Chapter Eight
They’d had a wonderful day together which ended with a delicious meal at a new restaurant that had opened only the month before. Though being in a busy restaurant had given her palpitations, Deborah had done her best not to let it show.
Ginny had introduced her to the man she claimed was the love of her life and as far as men went, Mitch was pretty good. He certainly doted on Ginny which of course, was exactly what Ginny deserved. But they were a good pair. His sense of humor was as weird as Ginny’s.
By the time they were finished eating it was time for Ginny to go to work, and though Deborah told her she would be fine alone, her insides were like jelly.
After Mitch and Ginny dropped her off at the house, she let herself in then stood in the foyer, back pinned against the wall, her feet frozen to the floor. There were a dozen or more hiding places in this huge house. With her heart pounding, she stared into the open living room and kitchen. This part of the house would be easy to search. The only real hiding place on this level was the broom closet. It was the upper and lower levels that terrified her. There was no way she could look in every spot in this house alone. She just wasn’t up for that.
Why had she told Ginny she would be fine going inside alone? She should have asked either her or Mitch to go in with her to check the place out. But she’d wanted to be nice and let the two lovebirds have some time by themselves before Ginny had to get to work.
So here she was, alone, in a huge house with over a dozen spots for an abductor to hide. And she just couldn’t bring herself to move from the foyer.
Sliding down, she planted her butt against the door. The only light that was on came from the kitchen. So Deborah stared into the lit room, her ears primed for any unusual noise. She heard a creak on the upper level and hurrying to her feet, yanked open the door and ran for her car. The instant she was inside, she locked all four doors then sat, heart pounding as she stared at the house.
Putting her keys in the ignition, she turned it over and clicked on the radio. She could drive around the city; get to know the place she’d once called home. But then what? She certainly was not going to come back here and try her luck in the house again. That was just not going to happen.
No, she was better off just staying where she was until Ginny came home from work.
Checking the clock on the consol, Deborah sighed. That was only nine hours away.
Pulling the Blackberry from her purse, Deborah decided to order a book. She could pass the time reading.
***
It was a quiet house tonight. He didn’t like it when it was quiet in his nightclub. As Zach wandered around, he stopped to talk to the patrons who sipped their alcoholic beverage of choice, some laced with blood, some straight, and wondered where everyone was.
“Is today some sort of holiday?” he asked Wade while taking one of the stools at the end of the bar.
“Not that I’m aware of. Pretty dead, I know. Your usual?” Wade asked while drying one of the bar glasses.
Zach tipped his head. Something was keeping his patrons from coming in for the evening. “How are the wife and kids?”
Wade set the steaming cup of Earl Grey tea in front of Zach then slid the sugar and lemon bowl toward him. “Maggie’s great. She’s into redecorating mode so that’s been keeping her pretty busy. Sam and Lily are annoyed because they’ll have to start school soon.”
Zach added a spoon of sugar, then squeezed a lemon into the tea. “Ah…they found enough teachers to make it worth opening the elementary school again. That’s great.”
“Great for Maggie and I, not so much for the kids,” Wade remarked, getting back to drying his glasses.
“Kids never like school. Personally, I never understood why. I enjoyed school.”
“Yeah well, being a straight A student might have had something to do with that. Not every kid is that lucky. So…,” Wade drawled. “Simone tells me the charges have been dropped on her. Pretty decent, hey?” Wade eyeballed Zach as he set the glass down.
Keeping his cool, Zach replied, “It is at that. And look how much happier she is now. I’ve instructed Benny and Mark to keep an eye on her for a while. She’s feeling a tad bit shaky since last night, understandably. I’d hate to see her relapse.” It had been unfortunate that the way Simone had coped with her abusive husband for the past year was to shove coke up her nose. When she’d shown up at work five months ago, stoned out of her mind sporting a black eye and a swollen mouth he’d hauled her off into his office and made her see what a waste her life had become. She’d crumbled that day, and begged him to help her. He’d gotten her clean of both drugs and the hubby and this hand grabbing incident was not going to smash all those months of hard work Simone had put into her rehab.
“I think it helps that you convinced the woman to drop the charges.” When Zach eyeballed him, Wade only smiled.
His friends were too damn clever.
“Hey, Zach.” Ginny bumped hips with him as she came up to the bar. “I need a gin and tonic, Wade. So, looks like I missed some action last night. Simone filled me in,” she explained when both men tilted their heads at her. “Glad you were there to get her out of the jam, Zach.”
“Why does everyone think I had anything to do with the charges being dropped?” And he should have known better than to think he would get away with it.
“Because you love Simone and you would do anything to protect her. Thanks, Wade.” Taking her drink, Ginny sauntered off.
It was true, he did love Simone and he would do just about anything for her. Still, he hadn’t wanted anyone to know what he’d done. “The woman simply decided it was in her best interest to drop the charges.” Lifting his tea, Zach sipped quietly while Wade continued to stare at him. “Oh fine. I did nothing more than talk to the woman,” he said at long last.
“Which is good. Talk is good. Need that tea topped up?”
“It’s fine, thank you.” Taking it with him, he headed to his office. His employees knew him too damn well. But he smiled thinking about it.
The instant he entered the office he felt the familiar presence. “Hello, little brother.”
In the corner of the room, Eli Adams transformed from the tiny mouse he’d cloaked himself back to his human form. Zach walked casually to his desk, set his tea down before taking his seat. The look on his brother’s face said it all. He’d been caught.
Walking toward him, Eli rested both palms on the desk, and frowned. “How did you know I was there?”
Elijah was years younger than Zach—a precarious fifteen year old who loved to spy on his older brother any chance he got. He’d only recently come into his full shape shifting abilities, and Zach knew he should have placated the boy, but he’d had a rough day. He didn’t feel like playing. “I could hear you snickering the moment I entered the room. You know you’re not allowed in the bar while it’s open.”
With a careless shrug, Eli walked around the office, examining everything that caught his fancy. “No one saw me come in. Besides, the place is dead. I figured you could use some entertainment.”
“Do Mom and Dad know you’re out of the house?”
Eli turned and the look on his face spoke volumes. “Of course.”
Zach casually picked up his telephone. “So if I called them right now, they’d say it’s all right for you to be out at midnight on a school night?”
Eli grimaced. “Fine! No, they don’t know I’m out.” Zach began to dial, only stopping when Eli pleaded, “Come on, man. I was bored and school’s a drag. You have to help me out. Convince Mom and Dad to give me some space.”
Ahh…the agony of a teenager. He set the phone back down. “You have plenty of space, Eli.”
“You know what I mean. They expect me to be in the house at nine. Nine! I’m fifteen years old! None of my friends have to be home that ear
ly.”
Zach picked up his cup, wishing he’d had just a moment alone to savor the tea before having to deal with his baby brother. “And why is it you have to be home by nine in the evening, Eli?”
“Okay, so I snuck out of the house, but I just wanted to have some fun. It was one time,” Eli justified in a typical teenage whine.
Zach carefully set his tea down as he responded, “One time? Might I remind you of why our parents put such a strict curfew on you?”
The shame came into his eyes as he lowered his head. “No, you don’t. Okay, I know I was involved with Chaos.” His head came up, eyes fierce. “But I walked away before the shit hit the fan so at least they could cut me a break on that. I did what was right in the end.”
Chaos had been one bad-ass vampire who had cloaked the city of Jacob’s Cove in darkness by performing a ritual using five innocent girls. He terrorized the city for nearly a year before the now-Mayor and Chief of police, Trinity and Basil Hawthorn, put a stop to it. “The fact that you lied to everyone; that you fell into the ranks of such evil should be excused because you finally came to your senses? You’re still doing it—hanging with the wrong crowd. You’re not proving to them or anyone that you’ve changed.”
Eli kicked the desk as he grumbled. “Who else am I supposed to hang with? All my friends left.”
He was not going to fall for the sob act. “There are still decent individuals in the city. You just need to look.”
“Well how am I supposed to find them if I can’t go out past nine? You have to talk to them, Zach. Please.”
“You think they’ll listen to me? I’m the one who brought you along when I came here to start this club.” Eli had been on summer break and his parents had thought it would be good for him to tag along with Zach and help him get the bar started. What Eli had done instead was get into a shit-load of trouble. “You did the crime, little brother; now you do the time.”
Look at him sulk, and he wants to be given more space and treated like an adult. Zach only shook his head.
“This sucks. It sucks big time.” Eli kicked the desk one more time.
“Welcome to life, little brother.” Zach picked up his phone. “I’ll have one of the bouncers take you home.”
“I can—”
“No!” He stopped him mid attempt. “You will not be walking home.” How stupid did his brother think he was?
“Fine. Then can’t one of those sexy waitresses of yours do it?” Eli lifted his brows, wiggling them.
“Absolutely not.” As he called the front to have Benny drive his brother home, Eli sat on the sofa and sulked.
Weren’t brother’s fun?
***
She lay, tied to the bed, her body exposed to him and all she could do was whimper. He touched her intimately as a lover would but had no right to. His long fingers glided over flesh that quivered not in anticipation but in fear. She was helpless to his advances yet she did nothing to stop it.
She was tied to a bed.
“You are so beautiful, my sweet Deborah. I have longed to feel you, to touch you, to make you mine.”
As he leaned down to kiss her, the tears slid down her face.
Deborah jolted awake at the tapping on her window. Eyes wide, she stared at her best friend through the fogged-up glass. Her heart was pounding, her breath rapid, and she reminded herself that she’d been saved.
Swallowing, though it wasn’t easy with her throat as dry as bone, Deborah slid her window down.
“What are you doing sleeping out here in your car?”
“I…” She tried so hard to hold back the tears but they were stronger than her. Everyone was stronger than her.
“Oh, Deb.” Through the open window Ginny unlocked the door then pulling it open, took Deborah into her arms. “Come on. Let’s go inside.”
She leaned on her friend’s side as she was led in the house. She paused by the door, her feet refusing to carry her further.
“What’s the matter?”
She sniffled as her eyes darted around the house. “He could be hiding here, anywhere. There’s so much space. I can’t…I can’t go in.”
Taking her by the shoulders, Ginny looked her in the eyes and spoke softly. “He isn’t here, Debbie. Is that why you were sleeping in your car? You thought he was here?”
Her head bobbed up and down rapidly.
“Oh, sweetie.” Pulling Deborah into her arms, Ginny stroked her back. “I hate him for doing this to you. You’re safe here.” She took Deb’s face in her palms, and wiped the tears away. “You are safe.”
All Deborah could do was sob. She was so spineless and she hated that he’d made her that way.
“Come on, we’ll do a search of the house together.”
“No! I can’t,” she gasped.
“I’m here. It’s okay. I know this house inside and out. Do you trust me, Deb?”
“Of course I do, that’s not the issue. He could hurt you too.” She didn’t want anything to happen to Ginny. To anyone else she loved.
Ginny wiped the tears from Deborah’s cheeks again and gave her a soft smile. “Honey, he’d be too busy swallowing his balls to hurt me. Besides, my boss showed me some great protective moves. He’s given all the waitresses a few lessons on self defense. We can do this, Deb—together.” She held her hand out to her friend.
Looking down at it, Deborah let out a long breath before taking it. Her legs were like jelly and her chest ached but she managed to take that first step, and as they searched the house from top to bottom she began to feel a little more stable.
“I won’t do that to you again,” Ginny promised after she’d settled Deborah in her room. “From now on, I come in the house with you. I’m sorry, Deb.”
“No, I’m sorry. I should have gone somewhere else instead of burdening you with my problems.” She felt like such a fool now. She’d let her friend see just how terrified she really was. Deborah hadn’t wanted that. She didn’t want anyone to know how scared she really was.
“Hello. That’s what best friends are for.” Laughing, she kissed Deborah’s head then got to her feet. “You need anything, you just call.”
“I will.” Deborah waited a few more minutes after Ginny had left before she hurried to the door and dragged the chair she’d brought up earlier that day. She shoved it under the door knob then went about placing objects in front of the window.
As she crawled into bed, the sun began to rise.
The darkness was gone and he had nowhere to hide now.
Chapter Nine
This is what he loved to do.
Disguised as a black cat, Zach ran through the forest, no worries, no cares, just running. He climbed trees, looked out and admired the city that was slowly being rebuilt. He’d left Jacob’s Cove fifteen years earlier to pursue other avenues and had bought some of the top nightclubs and bars world-wide. That was something to be proud of. Okay, sure, not all of the money used to start those businesses had been attained legally, but he wasn’t about to admit that openly. He’d used his ability to shape shift to his advantage. He’d have been a fool not to. And it wasn’t as if he used it to steal money. All he’d done was disguise himself in different forms to attain information to get what he wanted. Though he preferred not to change into another human, he’d done it to fool people into giving him what he needed.
He’d become privy to plenty of rising companies as well as failing ones and had invested his money wisely. And of course, there was the gambling and the selling of horses that weren’t really his.
He was filthy rich now, and loving it.
His nightclubs were flourishing. The businesses he had shares in were doing well and all his investments were paying off. He truly was living the high life.
And he was only in his mid thirties.
Yet
with all his money, with everything he could have, he could do, this was what Zach enjoyed the most—to run free.
He pounced from the tree with no effort whatsoever. He scurried through the wooded area, climbed hills and waded through creeks. And by the time he made it to the clearing, the sun was beginning to rise. It really was a beautiful scene to see the day come to life with vibrant colors.
He sat there for the longest time, watching the city come awake and civilians going about their usual daily duties.
This had been his home for the majority of his life. He’d been born in Jacob’s Cove as had every one of his ten siblings. But as he grew he felt the need to travel, to see the world, and so he’d set out to explore. He’d lived in practically every corner of the world, but this was his home.
When the darkness had fallen and the city became the property of the vampires, his parents had moved to Angel Creek to stay with his aunt. Eli had attended school there, and for the most part, they’d lived happily.
Until Zach had decided to start a demon bar in the one city that accepted his kind along with all the other races of vampires, demons and werewolves. His mistake had been taking Eli with him. But he’d felt so sorry for the guy, alone, no siblings in the house like he’d had growing up. Unfortunately, it had backfired on him.
While Zach had been scoping out locations, Eli had been sneaking out of the house to hang with a gang of vampires ruled by a very nasty vampire named Chaos. By the time Zach had found out what his little brother was up to while he wasn’t home, Eli was knee deep in the gang. It was sheer luck that his brother had seen the error of his ways when Chaos had decided to kidnapped the daughter of two very powerful vampires. Those two vampires happened to be the town mayor and chief of police now, Basil and Trinity Hawthorn.
Eli had gone with Zach when he’d dragged him back to their parent’s home in Angel Creek—not that he’d had a choice—but at least Zack could be grateful Eli hadn’t made a run for it.
And now Eli, along with his parents, were back home in Jacob’s Cove, and Eli was beginning to get into trouble. Again.
Shiela Stewart - [Darkness 08] Page 5