Reclaimed

by Diane Alberts

  He shifted his weight to his other foot, and relieved to see he finally stood next in line. He sighed as the couple in front of him chatted nonsensically at the receptionist. He resisted the urge to knock their heads together and throw their motionless bodies to the side.

  When the couple finally moved toward the elevator, he quickly told the receptionist his concocted story of how his wife had come somewhere in England, and he knew she had to be in this town somewhere. He didn’t know what hotel she’d chosen, but wanted to surprise her since he’d come to England early.

  The other times this earned the appropriate oohs and ahhs of appreciation from the recipient of his story, but this time it merely got a stern look.

  “I’m sorry, but I can’t give out that information.”

  “Not even for her husband?”

  She shook her head. “Not even then.”

  “Okay, I’m sorry for bothering you.” Isaac smiled, walked around the corner, and closed his eyes. He created a gust of wind that blew the doors to the back employee entrance open. The startled receptionist rushed to investigate the bang of the doors, and Isaac ran to her computer.

  A few quick movements of his hands, and he yearned to shout in delight. She was here. She’d be safe now because he’d found her.

  Thank God.

  He heard the receptionist returning and went to the other side of the counter with a smile plastered on his face. When the confused receptionist returned, she jumped to see him standing there once more. “Sir, I told you—”

  “I got a hold of her! She’s here, Sabrina Hodges in room 215. So, I’m going to go up to her room now.”

  She perked up. “Oh how nice!” She pursed her lips and shook her head. “Oh, she must be the crying lady,” she informed him.

  The sheer intensity of the happiness washing over him made his legs feel weak enough to collapse on the floor in relief. He laughed hysterically and forced a calming breath when the receptionist looked at him warily, like she worried he might be a little mad. He smiled at the receptionist, resisting the urge to pull her into his arms and kiss her.

  “Yes, she thought I’d been delayed. She’ll be quite happy to see me, I assure you.”

  The receptionist smiled. “Elevator is to your left, when you get off on the second floor, take a right, and a quick left.”

  “Thank you, ma’am.”

  “Would you like the spare key?” she asked.

  “Yes, that would be wonderful.”

  The receptionist beamed at him, clearly happy in her role as co-conspirator, and handed him the plastic key. “She’s popular, your wife is. A girlfriend of hers stopped by an hour ago as well.”

  He got halfway to the elevator before her words registered in his brain, and he stopped dead in his tracks. His blood ran cold, and his heart clenched in his chest.

  He slowly turned. “A friend?”

  “Yes, a pretty girl, about your age. Perhaps you know her as well?”

  He wasted no more time or effort on the receptionist and bolted to the staircase. His legs were faster than any elevator could be.

  “The elevator’s quicker, sir,” called the desk clerk from behind him, confused.

  He arrived at her doorway in seconds, but the sinking dread in his heart told him she’d already be gone.

  Or lying on the floor completely drained of blood.

  He threw open the door and searched for any signs of Sabrina. The covers were wrinkled where someone had once lain, but the bed lay empty. He recognized her unopened overnight bag on the chair by the window. A pillow lay to the floor, and the bedside lamp had gotten tipped over. Of Sabrina, there was no sign. He growled in his throat and turned around. He ran out of the hotel room and through the lobby, not caring if anyone saw his mad dash.

  The time for appearances had ended. He needed to find Sabrina before he was too late.

  He didn’t stop to search for Elijah—he couldn’t afford the delay. Every minute wasted added to the minutes Sabrina would be scared, hurt, tortured, or even killed.

  He ran faster than ever before, pausing for nothing. He could barely even see where he ran, his speed too fast to concentrate on anything. But that was okay, for he knew where he needed to go. Normally he would at least attempt to calm his raging emotions, to lower the risk of any unwanted injury or damage from the storm he had unleashed.

  But not tonight.

  Tonight, he welcomed the damage he caused. Tonight, he embraced the danger with open arms, relished the sound of trees crashing to the ground. Let the storms take down the whole country of England and everyone in her. He didn’t give a damn, as long as he could save Sabrina.

  Every step he took, he saw her cry out in pain as Louisa broke her arm, broke her fingers, and broke her neck. He roared and amazingly, his speed increased. A cracking sound met his ears as a tree broke and collapsed to the ground in front of him. He hurdled it effortlessly and continued on.

  Nothing would stop him.

  ***

  Sabrina lay upon the bed sleeping when she heard the light knock on the door.

  “Housekeeping, please open the door.”

  “I don’t need room service. Go away,” she mumbled sleepily. She rolled over and tried to go back to sleep. Sleeping helped her forget what she’d done. Sleep was necessary for her sanity.

  Another knock sounded, and it was more insistent. She heard the shuffling of the cart the maids always pushed through the hallway and glared at the door.

  “Housekeeping, ma’am.”

  “Can you please leave? I don’t want to be disturbed.” She sought and found the stupid sign on the door where it hung on the inside doorknob, and she cursed.

  “Housekeeping,” the voice repeated.

  She gave an annoyed sigh and glowered at the ceiling. It was nighttime. Why would there be someone knocking on her door at this hour? Maybe they did things differently in England. To be honest, she didn’t care; she just wanted to be left alone to wallow in her misery. She might as well let the bothersome maid in, and maybe she would leave.

  Swinging her feet out from under the blankets, she rolled lazily out of bed. The pillow fell off the bed, and she stared at it for a moment.

  Let the maid earn her salary. She can pick it up.

  Shaking her head at the laziness of such an action, she nevertheless walked to the door, leaving the pillow where it lay. Not pausing to look at the maddening maid, she unlocked the bolt, turned the knob, and swung it open.

  “Come in.” She stomped back to the bed in a huff. Her hands were braced on the bed to climb in when the maid spoke.

  “Thank you, Sabrina. You made it even easier than I thought it would be.”

  She froze in horror, and a chill ran down her spine. She knew the voice behind her all too well—and she didn’t want to hear it when alone in a hotel room.

  And she’d just invited her in.

  Idiot.

  “Surprised, I see? Well, I don’t know why. You didn’t actually think your pathetic plan to leave Isaac would save you, or him, did you?”

  She growled in a paltry imitation of Isaac and stepped toward Louisa. “You leave him alone! He’s done nothing to you. He never did anything to deserve what you did to him. He was innocent in all this. He still is.”

  Louisa laughed, lounging comfortably against the closed door. She looked so calm, so relaxed. So normal. But looks were deceiving more often than not, and Louisa couldn’t be farther from normal. She’d come with one purpose and one purpose only: to kill her.

  It chilled her.

  “Oh, Sabrina. You’re so funny. It will truly pain me to hurt you.” She grabbed her heart, a pained expression on her face.

  Sabrina stiffened. “How about you don’t? I’m leaving. Elijah’s staying. Even Isaac is staying. Why do you feel the need to do this?”

  Her mind raced as she attempted to stall her enemy. She knew Louisa to be a formidable opponent, impossible to beat. But, she wouldn’t let the bitch kill her while she begged fo
r her life.

  Hell no.

  She’d done this to herself. Stupidly, she now knew, she’d flown the relative safety of her home and ran straight into the waiting arms of her enemy.

  Now, she’d die.

  “They won’t let you leave, you know. You’re stupid to even think your plan would have worked. Isaac won’t stand by while you leave him. Neither will Elijah. Even if he can’t have you, he won’t let you leave. You’re his one and only love. It’s disgusting.” She glared at Sabrina in spite and continued. “I don’t know what it is you do to cause this unwavering devotion. You must be incredible between the sheets. You certainly aren’t much to look at.”

  Fury overcame her, and she forgot her fear. She glared and spat, “Go to hell.”

  Louisa laughed. “Maybe someday, but first I will personally see you get there.”

  The small talk obviously over, Louisa stalked toward her. Sabrina forced herself to cower until she reached the foot of the bed. Sabrina knocked the lamp off the bedside table, plunging the room into darkness. She launched herself over the bed to land on the other side. She ran for the door as fast as she could, and felt the cool brass knob under her hand before Louisa threw her backward through the air. Painfully, her head slammed on the floor and the wind whooshed out of her lungs, leaving her gasping for air. She attempted to roll to her feet, but the heel pressing down on her throat halted her.

  Louisa smirked down at her. “Nice try, Sabrina. Impressive, even. You’ll be so much more fun than that weakling Amelia. I bet you won’t even faint from the pain.” She spoke with a far-off look on her face, as if she thought of the torture to come.

  Sabrina clawed at Louisa’s foot, desperately trying to free herself. The world turned black, and still she fought until her hands fell to the floor beside her head, and she fought no more.

  Chapter Twenty

  Louisa picked up her useless bundle and snuck back outside. Once there, she didn’t pause until she’d reached the clearing. And when she and her unconscious guest arrived, there had been no time to waste in setting the scene.

  A glance up poured rain down on Louisa’s raised face. The clouds covered the sky so densely that not even the moonlight could be seen. The only light illuminating the forest surrounding them were the intermittent flashes from lightning strikes. The resulting effect was gloomy and shattering. Sabrina watched her as she approached and crouched down beside her.

  Louisa laughed, mocking her. “This is too much fun, Sabrina. I can’t wait for the show.”

  Sabrina locked her jaw and refused to look at her. It hurt like hell to talk through her bruised throat, and she didn’t feel the desire to amuse Louisa. Stuck on the ground like a sacrificial animal waiting to be slaughtered, she knew she would soon die. She only wished she didn’t have to break Isaac’s heart in the process. Losing her would kill him.

  Louisa hissed and slapped her. “Look at me.”

  Though her cheek stung from the force of the blow, she still refused to look at Louisa. She stared into the moonless sky, allowing Isaac’s storm to wash over her. It gave an odd source of comfort, as if he were there by her side, holding her hand.

  The excruciating pain in Sabrina’s legs cleared her head, leaving her unwillingly aware of every detail. When they had arrived in the clearing, the storm raging above knocked down a nearby tree. Unfortunately for Sabrina, it had given Louisa the wonderful idea to put the tree on top of Sabrina—better drama, she had said. Sabrina had fought, to no avail. It seemed impossible to win against Louisa’s inhuman strength.

  Not a big tree by any means, it still proved heavy enough to effectively render her motionless. So, she’d gotten pinned down to helplessly await her death as her tormentor mocked her. But she’d be damned if she gave her the satisfaction of seeing her cower in fear. Even if it did paralyze her with its force.

  Apparently Louisa had suffered enough of Sabrina’s silence, for she cursed and in a fit of anger, reached forward to grab her arm threateningly. Sabrina tensed, but managed to glower in stubborn silence. Louisa flicked her wrist, and a snapping sound met Sabrina’s ears. Pain shot up her arm, from her wrist to her shoulder, and she felt the arm drop, useless. Sabrina flexed a finger, testing it, and clamped her jaw tight to stop herself from crying out from the pain.

  Jesus, that hurts like hell.

  Pain—remembered pain from her dream the other night—coursed through her. In a way, it helped her get through this. She knew what to expect, and just how bad it would be.

  God help her.

  She stiffened and bit her lip, but managed to keep her silence. Louisa growled at her unresponsive victim and twisted the tortured arm under an agonizing squeeze until finally, Sabrina cried out. Tears rolled down her cheeks, and blood ran from the spot she had bitten to keep her cries silent.

  “Not so tough now with a broken arm, are you?” she taunted.

  “You’re…nothing more…than a bully. Like a teenager ripping wings off of butterflies for fun,” Sabrina managed to get the words out in a steady voice.

  Louisa hissed and tightened her fist one last time before jumping to her feet. She leaned over and stroked Sabrina’s cheek. “Stay here, doll. It’s showtime.” She laughed, and stepped on Sabrina’s broken arm as she walked away to hide in the forest.

  ***

  Isaac paused short of the clearing to assess the situation. He could sense Louisa had been here, and probably still hid somewhere. He strained to catch Sabrina’s presence: her perfume, her shampoo, anything.

  There! A hint of lavender. His nostrils flared as he latched onto her signature scent. Heart pounding, he approached the clearing.

  She was here.

  As necessary as he knew his caution to be, it still hurt to go so slowly when he knew she was out there, hurt or…dead.

  No, he would know if it she were dead. He would feel the absence deep inside him. She had to be alive, and he needed to save her. And when he finished rescuing her, he would kiss her senseless and wring her little neck for putting him through this torture.

  He peered into the clearing from the cover of the trees, all senses finely attuned for any sign of ambush. The rain came down so heavily and the wind whipped so severely he couldn’t see anything. Aggravated at yet another setback, he forced himself to take a deep breath and concentrate on reining in his emotions. Slowly, the wind died down, and the rain dissipated.

  He couldn’t see anyone in the clearing, neither Louisa nor Sabrina. He began to doubt his intuition, thinking he’d been wrong, when through the silence of the night, he heard a soft sob. Pausing, he cocked his head toward the noise. It had sounded like a tiny whimper, as if someone were trying to remain silent in fear of discovery. But it couldn’t be Sabrina. Why wouldn’t she want him to find her, rescue her?

  To save him.

  She probably tried to make him leave, the little fool. She would kill herself to keep him safe. Didn’t she know he had no life worth saving if she died?

  It was too damn dark. He closed his eyes and concentrated. It took a lot of energy from him, but a long, bright flash of lightning struck. When it did, Isaac opened his eyes to scan the clearing. Only a fallen tree lay in the clearing. Perhaps one last lightning bolt, mostly to be sure the cry had been a figment of his imagination.

  Then he saw her.

  His heart stopped dead.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  God, everything looked so dark. She could hear her breathing, erratic and uncontrollable. Each breath took an immense amount of effort, sounding unbelievably loud in her ears, easily drowning out the sound of the storm raging above her. She wanted to cry out, to yell out her despair to the forest that surrounded her, but instead bit her lip until she tasted blood.

  Her arm hurt like hell, and the excruciating pain in her legs kept her way too alert for her liking. They were almost numb at this point, which she supposed couldn’t be a good thing. Not like it mattered anyway.

  Soon she would be dead.

  The sound o
f her gasping breaths was interrupted every once in a while by a sob escaping her lips, but she tried not to cry. She couldn’t let them find her. They didn’t need to witness this again.

  But her hopes were dashed when his face appeared over hers, ghostly white against the black night. His voice washed over her like a healing balm, and some small part of her hoped he could save her, but the larger, and louder, part wanted him to leave.

  Now.

  “S-Sabrina,” he whispered. His blue eyes met hers, and she saw his eyes were bright with unshed tears. “Oh, God, what have I done?” he cried.

  The anguish on his face hurt her so much she tried to reach out to touch him, only to gasp as she got reminded, all too painfully, that her arm had been broken. Isaac gazed at her arms, and her face, with tears in his eyes.

  “I’m so sorry, Sabrina.”

  “Not…your…fault,” she managed to force out through her swollen throat.

  His gaze fly to her neck, and he blanched at her bruised skin. “What else is hurt?” he asked urgently.

  “My…arm…” she muttered between her clenched teeth. “But Louisa—”

  As she spoke, he cursed and probed her broken arm. She gasped in pain, and he withdrew his touch.

  “I’m going to take the tree off of you, and get you out of here. I’m sorry, this is going to hurt….”

  Pain laced through his voice, and his eyes apologized for the agony he needed to cause. She looked at him, ready to assure him she didn’t give a damn, and cried out instead. Louisa smiled at her over his shoulder as she raised the rock and knocked him over the head. Isaac went down without a fight. He hadn’t even seen Louisa coming since he had been so worried about her.

  “You bitch,” Sabrina snarled, finding strength in her fury. “I swear to God I am going to kill you.”

  Louisa laughed and slung Isaac over her shoulder. “I’m certain you’d love to do just that, darling.”