“Don’t murder Ash Matthews,” Madison said, sighing. “There are only so many perfect specimens in the world, and it would be a shame to lose one of them.”
I rolled my eyes but didn’t respond.
“Seriously, Zoey, can you just admit that Ash is incredibly hot and that you’re madly in love with him?”
I looked back over at Ash, noticing not for the first time how incredible he looked. You didn’t live next door to that for nearly ten years without noticing. There was a reason he was one of the most popular guys at St. Joseph’s and dating Heather Carr, one of the most popular girls. The deep, dark brown hair falling into impossibly pale blue eyes, broad shoulders, flat chest and stomach, slim hips and yes, the impressive backside in well-worn jeans, all added up to make Ash Matthews.
“I’ve never denied that Ash is hot,” I said, dropping my voice. “But I’m not in love with him.”
“I heard that,” Ash called. “And you not being in love with me is a debatable subject. I have many methods to convince you it’s true.”
Madison laughed, having heard him through the speaker.
“Thanks, Maddie. Now, was there a reason you called me? Besides to talk about Ash.”
“Duh, we have tickets to see Strictly Take-Out tonight!”
I paused. A few months ago, Madison and I had bought tickets to see our favorite indie band Strictly Take-Out at a local club. We tried to see them every time they came to Brooklyn or Manhattan, sometimes even Jersey. It always involved a pull and tug with my dad, getting permission to spend my money on tickets, saving up for the tickets, and then getting permission to go to the show with Madison, without my father tagging along. I had been counting down the days until I’d simply just forgotten about it. “Yeah, Maddie, I don’t think that it’s such a good idea.”
“Oh, come on, Zoey, why not?” she whined. “We’ve been waiting for this show for months, and remember the ordeal that we had to go through? We’ll go, see the band and come straight home. We won’t get sick.”
“I’m not taking chances. People are dying and disappearing. Your boyfriend’s mom just died.” I grabbed the remote from the table and started flipping through the channels.
Madison was quiet for a moment. “I’m just so bored. I know that’s wrong because of Brody’s mom,” she said, quietly. “But I’m cooped up inside all day with my sisters and I’m going insane. I can’t just sit inside and wait for something to happen.”
“I know,” I said, “trust me. I know.” I could hear Ash in the stairwell, ordering the Chinese food for us. I smiled slightly when I heard him order my favorite. “Come over. Ash just ordered Chinese; we’ll watch movies.” I laughed. “I really do need someone to keep me from killing Ash.”
“The thing is,” Madison said slowly, “I’m kind of already here.”
“Madison!” I yelled abruptly. “What is wrong with you? It’s not safe!”
“I’m sorry! I just had to get out. I had to keep living. I haven’t had a real coffee in weeks, and all I eat is take-out and I’m tired of watching TV and movies. I had to get out.” There were some muffled noises in the background. “I have to go.”
“Madison? Maddie!” I held the phone out. Call ended. I shrieked in frustration and flew off the couch and up the stairs, bumping into Ash on the way up.
“Z, what are you doing?”
“Stupid Madison. Ugh,” I said, slamming into my room. “She went out and now I have to go out and get her.” I started pulling clothes out of my closet.
“Wait,” Ash said, grabbing my arm to stop me midstride. He whipped me around to face him. “You can’t go out there. Your dad wants you home; it’s not safe.”
“It’s not safe for Maddie either.” I tried pulling my arm away from his grip but he had a tight hold. “Let go of me.”
“Z, you could get sick!” He looked uncharacteristically serious.
“I’m going, Ash, and I’m bringing my idiotic best friend home.” I yanked my arm harder but it still didn’t budge. I was strong but my strength relied mostly on my legs. His fingers flexed, gripping his arm tighter. His hands were so large that his thumb and fingers met together around my bicep. “Let. Go.”
He released me from his grip but didn’t leave. “Well, you know I’m going with you, right?”
I started shaking my head repeatedly. “No. No way.”
Ash grinned. He grabbed one of the dresses I had tossed on the bed and shoved it into my arms, his fingertips lingering on my skin. “I’m your protector, remember? Now get dressed. We gotta go save Maddie.” He winked and walked out of the room.
Moments later, I came down the stairs dressed in the little black lace dress Ash had pushed it in my arms. He had the uncanny ability to choose the shortest dress in my closet, of course. I had let my hair free of its usual ponytail, and I’d slipped on little boots.
Ash was at the front door, waiting for me. His face lit up. “Well, don’t you look absolutely delicious? I picked a good one, didn’t I?”
“Just stop it, okay?” I said, tired of his antics, tired of his teasing. I called for Bandit and put him in the basement, locking the door behind him. He whimpered slightly. I shook my head.
“Z,” he said while helping me slip my coat on, his fingers light on my hips. “You do. You look gorgeous.”
“Shut up,” I said softly, avoiding his eyes. “Let’s go. “
WE MADE IT DOWN TO the venue in no time at all. Ash paid the cover charge and I handed over my ticket. I passed my coat over to the guy just inside the doors and hoped I’d get it back at the end of the night.
Strictly Take-Out was already playing when we walked in, and I forgot my purpose for a moment. I had been waiting for this show for months, and now that I was here, all I wanted to do was listen to music and dance. They were my favorite band, and every time I saw them live, they seemed better and better. Plus, over the years, Madison and I had become friends with them. I looked forward to hanging out with them after the show.
“This is your favorite song, isn’t it?” Ash shouted at me.
I turned to him, surprised. “How did you know?”
“I pay attention, Z.” He shrugged. “Let’s dance.”
I hesitated. “We came here for Madison.”
“Come on, it’s one song,” he said, walking backward toward the crowd dancing in front of the stage. “Besides, Madison is probably in there somewhere, so dancing would only be helpful to our cause.”
I felt myself beginning to give in, and Ash seized his chance, taking my hand and dragging me into the crowd. I let myself be pulled in, feeling the beat of my favorite song flow through me. I wanted to dance. I wanted to dance so badly even if it had to be with him.
He stopped when we’d made our way to the stage. He took my shaking arms and wrapped them around his neck. His hands came to rest on my waist and he pulled me closer, right up against him, every part of us touching.
“We’re too close,” I shouted, swallowing hard.
Ash leaned down, the cocky grin in place. “Don’t be nervous, Zoey,” he whispered in my ear, causing me to shiver a little. He started off slow, his hips moving against mine, picking up speed to match the song. He was an amazing dancer and my hands were too tight around his neck. Overwhelming warmth was spreading through my body. My hands loosened and traveled down his shoulders to his arms. I knew I’d come here for a reason, but I couldn’t remember what it was. I couldn’t think of anything except the feel of his body against mine and the pulse of the music.
“What would your girlfriend think of you dancing with me?” I said, breathless, when the song ended.
He hadn’t let me go. His arm was wrapped tightly around my waist, and his other hand was on my thigh right below the hemline of my dress, pushing it upwards. “I don’t have a girlfriend.” I gave him an exasperated look, trying to ignore the fact that my hands were still gripping his arms tightly.
“I don’t,” he repeated, “not anymore.”
I sud
denly felt uneasy about the serious expression on his face. Ash almost never looked like this, and it only made him look that much better. I started to pull away.
Ash’s hand shot up, and his fingers wrapped around the back of my neck, holding me in place. “Now, where do you think you’re going, Zoey?” he said, a small smile on his face.
He was leaning down to me, and all I could think was that he was going to kiss me and that I wanted him to. I didn’t care that he was Ash Matthews or that I hated him or that he made my life miserable. He was inches away from me and incredibly sexy. He was an incredible dancer, and it had been a long time since a boy had kissed me. My heart was beating wildly in my chest, matching the beat of the song, and he was only a whisper away.
Then a scream rang out above the music.
And I knew exactly who it belonged to.
Madison.
I pulled away from Ash, my eyes wide. “Madison.”
The band had stopped playing, and everyone was looking around in confusion. I started to push my way through, shoving people, Ash at my heels.
I found Madison by the entrance of the restrooms. She was sobbing, her hand pressed against her mouth, lipstick smeared across her lips and mascara running down her round cheeks. She was wearing a white lace dress, and she almost seemed to glow in the darkness of the club, surrounded by so many people dressed in black. A dark substance was spread across the front of her dress and I realized quickly that it was blood. She looked like an angel, a beautiful tiny avenging angel. I reached out to her at the same moment that she vomited blood all over the floor.
Ash yanked me back as blood splattered all over the floor. People behind us were starting to move quickly toward the door. I reached out for Madison, yanking her to her feet, careful not to touch any of the blood.
“Z, I don’t think…” Ash said.
I glared at him. “It’s Maddie, Ash.” Her skin was burning hot to the touch, and I spotted a few sores on the back of her neck. “Mad, how long have you been sick? Maddie?”
She whimpered, bloody fingers pressed to her stomach, leaving red fingerprints on the white fabric. “Zoey, I don’t feel good…”
“All right, honey, let’s go home,” I said, soothingly, trying to keep my panic under control. Madison was really sick, and I wasn’t sure if it was too late to do anything about it. It was probably too late. But I couldn’t think of that right now. “Ash, help me.”
Ash came immediately to Madison’s other side and hoisted her up. We made our way out and into the cold air. It blasted me, sending shivers up my body. My coat was still inside, but I didn’t care. It was chaos outside. People were frantically hailing cabs or heading to the subway. A few people were on the phone, and several panicked voices filled the air.
“We have to get her out of here,” I said, looking around.
“We should take her to the hospital,” Ash insisted.
“No!” I said sharply. “We’ll take her home.”
“Zoey…”
“She’s fine,” I said, trying to keep the hysteria out of my voice. Someone shoved me from behind. He turned, his eyes widening when he saw Madison. He backed up quickly.
“Get her out of here. She’s going to die,” he said, his voice shaking. “I don’t want to die too.”
“Hey, back off,” Ash said, stepping toward the guy, his fists clenched.
“Ash, please. Let’s go,” I begged. He looked at me and nodded. The two of us grabbed Madison again and started pushing our way through the crowd. Blood was dribbling out of her mouth and down her chin. I picked up my pace.
We hadn’t made it more than a few blocks when a black van came screeching up next to us, bouncing up onto the sidewalk. Ash and I froze in shock.
Three men jumped out of the van. They were wearing all black, and their faces were covered in surgical masks. They walked straight to us, determined, reaching for Madison.
“Zoey…” Madison said uncertainly. Her voice was low and weak, and her eyes went wide at the men coming toward her.
“What are you doing?” I demanded. “Who are you?”
“Don’t worry, dear,” one of them soothed. His voice was too sweet, and his tone didn’t reach his eyes. “We just want to help her.” He pried my hands off Madison and, in one swift movement, swung her into his arms.
“No! She’s fine!” I shouted. “We’re just going to take her home. Please.”
Another man stepped forward, a syringe in his hand, the needle looking sharp and bright in the faded light of the street lamps.
“No!” I shrieked. “Stop!” I stepped forward, but Ash took hold of my arm and pulled me back.
The needle pierced Madison’s neck as her eyes met mine. They stared at me, blinking a few times until they closed completely. Her head lolled to the side, her lips parted.
“What did you do?” I trembled. “Is she…” I couldn’t bring myself to finish the sentence. She looked tiny in the man’s arms, like a doll. Her skin was so pale, it was nearly blue. How long had she been like this? When was the last time I had seen her?
“She’s fine. She’s sick,” the man said again. “We’re taking her to the hospital.”
Fear washed through me. “No, please don’t take her. Leave her. Leave her with me.”
The third man, who had been standing off to the side, came over to me and grabbed my arm. He held me in place as they took Madison and loaded her into the van.
I strained against him. “No! Madison! Please! Please don’t take her!”
The man shoved me, causing me to trip backward into Ash. Ash’s eyes flashed, and he reached forward to peel the man’s fingers off of my arm.
“Don’t touch her, “Ash growled in a low voice. He pulled me away, his arm wrapped around my waist.
The man’s eyes narrowed, and he looked for a minute like he really wanted to hit Ash. Instead, he turned on his heel and got back in the van. Before I could react, the van pulled away from the curb and sped down the street.
“No!” I screamed, straining against Ash’s hold. “Maddie!”
“Zoey, let’s go,” he said, glancing around. “It’s going to be okay, but we have to go home.”
“It’s not going to be okay.” I ripped myself away from him and fumbled for my phone, tucked in my bra. My bloody fingers slipped on the screen as I dialed for my dad.
“Zoey!” Dad’s voice was frantic and worried. “Zoey, where are you?”
“Dad!” I answered, choking back a sob. “Dad, we went to go get Madison, and she was sick. I wanted to bring her home, but these people came in a black van and gave her some kind of shot, and they took her! Daddy; they took her!”
There was a long pause. “Zoey, come home. Now.”
“Daddy…”
“Is Ash with you?”
I nodded, and then remembered he couldn’t see me. I was shivering in the late night. It smelled like rain and I had left my coat at the venue. “Yes.”
“Tell Ash to bring you home right now.” Ash nodded, having heard, and started pulling me toward the nearest subway station.
“But…Maddie. Dad, they took her!” I cried.
His voice softened. “I know, champ. Come home. We’ll figure it out.”
“Okay,” I whispered and hung up.
The subway ride back was silent, the two of us having nothing to say. A few people gave us looks, but this was New York, and my frazzled hair, bloody hands and tear stained cheeks were nothing special. I couldn’t stop shivering, the dead look in Maddie’s eyes as they took her away playing over and over in my mind. Ash pressed his side against mine, allowing a little warmth to seep through me.
We said nothing as we walked through our neighborhood on the way home. Ash walked me to the front door. He faced me, and when our eyes met, I felt the tears sting my eyes.
“Hey, hey, hey,” he said, softly, stepping closer to pull me against his chest. As if they had a mind of their own, my arms slid up and around him, my hands pressed flat against his back. “
It’s going to be okay.”
“I’m scared,” I whispered.
“You don’t have to be,” he said, firmly.
I felt a buzzing near my hip and pulled back slightly.
“Sorry, that’s me.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket and answered. “Hey, babe.”
It took a moment for the words to seep through my panic, and my dramatics. But when it did, it hit me like a speeding train. I stepped back horrified, feeling a flush spread across my chest. Ash’s eyes met mine, and I felt anger fill me up, making me shake even harder than before. I could feel the bile rise up in my throat.
“I know, I’m sorry,” he was saying. “I promise I’ll see you tomorrow. I know. I’ve been really busy…no, it’s nothing important. I gotta go. Yeah, I’ll see you tomorrow. I promise, baby.” He hung up and slid the phone back into his pocket.
“You’re an asshole,” I spat out, backing up farther away from him.
“Zoey, come on,” he started to say, following me.
“Get away from me.” I placed my palms against his chest and pushed.
He stumbled, a bewildered, hurt look on his face, but he caught himself, and the look quickly disappeared. The arrogant smile was back. “I hope you weren’t too encouraged back there at the club, Z,” he said smoothly. “You’re not exactly my type.” He laughed.
I felt the words like a punch to the gut. “I hate you,” I whispered humiliated. I danced with him. I let him touch me, and I had almost kissed him. I yanked my gaze away from his and turned, running into the house straight into the arms of my dad.
FIRST THING IN THE MORNING, my dad rushed off to work, promising to find out as much as he could about Madison. Her parents had been calling us all night, in between calling hospitals and the police. No one knew where she was.
Like clockwork, Ash showed up at my door less than an hour after my dad had left. He had been given a key (thanks, Dad, for making it possible for Ash to walk in on me naked), but I’d already thought about that and had secured the chain lock. As soon as Ash unlocked the door, it merely swung open a couple inches. I sat on the bottom step of the stairs and wrapped my arms tightly around my knees, my head resting against the banister.
The Awakened Page 5
