by Wendi Wilson
I pushed against his shoulders and he fell back against the bed. I followed, my mouth latching onto his neck before trailing down to his chest. A groan vibrated there, pushing me to a near frenzy.
I kissed my way back up to his neck and grazed my teeth against the delicate flesh there. He growled low in his throat, his hands fisting in my hair and holding me there. Running on instinct and hormones, I bit down a little harder. Jett groaned louder, his hands increasing their pressure.
“Yes,” he moaned. “Please.”
That’s all it took. I bit down, hard, my sharp teeth breaking the skin. The flavor of his blood exploded across my tongue and I whimpered with pleasure. He tasted amazing.
The world tilted on its axis as he flipped over, reversing our positions. He kissed me, hard, licking his blood from my lips. Pulling back, he stared into my eyes.
“Are you sure?” he asked, his voice cracking with emotion.
“I’m sure, Jett,” I said. “I love you.”
He answered me with a deep, intense kiss. Then another, and another. He moved slow, showing me how much he loved me with every caress. Every brush of his lips against my skin.
He was so attentive, so gentle and generous, I couldn’t have asked for anything more. I gave him everything in me, and he gave it back tenfold.
It was perfect. He was perfect. For a brief time, everything was perfect.
Chapter Twenty-Four
The drive to school was a bit tense, to say the least. It was obvious that Wyatt and Beckett had guessed what happened between Jett and me. We’d stayed in Jett’s room the rest of the afternoon, talking and kissing until we’d fallen asleep. It occurred to me as we drove in silence, that the boys probably heard everything. My face flamed every time I caught one of them staring at the bandage on Jett’s neck.
I was sitting in the backseat with Wyatt, who was staring out the window, a muscle ticking in his jaw. I reached over and touched his thigh, hoping to gain his attention. He flinched, so I pulled my hand away. He grabbed it and pulled it back to his knee, interlacing our fingers together.
“Are you mad at me?” I whispered, despite knowing the others would hear me anyway.
“No, I’m not mad at you,” he said, but his eyes were flat and his lips turned down.
“It feels like you’re mad at me,” I said, turning to look at the back of Beckett’s head. “Both of you.”
Beckett turned around to look at me. “It’s not you we’re mad at, Savanna.”
“You shouldn’t be mad at all,” I said, my voice sounding weak to my own ears.
“He took advantage of you,” Wyatt growled. “You were in no condition to…”
“To what?” I snapped, pulling my hand from his. “No condition to what, Wyatt? To make my own decision? To follow through on that decision?”
“Savanna, you were upset,” Beckett said.
“Yes, Beckett, I was upset, but Jett did not take advantage of me. I was in total control. I set the pace and the distance.” I looked back at Wyatt. “Would it have been okay if it were you instead?”
I knew I was hitting below the belt, but it was too much. I couldn’t handle everything that was going on with Dr. Patton, the Purists, my parents, my schoolmates, the national news and deal with dissention amongst us. We needed to clear the air, and quick.
“Of course not,” Wyatt said, but his denial was weak, at best.
“You said you’d never lie to me,” I said, my voice gentle as I took his hand again, interlacing our fingers.
He breathed in, long and deep, before letting it out on a sigh. “Okay,” he said, resigned, “maybe part of it is jealousy. Can you blame me?” He pointed at Beckett. “Blame us?” he amended. “You chose Jett over us.”
“I did no such thing,” I said, my voice firm. “I choose you all, one thousand percent equally. I kissed you first.” I looked at Beckett. “I experienced my first…you know, with you.”
Wyatt and Jett both inhaled sharply at that admission, but otherwise didn’t respond. Jett pulled into the school parking lot and swung the truck into a spot. No one moved to get out or spoke, so I kept going with my argument.
“You all knew it would eventually come to this, right? You talked to me about it. You talked about it amongst yourselves. I know you did, because you guys talk about everything. Well, almost everything,” I said, glancing at Beckett. He obviously hadn’t told them how far we went together. “Did you expect me do it for the first time with all of you, at once? To make it fair and even?”
“No.”
The word echoed around me as the three of them answered in unison, obviously appalled at the suggestion. Wyatt sighed and leaned over, kissing me briefly before mumbling an apology. I caught his eye as he pulled back and jerked my head toward Jett.
He rolled his eyes, muttering, “Sorry, Jett.”
Beckett apologized to his brother, as well, before reaching over the back of the seat toward me. I took his hand and squeezed it, letting him know that I wasn’t angry. As he turned back to the front, Jett caught my eye in the rearview mirror. He shot me a thankful smile before speaking.
“Are you ready to go in?” he asked.
“No,” I admitted.
“We can go back home,” Wyatt suggested.
“Yeah, you don’t have to do this, Savanna,” Beckett added.
“Yes, I do,” I said. “I have to do something. I can’t just hide at your house, waiting for your uncle to come make more demands.”
I reached across Wyatt and pulled at the door handle. It swung open and he hopped out, helping me climb down behind him. Beckett and Jett met us in front of the truck and we walked toward the building as one unit, my boys surrounding me in a tight, protective formation.
We were late, so the parking lot, as well as the hallways, were devoid of people. Jett swung open the door to our classroom and all eyes flew to us as we filtered in, one by one. I mumbled and apology to Mr. Gillespie for being late and, uncharacteristic for me, met the eyes of every single student I passed.
Someone at school, possibly even in that class, was immune to persuasion. Someone was leaking videos of me left and right, showing the world things I’d rather have kept under wraps. Someone was in league with Dr. Patton, another weapon in his arsenal, primed and ready to strike in his war against all Alts.
I narrowed my eyes at Fiona as I passed her, but she refused to meet my gaze. She was being careful. She could pretend not to remember our fight, that the boys’ persuasion worked on her and she had no idea, but I could see the truth in her tense shoulders and bouncing knee. She remembered. All of it.
I sat through the entire class, not hearing any of our teacher’s words. Luckily, he never called on me to answer a question. All I could think about was who, other than Fiona, could be involved with Dr. Patton and the Divine Church of Purity. I’d grown up with all these kids. Though they were often petty and self-absorbed, I couldn’t really imagine any of them being religious radicals.
Nothing out of the ordinary happened in class, other than some curious stares. Some of them probably wondered if the girl on the news could be me, but were too nervous to ask. They saw me, or someone who could be me, persuade a hundred people at once. It was only natural that they’d be afraid to say something.
The bell rang and we stood. I took the lead, wanting to get near Fiona to see if she’d say anything. She didn’t. She just put her head down and slipped through the door, disappearing into the crowd.
“Savanna!”
I turned to see Lizzie heading toward me, waving an arm in the air. I paused to wait for her, the boys circling around me, staring down anyone who dared to look at me sideways. I cleared my throat before shaking my head at them.
“If you scare everyone off,” I whispered, “we’ll never find out who knows what.”
They immediately relaxed their stances, letting their faces fall blank. Lizzie stopped in front of me, reaching out to grab my hand.
“I texted you a gazillion tim
es,” she said, pulling me forward and linking her arm through mine.
I looked back at the boys helplessly, and they followed behind us. I returned my attention to Lizzie.
“Sorry,” I said. “I had my phone off. I was sick.”
“You’re feeling better, I hope,” she said.
Her eyes roved the hallway, scanning every person we passed but never looking at me. A slight chill ran down my spine, a trickle of premonition trying to burst to the surface as Lizzie veered to the right and pulled me into the girls’ bathroom. The one place the boys wouldn’t follow.
“Don’t say a word,” Lizzie whispered after turning on the water faucet.
She held up her phone and jiggled it while holding out her empty palm. I pulled my phone from my pocket and handed it to her, assuming that’s what she wanted. She tapped a few buttons and handed it back to me as she spoke.
“I know it was you, at the homeless shelter,” she said, furiously typing on her own phone.
My screen lit up with the incoming text message, but no sound or vibration accompanied it. She’d turned off the notifications.
I’m wearing a wire. Only respond to what I say out loud.
“Wh-what do you mean?” I stuttered, suddenly nervous.
“I saw you on T.V. I know it was you.”
My parents are members of the Purist church. They made me do it.
I opened my mouth to ask, “Do what?” but she quickly held a finger to her lips before pointing to her chest. I noticed a small bulge under her shirt. A microphone.
“I’ll tell everyone what you can do,” she said, tapping away at her phone.
The party, the drugs, the group text of the video. The footage of Jonas and the boys in the hall. Even the shelter. It was all me. I’m so sorry.
“No one will believe you,” I said, and she nodded with approval.
I had to pretend I wanted to do it. That I was enjoying it.
I could hear the boys outside, quietly debating on whether or not to barge into the bathroom to rescue me, so I quickly pulled up Wyatt’s number and texted him.
Don’t come in. It’s a ruse. I’ll explain later.
“People wouldn’t have to believe me, really,” she said, responding to my last statement. “Once the rumor is out there, no one will fully trust you ever again. But I don’t have to worry about that, anyway. I have other evidence.”
He’s giving people your blood. That’s why the persuasion doesn’t work. It makes us immune.
I bit back a gasp at the revelation. Clearing my throat, I said, “What evidence? What do you want, Lizzie?”
She nodded, approving of my angry tone. “I want to make a deal.”
Fiona? I typed before tapping the send button.
She nodded again. She got her dose two weeks ago. Brother Earl has been planning this for years. All of the pieces are falling into place.
“What kind of deal?” I asked.
“You use your power for me, whenever I ask, and I won’t tell a soul what I know. Otherwise, I show everyone this.”
She pushed her phone into my face. On the screen, I was standing behind the counter at the shelter, yelling at the homeless man to apologize. Only it was a different angle. This one showed my full face, leaving no doubt as to my identity. My mouth fell open as she quickly pulled her phone back and began typing.
“Do you understand now?” she asked, her voice harsh.
It was all a set up. The man was sent by Brother Earl to make you angry. To make you react. He’s been going there every Sunday, waiting for you to show up. Jett being there with you was a bonus.
“So, if I say no, and refuse to do whatever you want, you’ll show that to the school?”
She laughed.
He wants to use you. You have to run. Get away from here. Take the brothers with you, or he’ll use them to get you back.
“No, Savanna, I won’t show it to just the school. I’ll show it to the police, the news stations, everyone.”
As she spoke, I typed out a message to her.
Why are you helping me?
“Okay, fine. I’ll agree,” I said, filling my voice with resignation.
He’s crazy. He’s turned my parents crazy. I didn’t sign up for this. What they plan to do is wrong.
“Good decision,” she said. “I’ll be in touch.”
As she walked out the door, one last text message came through.
Delete all these messages and don’t contact me about this again until I say it’s safe. They’re always watching, checking my phone and emails. I’m sorry, Savanna. Remember what I said. Run.
As I followed her out into the hall and she sashayed away, I realized she never told me what Dr. Patton and the Purists were planning to do. All I knew was it involved me, my power, and my blood.
Chapter Twenty-Five
“She could be lying,” Wyatt said, sitting down next to me on the riverbank.
After watching Lizzie walk away, I told the boys we were leaving and rushed out to the truck. Before we got in, I warned them to let me speak while we were in the truck and not ask me anything. That I would explain later.
Once inside, I told Jett to drive us somewhere, anywhere but home. I repeated the spoken conversation between Lizzie and I, cutting them off when one of them would try to interrupt that they’d already heard the entire conversation from outside the bathroom. They were looking at me like I was insane by the end of the ride.
Once out of the truck and down by the water, I explained everything. The ruse, the texts, the revelations. I told them about the wire she was wearing and my fear that their uncle may have somehow bugged the inside of the truck. No place was safe from his eyes and ears.
“Why would she go to such lengths to lie?” I asked in response to Wyatt’s statement. “She had clear video evidence of me, persuading all those people. Dr. Patton obviously wanted her to use it as leverage to bend me to his will while making me think it’s all her.”
“So, if she’s been working for him all this time, why turn against him now?” Beckett asked as he squatted down in front of me.
“He must have revealed his endgame,” Jett said, plopping down on Wyatt’s other side. He was keeping a bit of distance between us to keep his brothers focused on the problem at hand, and off what happened the night before.
“I agree,” I said. “She said something about him being crazy and making her parents crazy. Whatever it is, it’s bad.”
“Can I see the texts?” Beckett asked.
I pulled out my phone and handed it over. “You guys read it, then we need to delete them. Lizzie is our only chance at getting more information, so we can’t blow her cover. If your uncle somehow saw them…”
I shivered, not even able to consider what he might do. As they took turns reading, I pondered all my dealings with Dr. Patton. The office visits, the persuasion practice, the blood. Anger flared as I concluded that he was not testing the blood he took from me every week. He was stockpiling it, giving it to his cult members. The people in his waiting room that night back in February. It was no wonder they were staring at me in such a creepy fashion. I was…
“Oh, shit!” I said, jumping to my feet. “Shit. Gross.”
“What?” Wyatt asked, standing and taking my hand as I paced.
“The savior,” I choked out. “He called me the savior after the Purist meeting. The key to their salvation.”
“Yeah,” Jett said. “You told us that.”
“Savanna,” Beckett said, clasping my shoulders. “Slow down.”
I met his eyes, slowing my breathing to match his. Once I had calmed enough to speak rationally, I nodded and he released me.
“The communion,” I said. “Brother Earl,” I spat, “said ‘Body of Christ’ when he gave each person a cracker.”
When I paused, Jett arched a brow and Wyatt nodded, motioning for me to go on. Beckett just waited, ever patient, for me to continue in my own time.
“When he gave each member a drink from t
he cup, he didn’t say ‘Blood of Christ.’ He said ‘Blood of the Savior.’ Then he called me the savior not thirty minutes later. I’m so stupid, I didn’t even get it. He was taunting me, telling me the truth. He was letting those wackadoos drink my blood. Right in front of me.”
Silence reigned for several minutes while everyone absorbed my words. The soft sounds of the flowing water soothed me as determination pushed away the hysteria trying to control me. We needed a plan.
As if reading my mind, Wyatt broke the silence. “What are we going to do?”
“Lizzie wants us to run,” I said.
“Do you want to run?” Jett asked.
“Of course not,” I said. “You guys know me. I never run from a fight. But we don’t know what we’re up against, here. Your uncle is capable of anything.” I looked at each of them before reiterating, “Anything.”
“Well, you could always go home, break your parents’ persuasion and get their help,” Beckett offered.
I shook my head. “No. That would just put me back at square one, with them trying to force me to run and hide, leaving you three behind. That is not happening.”
“We can’t stay at Uncle Earl’s house anymore,” Wyatt said, staring at the swirling current. “We searched the house for cameras, but he could have microphones anywhere.”
“What if we hide out for a few weeks?” Jett suggested. “We’ll be eighteen in a week and a half, and Savanna’s birthday is only two weeks later. We’ll be adults, with no legal guardians to try to control us.”
“What about school?” I asked.
I knew it was stupid, being worried about school after finding out a madman wanted to use me to eliminate an entire group of people. But graduation was only a couple of months away. I’d been working my whole life toward it and I didn’t want to fail senior year like some loser.
“What if we stay where we are,” Beckett said. “Uncle Earl doesn’t know that we know the truth. We go on like before, hold out until we’re eighteen and see what happens. We’re not in the dark anymore. We just won’t discuss anything at home.”