Chapter 34
Myssa
Istep up to the bar and take a seat. Twenty minutes later, one Vix Montgomery, her hair down and messed up, and her clothes slightly wrinkled, walks out of the entrance.
I watch her as she puts her hair up in a ponytail, looking around to see if anyone is watching. Her steps falter when her eyes land on mine.
I take a sip of my drink, keeping eye contact while she makes her way around behind the bar. Pursing my lips hard to keep from smiling, I watch as she clocks in and walks towards me.
“Well,” I say, looking her up and down. “Don’t we look freshly fucked.
” I use her words from earlier against her.
She can’t stop the grin on her face, but then her eyes grow wide as the realization that I know hits her.
She immediately puts her hand over my mouth and glares at me.
“I don’t know how you know, but not another fucking word,”
“All I’m going to say is, it’s about time for both of us, but we’re talking later, for sure,” I say as she pours a drink for herself, and we clink them together.
“Amen to that,” she says. We both take a swig and start laughing.
As more patrons start to come in, I realize it’s been an hour since I last saw Zayne. I really can’t get upset because work hours are work hours. I know how important the club is to him. In the meantime, I people-watch, and Vix comes to chat while I wait.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Zayne coming out of his office and moving swiftly through the crowd, bypassing the elevator for the stairs. Vix looks at me, holding her earpiece closer, as if she's trying to hear what's going on.
She walks over to me and leans over. “There is a fight in front of the club,” she says.
I tense up and suddenly remember what Lily said.
Is this it?
I start to get up, but Vix grabs my hand.
“It’s just a fight. It’s not about Jasper. He’s not here, remember?” she says.
That eases my mind a little, but I know what fights are like in Chicago. As if she can read my body language, Vix continues.
“Myssa, don’t go out there. It will only make it worse. The guys will handle it. That's their job,” she reassures me.
Reluctantly, I nod and sit back down, checking the elevator every few minutes.
Fifteen minutes later, I have finished my drink, and Zayne hasn’t returned, I peek over to see Vix busy with a couple, who are asking about drinks. I get up and walk to the elevator before taking it to the first floor.
I get a few steps past the dimly lit “employees only” hallway when a large hand wraps around my mouth.
My eyes bulge wide as I start to panic, and my breaths become shallow.
My body trembling, I desperately try to grab onto the wall, but its smooth texture has nothing to grasp for purchase.
I go to kick my attacker, but I feel his arm wrap around me, and my feet just drag.
Tears well in my eyes. I can’t help but wish I listened to Vix.
I lose my breath and see stars as I’m slammed up against the wall.
I gasp for air, but it’s quickly taken away again as the arm around my wrist moves and situates itself around my neck.
Dark, cold eyes stare blankly back at me, as a man I’ve never seen before pins me to the wall. I feel helpless. How is this happening?
The man scowls at me, and his rotting teeth the stench of his rotting teach permeates the air. As he starts to speak, it’s as if two people are talking at once like an echo.
“You can’t hide from me now, Little Soul.”
My eyes widen even further. Only one person calls me that.
I scream, but he pushes his hand harder against my mouth.
Realizing Knox and Zayne might come by any minute, I attempt again to push, kick, anything.
But I can feel myself losing this battle.
His grasp on my neck tightens, and I continue to claw at his hands desperately, getting lightheaded.
I close my eyes and try to scream for anyone to help, but it’s no use.
Tears rush down my face as the finality sets in. This is it. The end of me.
But the anger builds inside of me. No, I refuse to think that way. This is not how I go out. I mentally scream again for Zayne. My tears fall faster. Regrets come rushing to the forefront of my mind.
I never saved my sister. I got wrapped up with living.
I forgot what this was all for. I fight between the guilt and the love I’ve just found with Zayne.
A love I never thought possible. A love I’ve wanted so desperately, and now I’ve had it, I never want to let it go.
I never got to tell him. I never got to tell him how much I loved him.
Why is this happening? I finally found my soulmate, and he’s going to be taken away?
As my heart beats quickens, the blackness starts to take hold.
I close my eyes, not wanting this man to be the last image I see.
Just then, the grip on my neck releases, and the harsh, bitter air forces me to gasp and cough, gulping air back into my lungs. I drop to my knees, holding my chest.
I wipe at my eyes and look up, still coughing, to see that Zayne has the man by his throat.
The man just snickers, and the fire in Zayne’s eyes shows no mercy as he punches him, slamming his head into the wall.
The eerie echoes of the man’s laugh continues as if every hit Zayne strikes doesn’t affect him.
The shock of realization hits me. The man’s hollowed dark eyes remind me of those I’ve seen on TV, but this isn’t fiction. This is our reality.
He’s getting stronger.
The words of warning. This is it. This is what Lily was trying to warn us about.
“Zayne.” I let out a hoarse whisper.
But he doesn’t hear me, as he’s too busy choking the man.
“ZAYNE!” I try to yell as best I can, and he looks back at me, the man's blood trickling down his arm.
“It’s Jasper,” I croak out.
“Jasper has him possessed.”
Zayne’s eyes widen in shock, and he looks back at the man.
A haunting laugh gurgles from the man’s mouth, as his soulless eyes fixates on Zayne.
Zayne lets go of the man, and the man slumps against the wall.
“You can’t hide from me forever, boy,” he says.
But before he can say another word, Zayne lays a final punch and knocks the guy out.
Zayne steps back to me, crouching down as he tucks my hair behind my ear.
“Are you ok, Myssa?” he asks with fear in his eyes, taking inventory of my neck and what I’m sure are bruises forming from the man's grasp.
“I’m fine,” I say, taking his hand.
He guides me back up and lets me lean on him while I walk over to a table.
“Fucking asshole. I can’t believe he came to this side.” Aggravation laces my hoarse voice.
Zayne helps me up on the table, and he grabs a chair before sitting in front of me, gently examining my face and my neck.
“I’m ok,” I reassure him again, but wince a little when his fingers find the tender spots.
“I felt you,” he says. “I heard you screaming for me.” With shaky hands, he examines me cautiously. “If anything would have happened to you.” He pauses, looking down as I see tears fall to the floor.
I lean down and rest my forehead on his. “It didn’t,” I whisper.
“But if I was a few minutes later…”
I cup his face in my hand, and he leans into my touch.
“But you weren’t,” I say softly.
He closes his eyes for a moment. “But—”
“Zayne,” I cut him off. He looks up at me with guilt in his eyes.
“I’m ok,” I whisper.
He pushes up from the chair, bends down, and kisses me so softly, as if I’m a delicate doll. I deepen the kiss, and we’re interrupted by a cough next to us.
Knox stands there, relief in his eyes.
“Sorry to interrupt,” he says.
“Myssa you good?”
“Yeah, little scary,” I admit.
“Zayne, what do you want to do about…” He turns and looks over his shoulder.
“Him.”
“Put him in the conference room with security. When he comes to, make sure his eyes are a color of this world.”
Knox steps back in surprise.
“He was possessed by Jasper,” Zayne explains, looking back at me.
“Holy shit, so this is what that kid meant,” Knox says, lacing his fingers in his hair, processing the brutal reality.
“Yeah,” I say.
Zayne continues as his hand intertwines in mine. “Call the police and let them know he attacked a patron.”
“Wait,” I say.
They both look at me in surprise. I try to stand, and Zayne lets me lean on him as I’m still a little woozy.
“This was not this man’s fault. When you call the police, let them know that someone was attacked, but we think he might have had a medical issue, and the patron didn’t want to press charges. We just want him to get the help he needs,” I say.
“Are you sure?” Knox says.
I nod.
“When are you talking to Jess and Steph?” I ask Zayne.
“Tomorrow morning,” he says, as we take the elevator back to the loft. Zayne still holds me tight and walks me to the door.
“I need to go to the club to deal with this, but I don’t want to leave you alone.” He lets me back in the door.
“I’ll be ok. Don’t worry about me, I’m tougher than that,” I say, attempting to give him a genuine smile.
“Oh, I know you are,” he says, kissing my forehead, but when he looks at me, I guess I falter a little as he cocks his head to examine me.
“Are you sure?” He stands in the doorway, sliding his fingers through mine.
“Yes, go. I’ll be fine,” I demand, and just as he lets go of my hand, I quickly grab his again.
“Zayne.”
“Yes, beautiful?” he says softly.
“Thank you again for coming for me,” I say, as a small tear escapes.
He brushes it away with his thumb, and I lean into his touch. He steps forward, and his lips softly touch mine. I welcome the feeling of home that wraps around me as I deepen the kiss.
“I’ll try to make it quick, ok?” he says.
I nod, and he takes a step back towards the elevator. The loss of him pains me.
I close the door and walk back into the loft.
The smell of the man's breath still lingers on my clothes, and I decide to take a shower.
I wipe steam from the mirror after I get out and notice the bruises starting to form around my neck.
“Fucking great.” I wince when I touch some of them.
As I get dressed in sweats and a tank top, I put on the Ghosts album from Nine Inch Nails, and I slide into bed. Trying to calm myself, I lay there, staring at the ceiling. As much as I want to fight it, my mind races with the events of the night.
He made his way on this side. He’s determined to go ahead with his plan, to end it all.
Anger fuels me, because what Jasper doesn’t know is I’m determined to destroy him. He’s not taking the one thing that has given me the missing part of myself I have longed for my whole damn life. Zayne is my soulmate, and I will be damned if Jasper is going to take that from me.
My eyes draw closed as the melody soothes me, but the old familiar stench takes over, and when I open my eyes, I’m back in the same mirrored room from our first encounter.
Aetheriem’s crimson moon once again illuminates through the cracks in the ceiling once again leaving the room with shadows to hide in.
The hairs on the back of my neck start to prick up and my nerves are on edge as I take a step back and see a hooded figure move in front of me.
I can’t make out their face, but I know who it is.
He knew this was going to happen. I was too weak to hold my ground.
It’s too late now, I’m here, and no amount of screaming will help me this time. He steps closer, and all I see is a brief glimpse of his glowing amber eyes staring at me.
Jasper.