“Lisa? Todd? It was you?” Rose gaped at him. “You killed them? You blamed their murders on me.”
“I needed an excuse. The others wouldn’t have gone after you, if there hadn’t been an excuse. So, I made one.” He grinned. “It was brilliant…” His grin faded. “Until the jackass Marcus got involved. By the way, good job disposing of him. If you hadn’t done it, I would’ve.”
“You…” Rose stared at him. He had killed Lisa Marks. He had been the cause of all her misery, all her fears and doubts. A wave of relief found its way beneath the layers of anger and shock. It hadn’t been her. She hadn’t killed them.
New fury swept through her. She kicked at him. “You— You—” she cried out incoherently. Simon laughed.
“That’s all over and done with and you can’t change it now. I have you here and my plan is almost complete. Now, we just need the finishing touches.” His hand left the back of her neck and grabbed her breast in a tight and painful squeeze. His lips pressed against hers again, bruising her lips in the fervor. The length of his hardness pressed against her thigh.
Twisting her arm, she felt a thrill of pain up to her shoulder and then it was free. She gripped a handful of his dark hair. Her fingernails dug into his scalp and yanked his head back. His teeth grabbed her bottom lip, tearing as she pulled him back. Blood gushed from her lip. It tasted warm and coppery in her mouth.
Simon let out a cry of pain and Rose wrenched her hand free from his. She hit him across the face, hard. Her palm stung. She lifted her knee and struck his swollen crotch.
Simon doubled over and released her from his grip. She scrambled away from him. Her bare foot crushed the broken mirror shard and its pieces stung her. She ignored the pain and headed for the door. A folding chair stood in her way and she crashed into it, nearly falling. She righted herself just in time for Simon to regain himself. With an enraged snarl, he leapt forward and grabbed her ankle.
She hit the floor with a hard thud and gasped as she lost her breath. Simon was soon on her and pinned her to the floor. She screamed in rage. Simon’s hands tangled in her hair as he mounted her and yanked her head back.
“I’m going to enjoy fucking you, bitch. I love a challenge,” he growled into her ear, licking the exposed lobe.
Rose bucked. His hands held tight to her hair. She felt as if he would tear her scalp off.
The door to the room was thrown open. Suddenly, the tall form of Eric blocked the light. He had his gun trained at Rose. At the sight of Simon atop her, he lowered his gun a fraction of an inch in confusion. Through her mess of tangled hair, Rose stared up at him. Simon ceased.
“What—” Eric began, but a female voice came from behind him.
“Move!”
Alana appeared in the doorway beside him. At the sight, her green eyes filled with such rage. The gun in her hand trembled and her nostrils flared. Her red mouth was set in a grim line.
“This is none of your business,” Simon ground out. He climbed off Rose and pulled her roughly to her feet. She struggled in his arms.
“Don’t listen to him,” Rose screamed. “He’s—”
But she never got the words out. Simon clamped his hand over her mouth again. She yelled against his palm. She waved her arms, kicked her legs, but it was no use.
“What’s going on here, Simon?” Eric demanded. Alana glared at Rose, her face becoming splotchy with anger. She turned. With a flounce of her red hair, she was gone.
“It’s none of your business. She’s getting out of hand. Get the kit!”
Eric lowered his gun, but continued to stand there.
“Now! Do it now!” Simon bellowed. Eric disappeared from the doorway. Rose continued her struggles, but Simon held her face. He leaned close to her ear and panted into it.
“Don’t get so worked up, Rose. Save it for the bedroom.”
She did everything she could to break his hold. She tried to bite his palm, but his fingers powerfully clenched her jaw shut. She considered a rage shift and felt her body tremble in response. Eric soon returned with the kit and her eyes widened at the familiar site of the needle. She tried to shake her head.
She felt the brief sting in her leg and she tried to stay awake. She had to tell the others. She couldn’t let this happen. Someone had to help her…someone…
In her groggy mind, she saw Claire’s golden hair and heard her ringing words. I want to help you. She would get Claire’s help. There was still a chance after all…
Then she fell into unfathomable blackness.
Chapter Seventeen
Aurora followed close behind her brother. He sulked, his arms wrapped around himself. He shivered miserably in his wet and ruined clothes. Jason did not look back at either of them. A pattering rain had just begun to fall and it was cold.
She shivered as the rain broke through the canopy of tree leaves and the droplets dropped onto her head. She turned her face upwards, and the rain dripped on her face. It was a welcome excuse to the wetness already on her cheeks.
Rebel grumbled something she didn’t catch and she didn’t ask him to repeat it. He was just as hurt, just as stressed as she. She wouldn’t bother him now. She brought her arm close to her body and on impulse looked down at it. The deep gash that had been there only a short time before was hardly a scratch. A long red scar marred her arm. Soon, it would fade away as well. She looked away from it and stared at the back of her brother’s head.
Leaves that had crinkled beneath their feet now clung to their wet shoes. They trudged on. The sky overhead was black with the storm clouds. It would begin to rain harder soon, then it would be night. Aurora shivered.
“Stop,” Jason hissed at them.
Rebel came to a stop just behind him and Aurora waited until she was beside Jason before she came to a halt. She looked around them, but saw nothing. She turned her eyes to Jason. He was listening to something.
“What is it?” she asked in a whisper.
“I thought I heard something.” he whispered back. “Listen.”
They all went silent, straining their werewolf hearing to try to find the noise. They heard nothing.
“This is ridiculous,” Rebel said a bit too loudly. He took a few steps forward, his muddy sneakers crunching the underbrush. “There’s nothing here.”
No sooner had he said it than they all heard it. It sounded like loud music. It rang clear in the air for a moment and was then silenced.
“Hush,” Aurora hissed at Rebel and gave him a glare. He stared at her a moment, then glanced sidelong at Jason. He, too, looked at him with a less than amused expression. He tried to listen for it again.
“It sounds like music. Country music.” He turned to Rebel. “Stay here. Both of you,” he added, looking to Aurora. “I want you to stay here. I’m going to scout for a bit and find out what it was.”
“You’re leaving us here?” Panic hit her suddenly and she stared at him without masking her shock. He nodded grimly. Rebel stared at him with narrowed eyes, arms crossed over his chest. He said nothing.
“Yes. Give me ten minutes. If I’m not back by then, keep going, in that direction.” He pointed straight ahead of them. Aurora peered into the dark and uninviting path and shivered involuntarily.
“But not until then,” he warned as he looked at Rebel. “If I come back and you both are gone… I’ll know just who to blame. Don’t think I won’t be able to find you.”
“Then take me with you,” Rebel said. “I can help you.”
“No.” Jason chuckled darkly when he saw the furious look on Rebel’s face. “I’m not risking the two of you getting hurt if I can help it. I’ll not let you do something stupid and dangerous. Stay here and wait ten minutes. Can you do that?” He looked at Aurora.
The uneasiness in her stomach hadn’t settled yet and she didn’t feel she could open her mouth without throwing up. She wasn’t sure if she could wait, but she nodded her head. Jason smiled slightly.
“All right. I’ll be back soon.” And then he was
gone, running through a dark part of the woods. Aurora watched him until she could no longer see him. She sighed.
“What if he doesn’t come back?” she asked.
Rebel kicked at the stump of a tree, trying to uproot what was left of it from the ground. He ignored her, his teeth locked in a grimace. His wet hair hung in his face. The rain was picking up. It would be a downpour soon.
“What if he doesn’t come back, Ryan?” She tried again. “What if he leaves us here? I don’t want to be alone.”
“You’re not alone. I’m here with you.”
“I don’t want us to be alone.”
“Rora, just stop it,” Rebel said. “He’s coming back.” He turned his head in the direction Jason had gone. Aurora could hear the sound of music and she brought her eyebrows together. Her brother did the same. He didn't look too sure.
Aurora shifted her feet. The rain had now soaked through her clothes and she shivered, wet and miserable. Her bangs stuck to her forehead and stung her eyes. Impatiently, she waited. They both waited, the silence punctuated only by the kicking of the stump and the soft pattering of the rain on the leaves.
The ground was soft and wet now. The stump gave away soon and left a gaping hole in the ground. Aurora huddled beneath a tree. Its branches filtered some of the rain. Her teeth chattered. Ten minutes passed. Aurora looked to the trees as she waited. Rebel paced back and forth.
“He’s not coming back.” Aurora said, with a shake of her wet head. “He’s not— He has to come back.”
“Let’s go. He said for us to go on if he didn’t show.”
“But—” She rubbed her arms, and then climbed to her feet. “I feel like we should wait…in case he does.”
Rebel let out an annoyed sigh. “Rora, he told us…”
“I know what he told us, Ryan, and I’m not leaving here. I would feel a lot safer if he was here.”
Rebel turned, ready to shout at his sister, when they heard the crackling of the underbrush. He turned his head sharply and moved in front of Aurora to block her. He took a defensive stance. Aurora peered over his shoulder.
It was Jason. His wild blue eyes looked them over through strands of his wet black hair. Aurora breathed a sigh of relief, but Rebel didn’t move.
“Did you find out what it was?” he asked.
“Yeah.” Jason said. “It’s a roadside bar. I think we can stop there, get a drink, and maybe use the phone.”
“What about getting spotted?” Aurora asked. “Won’t people be looking for us?”
Jason grinned just a little. “There’s a chance of that, but I think we’re far enough away now. We’ll be fine if we just stop in for a quick drink.”
“Are you sure?” Rebel stepped forward. He stood in front of Jason and stared up at him. “What if you’re wrong, and someone catches us?”
“It’s not like that, kid,” Jason said, studying Rebel’s furrowed eyebrows and narrowed eyes. He changed his tactic. “Do you want to stay out here in the cold and rain, or would you rather go inside someplace warm and have something to drink?”
Judging from Rebel’s silence and his indifferent shrug, Jason had won the argument. He looked over at Aurora, who had been watching the two of them quietly, shivering in the cold.
“Are you all right? Has your arm healed?” he asked.
“Yeah.” Aurora held out her arm and looked down at it. “It doesn’t hurt so much now.” The rain had washed away some of the blood and dirt. Jason examined it briefly.
“Good,” he answered with a nod. “It’ll be fine. Let’s go.”
No one argued with him and they all started off in the direction Jason had scouted. The wind shifted and the rain now came in sideways. Aurora lifted her arm to shield her face from the stinging spray. She risked a look up at her brother and Jason. They were doing the same.
They were all soaked now. Rebel’s sneakers squished out muddy water and Aurora’s sweater was sodden and clung to her uncomfortably. She was sure they all felt as miserable as she.
It was a long walk, lengthened greatly by several short stops to clean mud that had caked onto their shoes and slowed them down. They eventually reached the edge of the woods and stood for a moment to survey the scene before them.
It was a bar and they were in the woods behind the establishment. The thump of a heavy bass sounded through the walls. It grew louder and a female singer drawled on about “cheatin’ hearts” as the door opened near the front. A loudly laughing couple emerged and hurried to their vehicle. They shielded their heads from the downpour. The door closed and the singer’s voice was muted once more.
The couple started their vehicle, pulled out of the graveled lot and pulled away.
Aurora caught a glimpse of Jason from the corner of her eye. He studied the place with a critical eye. Droplets of rain trailed down the bridge of his nose. She wished she knew what he was thinking, why he scrunched his eyes up so. He blinked a couple of times, then looked toward her.
“Let’s go.”
They climbed their way though the rest of the thick underbrush. Aurora stumbled when she hit a dip in the earth and Jason steadied her. Rebel moved ahead of them and crossed the concrete parking lot. He pulled open the door.
The smell of cigarette smoke was thick, the alcohol smell sharp, the music loud. The female singer’s voice came from the jukebox near the door. Thankfully, the place was dimly lit and did not hurt their eyes to take a good look around.
Rebel had taken but one step inside when a callous male voice rang out. “No kids allowed!”
Aurora watched through the door, feeling her heart pound hard and fast. The man who yelled stood behind the bar. He had a thick blonde mustache that was peppered with grey so that it was almost white. His thinning hair was the same color. His face was red and bloated. A woman in garish clothing and bleached-blonde hair sat near him, a cigarette perched between her fingers.
“No kids allowed,” he repeated. “Get them out of here.” He waved a hand toward the door.
“We just want some water and a place to rest for a few minutes. We’re not going to order anything,” Jason said. He spoke through clenched teeth. From beside him, Aurora could feel his arm muscles flex. She let out an anxious breath. She didn’t like where this was going.
“I can’t have ‘em here. Get out.”
Jason took a step forward. He pushed Rebel aside with his forearm, eyes locked on the bartender. The woman on the barstool turned, her eyes catching sight of their bedraggled state. She let out a startled cry.
“Oh my God,” she said, standing so quickly she upset her stool. It clattered to the floor. She dropped her cigarette in the ashtray and started toward them. She had thick makeup and a heavy southern accent.
“What happened? Do you need to go to the hospital? Look at them, Chris.”
“I don’t care if they’re half-past dead. They can’t come in here,” the bartender insisted.
“Oh fuck it all, Chris,” A female suddenly called from the back of the bar. All eyes turned to her. The woman in the heavy makeup turned, her hand halfway to her mouth. Aurora let out an involuntary gasp, but it wasn’t because of what she saw.
The woman was seated in the back of the bar, her boots propped up in a chair opposite of her. Her long blonde hair was tied in a braid that hung over her broad shoulder and she lifted her head and they could see the line of her strong jaw. A little more movement and they could see hazel eyes staring at them from under the brim of a white Stetson hat.
It wasn’t her appearance that made Aurora start. It was the scent the woman gave off. Almost immediately, she recognized it. She took a step toward her brother and leaned close to him.
“Can you smell it?”
“Yes,” he said, hardly moving his lips.
They stared at her as she pushed back her chair and stood to her feet. Her boots clunked loudly across the floor as she crossed it. Her tan skin had a healthy golden glow as she emerged fully into the light.
“She’s on
e of us!” Aurora hissed and then fell silent. The woman stared at her with a scrutinizing gaze. She took off her hat, wisps of her hair sticking to her forehead. She looked as if she didn’t approve of them, but then her demeanor changed and she smiled.
“Chris, why are you giving these folks a hard time? Are you that cold-hearted?”
The bartender shifted uncomfortably where he stood. He pursed his lips and they went white against his red face. The woman studied him. Jason stared at her with an obvious look of dislike. Aurora saw his temples throb. She stayed close to her brother.
“Fuck it all,” she exclaimed when no one answered. “Give these folks some water, that’s the least you can do. They look like they’ve been through hell and back.”
“I can’t serve kids,” Chris said.
“You’re not going to give them alcohol, are you? Just water. No one is going to report you for that,” she said, heatedly. When he didn’t move right away, she let out a gruff noise. “Fine. I’ll do it myself.”
Without waiting for permission, she placed her hat on the bar, then leaned over it and grabbed a couple of tumblers. She filled them full with water from the tap. As she filled them, the gauchely dressed woman stepped toward Jason and the kids. The few patrons in the bar watched with mild interest, then went back to their drinking.
“Oh, you poor things. Do you need a doctor? I can call someone, or drive you…”
“Leave them alone, Maureen. They’re fine,” the woman said between clenched teeth. She shot the woman a dirty look and held out the glasses to the kids.
Aurora stared at the glass apprehensively, Rebel appeared indifferent. The woman offered a soft smile.
“Go on. Take ‘em. Looks like you need it.”
They finally gave in and took the glasses from her. The water was cool and refreshing as Aurora took a long drink from it. Rebel chugged his.
The woman turned her green eyes to Jason. “And it looks like you need something a bit stronger. What can I get you?”
Blood Moon Page 16
