Boxed Set: The Ink Series Volume 1-4

by Holly Hood

  My stomach felt like it was weighted down with bricks. I wanted to run back behind the curtain and hide from Hutch’s glare. I didn’t think it would be so simple to make things backfire.

  Kidd cleared his throat. “We’ll be over here.”

  Hutch watched them walk away. “Are you sure you want to test me?” He raised an eyebrow.

  I bit my lip, my mouth going dry. “What do you want from me?” Everyone around us seemed to be closing in on me.

  “I wanted to believe you when you said you would do as I ask. I guess not,” Hutch said.

  “Why won’t you just leave me alone?” I said.

  Hutch grabbed my arm. “Deep down you understand. You and I get each other. You’re letting Slade get in the way of that, Doll.”

  I closed my eyes at the name. My fingers met up with his trying to pry him from my arm. “You killed that girl for no reason other than you could.”

  Hutch’s breath hit my cheek as he rationalized his evilness. “I killed her because she was useless. She was a pawn, the mayor and his son would have done the same, we both know that.”

  He released me, daring me to run from him.

  I spun around and ran into Slade.

  “Let’s do this away from all these people,” Slade said, he narrowed his gaze on Hutch.

  Hutch smirked. “The only person I need to talk to is Hope. Not you. This has nothing to do with you.”

  Slade shook his head. “This has everything to do with me. You want what I have.”

  I tried to figure out what Slade was trying to do. Taunting Hutch didn’t seem smart.

  Hutch started his way through the crowd. I followed Slade. I could only plead inside that everything would be alright.

  I was afraid of what Hutch might do to Slade now that they stood toe to toe.

  Hutch took a seat on one of the benches along the boardwalk. His shoulder’s back, his chin out as he watched Slade and me. He wasn’t bothered at all.

  “So let’s talk,” he said with a smirk. He crossed his arms.

  “Don’t you feel a bit pathetic forcing someone to be around you?” Slade asked. “It seems rather clear to me she wants nothing to do with you. She’s with me; she’s always going to be with me.”

  I couldn’t believe Slade’s confidence as he went up against Hutch.

  Hutch leaned in and challenged Slade further. “Some of us don’t believe in fairy tales. And I must say I thought you would be one of them.”

  “This has nothing to do with fairy tales; this has to do with reality. I’ll always be what she wants. You’ll just be a mistake.”

  Hutch stood, slowly moving toward Slade.

  I moved between the two of them, and threw my hands up. “No. You’re not going to touch him.”

  “I wouldn’t have to, I think you forget who I am,” Hutch said, he stared Slade down. “We all have an Achilles heel. Isn’t that right buddy?”

  Slade grabbed my arm, he moved me out of the way. “You seem to forget who I am. I don’t draw from nature like you. I’m not afraid of demons; Satan is my right hand man. And if you want to mess with me I’ll show you the pits of hell.”

  Hutch still didn’t care. I wasn’t sure if he believed him.

  “She is connected to me, to my coven, to all things we are. No power you have outranks that, nature boy,” Slade said, he stepped closer, nose to nose. The veins in Slade’s neck protruded as he lay in to Hutch.

  “It seems your little girlfriend forgot to tell you about our bond,” Hutch announced.

  I rubbed the back of my neck feeling dirty. It wasn’t something I wanted Slade to hear.

  Slade shrugged it off. “You failed. She’s still with me, where she wants to be. Her feelings for me are stronger than any spell you could conjure up, jackass.”

  I had to agree, a bit of relief swept over me that Slade believed in us.

  “So do you want to test me?” Slade said. He rolled up the sleeves of his black flannel. “Come on. I’ve waited a long time to hand you your ass.” He pushed Hutch.

  Hutch grinned, but his face turned red.

  Slade pushed him again. “Come on; show me why you think you can tell my girl what to do.”

  Hutch nostrils flared. He cracked his knuckles. “I don’t need to lay my hands on you to prove my point my friend.” He stepped forward. “But if you want to prove you’re the bigger man, than by all means.” He shoved Slade back.

  I covered my mouth shocked they were ready to tear into each other, and moved forward but fell short. I didn’t know the first thing about breaking two men apart. I aimed at the two of them. A fire seared the sand and separated them. Its intense flame flickered keeping them apart like I wanted.

  Hutch took two steps back. I made sure Slade was alright.

  “She has more power than you think,” Slade said. “I don’t think you know what you’re dealing with.”

  Hutch lifted a hand. “I don’t care about any power she think she has. The fact of the matter is she doesn’t want any part of it. She said so herself. She hates what you are, but you keep pulling her back.”

  I was reminded of Audrey. Of the night Slade transferred her power over to me. The way my skin electrified and how bad it hurt. And all of a sudden everything was right; And I wasn’t about to stand there and let Hutch ruin my life.

  I was calm and for once I didn’t care what Hutch thought. I raised my hands. “All this time I had the power to annihilate you if I wanted to.”

  I knew how bad ass Audrey was, I was sure I could go up against anyone. I guided the fire along the beach bringing it back around and enclosing Hutch inside. I smirked.

  “For once do yourself a favor and leave me alone,” I said. I tilted my head back daring him to test me. “Threaten me again and I will kill you.”

  Hutch crossed his arms and in a flash the fire died ending my confidence.

  “I’m not sure you want to do that, doll,” he said. “But if you think your brave enough to try you better hope that you drop me dead as a doornail.”

  Slade grabbed my arm. “Let’s go. He’s just trying to get inside your head.”

  “Is that it?” He called after us. “Is that all you got. If you’re such the bad ass you wouldn’t have agreed to accompany me to the festival. And by the way, say hello to your dad for me will ya?”

  Slade and I spun around at the same time. I didn’t know what he meant. My dad left the festival. He said he wasn’t feeling well.

  “If you want to be with Slade you’re going to have to kill me first,” Hutch told me. “But that’s not going to happen. And you and I both know why.”

  I took off, hurrying to find my dad. Hutch wasn’t bluffing; I could see it in his eyes. I raced down the boardwalk, and jumped over the braided rope and ran as fast as I could across the sand, passing house after house to get to Nona’s.

  Slade caught up with me. “He’s toying with you.”

  I shook my head. I didn’t believe that at all. “No, he’s evil and he will do whatever it takes to get what he wants.” And for some reason Hutch wanted me.

  Slade and I hurried across the sands; I stopped on the boardwalk, shocked by the crowd.

  “What the hell is going on?” I asked. The festival was down the beach, this was close to the houses and I didn’t understand. I pushed up on my tiptoes trying to make sense of what was going on.

  Slade pushed through the crowd and I followed on his heels. The closer we got and the more I listened I knew whatever was unfolding was bad.

  There was a reason K was in Cherry, and K was the image that flashed through my mind at Hutch’s words. I feared the worst. I was afraid of what was going to happen next because of Hutch’s irrational obsession with me, one that I helped warrant, one that I should have been smart enough to stay away from.

  “He said he would hurt my family. I shouldn’t have been so stupid to think he wouldn’t do anything. If something happened to my dad I will never forgive myself.”

  Slade grabbed my a
rm at the front of the crowd.

  I backed away; I didn’t want to see whatever was waiting for us. All eyes fell on us. Jesse and his group came over right away. For once Jesse wasn’t rude. His concern was genuine.

  “It’s your dad, Hope.” Jesse said. He looked over his shoulder. “I think he’s drunk or something. We saw him stumbling around on the beach. I figured he was drunk, but he got really angry when I tried to take him home.”

  Slade and I exchanged worried glances.

  Chapter 36

  “Hola,” K said. A big grin on his face. “So nice to see you two could join us. Right, pops?”

  Dad sat at the end of the boardwalk, his shoulders slumped, his eyes dull. “I’ve made a big mistake, kid. And I need to fix it.”

  Slade kept me back, refusing to let me close to K or my dad. “Mr. Zigler, are you alright?”

  Dad produced a halfhearted shrug, falling over. He was drunk, but he was also a mess that I never seen before.

  “I’m not okay.” His voice cracked. “I killed that woman. I ruined so many people’s lives. And this guy says he can help me. He says he can help all of us.”

  I shook my head. “No, no dad you didn’t ruin anything. Don’t believe anything this guy is saying. He’s helping Hutch; he is here taking orders for Hutch.”

  K smirked. “Please, stop your killing me. You all are too much. I’m not helping Hutch. I’m helping myself. So what if Hutch thinks I am, whatever it takes to get what you want right?”

  Slade did a double take.

  “What?” I asked.

  “Hutch is an idiot,” Slade said at a loss for words. “This guy played him.”

  “That doesn’t mean I’m going to let him hurt my dad,” I said.

  Dad raised a hand blowing me off. “I want this to end now.”

  I raised an eyebrow, my mouth falling open. Dad was giving up and letting them win. It wasn’t what I wanted, and I knew it was all part of Hutch’s plan. The trap he set I fell right into.

  “You hear that,” K said. “Pops wants you to choose, either Slade or him. I’m here to take care of whoever it is you choose.”

  I swallowed. “And if I don’t choose?”

  “Then I’m sure your dad will make that choice for you. He isn’t feeling too happy knowing he offed the mayor’s wife anyways are you, pops?” K said.

  Slade didn’t say anything. I didn’t know what I should do. I couldn’t begin to fix something I didn’t understand. I would do whatever it took to save my dad I knew that much. I wouldn’t let him suffer for what I was now.

  I regretted lifting the spell. “Just let him go. I’ll do whatever it is you want me to do. Leave my dad alone. Please.” I begged.

  The crowd of people stared in awe at our wicked life. It was a sick entertainment for those not involved but a personal misery for me.

  I couldn’t read K’s expression. I balled my fist in desperation, sobbing, wishing anything would sway K from doing whatever he was about to do.

  Nona and Claude pushed through the crowd. “What the hell is going on?” Nona yelled. She shook her head in denial that Dad was on display for the entire town of Cherry to see, up until now as far as Nona knew Dad kept his drunken stupors under wraps.

  “Nona, please stay away,” I said. “This is all a big mess and this guy is dangerous.”

  I couldn’t tell if she believed me. Her lips pursed together, her brows met in the middle as she studied me. Just like she did when I was little and threw fits that she didn’t understand. At last I recognized the subtle nod of her head, she believed me. She and Claude stepped back.

  K turned on his heel and faced the crowd. He raised his hands. “There is no more to see here people. So why not go back to the festival before I do something each and every one of you regrets.”

  They didn’t budge. Their hard stares shot daggers into K.

  Slade moved into actions. “If you want to test us stick around, the mayor’s not here to save all your pathetic asses from Satan’s wrath this time.”

  That was all it took to move the crowd.

  Slade stepped forward. “I want you to close your eyes, imagine what angers you the most and harness it toward me. Push all your energy to me.”

  I shook my head. “Why?”

  Slade took my hand pressing my palm against his chest. “Because I don’t want you to lose your dad.”

  I pulled away from him. I couldn’t believe he asked me to kill him. But I knew that was what he wanted me to do.

  “There has to be something else,” I said unable to focus on Slade, K or even my dad. I couldn’t breathe. “Please, let there be something else.”

  K interrupted. “There’s not. And frankly I’m tired. So I’ll give you about another 30 seconds to decide on your own and then I am going to do it for you.”

  He wouldn’t get away with killing my dad because I wouldn’t sit back and let him.

  “You better have a gun or something, because I will not make it easy for you,” I said showing my teeth like a rabid animal ready to attack and tear him limb from limb.

  Slade pulled me closer, trying to gain my attention again; I refused to look into his eyes. “Choose me. I’m not going to let you lose your dad.”

  K cracked his knuckles. “Times up.” He moved towards Dad, reaching out and touching him on the shoulder. In that instant all the life left Dad’s eyes and he fell.

  Nona and I screamed. I grabbed Slade’s arm, covering my mouth in shock.

  “What are you?” I sobbed, dropping to my knees. I clutched my throat staring at my dad’s body lying on the boardwalk. I raised my hand refusing to let Slade near me.

  K came over and kneeled down beside me. “Let’s just say I’m the end to all means.”

  I refused to look at him.

  “I’m who comes when your times up. And today I have decided time is up for your pops.” K touched my arm. “I think this is the time when they tell you he is in a better place.”

  I couldn’t breathe. “He’s not dead.” People didn’t die; they didn’t drop dead because somebody laid their hand on them. It didn’t happen.

  “Come on, Hope. You’re a witch; you have to believe there are other things out there. Like reapers, and angels and demons. Slade knows all about the dark side, don’t you, Slade?”

  “What is he talking about?” Nona said in hysterics. Claude held her back, refusing to let her loose, he knew as well as I did that she would attack K if he didn’t stop her.

  Slade moved in, and lifted me up before I could protest. “Are you done here?”

  K shook his head, adjusting the collar of his shirt. “Nope, I have something to ask of the both of you.”

  Chapter 37

  “Go to hell,” I said. I dropped back down on my knees touching my dad, trying to wake him back up.

  “Hope, he’s dead, and if you want it to stay that way than by all means tell me and I’ll leave,” K said.

  “Why should I trust anything you have to say?” I gritted my teeth ready to take him head on. “You’re as pathetic as Hutch. As long as you get what you want it doesn’t matter who you take down on the way right?”

  “There’s a difference between Hutch and me. I’m not in love with you. I could give two shits if you want to be with this guy. I just want a little revenge. And if you agree to help me, I promise I will give you your Dad back. I’ve seen it done too many times to count.”

  “What?” Slade said. “You think you can fix this?”

  K shook his head. “I know I can fix this, I know a lady.”

  I clutched my chest staring at K for an answer. Could he help my dad?

  Nona shook her head in disbelief. “We need to call the police. Somebody needs to call the police.”

  K ignored Nona’s frantic plea. “There’s this girl. Her name is Eve and she has the power to bring back the dead. Problem is, she’s out of commission and it would take a miracle or a witch to change that.”

  My jaw dropped.

  K
raised a finger. “One more thing, she kind of is in love with my brother and he would kill someone before anything happened to her. But if you want your father back it’s worth a shot right?”

  “What’s in it for you?” Slade asked.

  “She was the love of my life. She left me at the altar; I guess you could say love is a great motivator after all,” K said. “I wanted revenge, but the two of you have me wondering if you could work your magic in more ways than one.”

  I sighed. Nothing could ever be easy.

  K extended his hand introducing himself. “Kenny Carlo. Some call me K.”

  The end.

  Grim Encounters Book 4

  Ink 4

  by

  Holly Hood

  www.simplyhollyhood.com

  This book is dedicated to Anne, my mom jr. it has been over six months now since you left us. Not a day goes by that I don’t miss you lady. I don’t think my heart will ever fully recover from the loss of you in my life. You guide me daily on the choices I make. You keep me on my path. I write because I love doing it. But I also write because of how much you believed in me. I hope you are proud and smiling down on us all. Nothing is the same without you.

  Thank you to the readers and lovers of words. Especially my words. Without you this wouldn’t be as much fun!!

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with.

  Copyright © 2014 HollyHood. All rights reserved. Including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof, in any form. No part of this text may be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the author.