I sighed, rested my elbows on my knees and held my forehead in my hands. Part of me wanted to follow him into his room and beg him to hold me, but I knew I shouldn't. I should probably go and apologise to him though right? I mean he was only being thoughtful by coming in to make sure I was ok.
I let out a loud groan.
Who was I kidding? I was just making excuses to see him, I didn't need to apologise to him, he wouldn't give a shit, we always insulted and yelled at each other. Plus the energy it would take me to move that far when I was in this state was just unthinkable. Then again, the comfort of being held in his arms and feeling safe would be worth the pain and I really needed to feel safe right now. I should have taken my chance when he had been in here, but I had pushed him away like I had wanted to. Maybe I could just push him away later, but I really did need him right now.
Knowing it had been days since I had showered I went to the bathroom and had a quick wash rather than braving the spray of the shower against my cuts again. I then pulled on some jogging bottoms and a too big t-shirt before taking slow steps towards my door.
Maybe I should back out, maybe he didn't want to see me, he might just slam the door in my face. I lifted my hand and placed it on the door handle as I stood there hesitating. Taking a deep breath I turned the handle and slipped out into the deserted hallway. I took slow steps towards his door, every step sent agony shooting through my body and I tried to convince myself that I could do this, but when I reached the halfway point between our doors I stopped mid-step when I heard a click as the handle on his door was turned.
My heart soared in my chest as I thought that maybe he had been planning on coming back to see me. The moment I saw who it was though, my heart plummeted and crash landed in the pit of my stomach as it shattered into millions of pieces. How had my stupid heart become so involved in my feelings for Lucian?
Elizabeth closed the door behind her before looking towards me with a frown on her face. I shouldn't have really been surprised, but I couldn't stop the heartache as I got a painful reminder to the fact that none of the kisses with Lucian had never meant anything and he was only protecting me due to the promise. The truth had always been there in my mind, but I had started to hope that maybe I was wrong and he did actually care about me. Clearly I had been wrong and whatever we had never had been anything despite the words he had used earlier.
"Taylor, shouldn't you be resting?" Elizabeth asked sounding unsure.
I swallowed and gave her a tight smile, my lips felt alien to me. "I just needed to stretch my legs." I croaked out.
She looked at the elevator at the other end of the hall where I clearly hadn't been heading then looked at Lucian's door. Since it was the only door in this direction she put two and two together and asked.
"Oh, were you coming to see Lucian?"
"Nope." I squeaked in a voice that didn’t sound anything like my own. "I'll talk to you later."
I turned around quickly and walked down the hall, past my bedroom door, all I needed was for Elizabeth to tell Lucian and have him come back to my room now.
"Taylor, wait." Elizabeth called, but I walked straight into the elevator and pressed the down button.
I was grateful when the doors closed before she could reach me, I had to get outside, I needed some fresh air because I couldn't breath. Everything felt as if it was closing in around me. My heart was being squeezed in my chest painfully and my previously pain ridden body was starting to feel numb.
When the doors opened I headed through the lobby and to the front doors only to be stopped by the security guards.
"Let me out." I gasped when they didn't look like they were about to budge.
"It's dark out to start and you don't have any weapons." One stated.
"I'm not going far, I just need some air, I can't breathe."
They looked at each other seeming to hesitate before the other one said. "Ok, but stay within our sight."
I nodded absently not taking any notice of him as they unlocked and opened the doors. The minute they were open though all rational thoughts left my mind. I just needed to get out of there, I needed to get as far away from Lucian as I could. Those were the two things I was thinking when I ran out of those doors, across the street and into the first alleyway with no weapons, bare feet, painful injuries and starving after not having eaten in days. The guards didn't even have a chance to stop me before they realised what I was doing.
Chapter 17
It had been one whole week since I had run away from the hotel that day. I had run for as long as my legs had allowed me to before I had started searching for a place to stay. Having had no weapons and being weak I had been grateful that I had, had no encounters with zombies. The search hadn't gone on long until I had come across a shop basement with shelves full of cans and bottles of water. Jumping at the chance to have something to eat and drink I had gone inside and barricaded the door shut and I was still there.
The only way I had been able to tell that time was passing had been through the small window at the very top of one of the walls near the ceiling. My injuries were a lot better with all of the rest I had gotten and eating properly hadn't been a bad thing either. I already missed the showers and clean clothes from the hotel. Whereas I had sometimes gone weeks without being able to wash properly or change clothes before the hotel, it had only been a week at the moment and I already felt filthy.
I missed my weapons and the safety too, every single night I woke up after a nightmare similar to the one I had, had that night. Afterwards I lay awake jumping at every single sound and automatically looking for my sword, but of course it was nowhere in this room. I knew that I couldn't stay in this little room forever, but I wasn't sure I could build up the guts to leave when I had no way to defend myself.
Having nothing to do was a huge reason that I had to get out of this place because it meant that all I would do was sit around and think and all I could think about was Lucian. I thought about how much I wanted him to hold me, how much I wanted him to kiss me and how much I even wanted to just argue with him. Having him in my nightmares some nights with Eric hadn't stopped my heart from having feelings for him, it still wanted him and there wasn't anything I could do to discourage it.
Everyday I wondered if he was still looking for me or if he had simply given up thinking I had been eaten by zombies. Maybe he had decided that there wouldn't be a lot of chance of my survival with the state I had been in when I had left especially with no weapons. I hoped that he hadn't blamed the guards for letting me out and I hoped that the people were still being trained to fight zombies and I hoped that the soldiers hadn't come for them.
That thought plagued my mind for the next two days, what if the soldiers had come for them? They had seemed pretty set on getting rid of them because they were getting too strong. With the girls I had bought back with me it had just made the group bigger so that would make them even more of a threat right?
I was going to have to suck it up and face Lucian there was no way I could sit here in my safe little hidey hole when there was a possibility that they were having some kind of mini war. Admittedly I wouldn't have been much use when I had first come here, but the worst of the pain had died down now and I would be able to fight. Staying here now when they might be in danger just so that I wouldn't have to face Lucian would just be selfish. I had to get back, if I could find my way back that was and I really had to find some shoes because it wasn't easy to run in bare feet.
I slept another night on the uncomfortable concrete floor until my own screams woke me up when it was nearing sunset. I was glad that it had been one that Lucian hadn't shown up in, but it didn't make the things Eric did to me any more bearable and it still left shooting pains running through my body until my heavy breathing became normal again and I realised I was in the real world.
I ate a tin of food and then I drank deeply from a bottle of water until it was empty before grabbing another one to take with me. After double and triple checking t
hat there was nothing around that I could use for a weapon against zombies I started to take away the barricading from the door.
I opened the door and climbed the stairs up out of the basement and onto the shop floor. When I was sure that there was no one in the room I headed to the front door and scanned the surrounding area before leaving the shop.
I kept an eye out for any kind of weapon as I walked, but mostly it was trash. When I was still unsure of where I was an hour later I found a building with a ladder on the side and climbed up to the roof to get a better view. The exertion of climbing the ladder had my body aching again and the bars hurt my bare feet, but it was bearable so I ignored it and made it to the top before catching my breath. At least it wasn't a hot day, which would have just exhausted my body quickly. In fact it was actually quite cold, looking up at the sky I noticed how black it was, it looked like it was about to rain. but as of yet there had been none.
After looking around I realised that I had been walking in the wrong direction, I probably could have almost reached the hotel by now if I had thought to check from the roof first rather than guess. Instead of taking the risk of wasting more time and heading the wrong way again I stayed on the roofs. There was less chance of finding any weapons up here, but at least I would know that I was heading in the right direction.
I made my way towards the hotel at a steady jog so that I could get to the hotel faster than walking, but it also wouldn't deplete my energy as fast as a sprint would. Not that I could even accomplish a sprint with my sore feet at the moment anyway. I took several breaks on the way to rest my feet and have a drink of my water. Since there was no sun out I couldn't really be sure how long it had taken me to reach the roof two buildings over from the hotel. I swallowed down the rest of my water and threw the empty bottle down into the alley just before I heard raised voices.
It wasn't possible for me to make out what they were saying from here so I made my way across the remaining roofs. I stopped before I reached the edge and got down onto my stomach to shuffle forwards and peek over the edge. The scene laid out below me consisted of Lucian and Bethany facing a group of soldiers who were standing in front of one of their trucks holding guns on them.
I couldn't hear every word they spoke, but from what I could gather they told them that there couldn't be so many people in one place and Lucian was telling them where they could stick it. That was when it got down to the threats from the soldiers, they were going to kill everyone if they didn't break the group up and Lucian was getting super pissed.
That was when Eric walked round the corner of the truck, it was the first time I had seen him in person since the torture and I automatically cringed at the sight of him.
I wasn't the only one that reacted to his presence either, Lucian actually let out some kind of growl and launched himself towards him. Bethany yelled for him to stop, but it was already too late. One of the soldiers was unfortunately prepared though and before anyone could do anything he lifted his gun and shot Lucian.
I involuntarily yelled out his name and shot to my feet, it took a second before the sound reached everyone's ears, but by then it was too late for me to get out of sight. My eyes were still focused on Lucian as a mixture of relief, pain and anger crossed his face while he clutched his shoulder where blood was seeping out from between his fingers slowly.
"Oh, it's so nice of you to join us." Eric shouted with an evil grin. "Why don't you come down here so we can speak properly babe?"
I just levelled a glare at him and Lucian yelled. "Don't come down Mckenzie, stay there."
Eric lifted his gun and aimed it at Lucian. "Get down here or he gets shot again."
I groaned really wishing I had my weapons before shouting. "Fine, I'm coming down."
I turned around to find the ladder to the ground, but instead of coming face to face with an empty roof I came face to face with a zombie mid dive. It was too late to dodge it so he collided with me making a shriek of shock escape from my throat before he had me pinned down on the roof with my shoulders, neck and head hanging over the edge.
"Shoot it!" Lucian growled.
"Sorry, might hit her, can't have that now can we? I'm sure she can deal with it." Eric said carelessly.
Sure, if I had a weapon I could deal with it no problem, but in the position I was at the moment with nothing to kill it with it wasn't looking so good for me. The only way I was getting out of this was through sheer strength born from the desire I had to live.
His mouth descended on me and I shoved at his shoulders trying to keep his teeth away, but my arms were already shaking with the force against them as the zombie tried to eat my face. I lifted my legs up between us and with the combined strength from legs and arms I shoved the zombie off of me and tried to get to my feet as quickly as I could thinking I would stand more of a chance that way, but the zombie was standing up just as quickly as I was and already had its hands wrapped around my neck to hold me in place.
Rather than attempt to find a weapon to kill him I shoved him to the side over the edge of the roof. Gravity of course pulled him down immediately. The zombie lost it's hold on my neck, but before I could step back he grabbed my foot and pulled me over the edge of the building with him. I screamed and only just managed to catch myself meaning that the zombie wasn't going anywhere either. Kicking my feet out prevented the zombie from taking a bite out of my leg, but I wasn't any closer to getting to safety since there was no way I could possibly pull the both of us up and my grip on the edge was starting to loosen just to make things worse.
"Let go!" I yelled in frustration as if that would really make him release his hold.
I knew there was nothing I could do, but with any luck the fall wouldn't kill me, the building wasn't too high at least so maybe I could make it with just a few scrapes and bruises and probably some broken bones.
When the tips of my fingers finally slid from the edge of the roof I heard Lucian and Bethany yelling at Eric and the soldiers to shoot, but clearly they were unsuccessful in convincing them and now I was falling. It was the fastest route I had ever taken to get to the ground floor of a building and upon landing I reminded myself that it wouldn't be a route I'd be taking again anytime soon.
I was alive, so that was a relief at least and as I lifted my head with a groan I realised that the zombie had broken my fall. Slowly I sat up letting out a few winces at the movements. Who knew that gravity could be such a bitch? At a noise from the zombie beneath me I scrambled off of him planning to find something to kill him with. When I got to my feet though I realised that my ankle had suffered from the fall as I cried out in pain and it gave way making me fall back down.
The zombie was of course unaffected by the fall and already on his feet when I glanced back. I was just in time to see a bullet enter his skull after hearing a gun shot and him falling to the ground. My head shot round towards the end of the alley to see Eric standing there with that same grin that I hated so much.
"Come on Babe, stop wasting time."
Before I could try to pull away from him he grabbed me by the elbow and yanked me to my feet. My ankle throbbed again making me wince and lose my footing, Eric just tugged on my arm not even slowing down as I limped after him.
When we reached the edge of the clearing he shoved me forwards, with my newly acquired injury I didn't stand much of a chance at staying upright, which was why I fell to the ground as my already swollen ankle refused to support me. I ground my teeth together to hold back the cry refusing to show any sign of weakness.
It was only seconds before Eric grabbed my by the arm and pulled me back to my feet until my back was pressed against his chest giving me a view of Lucian and Bethany who were being restrained. Lucian looked a little pale which I put down to the blood loss and he looked like he was about to erupt with anger. Bethany looked like she wanted to kill someone and the soldiers holding them appeared to be bored.
"Wow, you stink babe." Eric said as he pressed his nose against my neck making me fli
nch.
"I can get rid of that with a bit of water, but nothing will ever wash away the shit that you are." I snarled.
"You better start being nicer to me, since you're coming with me and all." He growled.
"I'm not going anywhere with you." I hissed trying to pull away from him, but he was holding me tightly.
"I'm afraid you are babe." He said tugging me towards the back of the truck.
"No, I'm not." I shouted starting to panic, I couldn't survive it again.
The fear spread through my whole body as I started to freak out and pulled against him harder. The things in my dreams and the real memories flashed through my mind mixed together until I wasn't sure what he had actually done to me in that room and what was just my imagination. He was too strong though and I couldn't escape, my struggles were useless against him and he was going to take me back.
"No!" I screamed unable to stop tears from leaking down my cheeks and hating myself for showing such vulnerability.
I heard Lucian shout. "Now!"
I had no idea what he was talking about though and I didn't care enough to try and make sense of it. There were some gun shots and I thought I should probably focus on who was being shot, but I was shaking all over. The panic attack had me feeling mostly numb and I didn't even know that Eric had let go of me until a sudden slice of agony in my side and the pain from my ankle sent me to the ground.
Arms were around me again then and I flinched trying to pull away again, but I stopped immediately when Lucian spoke. "Shh, you're ok, it's me."
My energy switched from trying to get away to trying to get as close as possible within seconds as I clung to Lucian and begged him in between sobs. "Don't let him take me, please."
"I won't let him get you Tink, I promise." He whispered against my head.
It wasn't long before I forced myself to stop crying when I moved slightly in Lucian's arms and he let out a grunt of pain, which reminded me he had been shot. He had to get to the hospital wing more urgently than I had to cry so I reluctantly pulled away from him glancing at his shoulder and saying.
Demon Hotel (Zombie Apocalypse Series, Book 1) Page 21