His lips pinched together. “How long do you think those babies will remain innocent?”
The splattering of the hose in the bonsai tree off to the side made my headache worse. I rolled my eyes. “Who made you judge and jury?”
I stood up. Cade was more like Liam than I thought. It should please me that I was finding out he was a jerk now rather than later but the pain deep in my heart made me lose patience.
“What do you want from me? This is my twin we are talking about. I thought you understood how important family is and what it means to me, but I guess not.”
I forced a smile to my lips. “Cade do what you have to do, and I will do the same.”
I turned on my heels and walked toward the door.
His hand wound around my left arm, as he whirled me around to face him. “I am saying the best way to find your niece and nephew is to stay here, with us. When I find Trevor’s location, you can go get them.”
He has a point. I’m not sure I will be able to find them alone. I can but it will not be quick. If I try to take the babies from Kyra, the demons will not hesitate to kill me. Can I trust Cade?
Tilting my head, I opened my mouth then paused. “Why do you care? I know you hate Kyra because she betrayed you.”
He released me but he didn’t step back. “Are you forgetting that she betrayed you and tried several times to kill you?”
My shoulders slumped and I shook my head. “I can never forget what she did, but she’s my sister. It is a wound that I am not sure will ever heal.”
Sighing, I looked at him. “I will stay. Trevor is a problem for them, as long as he is alive.”
“I’m glad you will stay. I can’t bear the thought of something happening to you, but that wasn’t why I brought you here. How do you feel about me?”
Clearing my throat, I tried to step back, putting as much distance between us as possible. Every time I stepped away from him, the closer he stepped into my space. I could feel his breath on my neck. “I don’t have an issue with you.”
“Don’t be a coward, Arianna.”
“I’m not. I answered you.” I stared into his eyes. It felt like he was reading my soul. My mouth went dry. He smelled like the wind that drifted off an ocean. At once I was aware of everything about him; his scent, his breath against my cheeks, and the mounting emotions between us.
“Are you really that scared of me that you won’t answer me?”
“Well, how do you feel about me?” I stepped back and crossed my arms over my chest. I dared him to answer, with my eyes, and was glad I could put him in the hot seat. The intensity of this conversation became overwhelming.
“I have only cared for one other girl in my life, and I never thought that I would feel that way again. You captured my interest, and my heart when I wasn’t looking. I’m terrified about the way you make me feel.”
His arm snaked around my waist, and he pulled me against him. He bent his head close to me and rested his forehead against mine. His breath smelled like a peach pie, and his lips brushed against mine.
My eyes closed, and my body reacted on its own, as my arms slid around his neck, and my hands drifted into his hair. I was breathless, as he kissed me like we would never see tomorrow.
If I don’t pull away from him I might not. My heart thunders in my chest, flip flopping inside me like a guppy outside a fish tank. I am losing myself in the moment.
He pulled away from me, panting. His eyes studying my face before he stepped back, several steps from me. “Open your mouth and tell me how you feel.”
Just then a red light flashed in the corner, and then a shrill alarm went off. It reminded me of the school fire drills that we used to have.
Frowning, I looked at him. “Is that a fire drill?”
He shook his head. “No. We’ve got company. Let’s go.” He turned and ran to the door.
Running behind him, I stopped as he turned to me.
“Don’t look so relieved. You and I will finish this discussion. That kiss we just shared not only answered my question, but it made promises. Promises that I intend to make sure you keep.”
“Promises?” My voice sounded breathy and weak. All at once, his statement sucked all the energy from my body. I’m not sure how I remained standing upright. His stare was a caress and his energy a seduction. “This thing between us has just begun.” He opened the door and raced down the hall.
Maximus was waiting in front of the side door with ten of his men. They looked ready to end the world. Orion looked flabbergasted as he paced back and forth in front of it. Maximus looked at him and raised his eyebrow. Orion stopped and folded his arms across his chest. He was the jovial one, so this must be bad.
“It’s Nicolo and Bethanny. They are asking to speak with Liam or you. They want sanctuary,” said Maximus.
“I know Liam’s a beast at fighting, but you left him out there alone with them?”
“No, they are outside the gates under heavy guard at the moment,” said Maximus.
Cade never answered me about how Liam is. If Liam is not alright, would he tell me?
Turning to Cade, I frowned. “Where is Liam?”
“He’s not here right now,” said Cade. His jaw was clenched, and he pushed the men out of his way. His right hand gripped the doorknob.
Maximus grabbed him. “You need to see this video before going out there. I just found it.”
Cade looked at Maximus’s hand, then back into Maximus’s eyes. “I’ll look at the video after I go deal with these two traitors.”
Maximus shifted. His men moved around him forming a circle trying to protect their leader from Cade. Everyone looked at Cade as if he might spontaneously grow a second head.
Whatever is on the tape isn’t going to be good. Cade looks like he can’t take any more surprises tonight.
“You need to see this now. It’s about Melody. Liam was investigating what happened to her,” said Maximus.
Oh, Valcrum give Cade strength. Not his Melody.
Glancing at Cade, I saw his eyes widen before a mask of indifference fell over his face. He was closing his emotions from everyone. Somehow, I knew, at that moment, whatever was on that tape would change Cade forever.
14
Cade
Rubbing my ear, I followed behind Maximus. There was a sinking feeling in my stomach that I couldn’t ignore. I knew that the video revealed who killed Melody. I was not sure I could handle this right now. I’m going to lose it.
It is my fault. I am so busy trying to do everything and save everyone that I let her down. If there is someone to be punished, it is me. Melody never hurt anyone.
Maximus walked through the side door leading to the hallway down toward the basement. Glancing at his men, I saw them stealing glances at me. Arianna and I must be the only ones who haven’t seen the video. Maximus opened the door and walked to the desk. He stood near the window behind it and gestured for me to sit. Despite the room smelling like lavender and rose petals, I felt like a caged tiger. Inhaling, I pulled the leather chair out and sank into it. The laptop had the security feed from the day that Melody was murdered. It was the feed that had mysteriously been deleted.
Whoever killed Melody had tried hard to cover up the evidence. My emotions flowed from me, like lava does during a volcanic eruption.
My hand trembled as I pressed play. I saw Melody exiting from her bedroom. Her strawberry blonde hair shined like silk as she wrapped her arms around her stomach. She had on a pair of white multicolored unicorn slippers that had silver glittery horns at the top.
She wasn’t wearing the pink unicorn pajamas though. I am slightly disappointed that she didn’t have them on. The innocent pajamas made her look breathtaking and they hugged her lovely curves.
The hall was empty as she gingerly strolled out the door without hesitation. She sat down in the same place as we did when I kissed her for the first and last time. I felt like my lungs had collapsed. My chest went tight, and I couldn’t draw in air. The water f
looded into my eyes and I tilted my head to keep from weeping.
Jumping up, I walked to the other end of the room. I flung the window open. A part of me was glad I didn’t see Nicolo or Bethanny standing down there. I’m not sure I wouldn’t have flown down and ripped their heads from their body.
Breathing in the night air, I looked at the sky. Unlike the night Melody was murdered; the stars looked different tonight. That night the stars made the sky sparkle like diamonds. Pressing my hand against the wall, I bit my tongue until my mouth pooled with blood. I’m Liam’s son, and I refused to break down in a room full of men watching me.
Later. Later when I was alone in the dark, I would allow my soul to cry out. Now, I would be strong, and do what I needed to do to avenge her untimely death.
After my breathing was under control and I didn’t sound like an asthmatic with tuberculosis, I crossed the room and sat back down in front of the laptop. My hand didn’t shake when I resumed the security feed. About five minutes later, Bethanny walked outside. She rushed over and sat next to Melody. Without saying a word, she grabbed Melody’s neck and pressed hard. When Melody had lost consciousness, she picked her up and took her to the rose bush section and dropped her face down in it.
Melody woke up and noticed she was in the rosebush. She covered her mouth and nose and jumped to her feet. Bethanny punched her in the gut. When Melody grabbed her stomach and opened her mouth to scream for help, Bethanny shoved a handful of rose petals into it.
There was a struggle and when Bethanny climbed on top of Melody choking her, I fast-forwarded the video to the part where Melody’s body had gone limp. Bethanny ran back into the school and down to her rooms.
Why did Bethanny kill Melody? Melody was a brand-new student and she didn’t know anyone at the school. The guys thought of her as new meat and the girls, didn’t think of her at all. Bethanny obviously was the exception.
Maximus looked away from the screen once Bethanny had made Melody lose consciousness. “Nicolo isn’t on here. Did he have anything to do with her murder?”
He wrinkled his nose. “No, he wasn’t that bold. We haven’t found any evidence that he knew that Bethanny killed her.”
“He’s a traitor and deserves to die on that alone,” said Orion. He stood near the door with the other men.
“If he helped in anyway, he deserves a faith worse than death.” I stood up. The chair toppled over in my haste to get to Bethanny and Nicolo outside. Prowling to the door, I noticed Orion looking at Maximus behind me before crossing his arms over his chest.
I narrowed my eyes at him, and the men standing behind him.
“Move out of my way.”
“Cade. I know how you must feel, but they have information that can lead us to Trevor. If you kill them, we lose the only lead we have right now,” said Maximus.
Just when I think Maximus and I can be friends, he does this. I am not going to ask his permission. I only answer to one person on this planet, and that is Liam. However, I’m not sure I am capable of listening to him now.
“We can find Trevor without their help. You can’t trust them anyway. For all you know he is leading us into a trap.”
Maximus scrubbed his hand over his face. “He also has information on Derrick. We can’t afford to kill him yet.”
I turned around slowly, facing Maximus. “I don’t answer to you, and I am not asking your permission.”
My lips curled and I circled Maximus. “I should have known that it would come to this.”
“I will not fight you. I’ve never had an issue with you. You had one with me, and I understand that, even respected that. This can’t be about your revenge.”
Like a mist, a chill ran through the room. A fleeting glance at the window, and I saw a yellow butterfly flying in the room. In a blink of an eye the butterfly transformed into a black panther.
Maximus turned. He sniffed the air.
“Letoya,” said Maximus. His muscles tensed. He watched the black panther prowl toward him. He reached out his hands toward it then dropped them at his side.
Opening her mouth, she showed me her teeth.
Cade, you are not thinking rationally. Melody would not want you to turn on your friends to avenge her death.
You dare to speak to me while showing me your teeth and standing by his side. I am your brother. How can you turn your back on me?
This is bigger than Bethanny and Derrick. Do you think I want to allow Derrick to live? He should have died a long time ago.
Why should I listen to you? You did not tell me that you were alive. You let me mourn you for years.
“Nobody has any loyalty around here. It doesn’t matter.” I ran to the window. I pictured the wind in my mind and felt my body become weightless. A soft hand touched my shoulder blade.
“Cade, please, I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
I could smell the raspberry shampoo that clung to her hair. I couldn’t face her, but I managed to pull out of her tender grip. “You and I will talk later.” Closing my eyes, I pictured the wind but all I could see was Arianna’s face.
Her hand cupped my cheek. “I was afraid to speak before. I haven’t had the best past when it comes to guys and I don’t trust easily.”
Under other circumstances I would laugh but I couldn’t now. Melody had been murdered and my soul demanded that I avenge her.
“Thank you, for trusting me enough to speak your mind.” I stepped around her and jumped from the window. I landed on the ground, so hard the cement split. Forcing my breathing to slow, I walked around to the back.
The cold wind stung my cheeks. I saw them before they saw me.
Bethanny was hugging Nicolo. She clung to him like she loved him. She was the kind of female that didn’t know how to love.
“I trust you, but this is the first place Trevor will attack, whether he knows we’re here or not,” said Bethanny.
“We need protection. Nathaniel will not hesitate to kill us, and Derrick is concerned with saving his own skin,” said Nicolo.
She kissed his lips. “You were so brave to stand up to Trevor. I thought you were dead. I can’t believe you stepped in front of me.”
“I love you. You gave your body so they would trust you. I can never repay you for that, but I can protect you with my life.”
“I would call us even, if you agreed right now to get out of here. They will kill us on the spot. Cade won’t be reasonable.”
“Bethanny, why are you so scared of Cade? He has always been reasonable. He hates Trevor just as much as we do.”
“So, you want sanctuary?” I stalked forward.
Nicolo looked at me then smiled. “I’m not surprised that Liam sent you out here.”
“What do you expect? Do you think you are the only one with information on Trevor?”
“Nope. I am the only one, besides Derrick, who happens to know where the super army of mutagens are; unless you’ve decided that you would rather take your chances with Trevor or Nathaniel finding them first,” said Nicolo.
“You forgot about option three, where I kill you to make sure you don’t tell anyone else.”
A lightening bug landed on the tree near Nicolo’s right shoulder.
I am proud of your restraint brother. It is a sign that you are truly a member of Zena’s tribe.
Gritting my teeth, I turned to Bethanny. “If we decided to give you sanctuary, it would be you and you alone. We wouldn’t benefit from allowing her to stay.”
“She goes where I go,” said Nicolo.
“Then you both can die. It doesn’t matter to me.”
The front door opened. Maximus and his men surrounded Nicolo and Bethanny.
“The first time I think you’re lying you’re dead. If you try to double cross us, you’re dead. And if you look at me wrong, you’re dead,” said Maximus.
Bethanny rolled her eyes. “I think we’ve got it. You don’t trust us and will kill us without hesitation.”
“You will be housed in the
basement.” I watched as Nicolo’s confident facial expression became tight.
Good. He knows that if we lose an attack the basement is one way in and one way out. You are a sitting duck in the basement. Bethanny was doing her best to avoid my eye contact but it didn’t matter. I know what she did. The scene of her murdering Melody was playing repeatedly in my head.
Arianna walked over and stood next to me. I felt her fingers close over mine. The small gesture moved me beyond words. She was letting me know that she was there for me. It meant a lot to me. Her scent was all around me as the wind whipped her hair all around her.
Nicolo looked around him. “Lead the way. I think you could do better than the basement, but we’ll take it.
“Take it or leave it. You need us. We don’t need you.” Maximus opened the door and led the way to the basement. His men surrounded Bethanny and Nicolo.
I followed behind them. Arianna was at my side. I stepped back and let her enter through the doors. Locking them, I followed the prisoners down to the basement. The halls were empty, which meant the students had been in the halls a second before we had come back. I could still smell lingering perfume, body lotions and Axe body spray. There were so many smells assaulting me I could hardly walk through the halls without sneezing.
Following Arianna through the door, I watched as Maximus chained Nicolo up and then Bethanny. He put them close to each other but not close enough to enjoy each other’s company, and that made me feel a little bit better.
They will not get to do anything that brings them happiness.
“Are you locking us down here? It isn’t necessary that we be chained to the floor,” said Nicolo.
“It’s necessary if I feel like it is,” said Maximus.
“Chain us up together at least. If it gets cold, he can keep me warm,” said Bethanny.
I walked closer to her. “You’ve given more rides than a Greyhound bus. You need some time to cool off.”
Her face turned red. She reached out to strike me, but Maximus jerked on her chain. “You jerk. You’re just jealous that you didn’t get a chance to see what all the excitement was about,” said Bethanny.
The Pact Between Angels and Witches Page 10