To a girl like Violet, Jessica’s husband would appear as a lit Christmas tree in a dark forest. She could not help but see what he truly was, and if they fought, Elena feared for Violet’s safety.
She turned into the driveway of Jessica’s home and had to slow around the curves. Relief swept over her when she saw that Jessica’s car was parked in front of the house. As she stepped from her vehicle, Elena heard shouts. One of the voices was Violet’s, while the other came from Jessica’s husband.
One of Elena’s worst fears came to life before her eyes. She had rounded the corner of the house and saw Violet laying on her side in the grass.
“Nooo,” Elena whispered, but then, Violet laughed, and Elena watched as Liam leapt up from his prone position in front of Violet. Liam held a toy football in his hands, and giggled as he ran away with it. When his father came into view, Liam passed the foam football to him.
Violet was still laughing as she stood. Elena watched as Violet tried to tackle Jessica’s husband. He was too strong, but she managed to trip him up, and the two of them collapsed to the grass together.
Elena gazed in wonder as Violet and Mr. White sat on the ground laughing together, as once again, Liam stole the football away.
Jessica came into view with Emma in her arms and Samantha at her side. When Violet saw Elena, the laughter died in her throat.
Elena composed herself and tried to hide her confusion with a smile.
“Hello, Violet.”
Violet stood and brushed off her clothes with her hands. After walking over to stand before Elena, she looked at her as if she were awaiting a verbal assault.
Elena opened her arms, and Violet fell into them as the words, “I’m sorry I’ve let you down,” slipped from her lips in a whisper.
Elena hugged her.
“All families have squabbles, dear; it doesn’t change the way we feel about each other. You’ve been like a second daughter to me. I don’t want to lose that.”
“You forgive me?”
Elena held Violet out at arm’s length.
“Yes, but I’m afraid the others may be tougher on you.”
“I’ll earn their trust again.”
Elena grinned.
“It won’t be difficult; you’ve already earned their love.”
CHAPTER 23
Elena told Jessica that she needed to speak with her and her husband, and asked if Samantha could watch the children for a few minutes.
The kids were worn out, and after giving them juice, Jessica laid them atop the sofa. Liam crawled over, placed his head on Samantha’s lap, and fell asleep within seconds.
Jessica smiled.
“Liam loves you, and you’ll make a good big sister.”
Samantha smiled back as she brushed a hand over Liam’s hair.
When Emma fell asleep a minute later, Jessica excused herself and joined her husband, Elena, and Violet in the office.
“What’s going on?” Jessica said, as she sat to the left of her husband on the sofa. Violet was sitting on the opposite side of Mr. White. All three of them looked over at Elena, who was leaning back against the desk.
Elena walked over and looked down at Violet.
“I saw the way you were eyeing Samantha, you can tell that she’s different, can’t you?”
“Yes, but I was prepared for it; I’ve heard you and Jessica discuss her before.”
“Have you ever come across a predator that young?”
“No, but I did see a teenage boy once who was a predator. I watched him for weeks and saw that he had a great family life. He was a football player and very aggressive, but I never saw him intentionally hurt someone. I became convinced that they weren’t all evil, and Samantha seems like a good girl.”
Jessica had listened to this exchange and wondered where Elena was going with it. When the answer came to her, her face twisted in confusion. Jessica leaned forward, looked past Mr. White, and spoke to Violet.
“What do you think of my husband?”
Violet blushed slightly.
“He’s very nice... and very handsome.”
“Anything else?”
“I don’t understand, Jessica, what are you asking?”
Mr. White understood what was behind the questioning, but wasn’t confused. He just assumed that Elena’s assumptions about her gift weren’t all correct.
“Violet, I’m like Samantha.”
Violet stared at him, then looked at Elena.
“Is this a joke?”
Elena shook her head.
“You really don’t see it, do you?”
Violet stood and gestured at Mr. White.
“He’s not one of them. Look at him, he’s normal. I don’t feel that special type of weirdness around him, and I would if he were like that.”
Jessica stood too, and spoke to Elena.
“I guess it doesn’t always register.”
“No, Jessica, it does, I’m certain of it... with one exception.”
Mr. White had stood as Elena was speaking. Jessica turned and looked at her husband standing beside Violet. Looking turned into staring, and then scrutinizing, and the truth hit her and weakened her knees enough to cause her to collapse back onto the sofa.
“Oh good God, she’s yours. Why did I not see it before? She has your nose, your mouth, even her height, oh God, oh God, and she’s also a twin.”
Mr. White was shaking his head emphatically.
“No! I have never cheated on you. Jessica. She can’t be mine.”
Violet stepped back.
“What’s going on.”
“Tell them what your mother told you about your father, Violet,” Elena said.
“My father died when I was very young, but he wasn’t really my father. When she was dying, my mother confessed that Viola and I were the product of an affair she had with a neighbor. It wasn’t that startling a revelation; we look nothing like our older sisters.”
White’s head whipped around.
“How old are you, Violet?”
“Twenty-one.”
“And what was your mother’s name?”
“Heidi Poe, my mom was Heidi Poe.”
White took Violet by the shoulders.
“I had an affair with your mother while I was still a teenager and before I met Jessica. When your family moved away, I never heard from your mother again.”
“What... what are you saying?”
“I think you’re my daughter.”
Jessica had recovered from her shock. She stood and placed a hand on her husband’s back.
“You told me a long time ago that you had slept with a married neighbor when you were a teenager. Oh, this means you have two more children.”
Violet freed herself from White’s grip and raised her hands.
“If this is true, I won’t ask you for anything. I promise.”
White reached out and caressed Violet’s cheek.
“If you’re really my child, then there’s nothing I won’t give you.”
Elena blew out a breath.
“This is huge news, and I suggest you verify it through DNA testing, but I believe you are family, as well as Viola.”
“Viola?” White said. “She’s with Prophet?”
“Yes,” Elena said. “And I promise you and Violet that I’ll do my best to see that she comes to no harm.”
“Prophet was already in my sights for threatening my children,” White said. “But now I have even more incentive to find him.”
Violet grabbed Jessica’s arm.
“Prophet threatened Liam and Emma, when?”
“That’s right, you don’t know,” Jessica said, and proceeded to tell Violet about the men Prophet sent to attack them.”
“Five serial killers? What happened?”
“We handled it,” White said. “Jessica and I, and also Samantha.”
“And they came here to take the children as a trade for Viola?”
“That was what one of them said.”
; Violet shook her head.
“Viola couldn’t believe Prophet capable of that level of depravity. If she did, she wouldn’t be as in love as I think she is.”
“Viola said that she loved Prophet?” Elena said.
“No, but I can tell that she does, and it’s why she justifies the actions Prophet has taken, but if I’m right, then we’ve been deceived.”
“What do you mean?” Jessica asked.
Violet smiled.
“Viola and I love each other, but we’re different in many ways. Viola is gay, Jessica. If she’s in love with Prophet, then that means that Prophet is a woman.”
***
In a neighboring state, Viola stepped off a train and made her way outside to the cab stand.
A short ride later, and she had arrived at the new address that Prophet had given her. It was a house on a quiet street. The homes were all old and looked indistinguishable in their griminess and disrepair, but then, Viola spotted the camera over the door of number 22.
There was also a new intercom beside the doorbell. Viola pushed the button as she smiled up at the camera.
“Code word?” said a voice.
“Seriously, Prophet? After all the running around I did to get here.”
“You’re an identical—”
“I know, I know, I’m an identical twin and I might be my sister pretending to be me.” Viola released a long sigh, recalled which day of the week it was, and gave the appropriate code word. “Raindrop.”
A buzzer sounded and Viola opened the door. She stepped inside and heard footsteps approaching from the rear of the house. When Prophet appeared, Viola squealed and ran to her, to fall into her arms and kiss her.
Prophet was even taller than Viola, and her long blond hair seemed to shimmer. A former runway model, Prophet was much older than Viola, yet still maintained a youthful appearance.
When they had separated from their embrace, Prophet looked Viola up and down.
“You look no worse for wear than the last time I saw you.”
“I can thank my sister for that.”
“My organization is worse for wear, and I can thank your sister for that as well.”
“Does this mean we have to wait?”
“Yes, but not for very long. Due to your efforts, I have the names of more serial killers than I thought I would need. It will take time to contact them and get them in line, but then we go ahead with our plan.”
“The men you sent to Dr. White’s house are all dead?”
“I believe so. That means that the doctor and her husband are more formidable than I thought. I should have known that, the doctor’s husband did kill Numerical. As much as I disliked Numerical, he was a force to be reckoned with.”
Viola smiled wide as a devilish light entered her eyes. Prophet took note of it and asked a question.
“Why do you suddenly look like the cat that swallowed the canary?”
“The what?”
Prophet laughed.
“It’s an old saying that my mother often used. It means that you looked smug all of a sudden.”
“That’s because I just had a great idea.”
“And what is that?”
“You’re always so worried about Violet finding you by pretending to be me, what if I pretended to be her and infiltrated Dr. White’s house?”
Prophet’s mouth parted slightly, then formed into a smile.
“That is an excellent idea, but you’d have to be extremely careful.”
“I’m positive that Dr. White wouldn’t be able to tell us apart, not if I dressed like Violet and wore less makeup.”
Prophet paced about for a few moments as she weighed the pros and cons of the idea. When she stopped walking, she nodded once.
“We’ll do it, but first, we need to rebuild. Come to the office with me and help me get into my disguise and set up the voice filter. I’ve some new men to make contact with.”
Viola laughed as she followed Prophet to a small room off the hallway.
“It’s so clever of you to make everyone believe you’re a man.”
“It’s one precaution of many that I’ve taken. What we’re attempting to do will bring hell down upon us.”
As they reached the room, Viola spun Prophet around and hugged her.
“Soon, we’ll be rich and never have to fear anyone again.”
Prophet hugged Viola back while smiling at her naiveté. Viola was the only person on the planet who knew her identity. Once Prophet had put her plan to work and had all the money she would ever need, why in the world would she ever let Viola live?
“I love you,” Viola said.
“And I love you,” Prophet said, and afterwards, she had to force herself to keep from laughing.
CHAPTER 24
At Jessica’s house, Elena, Violet, Jessica, and Mr. White sat at the kitchen table talking.
White sat on Violet’s right side, while Jessica was to Violet’s left. Samantha was there as well, and had just been told the news that Violet was Mr. White’s daughter. When Jessica looked across the table and saw a look of worry enter Samantha’s eyes, she assured her that this changed nothing, and that they would still adopt her.
“You’ll just have a big sister, two actually, once we break Viola free from Prophet.”
“Who was her mother?”
“Someone I knew a long time ago,” Mr. White said. “And I never realized until today that I could be a father because of that relationship.”
Samantha stared at Violet, and then sent her a curt nod.
“I like her.”
Jessica laughed.
“Don’t be so emotional about it.”
“Don’t tease me; I like her, I do.”
“Good,” Jessica said. “You’ll be seeing a lot more of her.”
Mr. White took Violet’s hand.
“I want us to get tested. I need to know for certain.”
“So do I,” Violet said.
Jessica leaned over and kissed Violet on the cheek.
“I knew that I was gaining one daughter with Samantha, But I didn’t know that I’d be blessed with two more.”
Violet gave a little shrug with one shoulder.
“Do you really feel that way? This has to be a shock for you.”
“Yes, honey, it is a shock, but you know I’ve always liked you.”
“Thank you, Jessica, but I promise to stay out of the way.”
“Nonsense, you and your father need to get to know each other.”
Violet gave Mr. White’s hand a squeeze as she smiled.
“A Father? I’ve never really had one.”
White smiled back at her, but his smile was sad.
“Unfortunately, that’s something we have in common.”
***
A short time later, Elena and Violet left Jessica’s home to travel back to the PREY house.
Violet was nervous. She kept asking Elena if she really thought it was a good idea for her to return so soon.
“You should drop me at a hotel.”
“Nonsense.”
“They’ll never trust me again.”
“Yes they will, some sooner than others.”
“You’re talking about Cassandra?”
“Yes.”
“She must hate me.”
“No dear, but she is angry, and hurt.”
“If it had been anyone else but Viola, I would have let her do what she needed to do.”
“Cassandra will see that in time. She has a sister too.”
***
When they entered the house, Violet was glad to see that it looked empty, but then voices came from upstairs. It was Cassandra and Kelly.
They were laughing about something until they saw Violet, and then they both grew quiet, while Cassandra glared.
Violet prepared herself for retaliation by Cassandra, and figured she owed the woman at least one free punch. Cassandra walked over to Violet and stared her in the eye.
“Cassandra, I want
you to know that I—”
“Shut up and turn around.”
“Why?”
“Just shut up and turn around.”
Violet hesitated, but then turned her back to Cassandra.
“Good, now, on the count of three I want you to fall backwards and let me catch you. Okay, here we go, 1, 2, 3.”
Violet fell backwards. She wasn’t stupid. She assumed that Cassandra was going to let her fall. Violet braced for the impact with the floor, but to her surprise, Cassandra caught her. Afterwards, Violet was lowered gently to the carpet.
Violet raised herself onto one elbow and looked up to find Cassandra glaring at her again.
“Now you know how we do things around here,” Cassandra said. “We catch each other when we fall. We never harm each other.”
Cassandra walked towards the front door as Kelly offered Violet a hand to help her up.
“Welcome back, and next time, call a meeting. I for one would have voted to let your sister go.”
“Why?” Violet said.
“Because she was your sister, and you’re our sister.”
Kelly followed Cassandra out the door and Violet began crying.
Elena rubbed her back.
“You’ve had a hell of a day.”
“Yes, but it feels good to be back home... and now I have a father too. Is he really a predator?”
“Yes, but he controls his urges, and even better, he uses them for the good.”
“I liked him immediately. Oh, I wish Viola knew about him. She would like him too.”
“We’ll find her again, and no, no one will harm her.”
“About Prophet, I’m certain that it’s a woman. Viola is friendly with men, but she’d never fall in love with one.”
“That may help in our search.”
“How?”
“To do the things that Prophet has done, those are the fruits of a sick mind, but also a brilliant one. I’ll have Thomas run a search through the government’s databases using certain parameters and see if anything comes up.”
“What about the name? Why Prophet? And in the past, she gave the serial killers the names of the apostles. That must mean something.”
“It does, it’s a clue, and if we gather enough of them, we just might find that they lead us to her.”
Taken! - Bedeviled (A Taken! Novel Book 17) Page 11