Choosing Rose (Other World Series Book Six)

by Ramona Gray

  “Goddammit, Brody, get the fuck up now!” She said in a harsh whisper.

  “I can’t,” Brody said. “I’m sorry. I can’t fucking walk on it. It hurts too much, and I’ll just slow you down. Go.”

  She looked around in desperation before standing and moving behind Brody. She hooked her hands under his armpits and ignoring his groan of pain, dragged him back toward a large bush. Ignoring the mosquitos buzzing in her ears, she pulled and heaved on him until he was half under the bush.

  “Wiggle back,” she whispered as she moved around him. She pushed on his good leg, helping him to slide under the bush under he was completely hidden.

  “Roooo-sieeeee. Where are you, sweetheart? You know I can follow the trail of blood from your faggot friend, right?”

  Fuck, he was close.

  “Stay there,” she whispered to Brody. “I’m going to draw him away.”

  “Rosie, no! Don’t!”

  She ignored Brody and stepped away from the bush. She put her hands around her mouth and hollered. “Fuck you, you chickenshit asshole! You’re a disgrace to the fucking SEALs, you know that? Letting a woman get the fucking best of you.”

  Patrick bellowed in pure fury and she turned and darted away just as he came limping into view and covered in blood. “I’m gonna hurt you so bad for that, you fucking cunt!”

  “You’ll have to catch me first, asshole!” She shouted before running full speed for the waterfall. She ran for her life, arms pumping at her sides and her head up. Patrick was in good shape, but the blood on him suggested he’d been injured, and she steadily pulled away from him.

  She burst out of the jungle and scanned the waterfall frantically. Vida was nowhere in sight and her heart, already thumping like a frightened rabbit, cranked up another notch. Fuck, what did she do now?

  She caught a flash of blue in the pool and her eyes widened. “Vida!” If he was underwater, he wouldn’t have heard the gunshots or her screaming. She ran into the water, searching it desperately as she waded further in.

  “Vida!” She screamed. “Vida, help me!”

  She was almost to the spot where she’d seen the blue. The water was chest deep now and she was close to the drop off. She surged forward, already the coldness of the water was turning her lips blue and making her body shake, and reached under the water. “Vida, are you – shit!”

  Her hands pulled up some blue coloured weeds and she tossed them aside before screaming in fear and frustration.

  “Rose, what’s a pretty girl like you doing on an island like this?”

  She turned, her lungs freezing up and her pulse pounding, before she dragged in a lungful of oxygen.

  Patrick was standing at the edge of the water and smiling at her. “Not a smart move going into the water, sweetheart. You know I’m a SEAL right?”

  “Come in and get me then,” she spat at him.

  He shook his head and blood flew from the cut on his forehead. “Wish I could, Rose, but that brino did a real number on me. Might have even broken some ribs, if I’m being truthful. Lucky for you, huh? You would never have made it this far, if it hadn’t.”

  Rosie didn’t reply, and he raised the gun and aimed it at her. “Come out of the water. I don’t want to kill you, but I will.”

  “No, you won’t,” she said, but backed up anyway. “You need me.”

  He shrugged. “You’re not wrong. But if you don’t come out, I will come in, broken ribs and all.”

  She shuffled back until the water was at her chin and Patrick gave her a sharp look. “Stop moving, Rose. You’re close to the drop off and I know you can’t swim. The last thing I fucking need is you drowning. Come out of the pool and I promise you won’t be hurt.”

  “F-fuck you.”

  He laughed. “Such spirit. I can wait here all day, sweetheart, if I have to. How much longer do you think you’ll survive in that cold of water. Hmm?”

  “V-vida will rescue me.”

  “Maybe. Or maybe he won’t get here in time.” Patrick waded into the pool until the water was at his knees. He continued to aim the gun at her as his other hand pressed against his ribs. “Get your ass over here now.”

  She shook her head and he sighed and walked toward her. “Fine, we’ll do this the fucking hard way.”

  “St-stay away from me!” She glanced behind her, panic clawing at her insides. She could tread water thanks to Vida, but even if she went past the drop off and even if she managed to not panic and keep her head above the water, Patrick would just swim out to her.

  “You should know that I’m very displeased with your inability to cooperate.” Patrick moved forward relentlessly, despite his injuries. “We’ll need to have a very long talk about – Rose! Goddammit!”

  He watched in dismay as Rose took another step back, her arms flailed wildly, and she made a strangled cry before she disappeared under the water.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Teagan blinked rapidly as sweat dripped into his eye. It stung like a bitch and he blinked again before studying Wallace on his left. “You okay?”

  Wallace nodded. It had been almost an hour since Patrick had left with Brody, and Wallace was looking like shit. His lip was bruised and swollen, and Teagan could see a dark bruise beginning underneath the dark shadow of stubble. “I’ll live. He fucking killed Davis, man.”

  “Yeah, I know. It’s my fault.”

  “It’s not your fault.” Randy was on his right. Like the rest of them, his hands were bound behind his back. Patrick had bound each of them with rope and then shoved them to the ground in a neat row and tied the five of them together with a second piece of rope. That rope was tied around one of the four wooden supports in the hut. Randy tried to shift positions and winced. “Shit, I think he dislocated my damn shoulder when he tied me up.”

  “Seriously?” Wallace said.

  Randy shook his head. “Nah, I’m just a wimp when it comes to pain.”

  Wallace turned back to Teagan. “He’s right. It isn’t your fault.”

  “It is. I knew Patrick was losing it, but I didn’t want to admit it. Didn’t want to see the truth.”

  “None of us knew he was that bad,” Wallace said.

  “You fucking should have,” Daryl said sullenly. “He was your goddamn leader.”

  “Shut your fucking mouth, slug fucker, or I’ll rip your nutsack off and feed it to you,” Wallace said.

  “He’s right. I should have known. I should have done something and I didn’t, and now Davis is dead,” Teagan said.

  “I don’t mean to be indelicate about the death of Davis, but we have bigger issues at the moment,” Randy said. “Mainly, what Patrick’s going to do to us when he gets back. The only people he really thinks he needs is Rose and Vida.”

  “And Talla,” Duncan said.

  Talla shook her head. “I mean nothing to him. I’m just a warm body for his bed.”

  “He won’t kill us,” Teagan said, “not if we convince him that he needs us to help him take the village. He can’t possibly think that Vida alone can do it.”

  “He might,” Wallace pulled at the ropes that bound his wrists together, “batshit crazy, remember?”

  “Yeah.” Teagan lapsed into silence.

  Wallace touched his bruised lip with the tip of his tongue. “Do you think -”

  The faint sound of gunfire echoed to them.

  “Shit.” Wallace gave Doc a nervous look. “I’m sure Brody’s fine.”

  Doc laughed bitterly. “Yeah. I’m sure those two shots were just warning shots.”

  “Maybe it -”

  Doc was sitting on the other side of Wallace and he stared at Daryl who was tied next to him and closest to the doorway. “Did you hear that?”

  “I didn’t hear anything,” Daryl replied.

  Doc cocked his head and made a shushing sound. “I think Patrick’s back.”

  “He can’t be,” Wallace said. “The gunshots weren’t close enough to … oh fuck me.”

  The pinkie stepp
ed into the hut and Teagan wanted to gag at the smell. He’d never been this close to one before and he studied its smooth pink skin and long blonde hair, and the mouth that was already beginning to widen.

  “Move!” Teagan roared as the pinkie moved toward them.

  “To where?” Talla shouted. “There’s no place to go.”

  “Daryl, look out!” Doc screamed.

  Daryl screamed as the pinkie dropped to his knees. He grinned and bit into Daryl’s face., his teeth sinking into the flesh and bone with a loud cracking noise. Daryl screamed again, the sound muffled in the pinkie’s mouth. Blood sprayed out, coating Doc’s chest and Wallace’s legs.

  The pinkie tore Daryl’s face off and chewed up the warm flesh. Daryl, blood and gore covering what remained of his face, screamed a final time as the pinkie reached out and popped his left eyeball with one sharp nail. He pulled Daryl’s eye from the socket and sucked the eyeball into his mouth as Daryl’s head dropped forward and his body went limp. The pinkie swallowed Daryl’s eye before turning toward Doc and studying him.

  “Fuck,” Doc whispered.

  He scooted backwards on his ass, Daryl’s body dragging along with him, but the pinkie stood up, darted forward and lifted him as easily as a child. Wallace snarled in pain as he was dragged halfway up with Doc, his bound arms bending unnaturally.

  “Doc!” Teagan shouted as the pinkie’s mouth opened and its jaw elongated again. Its fangs protruded, the smell of blood and rot intensifying, and Doc made a scream that was half fear and half defiance as the pinkie yanked his head back.

  “Goddammit, no!” Teagan shouted.

  He watched in surprise as the pinkie stiffened. He dropped Doc to the ground – he landed half on Wallace who made a grunt of pain – and stared down at his chest. Something sharp and silver protruded from the middle of it. Blood, shockingly red against the pink skin of the creature, ran in tiny rivulets down the pinkie’s chest.

  “What the hell is that?” Randy rasped.

  “My sword,” Duncan replied.

  The sword was yanked free and the pinkie stood still for a moment, staring at the gaping hole in its chest before it fell face forward onto the ground of the hut.

  “Arden?’ Teagan said.

  The fairy lowered Duncan’s sword. “Hey.”

  “Holy fuckballs,” Wallace said, “the fucking fairy just killed a pinkie.”

  “I’m not just a fucking pretty face, dickhead,” Arden leaned the sword against the wall of the hut and examined a pimple on his belly. He popped it with a quick jab of both thumbs and grunted in satisfaction at the splat of yellow pus that landed on the dead pinkie’s back.

  “How did you get my sword?” Duncan asked. “It was in the tree.”

  Arden rolled his eyes. “I got fuckin’ wings, don’t I? Idiot.”

  “You can fly with those things? This I gotta fuckin’ see,” Wallace said.

  Arden ignored him. He squatted and, using Duncan’s sword, cut through the rope that connected them before beginning to cut through their individual bonds. “Your dumb shit leader’s gone crazy.”

  “Tell us something we don’t know,” Wallace said as Arden sliced through the rope that bound his wrists.

  “Flowers don’t work on the pinkies anymore.” Arden freed the rest of them before handing the sword to Duncan.

  “What? How do you know that?” Teagan asked.

  Arden just shrugged. “Seen it. They killed a dozen of the locals last night who were out hunting. They were covered in flowers and it didn’t even stop them. The pink fuckers have been making themselves immune to it, the past few months. I seen ‘em rubbing the flowers on themselves, shit like that.”

  “Great. Just fucking great,” Wallace said. “If Patrick doesn’t fucking kill us, the pinkies will.”

  “Yep,” Arden said.

  “We get the gun from Patrick and we use those goddamn bullets to kill the motherfucking pinkies.” Teagan stalked out of the hut and the others followed him. “He’s only used five bullets, we take him down and take the gun – plenty left for us to lure the pinkies in and kill them.”

  “If he had a full mag,” Doc said. “He didn’t confirm that he -”

  They all stiffened as more gunfire rang out. When it ended, Randy said, “How many gunshots is that total? Did anyone count?”

  “Seven.” Doc, Duncan and Wallace said in unison.

  Teagan grabbed the machete that was sitting on the slab of wood that served as their table. “Talla, Doc and Randy, stay here. Wallace and Duncan, let’s go.”

  “I’m not staying here,” Doc said.

  “Like fucking hell you aren’t. We can’t risk you getting hurt,” Teagan said. “We’ll find Brody and bring him back to you.”

  “No,” Doc said. “I’m going with the team.”

  “I’m not staying here with just Randy,” Talla said. “If the flowers don’t protect us from the pinkies anymore, then we’re sitting ducks. He’s not going to be any help.” She glanced at Randy. “No offense.”

  “None taken,” Randy polished his glasses before picking up a spear that was leaning against the table. “We all go together. Safety in numbers, right?”

  He studied Teagan who nodded. “Yeah, let’s go.”

  “Where to?” Wallace said.

  “The cave first. If they’re not there, we check the waterfall.”

  “What if they’re not at either place?” Doc had ducked into his hut and returned with his med kit on his back.

  “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” Teagan gave them all a grim look. “Move fast and stay fucking quiet.”

  “Yo, Arden, what the fuck, man?” Wallace said.

  The fairy had grabbed some fruit from the table and was sitting down on the log next to the fire. “What?”

  “You just gonna sit there and eat fucking fruit while we save our friends?”

  “I did my part and saved your asses, didn’t I?”

  “We could use your help.”

  Arden bit into the fruit before flipping him the bird.

  Wallace shook his head and grabbed a spear. “Fucking fairies.”

  * * *

  When the hand snaked around Rose’s calf and pulled her under the water, she supposed she was lucky she didn’t inhale a lungful of water. Instead, her body, in adrenaline racing survival mode, had gasped in air and snapped shut right before she went under.

  She stared wide-eyed at Vida as he turned her to face him and cupped her face. He smiled at her and she wanted to weep with relief. Instead, she clung to him as he pulled her close and then swam away from the edge of the drop-off.

  Deeper and deeper they went, and she could feel panic starting to churn in her belly. She tried to hold her breath, but she could see a stream of bubbles rising in front of her face as her air slowly leaked out. Her lungs were beginning to scream for air and she squeezed Vida’s shoulder and then pounded on his back.

  He stopped immediately and held her around the waist as she gave him a look of pure panic. A silver-coloured fish swam by them, followed by the sleek, black body of an eel. Before she could try and pantomime to Vida what was wrong, he was cupping her face and fitting his mouth over hers. She opened her mouth and moaned with relief when Vida blew a hard breath of air into her lungs. He pulled away, stared at her for a few seconds, then gave her a second lungful of air before he drew her up against him again and resumed swimming.

  He stopped twice more to give her air before she realized where he was taking her. The water was getting choppier and even deep underwater, she could hear the roar of the waterfalls. Vida swam for the surface, and when their heads broke free of the water, she gasped for air for several minutes, clinging to Vida as he held them both above the water.

  She stared up at him, confused and a little surprised by the way he was looking at her, before he cupped her face and kissed her fiercely. She returned his kiss, clinging tightly to him until he pulled his mouth away.

  “I am sorry, my flower,” Vida h
ad to shout to be heard above the sound of the waterfalls. “I should never have left you alone. Are you hurt?”

  She shook her head. “N-no. I’m f-fine.” Other than being completely numb. She’d been in the water too long and even Vida’s body heat wasn’t enough to keep her warm. She stared at the sheet of water falling steadily in front of them. “A-are we b-behind the waterf-falls?”

  “Yes.”

  The cliff behind the falls had been worn away by centuries of falling water, and Vida swam toward it. He boosted her onto a ledge. “Stay here for a moment, sweet flower.”

  He disappeared under the water before she could stop him. She waited a tense few minutes before he reappeared. He boosted himself out of the water and sat next to her. He cuddled her close, kissing the top of her head and rubbing her cold skin.

  “W-where did you go?”

  “To see where the mad one is. He still searches the water for you.”

  “Th-thank you for saving my life,” she said.

  “What is that metal machine he carries that makes so much noise?” Vida asked.

  “It’s called a g-gun.”

  Vida kissed her again. “Stay here, sweet flower. I will kill the mad one and return for you when he is dead.”

  “No!” She grabbed him when he started to slide off the ledge. “No, Vida, you’ll be killed.”

  “I am stronger than him,” Vida said. “Do not worry.”

  “You don’t understand. That gun is very dangerous. He can kill you with it.”

  “How?”

  “Guns are very powerful weapons. They fire metal objects called bullets and those bullets can tear through your flesh, even through bone, and kill you. Do you understand? If he shoots you in the head or a vital organ, you will die.”

  “My kind heals quickly, little human,” Vida said. “The water heals us.”

  “It won’t heal you from this. Trust me.”

  He hesitated and this time she cupped his face and kissed him. “It won’t, Vida. You can’t just go after him. He wants you to help him take the village, but he also won’t trust you. If you go after him, he will kill you.”