Cursed (The Brookehaven Vampires #4) (70 page)

I wanted to ask her what was wrong, naturally, but I already knew. I knew she was overwhelmed by all that Felix and Ambrose had told us. Who wouldn’t be? But we
weren’t to speak of anything we’d just learned. Stupid. It was Laney’s life. She should be able to speak of it if she wanted to.

Once she calmed down, I kissed the top of her head and told her that she needed to try to eat something before we moved on with what was sure to be a terrible day. I’d worded it differently, though.

From within my arms, she looked up at me, her brow knitting together. “Why did you just do that?” she asked.

“Do what? Tell you to eat?”

“You kissed me. Why?” She scrambled out of my grip, and sat beside me on the couch, looking like she was ready to run. Her eyes stayed on mine.

Confused, I shrugged. “I don’t know. I didn’t think, it just happened.” I didn’t see the big deal. It had been a friendly, comforting gesture. Nothing more.

“Oliver does that.”

Okay, now I understood.

“You’re not him. Stop acting like him!” she shouted. She was on her feet. Tears were falling, but she was more angry than upset.

“Laney, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it. Just forget it happened and eat. Okay?”

She glared at me, her hands balling into fists at her sides.

“Please eat,” I said, scooting to the edge of the couch and moving the plate closer to where she was standing, just out of my reach. “We’re not leaving until you do.”

Her eyes narrowed even more, but she gave in.

Plopping back down on the couch, she took all of three bites of toast, two bites of eggs, and she drank half the glass of OJ. I couldn’t imagine it was enough, but at least it was something.

*****

After both of us
took much-needed showers and got dressed, we stood at the front door of the apartment, trying to prepare ourselves for the unknown.

Glancing sideways at her, I said, “Promise me you won’t do anything stupid.”

“I don’t make promises,” she said, her voice low, her eyes on the doorknob.

I looked over at her. She had changed so much in the last few months. I missed the innocent version of her, but this strong version, the determined version, was pretty damn awesome.

“At least tell me this isn’t it. Tell me I’ll see you again.” My voice (Oliver’s voice) actually hitched. I knew what we were about to attempt was dangerous.

She turned to look at me, her beautiful, dark brown eyes me
eting mine. She smiled, just the hint of a smile—I assumed trying to reassure me.

“I’ll see you again, and I’ll have him with me when I do.” With another faint smile in place, she leaned toward me and kissed me on the cheek.

When her eyes met mine again, I forced my own smile while trying hard not to bring up the fact I could feel how terrified she felt even though it wasn’t showing.

“I love you, Laney,” I told her. It was something I’d only ever told three other people in my entire life. My mom, Harrison, and Kiera. But I did love Laney. I needed her in my life, and I was certain it would be hard to go on without her.

The corner of her mouth turned up. She took my hand in hers and said, “I know you do. And I love you, Carter. You are the greatest friend I have ever had. That will never change.” She squeezed my hand. “We can do this.”

I nodded, her words were true for both of us, and they gave me a newfound determination.

“I’ll find you,” I said, my voice just about a whisper.

“I know you will.” She squeezed my hand even harder. “Now, let’s get this over with.”

*****

Out in the open, I was on edge. Knowing Laney was a target, knowing she could get snatched away from me at any moment was absolutely maddening! But I sucked it up, and I kept her in my sight at all times. I played the part of Oliver, and we put on a good show.

Dreary clouds had covered the sky, causing an overcast look, but the feel was all wrong. There was this uneasy feeling to the air, like something unnatural was happening.

We went to the mall
, and held hands, smiled, and talked while we wandered around, acting like we were just out for the day but staying indoors on the dismal day that it was.

Leaving the mall, we headed to the brewery w
here we had lunch. We both ordered salads and only picked at the contents while pretending to have meaningful conversations about life. I had one Brookehaven Ale in the hopes of taking the edge off. It wasn’t much help.

Next, we headed for the grocery store; doing things Laney and the real Oliver would normally do on a Saturday—day six of our nightmare.

We left the grocery store with a single bag of unneeded groceries.

As we were heading through the parking lot, back to the Challenger, Zoey pulled
up beside us. Kiera was in the passenger seat.

“Hey, have you guys heard from Carter? I’ve tried calling him and even went by your apartment,” Kiera said, a frantic air to her tone.

Laney and I exchanged at quick glance. Dammit! How could we forget such an important factor? Kiera and her insistent need to know all, even though she couldn’t handle it.

“I think he’s at work,” Laney said.

“No, he’s not. I went by there, and they said he didn’t come in this morning. He didn’t even call in, but your car is there,” she argued with Laney.

“Weird,” Laney responded
with a shrug. “I’m sure he’s fine.” She started walking, tugging my hand to follow as I stared at the distressed face of my fiancée. “I’ll tell him to call you when I see him,” Laney said as she pulled me away.

We walked in front of Zoey’s green Scion, making our way to Oliver’s car. Kiera and Zoey were watching us
. They knew something wasn’t right.

I was just pulling the car key from my pocket when I heard tires squealing. I turned just in time to see Ashton’s car coming at us. I shoved Laney out of the way, but I wasn’t quick enough for myself.

The impact caused everything to go black, but I could hear the screams.

After Oscar took off, I was ignored, possibly even forgotten for a short time. It gave me time to think. I could not escape, and even if I could, I couldn’t leave.

If Oscar
did get to Laney, if he somehow captured or convinced her to come, I’d have to be here.

Things were not looking up. Especially since two of my very own coven members, two Brookehaven Vampires, were standing in the room, conspiring with Avery and whoever she was working for. I was really hoping they were undercover.

Being ignored and having some time to think about what my brother was asking of me, I began questioning myself. I wanted to believe that what I had done was right, but I was second-guessing myself. It’s not like I hadn’t doubted my decision before this moment. I’d just never been confronted face-to-face by my brother about it. Not when he was…sane, anyway.

He’d
been pretty far gone back then, when I discovered Julz was carrying Hayden, but honestly, I doubted the decision even more since Laney and I had bonded…

Put in my brother’s position, if someone took Laney from me, I would go crazy too.

Just knowing what it felt like to be separated from her, not in Carter’s body, but when I was in my own, even her being less than a mile from me, it was hard. It was distracting, and I could only imagine such a strain didn’t help when one was already struggling with the madness my brother was constantly fighting.

Needless to say, I wish
ed I’d taken a different approach.

I should have told him about Hayden, not let him assume she was mine for so many years. That alone would be enough to make
someone go crazy. Especially a bonded vampire. Had it been me, had I believed Laney had carried another man’s child…

I couldn’t even think of it.

I heard my name—a whisper on someone’s lips. I searched the room once again. No one was looking in my direction. Why would they? Not a single one of them believed I was me—that I was Oliver. Their spell hadn’t worked, so they thought.

I watched my captors for a moment.
They were a mixture of supernatural beings, few of them were of my own kind. They were mostly Weres, witches, and angel-kind—probably some of the fallen, their offspring and their deranged cousins, the demons. It was a mix, that was for sure.

And then there was Avery
… Would her brother soon show? It hadn’t been until recently that I understood what they were…

My brother, the monster he had become, had conspired with the enemy. Was it my fault? Had Hayden been the key to save him? Had one of the biggest and most spontaneous decisions of my life been the wrong choice? Would having them back save him? Could he be saved from his life of madness? Or would he only become worse?

Hearing footsteps overhead pulled me from the overwhelming guilt I felt.

The others began to move around
, making way for whoever was coming.

Would it be Ashton? Would this be the person in charge? Would any one of my questions be answered?

Confusion consumed me as I watched Avery’s father descend the steps. Was he the mastermind? Were his children pawns?

He was carrying a wooden case. I had a good idea what that case contained. A shudder ran through me.

As Mr. Weslin reached the bottom of the steps, Avery greeted him, hugging him and smiling. He wrapped his free arm around his daughter, and I watched. Closely. Taking in every little detail as they spoke. There was too much movement, too much bustling around from the others for me to hear their words. However, I did deduce that Mr. Weslin was not the leader of this poor excuse for an army. The others regarded him as an equal, not as their superior. There was no way it could be Ashton, could it?

While the rest of the “army” scattered about or lingered, Avery and her father moved closer to me.

Mr. Weslin crouched before me and set the box on the floor in front of where I was chained to the wall. My wrists were bleeding; the cuffs were digging deep. I hadn’t noticed, it was Mr. Weslin who pointed out this detail.

“Hello, Carter,” he said, his gray eyes looking me over before they settled on Carter’s own eyes. “It appears as though my colleagues do not care about your wellbeing.” He shrugged. “I can understand why. Most
don’t take kindly to mixed-breeds. Or should I say, a hybrid? That’s what you are, is it not?”

Chills covered my body.
Others weren’t supposed to know this information about Carter. We feared it had leaked somehow. If this information got into the wrong hands, it would put him in grave danger. Felix needed to know that the Weslins and their “friends” knew. He needed to take drastic measures to insure Carter’s safety.

Mr. Weslin stood and came a little closer, staring into my eyes. I looked away, watching Avery as she brought over an empty milk crate, turning it upside down, and placing it next to the wooden case on the floor. She took a seat on it. She appeared excited and slightly deranged.

Mr. Weslin crouched before me once again, and I watched him as he snapped open the locks on the case.

He looked up at me, a sinister smile on his face as he slowly opened the case. Chills raced over every inch of my body as its contents were revealed.

“When your vampire friend arrives, we’ll be having a little fun…

Ashton to the Rescue

Carter shoved me, hard. I caught myself on the back of the Challenger and immediately whirled around. I watched, horrified, as Ashton’s car collided with Oliver’s body, causing it to cartwheel over the top of Ashton’s car. The grocery bag and all of its contents smashed against Zoey’s windshield. The girls were screaming.

Ashton skidded to a stop just as Oliver’s body hit the asphalt, hard, several feet in front of Zoey’s car. He wasn’t moving.

“No,” I breathed. I raced to him. I knew being hit by a car couldn’t necessarily kill Oliver, but it could cause some damage.

Ashton was out of his car and coming toward us. “Is he okay?” he called, genuine concern in his voice.

What the…?
He hit “Oliver” on purpose. I saw him! Why they hell would he care if he was okay?

I dropped to my knees next to Oliver’s body. He was on his side
and at a weird angle. I rolled him onto his back. His eyes were closed. There was no sign of life. My heart was hammering in my chest, feeling like it was trying to escape.

Zoey ran past me. She was in Ashton’s face a second later, screaming like
I’d never heard Zoey do before.

Kiera dropped to her knees on the other side of Oliver’s body. She began checking his vitals.

I pressed my ear to his chest.

I waited.

“There!” I said, after hearing the first faint thump. I heard another.

I lifted my head just as “Oliver’s” eyes opened. “Are you okay?” I asked, my voice
far from steady.

Carter blinked my boyfriend’s green eyes several times and took a couple of deep breaths.

“Yeah, I’m okay,” he said as he slowly pushed himself up so that he was sitting on the asphalt in front of Zoey’s car. Blood was trickling from one of his ears. Kiera noticed too. Her concerned eyes met mine.