Chapter 30
Chapter Thirty
BONTE
What if it’s me who makes people crazy? I’m really starting to wonder if that’s the case because Agent Anderson here is really off his rocker.
“Are you not hungry?” he asks, sitting across the table from me.
He’d pulled the dead body out of the room before locking me back inside.
I'm not sure how long he was gone. My grip on time is gone. Then, he'd come back in and ordered me out of the room. I was expecting that we would leave this location for another or that he was going to kill me. Instead, the table was set with dinner on it. I can’t make this stuff up. Actually, I shouldn’t be surprised. This is the story of my life.
Now, here we sit having a meal together with the smeared drag mark of blood right next to the table.
"Not really."
"Then back to the room we'll go."
"I'll eat," I blurt out as he starts to stand. I don't know if he means that we're both going back in there or just me. I really don't want to find out. What I need is time.
I know Eros will come for me or even my father.
My dad might have been a bad man in many people's eyes, but not to me.
I have no doubt that if he had to, he'd lay his life down for me.
I don't want anyone to die. This is my fault.
I never should have left to begin with. Now, if anyone gets hurt, it's on my head.
I pick up the sandwich the best I can with my hands still taped together. He hadn't put them back behind my back, thankfully. I take a couple of bites.
"Are you married?" I find myself asking. Okay, I might be in the crazy club, but we're sitting here in silence, and it’s nerve-wracking. I’m trying to both pass time and buy it at the same time.
"Was."
"I'm sorry. Divorce can be rough."
"That's why you don't bother getting one of them. It makes things a whole lot easier."
His phone starts to beep. He quickly grabs it off the table, muttering a curse. "How did he find us?" Who is he?! Anderson pulls out his gun. "Your father is here."
Holy shit. I was sure Eros would find me first, but maybe Anderson here has a hotline to get in contact with him. I hear the rumble of a car.
"What is he doing?" Anderson's expression turns to panic quickly. He grabs me, pulling me to my feet. I slip on the blood and fall to the ground as lights hit the front window, coming closer and not slowing down; in fact, they're speeding up.
The car is not stopping. Anderson lifts his gun, firing out the window. I make an effort to get to my feet but slip on the blood again. I ditch that plan and instead try and scurry backward.
Anderson keeps firing. I let out a scream when the car barrels into the house, smashing through the wall and hitting the table.
Then everything goes utterly quiet. It could be a second or a fucking hour. I have no clue, but the driver’s door of the black Charger starts to push open. Anderson drops the clip from his gun to load another.
I try to get to my feet. Anderson’s attention is not on me, but I know that car. It’s Jax’s. I get my bearings and start toward Anderson, hoping to catch him off guard. But I’m not quick enough. The click of the clip is loud as it slides into place.
He lifts the gun toward the car, no one having emerged, the door hanging open. I start toward him when I'm suddenly yanked back, my body running into another as someone else rushes past me.
I watch in horror when I realize who it is. The movement catches Anderson's attention, and he swings the gun around toward Eros, who is barreling toward him.
A scream rips from me when he fires. I’m yanked back again, this time hard enough to take me off my feet.
I fall backward into the other room, landing partly on Naomi, knocking the air out of my lungs.
She pushes me to the side, springing to her feet.
I see the gun in her hand as she heads back out the door to the other room.
I realize there is no more gunfire. I push to my knees, getting up to my feet and stumbling forward to see what is happening. Except I run into Naomi, who is coming back into the room.
"Don't." She presses her hand to my chest, blocking my path.
"What?" I try to move past her, but she doesn't let me. "Move!" I shout.
"Eros is fine."
I stare at her. Then why won't she let me by? I hear grunts and knocks I can't make out. It clicks that it's skin hitting skin.
"Damon, get him out of here and over to Doc Marten’s." I know that deep, eerily calm timbre. War's voice always holds an authority to it. It reminds me a little of Eros.
"Naomi." I can't read her expression, but you never can.
"Eros is indisposed, and your father has been shot."
"What?" I stumble back a step. I thought Anderson had it wrong. That it wasn't my dad when I saw the Charger.
"You'll be in the way."
"What do you mean Eros is indisposed?"
"Bonte. I promise you don't want to see." This is my mess. I want to see and know every detail of it.
"Move," I order her. "God damn it, Naomi, fucking move!" I push past her as I say it. My shoulder knocks into her, but this time, she doesn't stop me.
It’s as if time stills as I take in everything around me. Damon and Jax are pulling my father out of the car, blood dripping down his arm and face. War stands over Eros, who is on the ground on top of who I’m guessing is Anderson.
I put my hand over my mouth. There is no way to be able to tell if it is Anderson for sure; his face is crushed to a pulp. One arm is in the wrong direction; his hand has a knife through it, though it is keeping it in place. The other has a bone sticking out from the elbow.
He’s dead, but Eros isn’t stopping, his back to me.
"Why isn't anyone doing anything?"
"He's not there. He'll wear himself out. If anyone tries to pull him off, he'll attack them." I shake my head, not believing her. "A few family members have scars. Trust me. When he loses his temper, we try to leave him alone if possible." Naomi shrugs.
I can't help but step toward Eros. I was scared I'd never see him again. War holds his hand out in a gesture for me to stop. I don’t. I keep going. He must sense someone coming. Before I can get to him, he’s jumping to his feet. Eros’s arm swings around as he lunges forward.
The knife drops from his hand, wrapping around my throat. He pushes me backward until my back hits a wall. I stare up at him; his eyes are wild, but his grip around my throat is gentle.
“Eros—”
His mouth comes down onto mine. The kiss, however, is far from gentle. He thrusts his tongue into my mouth, kissing me hard and deep. His hands around my throat slide up to grip my chin, tilting it back so he can kiss me even deeper.
When he lifts his mouth from mine, his eyes are no longer wild but still dark and intense. They don't scare me. They warm me.
"You left me." His voice is charged with emotion.
"I'm sorry."
"You will be." He steps back, his hand wrapping around my wrist. I know his words aren't threatening. I also know that Eros isn't fully rational right now. “Where is Doc Marten’s?”
Oh God. I forgot. My father!
“They are headed back to my home,” War tells him as he tosses keys to Naomi. “Go, I have men en route.” Naomi nods.
Eros leads me out of the house but not before I glance back at Anderson. He reminds me of a cartoon that was run over and is now as flat as a pancake. A hysterical laugh bubbles free. Eros holds on to my wrist tightly. I’m guessing he’s not going to be letting me out of his sight any time soon.
When we reach the SUV, Eros opens the back door for me to get in. “Over,” he orders me. I slide over so he can get in. Naomi hops into the driver's seat. Eros pulls me into his lap so that I’m sitting sideways on his thighs.
He presses his face into my neck. His breath is warm against my skin. My eyes meet with Naomi’s in the mirror. I can tell she’s pissed at me. I’m sure the whole family is. I try to hold it in, but I can’t.
Emotions come pouring out of me, and I start to cry. Eros wraps his arms around me, and I can feel his body relax. He could have been shot. I don’t know how he wasn’t.
“It’s okay,” he whispers, kissing my neck. His mouth latches on to my skin. Another one of those hysterical laughs bubbles free.
“You’re really doing that?” He doesn’t answer; he only sucks hard before letting go. “I love you,” I tell him. Eros takes another deep breath, and I swear he’s trying to breathe me into him. I wish he could. There is nowhere else I’d rather be.