The tension building inside me had been released; making the pain of Quinn’s changing a little more manageable. Briefly losing control had been cathartic, but what I needed now was to focus. I also needed my phone. My only hope was I hadn’t smashed it in the heat of the moment.
Finally, I found it a few yards away. Dusting it off, I looked to see whether I had any messages. Two were from my grandmother, and thankfully, none from Quinn. I didn’t bother listening to the voicemails and pushed redial on the displayed number. It picked up after just two rings.
The voice wasn’t familiar and I almost hung up. A little unsure, I asked for my grandmother and I heard her name being called. There was the sound of the phone being laid down and moments later she answered, her greeting weighed down with worry.
“Honey? Are you okay?” Her words rushed out rapidly, and I could tell things were bad. I’d never heard her sound like that before.
“What’s going on, Grandma?” I didn’t see the point of beating around the bush.
“Give me a minute—tell me you’re all right.” I realized I wasn’t going to get the answers I needed without calming her first. I moved back to the doorway, and slid down the wall. This was going to be a long conversation.
She must’ve thought the same because she softly mumbled something and then a clicking sound told me another line was open. There was another noise, a door quietly closing, before I heard someone settle into a chair.
“Sorry, I needed to find somewhere private. Okay, start talking,” my grandmother asked as she turned her full attention to me.
“I don’t even know where to start. Everything was fine, and then it got crazy. Quinn turned into this stranger and told me he wanted to kill me. I ran away and now I’m alone. I didn’t know what to do. Then there were these men who called us vermin—they said something about a charm. There were two other men who fought as I was trying to get to safety. One pulled out a gun, and . . . he shot someone. I thought he’d hurt me next, but this car came speeding toward us and I was able to hide. I couldn’t see anything, but could hear there was more fighting until one of them ran away. Another guy came afterward and they talked about looking for me, but they got a phone call. They left and then I kinda freaked out, and fell asleep.”
I gasped for air as the night’s events spewed out, coming in one long exhausted mess. A sense of relief washed over me as I unburdened everything, and I relaxed against the building, waiting for my grandmother’s response. She’d make it better and tell me what I needed to do.
“Whoa, take a deep breath.” Obediently, I took in another lungful of air, expelling it slowly. The adrenaline that had caused my heart to pound finally slowed as I relaxed.
“I’m fine.” I wasn’t, but hopefully I would be.
My grandmother let out a huge sigh. From the sound of it she was thinking about something heavy—difficult. “Please, Grandma, just tell me,” I pleaded.
“Do you trust me?”
“Of course I do,” I answered, not sure where she was going.
“I want to share everything. It’s time, but I need to know you’re safe first. You say you're hiding in an alleyway, and that worries me. Things are going to get much worse before they get better. I know you’re asking for answers now and you deserve them.”
“I don’t know where to go that’s safe. Truly safe,” I sighed, my mind flickering through different places and disregarding them.
“There are people I want you to meet. They know what’s happening and can help you. They may even be able to assist with Quinn. I need you to ask for a man called Noah and tell him you’re my granddaughter.” Her voice was firm as she began relaying the address, making me repeat it until I had it memorized. It wasn’t too difficult—I’d passed the building before during my commute to work.
“Do you trust them, Grandma?” I asked.
“With your life. After you meet with Noah, call me, and I’ll answer all your questions. I just . . .”
“Safety first. I know,” I interrupted. It felt good to have a plan now and even better that I wouldn’t be alone.
“I love you, Brianna. Be careful, okay? Don’t take any unnecessary risks. Just go straight there. Promise me.” She waited for me to answer.
“I will. Love you too. Talk to you soon.” I hung up and took a deep breath, the address still firm in my mind.
Checking to see whether the coast was clear, I left the entryway and reentered the street. It felt good to be moving again and not hidden away in some dirty alley. Jogging at a brisk pace, my feet pounded on the pavement as my heart thudded in my ears. People were out and about, but I didn’t stop to see whether they were converted—I had somewhere to be.
The streets became more populated as I entered a trendy section of the city. Oxford Street was well known for its restaurants, nightclubs, and specialty stores, always drawing in the locals and tourists. I wasn’t surprised to see the sidewalks were quickly filling or that there were people arguing.
I didn’t want to stop, afraid I’d become caught up in whatever drama was unfolding. I slowed down to a jog and ducked into the nearest alleyway. It wasn’t a good idea to continue being out in the open.
Turning a corner, I didn’t see the person until it was too late—slamming into a man who was blocking my path.
The impact jarred me. I reached out and grabbed the man’s shirt, the material tearing as I tried to prevent myself from falling. I mumbled an apology and turned to leave, but was roughly stopped by my forearm being tightly gripped. The stranger was strong.
“Where the hell do you think you’re going?” the man said as he removed the earphones of his music player. The volume was loud enough I heard the disc jockey announce the upcoming song on the playlist.
I tried to yank from his iron grasp, growling for him to release me. Threatening all kinds of bodily harm, I struggled against him—a man almost twice my size. He didn’t budge, maintaining his stance. I cringed when he laughed, low and menacing.
Cursing to myself, I looked up into icy blue eyes. I glanced at his headphones, remembering the General speaking about using different forms of media. Quinn had become affected by the radio, and then later the movie. I hoped this meant the stranger had only just converted—giving me a window of opportunity. Viciously kicking him in the shins, I snarled through clenched teeth to let me go. His answer was tightening his grip, shaking me for an extra measure.
“You’re going to pay for that, you little witch. I’m going to make you hurt.” I felt his hot breath on my cheek as he dragged me in close. “But not before I have a little fun.” His whispered threat repulsed me.
I struck at him, using my nails to scratch deep grooves into his face. Shocked by the unexpected attack, he immediately released me so he could protect himself. It provided me the chance to escape—one I refused because I’d had enough. I was tired of being the target for lustful, violent men.
“I am sick of people thinking they can hurt me,” I snapped, quickly aiming before I unleashed my frustrations with a well-placed kick. Bending over, the man grunted as obvious pain exploded in his groin, causing him to groan and vomit a little.
“How can you all be so pathetically weak that you can’t fight against it?” My knee slammed into his face next, his nose breaking as blood gushed and left large, red drops on the pavement.
Somewhere in my mind I knew this was wrong, that I needed to run as fast as I could before the anger building inside the stranger erupted and gave him unnatural strength. I was too far gone though, something cracking inside me and without hesitation, I gave my rage an outlet.
Using my fists, I rained them down on his head, his agony filled-grunts music to my ears. Blow after blow I lashed out, not paying any attention to how precarious my position over him was. I moved in again, wanting to kick his ribs when his hand shot out and swiped at my legs. The action threw me off balance, causing me to pitch backwards and land painfully on my back.
Slightly winded, I didn’t move to get
up. I lay there, breathing hard, my muscles shrieking at the way I’d abused them. My mind bombarded me with demands to get up, to either continue fighting, or turn tail and run. But I ignored them as my rage slowly subsided. Just like before, the suggestion had begun working on me, only to reach a certain level of intensity and stopping. I wasn’t angry anymore—I was tired.
The man stirred, sluggishly moving as he assessed the damage I’d caused. I knew when he finally had enough strength he’d retaliate—maybe even kill me if he got the chance. At any time, someone could end my life, regardless of how hard I fought against it.
A new voice filled my thoughts—the angry reproach of what my mother might say filled with a fiery indignation that caused me to flinch.
Don’t give up, sweetheart. Shake off the discouragement. I know this is hard, but you need to fight. You can’t let them win. Think of Quinn. There’s hope, baby, there’s always hope. You’re not alone.
My heart clenched as grief washed over me from the brief communication. Whether it truly was her spirit talking, or my mind doing what it needed to do to survive, it strengthened my resolve.
The man was almost on his knees, slowly dragging himself up as he muttered about all the things he’d do once his hands were around my throat. He was a bear of a man, someone who could inflict a lot of damage, and I struggled for an escape plan. With all the strength I possessed, I pulled back my foot and connected it straight with his head. He hadn’t seen it coming—I knocked him out cold.
“Sorry,” I whispered softly, wondering what would happen when he woke up and found me gone. I was hesitant to pull my gaze away from his still body lying on the ground, backing away cautiously.
I couldn’t stop. I needed to keep going. It was obvious now the streets weren’t secure anymore. Muttering the address under my breath, I turned and ran toward my only hope for safety.
Chapter Ten
I jogged toward the center of the city. Now with a definite purpose in mind, I was careful of my surroundings, keeping an eye out for anything suspicious.
It was shocking to see there were still unaffected people walking about because I’d assumed the suggestion would’ve spread like wildfire. I’d seen how quickly it turned people at the theatre, but something told me it was only a matter of time before the remaining streets would be teeming with violence and mayhem. My chest tightened at the thought, saddened by the inevitable. It wasn’t just me who was suffering from the loss of a loved one.
Barely six blocks from my destination, I didn’t hear the attack until it was too late. A sharp blow hit me across the back and sent me stumbling forward. One moment I was standing, and the next I was sprawled across the sidewalk—completely stunned.
The pain exploding inside my skull caused me to shudder, gasping in shock. Before I could even protect myself, a foot stomped against my side and a sickening thud followed. Agony flared through me as I released a shattering scream. My attacker bent over, grabbing my hair, and dragged me into the nearby side street. No matter how much I kicked and fought against him, I couldn’t break free.
Fear immobilized me. He’d found me and now he was punishing me for some imagined slight. When awareness filtered through that it wasn’t Quinn who held me, terror threatened to cripple me. I couldn’t bargain with a stranger to control the situation and generate mercy. Judging from the wolf whistling and excited exclamations, the stranger wasn’t alone. There were three in the group—a bloodthirsty trio from the sounds of it.
Throwing me to the ground before them, they quickly circled about. I kept my head down and prayed for a miracle. I even prayed that Quinn would come—his actions more appealing than this crowd. I could attempt to use his love for me, guaranteeing some leeway, but not with these men. My skin crawled as I sensed the gaze of each man—feeling the lust that tainted their blue eyes. I tried not to puke as they plotted all the horrible things they wanted do to me.
As the first man approached with a confident swagger, I closed my eyes and braced myself for what was coming. There was a tiny window of opportunity where I could catch him off guard, distracting them all so I could run. I also knew I needed a weapon—things were deteriorating faster now and the streets were becoming too dangerous.
When the guy leaned over, I willed myself to remain limp. I needed to give them the impression I was powerless. As he began lowering himself onto me, I saw my chance. Raising my knee, I drove it directly into his crotch and used my hands to clap over his ears. It was a self-defense move I’d seen in a movie and it surprised me how easily it worked.
He howled in pain, giving me the chance to scramble out from underneath. I made sure to keep the other two men in front of me so there’d be no surprises while I assessed the situation. The shock I’d hoped for wasn’t there and before I could calculate my next move, a fist flew and landed squarely on my jaw. I toppled backward, my arms moving in a windmill motion as I tried to prevent my fall. I couldn’t give them the advantage—I needed to remain on my feet.
I slammed into a wall, thankful it wasn’t the floor, and searched the nearby ground for a weapon. The pickings were slim, but after choosing a trash bin lid, I walloped the approaching man’s head with it. I swung at the third man, ready to flee, but he tore the piece of metal from my hand.
I narrowly escaped a lunging body as I sidestepped to safety. Dread chilled my blood when he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a switchblade. With a flick of his wrist, he opened it and waved it at me menacingly.
I backed up, trying to put distance between us. When arms wrapped around me in an iron tight grip, I realized my mistake—I’d stopped paying attention to my surroundings. Distracted, I’d missed seeing the first man slowly stand and position himself behind me.
Chuckling in my ear, he whispered. “Do you know how much I’m going to enjoy you? The things I want to do to your body? I have special lessons for whores who think they’re stronger than me.” Bile rose in my throat as I caught the bitter scent of stale liquor on his breath—the smell so potent it burned the insides of my nose.
I tried desperately to ignore the lewd comments and forced my attention on the knife wielding man. I tested the grip I was held in, but couldn’t budge as the knife slashed out. My face instantly stung and I could feel the trickle of blood slide down my cheek. He’d cut me and the move lit a fuse within me, rage exploding outward.
A powerful force fueled my strength as I unleashed my hostility on my attackers. As if possessed with the spirit of a berserker, I kicked and punched—oblivious to everything but my targets.
Ignoring the damage they were doing to me, and the blood that was freely flowing from the random cuts I was still receiving, I sensed a new presence in the alleyway. I was beyond caring about the new threat, solely focused on surviving. When I turned to meet it head on, I was shoulder tackled and roughly restrained—my face to the floor and my hands firmly secured behind my back.
I heard fighting as my attackers slowly succumbed to the newcomer’s abilities and short commands—someone ordering the removal of my attackers. Within moments it was just me—alone with the person restraining me and the command giver. I tensed, not sure what was coming next. I just knew I refused to be the new play toy for these strangers.
Pressure gradually lifted as my arms were slowly released. The person removed their weight from my back, allowing me movement when I was ready to stand. I quietly assessed the damage. I had no idea who these people were and what kind of threat they presented. For all intents and purposes, I could’ve gone from the plate and into the frying pan.
Not willing to be caught off guard again, my immediate goal was to stand up and run as fast as my battered body would allow me. My strength was waning, but I was sure the adrenaline would help get a few good hits in before I was fully depleted.
I dragged myself up, reluctant to lift my face and look into the eyes of the new arrivals. I swayed slightly, my injuries throbbing fiercely, and I fought to maintain my balance. Moving away, I staggered
toward the street when the command giver demanded I look at him. I continued walking, using the wall as a way to gingerly keep myself upright.
“I know you understand what I’m saying so look at me. I want to see your eyes.”
Weariness hit me as I shook my head. I wasn’t going to fall for that trick again. Quinn had tried converting me and although there was the possibility it wouldn’t work, I didn’t want to give the man any advantage over me.
The head blows I’d taken were starting to take full effect as the edges of my vision began blackening. My hearing faded in and out and I couldn’t quite understand everything happening around me. The man spoke again, saying something about being converted and that if I didn’t do as he said he’d have no other choice.
I stumbled as my feet refused to work anymore, and I fell forward again, crashing into the hard ground. The force jarred my bones as I lay there—too exhausted to move. The man and his companion came and stood over me, one of them roughly nudging me with their shoe. I didn’t retaliate and was rewarded with a slight kick to see if I’d move.
Impending darkness rushed at me and I knew I was ready to pass out. I was vaguely aware of being pulled up into a standing position before being pushed against the wall and slapped across the face. They were trying to rouse me.
“Use your fingers and pry her eyes open. It’s obvious she’s not listening. The sooner we know, the quicker we can move onto the next area.”
Somewhere deep inside me, I wanted to show them I wasn’t converted but I was too far gone. I tried opening my mouth, but my mind refused to cooperate. All I could do was limply hang in the man’s grip and pray for the best. I was at his mercy.
He slammed me into the wall with another command to obey him. Again and again, my body throbbed from the constant pounding until I finally became too numb to care.
“Scott, lay off. Can’t you see she’s barely conscious? Let’s just take her with us and let Liam deal with her.”
Broken Promises (The Brianna Lane Series) Page 8