Awakenings (Intertwined Souls Series Book 4)

by Mary D. Brooks

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Zoe sat outside on the balcony, enjoying the silence and peace only the evening could provide. A sketchbook lay across her lap as the light from the full moon shone down onto the paper. The pencil flew across the paper, and she sighed at the tranquility and peace this brought her.

  She could hear Eva’s gentle snores in the bedroom. She glanced inside to watch Eva sleep and blew her a kiss before going back to her artwork. They had been through so much, and Eva was mentally and physically drained from all the revelations about her family and the interrogation of the previous evening. Zoe felt tired of all the secrets that had come tumbling out as soon as they reached Larissa.

  She gazed down at her sketchbook and started to draw until she heard a car approaching the gate to the estate. The car was in the shadows and she couldn’t see the driver; not that she would know who it was, but it was well past midnight. For a moment it just idled outside. Several minutes later, it reversed and disappeared.

  “Hm, I wonder what that was about.”

  Zoe went back to her artwork until she felt her eyes getting heavy. Taking that as a sign she may actually sleep for a few hours, she put her sketchpad on the nearby coffee table. Just as she rose from the chair, she caught sight of a shadow near the gate and then a silhouette up against the wall in the darkness. She slid down onto her knees. The balcony’s wooden railing afforded her some privacy and she could easily see the gate and the intruder.

  The intruder stood still for quite some time, much to Zoe’s annoyance. She wanted them to move into the light, but the mystery trespasser was taking their time. After what seemed like an inordinate amount of time, there was movement.

  Zoe waited very impatiently as the intruder stealthily made his way to a large tree near the kitchen. Just as he reached the tree, the moonlight caught him.

  Zoe sneered. She knew that face. She had memorized it and wished on a thousand stars to one day finally meet the man that was responsible for Eva’s torment. It looked like her prayers had been answered.

  “Oh, hello,” she whispered. “I bet you have blond hair underneath that beanie. I’ve been waiting for you for years, Uncle Dieter, and you’re about to get the Zoe Special. Trust me—you will enjoy it just like that prick Reinhardt.”

  Zoe crawled backwards from the balcony entrance and into the bedroom. She hit one of her shoes and cursed silently as she made her way further inside the room. She knew the layout of the residence and could easily find her way, navigating in the dark without any problems.

  She glanced at Eva, who was still asleep, and went to the balcony door to see if their unwanted guest was still there. She couldn’t see him from the angle she was standing in, but she could see his shadow. She left the bedroom and closed the door quietly behind her. She padded down the steps and into the kitchen, where she thought Muller would likely enter. She unlocked the door. “We might as well make our visitor feel welcome.”

  Zoe went into the living room and looked around for the perfect weapon. She grinned. “Oh, this is perfect.” She went to the fireplace and chose the smallest poker and practiced a swing. “Nice. This should do some damage.”

  She placed herself between the living room and the kitchen and waited. Several minutes passed and she was getting impatient at Muller’s tardiness. Just as she was about to cross the living room to look out the window, she heard the window in the kitchen slide open.

  Dumkompf, I left the door open. Zoe heard a gentle thump in the kitchen. She could see Muller’s reflection in the cupboard’s glass panes. He crouched for a moment, as if he was aware someone was in the room with him. Zoe held her breath.

  A mouse scampered across the kitchen floor and Muller let out a relieved grunt. Zoe grinned. She never did like mice, but this time she would make an exception. Muller crept along until he was flush with the pantry.

  A shadow crept into the living room signaling Muller’s arrival. Zoe swung the poker with as much force as she was able. The blow made a sickening crunch as it connected with Muller’s face and he screamed in agony. As he stumbled, Muller squeezed the trigger of the gun in his hand. Zoe stared, shocked at the flash from the weapon. She swung with the poker again as hard as she could, and crunched it down on Muller’s head. Muller crashed head first into a glass coffee table and the gun fell out of his hand.

  Zoe exhaled slowly. The realization that she could have been killed sank in as she slid to the floor next to Muller. She felt a stickiness under her hand and lifted it to find a dark stain spread across the palm. She wiped her hand on her shirt. With her back against the wall, she tilted her head a little and rested it on the pantry sideboard. Her heart was beating so loud that she could hear the swish-swish of her blood in her ears.

  After a moment, she pushed herself up and stood over Muller. She saw that he had some blood near his ear where the second blow had hit and his face was covered in blood.

  “Fucking asshole,” she muttered darkly. She kicked him and spat on him. She crouched down, placed her fingers against Muller’s neck, and grimaced when she felt a strong pulse. “Why don’t you fucking Muller bastards ever die? I bet if I put a bullet in your head, that would finish the job.”

  Zoe went in search for the gun in the darkness.

  Eva woke with a start at the sound of what sounded like a gunshot. She blinked in the shadows and scowled. She turned to speak to Zoe but found her side was empty. The open balcony door brought the sounds of cars passing in the quiet of the night. She shook her head and wondered if the sound was a car that had backfired. Where have you gone, Zo?

  She threw back the covers. She put on her robe and was about to leave the room when another two shots rang out in succession followed by agonizing screams and cursing.

  “That was not a car backfiring.”

  She raced out of the bedroom. Her bare feet made a thumping noise as she ran down the stairs.

  She reached the bottom of the stairs and saw that the living room light was on, but Theo was blocking her view. He was standing just inside the living room and appeared to be holding a gun.

  “What the hell…?”

  Theo turned completely around and blocked Eva’s entry and her view of the room. “I don’t think you want to be here.”

  “Where’s Zoe?” Eva asked, trying to see past Theo. What she saw was a lot of glass, broken bits of wood, and blood. Lots of blood. “Where’s Zoe, Theo?” Eva asked now more urgently than before. Theo continued to block her entrance.

  “I’m here.”

  Eva turned on hearing Zoe’s voice and ran into the kitchen. “Zoe!” she exclaimed and rushed forward to grab Zoe, who was sitting on a chair covered in blood. Stella was kneeling beside her and trying to stem the flow of blood from her thigh.

  “Hello there,” Zoe greeted Eva with a smile.

  “You’re bleeding.” Eva knelt beside the chair and cupped Zoe’s cheek. “How did you get hurt?”

  Stella wrapped a towel around the knee. Eva checked Zoe’s face for any sign of injury and started to unbutton Zoe’s top.

  Zoe took Eva's hands, which were now trembling. “It's okay. Stop, I’m alright. Evy, I’m alright.”

  “You don’t look alright. You’re bleeding.”

  “Well, that’s what you get when you don’t turn on the light and run right into the credenza,” Zoe replied as she cupped Eva’s cheek. “I’m alright.”

  “You’re not hurt?”

  “No. I’m fine except for the bloody thigh, I’m fine. Who puts a credenza there anyway?”

  Eva exhaled and sat back on her heels in relief. She saw the bloodstained poker lying across Zoe’s lap. “What the hell is that?”

  “That’s a poker.”

  “Zoe,” Eva exclaimed as she touched the poker. “Why do you have it?”

  “It’s not her blood on it, Evy,” Stella said. “We have a visitor.”

  “What…” Eva went to the kitchen door and looked into the living room. Her hand flew up to cover her mouth and her
knees nearly gave out. Sprawled against the wooden display cabinet was her uncle. Muller’s face was covered in blood—his nose was shattered and blood was freely flowing

  Tessa appeared beside Eva and turned her away from the carnage inside the living room. Eva sat down on the chair with a thud, not quite believing her uncle was in the next room.

  “Hey, hey,” Zoe quietly said as she hobbled to where Eva was sitting. Eva bowed her head and was trying not to let the fear overwhelm her. Her uncle was in the next room. The man who had tortured her, the man she feared the most, other than her stepfather, was meters away from her.

  “He isn’t going to hurt you.”

  “Zoe—”

  “No, he isn’t going to hurt you,” Zoe said. Eva looked up into her very concerned face. “I made sure of it.”

  Tessa approached Eva and Zoe and went down on her haunches. “Zoe, give me the poker.” She took the poker from Zoe’s hand.

  Eva took Zoe’s face into her hands and looked into her eyes. “He didn’t shoot you?”

  “No. The blood is all his except for my leg, but that’s all my fault. I ran into the credenza in the dark and hit myself. He didn’t touch me.”

  “What happened?”

  “Well, it started with me having a sleepless night and wanting to sketch. I went out to the balcony because I didn’t want to wake you.” Zoe grinned as she took Eva’s hand and kissed it. “I was minding my own business when this dummkopf came over the wall. I thought I might welcome our guest the proper way.”

  “You could have been killed,” Eva gently admonished. “You should have woken Theo or Tommy.”

  “Nah.” Zoe shook her head. “This was personal, and I wanted to deliver the message myself. I’ve waited for years.”

  “Losing you is not worth the risk for that asshole,” Eva replied.

  “He didn’t stand a chance. My only regret is that I missed.”

  “What did you miss?”

  “I was aiming for his dick,” Zoe said and then chuckled. “He’s taller than I thought he was.”

  “Zoe, my love, he would have had to be Goliath for you to aim so high.”

  They looked at each other and caught Tessa’s and Stella’s amused expressions. All four glanced towards the living room and laughed.

  Eva exhaled. “I really need a drink.” She looked at Zoe, who was sporting a beaming smile. “Oh, Zoe, you could have been killed.”

  “But I wasn’t. Come and have a look.” Zoe got up and took Eva’s hand and led her to the door.

  Eva surveyed the room—shattered coffee table top, blood all over the carpet. Muller sitting on the floor. She stared, transfixed by the sight.

  “Help…me!” Muller tried to scream, but the blood bubbled out of his mouth.

  Stella quickly went back into the kitchen to get some towels. She came back and approached Muller, who glared at her.

  “Shut up. Don’t say another word. See that handsome young man over there?” Stella pointed to Theo. “My nephew would like a good excuse to shoot you. He won’t be as gentle as Zoe was,” she said as she took Muller’s hand away from his nose. Blood gushed out. “Well, I can safely diagnose that your nose is broken. What’s your name, you stupid man?”

  “Diether Multher.”

  “What?” Stella asked with a slight smile.

  Muller sighed and just pointed to Eva. “Her uncthle.”

  “Oh. That fucking prick.” Stella shook her head. “You are a lucky bastard. If I weren’t a doctor and didn’t take my Hippocratic Oath seriously, I would finish the job that Zoe started.” She smiled menacingly and Muller’s eyes widened. “From one doctor to another doctor, you are fucked,” she added. She took the towel and tied it around his knee. “That should keep until the ambulance gets here.”

  “My knee!”

  “Yes, it’s shot.” Stella wrapped up the knee in another towel.

  “Has someone called the police?”

  “Phone is dead,” Theo replied, still holding the gun.

  “Well, of course it is.” Irene shook her head as she entered and glared at Muller. “Tommy, go to the neighbors and alert the police and an ambulance from there.”

  “We can safely say that our War Crimes people will get their man,” Tessa observed.

  Eva nodded. “I need some ice cream.”

  “Me too. Vanilla with nuts,” Zoe quipped and leaned to the side to look at Muller. “I should have aimed lower…”

  Eva felt her knees tremble and was thankful for the long robe that covered them. She leaned against the doorjamb and blinked. She couldn’t focus all that well on her uncle and she felt light headed. Don’t let the bastard win, Evy. She was startled to hear Tessa’s voice in her head, and she turned to find her glaring at Muller.

  Eva took a deep breath and despite the overwhelming fear that gripped her, she stepped forward to look down at her uncle. Muller had his eyes closed. He opened them and looked up at Eva. She did not disguise her disgust and contempt.

  “Efa…”

  Eva took a hesitant step towards the man that was responsible for so much of her pain. She looked back at Zoe, who was standing next to Tessa, the poker in her hand.

  Show no fear. Tessa’s words echoed in her mind.

  Eva went down on her haunches. She stared at Muller for a long moment. “I had hoped I would never see you again, but here you are.” Her voice trembled a little. She steadied herself by leaning on the overturned chair that was lying next to her. “You are a lucky bastard. The last time Zoe shot a man, she shot him in the face so many times that no one could recognize him. That slip of a girl over there,” she pointed to Zoe, “brought you down.” She glanced at Zoe before she turned back to Muller. “The last time she did this, it was to protect me. You were lucky. You get to live while the other bastard didn’t.”

  “Whath?”

  Eva couldn’t help but sneer at Muller’s obvious discomfort. She glanced up at Theo, who was pointing the gun at him. She faced Muller, who was glaring at her.

  “When they take you to the gallows, you might want to think about what I’m about to tell you.” Eva sat down on the floor next to him in what seemed like a very casual pose. She braced her back against the fallen chair. She took a deep breath and tried to hide her anxiety over being so close to him. “You see those two women? One is my mother’s sister. The other, the one you have already met.” She could see Muller was grimacing in pain. “She’s my lover. Reinhardt tried to stop her but he couldn’t. Father tried to stop her but he couldn’t. Her name is Zoe Lambros. My lover.”

  Muller made a gurgling sound which only made Eva more determined to follow through in telling him what she thought. She had been telling him for years in her dreams, and now he was here. She had rehearsed this speech so many times never dreaming she would have the chance to tell the man she bitterly despised. She didn’t understand what he was trying to say and didn’t care. “Remember me when they tie the noose around your neck and you take your last gasping breath.” She sighed and went up on one knee and looked back at Muller. She leaned forward and tenderly cupped his blood-splattered cheek, remembering vividly how he had done that to her when she left Aiden. “I was not your prized trophy. You did not win. When that rope tightens around your neck, may you feel the same pain I felt, the same terrifying fear should grip your heart. I hope your death is slow and agonizing, and when you’re dead, I hope you go to hell.”

  She stood and went to Zoe, took her hand, and together they walked into the kitchen as she heard the sound of a police siren in the distance.

  Chapter Thirty

  Steam rose from the water that enveloped Eva as she rested her head on the rim of the tub and closed her eyes. Tiredness overtook her and she felt quite lethargic. It had been quite a morning, with the police arriving with sirens blaring and then the ambulance. The police questioned them about the break-in and then about her relationship with Muller. They deemed it an act of self-defense but the neighborhood was in quite an uproar in the e
arly hours of the morning.

  Zoe had eaten a half-bucket of ice cream followed by Katarina’s cookies. Eva had sat at the kitchen table, watching Zoe eat and talk. After a couple of hours, Zoe finally settled down and went straight to sleep, leaving Eva wide awake.

  Eva opened her eyes and watched the steam rise from her body. She turned towards the knock on the door. Hoping it wasn’t anyone but Zoe, she smiled when Zoe appeared with a hot cup of tea.

  “Oh, this is good.” Eva accepted the tea and a kiss before bringing the steaming mug to her lips. She blew on the hot beverage and took a sip. “Are you going to have more ice cream?”

  Zoe giggled. “No, I don’t think I can eat for the rest of the day.” She sat on the floor with her back to the wall. “When I woke and didn’t see you in bed, I thought you might have escaped and headed for the first train station.”

  Eva chuckled. She stopped when she realized it wasn’t such a bad idea. “One problem with that plan.”

  “I wasn’t with you?”

  “Yes.”

  “See, that’s how I knew you hadn’t escaped, so you had to be here.”

  Eva smiled. “How are you feeling?”

  “Bloated.” Zoe laughed lightly. “You mean about Muller? I’m feeling great. I won’t have any nightmares about hitting him or shooting him in the knee. My aim was really off and I was aiming higher, but somehow it just didn’t work. It was satisfying and I would love to do it again.”

  “You could have been killed.”

  “Yes, I could have.” Zoe knelt beside the tub, gazed into Eva’s eyes, and smiled. “But I wasn’t. Do you know what the best thing about last night is?”

  “Other than you caving his face in?”

  “Yes, other than that.” Zoe cupped Eva’s face. “One of the proudest moments of my life was watching you go to him and face him. I was so proud of you that I thought my heart would jump out of my chest.”

  “Oh.” Eva smiled shyly. “He had to know who did that to him and I had to tell him that you were mine.”