“What do we do?” I asked him. “In case you haven’t realized, Rudy lives only a few houses down from me.”
“Oh my God!” he yelled, pulling Abraham’s cell phone out of his pocket. “Do you know his number by heart?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Call him right now.”
“And tell him?”
“Tell him to lock the doors and stay inside until tomorrow. We’re changing plans. Tell him to meet us at my place. I can give him directions.”
“You mean Luna’s.”
He shook his head. “I mean Walter’s. Dorian doesn’t know where that is. We can be safe at Walter’s until the morning.”
I nodded and dialed his number.
“Rudy?”
“Jane?” He sounded concerned.
“Yeah, it’s me.”
“Are you okay? Should I come over?”
“No!” I yelled. “Rudy, lock your doors, and tomorrow, meet us at Aidan’s.”
“What’s going on?”
“I’ll explain tomorrow. Just please don’t leave your house.”
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
He sighed. “Are you with Aidan?”
“Yes.”
“Good. If you end up hurt, I’ll kill him.”
“He’s only trying to keep us all safe.”
“Let me talk to him.”
I handed the phone to Aidan, and he immediately told him exactly what to do.
“Tomorrow morning at around nine, meet us at my place. Get a pen. You’ll need directions.”
I stared, trying to hear Rudy on the other end, but I couldn’t.
“Do you?” Aidan asked. “Yes, Gallagher’s. Right, but it’s the other house. Yeah, the beige one. Okay, see you then.” He closed the phone and put it back in his pocket. “Well, this will be interesting,” he mumbled. I wasn’t sure if he was speaking to me or to himself.
“What?”
“I don’t want Rudy involved any more than he has to be,” he said, “but he wants to help, and I’m sure I will need it at some point.”
“Why can’t I stay with Walter? Dorian doesn’t know where that is.”
“Yes, that’s true, but Walter isn’t the type to kill—Luna is.”
“Kill?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t understand.”
“If Dorian found you there, which is a possibility, he would kill you as soon as he saw you. Your safety is more important than anyone’s right now. I would be able to save Rudy and Ethan. You? Not so easily. Walter wouldn’t be able to protect you the way Luna could.”
“So take Rudy to Luna’s with me. You don’t have to have him help you, do you?”
“Yeah, that’s funny, Jane.”
“What?”
“Rudy has a car, and I’m aware of that. Meaning if I tell him to meet us at Luna’s, you will escape.” He tapped his finger to his temple.
“What if I promise?”
He shook his head.
“Then when you drive me to Luna’s, or whoever does, Rudy can come along. That simple.”
He narrowed his eyes. “I don’t know, Jane.”
“Please?”
He sighed. “Rudy won’t have it. He’s persistent about helping me save Ethan, and you have to promise me to just do as I say.”
I nodded. “Fine. But if he wants to stay with me, I would feel much better.”
“Okay.”
“I’m sorry…for being so difficult.”
“It isn’t your fault at all. I’m so mad at myself,” he whispered. “I was mad at myself for getting you involved. Now I have gotten you, Rudy, Becky, Aaron, and Ethan all involved as well. I wish I would have never come to this town.”
“Please don’t say that, Aidan,” I pleaded. I changed the direction of my thoughts and tried to lighten the mood a little. “Hey, maybe it’s about time for something interesting to happen.”
“You aren’t frightened easily, are you?” he asked, his thin smile going nowhere near his eyes.
“I don’t know—maybe not.”
“This is my last chance to do something good,” he said. I thought he was trying to smile again. “I’m going to save you all. I swear to it.” His movement seemed almost choreographed—rehearsed. “You are my last chance, Jane,” he said desperately.
Chapter Eighteen
After over an hour of walking, I was beginning to feel sore.
“Aidan, where are we going?”
“We need a car. Unless you want to walk the entire way.”
“So…?”
“So…how do you feel about grand theft auto?”
“I’m sorry?”
He laughed one of those laughs where I could tell he was actually amused. “Would credit card fraud suit you better?”
I groaned and covered my face with my hands. I murmured his name under my breath.
“There’s no way we’re walking all the way to Walter’s,” he continued. “We need a car.”
“Aidan, I’m sore and tired, yes, but that doesn’t mean I want to commit a crime.”
“Though you don’t seem to object when it serves you,” he spat.
“Excuse me?”
“Abraham, the Mustang…” He rubbed his temples. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be such a grouch. Just please try to trust me.”
I didn’t respond. I couldn’t find it in myself to argue. He was the only one who could get any of us out of this mess, and crazy as it may have been, when it came down to it, I did trust him. I knew he wouldn’t let us get in trouble. He stayed hidden from the law for years already. Who knew what he had done that he never told me about.
He used another name to rent the car, charging it to a credit card—which he had a ridiculous number of. It was a white Toyota pickup truck—odd choice.
“What about the stolen Mustang?”
He shrugged his shoulders. “Eh…don’t worry about it. I have to go back and cover my tracks after everything is settled anyway.”
“Cover your tracks how?”
“I’d rather not tell you.”
“Why?”
“Just because.”
“Because I won’t like it?”
“Yes.”
“At this point, Aidan, I don’t think there is anything I can’t handle.”
He sighed. “Aidan Summers can go back to not existing just as easily as Michael London rented this car.”
I pulled my eyebrows together.
“I told you you wouldn’t like it.”
“So, by covering your tracks I’d never see you again?” Although I had asked it as a question, it was more of a statement. I didn’t want him to answer.
“Perhaps—most likely.”
“You’re right,” I said. “I don’t like that at all.”
I climbed into the passenger’s seat and fastened my seat belt, crossing my arms in front of my chest.
“So,” Aidan started, his tone now even and casual sounding, “are you hungry?”
“Hungry?” Maybe I would remember food when I found out if my dad is alive or not. “I don’t know.”
“Hmm, well, I know I am, and you have to eat something. There are coffee shops open twenty-four hours. At least eat some soup or something.”
I nodded. So it was late. I couldn’t tell. There was no clock in the truck.
He drove to a tiny 50s style café that was dimly lit by lamps hanging from the ceiling. It was too dim to be comfortable for me, but I ignored. It was quiet and empty. We took a seat at the bar. Aidan ordered coffee and smiled at me when he noticed the waitress flirting with him. I settled for some soup and a glass of water.
“Do you realize the effect you have on people?”
He chuckled and shrugged. “Sometimes. The reaction I’m used to people having at seeing me isn’t normally as positive.”
I smiled. “Well, maybe that means there’s no threat.”
He laughed. “Like there would be anyway, Jane.�
�
“Well, she was very nice and quite pretty.”
“Was she?”
“Like you didn’t notice.”
He shrugged again.
“Ah, come on, Aidan. You don’t have to be that nice.”
He sipped at his coffee then smiled at me and shook his head.
I smiled back. It felt good to be able to smile, but I thought he could tell it was a very weak attempt at looking happy.
“Are you okay?” he murmured.
“I’m fine. Why?”
“You seem distracted.”
“How far is Walter’s house?”
“It’s not far. Don’t worry.”
I tried to smile again, veiling my uncertainty of anything he said.
When we finally did get there, it was well into the morning. It must have been later than I thought when we left. Aidan had a key, so he let himself in. I lingered on the porch for a moment before mustering the courage to step inside. The house was dark but dimly lit by an old-fashioned yellow lamp set on a wooden desk. There was an old man sitting at the desk, writing slowly. He had thick, white hair neatly trimmed and white stubble of a beard. He was very cliché.
“You’re late,” he sputtered.
Aidan smiled and approached the old man. “I usually am.” He chuckled.
They embraced, and the man removed his glasses. “You must be Jane.”
I nodded as he shook my hand. He held very hesitantly as if he thought I were made of glass.
“A great pleasure to meet you. Walter Redline, as I’m assuming you know.”
I nodded. “Good to finally meet you, Mr. Redline.”
“Ah, this isn’t a classroom,” he sputtered in laughter. “Call me Walter.”
“Walter,” I echoed, trying to smile through my nervousness.
“Clem, you mind giving me a hand?” he asked.
Clem… I remembered that was his real name, but somehow it still surprised me to hear it. How many names did he go by?
“Sure. What do you need?”
“To rearrange the guest room. It’s become my storage unit.” He exploded in a dry, sputtered chuckle again.
“Sure.” He winked at me and followed Walter around the corner. “Make yourself at home,” he called.
I sat on the brown, leather loveseat that was placed beside the desk and stared at the painting of a brown horse running through a field, hanging on the wall next to the front door. I folded my hands in my lap and made up a story about that horse. Maybe it was the painter’s pet horse, or maybe he had seen it running free through a field one day and remembered it. Maybe Walter knew the horse. I wondered how important it might have been to the person who painted it and wondered if it could ever be that important to me if it were hanging on my wall.
Aidan interrupted my thoughts. “You must be exhausted. Come on.”
I took his hand and felt that cold tension again, but he gripped tightly, and even through the coolness of his skin, I felt a sense of security. He led me down the narrow hallway lined with bookshelves to the spare room. There was a lovely queen-sized bed against the wall with an old-fashioned floral comforter. To the left was a bookshelf and a nightstand with a little, yellow lamp like the one in the front room.
“I shouldn’t sleep,” I told him.
“It’s late.”
“What if Dorian finds us?”
“He won’t. I’ll take care of any problems. I’ll stand guard.”
I shook my head slowly.
He sighed. “I’ll lie beside you.”
I nodded and brought myself into his arms.
I was still half asleep but aware of Aidan’s arms around me.
“Jane?”
“Hmm?” I mumbled out.
“Jane…wake up…now.”
I instantly became alert when I recognized the tone in his voice.
“Aidan, what is it?”
“We can’t stay here.”
“What?” I whispered sternly. “What’s going on? You said we’d be safe here until morning.”
I could scarcely see him but could tell he was nodding. “Yes, but something has come to my attention, something I was a fool to ignore. We should leave for Luna’s now and not later.”
I sat up and switched on the lamp. I gasped when I noticed small pin drops of blood splattered on his right cheek.
“Jane, I’m all right. But I’ve been betrayed. We need to leave here.”
“Betrayed? By who?”
“To be honest...you’ve met him before.”
“What? Aidan, what happened?”
He sighed, placing his head in his hands. “I heard something, a voice coming from outside. When I recognized it was my name, I went out to see who it was. I found a friend of mine who is a member of The Sevren. He’s of lower rank than myself, so he has always listened to me. That’s why I believed he would never betray me. He told me Dorian threatened his life, so he confessed that he knew where I lived. He came here to warn me of this.”
“Who?”
“Do you remember that night at the bookstore—with the wolf?”
“Yes, of course.”
“So you remember Mike.”
“MIKE?” I cried. “He’s…he’s one of them?”
He nodded. “Mike and I were enrolled in school here—sort of like an undercover thing.”
“Oh my God,” I grumbled, covering my face with my hands and smoothing my hair back. “This keeps getting weirder!”
“Come on. I’ll make sure Rudy gets to Luna’s safely, unless I decide I really need his help.”
“I’d rather him stay with me,” I said, crawling out from under the sheets.
“I would too,” he whispered, nodding, “but he wants to help, and to be honest, I may need it. Walter will take you to Luna’s, but don’t worry. I’ll be right behind you with Rudy, okay? I need to get you out of here first.”
I nodded, trying my very hardest to trust him. If that’s what Aidan said the plan was, I was going to trust it was the best one. “Okay.”
Walter took me to his little car out front. He was saying something, but I couldn’t listen to it. I gathered enough to respond, telling him I was fine.
“Clem’s a good kid,” I heard. “Just got mixed up with some bad things.”
I didn’t answer.
“To Luna’s then.”
I awoke slowly to the sound of her voice.
“Jane?” she sang. “I made some breakfast.”
I shook my head. “Thank you, Luna, but I’m not hungry.”
She sighed. “You can’t let yourself get sick over something you cannot control.”
I nodded. “I’m fine.”
She left the room, closing the door on the way out. I was a terrible liar, but I didn’t care. I kept up the act. I stayed in my room all day, contemplating what could happen and driving myself near mad with the possible thoughts of never seeing Aidan again and without telling him one last time before I left that I loved him.
Luna came in again without knocking.
“Please at least eat something,” she pleaded.
I could feel how annoyed she was becoming but remained unconvinced that eating would make me feel any better.
“Thank you for caring, Luna, but I’m really not hungry.”
She just shook her head but didn’t bother arguing.
I stayed on the bed with my knees drawn up to my chest. I wrapped my arms around my legs and silently begged for Aidan to come back. It was almost mid-day, and Rudy wasn’t with me. I could only hope he would be safe as well. I kept the curtains in the bedroom closed and barely took my eyes off them. Dorian found me here once; he could find me again, and I was sick with fear every second that he would. I wanted Rudy here, at least for comfort if nothing else. I knew he would tell me that everything was fine and offer to stand guard so I could rest.
I waited all day, and by sunset, I began to fear the worst. The smallest sound of a leaf falling off a tree made me peer out the window to see if A
idan was coming, but I didn’t see him. I let a few tears escape. I was in no mood to do any real crying. I had been doing plenty of that the past few weeks.
I almost dozed off after exhausting myself with my uncontrollable thoughts. I didn’t hear Luna knock a single time, so I guessed she was letting me be. I shut my eyes and let my thoughts swim and race through my head. I saw visions of blood but also pictures of me dancing in the woods with Aidan. I saw Ethan cooking dinner and Rudy’s smiling face. I saw Becky and my mom. I saw Danny as I did every time I closed my eyes; he was happy in my mind this time. I was able to remember him the way he was when he was alive and happy. I didn’t want the images to stop, but when I heard a knock at the front door, I instantly sprang up in bed.
I raced to the door of my bedroom, but before I opened it, I heard a loud popping sound. I knew that sound. I had heard it on TV enough times to know—gunshots. I backed away from the door, already sobbing and unable to breathe.
Dorian.
I knew it. It had to be him. I knew he would find me. My body was trembling, and I tried to find my voice. I pushed with all the effort I had, trying to scream, trying to call for help. But what good would it do me now? Who would hear me? It would make more sense to stay silent. I couldn’t think clearly, and I supposed I didn’t even have to think to know that Luna was dead, and I was alone with…with him.
I hid beneath my bed like a little kid; there was nowhere else I could think of hiding. I watched from under the bed and saw the handle on the bedroom door turn slowly. My breathing increased, and I had to clasp my hands over my mouth to keep from crying out. Small sounds still seeped from between my fingers, and I held my breath, trying to keep quiet now. Maybe he wouldn’t see me. The door opened, and I shut my eyes.
“Get out!” I heard. It wasn’t Dorian’s voice. “Get out from under there now!”
I crawled out from beneath the bed and stood there trembling and crying. It wasn’t him. It was somebody I didn’t know, somebody I had never seen before.
“I found something,” he said.
His voice was almost metallic sounding. It was unnatural. His eyes were black, and his skin was the color of burned sepia. His hair was jet black, greased, and smoothed back.
“Yeah,” he said, giving me a crooked smile revealing crowded, blackened teeth. “You heard me. I found something and was wondering if you wanted it—if it was yours.”
Summers' Deceit (Hunters Trilogy Book 1) Page 19
