“We saw your pictures in the newspaper Andie,” Melinda answered, but before the brunette could go on, Andie snapped her eyes in her direction.
“Oh Melinda!” Andie said, her eyes pooling with concern. “I never made it to the party! What happened? Did you get strippers? I am so sorry.”
“Andie,” Melinda said flatly. “Shut up.” She smiled brightly, reassuringly. “None of this is your fault, you know. And to answer your question; No, I didn’t get strippers. Like I would get strippers without you. You are one of my bridesmaids. I can’t get strippers without you, so you’re just going to have to get better so I can get strippers.” Her brown eyes sparkled, letting Andie know she was teasing a bit.
“How are you, though, Andie?” Carey asked, her blue eyes seeping into Andie’s. “When we saw those pictures, we didn’t… We weren’t sure what to think. You looked so…”
“Dead,” Melinda said, the usual deadpan laced in her tone temporarily disabled, at least for now.
“So then what happened?” Andie asked, trying desperately to remember what had happened to her. She only remembered Jack as the Black Wing, cold, blue eyes, and a loud bang. Then, she stabbed Burr through the heart with an arrow. Then, nothing. Beyond that, the best thing she could do was guess, and right now, Andie was in no mood to do so.
“Black Wing,” Carey explained with an admiring smile.
Before Carey could finish, a nurse entered, thoroughly reading a clipboard that no doubt had Andie’s medical portfolio clipped to it. When she looked up, she cleared her throat, catching everyone’s attention. “All right,” she announced in a stern but understanding voice. “Miss Shepherd has indeed woken up and that is absolutely an excellent sign, but there is still a couple of tests I need to run on her now that she is up, so I must ask you all to leave until I call you back in.”
It took a few minutes, but sooner rather than later, all of Andie’s friends disappeared out the door, promising they would be just outside if she needed them. But that wasn’t what was bothering her, exactly.
Where was Jack?
“What tests do you need to run on me?” Andie asked, trying to shake the worried feeling off of her chest. Did something happen to him after she fell unconscious? Was he okay?
“Oh,” the nurse said, brushing off the serious connotations of the question with a wave of her hand. “I don’t. I just thought you would like some time alone to digest everything.”
Andie snuggled back into her bed, contemplating what the nurse had said. She ignored the woman as the nurse changed her IV and checked her vitals, preferring to try and remember what had happened. Not with her, exactly, but what had happened to Jack that caused him not to be there with her at present. If she needed anyone at the moment, it was undoubtedly him. Nobody else would understand what she had been through. Nobody else would get it.
“Excuse me,” Andie called after she swallowed a couple of times in order to moisten her throat. It didn’t do very good. “May I have a glass of water?”
“Of course,” the nurse said, and went to the sink where a jug of ice water was currently resting. Quickly and skillfully, the nurse poured her patient a glass of the cold liquid into a white paper cup and handed it to her.
When Andie’s fingers securely coiled around the cup, she downed the contents of it before smiling, completely refreshed. “Thank you,” she murmured. She furrowed her brow slightly, tilting her head to the side. Maybe the nurse would know where Jack is. Maybe he had called the hospital and had left a message for Andie, assuring her that he would be there soon… If he wasn’t in some other wing of the hospital, recovering himself. “Um… may I ask you a question?” Andie quickly asked, noticing that the nurse was nearly out the door.
The nurse paused and turned, looking at Andie expectantly. “Yes,” the nurse said, nodding once.
“Do you happen to know where my boyfriend is?” she asked. Even as the words slipped out of her mouth, she knew how ridiculous they sounded. But it didn’t matter. She needed to know where Jack was, to know that he was all right.
Surprisingly, the nurse didn’t answer. Instead, she smiled, and then pointed to a pocket of the room Andie couldn’t quite see from her position. There sat Jack, in an obviously uncomfortable position. He had a couple of scrapes and scratches on his face, but nothing too serious. His eyes were closed and his shoulders were hunched due to the angle of the chair, but he was there, sleeping. He had been there the whole time. He hadn’t left her, and he wasn’t hurt. He was okay.
And even now, he was the most beautiful thing to wake up to.
Andie turned back to the nurse, in order to thank her for her help, but the nurse had already disappeared.
Finally, Andie and Jack were alone. The only problem was that he was asleep.
She smirked at that. That could be fixed.
Once she saw Jack, it didn’t necessarily matter to Andie that she probably should have been staying in her bed, relaxing her mind and resting her muscles. But seeing Jack sitting there, so adorably cute, she couldn’t resist at least attempting to get out of her bed in order to walk over to him and bury herself in his warm embrace. It was tricky, to say the least, and took more out of her than she had realized, but she pushed herself on, throwing her legs over the bed and forcing herself into a standing position. Even completely able-bodied, Andie had never been the most graceful person to walk the planet, but because she was already woozy and the fact that her muscles were currently screaming at her in rage, she had to grab the bed in order to steady herself. When she felt comfortable enough, she turned and started heading in Jack’s direction.
Jack wasn’t fully expecting to be woken up quite yet, and by Andie no less, but he wasn’t complaining. Somehow, Andie had managed to leave her bed and ended up in his lap.
“You’re okay,” he murmured tiredly, his jade green eyes dulled with sleep. However, it was quite clear just how happy he was to see her all right and conscious.
“I’m not sure okay is the right word,” Andie corrected softly, “but I’m awake and moving, though I probably shouldn’t be.”
Jack wrapped his arms securely around Andie’s lower back, wary to make sure not to apply too much pressure lest he hurt her more than she already was. “No, you shouldn’t be moving,” Jack agreed, cocking his head to the side. Suddenly, his face contorted into something that resembled regret. “Andie, I am so sorry. For everything. I had no idea that something like this could ever happen to you, and I feel like it’s all my fault.”
“Well, it’s not,” Andie told him firmly. “And I’m all right, and so are you, and that’s all that matters. I’m here now, and I’m not going anywhere.” She smiled at him. “Just so you know.”
Jack smiled, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “You know,” he said quietly, as though he wasn’t sure he should be mentioning this, but decided to anyway, “people actually think that I did this to you because, apparently, I’m an angry person.” He tried to shrug nonchalantly, but couldn’t make the effort due to the fact that people could actually think he would harm what was most precious to him.
“Yeah, well,” Andie said, lowering her voice an octave. She leaned forward so her lips gently caressed his ear. “It’s your anger that turns me on.”
That caused Jack to chuckle and smile genuinely. His grip on Andie tightened, and he buried his head into her shoulder, thanking God that she was back and that she was okay.
“Goodness, Miss Shepherd!” a familiar voice exclaimed. It would appear the nurse had forgotten something and returned for it at that moment. “Get into bed! You should be resting! I know the two of you are young, but really! Can’t you keep your hands off of each other for two seconds?”
Andie chuckled as she slipped out of Jack’s grasp in order to walk back to the bed.
Jack watched her, completely enamored with her.
No, he thought in response to the nurse’s inquiries. Not if I can help it.
38
Reese couldn’t h
ear anything over the sound of the blood rushing through her body. It was oddly soothing and helped regulate her heartbeat. However, every nerve in her body was heightened. If someone touched her, she would shatter. From the rearview mirror, she saw her bow and arrow, and that calmed her down a bit. Her fingers twitched, as though they were ready to hold it in her hand again. It made her feel safe. Strong. In control.
Ever since her family died, she felt as though she had control over nothing. So why fight life, why live life, when going with the flow was so much easier? She didn’t have to be responsible for her choices or where her life was headed or what type of person she was going to be. How could she stress about that when she was alone now? Why would she actively try and feel all that life had to offer her when she wasn’t ready to feel at all?
And then Ollo saved her. Gave her a reason to live. Gave her a reason to want to live. He refused to give up on her and pushed her to be the type of girl who did not want to continue sitting around moping for an indeterminate amount of time. He frustrated her to the point where she wanted to rip her skin off to get him out from underneath it. But he made her a better person. He made her be the person she wanted to be.
And now some bitch had him to get to her? Absolutely not. Not on her watch. Ollo never gave up on her and she refused to do the same. She would do whatever it took to get him back in her arms. To get him safe.
When she pulled into her old gated community, her heart stopped beating for just a second. Of course Daphne would be here. To what was left of her house. Daphne had burned it down with Reese’s mother, father, and brother still inside. She had murdered Reese’s family, and now had Ollo here.
The man at the gate–a new employee Reese didn’t recognize–barely looked up from sports pages of The Onyx Tribune. If she had still lived here, she would have been annoyed. As it was, his carelessness actually worked in her favor. Unlike her mother who had lied professionally, Reese had always been bad at it.
When she pulled up to the remains of her house, she couldn’t move from her seat. Not right away. She hadn’t been back since she first discovered the wreckage. Reese didn’t know what to expect, but it certainly wasn’t this: the community was already building over it. The old place was already forgotten, a new one being constructed to take its place. Who would remember her family had lived there, had died there? Who would care?
She felt her blood boil at the sight, even though she knew the community had no choice but to move on. Couldn’t they leave a marker though, some kind of indicator that a good family had lived and died there? It was too soon.
It was too soon.
Reese took a deep breath and counted to ten. She wasn’t here to check on the community and how they were handling the death of her family. She came for Ollo. And a part of her, she realized, came for vengeance. She needed to focus.
“Daphne,” she called as she emerged from the car. She kept her bow in her right hand as she slid her sack of arrows across her torso. “I’m here.” She didn’t particularly care one way or the other if she was seen or heard. She needed to finish this and then she’d be done.
The neighborhood was still as a grave and just as tense. Reese didn’t feel the weight of it anymore. Blood was flowing through her now. If Daphne thought luring her here, to this place, would throw her off her game, she had another thing coming. She was ready to fight. She was ready to finally end this.
The sky was black as pitch, but the stars provided just enough light to cast shadows. Reese saw it as though it was daytime. It was like everything she had been training for, everything she had been working towards was leading up to this very moment. She could feel it in her very bones.
Her eyes scanned the horizon until she noticed a thin veil of smoke just behind the construction. Her nose twitched at the strong scent of incense. For whatever reason, her lips coiled into a smirk and her fingers tightened their hold on her bow. Her stride was determined, confident; if she was walking down the hall at Onyx High, people might say she had swagger. It didn’t make sense, but it felt good.
Just as she curved around the frame of the house, she readied her brow, nocked an arrow, and pulled the string back. Her whole body tensed, prepared. She had no idea what to expect from this woman, and she wanted to be ready.
And then she saw it. There, in the middle of the backyard, was Ollo, completely surrounded by flames.
“Welcome to the party, Reese,” Daphne sing-songed from behind her.
Upon hearing her name, Ollo’s head snapped up so he could lock eyes with Reese. He was scared. And then it her – he was afraid of fire. No wonder Daphne had such an effect on him; when he was with her, he was dancing with fire, walking on a tightrope. The exhilaration of being with a woman who controlled his fear was probably addicting in an unhealthy was. Idly, she wondered if Ollo provided the same feeling for Daphne.
“Come prepared this time, have you?” Daphne asked, quirking a brow.
She never looked more beautiful, standing there clad in a champagne colored dress, her dark hair curled and whipping behind her, her skin aglow from the fire. Her eyes jumped and danced, turning gold from the flames. The skirts of her dress were pulled back from the wind–she embodied the nymph she really was–beautiful, scary, commanding.
Reese didn’t even flinch. She continued to hold her bow steady; if she wanted to kill Daphne, all she needed to do was to release the string.
“You want to kill me now, but you won’t.” Daphne smiled at this, triumphant, as though she won something.
“What makes you think I won’t?” Reese asked, her tone hard but not loud.
“You’re not that type of girl.” Daphne’s smile only deepened, and the wind stopped. Her hair dropped to her shoulders, and the only sound that was heard was the snap and cackle of the fire. “You have a pure heart, Reese Lespoir. It’s probably why I hate you so much.”
“The feeling’s mutual,” Reese assured her. “I didn’t come here to waste my breath on you. I came for Ollo.”
“Ollo is not yours to come for,” Daphne snapped, and Reese saw cracks of ugliness start to seep into Daphne’s flawlessness.
“He didn’t tell you?” Now it was Reese’s turn to smirk. “I’ve come for him more than a few times.”
Daphne narrowed her eyes and she didn’t bother to hide it. “You lie.”
Reese shrugged. “I don’t care if you believe me,” she said, “but it’s starting to get annoying when you tell me what kind of girl you think I am instead of just taking my word for it.” She paused only to blow a stray strand of hair out of her face. “Now. What do you want with me?”
Daphne looked amused at the question. “What makes you think this has anything to do with you?”
“Everything. You called me, Daphne. You wanted me here, and I’m trying to figure out why.” She pushed her brows up. “Well, you got what you wanted. I’m standing here in front of you. The floor is yours.”
Daphne clenched her jaw, her eyes turning dark with frustration. She wanted the power, she wanted to be in control, yet here was Reese, standing at just over five feet, ordering Daphne around as though she had orchestrated their meeting in the first place. Apparently, Daphne didn’t like to be told what to do. Which was perfect for Reese, because she was so good at telling people what to do.
“You stupid slut,” she spat out. “Ollo is mine. He may have had his fun with you, but he is mine. I brought you here so he could tell you himself. He doesn’t want to be with you. He loves me.”
“You have him surrounded by fire,” Reese pointed out. The muscles between her shoulder blades started to pinch, but she ignored it. “He’ll lie.”
“That’s not true.”
Reese’s head snapped to Ollo, and her posture wavered. It was the first time she doubted herself tonight. Even facing down Satan himself in order to rescue Andie, her faith in herself did not falter. Now, if Ollo –
“Let me clarify,” he croaked over the flames. His voice sounded raw, hoarse. She was cer
tain he had been surrounded by the fire for at least fifteen minutes. “I am not yours, Daphne. I never have been. I never will be. Secondly, Reese is not a slut. She is the last person I know who would ever be a slut, but if she wanted to be a slut, I respect her choice. Finally, I don’t love you. I love her.” Somehow, by some miracle, her eyes found those brown-blue eyes through the spitting flames. “I love you, darl. You had me from the moment I laid eyes on you. I’m yours.”
An animalistic shriek pierced the silence, ripping Reese’s eyes away from Ollo and placing them on Daphne once again. In that moment, the nymph was ugly and awful and terrible.
“Then you’ll burn.”
Ollo–that stupid, idiotic, stubborn, beautiful man–shrugged. He shrugged. “I’ll burn, then,” he said, his voice low. He looked at her all the same. Reese didn’t want to look away, but she had to.
“And you’re going to watch,” Daphne snarled. She looked more beast than beauty, wicked and jealous. “And then, I’m going to kill you, but I’m going to prolong your death. I’ll torture you until you beg, until I go mad and cannot stop laughing. You’ll curse your mother for birthing you. You’ll hate Apollo for loving you. If he won’t be with me, he won’t be with anyone. Certainly not you.” Her nose crinkled at the thought.
“Actually, here is what’s going to happen,” Reese said, tightening her muscles and lining up the arrow so it pointed directly at the nymph’s heart. “You’re going to put out your flames. You’re going to let Ollo and I leave in peace, and you’re never going to bother us again.”
Daphne started to laugh. No. Not laugh. Cackle. It sounded like thunder.
“Over my dead body,” she said as she focused back on Reese.
“I can arrange that,” Reese said, cocking her head and closing her left eye.
The statement made Daphne cackle even harder. “You won’t kill me.” She said it as though it was fact. “You’re not that type of girl.”
Sacrifice: Book 3 of The Dark Paradise Trilogy Page 27