranium packed bullets impact. They start bleeding profusely, but they’re still alive.

  “We were trying to release him, and they rioted when they found out he hadn’t been charged,” a man yells over the firing chaos.

  “Who the fuck sent him out here? He was supposed to come to my place,” I growl, and then I shoot at two more who are charging us.

  The officers begin bringing up their reinforced shields to block the frenzied crowd trying to break through their human barrier. The rattling sound of bullets pelting against them grow louder as they increase their rounds. Everyone on their side is packing apparently.

  “Answer me,” I bark to the man cowering behind the line of shields.

  “Lieutenant Mash, Ma’am,” he trembles out, and my eyes blaze over with fury threatening to seep out in the form of the fucking apocalypse - or the second apocalypse.

  Leon. That full blooded son of a bitch.

  “How bad are you hit?” I ask Grayson who seems so terrified.

  I kneel down to inspect his most prominent wound, and I shake my head at his blood loss staining the ground beneath him.

  “Bad. They got me… a bunch… be… before… the officers could catch up. I told them I… you… that I… wasn’t supposed-”

  “I’ll get you out of here, I promise,” I say while interrupting his labored words, and then I turn to the officer beside me with his armed vest on. “You came prepared I see,” I hiss while motioning to his vest.

  “It’s protocol when releasing a suspect, ma’am,” he panics, his eyes taking notice of my very pissed off state.

  “Go find him some blood now,” I command, and he rushes off to do as I’ve ordered.

  Several men break through the barricade, but they’re gunned down before they reach me. I look over to see Brazen jumping down from the rooftop, and he fires more into the crowd.

  “Sorry,” he yells. “Couldn’t find where I packed my damn guns.”

  I almost smile until I see a man starting to fire. He nicks Brazen’s arm, and blood pours from the wound.

  You fucking idiot. Do you not know who I am?

  My anger surges as Brazen whips around to dodge the next few bullets, and more men break through the barricade. If anything happens to him right now, I’ll lose it. I’ll go savage and rip this place to shreds… starting with Leon. Hale’s not here to bring me down right now.

  “Fuck this,” I bark, and suddenly all their guns fly through the air to slam into the wall behind them.

  The shattered pieces fall like metallic snowflakes to the ground, and the bloody ma
ssacre is brought to a halt when I sling them all backwards using my gift.

  “I’ve had about e-fucking-nough,” I blare. “This boy was declared innocent by the captain of this compound. You are out of line and in direct violation of the agreements to abide by the law you signed upon entering. You could all be hanged for this bullshit.”

  “Hang us, hybrid bitch,” a full blood snarks, and then a fight breaks out amongst the traveling hybrids and full bloods upon that remark.

  Fucking shit.

  I fling two men across the yard, and then I feel a hail of bullets stabbing into me from the fucking guns I apparently missed. Brazen begins firing immediately as my blood drips, and men collapse to their knees as the sound of babies crying rattles in my ears.

  Then I see Nicholas unconscious and bleeding profusely on the ground next to the wall. My eyes widen, and I leap into the bloodthirsty masses to try to get to him. Several more piercing shards of pain stab through me, and Brazen is left alone to take care of Grayson.

  “Nicholas,” I panic, but his eyes barely open in response.

  “Araya. Get the kids out of here,” he murmurs while pointing to a group of terrified children huddling in a hidden corner.

  “Fuck,” I mumble to my self, and I turn back to face the ridiculous battle raging on for no other reason that fool’s dumb sense.

  I start to fling my hands, but a shocking stab of pain shoots through me as the electricity surges into my body. I scream out as the terrors of my haunted past come back to life, and the man’s eyes grow wide when my pupils dilate.

  One of our men rushes over and jerks the cable from my body before the next wave of currents can strike.

  “Big fucking mistake,” I eerily release toward my attacker.

  He stumbles backwards before I sling him across the wall, and I hear the bones shattering under my raging force. Brazen’s eyes widen, and he darts toward me, leaving Grayson unattended. He throws a vial through the air, and I catch it to see it’s olophine.

  He’s prepared. Why?

  I quickly inject myself to kill the raging savage inside before it fully takes over, and then I feel another strike from behind as a girl’s uranium dripped blade stabs me in the back. I fall to the ground, but before I can react, she’s incinerated in front of my eyes. I gasp as her body falls to ashes, and then I look over to see the dilated pupils of Grayson as he stands to his feet with blood oozing from his gaping wounds.