by Carly Fall
Frankly, he wanted to kill Roman.
A small, sane part of him understood that this need was simply his SR44 male roaring, feeling the need to mark Macy as his. Perhaps it was time for him to clear the air with Roman and make sure he understood his place, and that he would not be with Macy again anytime in the future. If Roman comprehended where Titus’ head was at, then maybe he’d also shut up and fall in line.
Grabbing Roman’s jacket, he pushed him into the brick building with a little more force than he’d intended. But damn, it felt good.
“What the hell, man?” Roman asked, pushing him back.
Titus moved so that he stood so close, their bodies touched from toes to stomach, his arms pinning Roman’s upper torso against the brick. If he hadn’t been so furious, the moment may have been sexual. He felt certain that was what those on the street saw if they glanced their way—just two males up on each other’s grill, perhaps about to kiss.
“You listen very carefully to me, pretty boy, because I’m only going to say this once, and I need to make sure you understand me.”
Confusion washed over Roman’s face, and he nodded.
“I know you were Macy’s lover.”
The confusion turned to surprise. “She told you that?”
“No. She didn’t have to. I saw it in the way she poured her heart and soul into your healing when you got caught up with that female. I saw it, and I felt it.”
“You can’t possible believe that—”
“Shut up, Roman, and quit denying it.”
He dropped the surprised and confused façade. “What about it?”
Apparently, he’d decided honesty would be the best at this point, and Titus didn’t blame him. He’d have told the truth in Roman’s shoes, as well, because right now, Titus felt certain he looked no more normal than a psychopath Colonist.
“You quit telling me that I should call it a night, for starters, because that female is mine. Do you understand me? Mine. I will walk all night if I have to find a clue as to where that son of a bitch took her, and then I will find them.”
The surprised look had returned. “You and Macy?”
“Yes.”
“I had no idea.”
Titus let go of him and stepped back. “No one does. So either stay with me, help me, and shut up, or go back to the silo.”
Roman glanced around for a minute, then nodded. “I’m with you, Titus.”
Glad he’d cleared the air, relief washed through him.
“Can I ask you a question?” Roman inquired.
What part of shut up didn’t the male understand? “What?”
“I thought you preferred males.”
Titus looked at him as guilt over Simon washed through him. “I loved Simon, and I don’t even pretend to understand my attraction to Macy. I just know she’s mine, if she’ll have me, and you being her former lover makes me want to tie you to a chair with your intestines.”
Roman chuckled. “Well, please don’t do that.”
They walked in silence for a few moments. “Macy said I’m something called ‘bisexual.’ It’s a human term meaning I enjoy the company of both men and women.”
“I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
“Yes, well, now you have.”
“What happens if you find a male you’re attracted to? What will happen with Macy?”
Titus stopped and looked at Roman. Devastatingly good-looking with his dark eyes, tanned skin, a full mouth, and jet-black hair, Roman seemed as though he was being honestly curious and not trying to be an ass. He had a brief vision of both of them in a tender embrace, but quickly dismissed it. Roman would never be his type, and he doubted any other male would ever be again.
“It’s different. Macy is here.” He pointed to his heart. “I’m standing in front of one of the most attractive males I’ve ever seen, and I feel nothing. I have no desire to kiss you, to touch you, or to have sex with you. The only thing I feel is worry for Macy, and the unrelenting need to get her back. It’s because I’ve somehow fallen in love with her. So if looking at you does absolutely nothing for me, how will any other male pique my interest?”
“I wasn’t trying to persuade you.”
Titus sighed. “I know, Roman. I’m just using you as an example to make a point. If you can’t get me hot under the collar with your looks, how will anyone else?”
He may be stunning, but he seemed to be lacking in the intelligence area.
They walked a bit more away from the downtown area. Titus stopped when he thought he heard a noise up ahead. He listened again, and it definitely sounded like two people in a scuffle. He’d been in enough of his own to recognize the sound.
“Let’s go,” he whispered to Roman.
They walked to the doorway of a building and saw two men wrestling on the ground. One had a knife and seemed determined to bury it in the other one.
Titus grabbed the knife-wielder and pulled him off the other male. He turned and tried to stab Titus, but he dodged the blow and pushed his attacker’s head into the building, stunning him and making him drop to his knees. The knife clacked against the sidewalk, and Roman picked it up.
The victim quickly got to his feet, his breath sawing in and out of his lungs. He bent over at the waist and placed his hands on his knees. About mid-twenties, he wore black pants and a white shirt, and Titus felt certain the stains on the white fabric wouldn’t come out. Who knew what they had been wrestling around in?
“Thank you,” he whispered.
Titus kept his foot on the assailant’s spine.
“Do you know this male?” Roman asked.
The guy shook his head and stood upright. “No. I just got off work. I didn’t do anything. Just minding my own business, thinking about picking up a six-pack of beer, when this asshole comes at me out of nowhere.”
“Where do you work?” Titus asked as the attacker began to squirm. He dug his heel in, letting him know he better stay right where he lay.
“Geraldo’s.”
He’d never heard of the restaurant.
“Nice place down on Center Street? Been around since the seventies?”
Titus shrugged.
“I thought everyone knew about Geraldo’s.”
He tended to believe the waiter, but had to vet him just a little bit more. “Do you know Daniel?”
Confusion crossed his face, but the jerk under his shoe went completely still.
“Who’s that?” the waiter asked.
Titus pointed to the ground. “We’ll take care of this one. You can go home.”
“I want to press charges against him! He tried to fucking kill me! We should call the police!”
He nodded and took out his cell phone, the lies tumbling from his mouth with ease. “We are the police, sir. For right now, let me take your number and I’ll call you in a bit to come and get your statement. We’ve got to talk to this gentleman.”
The male nodded and gave Titus his number.
“I’d suggest you head on home,” Roman said.
The waiter looked between the two of them. “Okay.”
“Just be careful, and we’ll talk to you in a bit,” Titus said.
They watched him go and waited until the man had rounded the corner. Titus reached down and pulled the assailant up by the back of his jacket and pushed him again into the doorway. He stood at the mouth, making sure the male had nowhere to go.
“So, here’s the deal, you half-breed Colonist piece of shit. You either tell me where Daniel is, or I’m turning you over to the cops. That guy will press charges against you, and you can spend some time in lock-up.”
The male blanched, but didn’t say anything.
“What’s your name?” Roman asked, and they were met with silence.
“Okay, from now on, your name’s Douchebag,” Titus said. “So, I’m going to tell you to choose again. Jail, or you tell me where Daniel is.”
“Fuck you,” the male mumbled.
All the helplessness,
aggravation, and irritation he’d been feeling since the park exploded within him and came out in his fist which landed squarely in the middle of Douchebag’s face. His knees buckled and he landed face first at Titus’ feet.
“I think you may have hit him a bit too hard,” Roman commented from his left.
He nodded and sighed. “We’ll wait until he comes around and try again.”
Chapter 38
Macy huddled in the corner, her hands over her ears as she tried to block out the sounds coming from the room next door. It sounded like cars crashing into each other, over and over again, but she knew it was only human bodies.
Alaina had been in there almost an hour, and Macy felt certain she was meeting her death at the hands of the Colonist.
The door vibrated as someone on the other side hit it, and she bit her lip to keep from crying out.
How much more could Alaina take?
Suddenly, silence filled the air, and a moment later, the door swung open. Daniel pushed Alaina inside, glanced at Macy, and slammed the door.
Alaina lay on the concrete, her hair hiding her face, but Macy could see she had blood on her hands. Yet, she breathed, and relief swept through her.
She hurried over to her friend and gently put her hand on her shoulder. Alaina groaned and rolled to her back.
Her shirt had been torn down the front, revealing her bra, and some bruising had begun on her ribcage.
Macy gasped at the blood coming from her mouth and nose, the swelling around her left eye.
“Oh, Gods of Health,” she whispered as Alaina met her gaze.
She looked around to see what she could use to mop up her face and saw nothing. Alaina rolled to her side in a violent coughing fit and spit up more blood.
Taking her dress between her hands, Macy ripped it up the seam about four inches, then brought it to her mouth and grasped it with her teeth as she tore across. Once she had the fabric in her hand, she dabbed at Alaina’s nose and mouth.
“I need you to heal me,” Alaina whispered.
“Of course I will.”
“I need to be ready to go back and fight him again.”
Surprised, Macy wanted to make sure she understood Alaina’s plan. “You want me to heal you so that you can go back and have him do this to you all over again?”
“Yes.”
Alaina slowly sat up.
“He’s going to kill you, Alaina!”
She shook her head. “If I don’t do this, he’ll kill us both a lot sooner. You can heal the internal injuries, just not the cuts and bruises on my face and torso. He doesn’t know you’re a Healer, and that’s going to be our advantage.”
The thought of Alaina going back in that room made her stomach turn.
“Either the Warriors will be able to find us somehow, or we kill him, or we die. Those are our options, Macy. He’s not bored with me yet, but when that happens, we’re both dead.”
“Alaina, I—”
She grabbed Macy’s hand, her face pleading. “This is what we have to do, Macy. I know violence goes against every fiber of your being, but those are our options. All are violent, but personally, I like the options where I buy some time and we have a chance to live.”
Tears welled as she stared at her battered friend. She tried to think of another way for them to survive, but none came to mind. She didn’t want to die, and felt terribly helpless—especially since she had no idea how to fight. She couldn’t see another option, and Alaina had obviously given this some thought. “Very well. Lie down and I shall heal you.”
Trying to concentrate on Alaina proved to be difficult, and the healing took longer than it should have. She repaired a cracked rib, shored up a bruised kidney, and mended a broken finger.
When finished, Alaina rose and moved over against the wall. Macy sat down next to her and had Alaina lay her head down on her lap.
She softly threaded her fingers through Alaina’s hair, and for a while, all remained quiet.
The door opened again, startling her as she hadn’t heard any footsteps approaching. They stood up, and Macy noticed Daniel’s face looked pretty bad. Red and purple welts had formed beneath his eye and over his lip, and a burst of hope filled her. Maybe all of Alaina’s training would get them out of here alive.
Daniel raised his gun and pointed it at Alaina, and Macy noted the bruising up and down his forearm.
“Are you going to kill me like a pussy, or are you going to fight like a man?” Alaina taunted.
He grinned and lowered the gun, a low chuckled emanating from him. “Oh, Alaina. Such a nasty mouth on such a pretty face.”
As he walked over to them, Macy trembled, but refused to look away and tried to find the same strength she’d witnessed in Alaina.
Out of nowhere, Daniel’s fist connected with her jaw, sending her spiraling backward to the floor with a yelp.
As she tried to sit up, she became dizzy.
“You don’t want her, Daniel. You want me, and you’ve got me.”
Alaina lashed out, knocking his face with her elbow.
He screamed and lunged at her. They traded blows for a moment, then he grabbed Alaina by the hair. She cried out as he dragged her from the room. “You’re going to be so sorry you were ever born, you fucking bitch.”
Chapter 39
“Where is he?” Titus screamed.
He hadn’t bothered taking Douchebag anywhere private, but had instead decided to conduct his inquiry on the city streets. No one had interrupted him so far, so he took that as a sign he hadn’t brought too much attention to them.
“I don’t know where Daniel is! I’ve never even seen him!”
Titus kicked him in the gut, sending him to the ground again. The male moaned and held his midsection.
“I don’t think he knows,” Roman said.
Titus agreed, but hoped that Douchebag would give him something—anything—any type of clue.
“He addresses everyone on the Internet. We never see him live.”
Titus pulled out his gun and aimed it at the male, fully ready to pull the trigger. He hated going down this murderous slope, but he would do what he needed to do to stop the madness in the streets and to get Macy back.
“You certainly aren’t so tough when you become the hunted, are you?” Roman commented.
Douchebag curled up on the ground, tears running down his face. “Please don’t kill me.”
Flipping off the safety, Titus wrapped his finger on the trigger, not caring about the consequences of his actions. If he had to kill a hundred of these bastards tonight to get a lead on Macy, he’d do it.
Then, his phone rang.
He reached into his coat and pulled it out.
“What’s up, Blake? I’m just about to kill an offspring, so make it quick.”
“Yeah, probably best to put that plan on the back burner right now.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because the police found the car, but they’re scratching their heads why there was an APB out for it to begin with. I need you get over there ASAP and take a look around.”
Titus thought the plan through for a moment. “Take down this phone number and this address. Then call the police and tell them that the guy at the phone number wants to press charges against the guy at the address for attempted murder.”
Blake let out a low whistle, then gave him the address for the car. “You’ve been busy.”
“You have no idea.”
He hung up and approached Douchebag. “Today’s your lucky day, my friend.”
Slamming the butt of his gun on the back of his head, he rendered him unconscious. “You’re going to jail.”
Chapter 40
Macy sat against the brick wall feeling completely numb. The tears and tremors had stopped, and now, something inside her morphed and grew, something she didn’t understand.
However, with each thump she heard from the other side of the door, it deadened her senses and her fear, and this … thing … slowly brewed.
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Since she’d never felt it before, she struggled to identify it and put a name to it.
Eventually, it came to her.
Hate.
She hated Daniel with all of her being. The fear had long gone, and in its place, pure, unadulterated hate had taken over. Yes, she’d said in the past that she hated certain things, like Colonist and broccoli. But this, this seemed different. This wasn’t merely a figure of speech, but something real and visceral living inside her.
For a moment, it disturbed her, but then Alaina cried out and a loud bump came from the other side of the door.
He’d kill her, and then he’d come for Macy.
She stood up and walked around the room, looking for anything that may be made into a weapon.
Guns, knives … she went through a list of weapons, but saw nothing that could possible work to incapacitate Daniel.
Glancing up at the ceiling, she saw it.
Pipe.
Plastic pipe ran around the ceiling. How could she get it down, and if she did, what would become of the room? Would it flood?
She considered her options, but at her small stature, she didn’t see how she could reach it. Jumping a couple of times, she found her efforts futile. She was simply too small.
Suddenly, the door swung open, and Alaina skidded across the concrete.
Macy rushed to her, a plan forming in her mind. Alaina’s face, once again bloody, was almost unrecognizable. She only wore a pair of underwear, and Macy prayed to the gods that she hadn’t been raped.
“Heal me,” she whispered, determination lacing her voice.
“I will, Alaina, but you can’t keep doing this.”
“What other choice do we have?”
Macy took a deep breath, hoping her plan would work. She wouldn’t watch her friend go through any more than she had to, and it was time she stepped up and carried her own weight.
“Let me heal you, then we’ll discuss it.”
Alaina studied her for a moment, then, as Macy laid her hands on her torso, she closed her eyes.
Chapter 41
