by Lauren Burd
Duncan raised an eyebrow, and I rolled my eyes in response.
After I finished dressing Duncan and changing myself, I threw our clothes in a trash bag. I made one more pass through the condo to make sure I hadn’t left anything behind, then went to Duncan’s side and helped him stand. He did his best to hide the pain, but sweat beaded on his brow.
“How are you doing?” I asked once he was on his feet.
“I’ll manage. What’s the plan?”
“You’re my sick friend, and I’m taking you to the hospital.”
“Simple enough. Is there a taxi waiting for us downstairs?”
I shook my head. “We’re borrowing my dad’s car.”
It took us a few minutes to make it to the elevator. Duncan did his best, but he was obviously in a lot of pain. While we waited for the lift to reach our floor, I asked him again about his injuries.
“Why aren’t you healing like you did before?”
“I think he used hollow points. They must have torn me up inside pretty bad. It doesn’t help that the bullets are still in there.”
“Do you need to see a doctor?”
“That would raise more questions than we can answer. Where exactly are we heading?”
“To the hospital to pick up Samuel, and hopefully, my dad. I don’t know if he’ll believe me, but I can’t just leave him here and wait for someone else to come after him.”
Thankfully, no one joined us on the elevator. It did stop on the third floor, but the lady waiting to get on took one look at Duncan and said she would wait for the next one.
“Do I really look that bad?” he asked.
I grimaced but kept my mouth shut.
Forced Partnership
The elevator door opened to a deserted parking garage. My dad’s car was parked near the middle, so Duncan didn’t have far to walk, but he was still exhausted by the time we made it to the vehicle. I helped him into the passenger seat before heading to the back to load the bag.
I was thankful for my increased strength as I heaved the luggage into the trunk. Slamming the lid, I heard footsteps coming from the other end of the garage. I looked up and saw Samuel heading for me, his face covered with concern.
He covered the few feet remaining between us and threw his arms around me. “I’m so glad you’re safe.”
I melted into his arms and felt myself losing control. A question tugging at the back of my mind stopped me from going to pieces. “How did you know I was here?”
“I went to the apartment, and you weren’t there. I thought you might be here.”
“Where’s my dad?” I asked, worried he was going to walk in and find us commandeering his vehicle.
“He’s still at the hospital in surgery. They said he would probably be another four hours at least.”
“Then why are you back?”
“I was worried about you. You sounded scared on the phone.”
I thought back to my brief conversation with him. I didn’t think I had sounded scared. The gunman hadn’t seemed overly concerned either. Maybe it was because he knew me so well.
“We shouldn’t stay here.”
I nodded. “I have Duncan in the—”
“Duncan?”
I gave him a questioning look. “Yeah. You didn’t think he’d let me come over here on my own, did you? Is everything okay?”
He glanced past me and into the car. Samuel grew pale. “We should get... get going.”
“Samuel, what’s wrong?”
“Did you go up to your father’s condo?”
I studied him. “Why?”
His face appeared strained. “Did you?” He squeezed my arms tight.
“You’re hurting me,” I said, squirming.
“I’m sorry.” He loosened his grip, but the strain never left his eyes.
“Why does it matter?” I asked, becoming suspicious.
“It doesn’t. We should get going.”
He tried to move past me to the car, but I stepped in front of him, blocking his progress. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing. I just want to get out of here.”
“Stop saying that.”
My anger and suspicion grew. Why had he come here and left my Dad all alone? How did he get into the garage unless he knew about the entrance the gunman had used? Why was he so concerned about if I went into my dad’s condo? And when he saw Duncan, it seemed as if he’d seen a ghost. He stared at me, worry stirring the ocean in his eyes. I felt my stomach sink, and tears stung the corners of my eyes. I wanted to believe I was wrong, but his actions and eyes told me the real story.
“What did you do?”
“Nothing,” he repeated, but his words sounded hollow.
“Did you tell Thanos where we were?”
“What? No.” That sounded honest.
“Who did you tell?”
“I didn’t—”
“Don’t lie to me,” I interrupted.
He paused. “Let’s get out of here, and I’ll explain.” He tried to grab my hand, but I jerked it away.
“I’m not going anywhere with you. Tell me what you did!”
“We can’t do this on our own.”
“You’re making excuses.”
“You don’t understand. We can’t stay here.”
The sinking feeling got worse. It felt as if I’d been thrown into the deep end of the pool and didn’t know how to swim. “He’s already dead.”
“Who?”
“The guy Thanos sent.”
He seemed confused.
“Thanos didn’t send him, did he?”
Samuel shook his head.
“What’s going on? What did you do?” I pleaded.
“I called Ethan.”
“What? How could you?” I screamed. I balled my fist, and though I’d missed every other time I’d tried to actually land a blow, I was pretty sure I wouldn’t if I tried again.
“We can’t do this on our own. Ethan promised to hide your father.”
“Is that why a gunman was here?”
“What gunman?” Concern was etched into his forehead.
“The one stuffed in the trunk,” I spat out in an angry whisper.
“You’re joking, right?”
I shook my head. “He shot Duncan, and Duncan isn’t healing.” Samuel appeared even more confused. “Just get in the car, and I’ll explain.” Samuel climbed into the back seat, and I got behind the wheel.
“How are you doing?” I asked Duncan. He was so pale.
“I was shot twice in the stomach, punched in the gut, dragged down to a parking garage, and left in the car while you two argued. How do you think I’m doing?”
“Sorry.”
“It’s okay. I’m just not feeling too well. Did you guys figure out where we’re going?”
We hadn’t even discussed that, and I was still fuming about Samuel calling Ethan. I still wanted to hit him, but it wouldn’t accomplish anything at this point. Well, I might feel a little better. He was right about one thing, though. We couldn’t do this alone.
“We’re going to the Beverly Wilshire.”
Duncan gave me an odd look, and I felt the same stare coming from the back seat. I started the engine and pulled out of the garage without explaining. They would be mad enough once we got there, but I didn’t see an alternative. Besides, I was beginning to believe that Lucina really did know something, or at the very least, didn’t want me dead. If she had, then she could have taken me earlier without many complications. I just hoped I was right, and my actions didn’t end up getting us all killed.
Duncan flickered in an out of consciousness. I urged the standstill traffic to go faster, but during rush hour in L.A., I had a better chance of winning the lottery than getting to the hotel in less than two hours. I decided to use the time to question Samuel.
“When did you call Ethan?”
“A few days ago,” Samuel answered.
“What plan did the two of you come up with?” My voice sounded testy. I sti
ll couldn’t believe he had called after everything we’d learned in Europe.
“We thought it would be best to get your father out of L.A., but we didn’t think he would come willingly. So Ethan said he would hire someone to kidnap him and take him some place safe.”
“You agreed to have my dad kidnapped?” My knuckles were white as I gripped the steering wheel.
Samuel glanced down at his knees, out of the window, any place he could stare so he wouldn’t meet my accusing gaze in the mirror.
When we finally pulled into the garage, Duncan looked like death warmed over. The only thing that convinced me he was still alive was his thready pulse and shallow breathing.
“Stay out here with Duncan. I’ll go inside and get some help.”
“Who’s going to help us in a hotel?”
“We’ve seen how well doing this your way has worked out. Now, it’s my turn.”
“You’re the one who suggested we come here,” Samuel mumbled.
I glared at him. Sometimes, I found it hard to believe he was two hundred years old. “And you’re the one who called Ethan.”
He flinched. “What am I supposed to do?”
“Just make sure he doesn’t die. Also, if I’m not back in ten minutes, get Duncan to a hospital.” I tossed the keys to Samuel before getting out. I knew taking him to a hospital would put us all in danger, but I refused to let him die if our plan didn’t work.
“Don’t do anything stupid.”
I just smirked as I walked away. All that we had left were stupid choices.
The doorman greeted me when I entered. I smiled politely and did my best to stay calm. I still didn’t feel old enough to make a decision like this. Knowing there was a dead body in the trunk of my dad’s car, along with an injured man in my front seat, didn’t help my nerves. I took a deep breath before approaching the front desk.
“Hello, miss. How may I help you today?”
“I’m here to see a friend, Miss Lucy Bell. I believe she’s staying in the Governors’ Suite.”
“Ah, yes. If you wouldn’t mind waiting, I’ll call and see if she’s available.”
I nodded and waited nervously as she made the call. My mind kept running through the reasons I should and shouldn’t be here. Lucina had admitted that Thanos had wanted to have me killed. What would stop him from doing that now? For all I knew, they were the ones who had sent that gunman to kill us. But Thanos had resources we didn’t, and Duncan needed help. It wasn’t as if I could take him to the nearest doctor and say, “He’s been shot.” Well, I could have, but then we all would have been rounded up and taken to a laboratory. What if Thanos took us captive again? We had managed to escape once, but I didn’t think it would be so easy a second time. Still, we had a better shot in L.A.
The scent of pumpkin and lavender wafted over to me, interrupting my thoughts and setting me on edge.
“I’m so glad you came,” Lucina said. I couldn’t see her guards, but the smell of at least four other Immortals hung heavy in the air.
“I didn’t have a choice.” I swallowed hard before continuing, knowing that once I did, there was no turning back. “Duncan’s in the car. He’s been shot, and he’s lost a lot of blood.”
Lucina held up her hand. She seemed as cold as ever, but the deep coffee-brown pools of her eyes showed her unrest. “Why don’t we go out to the garage and invite everyone up to my room? I know you all have to be tired after such a long trip.”
I usually didn’t like her tricks, but I played along without complaint. We made our way downstairs and back out to the garage. I was surprised when none of the guards followed us. I guessed she wanted to make the meeting as non-confrontational as possible.
“Is Dr. Williams with you?” I asked.
She shook her head.
“Why not?” I asked. How could Duncan get treatment if Dr. Williams wasn’t there?
“I’ll explain once we get up to the room.”
“I’m really tired of people telling me that today.” I came to a stop a few cars away. “Do you mind waiting here? I didn’t exactly tell them who we were coming to see.”
“Do we really have time for this?” She sounded impatient.
“No,” I answered honestly. “But what choice do you have?”
She ground her teeth but didn’t attempt to follow me. I almost expected a surprise attack as I walked the rest of the way to the car, but nothing unusual happened. I opened the passenger door and found Duncan in a similar state to how I had left him. His breathing was a little more even, which gave me hope that all he needed was some rest.
“Help me get him out,” I told Samuel.
“I was getting worried,” Samuel said, opening his door and coming around to help me.
“It took me a little longer than expected.”
“Who are we here to see?”
My mouth was suddenly dry. What was I supposed to say? I came to the people who supposedly wanted us dead to ask for help? Was it really any worse than what Samuel had done, going behind our backs and calling Ethan? Besides, I told myself, if they really wanted me dead or back with them, they would have taken us sooner than today.
“Um… well… you see… I kind of ran into someone earlier today, someone who may be able to help. It’s just…” I felt sweat beading on my brow.
“She came to see me,” Lucina interjected.
The look of betrayal on Samuel’s face said more than words ever could.
Friend or Foe
“Don’t look at her like that,” Lucina said. “She didn’t betray you or make any phone calls behind your back.”
Samuel glared at her. “What do you know about anything?”
“This is hardly the place to discuss this, and right now, Duncan needs help,” I said. We already seemed out of place at the hotel, and the guests walking through the garage were beginning to stare.
“If you hurt her, I swear…” Samuel threatened.
Lucina rolled her eyes. “She’s the only reason any of you are still alive. Follow me up to the room.”
Samuel and I pulled Duncan out of the car, and Samuel draped Duncan’s arm around his shoulder. Lucina started off at a brisk pace, and Samuel soon lagged behind. I went back to help him.
“How could you do this?” Samuel whispered.
“How could I do this? You act like we have a choice.”
“How do you know Thanos or Lucina didn’t send that guy to your father’s condo?”
“I don’t, but I couldn’t think of anything else. Duncan needs help, and I thought Dr. Williams might be here. It’s not like we can stroll into a hospital or clinic to get treatment for a gunshot wound. Even if we managed to cover up what we are, they would still have to report the incident to the police.”
“I don’t like this.”
“Neither do I, but like you said, we can’t do this alone.”
I could still feel Samuel fuming as we got on the elevator, but he didn’t say anything else.
My legs felt like Jell-o by the time we got off on the fourteenth floor. I had kept second guessing myself the entire ride. Going to Lucina was probably the stupidest thing I could have done. I just reminded myself that Lucina had ample opportunity to take me or kill me if that was what she really wanted to do.
We walked into the room, and a young woman I didn’t recognize greeted us. She appeared shocked at seeing all of us. I wondered what she was doing there. She was human but there was no chance she could ever be an Immortal. So why would they allow her to stay with them?
Lucina began barking order as soon as the door closed. “Bring a shower curtain and all of the towels from the bathrooms. While you’re at it, order a few large trash bags and two extra blankets. Tell the concierge to put it on our bill.”
The young woman nodded and left.
“It’s very nice to see you again, Miss Taylor,” Thanos said from one of the sofas. “It looks like we found you just in time.”
Samuel cleared the distance to Thanos in a matte
r of seconds. The sudden shift of all Duncan’s weight onto me nearly sent us toppling to the floor. It took me a few seconds to regain my balance and focus on the two men. Samuel had Thanos by the collar and was pushing him toward the window. I seriously doubted that even the reinforced glass would be able to stand up against Samuel if he decided to throw Thanos through it. Lucina watched the unfolding scene with a bemused look on her face.
“What game are you playing at?” Samuel demanded, shaking Thanos.
“I should ask you the same thing. Because of you and Dr. Williams, Miss Taylor was nearly taken and Duncan may die.”
“What are you talking about?” Samuel asked, faltering.
“Ethan. You called him three days ago.”
“How do you know that?”
“Ethan isn’t the only one with resources.”
“Forgive me for interrupting,” the young woman from earlier said in a thick French accent. “But where would you like me to place all of this?” She held the shower curtain and towels.
Samuel released his grip on Thanos but stayed close by him.
“Lay them out on the floor in the sitting area,” Lucina finally answered.
The young woman walked over and spread the shower curtain on the floor, followed by several sets of towels. “Is there anything else I can do?”
“No. If you would go wait in the foyer, I’ll call you if we need anything.”
She nodded and left the room.
Lucina came over and helped me lay Duncan on the makeshift mat. I had to admit that putting the shower curtains on the floor was pretty smart. It would prevent any blood from staining the floor. I didn’t want to think about how she knew to do that.
“Would you mind telling me how Duncan was injured?” Thanos asked, joining Lucina and me.
“We aren’t through talking,” Samuel interrupted.
“For now we are. There are more important things to deal with. Please answer my question, Miss Taylor?”
Samuel’s expression was a mixture of anger and disbelief as I recounted the events in the condo. Thanos and Lucina appeared concerned a few times but didn’t seem too disturbed.
“Where is the body?” Lucina interrupted.