“You want to give them the option to show mercy,” I surmised. “I showed mercy and look where it got us.”
“You’ve shown mercy more than once,” Aric said. “You showed it to Paris, and look how that turned out. You forgave her, and she did right by you.”
“Thanks for talking about me like I’m not here,” Paris deadpanned from the back seat. She hated being reminded of her previous subterfuge when reintroducing herself to our lives. She let bitterness turn into something that required regret. We’d all moved past it, but it still hurt sometimes.
Aric ignored her. “You showed mercy to me when you thought I betrayed you,” he said, his eyes somber as he reminded me of the fallout from my former roommate’s death. “What would’ve happened if you didn’t take time to think then? We wouldn’t have this life. I can tell you that much.”
“Yes, it would’ve been a crime never to see you shirtless again.” I went for levity because I didn’t want serious thoughts to overwhelm me.
“I’m not suggesting that Mark deserves forgiveness or mercy,” Aric said. “I’m not suggesting giving him another chance to do harm. I’m saying that it doesn’t always have to be us that finish it. We can go inside, tell him what we know, and then let my father’s men do what they’re paid to do.”
“Can I at least smack him around a little bit?”
Aric’s face split with a wide grin. “We’re both going to smack him around a little bit,” he said. “We might yet have to kill him if something goes wrong and we don’t have a choice. I won’t ever regret that decision. I just don’t want to do it if we don’t have to. I don’t want to lose sight of … us … and what we’ve already built.”
“I think I might cry,” Kelsey sniffed, wiping her leaking eyes.
“I think I might puke,” Paris said, although her eyes were glassy.
“I think I might make a rule about road trips only being for two people from now on,” Aric shot back, causing me to giggle. “I love you, Zoe. We have our whole lives ahead of us. I’m not asking you not to kill when it’s necessary. I’m asking you to wait to see if it’s necessary.”
“I think I can live with that,” I said, tracing his strong jawbone with my finger. “Can we still get prime rib and crab legs when we’re done?”
“Will you promise to leave that dress on until I can take it off myself?”
“Fine,” I said. “I can’t guarantee the shoes, though. They pinch.”
“Life is compromise, baby.” Aric leaned forward and gave me a quick kiss before signaling the men in the vehicle behind us to get into position. They were to surround the house and wait for Aric’s orders once were inside.
It was time.
“Is anyone else worried that Brittany will act like such a spaz that Mark will figure out what’s going on before we get inside?” Kelsey asked as she hit the pavement.
“Screw Mark,” Paris said, looking the nearest soldier up and down. He was a fine specimen of the wolf race, with broad shoulders and a shock of dark hair highlighting a chiseled face. “What’s the deal with these guys? Are they married or single?”
Aric snorted. “If you’re good, I’ll invite them all to dinner and you can find out for yourself.”
“That will make Brittany happy,” I said, slipping my hand into Aric’s as we strolled up the sidewalk. “I know she said she’s going to take a break from men, but we all know that won’t last.”
“I figured buff soldiers would keep all three of them distracted so I can focus on that dress,” Aric said, putting a hand to my waist as he helped me up the front steps to Mark’s house. “You do look good in that dress, baby.”
“Are you insinuating I look bad every other day of the week?”
“Of course not,” Aric said, pressing the doorbell button. “You just look really good right now, and I am motivated to get this night over so we can get naked and take a bath.”
“What is it with you and the baths?”
“I have no idea,” Aric said, pasting a smile on his face when Brittany opened the door. “I’m just going with the flow.”
“Welcome to our party,” Brittany said, her voice light and fluffy. “Come right in. I’ve been expecting you.”
27
Twenty-Seven
“Come right this way,” Brittany said, her face frozen into a morbid smile I’d seen only on the ugliest of scary clowns. “Please help yourself to whatever drinks and appetizers you fancy. If you need introductions, I’d be more than happy to make them. If you need the bathroom, it’s right down that hallway. The kitchen is right behind you. The living room is that way.” She was seriously babbling.
“Take it down a notch,” I whispered. “Your voice carries on a good day. Right now dogs are fleeing to the next town over to get away from you. You’re drawing attention to us.” I figured insulting her was the quickest way to bring Brittany back to reality.
“Shut up, Zoe,” Brittany hissed. “I know exactly what I’m doing. I got you in here, didn’t I? I’m in control, so don’t be … you.”
I rolled my eyes and sucked in a breath as I expectantly turned to Aric. “Tell her I’m right.”
“You’re always right, honey,” Aric said. “In this particular case, though, it really doesn’t matter. We’re inside. The house is surrounded. Mark can’t run. I … .” Aric lifted his nose and scented the air. “This place is crawling with wolves.”
“Should we run?” Kelsey asked, reaching for the door.
“No,” Aric replied, grabbing her arm and jerking her in front of him. “The house is surrounded with my wolves. They’re born wolves, not bitten. The ones inside are weaker. We can easily take them. They won’t be a problem.”
“Plus we have Zoe,” Paris said. “If they get out of hand she can fry them in their tracks. It will smell, but it will be fine.”
“Try not to ruin the rug,” Brittany chided. “He used my bank account for the down payment on this place, so I would rather not lose a bunch of money if Zoe goes off the rails. I need to sell this place as soon as possible and get out of this creepy town.”
“I don’t go off the rails.”
“Brittany, can you come and help me for a second?” Mark’s voice wafted into the foyer from the adjoining room. “I can’t seem to find that special bottle of bourbon we bought. Did you put it somewhere?”
“What do I do?” Brittany’s voice was unnaturally squeaky. “I’ve been avoiding him since I got back. I told him it was because I went to the spa and bought a new dress, but he’s going to know I’m lying. We’re known for being affectionate – even more affectionate than you and Zoe.”
“It’s not a competition,” I said, fighting the urge to lay a smacking kiss on Aric to prove our romantic superiority.
“Besides, if you were more affectionate than Aric and Zoe you would be going for it in the middle of the floor without caring who watched,” Paris added, winking to let me know she was kidding. “Trust me, I know.”
“Oh, shut up,” I snapped. “We’re not that bad.”
“If there was a perfume called ‘Sex’ they would bottle whatever musk you two secrete when you’re in close proximity to one another and sell it for thousands of dollars an ounce,” Paris shot back.
“Oh, whatever! Let’s just go confront him in the kitchen and get this show on the road. I can’t take wearing these heels for more than ten minutes, five if I have to move a lot.”
“Let me do the initial talking,” Aric cautioned, taking my hand and leading me in the direction of Mark’s voice. “When he gets belligerent, that’s when you can spout off. Wait for your moment.”
“I don’t spout off.”
“I love you more than anything, Zoe, but you could be a fountain you spout off so much,” Aric said, pressing the palm of my hand to his lips and then releasing it as he stepped into the kitchen.
Mark’s back was to us as he rummaged through a cupboard. He obviously wasn’t aware we’d infiltrated his party, or how badly things were
about to go. “I know we bought that bottle of bourbon,” he said. “Where do you think we put it?”
“I think it’s up your ass,” I said, earning an irritated headshake from Aric and giggles from Paris and Kelsey. What? They were my target audience anyway. Aric would have to get over it.
Mark’s body was stiff as he swiveled, his eyes dark as they found first Aric’s hostile gaze and then mine. “What are you doing in my house? Who let you in here?”
“We were invited,” Aric said, gesturing toward Brittany. “That’s not a problem, is it?”
“Yes, it’s a problem,” Mark said, his tone even and his voice low. “This is a private party full of boosters. This is no place for … whatever it is you have planned. I would appreciate it if you would leave, and please do it without calling attention to yourselves.”
“That’s funny,” I said. “You didn’t seem to care that our engagement party was a private event when you set a bomb that killed five people. You didn’t care about our privacy that day.”
Mark balked. “You’re crazy,” he snapped. “I’ve done nothing but keep to myself since I got out of that hateful prison cell. You know, the one you left me in for a year? I have worked my tail off to get where I am. I’m not going to let you come into my house and accuse me of things I didn’t do. I don’t know how you get your jollies these days, but you’re not getting them at my expense. Now, get out of my house!”
“It’s my house,” Brittany corrected. “I made the downpayment. It’s not your house. I get to decide who stays and who goes. They can stay.”
“Brittany, whatever these people have told you, it’s not true,” Mark said, laying on the charm as he appealed to his fiancée. “They’re liars and … animals.”
“I remember everything,” Brittany said softly, her eyes filling with tears. “I remember it all, Mark.”
Mark shifted uncomfortably, his back pressed to the countertop. “I … what do you mean?”
“I remember living with Zoe and Paris freshman year,” Brittany expanded. “I remember fighting with Zoe every single day we shared a room. I remember moving into a different room with Paris sophomore year.
“I remember Will … and wanting to make Zoe pay … and the rally that went so very wrong,” she continued. “I know about you kidnapping Rafael and starving him. I know about you taking Paris so you could feed her to him. I know that you’re one of the main reasons Will is dead.”
“Zoe fed your precious boyfriend to that rabid vampire,” Mark said, straightening his suit coat, all pretense of proclaiming his innocence apparently forgotten. “She is a monster. You know that as well as I do. I’m not the reason you lost your memory. That’s all on her.”
“No, you’re not the reason I lost my memory,” Brittany agreed. “Zoe and Paris did that. In their own way, I think they were trying to protect me – although they were protecting themselves at the same time. They admitted what they did. What’s your excuse?”
“I didn’t know why you were so out of it,” Mark said. “I thought they did something to you, and I was worried something horrible would happen if I tried to tell you the truth. I was trying to protect you.”
“Or you were worried that I would remember everything and turn against you,” Brittany clarified. “You knew I would never date you if I remembered the truth. You used me because you wanted access to my inheritance.
“You convinced me to give up a great job to move back to this hellhole,” she continued. “You talked me into changing your graduation records so you could get a job here. You did all of that because you wanted to restart the Academy. You certainly didn’t do it for me.”
“You can’t listen to a thing they say,” Mark said. “They’re making things up because they want me to be miserable and alone.”
“Why would they do that, Mark?” Brittany asked, her voice plaintive. “What’s in it for them?”
“They want to destroy me.”
“It that were true they would’ve left you locked in that cell and thrown away the key,” Brittany countered. “Zoe saved you the day of the rally. Despite everything you’ve done, she gave you a second chance because she didn’t want to see you killed along with everyone else.
“How did you repay that kindness?” she continued. “You stalked them and blew up their engagement party. From where I’m standing, that makes you the monster.”
“I did not blow up their engagement party!” Mark bellowed, causing the rest of the guests to quiet and turn their attention toward the kitchen. “They’re lying!”
“You were caught on a security video feed, Mark,” Aric said calmly. “I’m guessing you didn’t know they had cameras in the basement. If you did know, you probably thought the blast would destroy the evidence. It was relayed to a security company in real time, though. The footage survived. We have you dead to rights … so to speak.”
Mark’s face drained as his gaze bounced from one impassive face to another. “You saw me in the woods that night, didn’t you? I saw the two of you on the deck. You were happy and cuddling. You didn’t have a care in the world.”
“Oh, Mark.” Brittany already knew he was guilty, but his admission was enough to gut her.
“I saw someone in the woods,” Aric clarified. “I had no idea it was you.”
“You were going to come after me,” Mark said. “I could see it on your face through the telephoto lens. I wanted to wait until you went back inside to set the bomb off but I couldn’t. Getting Zoe was my main goal, but I knew you wouldn’t rest until you avenged her, so I had to set the bomb off early. I guess that was a mistake.”
“Why?” I asked. “I gave you another chance, and this is what you did with it? Why?”
“Another chance?” Mark’s voice was shrill. “What chance? You locked me in a cell and forgot about me. You didn’t bother to see me. You never visited … not once. Instead, you sent your boy toy to laugh at me.”
“I didn’t laugh at you,” Aric argued. “I checked to see how things were going. They wanted to kill you, but Zoe saved you.”
“Zoe didn’t care about me,” Mark spat. “All Zoe cared about was you. Well, she cared about herself, too. She’s always put herself ahead of everyone else. That’s just the way she is.”
“That’s pretty funny coming from the guy who blew up a party of innocent guests,” I challenged. “Did you know Scott was there? Do you know you killed him?”
“Scott got in the way,” Mark replied, not a shred of remorse present. “Scott should’ve known better than to ally himself with you. He got what he deserved.”
“And what do you deserve, Mark?” Aric asked. “You killed innocent people. You tried to kill Paris and Zoe five years ago. What do you think you deserve?”
“Paris was collateral damage. I really didn’t want anything bad to happen to her,” Mark said. “There was a time I loved her.”
“You had a funny way of showing it,” Paris muttered.
“What about me?” Brittany asked. “Did you ever love me?”
“No.”
“But … .” Brittany looked as if she was about to break down.
“You shouldn’t tell a lie about loving me,” Paris said, fighting hard to maintain control of her emotions. “You don’t do what you did to me when you love someone.”
Mark crossed his arms over his chest. “We were supposed to grab Zoe that night outside of the athletics building,” he explained. “We ended up with you, Paris, by accident. I fought to get them to release you, but they wouldn’t listen. There was nothing I could do.”
“You’re sick,” I said. “Do you ever listen to yourself? You just said you were fine sacrificing me to Rafael. I protected you so many times I lost count. It was all a complete and total waste.”
“You’re an abomination, Zoe,” Mark said. “You never should’ve been born. Mages weren’t meant to breed. Your parents broke the rules. I know you didn’t ask to be born, but you’re still a threat. I need to eliminate that threat. That’s my pu
rpose now.”
“You have no idea what kind of threat I am,” I snapped, anger lashing out and causing all of the cupboard and cabinet doors to fly open and bang against each other.
Mark jolted, his eyes widening. “You shredded the Academy books, didn’t you?
“How many other suspects did you have, genius?” I asked, my temper flaring again as I shattered the glasses on the counter.
Brittany, Paris and Kelsey instinctively covered their faces. Aric didn’t even flinch.
“How did you get down there?”
“We walked,” I said, running my tongue over my teeth as I tried to vent my growing anger. With nothing better to do, I focused on the tray of appetizers – stuffed mushrooms, to be exact – and flung it against the living room wall. It was too bad. I was hungry, and they looked good. Maintaining control was more important, though.
A worried murmur worked its way through Mark’s guests as they stepped away from the kitchen.
“Don’t be afraid,” Mark yelled. “She’s not some all-powerful magical being. I told you when you agreed to come that she’s what we are working to eradicate. You can’t leave merely because she’s showing off. That’s exactly what she wants.”
“I don’t care about them, Mark,” I said, flinging enough magic about to create a wind in the room. It whipped the guests’ hair and caused them to exchange terrified glances. “They don’t mean anything to me. They’re wannabes. They’re not a threat.”
“Don’t listen to her,” Mark said, desperation practically wafting off of him. He knew if left to his own devices – if abandoned, the way he abandoned Paris and me that night in a dark cellar – he would perish. “She’s posturing.”
“I don’t care about any of you,” I said, raising my voice to an authoritative level. “I will not hesitate to kill you if you get in my way, though. The Academy is done. It’s finished. It’s not coming back. If I hear even a whisper about someone trying to restart it I’ll burn this whole campus to the ground.”
Dark Covenant (Living Covenant Trilogy Book 2) Page 21
