by Vi Carter
He takes out a pair of black jogging pants, gathers up his damp clothes and leaves me to my thoughts. It’s the last place I want to be. I want to know if he rang my uncle. It’s not like I’m going to get sent to my room by my uncle, he was going to kill me. A pain starts in the pit of my stomach and no matter how tight I hold myself it doesn’t go away. I wait for another ten minutes before I open the door. Initially it looks like the living area is empty.
Liam drinks from a bottle and I move around the couch. He’s sitting on the floor between the couch and the coffee table, a bottle of whiskey is his comfort from whatever happened. His face looks sore. It’s normal perfect appearance makes the marks appear starker.
He glances at me before drinking from the bottle again. “Don’t even try to leave. I’m in no mood.”
I wasn’t planning on running. My only concern right now was finding out if he rang my uncle. I go to the bathroom because it’s where I assume the first aid kit is. I’m nervous as I take it back into the living room. Liam doesn’t react as I sit at his bare feet and open the kit. Taking out an antiseptic wipe just like he had done with me I rip the packaging.
“This is going to sting,” I say and he looks at me from the corner of his eye. The depth of the blackness has me focusing on the wipe in my hand. I have to lean in to get to the cut near his eyebrow. He watches me until I’m aware of how close we are, how my breath brushes his face. How his hands that hold the whiskey bottle brush against my thighs. I’m hyper-aware of his smell and how much larger he is compared to me. When I make contact he hisses. “Sorry,” I whisper, but he doesn’t acknowledge the apology.
“When I was younger, I wanted to be a vet.” I can sense his dark eyes on me but to keep myself calm as I continue to clean the cut that’s started to bleed, I go to my childhood. “I once nursed a bird back to his full health. He had broken his wing.” I’m smiling now, not at the thought of the bird but my Father. He had made a bed for the bird; he had helped every step of the way. My kindness came from him. He wouldn’t hurt anyone or anything.
“You should have broken its neck.” Liam’s cold words have me sitting back so I can look at him. “You were cruel,” he adds.
The pain in my stomach erupts at his words. “No, he lived because I helped him, that doesn’t make me cruel.”
“A bird who can’t fly, is a dead bird anyway. You just made him understand that, with each day you kept him earth bound.”
“I don’t see it that way.” I hate the quiver that has entered my voice. I try to return to cleaning his cut.
Fingers curl tightly around my wrist stopping me. “Well that’s how I see it.” He pushes my hand away roughly. “Get away from me.”
The sting of his words plasters red across my face. “Nesnáším tě.” The words tumble from my lips but thankfully he doesn’t understand me. I rise after telling him I hate him.
“A tak bys měl.” I’m frozen as he speaks Czech back to me, telling me that I should hate him.
“You speak Czech?”
He looks exhausted as he glances up at me. “Go away.”
I know I should, but I can’t. “Did you ring my uncle?”
His laughter is cruel and I take a step back as he rises. “Ah, cleaning my face, telling me about your childhood. When really all you cared about was if I rang your uncle.” His words are coming out in a snarl.
I’m shaking my head denying what he is saying.
“Do I have to hurt you, is that the only language you understand.”
I take a quick glance at the bedroom door but he’s in front of me, towering over me and I see my mistake, I took him letting me help him as a sign that maybe he was kind. Not answering is all I know. I fear no matter what I say that it will anger him further.
His hand slips around my neck. “Do you want me to hurt you?” I move back and he takes a step with me not allowing me to get away. He isn’t squeezing but his large hand could crush my windpipe at any second if he wished.
“No.” The word leaves me quickly as my back hits the wall. Liam’s too close: too close to me, too close to losing it. His breath rushes across my face. Black orbs bore down on me.
“Why are you here?” His nostrils flare as he speaks, his hand tightens around my throat.
“What?” I had no idea of what the question meant but I didn’t like how tight his hand was getting.
“Don’t lie to me.” His roar has the air halting in my throat. I don’t know what he sees, but he loosens his hold on me. “Did he place you here to distract me?”
My stomach hollows out. “Distract you?”
He bares his teeth. “Don’t act innocent.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I squeeze my eyes shut as his hand strikes out and hits the wall over my shoulder. A small startled scream bursts from my lips. The muscles quiver in his arms that are now planted either side of my head. Heat radiates off his body in waves, making the space smaller. His eyes roam my face and settle on my lips. My mind stutters and falters, was he going to kiss me? My breathing grows heavier then his head dips. My heart was ready to come out of my chest. “Liam.”
He pauses, his eyes snap up to mine, his eyes tighten now, and he pushes himself away from me. “Get out of my sight.” The disgust in his voice has tears burning my eyes.
I walk stiffly into the room and close the door behind me. I don’t know what just happened, but I felt disgusted with myself. I had wanted him to kiss me, just not like that. I’m trying to wrap my head around the idea that I wanted him to kiss me when the door to the bedroom bursts open and Liam’s anger pulses from him.
Humiliation burns my neck, and I want to hide with how he looks at me.
“I want you out of my room.” His monotone is back, any emotion gone, and it makes me question if I had imagined it. When I don’t move straight away, he takes a threatening step towards me.
“Did you ring my uncle?” I want to grab the question and ram it back down my throat. Liam’s eyes darken and he’s in front of me fingers curling around my arm.
“Don’t touch me.” My warning halts him and I try to yank my arm back but his grip is too tight. My senses heighten, his smell, his warmth that’s all I notice.
“Are you sending me back?” My question is whispered this time, my fast pulse making my words sound breathless, and my Czech accent heavy on each word.
“I don’t know. That depends on you.” His eyes flicker to my lips again.
What did that mean? I’m too afraid to ask.
Liam releases me but doesn’t move away. My hand drops to my side. The cut over his eye still looks pretty bad.
“He’ll kill me,” I blurt out and hold my head high. I refuse to let the tears fall. I can only hope that whatever flicker of kindness I keep seeing in this man will fully ignite and he won’t send me back. I’m not naïve in thinking I’ll never go back. But to be sent back now would be a death sentence.
“You’re sleeping on the couch tonight.” I hate how he won’t answer me, but I take the fact that I’m still here for the night as a good sign.
***
Being in the living area is like starting fresh again. I was just getting used to the feel of the bed, now I would have to adjust to the couch. I remind myself that anything right now is better than being with my Uncle and Holic. At least I could make a cup of tea. I glance at Liam’s closed door before going into the kitchen space. I check all his presses quietly as the water boils. It’s a little too organized for me. There isn’t much in the presses but what is there is lined perfectly. A tin of peaches catches my eye and I take it down. Pulling the tab off the tin I get a fork and sit at the breakfast bar. I’m half way through it when the door opens. I clutch the fork stopping it from slipping from my fingers. There’s a blond boy standing in the doorway, he looks around him before his sad eyes land on me. Both of his eyebrows rise.
“Hmmm, not what I was expecting,” He says taking a step into the room.
I’m off the stool stil
l holding the fork. A need to run nearly overwhelms me until he holds up his hands.
“I’m Liam’s brother Darragh. I’m sure he’s told you some wonderful things about me.”
My eyes flicker to Liam’s door. I’m trying to think quickly, is he a threat or could he be my saving grace?
Darragh’s blue eyes land on the fork again. “I’m just here to see Liam. I’m not going to hurt you so you can drop the weapon.” A grin spreads across his face.
“No English,” I say.
He nods. “That makes sense. Liam’s not much of a talker.”
My face flames at his insinuation.
Darragh takes a step towards the bedroom door and I make my decision. I take a risk and go to ask him for help. My mouth opens the same time as the door opens and words fail me. Liam fills the doorway; he’s not wearing a t-shirt now. His tanned solid chest has the ability to scatter my brain. The ding of the fork as it hits the floor has both men looking at me.
“Go into the room,” Liam tells me, but he’s looking at his brother who should be very afraid now. Black orbs seem to swirl and grow with an anger that has his muscles rippling. When I don’t move his eyes snap to mine and the warning there is enough for me to move. He’s still filling the doorway and I take one final look at Darragh who looks unsure now.
“I needed to talk to you.” Darragh starts but Liam doesn’t answer.
Once I’m in the bedroom, my vision is filled with Liam’s back. I had seen it earlier today but this close I’m drawn to the black dragon that seems to move across his flesh. The dragon disappears as Liam grips the door handle and closes the door without looking at me.
My ear is plastered against the door as I try to listen. When Liam speaks it’s too low and muffled but Darragh’s voice carries through.
“I’m going crazy, I need more answers.” He sounds upset. Liam’s mumbles are getting further away until finally Darragh’s words aren’t understandable anymore.
The bed looks tempting and I give in and move towards it. My hand touches the still warm sheets and I stand back, feeling like it’s an invasion on him. I’m sliding into the bed and pulling the sheets up over me. It doesn’t take long before I’m drifting into a sleep.
The river close to my house is babbling, and it’s a hot day. Jan is running on the opposite side and he keeps barking at me. I’m running along with him on the opposite side. The day is perfect but I can’t understand what he’s barking at. He stops running, his barks growing louder.
“Jan.” I call. He moves forward towards the river like he might jump in, like he might chance swimming to me but something in the long grass behind him grabs his attention. Dread reaches out and curls its bony hands around my neck. I’m shaking my head, words lodged with the tightening grip. Holic stands over Jan, a large blade in his hand and I know he’s going to kill him.
“I’m sorry Jan,” I tell him closing my eyes and refusing to watch.
“Wake up.” The voice I recognize but I refuse to open my eyes, I can’t see Jan’s body, and it would undo me to see him hurt.
“Svetlana.” The use of my name has me opening my eyes and staring into two inky pools that threaten to drown me. It’s Liam, he’s hanging over me and I struggle to control my breathing.
His hand reaches out and I sink deeper into the pillows. After dreaming such violence I’m waiting for it but Liam’s fingers touch the corner of my eye. He examines the moisture on his fingers like it’s something foreign to him.
“You were dreaming,” he finally says, and it’s like I get permission to acknowledge that it was just a dream and that Jan was still alive. I start to rise and it forces Liam to move back out of my personal space. Pushing back the blankets I’m ready to climb out of the bed but Liam stops me.
“Stay here, it’s almost morning anyway.”
“No it’s fine.”
“I said stay.” His voice rises with frustration and I’m tired so I don’t try to leave the bed again.
“Who’s Jan?” He questions with a level of uncertainty that I have never heard from him before.
I don’t want to cry. Thinking about Jan is painful but talking about him is too much. I can’t look at Liam. “He’s important to me,” I say. No one would get it, that he was my only friend, the light in the darkness. He kept me sane. So saying he was a dog just didn’t cut it for me. He was my safety net.
Liam gets up off the bed without a word. He doesn’t say anything to me as he walks out of the room.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
LIAM
Jan Novak, I type into my laptop and hit search. Three results show up and I’m clicking on the first. A ninety-year-old man, who lives over three hundred kilometers from where Svetlana lives. So I rule him out. The second one is young, too young thankfully. He’s a twelve-year-old boy and once again the further I dig he bears no relation to Svetlana. The third has my hands tightening. A twenty-two-year-old. I open his image; he isn’t what I thought Svetlana would like, blond hair and brown eyes. He wasn’t very tall for a man, maybe five foot five and he had a slim build. Was this the Jan she was talking about? The one she was calling out in her sleep? I close the laptop and rub my eyes as I release a growl. My muscles feel too tight so I get up. This shouldn’t bother me; I had no idea why it was bothering me. I had more important things to focus on. The burning sensation in my chest has me rubbing it again. I had no idea what was wrong with me.
The spray of the hot water loosens some of my tightened muscles.
I can hear the phone ring from the living space. Grabbing a towel I wrap it around my waist and enter the living area. Svetlana is leaning over my phone, she hasn’t touched it but it’s soaked up all her attention that she doesn’t notice my arrival. A small startled yelp falls from her lips as I pick up my phone. Her cheeks deepen and she glances away from me.
“Sam, I hope you have some news,” I say as I go into the bedroom.
“Mr. Novak’s doing what he’s supposed to do. He hasn’t done anything else only what you requested him to do.”
“Good. Don’t leave his side.”
“I won’t boss.”
“Just one more thing, can you listen in their conversation?” I close the bedroom door and drop the towel as I move to the wardrobe.
“I could with one of them tonight. He likes a drink in a local pub here. I don’t know why, it has a few farmers in it. No women.”
“Bug them and let me know if any important conversation arises.” Taking a suit out of the wardrobe I lay it on the bed.
“I can do that.”
I pause. “If the name Jan is mentioned you’ll let me know.”
“No problem.” I end the phone call and get dressed. When I return to the living area Svetlana is sitting at the breakfast bar, she’s holding a cup of tea, and another sits beside her. When I move closer, she slides the mug towards me. “I made you a cup of tea. I wasn’t sure if you took sugar, so I didn’t put any in it.”
“Do you take sugar?” I ask.
“No.” Her fingers are wrapped around the mug, but I easily detangle them much to her confusion. I raise the mug to my lips and take a drink while sliding my cup towards her.
“You can never be too careful,” I say.
Her blue eyes sparkle. “No you can’t.” She takes a deep drink and I’m waiting for her to collapse onto the breakfast bar but she doesn’t. I wait until she drinks all of the tea; I wait a few minutes after just in case the drugs are moving slowly through her body. The fall from the breakfast bar would hurt her. Her eyes are clear. I finish my tea.
“Thank you for the tea,” I say placing the mug in the sink. When I gather my wallet, keys and phone I can see the stiffness settle around her shoulders. I pause and frown at her. Why was I pausing? I had a meeting in fifteen minutes. Her eyes widen the longer I stand there, it looks a lot like hope.
“I’m locking down the apartment so don’t try to leave,” I warn her, my words louder than I had intended.
Her shoulders s
lump forward in defeat and I tighten my fists.
“Wanda,” I call.
Svetlana doesn’t look at me.
“What can I do for you today?”
When I don’t respond immediately, she repeats the question. This time Svetlana looks at me.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” I ask Svetlana.
“I’m sorry. I don’t understand the request.” Wanda’s robotic voice fills the space and for the first time since I had her installed I want her to shut up.
“I’m not looking at you like anything.” Her soft-spoken words ignite something in me.
“Go into the room,” I say.
She doesn’t move.
“Now.”
Her cheeks darken and she slides off the stool. I watch as she walks across the floor with tightened fists and closes the bedroom door behind her.
“Wanda,” I say more calmly now.
“What can I do for you today?”
“Lock down the basement except for the living quarters.”
“Lock down commencing in one minute.”
After taking one final glance at the bedroom door I leave the basement and return to the house.
Shane and Finn are in the kitchen when I arrive.
“Are you ready?” I ask Shane. We had another meeting in Cabra Castle, new recruits were arriving so we had to give them the standard welcome.
