Chapter 47
Lethal Predators
Ethan disappeared, so Karson took me home.
We sat in morbid silence. He didn’t speak, as if he knew I needed space to process it all.
Not that I was able to effectively process such an horrific death.
Jefferson’s blood coated the dress and made me feel nauseous.
Numb and hollow, I headed up the stairs.
“I'm going to shower.”
“I’ll wait here until Ethan gets back.”
I stopped halfway up the stairs and spun back. “Where is he?”
“He stayed at Jefferson’s house to see what else he could find out.”
I blinked. “The man's dead. His body still warm and you break into his house?”
He reached for the whisky decanter and poured a drink.
“He didn’t exactly break in. The house was still open and we still need to find out what his plans are.
And perhaps Ethan may find out why he was killed.
” He sat the bottle down, lifted his glass and took a sip with a blatant look of indifference.
It felt wrong to me, but I found no compelling argument beneath the shades of right and wrong.
“Did he kill them? Jefferson? Did he kill the Tolle’s?
” I asked, holding the balustrade with one hand to steady myself against the answer.
I surprised myself by praying he didn’t.
He seemed nice, not just nice, but decent.
I needed to hear a face of normality was exactly as it appeared and not some act that masked a monster. “Did you read his mind to find out?”
He shook his head. “I can read thoughts, but he would have to be thinking about it to know. I need to place my hands on the side of his head to delve deeper or sink my teeth into his neck, which wouldn’t have been an issue later had he remained alive for me to do so.”
“Why didn’t you let me take him to the office, I could have asked him.” I threw a hand out, exasperated. “You could have followed me, and we’d know.” And he’d still be alive.
He stared at me, a dark glint of danger sparking in his eyes. He spoke gruffly, “I was not about to let you go anywhere with that man.”
Arguing further was pointless and I was suddenly too exhausted. It struck me then with a ferocity I just watched a man die. Watched his son break down as I had when my mother died. It’s a terrible pain that can’t be described. I turned away, feeling on the verge of breaking.
I went to my room and pressed the door shut behind me, dragging in a few deep breaths. The stench of Jefferson’s blood ignited in my nose and made my stomach churn.
Get the blood off.
I couldn't undo the zip at the top of the dress, it had a clasp that my arms couldn’t bend back far enough for my fingers to reach.
Get the blood off.
Jodie had told me to throw it out or keep it, she didn’t care. There was no way I would be keeping it, even if it probably did cost as much as half my wardrobe. I struggled, twisted, and pulled. My temper rose. had frayed I felt myself beginning to crumble, tears sprung to my eyes.
The feeling of loneliness opened up inside like water pouring out of a cracked well. I missed the feeling—the comfort of being held—of knowing I had someone, anyone, to help me. I needed someone to love me.
“Just fucking undo,” I hissed, yanking on the zip. I heard the fabric rip a little, but the zip, and the dress, remained stuck.
I would have to ask Karson. Blinking back tears, I scrubbed at my eyes. Then I drew in a deep, shuddering breath, mentally dragging myself together. When I felt I had some semblance of control, I opened the door. I didn’t have to call out, he stood there waiting.
Startled, I gasped and jerked back. “Don’t tell me you heard that?”
“I did. Need some help?”
“Yes please,” I muttered, rotating so he could unfasten my dress. His fingers brushed against my skin. Delight tingled hot over my body. My heart thudded hard. He had to hear it. I grimaced and clutched the front of the dress in my hand as I heard the zip lower.
"Thank you." I felt like I was pushing through mud as I forced myself to step away and turned back to face him.
He stood, staring down. His gaze beckoned like deep, dark, enchanting pools.
I needed to be held. I needed to forget.
A current, hungry and yearning, charged between us. I could feel it, whispering like the ocean to the sands. I imagined his sleek fingers caressing me. Every cell of my body quivered, as if a feather stroked beneath my skin.
He wasn’t human. He was dangerous.
Even though it didn’t make sense, I wanted to reach out and touch him. I wanted to press my body against his, melt into him, until vampire and human became one.
I felt color bloom on my cheeks. Feeling awkward, and unsure I bit my bottom lip. His eyes tracked to my lip and fixed there.
Something hungry—too hungry in his eyes.
And yet I didn’t fear it, my blood tingled and surged through my veins bringing everything alive.
The memory of him pushing me away slammed into my mind. I couldn’t take rejection. Not now, not when I had to fight just to hold all the cracked pieces inside together.
I took a step back. I blinked.
And he was gone.
I stood in the shower under water so hot it was scalding. Dazed and numb, I scrubbed the blood off until my skin was rubbed raw. Jefferson’s image, the moments we shared, played over and over again in my head.
Pleading with me, desperate for me to save his life. His smile bright as we chatted by the bar. His unbelievably handsome face. If he’d made a move, would I have kissed him? If I went to his office could I have saved him?
Blood slithering like a demonic snake from his mouth.
I closed my eyes and rested my head on the cold, tiled wall. The images a carrousel my mind couldn’t let go of.
Run.
Those words . . . Run, from what—or the question I really needed answered—who?
I stayed in the shower until I felt dizzy from the heat. Then I dried myself, brushed my teeth and threw on a set of shorty pyjamas. The floral shorts were high-cut, just covering the cheeks of my butt, and a black, cotton tank top.
I grabbed the dress, scrunching it into a ball, careful to avoid touching the stains, and headed downstairs.
I was relieved to see Ethan seated on the far chair, and uncomfortable to see both Monique and Michael on the couch.
Monique scanned my body with her resting bitch face on.
Michael refused to meet my eye. Karson frowned and ran his eyes up and down my attire.
I thought about turning back to get changed, but on the scale of the night’s events, being scantily dressed seemed insignificant.
I opened the front door.
“Where are you going?” Ethan asked.
“I'm just throwing the dress out.”
We had a bin inside the garage, it was of preference to the one inside.
Even I could still smell the stench of blood on the dress.
For vampire noses it must be like cocaine to the addict.
The outside lights lit up the surroundings, but I found myself nervous, peering out into the darkened night, half expecting something to leap out from the murky depths.
I drew in a warm breath. How could someone be metres away from a party and be ripped to shreds without anyone seeing or hearing anything?
Run.
I wavered, and listened hard. The sound of crickets, the ticking of the cooling car engines. An owl hooted. Nothing of concern.
I turned left toward the direction of the garage.
The outside lights came on automatically, guiding my way.
Moths aimed with pin-like precision toward the lights, they tap, tap, tapped against the glass panes.
The bug zapper zapped. I kept my head to the ground, focusing on the tiled path, too scared to look up in case I saw something leering out from the dark.
See what?
A face.
There’s no-one out there, fool.
Once I reached the garage, I glanced back at the house.
The door was open, the murmured sounds of voices floated out.
I pressed the button and the door opened.
The light inside came on automatically, the remote had been wired to connect to the lighting.
I didn’t ask Ethan if he did it for me, and he made no mention of it, but it was installed after I moved in so when I parked my car in there at night the garage was lit.
Behind me—the rustle of bushes, the sound of a passing shoulder against tree branches, or maybe legs against low lying bushes.
I jumped and spun in one motion, searching the darkness for shadows that didn’t belong.
The trees speared the dark sky, their branches, thick and flourishing, provided comprehensive coverage for anything lurking.
The door shunted to a halt and the silence seemed deeper than ordinary.
All I could hear was the sound of my own breath. Even the crickets had fallen quiet.
Run.
There’s nothing there.
I didn’t want to turn my back on the landscape, as though I expected something to wait until I wasn’t looking to slash its claws through my back. The ground clasped hold of my ankles. My mouth felt hot and dry. My body was stiff as a board.
Stop worrying, the noise was just an animal startled by the sound of the door. If something was out there the vampires would know. Nothing’s going to leap out of the bushes and tear you to shreds.
I turned. My heart pounded against my ribs as I scurried forward. I raised the lid, and threw the dress in. Letting lid slam shut, I ran out of the garage.
I pressed the button and walked quickly, forcing myself not to run, back toward the house. Feeling elated relief as I stepped inside, I snapped the door shut, resting my back against the door for a few moments to gather myself before I walked into their line of sight.
Ethan gave me a funny look. I stifled a groan when I realised they could all hear my fast beating heart.
“Need someone to hold your hand, Amy?” Monique sneered.
“I’m sure Karson will hold it later,” I threw at her. It was a childish thing to retort. He wouldn’t, but she didn’t know that.