My instincts screamed at me for attention, twisting my stomach until my fight or flight reaction was in full force. I took a calming breath and reassured myself that I was on edge because of the months of worry over protecting Evie. I forced my worry aside. It was worth dealing with something a little off for the things I wanted to give Evie.
He spoke again. “You said on the phone that you have extensive martial arts experience?”
I nodded. “I’ve trained in a variety of disciplines for practically my whole life.”
Walking a semi-circle around where I was standing, and refusing to look at me, he continued, “And weaponry?”
I resisted the urge to sigh, but my voice may have belied my irritation when I answered him. “Let me make this easy for you. I can guarantee I have sufficient training to be able to tackle any issues you might have at this establishment.”
The man turned back toward me and loosened his tie. “All of your family would have, I presume?”
Frowning at the mention of the word family, I stepped to the side and assessed him better. It was still hard to see his face as he remained mostly obscured by the shadows. There was something more than that though. It was almost as if his features were somehow smudged. Like he wasn’t fully formed.
Would you like some balls to go with that wild emotion?
He was taller than me, but almost rail thin. If he became a threat, I was certain I could take him down. “I don’t see what family has to do with what goes on here.”
He laughed but it sounded odd, devoid of all mirth. His quiet chuckle was dry and scratchy, like fall leaves crackling under heavy footfalls.
Something’s wrong.
It wasn’t just paranoia. I was certain of it. Every instinct within me was on edge, screaming at me to leave. It was impossible to ignore it a moment more.
Get back to Evie. Now.
“Actually, I don’t think this is the right place for me after all,” I said as I reached to place my hand on the gun.
“Nonsense. A smart boy like you will do well here.”
I backed up to the door and confirmed it was still locked. “Unlock the door and let me out.”
“I would. However, we are still discussing your future, or perhaps the lack thereof.”
Wrapping my fingers around the hilt of my gun, I pulled it from the holster. “Unlock the door and let me out,” I growled again, letting him know with my raised gun that I wasn’t in any mood for bullshit and games.
“Well, this is a little unexpected.” Rob raised his hands in surrender as he laughed again, the same dry, crackling laugh of pinecones pressed into a roaring fire. “Then again, perhaps not.” He took a step backward and disappeared. Not just into the darkness, but completely into thin air.
There were very few creatures that could disappear at whim, and only a handful of them smart enough to orchestrate the little charade I’d been tricked into being a part of.
Only one of those would taunt their intended victim with the promise of better things.
Fucking fairies!
I wanted to scream with frustration at the waste of my time. It was easy to imagine that somewhere nearby a whole court of fae were having a good laugh at the expense of the fool. They would soon learn they’d picked the wrong human to mess with though. The possible reasons for the trickery teased at my mind. One thing leaped to the forefront of my thoughts.
Could that fucker have been the one Evie was with?
The uninvited thought flittered through me and made instant sense, which spiked my jealousy. Being with Evie was addictive; I knew that better than anyone. Maybe he’d never gotten over her. I’d never be able to. Her touch was branded on my skin and her image scorched into my heart.
He had to have been almost Dad’s age, maybe even older considering how relatively slow the fae aging process was, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t the one who’d held Evie each night and offered her companionship.
Nausea rolled through me. Had he been there for her after I abandoned her? Had he been the one who wrapped her up in his damned arms and whispered promises that were meaningless because of their source? Had he made oaths and filled her with false hope?
Was the trickery an attempt to win her back? Damned fae tricksters who didn’t know when to back the hell off.
If that was what he wanted though, he’d be in for a fight. I wouldn’t give Evie up lightly, especially not to such a wicked, vile creature. It hadn’t been an easy decision the first time I’d left her, and I wasn’t sure I could make it again. At least, not without a damned good reason—like her pushing me away.
Even that couldn’t have stopped me.
If she did that, I’d find some way to be close to her and keep her safe, even if I couldn’t be with her. She was a part of me. Her love raced through my veins, keeping me alive and marking me as hers. She was in every breath I took and in every beat of my heart.
Disregarding the locked door behind me, I held my gun steady in case the fucker in the suit—whose name was almost certainly not Rob—reappeared, before heading farther into the darkness to find another exit.
I passed through three rooms without finding a single one of the filthy and grime-coated windows that didn’t have bars on the outside. The other three metal doors I came across were all locked.
I wasted close to half an hour trying to find an escape. Sirens blared outside as three emergency vehicles rushed past the building and a tug at my chest told me that I needed to get out.
I need to get to Evie. Now!
Racing farther into the building, I tried to find a rear exit—anything to help me get out. I couldn’t explain the ache I felt, but I knew I needed to find Evie. I would feel better when she was in my arms and had proven my panic was unwarranted.
It had been close to two hours since I’d held her, and my heart screamed at me to return to her. After another ten minutes of searching, I finally found a single window in the back of the building with no bars to block my exit. After checking around me for any sign of the fae bastard, I holstered my gun and climbed carefully through the window. It was a tight squeeze, but I made it through.
The instant I was free from the building, my feet pounded the pavement in the direction of home. Every ounce of my strength and determination carried me back to her. It took less than ten minutes to run what had taken more than twenty to walk. By the time I was a block away, my instincts were on high alert.
My feet moved faster as I saw the horrid sight in front of me. Dense plumes of black smoke poured out of our building. Something was wrong.
“I have to get through!” I shouted madly at the people milling around, trying to get a peek at the day’s entertainment. I pushed and shoved, using my elbows, shoulders, knees—anything I had to—in order to barge my way through the intermittent throngs of bystanders.
I reached the containment line set by the police and firemen in time to see a gurney being loaded into the back of an ambulance. At first, my blood was like ice. Fire was a bad sign if Evie was involved. Then the sight of the blonde hair on the girl on the stretcher gave me an instant burst of relief. I would have felt guilty about my elation over it being someone else, but I was too happy to see that it wasn’t Evie being taken from the building.
Moments later, as I glanced at the gurney once more, my relief sank into desperation. The sickening pull in my stomach that had been drawing me to this spot had nothing to do with the fae, possibly little to do with Evie even, and everything to do with my twin sister, Louise.
What’s she doing here?
Almost as soon as the thought crossed my mind, it was followed by another, much more desperate one.
Where’s Evie?
“I need to get in there.” I rushed to the front of the containment line.
The flames.
Louise.
My hands shook as my heart lodged firmly into my throat.
A hand came to rest on my shoulder. “No, Son, you need to come with us.”
I c
losed my eyes in resignation and the agony in my chest grew at the sound of my father’s voice.
They’ve found us.
CHAPTER FIVE
DRAWING IN A deep breath, I considered my best options. It would be easier to follow Dad’s instructions and leave with him. My number one priority was finding out whether Evie was still alive, and the quickest way to get that knowledge was through my father. If she wasn’t dead yet, maybe I could argue for her life.
What can I say to convince them to spare Evie?
I already knew the answer. They would keep her alive for one reason and one reason only—to take her to Hell and pass her to the Assessors for their sick experiments. Memories of the things I’d endured at their hand, of the fucked-up things I’d seen them do, crossed my mind. For a brief second, I almost hoped she was dead—better that than the alternative—but the thought made my heart twist and ache deep in my chest.
Is there any way I can make them see she’s not the enemy?
I was about to turn around to agree to go with him when paramedics carried a second gurney from the burning building.
Unmoving, loosely swaddled in a fire blanket, and draped with a clean white sheet, was my reason for being. The colors in her hair burst into life as the sun kissed the top of her head, making it appear that the fire had been carried outside with her body. The sight was enough to spur me into action. I needed to know whether she was going to be all right. The fire that had filled the apartment, sending thick smoke billowing into the air, was as dangerous to Evie as it was to anyone else in the area.
If she’d been caught inside when it started . . .
My breath caught in my throat.
She has to be okay.
Shaking off Dad’s hand, I pushed past everyone. The small crowds gathering disappeared in front of me as I focused on her prostrate body. Her frail appearance, unconscious and draped with a white sheet, was all I could focus on as I rushed to her.
“Excuse me!”
The EMTs loading Evie into the back of the van stopped at my exclamation.
“Will she be okay?” I couldn’t help the concern and stress that tightened my vocal cords and made my request sound more like a demand.
After looking at his partner, one of the EMTs turned to me. “Are you her next of kin?”
I nodded. “I’m her fiancé.”
It was the first relationship that popped into my head, and I was certain the EMTs wouldn’t talk to me if I was anything less.
“She wasn’t wearing a ring,” the other EMT murmured.
Shit! I shook my head. “No, she wasn’t. I can’t afford it yet. But I gave her a chain. My chain. It’s got my name on the back. I’m Clay.” I was panicking that they might take her away. If they did, I might never see her again. It would be so easy for my father, for any of the Rain, to intercept the ambulance and direct it anywhere but the hospital.
The only positive was that neither of the paramedics had Rain sympathizer pins on their uniforms. I hoped it meant they were at least genuinely concerned about getting her to a hospital.
The EMT who’d said Evie wasn’t wearing a ring nodded to confirm that she had been wearing a chain.
“Can you please take me with you? I couldn’t bear it if anything—” My concern for her choked off my thought as my eyes trailed over Evie’s unconscious figure. She already had tubes running across her face, providing her with oxygen, and an IV in her arm. Anger over what had happened to her burned through me, even though I didn’t know all the details.
Yet.
I pressed my hand against my mouth to stop myself from letting loose the string of profanities that threatened to burst loose.
She’s going to be okay. She has to be. She just has to.
“I’m sorry, we can’t allow that.”
“Please?” I begged, desperate to stay with her. The only way to ensure she wasn’t intercepted was to be at her side until her final destination. I couldn’t allow her to disappear from my life forever. More than that, I wouldn’t allow her to fall into the hands of Assessors.
“I’m sorry,” he said again as he walked away.
My only choice was to keep arguing, delaying Evie’s arrival at the hospital, or to trust the EMTs. Neither option seemed ideal, but I stepped back and watched on helplessly while they loaded Evie into the ambulance. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw Dad climb into the other ambulance, the one that held Lou. I had no idea how he’d managed to talk his way into it, but the fact that he had didn’t bother me as much as the fact I couldn’t do the same.
Eth stood near the police line staring at me with open contempt, but I just ignored him. After Evie was secured in the ambulance, the doors closed. Unable to do anything more, I stood and watched as they drove away with the most precious cargo I could imagine.
Turning away from the sight, I stalked over to my scowling brother. Tears burned at my eyes, but I fought them off. I wouldn’t fall apart until I was certain she was safe. The quickest way to do that was to get in a car that wasn’t stolen—something that wouldn’t attract any unwanted attention. I hated that I had to throw away my pride and ask for my brother’s help, but for Evie, I would tear the world apart.
“Where’s the car?” I demanded.
“Why? So you can follow the freak?”
My fingers clenched at my sides. “Either you tell me where the car is or you drive me to the fucking hospital.”
“Do you even care that our sister—your twin for God’s sake—was just loaded into an ambulance as well?”
“I couldn’t give a flying fuck. Right now, I couldn’t give a shit if all of you were in one. You brought this on yourselves by following me here. Why couldn’t you just leave us alone?”
He growled. “We’re just here to make sure she doesn’t hurt you.”
“Hurt me?” I scoffed as my voice rose. “Hurt me? You are un-fucking-believable.” I stormed by him, determined to find my own way to follow the ambulance, but he followed behind me.
“Where are you going?” he asked as he jogged to keep up with my stride.
“Isn’t it obvious?” I snapped.
“Not really. The car’s this way.” He nodded his head in the other direction.
I slowed, but didn’t come to a complete stop. “I thought you weren’t going to help?”
“I never said I wasn’t going to help, just that I was only here to make sure she doesn’t—”
Spinning on the spot, I grabbed the collar of his shirt and cut him off. “She is not going to hurt me, understand? She would never hurt me.” I shoved him away. “She’s had weeks to try. Most of that time we’ve been completely alone.” An almost-smile crossed my mouth as I thought about our time together, the way she had lit up my life in ways I’d never imagined possible, but it fell into a scowl seconds later at the thought of her in the back of that ambulance. What if I’m too late? “The only thing that can hurt me right now is losing her, Eth.”
His mouth twisted as if he’d swallowed something foul as he nodded. “I’ll drive you. I’ll even get Dad to back off for the moment, but this is far from over.”
In the end, it was a good thing Eth drove. My worry for Evie left me unable to concentrate on anything else. A few times, Eth tried to talk to me, but I barely heard a word he said. The only thing I understood was my own guilt taunting me, running on a constant loop through my mind. I’d put her in that hospital bed by allowing myself to be with her again. If I hadn’t gone to meet her at the Hawthorne Hotel in Salem, she probably would have escaped that night never to be heard from again.
Or she might have been killed in the raid that went down.
In spite of the terrible morning, and the fact that her life now hung in the balance, I couldn’t imagine a situation where I hadn’t at least tried to be with her after knowing she wanted to find me.
The feel of her body, the sound of her laugh, all of those things that I had barely experienced before, were alive and well in my memory now because of the time we
’d spent together. Pinpricks behind my eyes threatened tears once more, but I couldn’t let Eth see my weakness. I had to be strong and fight for Evie—fight for both of us.
Maybe I could make them see that she wouldn’t hurt anyone. Maybe they would understand the truth about what her death would do to me.
Yeah, right.
By the time we reached the hospital, I was desperate to be at Evie’s side again. I needed to see her, to hold her, and to know she would be okay despite the condition she’d been in when I’d last seen her.
Eth pulled up in front of the hospital and handed me a phone when I went to leave the car. “Take this.”
“Why?”
“Because you might’ve turned your back on us, you might have even betrayed us, but we’re still family. I thought you might want to find out more about Lou.”
“If I want to know anything, I’ll find out.”
“She’s not at this hospital.”
Eth’s words didn’t surprise me. I wouldn’t have expected Lou to be taken to a general hospital. The Rain had access to the top medical teams in the USA and plenty of private clinics in major city areas that were readily available to treat all manner of bites, scratches, wounds, and burns that would raise too many eyebrows in normal hospitals.
Probably the only thing that should have surprised me was that Evie hadn’t been intercepted and taken there too.
“Apparently she’s in bad shape.” He held out the phone to me again. On the screen was a message from Dad listing the address Lou had been taken to and the details of her care.
Reluctantly, I took it from him. Although my initial reaction to the news was that if Lou was hurt she deserved it for what she’d done, it didn’t take long for the reality to follow. She was only doing what she was instructed to.
Among the Debris (Son of Rain #2) Page 5