Freedom From the Evil Dead

by Mary Abshire

  My heart fluttered with excitement. "There's someone following him?"

  "Jacob and Pete are werewolves," Ryan said as he moved to my other side. "They should be able to stay with the vamp after he leaves his vehicle, if they've got his scent."

  "They do," Shawn said. "Jacob said so."

  "They should track him and find out where he stays during the day. Then we make our move on him," Jeremy said, then turned his attention to me. "He won't be able to catch a flight when he gets there. It's too long of a drive. He'll have to bunk somewhere."

  Delighted by the news and excited to claim an evil soul, I looked at Shawn. "She's ready when you are."

  Shawn kept his hand on her while he withdrew a knife from a sheath on the side of his pants. The blade was much bigger than the last one I'd seen him use in the States. Upon closer inspection, it had a jagged edge. I suspected it made cutting through bone easier.

  Shawn took a handful of her hair before he yanked her head back. "Now the fun part."

  In one swift stroke, he sliced deep into her throat. Her scream lasted a whole three seconds. Blood spilled from her mouth and neck. Shawn cut deeper the second time. By the third swipe, he'd reached her spine. He tugged on her head, then removed it with one final swipe of his blade.

  Jeremy and I moved out of the way as the body toppled to the floor. Isabel's soul stood. I rushed toward her and grabbed her by her throat. Eyes full of fear, she stared at me.

  "You're mine now," I said to her as I squeezed.

  She choked and tried to pry my fingers away. I pushed her to the side, then backed her against the wall. The flame within my belly had already sparked and was growing. My body heated with a growing hunger for her soul.

  "Enjoy Hell, bitch," I said, then opened my mouth.

  I sucked in deeply, pulling her spirit to me. Her head flowed into me and grazed over my tongue. Her putrid taste sickened me, but I held back gagging. I removed my hand and breathed in more of her. Bit by bit, she slid easily down my throat. She didn't fight. She simply stood idle while I pulled her essence into me. Her body stretched and thinned. Half of her spirit was gone when I inhaled again. The remaining portion disappeared with little effort.

  I closed my mouth and swallowed. The inferno within me continued to heat me. Perspiration surfaced. I wiped my hand over my forehead.

  "Hey," Jeremy said as he came to stand beside me. "You okay?"

  The raging volcano in my abdomen slowly calmed. "I'm good. She didn't put up a fight. Maybe she was too scared. I'm not complaining." Given my current injury, I was grateful the vamp hadn't thrown a fit on her way to damnation.

  "Did you notice anything different?" he asked.

  "Other than I'm sweating like a pig, no." I scrunched my brows at him. "Why do you ask?"

  "Because we still don't know what they did to you…" He glanced down. "Inside."

  I considered his statement. I'd passed out not long after they'd inserted the rib spreader, so they could've taken pieces of me. But I felt normal. Well, hotter, but otherwise normal.

  "I feel fine," I said, then I smiled.

  One evil vamp sent to Hell and another soon to follow if we hurried. Yes, happiness was blooming inside me.

  "Are we going to Paris?" I asked. "Because I'm more than ready to catch another bloodsucker."

  Chapter Thirty

  The three-hour drive to Paris left me exhausted. My drowsy eyelids attempted to close several times. Jeremy's multiple phone conversations helped keep me awake. I pushed my lethargy aside when we'd finally reached the highway outside the city. The clock on the dashboard showed it was close to 11:30 at night.

  Although the sky was dark, the city was bright. The Eiffel Tower's glowing presence was incredible to marvel at, even from a distance. I couldn't stop staring out the window at the radiant lights and brilliant architecture as Jeremy drove from the interstate and through the heart of Paris. I'd always wanted to explore the city, take in a few museums and visit the tower. But after everything I'd been through, I was content viewing the historical places from the car.

  Jeremy's phone spoke to him, providing directions on how to get to the hotel. He turned at a stoplight, then continued as instructed. Ryan had booked rooms for all of us during the drive. One of the werewolves who had accompanied Ryan navigated the SUV behind us while Shawn followed in his small vehicle that resembled a Fiat. Before we'd left the farmhouse, we poked fun at Shawn for his choice of rental, but he said he preferred a stick shift and the little car had excellent speed. We still laughed at him.

  Thanks to his cell, Jeremy located the hotel with little trouble. He parked along a bricked driveway near the entrance of hotel, leaving room for our companions behind us. I took a deep breath as I prepared to leave the confines of the car.

  "Ryan said it's not too fancy, but it beats the Marriott," Jeremy said as I gazed outside.

  Tinted glass windows made up most of the front of the hotel. The building, along with others in the area, appeared old but well maintained. Shops on both sides of the street were closed, except the café across from us had an open sign illuminated.

  "I'm sure it's fine. As long as it's clean and has a bed, I'm happy," I said, then pushed my door open.

  Shawn stretched his arms as he came to meet Jeremy and me next to our vehicle. "It's been a while since I've had to drive long distances like that."

  "Hopefully you won't have to again," I said.

  "I'll check us in," Ryan said before he headed inside with the three other werewolves.

  Shawn briefly appraised me. "Feeling any better?"

  I moved my hand to my stomach. "More tender since we left Caen, but I'll be fine."

  "You should try to get some good rest while we're here," Shawn said. "I'm guessing we won't make any kind of move until the early afternoon."

  "Any word from Jacob or Pete?" Jeremy asked.

  "I spoke to Jacob about an hour ago. They're somewhere on the northwest side of the city. The vamp stopped at a bar. They were watching the exits so he can't slip out," Shawn said.

  Jeremy scratched his head, or rather, the baseball cap. "We have a couple of extra wolves with us. I think we should send two to help. I don't want to risk losing this vamp."

  "It couldn't hurt to have extra eyes and ears," I said.

  "And noses," Shawn said with a smile. "I'll let Ryan know. You two should check in and relax a bit."

  Jeremy placed his arm behind my back. "At least one of us will." He encouraged me toward the door.

  One of the werewolves strode toward us as we passed the valet attendant standing near the entrance. The large man had a round face, short brown hair, and robust body. Ryan never introduced his pals to me, so I didn't have a clue what their names were.

  "Ryan said to leave your keys with me," the werewolf said as he handed two plastic cards to Jeremy. "These are your room passes. You're in suite 502. Ryan is in 504. He's still working on getting cards for the other rooms."

  Shawn passed us and headed inside. He strode straight to the back where Ryan stood at the check-in counter.

  "Thank you," Jeremy said as he exchanged his car keys for the cards. He handed me one of the passes. "Come on."

  Card in hand, I followed him into the spacious lobby. From the outside, the hotel looked small. Inside told a different story. The check-in area sat in the far back. To the right and past the entrance, there was a large social gathering area with plenty of seating. The furniture and decorations through the floor added color and character since the walls were white. After passing a large marble table with a huge red flowering vase in the middle, Jeremy veered to the left. An extension of the lobby led to three elevators on the side and a bar at the end. According to a sign near the entrance, the restaurant was down the hall.

  Jeremy came to a halt in the middle of the lobby with his attention directed at the bar. Two ladies with long legs and short dresses sat on stools, laughing while they spoke to the bartender. A grin formed on Jeremy's face before he turned to m
e.

  "So what do you think?" he asked, then he shifted his gaze back toward the bar.

  The ladies noticed Jeremy and smiled. One of them took the stir from her drink and placed it in her mouth while she eyed my demon friend. After Jeremy returned his attention to me, I understood his question better.

  "Go. Have fun," I said. "You've earned it."

  "Come with me."

  "No thanks. But you can still enjoy yourself. I mean, I'm not really your girlfriend anyway."

  As strange as it seemed, I wasn't jealous that he had taken an interest in the two ladies. I knew my role I had to play. I was the egg keeper. The baby producer. And I wasn't in any mood to give him what he asked for yet. But I would after I healed. I meant what I told him on the yacht.

  The amusement on his face faded. He glanced toward the bar, then back at me. "Do you think I'm interested in those broads?"

  "Well…yeah. Isn't that why you keep looking?"

  He chuckled, then rubbed his forehead.

  "I'm not going to stop you from getting laid, so go," I said, then headed to the elevators. I pushed the call button.

  Jeremy took hold of my arm, then twisted me to face him. "I'm not interested in them. I'm interested in celebrating. The two of us. I was thinking we could have a couple of drinks."

  A touch of heat rose to my cheeks. Jeremy had always been quite the ladies man. He was attractive and his muscular body certainly added to his appeal. He'd frequently captured the eyes of many females, including the two at the bar. Naturally, I'd thought he was interested in sex. "Sorry, I thought—"

  "I think we should celebrate our achievements." He took a step back and tugged on my arm.

  "I don't think so," I said, and he stopped. "I really don't want to go to a bar tonight."

  The ding of the elevator alerted me to its arrival.

  His hand slipped away from me. "How about I bring something to the room?"

  "That's fine if you want to," I said before I entered the elevator. After I spun around to press a button, I noticed he'd already started walking away.

  On the ride up to the fifth floor, I thought about how I'd misunderstood Jeremy. Based on the way he kept gazing toward the bar, I'd been certain he was checking out the two women. Given the change of his expression, it was clear I'd been very wrong. I felt like an idiot for what I'd told him, but at the same time, it was true. I wasn't his girlfriend. Did he think I was because of our deal?

  I exited the elevator and proceeded down a hall. Blue and beige striped wallpaper covered the walls. I scanned the numbers on the doors and quickly determined I was heading in the right direction. I passed Ryan's room before I reached the one Jeremy and I were sharing.

  After swiping the card through the reader, I gained access to the suite. I took three steps past the door before I came to a stop. The glass wall facing me revealed a spectacular view of the city. A light gray sofa sat in the center of the room. Two bluish-gray chairs were located on each side. A thin white table stood near the wall separating the bedroom from the rest of the suite. Glasses, a phone, a basket full of fruit, and other goodies were waiting on the table. Instead of a television, the view of Paris was the main focal point.

  I proceeded to my left, toward the adjoining bedroom. Before I entered, I noticed two chairs and a small round table in front of a king-sized bed. The arrangement looked strange to me. I approached the chair nearest me, turned, then saw a flat television on the wall. Now the placement of furniture made sense. Another floor-to-ceiling glass window overlooked the city. The bathroom was located on the opposite side. My eyes widened when I noticed the see-through shower. Fortunately, I'd bathed on the boat so I could survive another night without cleaning up.

  The front door buzzed before Jeremy pushed it open.

  "Oh wow," he said as he stared out the window in the main room.

  Carefully, I lowered myself into the chair next to me. "It really is better than the Marriott. Am I right?"

  He strolled into the bedroom carrying a tall bottle. "The view is better in here." He set the liquor on the table next to me.

  "I think I saw some glasses on the table outside the door," I said as I pointed.

  He left the room briefly, then returned with two glasses. He set one on the table close to me, then set the other near the empty chair.

  "Now that is a telling shower," he said as he gazed past me and twisted the cap off the bottle.

  "Yeah. I don't plan on using it."

  He grinned as he poured a little bit of the clear fluid into our glasses. After he set the bottle on the table, he tossed his hat onto the bed.

  "You're starting to get more hair," I said as he ran a hand over his head.

  "It itches like crazy. I hate it." He lifted his glass up. "You know, we have a lot to celebrate."

  I picked up my glass and swished the clear liquor around. "I don't think I can drink much. I don't want to puke everywhere."

  "I can take care of you if you do," he said, then leaned his arm further over the round table. "Now, where should we begin?"

  "I know," I said as I twisted slightly to face him better. I held up my drink. "To freedom. It truly is a wonderful thing."

  "Oh, that is a good start." He clanked his glass to mine. "To freedom."

  Together, we tossed the fluid into our mouths. I swallowed fast and regretted it. The liquor started a fire in my throat and it continued through me. I coughed. Jeremy took the strong drink batter than I did. After a shake of his head, he poured more fluid into our glasses.

  "Damn, that's strong," I said.

  "It better be for what I paid."

  Though I was curious about the price, I wasn't going to ask. I knew he had millions, but he was also spending huge amounts of dough to help me. I had no business in his financial affairs.

  I lifted my glass. "I have another one. To showers."

  "Showers?" He arched a brow.

  "Try going days without having access to one and let me know how you feel."

  "I'll take your word for it," he said with a grin. "To showers."

  He tapped my glass with his, then we tossed the fluid down our throats. The second one didn't burn as bad as the first, but I still squeezed my eyes shut as the liquor flowed down inside me.

  "Damn, that's good," Jeremy said, then took to pouring more into the glasses. "Maybe I should start ordering foreign liquor."

  My head started to feel light from the effects of the alcohol.

  "Oh, I have another good toast." I lifted my drink. "To booze."

  He chuckled, then nodded. "I can agree to that. To booze."

  We clanked our glasses, then took the shots. The fluid barely heated me that time, but it sure was making me feel good.

  Jeremy prepared another drink for both of us.

  "Okay, I have a really, really good one now," I said as he set the bottle down.

  "What is it?"

  I raised my toast. "To good friends. Where would be without them?"

  "Very nice. To good friends."

  We tapped the glasses, then swallowed the liquor.

  "I knew we had a lot to celebrate," Jeremy said, pouring more alcohol.

  My thoughts swam in a sea of weightlessness. I stared at the fluid, wondering if I should down anymore.

  Jeremy lifted his drink. "Have you got anything else you want to toast to?"

  Staring into his caramel eyes, the perfect toast came to mind. "Yes. I have an excellent one… To your health. Because for the longest time, I thought I'd lost you. I thought you weren't going to recover. Without you, I had nothing. I'm grateful you got better and I hope you live a long and happy life."

  "To my health, and yours," he said before bringing our glasses together.

  After we downed the liquor, he refilled the drinks. But we didn't pick them up right away. Since I had a great buzz going on, I suspected Jeremy did too. He stared at the fluid, then inhaled a deep breath.

  "Did you really think I wanted to fuck those women at the bar?" he
asked.

  The question surprised me, so I hesitated to respond. "They seemed interested. I thought you were too. I'm not technically your girlfriend."

  He stared point blank at me. "Technically, you're not. But after everything we've been through, can't I enjoy the fantasy?"

  I lowered my gaze as I considered his rationale. We had endured a lot together. He'd sacrificed his career and much more to help me. What would it matter if I accepted the status of his girlfriend? I could at least play along. I owed him that much.

  "You're right," I said. "Consider me your girlfriend." Portraying the role would be good for me anyway since I had to bear his children one day.

  He took hold of his drink, then lifted it. "Here's a good one for you. To the end of vampires."

  Exterminating evil vampires was an excellent toast, but he hadn't stated it that way. Were there any decent vampires left? I had no way of knowing. I didn't want to know, quite honestly. I wanted to destroy the VETOV and move on with my life. That's what I sought to accomplish.

  "To the end of the VETOV," I said, then clanked my glass with his.

  After we swallowed the liquor, he poured more drinks.

  "I have another toast." I waited until he finished to continue. "I'd like to toast to life."

  I twisted the glass on the table while I stared at the fluid. Maybe it was the booze messing with my thoughts, but I couldn't stop thinking about the roller coaster ride I'd taken with life.

  Jeremy reached over and placed his hand on mine. "You're alive and you're free now."

  I took a deep breath. "There were times I didn't want to be alive. After they severed Drake's head, I felt as if my heart had been ripped from me. I wanted to die. I was ready. For two days I waited for them to kill me. But they didn't. I grew tired of mourning and became angry. I hated everyone—Drake for leaving me to suffer, and the VETOV for being the evil fucks that they are. When they did finally take me to get sliced, rage consumed me. Through all the pain I could only think of getting revenge. If I died, I planned to make a deal with my father so I could come back and get them. But the truth is, I wanted to live. I wanted to live to send their souls to Hell. I know it seemed outrageous given I couldn't escape and they had total control over me, but I hoped death wouldn't take me yet. Then you, Ryan, and the others rescued me. Now that I am free, I want to live more than anything. I just want a normal life and to be happy." I swallowed hard, then met his gaze.