by Abigail Cole
“Dax, I won’t tell you again. Get out of my way. She could be hurt!” Ducking low, he makes the mistake of trying to protect his crown jewels while I shoot up to catch his jaw with my knuckles. Thrusting my shoulder into his chest, I manage to nudge him a sidestep over in the right direction. All I need is an opening to slam my palm on the red button on the wall by his head, or to piss him off enough that he’ll throw me out willingly. I like Dax, more than I care to admit out loud, but I will drop him for Meg any day of the week.
Hurling another punch towards his chest, he catches my fist in his large hand this time. Grabbing my other wrist forcefully, he quickly spins me around so my arms are crossed over my own body and trapping me in a cage I can’t fight my way out of. Shouting and struggling against his grip, he pushes his body flush against the back of mine and lies his cheek on my head.
“I care too much to let you leave.” He breathes into my ear. Floods of tears are streaming from my eyes, burning a trail down my cheeks in the process. My nostrils flare, my voice dripping with venom.
“If something happens to her, I’ll never forgive you. There’ll be no coming back for us after this,” I try in a last-ditch attempt to hit him where I know none of my punches could have reached.
“I know,” he whispers, his voice full of grief and understanding. Slowly, his fingers unpeel from my wrists until I’m fully released. Twisting, I suddenly feel a tug of discomfort at my side. Hissing, I press a hand above my hip for it to come away red. Looking through a tear in my t-shirt, I notice a slight incision from where a knife must have been pushing against me by thug number one. Dax falls to his knees, lifting the material to inspect it but I push him away. It’s just a scratch and I have more important things to worry about right now, like how others are putting their lives on the line to protect me.
Refocusing my attention, my spine is taut despite my limbs feeling slack as I slump across the room to take a seat in front of the laptop. I feel Dax’s presence over my shoulder before his arm slides around my chest, not in restraint but in comfort. And a part of me kind of hates him for it. Watching the screen intently, my hands rise to hold onto his arm, digging my nails into his flesh with an equal need of reassurance and to make him suffer for trapping me here. My eyes drag from window to window, desperately trying to find Meg and my… friends. No, not friends. These guys welcomed me into their group and it’s time I admitted I’ve let them all into the one place I promised no one would never be able to infiltrate. My heart.
Wyatt
No, no, no! My feet pound across the hallway, turning into a run. Rounding the doorway, I find the study is completely empty like I feared it would be. Slamming my fist into the door, my hand flies through the wood up to my wrist. The sting of splinters penetrates my knuckles but there’s no time to worry about that. How in hell did she manage to get to the study? I set it up perfectly, finding Ray’s men the second Meg left to join her sister by the water’s edge and then slinking back to my room to remain the innocent party. What these men are gifted with in muscle, they sure as fuck lack in intelligence.
Pacing back and forth in the hallway, trying to figure out how I’m going to get her now, a scream from downstairs distracts me. I’d been so focused on finally getting Avery to beg me for her life, I’d forgotten all about Meg. Rushing down the corridor and skidding to a halt at the top of the staircase, I run down to see Meg being held high in the air by her throat. The owner of the hand is Rhino, his fingertips squeezing tightly enough to make her wheeze, as if he’s forgotten Ray’s one instruction to bring her back alive.
An idea barely forms in my mind as I implement it, rushing at him and diving into his side. Only by taking him by surprise, he is knocked off balance enough for me to ram my shoulder into his gut and shove him over the back of the sofa. Jumping over after him, I land on his stomach with my knees, making him wheeze beneath his black mask.
“What’s your fucking problem, Weasel?” How sweet, he gave me a pet name too. Seeing Meg has fled to behind Huxley in the corner of the kitchen, I lean down to speak into his ear.
“Trust me,” I hiss through my teeth. “I have a plan. We need both of them.” As my words register, Rhino seems to relax slightly although his brown eyes are still shooting daggers into mine. Sitting upright, his fist suddenly flies into my face, catching my cheek as I turn at the last second. Knocking me from his body, my side slams into the coffee table on my way to the floor. “What the fuck?” I groan in pain, holding my throbbing face.
“Just making it look believable,” he smirks, his eyes crinkling in the corners. Glancing around the edge of the sofa, we still haven’t been noticed so I refocus on the twatbag grinning at me.
“Just play dead already, I need to use her to lure Avery out.” He grumbles beneath his breath but obeys anyway, making a dramatic show of collapsing and twitching every few seconds for absolutely no one else’s benefit but his own. Shaking my head, I leave the failed actor on the floor and scramble to my feet. Huxley is eyeing the fight happening through the window on the porch, pulling Meg along as he edges towards the back door, no doubt looking for a clear shot to get her out of the house. If she manages to flee in the darkness of the forest or take one of the vehicles out front, I’ll lose her for sure.
“Meg!” I whisper loudly, running up to her. Huxley puffs out his chest and widens his stance as he moves between us. Fighting the instinct to roll my eyes, I keep my features as slack as I can manage with a possible broken cheek bone. “Come with me, we need to get you away from here.” I hold out my hand as she peers around Hux, her pale blue eyes frowning at my open palm as if it were on fire. Distrust lines every inch of her face, her eyes flicking up to glare at me.
“Hurry! There’s no time for our feud bullshit right now. Avery’s waiting for you in the study,” I stare at her with my most genuine look, or at least I hope that’s what she sees. After hesitating for a further second, she slowly slides her hand in mine. Ignoring the velvet softness I shouldn’t even notice right now, if ever, I gently tug her towards the stairs. Seeming content with my caring act, Hux strides outside to join the fight. A pang of guilt pulses through my body, hoping Ray’s men go easy on him.
Going against every instinct in my body not to crush her hand in my grip and drag her screaming, we eventually enter the study so I’m able to release her. She takes an instinctual step towards the bookcase, then stops and turns to face me. “You can leave now,” she challenges, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes in suspicion. My heckles rise, a physical tightening I have to push down before I can respond.
“Look, I know things have been difficult. But I want to make sure you’re safe, both of you.” I attempt despite the look in her eyes saying she’s withdrawing for me. Stepping into centre of room, Meg crosses her arms defiantly.
“If you’re so concerned with helping all of a sudden, go help your brothers.” I glance back at the door, anguish slicing through me before I remember the real goal here. I didn’t intend for tonight to go down like this but if the guys want to risk themselves for these cretins, that’s their issue. This has to happen, tonight. And my ‘brothers’ will know the truth about me soon anyway so might it as well be now.
“Show me where the hidden door is,” I bark, the hardness I’ve been struggling to keep at bay falling back over my eyes. Her expression doesn’t shift in the slightest showing she was never fooled by my act and might as well tattoo ‘I told you so’ across her forehead. “It doesn’t have to be this way; I only want her.” I lie, knowing she’s not getting away either way. Meg’s eyes remain on mine, a bitchy tilt to her eyebrows as if she thinks she can beat me.
Pushing my hand into my tracksuit pants pocket, I grasp the white cloth I doused in chloroform like Rhino insisted – not thinking I’d needed to get my hands dirty but glad I’d taken the precaution now. Whipping the rag free, I dive towards her in a flash. Dodging me at the last second, I crash to the ground as Meg falls to the side and attempts to crawl away. Grabbing he
r ankle, I yank her backwards and leer over her, her hand gripping my forearm with surprising strength as I try to push the cloth onto her mouth.
Kicking me in the stomach with her free foot, her lithe body rolls and jumps up before I recover. Rounding behind my back, her arm slinks around my neck as she attempts a sleeper’s hold which only makes me laugh. Reaching back, I grip her nape and throw her over my shoulder. Flipping her onto her back, her head landing in my lap and distracting my thoughts momentarily, I don’t anticipate her fist punching upwards. Smashing into my chin hard enough so my head snaps back, I growl in my first flare of real anger. Up to this point, our fight had been akin to foreplay to me but now, the games are over.
Allowing her to roll onto her stomach, I twist over to mount her back. Yanking a fist full of her silky hair back, she’s squeals like a piglet ready for the slaughter. Placing the cloth down for a second, I slip my free hand around her long neck to savour the moment. Water droplets splash onto my arm as she still attempts to buck me off. “Keep going, I’m really getting off on this,” I sneer. She immediately goes still as I anticipated, abandoning her only chance of an escape to not let me have the last laugh. But I will, and it’ll be glorious.
“Why? Why are you doing this?” She croaks out, her throat bobbing beneath my palm as she swallows. Gripping a little tighter, I lean forward to whisper into her ear. For once, I’ll give her the truth.
“I’m taking back what I’m owed.” Her lips part to answer as I grab the cloth and cover the lower half of her face with it, her head flopping forward a moment later. My hand remains around her neck for a second longer, my thumb acting on his own accord to stroke her fluttering pulse. Releasing her and sitting back on the floor to admire my work, a faint scream I recognise sounds from somewhere beyond this room. A smile drags my lips up, figuring Avery’s snuck out through a different exit only to be captured anyway.
Slipping my arms beneath Meg’s dead weight, I lift her over my shoulder and exit the room. My mind insists on repeating our fight over and over, her skill and strength becoming more impressive with each mental replay. Marching down the stairs, everything’s gone quiet on the lower level. Finding only the two dipshits, Rhino nowhere to be seen, hovering around the kitchen waiting for me, I stride over to place Meg into the arms of the closest one. Ignoring the pull of my chest at the sudden lack of warmth, I follow them towards the back door. Across the door mat, Huxley’s still form is inconveniently in the way. Judging by the rise and fall of his chest and lack of visible injuries, I’m going to guess he more than likely passed out from lack of nutrition than anything else.
Stepping over his body, my foot creaks on a floorboard of the porch as the fresh night’s air fills my lungs. My task is done, I’m free to leave this life behind and it feels incredible. About to take another step, a small sob reaches my ears. Letting curiosity get the better of me, I round the corner to see Garrett hunched over Axel, cradling his head in his arms. Glancing up at me, the glow from inside reveals the glistening streaks lining his cheeks.
“Wyatt! Please, you gotta help. He needs medical attention.” Axel’s skin is deathly pale, his body a little too still but that’s not the worrying part. The blade handle protruding from his lower abdomen is, it’s black handle glinting in the faint light with a scripted gold R.P engraved into the side. Fucking idiots. Squinting back towards the darkness of the forest, I see Rhino skid the black Sedan around. Popping the trunk, where no doubt Avery is too, the goofball holding Meg flops her into the back and closes it with a loud slam. Once everyone has entered the vehicle, Rhino flicks on the headlights suddenly to light their way and speeds off into the woodlands with a screech.
Crossing the porch, I kneel beside Axel and take his hand. It should have never come to this. If they’d just stayed away, if they’d not fallen for Avery’s charms like I constantly warned them not to, none of this would have happened. They’d be in Waversea and I’d be long gone without them knowing what had happened to me. “I’m so sorry, brother,” I whisper so quietly, Garrett didn’t even hear between his sobbing. I’ve never seen him shed a single tear, and now he can’t stop. How did he fall so far from his high horse? I’d be disappointed if I still cared. Wrapping my hand around the dagger’s handle, I take a long exhale.
“Wait, Wyatt-” I whip the blade free in a swift movement, Axel’s body jerking involuntarily. His eyelids flicker in time with the rapid flutter in his neck that is beginning to slow in the faint artificial light. Blood spews from his gut, the thick liquid jerking me between the hallucinations I’ve been struggling with and reality. Garrett yells, whipping his top off to press down on the open gash. “Noooo! Why would you do that?!” He shouts at me, leaning all his weight onto the wound, not that it’ll help. More tears leak from his eyes, his weakness making me feel nauseous as he stares at me in shock and disgust.
“Couldn’t leave any evidence,” I shrug, rising to my feet. I stand for another moment to watch the strange display. Axel’s chest is barely rising anymore, but Garrett is still pushing on his wound as if he can force his own lifeforce into his lover. Garrett will thank me one day, when he remembers he doesn’t do monogamy for a reason. Everyone leaves eventually. Screams of every curse word Garrett can think of are bellowed towards my retreating back, although none of them come close to what I think about myself. I know when I close my eyes, the numbness I currently feel will ebb away and the reality of tonight will weigh on me like a thousand bricks.
Ignoring the ‘I hate you’ and ‘I’m gonna kill you for this’ echoing throughout the night as I round the front of the house, I see a hunched shadow beside the vehicle Ray let me borrow. Her outline isn’t defined, more of a smoky shape around her scraggly hair. She’s changed slightly, her skeleton visible in the form of black bones, each one grinding against the other as she shifts on her feet. Scratching her nails against the back tyre, I smirk and roll my eyes. Walking past, I whistle to grab her attention, those orbs of green in her dark skull focusing on me.
Slipping into the driver’s seat, I glance back at the house shrouded in shadows. All of the laughter I’d heard whilst here has left, only an empty shell of misery remaining. Which is what I wanted, right? Mentally saying one last goodbye to the men inside, it dawns on me I’ll never see any of them again. I wouldn’t have survived this long without them, but the truth of my character had to come out in the end and what I need now is a real family.
Twisting the key, the engine roars and the headlights illuminate the forest. I’d better hurry to catch up with the others, wanting to be the one to present my good work to Ray. The eerie shadow settles into the passenger seat, her head cocking like a bird as she stares at me. Her fingers reach over to rest on top of mine on the shift stick, icy coldness seeping beneath my skin at her touch. The chill runs up my arm, blossoming in my chest and freezing over what’s left of my blackened heart.
“Come on mom, time to go home.”
The last of The Shadowed Souls Series will be available later this year, Dangerously Damaged!
Thanks!
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Acknowledgement
I would like to express a special thank you to all of the wonderful ladies who have helped me on this journey so far. Each one has given invaluble help to make these novels the best they can be and I'll always be grateful for their support. To Teresea and Kirsty for proof reading, and Gemma, Danielle and Denise for being my Beta Readers. Also, for all the bloggers and reviewers who have been promoting on my behalf - I hope this book was everything you hoped it would be. All of you are helping to bring my dream of becoming an author to reality.
il Cole, Deceitfully Damaged
