I pulled down the long stone driveway to my childhood farmhouse. The red barn to the left was in the early stages of decay, and drunken bikers had knocked down the wooden fence that once held in three pinto horses. There was a giant tree just up ahead holding an old tire swing that was bouncing with the wind. There were a few broken branches scattered across the lawn, highlighting how I had made my earlier escape. I killed the engine and walked up the fractured stone path to the screen porch. The latch was broken, and the door was eerily banging against the frame. I felt a rush of nausea sweep through my body as I stepped back into my house, my prison. I heard nothing. Something was very wrong.
“Aunt Kathryn?” I called.
Silence.
“Aunt Kathryn, are you here?”
Please don’t answer. Please don’t answer. I repeated those words to myself over and over again as I called to her.
I walked through the empty living room and into the soundless kitchen. The lights were all turned off. Was Sean here? Was this place not what he meant when he threatened me and told me to come home?
Just as I was about to turn and make my way upstairs, I heard a small squeaking noise. I stepped back into the kitchen, assuring myself the sound was nothing but a haunting dream. But there it was again. As I stepped further into the kitchen, I saw a light shining through the doorframe to the back room. Although a part of the main house, I hadn’t set foot in that space in twenty years. It was the same room where my mother hid me in the wall. It was the same room where I watched as the man with the cupid tattoo raped her. It was the same room where I watched Sean murdered my mother. The thought of it stopped me from breathing. For all I knew, my mother’s blood still stained the carpet.
“Aunt Kathryn?” I called yet again. My body froze as I felt my phone begin to buzz in my pocket. Was it Sean again? I sneaked a peek at the number: 215. Philadelphia. Was it Ryan? I couldn’t answer now. I needed to continue with the task at hand. My quick fingers slid the phone into my back pocket and the buzzing ceased. Maybe he had hung up? I’d call him back after I had dealt with this mess.
“Aunt Kathryn, are you back here?” I cautiously pushed the door open and peered my head around the frame, preparing myself for the rush of memories the room would bring. But I didn’t get to the memories. My focus was instantly drawn to my worst nightmare: my stark naked aunt, whimpering in the center of the room, bound with wire to a wooden chair.
I ran to her. “No! What happ—“
A hand was around my mouth, and my body instantly flew back. The hand, the smell, the breath: it was all too familiar.
“Why hello, Gracie. Welcome home.”
He had found me.
I tried to fight, but I was no match. He had me pinned to his body, and every swing I took only allowed him to pull me closer.
“Mmm, I missed your feistiness,” he whispered into my ear. The nightmares began to play in overdrive as his right hand wrapped around to my left hip and his left hand cupped my breast. He pushed his hips into me, making sure I felt his pleasure.
“Stop,” I coughed, trying to catch my breath.
“I will,” he pulled tighter, “once you give me what I want.”
What more could he want from me? I had nothing left to give.
“Let Kathryn go. She has nothing to do with this.”
“Now, where would the fun be in that? If she weren’t tied up, I wouldn’t have the upper hand.” He squeezed my chest in his palm. “And you know how I love the upper hand.”
I couldn’t go through this again with him. “What the hell do you want?” I screamed as I stomped my heel into the top of his foot.
“Bitch!” The shock of his pain caused him to drop his hands from my body. I tried to run to Aunt Kathryn, but within two steps his fingers were curled into my hair, yanking me back to him. He was too quick to allow me to react as he swung me around and threw me to the floor. His foot was on my chest, crushing me to the ground.
In my peripheral I could see Aunt Kathryn struggling to free herself from her bonds. Her screams were muffled, but I knew they were for me. Sean dropped to one knee and released his weight from my chest. His other knee swung around, straddling me. I tried to buck him off, but I couldn’t compete against the force his easily two hundred and fifty pound, muscled body. He lowered deeper on top of me, making sure I felt the weight of his pelvis on mine. One at a time, he took my wrists in his rough, powerful hands and pinned them over my head. He lowered his chest to mine, his burning breath finding my ear.
“This seems oddly familiar,” he teased. He rocked his hips slowly on top of me. “You know, your mother was a good fuck. Maybe I killed her too quickly. I could’ve taken her out for a few more spins.”
“You bastard,” I growled through my teeth.
“But now I have you. I won’t make the same mistake again.”
“You’ll never have me.”
“Oh yeah?” I felt his tongue follow my jawline to my mouth. “You taste so sweet, little Gracie. I wonder what the rest of you tastes like.” He bit down on my bottom lip. “Mmm, even sweeter.”
I tried to swipe at him, but he held my wrists even tighter. I could feel pins and needles begin to attack my fingertips. He was holding me so tight.
“I want to taste more. And I want you to like it.”
“Fuck off,” I snarled.
“You know, that just makes this more fun.” His voice rumbled as he moved to my neck, his tongue gliding across my voice box. With his free hand, he pulled my shirt up, exposing my naked breasts. “Oh,” he moaned as he blew on his handiwork, “this looks like it hurts. Does it hurt, Gracie?”
“Not as much as you will, when I’m through with you.”
“Feisty. How about this? Does this hurt?” He took my nipple in his mouth, sucking so hard that I screamed as I felt my hatred for him spread throughout my body. “Or did you like that too?”
“Go to hell.” Aunt Kathryn was crying loudly now. I tried to stay strong for her, tried to get through it with some semblance of dignity.
“You can pretend all you’d like, but I know you’re a dirty slut, Gracie. Just like your mother was a fucking cunt whore.”
“Take it back.” He could insult me all he wanted, but not my mother. Not her.
“Not until you admit that you like this.”
“Never.”
“Then you’ll take it like the slut you are.” His free hand moved to the brim of the sweatpants I was wearing.
“What are you doing?” He wouldn’t. He couldn’t take it that far.
“I told you I wanted to know what you tasted like.” He smiled as he forcibly shoved his hands under my pants and stuck his fingers inside of me.
I shrieked. “Stop. Please stop!” It hurt. He was hurting me. I tried to move, but it only made it worse.
He produced his hand, holding it up to my face. “Do you see this? This is your cunt juice. You liked it, you whore.”
“Just stop.” Now I was begging. He had gone too far. I couldn’t take any more.
“Stop what, Gracie? This?” One at a time, he slowly licked his fingers. “Oh God, you taste good. Does Ryan tell you how good you taste?”
“Stop fucking around and make your point.” I had had enough.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I thought you were enjoying this.” He was so stupidly proud of himself.
“Get it over with already.” I had given up. If he was going to rape me, I just wanted it to be over fast.
“Oh, no, no, no. You’re not getting off that easy.” He sat up, still holding my wrists tight above my head. “I need you to do something for me.”
“Why the hell do you think I’d help you?” I started to cry.
Sean flashed a sinister smile. “Because if you don’t, I’ll keep killing off the people you love. I’ll start with your pathetic excuse for an aunt over here…” His voice lowered to a deep snarl. “And then… well I guess next is Ryan. I’ve already killed everyone else you love. So yes, I’ll get Ryan. Oh, and I’ll have fun
killing him. I’ll take my time. And then… well, then you’ll have no one.”
“Please, no.” My shocked whisper was practically inaudible.
“Yes.” His tone mirrored mine.
I knew it wasn’t an empty threat. He had already killed my mother and father. There was no doubt in my mind that he would take away the only two other people I cared about.
“If I help you…” I was desperate.
“When you help me.”
“When…” the word slowly slid from my lips, “then you’ll leave them alone.”
The corners of his mouth rose. “At least until I want something else from you.”
It stung, but I knew it was my only choice. I would need to play it his way until I could figure out a way to stop him.
“What do you want?” I sighed.
His smile faded, and his eyes deadened. I had never seen him look so powerful, so frightening. Our eyes were locked, and I felt fear fill my veins. Then the corner of his lips lifted, and he found his sinister smile yet again. Sean Cassidy was clearly a psychopath. He knew it, and he loved it. “I want to be patched over to The Walking Shadows. And you’re going to make sure that happens.”
Ryan
It was impressive how Danny was able to stay on my tail the entire trip to Alexandria. I didn’t once look back for him, he wasn’t my concern, but I heard him. Even in my fear, it was comforting to know he was so close.
By the time we rolled into the small Central Pennsylvania town, it was well into the middle of the night. We were the only people on the streets. I cut away from the town center, knowing exactly where to find the home of the late Patrick “Bowie” Brennan. From the moment I found out who Grace truly was, I made sure to know where her father lived. I slowed my bike, not wanting to make my presence known as I came up on the old farmhouse. Danny sped in front of me, cutting me off before I could turn down the driveway.
“Fuck man, do you have a death wish?”
“Get out of my way, Danny.”
“No. Have you even thought about this?”
“About ripping Sean’s head off? Yes, I spent the last two hundred and fifteen miles thinking about it.”
“About storming a rival club member’s home?”
“Bowie is dead. He’s not coming after me.”
“No, but we’re talking about the Brennan home. They fucking run the mother chapter of the Shadows. You have no fucking idea how many one-percenters could be in there right now.”
I pulled off my brain bucket and ran my fingers through my hair. He was right. I could be stepping into something dangerous completely unprepared. I’d be no good to Grace or to the Cupids if this jealous rage ended with me in the ground next to Pops.
“Fine, stay with my bike. I’m going in on foot.”
“You don’t have to do this.”
“I heard him. He’s fucking here. God knows what he’s done to her.”
“You heard a man’s voice, Ryan. You assumed it was Sean.”
“I know it was him!” I was losing control. Sure, there was no way of being totally certain that it was Sean’s voice that had chilled my body from the other end of Grace’s phone, but I couldn’t take the chance of her being hurt on my account.
“You want it to be Sean. Admit it. You want him to be here so that you can have your revenge.”
“No.” I might have said ‘no’, but I knew he was right. It would be so easy if he were in there. I would put a hole in his head, grab Grace, and get the hell out of there.
“Let me go,” He offered calmly.
“What?”
“You are not going to listen to me no matter what I say. So let me go. They don’t know me. I’ll just make up some stupid story about how I know Grace from school.”
“Absolutely not. You don’t get to kill him.”
“If, I’m saying if, Sean is in that house, I swear to you I will step aside and let you take care of him.”
I felt the muscles in my face ease. Okay. Okay, maybe this would work. And he was right. They did all know me. Danny could get away with talking to a Shadow without being immediately pulled down and tortured.
“Okay, Danny. Play up the whole school thing. Say that you were worried about her when she didn’t show up for a study group, or some bullshit answer like that.”
“Yeah, I can pull off a student.”
He could easily pull off a student. Although he was twenty-seven years old, Danny had a baby face. No one would see him as threatening. That is, unless they saw him throw a right hook. Yes, he was a good guy to have in my corner. At least there was something working in my favor.
“Get your ass to the front door before I beat you there.”
Danny winked at me, hopped off his bike, and ran down the driveway. I had given him a change of clothes: a pull over sweatshirt and a pair of jeans. I had hoped that maybe Grace would recognize the shirt and know that I was close. That is, if she was still alive. I shuddered.
The thought almost made me chase after Danny, but his point was still valid. I needed to let him begin this battle, but I would be the one to finish it. I slowly snuck down the side of the old red barn, scoping out the surroundings. There weren’t any bikes in the driveway. Maybe this was all an overreaction.
Danny climbed the porch in two swift steps and turned quickly around, his eyes finding me in the shadows. I gave him a nod, allowing him to continue his task. His knuckles rapped on the door, and my heart jumped as I waited in anticipation. There was a beat of silence. Why was no one answering? Why wasn’t Grace coming to the door? But then, just as I was about to give up hope, I saw the door swing open.
The moonlight bounced off her red hair. It was Grace. She was okay. My Grace was still alive. I could feel the strength returning to my worried muscles. Because she was safe, there was still a reason for me to fight.
But what about Sean? I was sure it was his voice on the phone that had chilled my bones only a few hours earlier. Was Danny right? Had I only heard what I wanted to hear? It seemed impossible.
I watched her shake her head. I watched him nod. She nodded and he shook. They both spoke. Damn, why couldn’t I read their lips? Grace looked upset, angry even. Or maybe she was scared. What was he saying to her?
It seemed like an eternity before he reached out his hand and touched her face, signaling his goodbye. I felt a fire burn inside me at the sight of his hand on her, but I forced myself to breath. I needed to trust him. I kept reminding myself that he was on my side. He had done nothing to convince me otherwise. Danny had done exactly what I had asked of him.
The light disappeared as Grace closed the door. Danny motioned for me to meet him behind the barn.
“Is she okay? What did she say?” I was frantic, begging for answers.
“She’s fine.”
“Thank God.”
“Did she mention where or when we could meet?”
“Yeah, about that…”
His face changed, and I could see him piece his thoughts together before he uttered his next phrase. “She doesn’t want to see you, man.”
I stopped suddenly, unable to comprehend what he was trying to tell me. “What do you mean?”
“She doesn’t want to see you. I’m sorry, but she told me to tell you she made a mistake coming out to you today and her life is here, among her club. She still loves you, but she wants you to leave and not come back.”
That couldn’t have been Grace talking. She promised she would come back to me, no matter what she said. Her number was etched into my palm. There was no way things could have changed so quickly. It must have been a signal.
“Something had to have been wrong.”
“Nothing was wrong. She was alone. I don’t know, Ryan, but it sounds like you should forget about her. You’re better off anyway. Now you can get back to the club and you don’t have to waste your time worrying about if you can trust her or not. Obviously you can’t.”
My hand instinctively went to his throat, but I stopped it sho
rt. I dropped my arm to my side. “It’s not about trust with Grace. I know I can trust her. There’s something she wasn’t telling you.”
“She made her intentions pretty clear.”
My attention was drawn to the farmhouse as I saw a second floor light flicker. Grace came to the window, looked out into the darkness for a brief second, and then drew the curtains closed. Could she really have turned on me so quickly? No. It was impossible. My Grace wouldn’t do that. Something had to have been happening that Danny didn’t see.
“I need to see her myself.”
“Not a good idea, man.”
“I don’t need you to tell me what to do,” I snapped at him.
“You obviously do.” He grabbed my shoulder, turning me toward him. “That sweet butt has completely messed you up.”
My hand was at his throat, but I didn’t stop it this time. “You don’t dare call her that.”
“Do you not see the crazed lunatic you’re becoming?” He tried to pull himself from my grip, but my anger held my fingers in place.
I didn’t care if he was right. This was my battle.
“I need to know for myself.” I growled. I released my hold on him and stole away, toward the waiting house. Danny didn’t know Grace. He wouldn’t know if something was wrong.
Although Danny swore she was alone, the situation seemed sketchy to me. I decided the front door would be off limits. I looked up at the window where the light had been turned on and the shades drawn only moments before. Grace had told me she had snuck away from her escort earlier that day by climbing out of her window and down the old tree with the tire swing. It seemed like backtracking her steps would be the best way to sneak into the house as well.
I looked up at the majestic branches. The gusts of the cool night air pushed the swing back and forth, offering a sort of music to my journey. I stepped up and took my place at the base of the trunk. This was my only way to make sure Grace was truly okay. Unfortunately, having grown up in a city, it would also be my first time climbing a tree.
Grace
My eyes wouldn’t close. I was in a trance. I had just promised to secure a future in my family for the man who murdered my mother and my father, and who I was beginning to understand would one day take me from this world as well. Sean had my still tied-up Aunt Kathryn contact Mr. Muscles and tell him I still hadn’t come home, so he should continue looking for me. She was then forcibly escorted upstairs and out of my sight as I was left sitting on the floor, trying to hold back tears. Sean made sure to warn me that if I were to try and run, my aunt would not make it through the night. He didn’t need to warn me; I had assumed as much.
Betrayal of Cupids Page 6
