Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
Ace
The bright sunlight streams through the sheer curtains waking me. Liz is still sleeping, naked and wrapped around my body like a cobra, bringing my morning wood to full attention. I had her in so many different ways last night, you’d think I’d be all out of gas, but that isn’t the case with her. Never with her. This woman brings me alive with every look, every touch, every caress. She makes my heart beat stronger than before and means something more to me than anyone else, even my little brother Spencer.
Is it love I feel for Liz? Fuck if I know since I’ve never been in love before, but if this is what it feels like, sign me up.
I tighten my hold on Liz, dying to tell her my realization, but hold back. There are still things she hasn’t told me about her past and the last thing I want is for her to feel obligated to tell me she loves me in return until she really knows I’m who she wants.
When her mother mentioned a man named Aerik, Liz’s body stiffened and fear replaced her bravado. Is Aerik an ex of hers? Did he hurt her somehow? Was her fear of her mother mentioning him in front of me or mentioning him in general? Does she still have feelings for him? These questions only Liz can answer but I have a feeling deep in my gut, I’ll get my answers today.
Liz stirs and rubs her leg draped over my waist up and down. Her heat pressed into the top of my thigh. I adjust us slightly so she is straddling my waist, my aching erection seeking her entrance. Liz shifts her hips and I slip inside. A groan rumbles through my chest as she begins to move. No words are needed while she takes us to a place made for just the two of us. Her hips move faster while she bounces up and down. My shaft swells, close to finding my release when Liz releases a long guttural moan from deep inside. The sounds she makes drive me to the edge and I’m running off a cliff, powerless to stop myself. Liz’s heat squeezes my shaft and we both explode into a million pieces as her lips find mine and I kiss her with every feeling deep inside of me.
Once we come back down from the heavenly bliss, Liz kisses me again before shifting her weight off me. “That was quite the wake-up call.” She blushes and I grin back.
“If you want to wake up doing that every day, I’ll die a happy man.” I counter.
Liz stretches against me and looks through the curtains at the rising sun. “Shit. We’re late.” She hops out of bed and hurries into the bathroom while I’m left lying on the bed in confusion. Liz comes out of the bathroom and hurries around the room, throwing clothes at us left and right. “Shit, I need a shower. Fuck, I don’t have time for a shower. Ace, we need to get moving.”
She throws a pair of jeans at me that aren’t even my jeans, they’re hers. “Sweet Cheeks,” I respond trying to defuse the situation. When Liz doesn’t stop throwing clothes around, I rise from the bed and stalk over to her. I grab her gently by the shoulders and make her stop. “Liz, what’s going on? Why are you acting this way?”
“You don’t understand.”
“I know I don’t understand because you’re not explaining anything to me. Come on,” I lead her to the bed and make her sit. “Take a deep breath and tell me what’s going through that pretty little head of yours?”
“We need to get to Memaw’s island before anyone else. I have to set up my stones to ward off the evil coming. Please, Ace,” Liz grabs my hands with hers. “You’ve trusted me this far, please trust me on this. If I don’t get there and do this, anything can happen.”
“Ok, Sweet Cheeks.” I handed her the jeans she threw at me. “These are yours. I don’t think one of my thighs will fit into these.”
Liz giggles before taking the offered jeans from my hands and we get dressed without any more clothing casualties. “I wish I had time for a shower,” Liz grumbles.
I pull Liz against me and kiss the top of her head, breathing in our scents mixed together from last night and this morning. “I love the way you smell. It’s intoxicating and tells everyone you are mine just as I am yours.”
Liz blushes before gathering her stones and we leave the room together with our bags in hand. Tex, Duke and Stone are ready to go, standing by the front door with their bags in their hands. Duke is nervously fiddling with the straps.
“Is there a problem?” I ask, raising an eyebrow and waiting for an answer. Duke looks up at me and then his eyes shift to Liz, then back to me.
“We uh…” Duke stutters and rubs his bald head. “Didn’t know if it was safe to go outside.”
Liz stifles a giggle, “Yes, it’s safe now.” She bends down to remove the stones by the door. We all gathered the rest of her stones and put them in her little bag.
Once we’re finished, Liz leads us outside and down to a river about five hundred yards away from the little house. The humidity this early in the morning is manageable but not by much. There is an airboat waiting for us tied to the weathered dock. Duke, Tex, Stone and I all climb on board. The three of them sit on the bench seat near the front and I sit on the seat higher than them in the back. Liz unties the boat from the dock and pushes it away with her foot before hopping on and taking the seat next to me.
“Have you ever ridden in one of these?” She asks, firing up the engine.
“Never. What does it do?” I ask over the roar of the motor.
“Down here, there are places boats, cars or trucks can’t go. This airboat will allow us to travel swamp and land to get where we need to go.” Liz leans forward, speaking loud enough for Tex, Duke and Stone to hear. “I’m going to need you three to watch for gators. They’ll try to tip us or climb on board if we get too close. If you see one, I’ll need you to use the sticks under your seat to point them out so I can avoid them or push them off if they climb on board. Can you three do that?”
“Sure, let's get some gators!” Duke rubs his hands together and Liz sits back laughing.
“What do you want me to do?” I ask.
“Sit there and look hot.” Liz winks and damn if it doesn’t do things to me.
The ride to the island where Liz’s Memaw lived was uneventful. We only spotted a few gators but they stayed far away from us. The biggest bitch from the guys were the bugs. Some of them were huge blood-sucking vampires. Liz slows the airboat down and gently guides it into a clearing made of sand. She shuts the motor off once we reach a little way inland and takes a deep breath.
“This is it.” Liz climbs off her seat and grabs her bag. “This way. We still have a little bit of time before everyone else shows up.”
Duke, Tex, Stone and I follow suit with our bags. I take hold of Liz’s hand and give it a gentle squeeze. We walk further into the woods until it gets so dark, you can’t tell it’s still morning. We reach another clearing and the morning light streams through the trees. The birds and creatures quiet down once we step foot onto the property. A small shack with a rundown porch and rotting boards appears before us. The once white paint is now murky brown and peeling. A swing suspended on the porch is broken and hanging on my one chain. Liz stifles a sob trying to break free.
“This place used to be so beautiful. Now it’s just a memory. I’m so sorry Memaw.” Liz whispers into the breeze. She closes her bright blue eyes and a tear falls down her cheek. I watch as Liz turns her face up toward the sun and the breeze turns into a warm gust of wind that wraps around the five of us.
Liz opens her eyes and nods her head like she’s having a silent conversation with someone I can’t see. She turns those pretty blues toward me and I open my arms and hold her against my chest.
“Remember, I am with you the whole way. No matter what goes down today, I’m not going anywhere.” I state into the softness of Liz’s hair.
“Thank you, Ace. This is going to get nasty.” I hold onto her for a moment longer before she pulls away. “We have work to do before the others show up.”
Liz gives us directions on how and where to place her stones around the perimeter of the shack to ward off evil. Once Duke, Stone and Tex wander off to do their assigned jobs, that leaves Liz and me alone. I can finally ask her the questions that have been on my mind.
“Can I ask you something without you getting offended?”
Liz places a stone down before answering. “Sure.”
“Who’s Aerik and why did you stiffen at the mention of his name? I know about your brother, but not this guy.” I am not holding back on this. I need to know how to protect her and from who.
“Aerik is no one you need to worry about.” Liz answers. She doesn’t look me in the eyes when she speaks. Instead, she keeps her head down and places stones around the sand.
“Liz, I’m not buying that bullshit. Tell me who Aerik is and why you’re so afraid of him.” I approach Liz and make her stop what she’s doing and look at me. The fear and sadness in her blue eyes guts me, but I need answers. Liz opened her mouth to tell me when shouting came from behind us. “We’ll pick this up later. But Liz, don’t ever lie to me.” I kiss the top of her head in reassurance and take off toward the noise.
What I walk into once we reach the shack is something I didn’t think I’d ever see. The man I met last night, Liz’s grandpa, Amir, is standing in the clearing pointing an accusing finger at Liz’s mom. He’s shouting obscenities at her with tears in his watery blue eyes. Liz’s mom is shouting back at him and her screeching makes my blood turn cold. A man is standing behind Liz’s mom who looks like a younger version of her Grandfather. A guy with the same fiery red hair as Liz, with similar freckles and bright blue eyes is next to him. That’s where the similarities stop. Liz has a peaceful, elegant, innocent nature surrounding her and her twin radiates bitterness and I would say evil if I believed in such things. When his gaze lands on Liz, he snarls, curling up his top lip.
“Look who finally graced us with her presence, Princess Elizabeth.” Tomas snarls.
Liz’s spine stiffens at Tomas’s words. She doesn’t speak, instead, she goes to her grandfather's side. I follow her with Duke, Tex and Stone surrounding Liz and her grandfather.
“Haven’t you done enough to destroy this family, Elizabeth?” Liz’s mom's snide remark hits Liz right in the heart. Her face crumples but she doesn’t shed a tear. She doesn’t speak as her mother and brother both belittle and criticize her for something she didn’t do nor was she responsible for.
“ENOUGH!” Liz’s grandfather bellows. I didn’t think the old man had it in him to be so boisterous. “You might be married to my son, Jalinda, but remember where you came from. If it wasn’t for my wife, God rest her soul, you would still be slinging crawfish to the gators in the swamp. Your daughter’s innocence was robbed from that buoy you are desperately clinging to. Now, if you don’t mind, we are here for Madeline. To celebrate her life and bring us answers for her death.”
Liz takes Amir’s bony hand gently and guides him up the stairs into Madeline’s home, ignoring the glares and rude comments each of her family members is spewing at the two of them. I follow close behind Liz, protecting both of them. Once we’re inside, Amir breathes a sigh of relief and Liz helps him into an old worn rocking chair.
“Thank you, my sweet Rose.” He looks past her toward me. “Protect her with everything you have. She’s going to need it in a few moments.”
Amir closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. He smiles, “Memaw is waiting for me. I’ll give her your love.” Amir pats Liz’s hand before it goes limp at his side and he stops breathing. His body sags in the old rocking chair and Liz has tears streaming down her face. I want to comfort her and give her my love, but she has to do this on her own.
After a few moments, Liz stands, kisses her grandfather on the cheek, chants something I can’t understand then turns and lights two candles. “One for Memaw and one for Pawpaw. May they rest in peace together for eternity.” She grabs a big white candle and lights it with the two smaller ones at the same time. “Now no one can separate the two of you ever again.”
A light warm breeze picks up, ruffling the hair on my head. Peace settles over me and I don’t know how I should feel but I feel happy and even though my heart is hurting for Liz losing both grandparents now, I can feel the love between the three of them in the room.
The door bursts open, creating a cold gush of wind. Liz is still holding the big candle in her hands. It flickers but doesn’t go out. “What have you done!” Jalinda screeches at the top of her lungs. She lunges for Liz with her hands outstretched, screeching. She wraps her fingers around Liz’s throat before I can stop her and digs into the sensitive area around Liz’s neck. Liz doesn’t let go of the candle nor does she fight back right away.
I try to pull Jalinda off Liz, but before I can, something heavy hits me on the back of the head, sending me to the ground. A heavy boot stomps on my back, holding me in place. I smell the evil radiating off Tomas. When Liz sees Tomas holding me down, she tries to fight back. Where are Duke, Stone and Tex? They should be here by now helping us.
“Your three friends are currently incapable of helping.” Tomas sneers down at me like he can read my mind. “Aerik has graciously tied them up.”
A man with blonde hair swept into his green eyes steps into the shack. “Well, well, well. What do we have here?” His deep voice commanded everyone to freeze. Jalinda’s fingers loosen around Liz’s neck slightly. The fear in Liz’s eyes shined brightly at this stranger’s voice. Tomas’ boot didn’t let up as he kept me pinned to the ground when this guy walked in.
“Aerik, darling where do you want her?” Jalinda asks with a coo in her voice that makes my stomach churn.
“Over by the high priestess temple.”
Jalinda keeps ahold of Liz’s neck and shoves her toward the spot Aerik pointed to. Inside, there is a square table with a green cloth. Drawn in white on the cloth is a circle divided into four quadrants with various symbols etched inside each one. Two backless chairs are set up on one side of the table. On the other side is another chair, a high-backed one painted in a myriad of colors and symbols. Jalinda shoves Liz into one of the two chairs and Aerik takes the other. With a sinister look on his face, he grabs Liz’s hand with her scars and begins rubbing them.
“You know, Elizabeth, all of this could have been avoided if you would have just married me like you were supposed to. I wouldn’t have threatened your brother into cutting your wrists and making you out to be the crazy one. Actually, I didn’t have to threaten him, but I did threaten his addiction. Heroin can make people do crazy things.” He tightens his hold on Liz and pulls her against him. “We would have been so happy together, Elizabeth. This is all your fault. Madeline would still be here if you didn’t tell her what Tomas did for me. I wouldn’t have had to kill the nosy bitch if she would have just given me her blessing to become the high priest by marrying you.”
Jalinda takes a seat across from Liz and Aerik and places her hands on the table. “Mama, what are you doing?” Liz asks, fear trembling her voice.
“What I need to do for this family to survive. You will marry Aerik, have his babies and once he gets a male heir, he will kill you.” Jalinda’s voice doesn’t waver from her words. No regrets, no remorse.
“Daddy?” Liz asks with tears running down her face.
I shift my head slightly to look at the man Liz is pleading with and he too has tears streaming down his face. “I’m so sorry, baby. She took everything from me and I can’t help you.” His bottom lip quivers as he casts his gaze back to Jalinda and then lowers it to the floor in a submissive pose.
“Now that you know your daddy is a helpless, weak man, shall we begin?” Jalinda asks with excitement in her voice. She takes a pile of bones in her hands and begins to transfer them from one palm to the next. With the bones in her hands, she pressed her palms together and began to shake them as if she were playing Yahtzee. After a minute, she drops them onto the green surface. The bones are glossy and smooth, caramel and off-white color. I don’t know what she’s doing, but the look of rage on her face makes me smile. She scoops up the bones again and repeats the process. Jalinda does this several times until her eyes land on me.
This is his fault.” Jalinda hisses, pointing a perfectly polished nail my way. Tomas grinds into my back making me wince.
Aerik leans forward dragging Liz with him. “Finish this and then end him.” He hisses at Jalinda.
Jalinda closes her eyes and begins chanting something I can’t understand. A cold breeze rips through the shack and wraps around our bodies.
“NO!” Liz shouts in agony. She begins clawing and fighting Aerik. Scratching her nails down his face, punching and hitting him the best she can from her position. Aerik stands up and backhands Liz, sending her spiraling out of the chair onto the wooden floor. Her body hits the unforgiving floor with a thud and she doesn’t move.
“Finish it!” Aerik bellows through clenched teeth. He kneels where Liz is lying and moves her hair out of her face. Her nose is bleeding and her eyes are closed.
Anger and rage thrum through my body from being helpless. I was helpless once and I won’t let it happen again. With renewed strength and darkness pounding into me, I lift myself off the floor with Tomas’ boot still pressing into my back and stand up to my full height. I ball up my fist and slam it into Tomas’s face as hard as I can. His eyes roll back into his head and he drops like a sack of potatoes. I didn’t kill him, but I really wanted to.
I turn facing Aerik who has a hold of Liz by the throat again, this time instead of squeezing it, he has his hands placed so he can snap her neck with a flick of his wrist. The darkness trying to break free pounds away inside of me and I let it go. I don’t hold back as I lunge forward. Just as I reach Aerik, something cold pierces my abdomen. I look down to see Jalinda’s hands move away from my side. There is a silver knife wedged in my side and my blood is flowing freely from the wound.
Liz comes too in time to see her mother stab me and I watch as something inside of her changes. Gone is the peaceful, elegant, innocent angel I’ve come to love and in its place is a powerful, beautiful, sinful woman who takes my breath away.
Liz reaches behind her and with unforgiving strength, she slams her palm into Aerik’s nose, making him bleed instantly. Then she spins on her butt and shoves a foot into his stomach, causing him to bend over and lose his breath. Before Aerik can retaliate, Liz balls up a fist and smashes into his face, knocking him out cold.
“You will pay for this, mother.” She turns to her mother and advances on her so quickly, that it’s all a blur.
Blood is pouring out of my wound, and I try to cover it with my hands unsuccessfully. My body is turning weak and I fall to my knees. Warmth wraps around me, cocooning me in safety as my world turns black. I wish I would have told Liz how I felt before this. I wish I had told her I loved her before all of this went down. Since I didn’t, I’m going to have to face the reality she will never know.