Freedom From the Evil Dead

by Mary Abshire

  Jeremy twisted to face him. "A gentle one."

  The werewolf wrapped his arms around me and squeezed softly. His touch made the hair on my body dance. "Jeremy told me what they did to you. Those bloodsuckers need to pay." He let his arms fall as he stepped back, then he appraised me. "You're looking…well."

  I almost chuckled. "This long dress makes me look like I'm bone thin."

  "I think the black dress looks good on you," Jeremy said with his gaze directed at my breasts.

  I rolled my eyes. The black gown was sleeveless and made of thin material to keep me cool. Jeremy had said jeans might rub on my wound and cause the stitches to tear, so he sent one of the werewolves into town to find me a garment. I secretly think he sent one of his demon buddies or requested a specific style of dress.

  "How are you feeling?" Ryan asked.

  "Better, but I'm still tender."

  "I wish we could've acted sooner, but putting everything together to get you took quite an effort."

  I put my hands on my hips. "Yeah, Jeremy told me you had already started working on a plan before I'd even left."

  He grinned widely. "Hey, I've learned a lot from Jeremy over the years. And after spending time with you, especially after Alaska…Well, you may be only half-demon, but you're just as tricky as a full-blooded one."

  Behind him, Jeremy laughed.

  I crossed my arms. "And what would've happened if Jeremy hadn't survived?"

  "It wouldn't have mattered," he said with a casual shrug with one shoulder. "Shawn and I had agreed to get you back."

  My hands fell to my sides while I stared at him. Love filled my heart. Jeremy's good friends would've come to get me regardless if Jeremy had died. The werewolf amazed me. He had my respect and friendship a million times over. Same for Shawn.

  "I owe you a lot," I said. "I hope you know you mean the world to me and I'd do anything for you."

  He gave a bright smile. "I may take you up on that one day."

  "Anytime," I said. "Now tell me…How did you manage to pull it all off? Jeremy told me a little, but I'm still shocked."

  "Let's just say Jeremy and I are very connected. He knows people and I know people. Together, we put together a small army."

  With wide eyes, I shook my head. "Wow."

  "It took a lot of phone calls and wire transfers—"

  Jeremy gave him a pat on the back. "Every penny well spent."

  "But we were able to pull our resources together," Ryan finished.

  "I saw a little bit on the news. You pretty much leveled the Fort," I said.

  "Werewolves like their weapons, especially the big ones," Ryan said. "And to get a chance to use them…let's just say I had plenty of volunteers."

  "Was anyone hurt?" I asked.

  "A few were injured, but nothing serious. No casualties to report on our side," Ryan said.

  "And the authorities can't trace anything," I said. "Right?"

  He grinned. "Everything's been taken care of." He put his hand on my arm. "Relax, you're safe now. We're all safe and those vamps are gone. Well, most of them."

  "Who decapitated them?" I asked him, but then looked at Jeremy.

  "I removed two heads. Patrick got the others," Jeremy said as he put one arm over the other in front of his chest.

  "Which two did you sever?" I asked.

  His lips tugged on one side. "Elissa and Sophia."

  Interesting since he'd taken their millions so they could fuck him and feed from him.

  "I thought you said you didn't keep a head," I said.

  "I got carried away and burned Sophia a little too much," he said.

  I lowered my gaze and silently laughed. The way he spoke so casually about destroying them indicated he enjoyed torching them, then chopping off their heads. The bitches got what they deserved. Kudos to Jeremy.

  "I'm glad to see you're up and moving about," Ryan said. "I was worried when I found you in the prison cell."

  "That was you?" I asked.

  "Yours truly," he said.

  My heart and soul warmed. He was a dear friend and I never wanted to lose him. I lightly gripped his arms, then planted a kiss on his cheek.

  "I owe you and I will pay you back one day," I said. "Just let me know if you need anything."

  "Except sex," Jeremy said, and we both shot our attention to him. "You can't have her for sex. Sorry, buddy." He gave Ryan another pat on the back.

  Ryan and I both chuckled.

  "All right, I just came to say hello and see how you were doing. I can see you're in good hands," Ryan said.

  "The best," I said proudly, looking at Jeremy.

  Ryan turned and smacked Jeremy's arm. "Whenever you're ready, we can go."

  "Give us a few minutes," Jeremy said.

  Ryan gave a nod, then waved to me as he walked away. The werewolf was one of the bravest men I'd ever known. Shawn and Jeremy too, of course. I looked forward to the day I could help them.

  Jeremy pushed his hands into his front pockets as he stepped closer to me.

  "He's a great guy. Shawn as well. You're very fortunate to have them as friends," I said. He pressed his lips together as he smiled. When he didn't say anything, I asked, "What?"

  "Do I get a kiss too since I helped free you?" he asked. "I did carry you from the cell. Shouldn't that entitle me to a French kiss?"

  A laugh burst from me and I quickly smacked my hand over my mouth. The demon was back to his usual tricks. I knew he had to return to his normal naughty self eventually.

  I lowered my hand. "Oh, Jeremy…I'm so glad you pulled through."

  As much as I owed Ryan and Shawn for their parts in helping to free me, my obligation to Jeremy amounted to something greater. We hadn't talked about our deal. The more I thought about it, we didn't need to.

  "Was there ever a time after you woke up where you got mad at me for leaving?" I asked.

  "Fuck yeah," he said with a shake of his head. "But after I calmed down and thought about it…I understood. I would've done the same thing. Love is powerful."

  Staring into his eyes, I saw the same power, and it frightened me. I looked down.

  "I owe you my life. You never gave up on me. Through everything over the years…you still fought for me." I swallowed, then met his gaze. "I will honor our deal with no regrets."

  He stepped closer, placing us inches apart, then took hold of my hands. "Can I get that French kiss now?"

  I yanked my hands free, then shoved him back a step. He laughed at me. Oh, how I’d missed the demon and his humor.

  "You can get your kiss later," I said. "We have vamps to send to Hell."

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  I stared out the window ahead of me while I relaxed at a slight angle in the passenger seat. Every time I bent the slightest, the stitches along my torso and abdomen let me know they didn't like the movement. Although the pain was a nuisance, it reminded me how much I hated the VETOV and wanted to see them burn in the underworld.

  Jeremy sat next to me in the driver's seat with his reversed baseball cap on top of his head. I hadn't seen him shift his attention away from the road since we'd left the yacht, but I could feel his gaze on me at times, like a soft blanket warming and comforting me. Based on the way he gripped the wheel and tightened his jaw, I suspected the extra heat spilling from him wasn't for sex, but for violence instead. I'd heard him talk on the phone plenty of times and rage dominated his attitude. He wanted vengeance as much as I did and seemed determined to get it. As strange as it seemed, his eagerness to help placated me. Together, we could rid the earth of the VETOV.

  A light glow in the sky remained from the sun setting. The one lane road had little traffic. Glancing into the mirror outside my window, I saw Ryan's SUV with bright headlights. He'd brought three other werewolves with him to accompany us in case we ran into trouble. Who—us? Demons didn't start trouble. We encouraged it.

  I glimpsed at the clock on the dashboard. We'd been on the same road for a half hour.

 
"How much longer?" I asked.

  Jeremy looked at the dash. "I'd guess another half hour before we reach Caen."

  "And you know where to go exactly?"

  "I studied a map on my phone while you were cleaning up," he said. "I know where to go."

  I inhaled a deep breath and leaned my head back. Anxiety swam through me. I'd dreamed of destroying the members of the VETOV and now I had a chance. Thanks to Jeremy and his friends, I had a real opportunity to get rid of the evil vampires and live a normal life. Maybe dreams did come true.

  "You've been quiet," Jeremy said.

  "Speak for yourself."

  The normally chatty demon hadn't spoken much to me since our conversation on the boat. But then, he'd been occupied with calls to ensure our plans for this evening would run smoothly. I never realized before how Jeremy was more than a skilled fighter. His talent to calculate and prepare went beyond my imagination. He'd told me once he'd served in many battles in his prior lives. Perhaps those experiences aided him. I couldn't help but wonder what abilities I would bring to the table in my next life, if I had another one.

  "Are you sure you're up to this?" He removed his attention from the road briefly. "I know you want to send their souls on, but if it hurts you too much—"

  "I'm not as fast as I was yet, but I'm mobile and that's good enough. I honestly don't care if I tear a few stitches. The damage is done. This is my one chance to claim their souls and I'm not going to miss it."

  His lips hinted at a smile. "I love your determination."

  The phone between our seats came alive, vibrating and blasting the classic AC/DC “For Those About to Rock” tune. Jeremy grabbed the thin device.

  "What's up, Ryan?" he said into the cell. There was a brief pause, then he said, "What?"

  The deepness of his tone concerned me. When he didn't say anything for several seconds, I suspected something had gone wrong.

  "Fuck," he said, then glanced at me. "That's fine. He made the right call. Let him know we'll be there as soon as we can." He set the phone down.

  "What's wrong?" I asked.

  "Shawn and a couple wolves were watching the two vamps. The wolves overheard them talking about catching a plane. Shawn decided to intervene since he knew we were on our way. One of the fuckers managed to get away."

  I clenched my fist and teeth to contain my anger. I'd hoped to fulfill my raging desire to send Viktor and Isabel to eternal damnation, but now it seemed only one would get to go. Although one was better than none, I was still disappointed. More work and effort would be required to find the remaining members.

  "Did he say which one got away?" I asked.

  The hum of the engine grew as the speed of the SUV increased.

  "No, and I didn't ask since we'll be there soon," he said as he kept glimpsing at the speedometer.

  "Maybe we'll get lucky and catch up with the other," I said, trying to stay hopeful.

  In truth, the bloodsucker would probably get away. Nighttime had arrived, giving him or her plenty of opportunity to run. If I had to guess, the vamp would head to Paris to catch a flight out of the country. I would if I were fleeing.

  Jeremy pushed the SUV to speeds well over the limit. Ryan's vehicle kept up, but maintained a two-car distance behind us. Gripping the steering wheel tightly and with his lips pressed, I sensed Jeremy's displeasure with the situation. It seemed clear he wanted to ensure we got to Caen soon. At the speed he was pushing, we would be lucky if he got us there without French police pulling us over.

  "I hope Shawn has Viktor," I said, ending the silence. "He's far worse than any of them left."

  "We'll get them all," he said while he kept his attention on the road.

  We passed several signs indicating we were getting closer to Caen. My pulse increased after I read a sign that showed we had two kilometers left. Jeremy's efforts to get us to our destination quicker had paid off. Instead of a half hour, it'd taken almost twenty minutes.

  Jeremy detoured from the main highway onto a gravel road leading to a farmhouse. A soft glow from an inside light spilled onto the front porch. In the back, two cars sat idle near a detached garage. Jeremy drove past them, then circled to face the back of the house. Ryan did the same before he parked next to us.

  Heart beating faster, I slid my seatbelt away, then pushed my door open. Jeremy was at my side before my second foot touched the ground.

  "Stay behind me," he said as the four large werewolves approached us. He looked at Ryan and said, "Have them stay here. You can come with us."

  Jeremy headed for the back door. He walked faster than I could in my sore condition. Ryan stayed close to me. When we reached a set of stairs, Jeremy jogged up. I grasped the sides of my dress and lifted it so I wouldn't trip. A fall would not help me heal any faster. After my first step, a sting from one of the stitches in my abdomen made me pause.

  "Are you okay?" Ryan asked softly, standing next to me.

  Wincing, I took another step, then another. "I'm fine."

  I made it to the top of the stairs a little sorer than when I'd started, but determination gave me strength. My goal was to send the vamp's soul to Hell. If all my stitches came loose in the process, then so be it. I would survive.

  Jeremy stood in the house, holding the door open for me. "Everything all right?"

  "Fine," I said as I stepped inside. A wave of cold air washed over me. The bloodsucker was near. "Where's our vamp?"

  "Shawn said he's in the basement," Ryan said from behind me. "The door is under the stairs, second to last one on the left. Keep walking straight."

  We stood in a long hallway that led to the front of the house. There were a few closed doors on the left and open ones on the right. Family photos hung on both sides of the walls. We passed a kitchen and dining room as we strode forward. The end of the hall opened into a main family room filled with furniture, lamps, and a television. Large oil paintings of country scenes hung on the wallpaper-covered walls. Hearing a squeal, I veered my attention back to Jeremy. He'd found the door to the basement and proceeded down the stairs. Holding my dress with one hand and the rail with my other, I followed him.

  A blast of energy chilled me while the strong aroma of mildew and death poked at my gag reflex. The stitches in my abdomen stung worse with each step I took. Going downstairs hurt ten times more than going up. The steep angle of the staircase didn't help either.

  Halfway to the bottom, I got a better view of the basement. It wasn't completely finished, but a sofa and recliner faced a television. Shelves as tall and long as walls held storage containers. Whoever lived in the house were pack rats.

  "Shawn?" Jeremy called out from the ground level.

  "Back here," he said.

  Jeremy turned to his right, then disappeared from my sight. The temptation to yell at him played on my mind. I knew he was anxious, but he could've at least waited for me.

  I continued on my descent. When I reached the bottom of the stairs, I took a relieving breath. My flesh on my abdomen stung badly. I'd have to check my wound later.

  Ryan walked around me and put his hand on my back. "When we go up, let me carry you."

  "I would say yes, but Jeremy tried to carry me off the boat to the dock and it wasn't good. I'm better if I can stay straight or flat."

  Ryan shook his head. "They did a number on you."

  I stepped passed him. "Yeah, and I aim to get revenge."

  Around the wall connected to the stairs, I found a dimly lit hallway. Light leaked out from the open door on the left. As I approached, the smell of death grew. I covered my nose and mouth as I entered the room.

  The source of the foul odor came from a family of four lying in a pile in a corner. A couple with two boys, teenagers I guessed, had slits across their throats and on their wrists. Fury rose within me from the loss of innocent life.

  "Glad you could join us," Shawn said, collecting my attention.

  He stood at the other end of the room from the dead bodies. He wore a green shirt and je
ans. Isabel sat on a small stepladder. She had on black slacks and a pink blouse. Shawn had his hand on her shoulder. She looked paler than normal and her hair was a mess.

  Jeremy stood in front, yet to the side of her. He stared at her with his fists clenched. I approached her and her eyes widened with fear. She jerked forward and Shawn tightened his grasp of her. Her body convulsed briefly, then she gave up her attempt to escape.

  I stopped in front of the bitch vampire. I'd hoped to send Viktor's soul to the underworld first since he was crueler, but evil was evil. A sense of pride filled me knowing I'd send her to eternal damnation.

  Jeremy turned his head and looked at me. "She watched you get cut?"

  "She not only watched, she encouraged it at the meeting."

  Heat poured from him. He unclenched his fists, then moved his hand toward her.

  I tugged his arm back before he could touch her. "It's cleaner if she's decapitated. We don't need the fire department showing up."

  Sweat ran down the side of his face as he nodded. The demon wanted her to suffer. I understood him all too well.

  Isabel blinked as if she were returning to consciousness.

  "Where's Viktor?" I asked.

  She curled her lip, revealing her fangs. "Good luck finding him."

  "Oh, we'll find him," Jeremy said confidently. "I have endless resources and a girlfriend thirsting to send vampire souls to Hell."

  I shot my attention to him. Girlfriend?

  "You're going to destroy me anyway," she said.

  "True," said, crossing his arms. "But this can be painful, or extremely painful. Your choice."

  She bounced her gaze between Jeremy and I. When he moved his hand closer to her arm, her eyes widened. "He went to Paris to catch a plane back to his homeland."

  A spark of joy gave rise to a smile. If she was telling the truth, which I believed she was, then we could possibly catch Viktor before he left the country. Even if we didn't, at least we knew where to look for him.

  "Jacob and Pete are tracking the vamp," Shawn said. "I heard from Jacob a few minutes before you got here. He said the vamp is in a car heading toward Paris."