My thoughts drifted to Ava Rose, and I wondered if he’d given her a false identity, too. Of course, he would have. As I followed James onto the plane, it hit me. He had short brown hair and an athletic build, the exact description the eye-witness had given for the man she’d seen at the park with Ava Rose. Wanting nothing more than to throttle James into unconsciousness, I instead took a breath and dug my fingernails into my palms. As we settled into our seats, I subdued my anger. Jason was always talking about approaching things with logic rather than emotion, and I think in this situation he was right. If I wanted to pump James for information, I needed to be level-headed and civil in my approach.
“I don’t see why you and L…Morgan get to sit in first class and I don’t,” Vincent complained as he walked by.
James gave him a cold hard stare. With a forced smile, he said in a lowered voice, “There were only two available. Now, stop complaining and find your seat. You have plenty of things to work on.” He pointed at Vincent’s backpack. I frowned, unable to fathom what Vincent would have to work on. He reminded me of one of those kids in school who complained all the time, never made an effort to focus, and refused help even if someone offered it to him.
Once we were in the air and the flight attendants had finished their spiel about the emergency procedures, I asked James quietly, “So, how did you get Ava Rose to leave the park with you?”
He jerked slightly and narrowed his eyes, an amused smile pulling his lips slightly upwards. “Kieran said you were sharp.” Deliberating, he tilted his head and looked at me shrewdly. “Since you asked so nicely, I’ll tell you.” He adjusted the air nozzle above and stuck another piece of gum in his mouth. Noticing the perspiration on his forehead and how rigid he’d become, I guessed he had an aversion to flying. One he probably didn’t want anyone to know about. “It was really quite easy. First, I gave her the code phrase you have with each other, ‘I love Orcas,’ and then I handed her a little Orca trinket of yours. After that, I gave her a letter she thinks you wrote – something about how she was to come with me and meet you for a surprise vacation.”
I blanched and grabbed his arm but let go when his expression hardened. The missing Orca figurine on my nightstand hadn’t fallen to the floor, I realized. No, James had been inside my bedroom. How disturbing. Not only that, if he knew my code phrase with Ava Rose, he’d been watching us closely and eavesdropping on our conversations. My skin crawled. What else might he know about me? How else had he invaded my privacy? The blood drained from my face. “Do you have a camera installed in my house…in my bedroom?” I asked angrily.
He chuckled and then instantly his face straightened. “No. I suggested that, but Kieran didn’t go for it. Felt like it was too risky. Besides, your boyfriend is always poking around, like he’s checking for bugs or something.”
I frowned. Jason poking around? That didn’t make any sense. And then I remembered Ash searching our rooms at the Ranch for wires and cameras. He was paranoid about those kinds of things. And lately, he always seemed to be keeping an eye on me – concerned about my safety. In fact, he and Jason were probably in on it together. Ever since the Amethyst disappearances, they were always discussing strategies in case there was a surprise attack or abduction attempt by the Ray-pacs, aimed at either me or Jessica. Ash also had ample opportunity; he was always over at my place, hanging out with Ben. I wouldn’t put it past him to snoop around – make sure things were on the up and up.
Wondering if James thought Ash was my boyfriend, I said, “Yeah, Ash is very protective.”
“Well, he’s not overly bright. We’ve just kidnapped his girlfriend and a little girl right under his nose, and he doesn’t even suspect anything is up. In my opinion, he’s just a playboy who doesn’t work and has nothing better to do than drive around town on that fancy motorcycle of his.”
Pushing the call button above me, I had to laugh to myself. Yep, that was a good description of Ash. My heart soared momentarily because they thought Ash, not Jason, was my boyfriend. That was a good thing. At no point should I underestimate James, though. I wondered if he’d been some kind of Secret Operative before he’d hooked up with Kieran. I noticed James’ facial muscles tense when I pushed the call button. “So, is Ava Rose okay?” I asked.
“She’s fine. What are you doing?”
“Getting a drink. What is Ava doing?”
“Kieran has plenty of amenities to keep her entertained.”
Good, I thought. I just wanted assurance from someone other than Kieran that Ava Rose was safe. She’d sounded happy and excited on the phone, but…? I sighed. It looked like I was in for another round of charades.
All at once, a friendly flight attendant leaned over the seat. “How can I help you, Ms. Peterson?”
For the briefest of seconds, a confused look crossed my face. Remembering my alias, I quickly recovered. “Yes, I would love a bottled water. Two. No, three actually. I’m very thirsty. Would you like one, James?” I asked wide-eyed.
He narrowed his brows. I could tell he was racking his brain, trying to determine if I was sincere or had some ulterior motive. “Sure.” He smiled pleasantly at the flight attendant. Turning abruptly, he glared at me as she walked away.
I held my hands in the air innocently. “Just thirsty. I drink a lot of water. But you probably already know that about me, don’t you?” With that comment, I closed my eyes, hoping to signal the end of our conversation. If there was a chance that eventually Jason became suspicious or tried to track me down, I figured there weren’t many people who asked for three water bottles on their flight. And even if James wasn’t James’ real name, at least the flight attendant had looked at him. She might remember us – the girl with the messy hair who wanted three water bottles and the brown-haired, average-looking guy sitting next to her.
Our four hour flight was uneventful. My conversation with James was limited. I tried to read but couldn’t focus, so I spent most of the time deep in reflection. I felt a little less guilty about how none of the Bellingham Guardians had experienced a premonition in relation to Ava Rose’s disappearance. While, yes, she’d been kidnapped, there had been no harm intended, and she hadn’t been in any imminent danger; although, that was still a possibility in the near future. Hopefully, I’d be there to stop it if that happened. The real question remained, though. What did he intend to do with me? And what would he do with Ava Rose after he had me?
Thoughts of how I would kill him ran through my head a mile a minute. In each scenario, my methods were painful, and they were merciless. This time, one way or another, one of us was going to have to kill the other one. And it was going to be brutal. He’d pushed me to the brink too many times…eventually, I’d have to become a monster, too. If I didn’t, neither myself, nor Ava Rose would survive.
“How’s the flight?”
Surprised at the interruption into my thoughts, I flinched. Sneaking a peek at James, I decided he hadn’t noticed my sudden movement. Happy to hear Ash’s voice, I relaxed and said, “Long.”
“At least you’re in good company. Nice to spend a little time with your parents even if it isn’t under the best of circumstances.”
“True,” was all I could muster. “Thanks for checking in, Ash. I’ll make sure to keep you updated. If something…anything…happens in Bellingham you think I should know about it, please let me know.”
“Will do. Best of luck with your Uncle. And if you need me…or Jason, or any of us, I mean, then let me know, and I’ll pass it on.”
“You’ll be the first to know,” I said, smiling inwardly.
“Good. Take care, Lexi.”
“You too, Ash.”
Before long, we landed at Dallas International Airport, disembarked, and boarded a plane bound for Oklahoma City. Chalk it up to nerves or whatever, but that was the fastest one hour flight I’d ever experienced. James was none too happy when I asked for two water bottles, but I told him I was parched. I managed to drink both of them on the plane, hopefully elimina
ting whatever suspicions he’d envisaged. At 10:00 p.m. we exited the plane and stepped into the Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City.
My heart pounded frantically, and I stopped breathing when I caught sight of Kieran. With gleaming amber eyes and that chillingly depraved smile, he advanced toward me with quick, confident strides. Oh my! The monster from my nightmares was alive and well!
Thinking of Ava Rose, I drew a deep breath, stood tall, and inebriated myself with Essence. I would not cower in front of him. The only way to maintain his respect and beat him in the end was to remain calm and unbreakable. But also important, I had to believe it myself.
“Hello, Lexi,” Kieran said, his exultant voice resonating with mirth.
CHAPTER 14 – KIERAN’S LAIR
He stopped directly in front of me, so close I could feel his breath upon my face. In preparation for the stench of cigarette smoke and wet dog that always accompanied him, I held my breath. Unable to hold it any longer, I expelled a large breath and placed a hand over my nose. Almost instantly I was struck by a strong aromatic smell. Spicy like a trendy cologne – similar to something Ash might wear. I dropped my hand and glanced at Kieran in disbelief.
He raised his eyebrows and chuckled. “Good that you like my scent. We’ll be in close contact during your stay. Real close.” The eagerness in his tone made my skin crawl. Regardless of his newly refined hygiene habits, my anger bubbled to the surface. He might be cocky like Ash, but that’s where the similarities ended. Kieran would always be a repulsive, ruthless fiend in my eyes.
Not wasting any more time, I raised my hand and slapped him across the face with the full force of my fury. “How dare you kidnap an innocent child,” I seethed.
Rage flashed briefly in his eyes but disappeared in an instant. Rubbing his face and shaking his head, he said bitterly, “Watch yourself, Lexi.” He glanced around, but no one was paying any attention to our exchange. We were just past the seating area, standing in the middle of the terminal. “This is the only time I will allow you to hit me without a consequence. Next time the backlash will be severe.” He tilted his head sideways, his eyes gleaming. “By now you must realize I will do what is necessary to get what I want.” He waved a finger before my eyes. “And you can see that by bringing Ava Rose here, I was successful – because here you are.” The smile that crossed his face was feral. With a nod, he turned and looked at James and then pointed at his wrist. Apparently understanding Kieran’s directive, James dipped his head once, turned and said a couple words to Vincent, and then the two of them headed down the terminal. They disappeared into the crowd of other passengers – all who seemed eager to be on their way.
During all this time, I sized up Kieran. He was the same but different. The biggest change was his overall physical appearance. He’d cleaned himself up. Absent was his goatee and the clumps of facial hair that had always seemed so bizarre and creepy. Now his face was smooth-skinned like the top of his head. He wasn’t a tall person, but what he lacked in height, he made up for in thickness. Broad and muscular, his biceps had to be the size of my waist. Dressed casually in shorts and a t-shirt, he almost looked like a normal guy. But I knew better. Looks could be deceiving, and in this case that was an understatement.
I say “almost” because his unnatural amber eyes hadn’t changed a bit. Bottomless pits filled with dark secrets, his dilated pupils signaled his excitement. They bore into mine with that sick, predatory hunger that was ominously familiar. His irises glowed with what I can only describe as flames of unholy light. If, as people say, the eyes are really windows to the soul, then Kieran didn’t possess one.
Turning back toward me, he puckered his lips, made a smacking sound, and then smiled, baring all his teeth.
I’d been glaring and biting my tongue, but when he smiled, my jaw fell, and I stared at his mouth. His previously yellowish and dingy teeth were now brilliantly white – flawless, making him the perfect candidate for a toothpaste commercial.
Observing my surprise, his grin broadened. “Oh, I’m so glad you noticed.” He ran his tongue along his teeth. “A nice smile is important, don’t you think? I did my research beforehand, of course, and found a highly recommended dentist, implantologist actually, who offered laser teeth whitening…”
My body froze, and my blood ran cold. Automatically, I raised my arm again, but his expression hardened, so I dropped my hands and cracked my fingers instead. “You better not have hurt –”
“Oh, don’t worry,” he interjected, slicing his hand through the air. “Your dad is perfectly fine. Besides, that was months ago. A quick, simple treatment. Fly in for the day, endure the painless procedure while gaining compelling insight into your background, and fly out again a few hours later.” With a bemused expression he added, “Sociable guy, your dad, especially after I got him talking about his family. He’s quite proud of his only daughter, by the way.” He shrugged, “Learned a lot that day – the most interesting being that he doesn’t know a thing about your…hidden talents, shall we say.” His eyes darkened. “Amazing what you can get done all in one day – the day of a full moon – when links are broken and Ray-pacs go undetected.”
I knew he was trying to scare me; sadly, it was working. I was terrified. But I couldn’t react, because that’s exactly what he wanted me to do. Nauseated at the idea of Kieran being that close to my dad, I took a deep breath and reminded myself that I’d just seen my parents and they were both fine. Nevertheless, this latest bit of news from Kieran reminded me how dangerous he was. His evil knew no bounds. Having added more fuel to my fire, he’d given me yet another reason to make sure I destroyed him this time.
A woman’s voice came over the intercom system, announcing it was time to begin boarding at one of the gates. “Where is Ava Rose?” I demanded, choosing to ignore his scare tactics.
He sighed as if disappointed by my lack of a reaction. Then, as if placating a child, he said, “When I left, she was anxiously awaiting your arrival.” He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and glanced at it. “I did promise I’d have you wake her up if she fell asleep; however, I’m not impressed with your hostile reception. Which has been, shall I say…rather abusive.” He paused and rubbed his cheek where I’d hit him, and his jawline hardened. “And while I’d hate to break a promise to her; it’s probably time she learned the harsher realities of life.”
“Don’t you dare threaten her,” I said lividly.
“I’m not. I’m threatening you, Lexi. Lucky for you, I’m of a forgiving nature this evening. I’d even be willing to give you another chance.” Narrowing his eyes, he said bluntly, “Do you want to know what it’s going to take to please me?”
I didn’t want to, but I wasn’t about to lose my chance at seeing Ava Rose tonight. “Yes,” I said in a tone as neutral and nice as I could muster.
He grinned triumphantly. “I want…a hug – a nice warm embrace like people give when they’re reunited with a loved one. Someone they haven’t seen for a long time. And while you’re at it, I’ll take a nice long hit of your Essence, too.”
I recoiled, trying desperately to hold back the bile rising in the back of my throat. The last thing in the world I wanted to do was touch him – be exposed to his Essence.
“I’m waiting, Lexi.” His voice was stern and his eyes cold, indicating I had no leverage if I wanted to see Ava.
Stepping forward, I gritted my teeth and wrapped my arms around his waist. He inhaled sharply and then moaned. A crooked smile crossed his face. “Your Essence is everything I remember and more. Satisfying. Pleasurable. And even more powerful than before.” His words were a murmur; he sounded completely enraptured. “And even though your hair is a mess, those dark brown eyes of yours are still bewitching. And you smell,” he paused and took a deep breath, “vanilla-sweet…and…edible.”
My feet buckled beneath me. I actually had to grip him a little tighter so I didn’t crumble to the floor. The horrific impurities I sensed within him overwhelmed me. It was impossible
to ignore the contamination coming off him – everything evil, painful, and depraved. I felt like I was standing in the middle of a nuclear wasteland and would never be able to escape its horrors. I started to pull away.
“No,” Kieran demanded. “Not yet. I want more. I need more. I’ve been awaiting for this for a long, long time.”
So we stood there for several minutes. I used all my power to keep my Essence flowing directly into him, doing my best not to allow any of his to seep into me. But it was exhausting. I went as long as I could until I could take it no more. Crying out, I let go, stepped back, and crashed to the floor. Landing smack on my butt on a hard surface had never felt so good. I would endure any number of painful circumstances in order to be away from him.
He wobbled a little bit and smiled down at me. “I do wish I could help you up. But as I remember it, you are quite hot to the touch. And I wouldn’t want to spoil the rush of power and energy you’ve just given me.”
Slowly, I regained my feet, relieved he couldn’t touch me. “I want to see Ava Rose now.”
“Yes, let’s go,” he murmured blissfully, a bemused expression on his face. He grabbed my suitcase, which I thought was odd, and started off down the terminal. As we weaved in between people, he was notably quiet. He looked dazed, drugged almost. And while I knew blasting him with Essence gave him more power, I wondered if it temporarily disabled his brain. He seemed less aggressive and more agreeable. I’d have to keep that in mind. See if I could use it to my advantage sometime.
Once outside the airport, James and Vincent picked us up in a black SUV with tinted windows. Our drive was fairly short, about 30 minutes. I tried drilling Kieran for answers. I asked him what he wanted from me and when he was going to release Ava Rose. But he just laughed and told me all that could wait. He wanted me to get settled in comfortably, because we were “going to be spending a lot of quality time together.” I pressed for further details, but the smile disappeared from his face. Scolding me like I was a child, he said, “That will be enough. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.”
Dentelle #3 Guardian series Page 24
