by Unknown
Body jerking I bolted upright suddenly. My hands latched around the wrists of those on my face trying to push him away, though I could hardly make my body respond.
The blackness was turning to red. My eyes were in a haze. I kept blinking to try to remove the ruby blur from my vision.
Damien’s hands took lightly to my shoulders. He held me steady and firm but always gentle. Of course we were not alone. I looked around to see everyone standing there watching. Groaning in aggravated annoyance, I always hated being the center of attention. When it was something embarrassing I loathed it.
Lara and Jezabell looked concerned or maybe horrified would be a better description. Fortunately I didn’t see Ryce looming nearby. Hendrick looked positively panicked. In fact I had never seen so much worry in his eyes. It made him look older.
Phoenix looked intrigued yet his features were incredibly stern. Was he worried, or angry? He stood as close as possible without crowding us. He eyed me closely.
“What happened? Where is she? Where’s Ryce?” Damien looked confused as he drew me closer. I saw red smears where I had been laying in his lap. They covered most the front of his shirt.
Raising a hand, I rubbed over my eyes to discover my face was covered in blood. Hell. “Where is he?” I demanded again looking around though it was still hard to see.
“He’s resting for tonight. Shifters heal faster when they sleep,” Damien’s voice was barely a whisper as he tried to sooth me.
“I saw her. I saw Neesa and Melody. They have them both. We have to go tonight. We can’t wait or they’ll come here. I gotta go. They’re gonna kill them. I gotta go. She needs me I can’t let them turn her,” I was rambling faster than I ever had before.
I tried to stand up but Damien held me down. “You’re not going anywhere. What happened, Anna? You saw who took Neesa?” His hands came up to wipe the blood from my eyes gently.
As if on cue Lara handed him a wet wash cloth. Damien took it to clean my face, but I pushed his hand away harshly as I tried to get up from the floor again. Hendrick’s hand clamped hard on my shoulder keeping me down. Owe.
“I saw everything.” My eyes clinched shut. As I did I saw the images flash through my mind again. I shuddered almost violently.
Looking up I realized Damien and Phoenix had picked up the violent thoughts, though not clearly. They didn’t get images very well or very often.
They mirrored what I felt. Anger. Raw, seething fury. A burning desperation to save those innocent girls and rip those responsible limb from limb. They felt it for themselves because it’s how I felt. “You see it now? Good! Help me!”
Turning to Damien I pleaded, rambling without another pause, “I saw what they did to her mother. I saw them attack Neesa and Ryce. And I saw where they took them, and there was another car. They had Melody, and she was unconscious, and they just threw her around. Both of them. Like they were nothing. I don’t even know if Melody could survive after hitting her head like that on the concrete.” Forgetting to breathe my voice grew high pitched and squeaky, cracking badly. Damien brushed his fingers over my mouth. I’d ran out of breath and my words had become silent but my mental rambling kept right on going like a broken record. Not mocking me in the slightest Damien mouthed the word breathe silently. Deep breath.
“Were you trying to do this? It didn’t look like you were focused at all on connecting to anyone.” I pushed his hand away from me as he tried to wipe the blood from my cheeks again.
“I don’t know it just sucked me in while I was talking to you guys about what to do, and then suddenly I just got dizzy, everything went black. Then I saw everything. This wasn’t the same as it was before. This was different… I think… I think somehow Neesa triggered it. Like she was calling to me for help. She asked me to save her. She begged me not to let them turn her,” now my voice cracked for an entirely different reason. “Would you all please quit staring at me?!” Snarling, I stood up so fast I nearly toppled. But I got away from the crowd.
Moving quickly away to stand across the room by the doors opened to the veranda, I started pacing. “They sent someone to watch the property. They’ll move soon. I heard them talking.”
“It could be a set up. It may not have been Neesa who triggered this at all. You saw what they did to me the first time. They forced me to leave that house under false pretenses then. They could be trying to do the same with you now,” Damien spoke from a few feet behind me.
“No. Not this time. It was Neesa. Don’t bother asking how I know, I just do. But this is a good thing. Whoever was sent to watch us was directed not to attack. Just to keep tabs and follow if anyone left. They will see me head back to Vermont. They’ll follow, and things will go better according to plan.” My hope sounded afraid.
Phoenix brushed past Damien. I heard a low growl behind me, and felt him move closer. Perhaps it was because Phoenix had fed from me more recently but it seemed we were more connected than Damien and I were.
He handed me a metal water bottle, one I favored. I hated the crystal goblets and fancy wine glasses. I broke them too often ,and they made me feel snobby. Of course he would know that.
“If they’re watching us then you can’t go hunt. Drink. You’ll feel better. Sides, it’s human.” My brows lift in mild surprise. It was rare he let me drink the human donor stuff. For weeks he’d been giving me some here and there to help build my tolerance. At first Phoenix had given it to me a few drops at a time mixed with bore blood. A few times when we’d already planned to spend the day together he’d given me more than a few pints. Nodding my thanks, I brought the bottle to my lips and drank it down. “Especially if we’re leaving tonight,” Phoenix finished.
Damien grumbled in a low growl. It pushed me right over the edge. The blood may have helped the trip.
Viciously I turned on Damien. Blood splashed down my lips as I jerked the bottle away too abruptly. “Don’t! He doesn’t need to keep saying it. There is nothing going on with him and me. He is my friend, and he’s shown that more than anyone else in this forsaken place! I don’t want to hear any more of your low growls or snarling over the fact that we’re bonded! You can drop the childish dirty looks! Get over it! You’re not warning him. You’re making me feel like you can’t trust me. Which is really pissing me off.”
Finishing the bottle quickly after that I handed it back to Phoenix. Everyone stared at me shocked into stone cold silence. Except Phoenix who stood there obviously feeling a bit awkward. “Oh don’t look at me like that! The rest of you already know. There’s no damned secrets in this House.” I grumbled irritably. “Self-riotous bastards. I’m going upstairs to get dressed and then I am leaving. I don’t care who comes with me anymore. I’m tired of that bitch killing me and my friends. It ends now.” I moved past them as swift as possible, not stopping until I was in Damien’s bedroom.
Stripping the torn and bloody black lacy long sleeve off quickly and the designer pants, too, I left them strewn across the floor where I walked. Step by step to the closet I shed layer after layer until there was nothing left to shed.
I chose the best jeans possible. They were soaked in my human blood. Damien knocked on the closet door. Ignoring him completely, I buttoned the jeans and grabbed a bra from the drawer of overly frilly lingerie, but it did the job.
As I pulled it up my shoulders, Damien clasped it behind me. Without a word, I tore through the racks, looking for anything that didn’t shimmer. It was a moment before I came to the plain shirts. Grabbing a black tank top I pulled it on over my head.
He said nothing as I fished out the black ankle socks and the French tennis shoes that probably cost more than a whole pay check from what I made at Riad’s. Kneeling down, my back still to him of course, I quickly slid them on and tied them double knotted.
As I stood to push past him, he took hold of my arm to stop me. “I don’t want to apologize to your back. You deserve better than that.” My brow arched curiously but I kept silent. He could read minds anyway. There was
no need to respond at all I figured.
“You’re right. About everything. As angry as it makes me about Phoenix being bonded to you it doesn’t matter. He’s there for you and has been when I have not. And I think that’s why I’m so bothered with it.” He laughed once, hard and dark.
Hand still on my arm, Damien looked to the floor. “I’m not used to dealing with emotions quite like this. I’ve spent most of my life alone as you know. And with the overwhelming love you have shown me, comes just as much jealousy it seems. I don’t know how to process it, so it’s hard for me to contain.”
That couldn’t have been easy to admit. I didn’t want to feel my anger melt away so easily. I wanted to be stronger. Of course I understood but I wasn’t in the mood for excuses. He seriously needed to adjust his attitude at this point, and I wouldn’t give in until he did.
“All right, then I won’t give you any more excuses. I swear that I will get rid of the attitude. I’m sorry, Lianna. It won’t happen again. I’m sorry for my behavior and I hope you can forgive me. I will do whatever it takes for you to forgive me.” Eventually.
“Fair enough I suppose. Will you at least do me the favor of letting me know when you do?” Maybe. He sighed. “Please say something?”
I nodded, gathering my thoughts quickly. “Just ask yourself this sometime. You have known Phoenix by far for much longer than I have. Would he hurt you in that way? Or better… Do you think he wanted this? When I came here he couldn’t stand me. He almost killed me if you remember. And then he wasn’t given a choice in the matter but to deal with me. Only for the fact he didn’t think I should be left alone when everyone else turned away from me.” Damien’s mouth dropped. I kept going.
“Don’t interrupt. Yeah, you had a reason. I get it. But next time instead of trying to bite his head off for being my friend, maybe you should thank him. Cause right now it feels like he’s the only one I’ve got.”
Pulling my arm from him, I walked from the closet to the bathroom. Grabbing my brush, I ran it through my hair viciously. Damien stood behind me in the doorway and waited for me in silence.
Flustered as I’d possibly ever been the brush got tangled in my hair. The embarrassment fueled my anger. If the brush would have come out I would have chucked it.
Without a word, Damien came up behind me. His hands covered mine gently, releasing my death grip from the handle. Our eyes caught in the mirror while he brushed the tangles out and skillfully pulled my hair into a pony tail.
He’d done this for me a few times before. Not because I was too upset to manage but simply because we both enjoyed it, silly as it might sound. It wasn’t enough to be called a smile but both of our mouths pulled up at the corners faintly, remembering.
With that we both knew the fight was over. Damien kissed the bare skin of my shoulder. We left the bedroom together side by side.
Walking through the hall, I stopped at Hendrick’s door and knocked three times hard before entering. “Ryce. Get up. We’re going to get Neesa.” My words were harsh, barking at him practically. Guess I could have meowed, but it wouldn’t have had the impact that his did.
He seemed dead to the world until I said Neesa’s name and then he was awake and standing in less than a second. Ryce had passed out on the floor. A pair of Hendrick’s jeans hung on his waist synched tight with a belt- thank God.
He followed right on our heels and because of his closeness, Phoenix was standing on the stairs before I could take another step. “Relax. He’s not stupid enough to try anything right now. I think everyone feels the murderous rage radiating from me. Right?” Ryce gave a shrug and a nod to confirm. Yes I was still infuriated. It just wasn’t directed at Damien or anyone else in this House. I had to be honest with myself. Damien had made me mad, yeah. But my real anger was for Demetrius, Nekayla, and me.
I’d been weak, and I’d been stupid. Because of that the lives of those I cared about most were going to hell in a real hurry. They’d all been put in danger. Now something was going to suffer for it.
Phoenix shook his head with a smirk. “You know, I like it when you’re angry. You’re almost fun.” He handed the bottle from before back to me. Once more it was filled to the brim with human blood. He winked.
“Ah, you’re a good man, Phoenix. Hendrick?” I called from near the bottom of the stairs into the living room. He was standing in front of me so quickly I nearly ran into him.
“Take the Hummer with Ryce in the back. Make sure no one sees him. If you’re being watched I don’t want them knowing he’s with us if it can be avoided.” Hendrick nodded tersely. “Having a cat with claws might just come in handy tonight.” I looked back at Ryce to see if he reacted.
He blinked and shook his head. “You haven’t changed like I thought.”
My eyebrows wagged a shrug as I turned back to Hendrick. “Head straight to the city. Once there make sure you don’t have a tail, and get to the house in Vermont. You know where?” More nodding. “Good. Both of you cover the woods to make sure it’s empty and wait there. If you find something, kill it quick. We can’t let them know we’re onto them.”
No one said a word. Hendrick just kept on nodding. My brow rose skeptically. “Jez? Lara? Are you two coming or not?”
“Wouldn’t miss it!” Jezabell chirped. Amusing she was dressed similar to myself for once. Well, almost. I was sure I had never seen her in anything other than dresses.
Today her skinny cut jeans were finely embroidered, glitzed and glammed to the max. Very… flashy. Her black tank top was embroidered in the same style with something that sparkled like pure silver threading. Perhaps it was. And of course, she topped it off with the most amazing black stilettos I’d ever seen. They brought her up over my height.
I just shook my head, too bewildered to comment. She beamed her million dollar smile proudly. No one could deny it. The woman was as stunning as she was deadly.
Lara came up beside Jezabell, looping slender arms around a perfectly slender waist. Lara was still adorning her flowing white strappy dress that barely reached mid-thigh. “Me, too, of course.” She smiled vivaciously.
“Good, they’ll need you watching what’s coming. You’ll all ride with Hendrick.” I turned back to Damien, meaning he was to be with them. He frowned but said nothing. “They know you. If they see me with you I will never make it to Vermont. Phoenix, too, of course.”
“No.” Damien shook his head. “Phoenix will stay with you. If I can’t be with you then he should be. I won’t leave you alone with Nekayla’s blood thirsty mutts on the loose.”
Well that was surprising. “Fine then. If you think that’s best. Get ready. It’s time to go.”
Damien moved to stand in front of Phoenix and stopped. The entire room grew instantly quiet. Frozen with tension. Finally Damien’s hand came up and stretched out to Phoenix. “I know you’ll take good care of her.”
They shook and did the whole masculine head nod. “I’ll get her safely to you as quickly as I can, brother.”
“So if she blacks out again?” Damien questioned as his arms folded over his chest.
“I’ll call you for directions and I can carry her to you where we can lock her up safe and sound. While we wipe out Demetrius and his minions, of course. To be honest, I think you’d prefer it in that light. Hm?” Phoenix had that wicked grin spread over his lips. Damien couldn’t argue that. He liked the idea of me having nothing to do with the fight.
“Phoenix, it is increasingly disturbing that you have the perfect answer for everything.” Damien’s eyes narrowed as he shook his head with a slight bitter laugh.
“What’s that saying? Don’t hate the player hate the game?” Hendrick spoke up with that one and it was just good enough to make everyone laugh if at least in slight. Thank you, Hendrick.
He chuckled again as Phoenix cocked a grin. Damien sighed, but smiled as he kissed my temple. “You heard her. Let’s get going.”
“Can everyone give us a minute? I need to talk to Lianna.” We were
ready to go.
Ryce was lying down in the back of the Jeep, already asleep with Lara in the seat in front of him. Hendrick was riding shot gun while Jez was set to drive.
Damien and I were left in the house while they all went for the garage. Phoenix went with them, but he would be waiting for me.
Leaned into the back of the chair, he reached for my hand, and pulled me into him. “I have a lot of making up to do. I know that. I’ll do whatever it takes from here on. And since that is going to take so long I am pleading with you to be careful. This isn’t going to be like you fighting with Phoenix. You’re the one that they want the most. Don’t forget that.”
My mind stayed focused on the moment, refusing to let him see my fear of the near future. My lips curled into a slow full smile. “Forevermore.”
Wrapping around my waist, he pulled me in close as my arms slid around his neck, holding each other tightly. “Forevermore?”
“Forevermore. My heart and body shall be yours, for forever and more.” It’s not what he’d wanted to hear, but it was enough.
“Forevermore, Lianna. I will love you for forever and more.”
Our lips found each other’s softly. Fire lit between us in a way that I ached for and had every moment since I’d first met him. His hands slid to my hips, lifting me from the floor my legs spread as he pulled me up to wrap around him.
Jezabell cleared her throat from the door. Without letting me pull from him, Damien reached for a throw pillow and chucked it at her. Who knew that’s what they we’re actually for?
It was hard not to giggle which broke my concentration from kissing him. One arm stayed around me as he stood.
Jezabell left, shutting the door behind her. His lips never stopped as he worked down to my neck. His mouth resting over the place he’d bitten me more than once.
“I’ll see you in Vermont,” I breathed with a gasp, reluctantly pulling my legs from him, stepping back. Damien moaned but it was a sad, I don’t wanna stop moan. “Okay,” he whined. “Vermont. And then our bedroom after that?” I laughed halfheartedly.