“I wish you wouldn’t cry,” he murmured.
If I was crying, I couldn’t tell. I could hardly breathe. I was finally able to choke out one word. “Blood?”
“Yes. Aidan mentioned you call us vampires. Do so if you will. Blood is powerful. It is life.”
“Yes,” I retorted. “If it’s left in your body.”
I took another glance at the corpse on the wall and couldn’t help but to ask one question.
“What was her name?”
“In death, their names die with them. She is nameless.”
“Nobody is nameless.”
“Well, in life, her name was Sharon. Sharon Walters.”
“Sharon,” I whispered. “Such evil.”
“You know,” he started, “your brother wasn’t nearly as rude.”
My voice choked up again, and the shock almost suffocated me. I felt paralyzed.
“Danny?” No sound at all had escaped my lips, but he seemed to understand and nodded.
Rudy’s story flooded back to my head again. Alex changed the subject so quickly I didn’t have time to ask questions.
“Your terror has really increased Dorian’s desire for you.”
I glanced at Sharon, cringing at her naked, lifeless body. “My body or my blood?”
“Both. Neither of those options would be a pleasant experience.”
I didn’t know what to say, if I should even say anything.
“The police won’t catch Abraham,” he said, “or any of us. Abraham is too clever. We aren’t evil, Jane. I know you may not understand that. You are naïve and untaught, but I believe that is why The Sevren has existed so long—fate, karma. The evil are punished, not people like us, not the ones who understand the way the world turns. There are rules you know, rules that we follow. Ways we are to kill and whom to kill. Abraham decides the ones who are made for us. Only he can be certain of their truly deserved fate.”
“Fate is dead,” I said, sobbing, “and I will be too if you don’t get me out of here.”
“I’m sorry. I can’t do that. I just came to check up on you.” He turned away. “There’s a broken floorboard behind the stairs. Hide it there.”
I did as he said, trying to ignore the corpse in the corner.
Your brother wasn’t nearly as rude.
They dump their bodies in alleyways.
It made sense that The Sevren was responsible for Danny’s death. Nobody ever let us know anything. All they asked us was if we could think of anyone who would want to hurt him. But nobody would want to hurt Danny. Everybody loved him. It didn’t make sense.
Blood is powerful. It is life.
Why Danny’s? He was loved by so many. Why him?
Chapter Fifteen
I started yanking on the floorboards and found the broken one Alex had mentioned. It was still difficult to lift, and it hurt my fingertips. I finally broke it free. I reached down to see how deep the space was to make sure I’d be able to get the bag of food out once I dropped it in. I felt something soft under my palm, like velvet. I gripped my hand around the object and pulled it out. I couldn’t tell what it was, but after a moment, my eyes focused more clearly, and I could see it was a black, velvet marble bag with a drawstring.
The bag was obviously filled with something, but the contents didn’t feel large enough or heavy enough to be marbles. I opened the bag and poured the pieces into my hand. I studied them for a moment and felt them with my fingers. I instantly recoiled in disgust, hardly being able to stop myself from dropping them on the floor. I saw that they were tiny, gumdrop-shaped teeth, some whiter than others, some with gold fillings and caps. I wondered again what would happen to me. Would I end up a hanging corpse in a basement? How cliché. Would somebody break my teeth out and hide them in a marble bag? The teeth couldn’t have all been from the same person. The shapes and colors were too diverse. Why would anybody keep teeth? I dropped them back in the bag and put it back under the floorboard. I just curled up in the blanket Alex had given me and cried. It was the first time I let myself go completely. I whimpered Danny’s name and begged him to save me, begged him to help give me the strength to live so I could live for him.
I cried myself to sleep but was awakened several times by horrific nightmares of the corpse becoming reanimated and breaking out my teeth. There were visions of Aidan in the woods, killing Danny over and over again. I cried most of the night, and when I finally gave up and decided to stay awake, I decided it was time to search for a way to break the walls and escape.
It was too dark to see much, and I was so distracted trying to avoid running into the body hanging on the wall that I couldn’t think of any logical or practical way to get out. It was all completely ridiculous. Why am I being kept in a basement anyway? Why hasn’t The Sevren killed me yet—sacrificed me on that stone in the woods?
I pressed my fingers to my temples and almost screamed in frustration. There was no way I was going to give up and surrender. I was going to do whatever it took to get out, but my body was drained, and my mind was currently in ruins. I knew I needed rest if I wanted even the smallest hope of living. I wrapped back up in the blanket and tried to relax. I felt myself slowly dozing off, and finally, my dreams were peaceful. I dreamed mostly of memories of Danny and Becky, even good days with my parents and my childhood summers.
When I awoke, the dreams kept me locked in my past. I felt that dreamy sensation pulling me back to my childhood. I tried pushing the images away and finding the strength to continue looking for a way out. Before I even got the chance to move, the door opened again, and I sat up, praying it was Alex.
“Let’s go,” he said.
The voice wasn’t Dorian’s, but I knew it wasn’t Alex either. I knew the tone and recognized the way he spoke, but I couldn’t make out the face.
“Jane?”
I squinted my eyes and stared. “How did you get in here?”
“Dorian left,” he answered, walking down the steps. “I’m sorry. I thought he was on our side, that he was fighting against The Sevren, not one of them. He must have been planted within.”
“How can I trust you now?”
“Because I’m the only one who can get you out of here.”
“Who are you, Ian?”
He smiled. “Come on. Get up.”
I stood up on my own even after he offered me his hand.
“By the way,” he started, “your friend…is a severe idiot!”
“What?” My voice finally sounded more normal.
I heard a quiet laugh shake through him. “You’re loved, Jane.”
“Aidan?”
“Well…him too, but he isn’t nearly as foolish as the other one.”
“Other one? What other one? Who?”
“Don’t remember his name at the moment. Light, spiky hair, taller than Aidan.”
I gave him a blank stare.
“Wow, let me tell you—those two do not get along.”
I gasped. “RUDY!”
“Ah”—he chuckled—“there ya go. Rudy. That’s the one.”
“What the hell is he doing here?”
“Well, from what I gathered, he claims he loves you, so Aidan asked him to help.”
“This is crazy!”
“Come on,” he said, “before Dorian gets back. We have to get you out.”
He led me up the steps. I was dizzy and fatigued, but as soon as I heard that familiar voice call my name, it somehow brought the energy rushing through me, and I ran to him and fell into his arms.
“My God. Are you okay?”
I didn’t answer. I just clung to his shirt and cried.
“I’ll take care of you,” Rudy said. “You’ll be fine.”
He was so warm. I didn’t want to let go.
“We have to get you out, Jane,” he said. “We have to move.”
“He’s right,” I heard Ian say from behind me.
“You’re crazy,” I said to Rudy, “coming here.”
He smiled. “Not c
razy, Jane. I just can’t leave everything up to Summers. I don’t trust him an ounce.”
“Where is he?” I asked. “Rudy, where’s Aidan?”
“Shh… He’s just around the corner. Come on.”
He took my hand and led me down the hallway. I saw Aidan standing there, waiting for me. My eyes hadn’t fully adjusted, and before I even knew for sure it was him, I raced to him and wrapped my arms around his neck. I pressed myself close and constricted my arms tighter.
“Can’t breathe, Jane,” he whispered.
I moved away, and he was smiling. My memory had forgotten how beautiful he was. Everything that Dorian said about Aidan being a killer and the words of Ian, even Rudy’s story, were at the time erased from my mind.
“We have to go,” Rudy said. “We have to keep moving.”
I nodded, drying my eyes with the back of my hand.
“I have my car,” Aidan announced. “It’s just outside. We have to get you home.”
“I’m going to head out,” Ian said. “I’ll make sure there’s no one outside.”
“Thanks,” Aidan answered with a nod.
I had only one thought in my head. “Is Ethan okay?”
Aidan nodded. “As far as I know, Ethan is fine.”
We walked down the dark hallway, passing several rooms. All the doors were closed, and I could hardly tell what the house even looked like, though nothing appeared unusual. As we neared the end of the hallway, I heard the familiar breathy whimpers and pleas of sobbing. I halted and turned toward the door. My blood ran cold, and a dark foreboding flooded over me.
“No! Jane!” Rudy whispered harshly. “Bad idea. You’re safe now. We can’t save everyone.” I could hardly listen to him, only the violence behind the closed door in front of me.
“Rudy, listen,” I said.
“No,” he whispered. He grasped hold of my hand. “Let’s go.”
“I can’t,” I demanded. “I have a very bad feeling, Rudy, like I need to do something.”
“You have a bad feeling?” he echoed. “You have a bad feeling because if we don’t keep moving, you’re going to get yourself killed. Don’t do it. Please!”
“She doesn’t have to do anything,” Aidan started, “but I think you should let me do the right thing—for once.”
“Since when are you the good guy?” he snapped.
“Since you tried to steal my girlfriend.”
“What? Your—”
“Both of you stop,” I growled, trying to keep quiet. “I know that voice.”
I listened intently to the sounds, almost able to make out words.
“You’re making this into something it isn’t,” Rudy said. “Why don’t we just get Jane out of here? Be logical for once.”
“Look,” Aidan demanded, “we have to at least try to get along. You can hate me if you want to—that’s fine. But until this is over, please at least pretend to tolerate me, and I will show you the same courtesy.”
I looked at Rudy, trying to have a “way with my eyes,” as Aaron had once said, a way that Rudy couldn’t refuse. It seemed to work.
“Fine,” he growled, “but I’m not doing it for you.”
“I’m not asking you to.”
Aidan sighed and reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out a knife at least four inches in length.
“What the hell are you doing?” I spat.
“Jane—close your eyes.”
I began shaking, and tears formed in my eyes. I looked to Rudy, and he nodded. I wanted to bury my face in his chest. He squeezed my shoulder and pressed his lips together.
Aidan yanked on the handle of the door a few times before cursing to himself and kicking it in almost violently.
“Jane,” Rudy whispered.
I turned toward him, and his arms were open. I nodded and pressed myself against him. I put my hands over my ears and hummed quietly to myself. I felt the blood returning to my numb fingertips as Rudy stroked my hair. I tried my best not to listen, but a growl and a deep gasp of pain found its way to my ears. I pressed myself harder into Rudy’s chest.
“It’s all right,” he whispered.
What was happening to Aidan?
“James…?” I heard in an unfamiliar, cracking voice, almost drowned out by the sobbing I had heard before. A voice cut through the air like a knife through steel.
“JAAANE!”
It was a desperate, miserable sounding voice, choked with horror. But I knew the voice even poisoned with fear. I would know it anywhere. It had been my comfort and my shelter on the rainiest days in my life.
I pulled away from Rudy even when he tightened his arms around me. She ran to me, stumbling and almost falling over. She was a haggard mess, naked and shaking furiously.
“Oh my God! BECKY!” I joined her tears and embraced her, hiding her exposed body.
“Shh,” I coaxed. “You’re okay now.”
I heard Rudy mumble something, so I looked at him.
“I told her to stay behind.” He covered his face with his hands. “She wouldn’t listen.”
She was bawling uncontrollably, and her legs were shaking so violently that I had to hold her up. My eyes were open, and I peered into the room. Aidan stood over a body covered in blood. It was exactly the way I saw him in the darkest nightmares that woke me up and brought me into his arms in the deep mornings when I loved him.
More tears spilled from my brown eyes when I remembered that love, and all of Ian’s words came back to me along with Rudy’s story. I saw the blood, and it was no nightmare. I was awake this time. I couldn’t open my eyes and find perfect, beautiful Aidan lying beside me. I was no longer the heroine in this story. I was nothing.
Aidan pulled his knife from the man’s back and turned away from him. The body moved, and the man stumbled to his feet. He had shoulder-length, dark hair and thick stubble of a forming beard. Blood clung to his hair and soaked the back of his shirt, but he could still move.
Rudy choked out Aidan’s name, but it was too quiet for him to hear; it sounded like concern. I couldn’t help but to cry out when Aidan turned back toward the man and shoved him to the ground, splashing blood on the walls and driving his knife across the stranger’s throat. He turned to look at me.
“Why are your eyes open?”
He was calm. His eyes expressed pure distress and agony. I was half expecting him to cry, but he didn’t even move. He pulled the bloody shirt over his head and used a clean sleeve to take a couple of wipes at the impossible stains on his jeans. I stared at his shimmering skin and long, thin lines of muscle. His beauty captivated me the way it always had, and I almost forgot about my beautiful sister in my arms until I felt her grip my shirt.
“Aidan,” I said, “get her something—please.”
He nodded and pulled a clean, white sheet off the bed and put it over her shoulders. I wrapped it under her arms twice and tied it off in the front so Rudy could carry her. She was too weak to walk.
“No,” she said, sobbing. “No, Jane.”
“I’m right here. I’m right behind you.”
She sighed lightly and fell unconscious in Rudy’s arms.
“I’m sorry that you had to see that,” Aidan whispered.
“How badly did he hurt her?”
“I’m not sure. She may be slightly concussed, but he was fully clothed when I walked in. She’s mostly just scared.”
“Abraham?”
He stared at me for a moment, then broke eye contact and nodded. He continued to lead us down the hall to the car parked right outside the house. I couldn’t pay attention to anything, not even where we were or what anything looked like, just on the fact that I was alive and so was Becky. Other thoughts were haunting me. Aidan had just killed his own father. It was an act that seemed completely deceitful and worth fearing him for, yet even still, I wasn’t afraid of him.
Becky was still unconscious. Rudy put her in the back seat with her head rested in my lap. Aidan drove while Rudy sat in the pa
ssenger’s seat, seeming completely dazed and disoriented. I couldn’t say anything to him. There was this thick, obvious tension and coolness between him and Aidan. I felt Becky stir and looked down to see that her eyes were open.
“It’s okay,” I told her. “I’m here, and we’re going home.”
“Correction,” Aidan interrupted. “Hospital.”
“No,” Becky whispered. “You’ll be in too much trouble.”
“We don’t have to tell them exactly what happened, do we?” I asked. “Aidan?”
“No, we don’t, Jane, but either way, in this situation, I am innocent.”
“You killed Abraham.”
He nodded. “Self-defense.”
I didn’t answer.
“Thank you,” Becky whispered.
Rudy turned to look at her. “You should have stayed behind. I didn’t even know you were in the car.”
“Well, of course you didn’t,” she said. “That was the point.”
She was slipping in and out of consciousness.
Rudy turned to look at me. “My God,” he yelled. “Jane—have you eaten anything?”
I nodded. “I’m okay. I was fed.”
“Not as much as I had hoped,” Aidan answered. “But Alex gave you food, right?”
“Yes,” I answered. “Thank you for that.”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t get you out sooner. I am so sorry I let this happen to you.”
“It isn’t your fault.”
“I should have never gotten close to you.”
“I tried to tell you that,” Rudy murmured.
“Not now!” I snapped back.
“When?” he mumbled under his breath. I could still hear the anger in his tone.
Aidan answered, “How about when Jane is coherent and Becky is conscious? Sound good to you?”
“Jeez,” he snapped back. “A little hostile, are we?”
“For the love of God, man. I just found my father attacking my friend, and the love of my life half starved to death in a dirty basement, so I think it would be nice if you could just shut the hell up before I crash this car into a tree. Yes?”
He didn’t answer, just slouched down in his seat. I had never seen Aidan so angry, and it actually scared me. It made me realize that he could be capable of anything if he got angry enough—but at the same time, he let Rudy beat the crap out of him and never moved an inch to fight back. I shook off the confusion to try to rest on the car ride home, but resting ended up being more difficult than I imagined. I couldn’t let myself stop listening to Becky’s breathing, making sure she still felt warm and alive.
Summers' Deceit (Hunters Trilogy Book 1) Page 16
