Chapter 12 #2
I felt sick to my stomach as I considered how Vaughn, and especially Luca, must be feeling.
My own brother had been through everything these men were experiencing and I knew it had changed him forever.
My abduction had also meant he’d been stuck in time.
He’d been lucky enough to find Magnus, but if he’d had to choose between spending his future with Magnus and continuing the search for me, he would have chosen me each and every time.
I rubbed my temple because my head began to hurt. I didn’t want Vaughn in that world anymore. It was dangerous and the things he had to witness…
But I didn’t want him to stop looking for Gio either.
The boy would be a teenager by now… not much younger than me when Vaughn had saved me.
God, what if Luca was right? What if Dante showing up to save me had ruined any possibility of Gio being found?
What horrible things had the boy suffered through in the days, weeks, months, and years after that one chance had been stolen away?
Every day I’d been trying to live a normal life, Gio had been waiting for his own rescue.
“Hey,” Vaughn said as he put his hand on my back and began rubbing circles into it. “Nothing about that night was guaranteed except that you, your brother, and Magnus would have died if I hadn’t done something. It wasn’t even a choice for me.”
I wanted to believe him… that he hadn’t had a choice in choosing to save me versus finding his nephew.
But I didn’t. Luca had said it himself… Vaughn would lay down and die to protect me.
What if that were true? What did it mean?
Why was I different? He would have met so many victims in the years he’d spent in that world…
would he have done for them what he was currently doing for me?
Would he have chosen them over his own flesh and blood?
“I… I need to lie down,” I whispered. “I don’t feel good.”
That was the absolute truth. Of course, if I could have found a way to just lie down there on the floor in front of the toilet, I would have.
But not surprisingly, Vaughn’s arm went around me to help me stand.
I still had his wet shirt in my hands but when he went to take it from me, I held onto it.
He let me keep it and unlocked the door.
We ran into Con in the hallway. He had a serving tray with food on it and the smell instantly had me turning back into the bathroom.
I threw up into the toilet until there was nothing left in my system, but my body wouldn’t stop trying to expel something that wasn’t there.
It could have been minutes or hours before a cold washcloth was pressed against my face. I could hear Vaughn and Con talking, but I couldn’t make out the words. Then my body was moving, but my legs weren’t. It wasn’t until I was laid in a bed that I realized Vaughn had had to carry me there.
I wanted the darkness to claim me because it was easier there and that made me ashamed. I wondered if Gio had found something that brought him peace when he needed it.
“Alstroemeria… friendship,” I whispered.
God, I was such a coward.
Cool fingers drifted over my temple. “It’s okay, Aleks, just rest.”
Vaughn.
I felt tears building in my eyes because I knew he was giving me permission to let go. And that he’d take care of me no matter where I went this time or how long I was gone for.
“Amaryllis… splendid beauty,” I croaked, my voice sounding thick even to my own ears.
“That’s it, baby,” Vaughn whispered in my ear.
“James,” I breathed.
“It’s okay,” Vaughn responded when I couldn’t continue. “What’s the next one?”
“Anemone,” I managed to get out as the darkness began to beckon to me.
My lids blessedly began to drop and Vaughn’s worried expression disappeared.
Along with the vision of the two men standing just behind him, one looking concerned.
But it was Luca’s expression that stayed with me as I whispered the flower’s meaning.
Poor Luca just looked completely confused and lost.
And I couldn’t help but think how the anemone would be the perfect flower for him and probably his son, because both were likely dealing with the same exact emotion.
“Fading hope,” I managed to get out.
I tried to tell Luca and Gio I was sorry, but I had no clue if I managed it or not and, thankfully, the blackness made it so I didn’t have to care either way.
I was warm when I woke up… hot, actually. And it was once again dark out. But I didn’t know what day it was. I glanced at the clock on the nightstand on my side of the bed. It was just after two.
Which meant I’d been out for more than eighteen hours… unless more than a day had passed. I’d never lost that much time before but I also hadn’t attacked someone with a knife before either, so I wasn’t sure of anything anymore.
Unlike the last time I’d woken up, I wasn’t alone.
I could feel Vaughn at my back and his arm was wrapped around my waist. I could also feel his even breath on the back of my neck so I figured he was likely asleep.
A small, lit lamp on the dresser afforded me enough light to see several plates of food next to it.
All untouched.
There was more than enough food for one person, so if I’d been forced to guess, I would have said neither I nor Vaughn had eaten any of it. But again, I couldn’t be sure because I couldn’t remember drinking the chocolate milk the previous night when Vaughn had brought it to me.
I wasn’t particularly hungry, but I knew I needed to eat something because if I hadn’t eaten whatever Vaughn had offered me, it meant the last time I ate actual food was the morning at the restaurant when I’d had two orders of grits.
That had been almost forty-eight hours ago.
But one need was more pressing than food. I shifted my body so I could look over my shoulder at Vaughn to see if he was actually asleep or not.
He was.
And he looked exhausted.
Even in the dim light, I could see the dark circles beneath his eyes.
I glanced around the rest of the room but it was empty.
Did that mean Con and Luca had left?
It didn’t seem likely since Vaughn had seemed certain that Luca would call for reinforcements the second he got the chance. But Vaughn was also sleeping, which didn’t seem like something he’d do unless he felt safe.
I was about to ask him if it was safe to leave the room, but when he snuggled up against me and let out a soft sigh, I held my tongue.
But my bladder refused to be ignored, so I carefully lifted Vaughn’s arm from my waist and slipped out from beneath the heavy weight.
I replaced my body with my pillow and smiled when Vaughn accepted it.
The fact that he hadn’t woken up was proof that he was as exhausted as me… more so, probably.
I went to the bedroom door and found it locked.
So Vaughn wasn’t feeling completely safe.
I unlocked it and left it open so Vaughn would be able to hear me if I called for him.
The bathroom was just down the hall so I hurried to it and locked myself in, then took care of business.
Vaughn’s shirt was lying folded on the counter.
It looked dry and clean, and when I picked it up it smelled laundered.
I was both disappointed and relieved at the same time.
I glanced at my reflection, hoping to find some stain on my own shirt so I’d have a valid excuse to put his back on.
I didn’t recognize myself.
I looked pale, gaunt and very sickly. My skin had a gray tint to it and my hair was all over the place.
No wonder Vaughn was always looking at me with concern.
I looked like one of those dead people who came back to life on Dante’s favorite TV show. I personally couldn’t watch it because it was too violent for my tastes, but I’d caught glimpses of it now and again.
A zombie.
That was the word.
Dante would be so disappointed in me.
I needed to call him… even if it was just to tell him I was okay. He and Magnus had to be worried sick that I hadn’t checked in.
But did I want them to come get me?
I didn’t even know where I was. I hadn’t been paying close enough attention on the ride from the first house to know what state we were in.
First things first. I needed to take care of myself so I wouldn’t worry Dante and Magnus when they saw me.
Or Vaughn.
I cursed myself for that silent addition to my thoughts.
I went back to the bedroom to wake Vaughn up but when I saw him hugging my pillow, I kept my mouth shut.
I considered the food on the dresser. I didn’t care that it was cold, but I knew the meat and mashed potatoes would be too much for my stomach and would likely just make me sick again.
I needed something light. Dante had always given me toast or crackers when I hadn’t been feeling well at home.
Maybe I could find something like that downstairs.
If Luca and Con were still here, surely they were asleep. And if not, I wouldn’t go to the kitchen… I’d get Vaughn. But if there was no reason to wake him up, I wouldn’t… after all, I knew how to be invisible.
I left the bedroom and quietly padded down the hall to the stairs. The house was quiet. There was no TV on and I couldn’t hear anyone talking. I took my time making my way down each stair, prepared to flee back upstairs at the slightest sound.
But there was nothing.
Maybe the men had left?
There were a few lights on downstairs. When I made it to the front entryway, I could see that the kitchen was empty. To my left was the living room and I could see Con propped up in an armchair by the fireplace. He was asleep.
I didn’t see Luca.
I held my breath as I listened.
I should go back upstairs.
Or call for Vaughn.
Man up for God’s sake, Aleks.
I nodded to the voice in my head. I could do this. Even if I came across Luca and he tried something, I’d yell for everything I was worth. If I could attack Vaughn to protect myself, surely my brain would react in a similar manner around a man who wanted to harm me.