Illusions (Night Roamers #4)

by Kristen Middleton

  She smirked. “You’re certainly handling this very well.”

  He shrugged. “I’ve had to adapt to you and Nikki being vampires. I’m getting used to this shit-storm that’s invaded our lives.”

  “But, this… this is your body, we’re talking about. Your life,” she replied, searching his eyes. “Are you really okay?”

  “I am now. Ask me in a couple of days when the shock has worn off.”

  She touched his cheek lovingly. “I love you, Nathan. No matter what has happened or will happen, nothing will ever change my feelings for you. I hope you realize that.”

  “Of course I do, mom. I love you, too.”

  She gave him one last hug, and then they walked back to the Mustang.

  “Everything okay?” asked Celeste, as Nathan started the engine.

  Anne turned around and looked at her. “Everything is good. How have you been holding up?”

  Her eyes widened. “Me?”

  Anne smiled sadly. “Celeste, believe it or not, I understand your feelings toward me, although, I would have dealt with them differently.”

  Celeste looked down at her hands but didn’t reply.

  “You know, I never wanted to take your father away from you. He loved you so much. He always talked about you.”

  Her eyes sparkled. “He did?”

  “Yes. You were the light of his life. His little girl.”

  She smiled. “He used to tell me that all the time. That he was happy that I would never age, so I could always be his little girl.” She chuckled. “Even though I look closer to twenty-one.”

  “Yes, but he thought you were the most beautiful girl in the world, Celeste. He loved you as much as you loved him. Nothing would have ever come between you. I wish you could have understood that.”

  Celeste looked out the window. “My dad was everything to me.”

  “I know that,” said Anne. “And, I’m sorry. I’m sorry that he’s gone and that I’m sorry for all of the pain you’ve been feeling. And… I want to ask you for something.”

  Their eyes met.

  “Ask me for what?”

  Anne reached into the backseat and patted her hand. “I want to ask for your forgiveness.”

  Celeste’s eyes widened. “You want to ask me for my forgiveness? Why?”

  “Because I should have tried harder with you. I should have tried communicating with you better. Made you realize that I wanted you in my family and not just your father. But, I just took the situation for granted. I was so caught up in the excitement, that I didn’t realize you were hurting so much. I’m so sorry, honey.”

  Celeste looked away. “You shouldn’t be sorry. I’ve done so many terrible things. You have no idea.”

  “You’ve had so many terrible things happen to you, Celeste. Look at this life you’ve had to live. It’s not your fault that you were thrown into it. I’m sure it didn’t come with a handbook.”

  “Maybe not, but I’ve killed a lot of people,” she answered, her voice somber. “The bloodlust… I guess it just makes me crazy.”

  “Experiencing the euphoria it gives, I can understand that it must be hard to control at times.”

  Celeste nodded.

  “Well, I just want you to know that you’re not alone. If you need to talk. About anything, I’d love it if you’d come to me, Celeste. I really would.”

  “Thanks,” she replied softly.

  They drove in silence the rest of the way to Duncan’s house. When they arrived, Celeste walked in but Nathan and Anne hung back.

  “Mom, about what you said in the car? Did you mean what you said? About helping her sort out shit?”

  “I did,” she said softly. “But, in all honesty, I kind of hope she doesn’t take me up on it. I’m not equipped to help a girl like that. I might actually make matters worse.”

  His eyes widened. “Why do you say that?”

  She sighed. “Because of what Caleb told me.”

  “What did he say?”

  She glanced toward the house, a faraway expression in her eyes. “He told me that she’s missing something very important. Something most of us have.”

  He smirked. “What’s that, a conscience?”

  Anne smiled back. “Yes, that and empathy for others. She’s… I guess there is really no other way to put it… she’s a psychopath, Nathan. Pure and simple.”

  His eyes widened. “That’s pretty harsh, isn’t it?”

  She gave him an exasperated look. “Harsh? Nathan, she tried to kill both of us.”

  “I know. I just figured… I don’t know... that she was misguided.”

  “It’s more complicated than that. Her father explained that she was diagnosed with some kind of narcissistic condition when she was a child. It became much worse after she changed into a vampire.” Her face darkened. “You wouldn’t believe some of the things she’s done, Nathan. I had to make Caleb stop himself from confiding so much.”

  “That bad, huh?”

  “Much worse. Anyway, just don’t let your guard down around her. I don’t care if you’re a lycan or a vampire or a superhero. You need to be extremely cautious around her.”

  “I will.”

  “Good,” she replied, opening the door to Duncan’s house. When they walked inside, Celeste was holding Nathan’s phone.

  “I’ll take that,” he said.

  “Please would be nice,” said Celeste, her eyes narrowing.

  “Please and thank you,” he answered, as she dropped it into his hand.

  Celeste looked at Anne. “I bet you can’t wait to see Nikki?”

  “You have no idea. I just hope they’re okay.”

  “Martin is with her,” she replied. She yawned and pushed her hair behind her ears. “I’m going to lie down for a while. It’s been a few days since I’ve slept and it’s catching up with me.”

  “Okay,” said Anne, smiling. “We’ll wake you when they get back.”

  “Thanks,” she replied, disappearing down the hallway.

  “There,” said Nathan, putting his phone down on the counter. “I sent Nikki a text.”

  “Good. I hope everything is all right,” said Anne, her forehead wrinkling. “That Faye sounds like a real monster. I wish we knew exactly where they were so we could join them. Maybe you should ask?”

  “I probably should,” he replied.

  Nathan’s phone began to vibrate. He picked it up and smiled at the screen. “Good news. They’ve got Duncan. They’re next door at the marina.”

  Anne grinned widely. “Are you serious?”

  “Yeah,” he replied, pulling her arm. “Let’s go.”

  “You’d better tell Celeste.”

  “That’s right,” he replied, walking toward the back of the house.

  “I’ll meet you over there,” said Anne, opening the kitchen door. She stepped outside.

  “Mom!” called Nikki, rushing toward her. She threw herself into Anne’s arms. “You’re here! How did you pull that off?”

  “I flew,” she replied, hugging her daughter. “I’m so glad you’re safe. Nathan said you were on some mission to save Duncan. Oh, and speak of the handsome devil.”

  Duncan, who was now standing next to them, smiled. “Hello, Mrs. Gerard.”

  Anne stepped away from Nikki and hugged him. “It’s Anne. You’re practically family, Duncan.”

  Just then, Nathan rushed out of the house. “She’s gone.”

  “Who?” asked Anne, turning back. “Celeste?”

  He nodded. “She slipped out the back.”

  “Crap. Where would she go?” asked Nikki.

  A man Anne didn’t recognize appeared in the darkness. “Celeste left?”

  “Yeah, Marty. You have any idea of where she would have gone?” asked Nathan.

  He frowned. “It’s Martin. Maybe she left to find Faye?”

  “For her sake, let’s hope not,” said Duncan.

  Martin ran a hand through his hair and looked around. “What about Ethan? Where is he now?�
��

  Nikki scowled. “Maybe Celeste and Ethan took off together. They’ve teamed up before.”

  “Ethan is alive?” asked Nathan. “Where did you run into that prick?”

  “He was being held prisoner. With me,” said Duncan.

  “So, you freed him?” said Nathan incredulously.

  “No. Faye did,” replied Duncan.

  “Of course she did,” replied Nathan. “Didn’t they have something going before?”

  “Obviously they still do,” I replied.

  “What do we do now?” asked Nathan. “Search for Celeste?”

  “Look, I think we should just leave this town and never look back,” said Anne. “Nikki? Nathan? What do you think?”

  “Martin saved my life and helped free Duncan,” said Nikki. “I’m not going to abandon him now.”

  “Thank you,” said Martin, relaxing.

  Anne rubbed her forehead.

  “He wants to stop Victor once and for all,” said Nikki. “He wants revenge for him killing Caleb. Don’t you want that, too, mom?”

  “All I want is to keep my children safe,” said Anne, smiling sadly.

  “None of us will ever be safe if we don’t stop him. You of all people should know that,” said Nathan.

  “Look, I’m going to kill him, whether you want to help or not,” said Martin. “I hope you will, but I’m not going to pressure you or anyone else into it.”

  Anne let out a ragged sigh. “We’ll help you, Martin.”

  “What about Celeste?” asked Nathan.

  “Let’s go find her and then deal with Victor,” said Martin. “I need to know that she’s safe before we do anything.”

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Ethan

  Ethan, who’d been hanging out in the shadows by Duncan’s marina, followed Celeste through the darkness, having an idea of where she might be headed. He’d seen her sneaking out the back of the house, and his gut had told him that she was up to no good. He trusted her about as much as he trusted Faye.

  It didn’t take long before his suspicions were confirmed. She landed on the rooftop of Club Nightshade, and entered through the sliding glass doorway leading into Faye’s penthouse. He followed her inside.

  “Ethan. Yeah, I had a feeling it was you,” she said, flicking on the light. “Why are you following me?”

  “To make sure you don’t cause any more trouble.”

  Her eyes widened. “Trouble?”

  “Don’t give me that. What are you doing back here anyway? I’m sure Martin is worried about you.”

  Celeste’s eyes narrowed. “How do you know about Martin?”

  “Long story. All I know is that you’re supposed to be at Duncan’s right now. Not here.”

  “I just had to get out of there. Nathan’s mom showed up and I thought Faye should know that she isn’t being held prisoner anymore,” she replied, plopping into a chaise. “She should be back soon.”

  “I know,” he replied. “In fact, I know about everything.”

  “You do? Good for you. Where have you been, by the way?” She smirked. “I thought Drake had finished you off a couple of weeks ago.”

  He frowned. “Finished me off? What are you talking about?”

  “Give me a break. Remember when Victor told him to kill you.”

  “He did, huh?”

  “Obviously he hit you over the head,” she said, smirking. “Well, you’ll be happy to learn that Faye took care of Drake for you. Ripped his head clean off. I just saw the aftermath. Pretty gnarly.”

  Ethan stared at her in horror. “What are you talking about? Drake is seriously dead?”

  “Yes.” She shook her head in disgust. “Why do you look so upset? You, of all people, should be celebrating.”

  He clenched his jaw. Drake had been the closest thing to a best friend he’d ever had. “Faye killed Drake?”

  She sighed irritably. “Yeah… I just said that.” She picked out a piece of lint from between her painted black toenails, and then stretched her legs. “Look, you can give her a big kiss when she gets back here. Although, she’s probably still pissed that you tried killing her. On second thought, maybe you should actually leave, Ethan. I would like some peace and quiet.”

  “Celeste, I’m not messing around here. You need to get back to your brother. Victor has ordered a hit on you and you’re going to need Martin’s help.”

  “He has?” She snorted. “To be honest, I feel much safer here. Faye’s been protecting me. And why in the hell did you try killing her? Was it because of that little bitch, Nikki?”

  “Don’t call her a bitch,” he growled.

  She rolled her eyes. “You are seriously still crushing on her? I thought you two were over. Remember Vegas? She has it bad for Duncan anyway.”

  “Celeste, look, there are things going on here that you apparently don’t even know about. You have to leave here. It isn’t safe.”

  “Like I said before, I’m staying. I’m safe with Faye.”

  “She isn’t even here,” he answered, raising his arms. “You need to get the hell out of this place before Victor’s guys get here. They obviously know that she’s hiding you. Where do you think they’re going to look first?”

  “Ethan, why do you even care what happens to me?” she asked, tilting her head.

  “To be honest, I really don’t. But… I like your brother.”

  “Then tell him I’m fine and not to worry about me.”

  He sighed and then turned to leave. “Fine. I tried.”

  “Ethan, by the way – pick a side already. You’re either with me and Faye, or you’re alone.”

  “I’m not alone,” he answered quietly.

  Her eyebrow arched and she smirked. “Really?”

  He gritted his teeth and left in silence.

  ***

  Ethan flew back toward the marina, determined to talk to Nikki. He had a feeling that things were going to get even uglier in the next few hours and he needed to try and explain what had happened in Vegas. It was obvious that Duncan wasn’t going to take his side, and in all reality, he couldn’t really blame the guy. He obviously loved Nikki, too.

  When he reached the marina, he overheard voices in the darkness.

  Duncan and Nikki.

  They were moving away from the house toward the building next door, holding hands. He landed several feet behind them and watched as they continued walking away.

  Nikki giggled. “Let’s go sit on the bench by the dock. We can talk about it there.”

  “Okay,” replied Duncan. He kissed her knuckles. “Or, we can do something a little more… interesting.”

  Her answer was a whisper, followed by more laughter. Ethan felt his stomach tighten up, wishing it was him getting that reaction from her. He thought about interrupting whatever kind of interlude they were planning, but then something told him that it would just make matters worse.

  The couple moved toward the dock and Ethan swore under his breath. He knew he should go into the house and tell Martin where Celeste was, but the jealously boiling inside was getting the best of him. He didn’t want to be a peeping Tom, but Duncan was with his girl. No matter what had happened during the time he’d been imprisoned, he just couldn’t give her up that easily. But, he also knew that he owed something to Duncan, who had kept her safe when Ethan had failed. Because of his obsession with Miranda, he’d not only risked all of their lives, but he’s also risked any kind of future he and Nikki had together.

  He clenched his fists at his sides as he continued arguing with himself. Finally, he grunted and moved in the direction that they’d disappeared to.

  “Duncan,” said Nikki as they continued holding hands, swinging them together. “I was so… worried about you. I don’t know what I would have done if…” her voice broke. “I can’t even say the words...”

  “Hey, I’m not that easy to kill. All I kept thinking about is you and our future. In fact,” he cleared his throat and turned to her. “I have something that I w
ant to ask you.”

  She stared up at him silently.

  He blew out a nervous breath.

  She smiled shyly. “You… are you going to ask me what I think you’re going to ask me?”

  Ethan stared at the couple in horror. He wanted to stop Duncan, but he couldn’t seem find his voice, he was so stunned.

  “Marry me, Nikki. Please… I love you so much. I just can’t imagine living the rest of my life without you. And I think it’s going to be a long one.”

  Nikki squealed and jumped onto Duncan’s hips, wrapping her legs around them. “Yes! Yes! Yes! Of course I will!”

  Duncan kissed her lips several times, and then held her against him, hugging her tightly. “I don’t have a ring yet, obviously. But, I didn’t want to wait a minute longer to ask you. God, I love you so much.”

  “I love you, too, Duncan,” she answered, closing her eyes.

  Ethan backed away, the pain in his heart making him sick to his stomach.

  He’d lost her…

  He’d lost her for good…

  The craziest part was that he was fairly convinced that the better man had gotten the girl.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Nikki

  When Duncan had asked me to marry him, I was thrilled. It made me feel almost human again, and thoughts of planning my wedding and picking out a dress made me giddy. But then an image of Ethan’s face popped into my head, and I felt myself almost waver. That is, until I remembered what a backstabbing loser he was. The guy had broken my heart and had the gall to try and pretend that it wasn’t his fault. No, he certainly wasn’t anyone worth hesitating for.

  “Should we tell your mom and brother?” said Duncan, still holding me.

  “Uh, sure. If you’d like. Or, we could wait until all of this is over. It might be better, actually.”

  “That’s fine,” he answered, kissing me again. “I’m just happy that you said yes.”