Boxed Set

by Brenda K. Davies

  Emma shook her head as she sat numbly on the couch. She realized she was still holding the crumpled note and dropped it on the table.

  By the time the police left Emma felt completely drained, another shower and a nap sounded like two of the most pleasant options in the world to her. Ethan was in the kitchen when she emerged from the shower, the delicious scent of grilled cheese drifted to her, and though sleep had been her next goal, comfort food seemed preferable right now.

  She settled onto a stool at the breakfast bar as he flipped one of the sandwiches in the pan. "I scrubbed the front door," he told her.

  A pang stabbed her heart, and some of her appetite dwindled away. "Thank you."

  "The police will find him; it's not that big of an island," he said reassuringly.

  Emma hoped so; they seemed concerned about the situation, competent, and promised to keep an eye out for Tristan. Ethan placed a plate with two sandwiches on it before her. Resting his arms on the counter, he bent down to look her in the eye.

  "We're going to get through this," he told her. "Now eat."

  Emma picked up one of the sandwiches and started peeling the crust from it. "Thank you, for everything. I think most people would run screaming for the hills at a dead cat on a doorstep and the knowledge of a psycho ex."

  "I have a lot of crazy things in my life too."

  "Like what?"

  Ethan took a deep breath and watched as her small fingers deftly peeled the last of the crust from the sandwich. "Like nine overprotective, incredibly nosey siblings, and a crazy house I share with some of them. It's rarely quiet, and they're always into one thing or another. My parents are so in love that, at times it's sickening, and their crazy friends from college also stay on the property with us, along with my brother-in-law, when he and Isabelle aren't traveling."

  "Your parent's college friends live with you too?" she asked in disbelief.

  Ethan had never found it odd The Stooge's stayed with them over the years, but he could see how it would be strange to an outsider. To a human.

  "They never really grew up," he said with a forced smile. "I guess we should call them The Lost Boys instead of The Stooges."

  "They never married?"

  "The Stooges?" Ethan snorted. "No. Believe me, when you meet them you'll understand why."

  Emma paused in the middle of biting into her sandwich to look at him. When she met them, a shiver of delight went through her at his words and the unspoken promise behind them.

  "Why do you call them The Stooges?" she asked.

  He smiled as he rested his elbows on the counter before her. "Yet another thing you'll understand when you meet them."

  She grinned back at him and took a bite of her sandwich. Her smile faded as her thoughts returned to the events of the day. "Your life may be chaotic, but no dead things were left on your front porch."

  One day she would understand there were plenty of dead things and blood in his life, but she had enough going on without dumping more horror in her lap right now. He would probably have to do it sooner rather than later from what he'd heard about the beginning of his parent's relationship, and what he'd witnessed with Isabelle and Stefan, but right now all he cared about was keeping her safe.

  She finished off the first sandwich and began to peel the crust from the next one methodically. "No dead cats at least," he said.

  "That's always a bonus."

  When she finished the second sandwich, she picked at the crust on her plate. "You pull the crust off just to eat it?" he asked.

  Her forehead furrowed as she glanced at the plate. "I never really thought about it, it's just something I've always done. I guess it is kind of weird."

  "Not at all," he assured her as he leaned forward to kiss her. "Do you want another one?"

  She thought about it for a second before shaking her head. "No, I'm good."

  The door opened, and she turned to watch as Jill and Mandy entered the house. "Why is there a bucket of water and a sponge outside?" Jill's eyes were on something Emma couldn't see as she asked the question.

  Emma wasn't ready to deal with their concern yet, but she knew she had to. "I forgot about those," Ethan said as he walked around the counter toward them.

  Grabbing the plate full of remaining crust, Emma made her way over to the trashcan and dumped them inside. She heard Ethan talking with her friends, but she couldn't make out what they were saying. When Mandy and Jill appeared on the other side of the breakfast bar, she knew they'd already received the rundown on what happened. Mandy looked like she was trying not to vomit, and Jill was about three shades paler than yesterday.

  "Are you okay?" Jill demanded.

  Emma didn't know how to answer that question.

  "Of course she's not okay. I swear, Emma, if I see that asshole I'm going to kill him!" Mandy declared as she stormed around the counter and hurried over to her. "Don't worry, hon; we're going to keep you safe. That piece of shit won't dare come around the three of us."

  Emma tried not to cry as Mandy and Jill threw their arms around her and huddled close.

  Ethan cleared his throat from the doorway. "Okay, four of us," Mandy amended.

  The warmth and security of her friend's arms helped to ease her anguish. She wiped her eyes as she stepped away from their embrace.

  "Thanks, guys, but I think it would be best if you stayed away from him. He's crazier than he used to be. I don't understand this," she said with a shake of her head.

  "They say people like him escalate, Emma. No one knows why, but the police will catch him," Jill brushed the hair back from her face in an attempt to calm her further.

  "I hope so. That poor cat." Emma shuddered and hugged herself. "Tristan's completely lost it."

  Mandy and Jill were unable to keep their uneasiness hidden from her as they exchanged a look. "We will get through this," Mandy promised. "Maybe we should go home early."

  Panic shot through her, and her gaze flew to Ethan. His jaw clenched, he folded his arms over his chest, but he didn't say anything. The thought had already crossed her mind that she should leave. Tristan would follow her, she was certain of that, but she would be away from her friends, and they would be safer.

  "Maybe I should just go," she suggested.

  "Absolutely not!" Jill said vehemently. "We're not letting you travel alone with that douchebag running around. If you go, we all go."

  "Jill—"

  "No arguments," Mandy interrupted. "Jill is right."

  "If you would like to go, I will go with you," Ethan said. "I'll make sure you stay safe. No one will harm you, Emma. Not while I'm around."

  Jill and Mandy glanced at her in surprise, but their surprise was nothing compared to hers.

  "Your brothers are coming, Ethan, your family is here," she said.

  "They'll understand. You're my biggest concern right now."

  If she hadn't already been falling in love with him, those words would have started the plunge. As it was, she realized he had just pushed her completely over the edge. How was it possible she'd only known him for such a short time, yet he’d taken possession of her heart in a way no other man ever had?

  It seemed too good to be true, and she supposed she should be leery, but she couldn't be when he said things like that and stayed by her side when others would bolt.

  Tristan had shown her how awful a relationship could be, and he was continuing to show her that now. With Ethan, she saw how fantastic one could be...what it could be like to trust someone and have them raise her up instead of trying to tear her down. Her heart continued to swell with love, and she was beginning to feel like an idiot for standing there staring at him.

  "Awww," Jill said so quietly Emma barely heard her.

  "I think I might be falling in love with the guy," Mandy whispered.

  Emma released them and walked over to him. She slid her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest.

  "I'm not going to run," she said. "It will only give him satisfaction, and h
e'll follow me. We're here to have fun, and we're going to try and have it. The police know, they'll be looking for him, I'll be no safer in the states than here."

  Relief filled Ethan as he held her against him. He would have an easier time keeping her safe while they were on this island. He may not know exactly where Tristan was, but he would figure it out while they were here.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Emma leaned against Ethan's side as they walked along the beach back to the house. The warm air caressed her skin, and she couldn't rid herself of a goofy smile. It had taken a lot of prodding for them to get her out the house, but she'd finally relented to Ethan, Jill, and Mandy's insistence she had to try and have fun.

  She'd had a couple more drinks than she was used to tonight, but she was hoping to ease some of her strain over the awful events of this day. Walking down the beach with Ethan though, feeling his body against hers, she could almost forget everything that had happened and the fact Tristan was somewhere on this island. It was peaceful here. She felt secure with him and her friends so nearby.

  Jill and Mandy were ahead of them, giggling together as Jill ran through the sand. She made some strange dancing motion with her hands and legs that made Emma realize she was the sober one. Though lights from a couple of bars, and some homes, filtered over the sand, there were few people on the beach. Emma stifled a yawn as Jill twirled in circles that looked more like a spastic marionette than the ballerina Emma thought she was trying to emulate.

  "She's not going to try out for a beauty pageant, is she?" Ethan inquired dryly.

  Emma chuckled. "I hope not."

  The gentle sound of the ocean on her right was almost enough to lull her to sleep on her feet as she stifled another yawn and snuggled closer to Ethan. Jill began to sing, which was the one thing worse than her dancing, as she hopped back to Mandy and slid her arm through hers.

  "I think I'm going deaf," Ethan said.

  "Can you make me deaf too?"

  She'd meant the question to be airy, but he’d become rigid against her and abruptly stopped walking. Emma frowned as she turned toward him. His eyes narrowed; his eyebrows furrowed over the bridge of his nose as he searched the night around them. His nostrils flared, his head began turning slowly back and forth. Apprehension slid down her spine; she'd never seen him look like this before, never seen such a look come over anyone else before.

  "Ethan?" she asked. Jill's singing was growing distant, but Ethan remained unmoving on the sand. "Ethan, what's wrong?"

  A shimmer of movement to the left caught her attention seconds before Ethan pushed her forward. "Run!" he spat and turned away from her.

  "What?" she cried.

  "Run, Emma! Now!" he shouted.

  A scream swirled up and choked in her throat. She swore his eyes flashed red when he looked at her over his shoulder. It was impossible, completely impossible, no one's eyes could do that. He was pushing her forward before she could pause to consider what it was she might have seen in his eyes.

  "Go!"

  The urgency of his voice, and the look on his face, caused her to turn and flee toward Jill and Mandy. Her feet slipped in the sand, her lungs burned from exertion, but she continued to race onward.

  Ethan spun to face the threat he sensed in the air. The shimmering on his left caused him to move in that direction. He used the strength flowing freely through him since he was a child, and which only intensified tenfold upon his reaching maturity, to hone in on his prey.

  Ethan seized the vamp by the throat. He lifted the man above his head as if he weighed no more than twenty pounds and slammed his two-hundred-pound frame into the sand. The man landed on his back with an explosive exhale that blew the hair back from Ethan's face.

  Lips skimmed back to reveal the man's fangs as he hissed and his eyes turned a volatile shade of red. Ethan had never seen the vamp before, but the aroma of a landfill radiated from him and caused Ethan's nose to wrinkle instinctively.

  "Who are you?" Ethan growled.

  He didn't get an answer though as another flash on his right caught his attention. This one wasn't coming at him though; it was heading for Jill, Mandy, and Emma. Ethan twisted the head of the man beneath him sharply to the side. The crack of his neck breaking resonated loudly through the air, it wouldn't kill the vampire, but he wouldn't be following them for a little while.

  Launching to his feet, Ethan poured on the speed as he raced across the beach to where the girls were heading toward the road. Mandy's gate was the most awkward he'd ever seen it as she struggled to run through the shifting sand. She stumbled and nearly fell, but Emma and Jill grabbed her arms and held her as they helped her forward.

  The other blur was almost to them when Ethan lowered his shoulder and smashed into it. Years of playing football with his family and The Stooges had trained him on how to take down another vampire, and he did so now with ease. Satisfaction filled him as he heard a couple ribs give way from the impact, and he felt the unhinging of the other vampire's shoulder.

  The vampire sprawled across the sand, kicking it up around him and causing Emma and the others to turn at the sound of the commotion.

  "Keep going!" Ethan yelled at her, but their eyes were on the other vampire who rolled over and climbed to his feet.

  "Tristan!" Jill blurted.

  The color drained from Emma's face, and Mandy looked tempted to leap on the man. That would be the biggest mistake she ever made, as Tristan's red eyes gleamed in the night.

  "What...what are you on?" Jill stammered.

  Ethan's heart pounded with excitement and bloodlust as he focused on the man across from him. Tristan was about six foot, a little shorter than he was and appeared to be about twenty pounds lighter. Ethan didn't get the impression he was dealing with an older vampire, like he had the first time he'd encountered Stefan, To him, Tristan smelled as if he’d been rolling through garbage for a week. Tristan may not be older, but he was feeding on humans, killing them, and gaining strength from them.

  Ethan didn't care what this vampire fed on, didn't care about the power that came from the murder of innocents; he was going to kill him. The fact Tristan was a vampire only made it better. He wouldn't have to murder a human, and he would enjoy taking down the monstrosity across from him, but he couldn't do it in front of them. This had spiraled into something he hadn’t expected, but he couldn't allow Emma to see the brutality residing so strongly within him right now. He moved to the side, placing his body between her and Tristan.

  Emma's mind spun as she tried to process what she was seeing. Mandy's hand dug into her arm with enough force to bruise her skin, but she didn't care. Mandy stepped forward. Emma knew her well enough to know her innate curiosity was drawing her closer when she should be running for the hills. They all should be fleeing, but it seemed the sand had turned to concrete around her feet as she found it impossible to move.

  Tristan's eyes were the color of a demon's in the night. The flash of red she thought she saw in Ethan's eyes, had it really been there? Was he something like Tristan, and just what was Tristan?

  Her mind spun as she tried to process everything going on. The two of them looked like they were about to tear into each other like a T-rex on a triceratops. They stared at each other with a predatory look completely out of place for a human.

  The realization took its time to come, but once it did, she couldn't shake the certainty she wasn’t looking at two people. If she hadn't seen the red in Ethan's eyes maybe, just maybe, she could convince herself Tristan was on something or wore contacts. It didn't seem implausible after all, but no, there was far more going on here. She had no idea how it was possible, but there was something entirely inhuman about them.

  Her heart raced, her palms were damp, and her throat was dry as Ethan stood before them. His frame partially blocked Tristan from her view, and she had to look around him to see the strange thing Tristan had become. Whatever he was, Ethan wasn't the least bit afraid of him, which made her head spin even more.


  "You have to leave," Ethan grated at Tristan from between clenched teeth.

  Tristan rocked back on his heels and moved to the side so he could see around Ethan. Emma's skin crawled as his hideously creepy eyes focused on her. She knew they weren't, but she got the sensation those eyes were laser beams burning through her skin to reveal everything inside her.

  "I don't think so," Tristan responded.

  Ethan took a threatening step toward him. He was larger than Tristan, but Tristan had those freaky eyes and that look on his face. A look which said he would like nothing more than to tear her open and rip her to shreds. This was not about love with Tristan, but it never had been.

  She’d realized a long time ago Tristan didn’t love her. He hadn't pursued her because he loved her and wanted her back. He’d pursued her for his own perverse reasons, and now those reasons were warped by something far more malicious and sinister than anything he'd been before.

  "You weren't expecting me," Tristan continued in a lilting voice far more appropriate for a kindergarten teacher.

  "You weren't expecting me either," Ethan sneered.

  Ethan took another step toward Tristan. He struggled with the urge to launch himself at Tristan and sink his fangs into his throat. There would be power in his blood; it was how Stefan had gotten so powerful before he stopped killing their kind. He would relish in the power Tristan gave him, delight in feasting on the blood he would spill.

  "Emma, I need you to go," he said in a low voice.

  "Ethan—"

  "You and your friends have to get out of here, Emma, now. Run!"

  She was almost as frightened of him as she was of Tristan, but the idea of leaving him here nearly tore her to shreds. There was no way she could do that. If something happened to him, she would never forgive herself.

  "I can't leave you here," she whispered.

  His shoulders hunched forward a little, the veins in his arms stood out as his hands fisted more forcefully. He turned to look at her. Like a blown tire, all the air rushed out of her lungs as eyes the color of burning coals stared back at her. A startled squeak escaped Jill, and she jumped backward, dragging Mandy with her.