Chapter 17
JACKSON
I vy's voice hitched as she tried the basement light switch, standing in the doorway of it at the edge of the kitchen. She had flicked it several times to no avail. "This is how every horror movie starts, Elena. No lights. No backup. Just two dumb girls and a basement."
"You'll be fine," I said, shifting my wounded leg on the kitchen chair.
"Besides, we have backup," Elena said, glancing my way. "He's here."
Ivy scoffed. "He's wounded and can't come running down a flight of stairs on that leg."
Elena didn't respond, but I heard her dry reply moments later once she began her descent. Something about canned peaches not being haunted. I almost smiled. Almost.
The floor creaked above me as they disappeared down the stairs. I kept my hand near the gun on the kitchen table, every muscle tight, listening for anything that didn't sound like them.
When they came back, Ivy had a handful of cans balanced in her hands, while Elena was carrying what looked like blankets.
Elena's eyes met mine, concern etched into the lines around her mouth.
"We found blankets," she said softly.
Great, because I was freezing, not that I'd admit it.
"I'm not sure if I'm starving enough to eat any of this canned shit," Ivy muttered.
"Maybe your ghost will uber us something in ghost carriage," Elena muttered, and I managed a weak smile. Sleep was begging to claim me, but with my blood loss and the pain in my leg, I wasn't willing to trust I wouldn't wake back up.
The two women needed my help getting away from here. I was sure Alfeo was working alone, but I couldn't ease that niggling feeling that someone might come looking for him, and if they found him dead, we'd be next.
But leaving a body outside this deep in the woods, I had a feeling something might drag him off. If we were lucky.
I should've moved the body into the trees at least.
Too late now. Especially with my leg, and I wasn't about ask either of the women to move it. They were holding it together surprisingly well despite everything. Although I knew Elena was struggling with what she'd done.
Taking a life wasn't something that was supposed to be easy.
"The water has cleared at least," Ivy stated as she checked the still running tap water after dumping the cans on the counter.
"Dunno if I want to drink it, but it's better than nothing.
Can't kill me, right?" She glanced back at Elena and me, and I shrugged, instantly regretting the movement as pain lanced through my leg.
She cupped her hands to have a gulp, while Elena draped a blanket over me before shaking her head.
"I think we should move to one of the bedrooms. Dust off a bed and just huddle there. None of us are dressed for the cold," she said as she glanced down at her bare feet. Her robe was doing little to keep her warm, nor was the nightgown underneath.
"Ah yes, all three of us, jammed in one bed," Ivy snickered as she wiped her hands on her shirt. "At least he's too injured to do anything. No round two for you two."
Elena snorted, shaking her head as she gathered up the remaining two blankets and headed down the hall.
"She's keeping it together well, you both are," I murmured once I was sure she was out of earshot.
"We have to, can't go falling apart right now," Ivy said quietly, a shadow falling over her eyes. "She's strong."
"You both are, clearly."
"I dunno if I could've pulled the trigger. I can talk a lot of smack… but…" Ivy shook her head as she focused her attention on the canned fruits and vegetables. "Are you actually hungry? You're not going to die on us during the night are you?"
"I'll try to have something. Let's go with fruit.
You both should eat something too. As for dying, I'm not going to tap out just yet.
Still gotta get you both safe," I said as the rain started up outside, the thunder rolling in.
It was a slow, steady patter against the broken windows, but I knew it would grow into something more torrential before we knew it. I could feel it in the air.
"That's not your job, y'know? To keep us safe," Ivy shot back.
"It was my ties that got you into this mess."
"No, we did that ourselves." Elena appeared in the doorway. "Sticking our noses where they didn't belong. Ivy wouldn't have been near that guy if it weren't for me."
"I chose that club, Lena?—"
"I brought us here."
"Both of you, stop. It doesn't matter anymore, we're alive, that's all that matters," I grunted, not wanting to listen to them bicker out of guilt.
"Fine, but this rain, this house, this canned shit, this is apocalyptic crap," Ivy muttered as she gathered up the cans. "I couldn't even find a can opener. Guess we'll be battling our way into these cans. Least we can reuse them as cups if we can get them open."
Elena nodded before coming over to check on me.
"You okay to move? Let's set up in the bedroom, it'll be a bit warmer there."
I doubted that, but I let her help me up, keeping the scratchy blanket draped around my shoulders as she helped me hobble into the room.
"I didn't trust the mattress in the other room, and the window was smashed. Not to mention the mold patch on the ceiling…" Elena trailed off as she helped me to the floor in the slightly cleaner room.
At least the window wasn't broken in here. That would keep out the worst of the wind and rain.
It didn't take us long before all three of us were huddled under the blankets, stomachs somewhat satiated with canned fruits.
I'd shown Elena how to open the cans with the scissors from the first aid kit, and we'd used them carefully as cups for water.
Elena had had the brighter idea to open the window and catch clean water from the rain, which Ivy had grumbled about.
I was grateful for Elena's warmth beside me. In just my briefs, the chill was setting in.
I couldn't suppress the shiver, and Elna instantly pressed closer into my side.
"Ivy, we need to keep him warm, he's lost a lot of blood."
"Yeah, I know. I hoped we'd find some olf clothes or something downstairs. Should've stripped Alfeo's pants or something before the rain started," Ivy said thoughtfully. "Hindsight 20/20."
"How's the leg?" Elena asked quietly as she rested her head on my shoulder. It was gentle, but I found myself relaxing even more now. The handgun was on the floor nearby, easy for any one of us to grab if needed.
Not that we'd hear anything over the distant thunder and rain outside now.
"I've had worse," I muttered. And I had. But that didn't mean this didn't suck.
The silence stretched, broken only by the rain and the occasional creak of the old house settling.
Elena shifted, one arm linking through mine to hold me close, and despite the whole situation, the pain in my leg, I found a small smile touching my lips.
It was nice having her close. Ivy had huddled closer to my other side, the blanket draped all the way around her, only her face showing, like she was doing her best E.T impersonation.
Elena's voice hitched after a crack of thunder rumbled through the house. "Why did he rush me?"
I sighed, turning my head to subconsciously press my lips to her temple, making her breath catch. I couldn't help it, it had been instant. Thankfully, she only squished against my side even harder, which was more than welcome as her body heat flooded through me more.
"Why didn't he think I'd shoot?"
I knew Alfeo's death was weighing heavily on her. The first time you killed always struck deep. I still remembered my first, despite the many bodies I'd dropped since then. "Because going home would've ended the same way. He had nothing left to lose. At least this way, he chose how it ended."
Her breath hitched. "Why did it have to be me?"
Ivy reached across me to place a hand on her arm to squeeze it reassuringly.
The soft sniffle that escaped Elena made me shift instantly. I moved my arm, allowing her to huddled into my chest as I closed my arms around her like a shield. Not to mention having her almost on my lap now was warming. But it wasn't for me. I wasn't worried about myself right now.
I'd never wanted this for her.
"Sometimes life's just cruel," I said as I rested my cheek on her forehead, holding her tight.
I glanced over at Ivy, who was looking at the pair of us with intrigue.
I didn't care. Elena needed comfort, and Ivy wanted to provide that whilst also doing Elena's request of keeping me enclosed between them both. This was the best option.
Ivy's brow furrowed. "Should we have just left him out there? On the ground?"
"Let him rot," I said flatly. "Wildlife will probably drag what's left of him away by morning."
"I hope so," Ivy murmured as she rested her head back against the wall. She reached over, rubbing Elena's arms as I helped Elena drape her legs over me as well so she was fully in my lap now.
If I wasn't still so cold and in pain, I might've gotten a little too pleased with the closeness.
"I don't want to see a rotting corpse when we leave." Ivy flinched just as another crack of thunder broke on her last word.
Elena closed her eyes tight, her shoulders trembling slightly. Ivy shot me a guilty look.
"So how'd you end up working for the Donatis?" Ivy changed the subject. I knew she just wanted to refocus Elena after bringing up Alfeo.
"They gave me a job after I was dishonorably discharged. A purpose. They saw something useful in me when I didn't see anything at all anymore." Considering what we'd been through, how Elena needed the distraction, I was willing to talk. She needed it.
Hell, maybe I needed it to. To just keep talking, to keep us all calm and collected.
"Why were you dishonorably discharged?" Ivy asked, and I could feel Elena listening against my chest. She'd seen my scars but had not pushed for answers.
"It's a long story," I muttered.
"We have all night," she countered.