Deadly (8 page)

He’s staring at me like I’m crazy. His eyes are narrowed and his lips pinched tight. “Where do you learn this shit from?”

I shrug and take the seat opposite him. “I had some time to read… eighteen years. And I’m very intelligent,” I add.

“Is this because of Cereus?” He holds up the envelope with our new I.Ds inside.

“Don’t pretend you aren’t tracking us on our travels Blake and keeping informed of the news.”

He slams his palm against the table, causing the window to rattle from the force. “That’s why I’m asking is it you or is it my baby still doing things she has no memories of doing?”

“She’s more lucid then she lets on Blake.”

“So you let her kill?” he growls accusingly.

“Let? You have no idea. I can’t control the body count Blake. Why do you think I need these? She’s outgrown daydreaming, her monster is tearing free and ravishing anything it wants in the process. I’m trying to make her aware of what’s she’s doing so she can be more careful, so she can gain some control over it.”

“I should have never let her go with you.” He stands, kicking the chair across the room.

“You didn’t let her go, she chose her own path Blake. No wallowing will change that, or what she is.”

He points his finger right in my face. “What you allowed her to become. This is the last time, I can’t keep doing this.”

“Doing what? Protecting your daughter?”

“No!” he screams, “Condoning what she’s doing. Every time I do this for you I’m giving you both free rein to go on killing sprees.”

I crack my neck, bored of this same dance, double standards was always something Blake was good at. “Don’t act high and mighty in front of me Blake. You forget I see the man behind the badge, the man who has his own hefty kill count.”

“That was a long time ago Ryan and you can’t keep using it as an excuse to pardon your own - or hers.”

I snatch up the envelope. “Good job we don’t need to be pardoned from a hypocrite.” I walk to the door, swinging it open before walking out. Blake’s footfalls echo my own.

He grabs my shoulder, spinning me. “I mean it Ryan, this is the last time. I can’t do this anymore.”

Pushing him away from me, I get back in my car and make my way back to Cereus.

THREE DAYS AGO

Things had been tense these last few weeks after I returned from seeing Blake. There was something about his eyes that worried me, he spoke truth about these identities being the last. We needed to ditch the cling-on Georgina, and I needed for Cereus to completely embrace her nature so I could teach her to control those urges she struggled with. We couldn’t risk her killing anyone else under the dream state. I’d been told from a bartender who liked to be strangled while fucked that a fight broke out on the beach those weeks ago when Cereus returned home. Turns out some dead guy - who was currently dismembered in our bathroom - got a little grabby with my Cereus and when she defended herself he hit her.

I roll my shoulders, trying to distinguish the anger still boiling under the surface of the façade I’m putting on for Cereus. He was local and easy to get alone once the barmaid pointed him out to me. I’d sent Cereus out shopping for a winter wardrobe, we both wanted to go somewhere where winter was the prime season. The dead fuck in the bathroom was my parting gift to her and if everything worked out right Georgina’s death would be mine from her.

I come to to the sound of Cereus calling my name. She’s carrying shopping bags and scowling at me. “I hate shopping,” she rumbles.

“Whereas I…” Georgina points to herself and grabs the bags from Cereus, “…Love it, hence why we got lots of great stuff.” She was chipper for someone who wasn’t invited to move with us, unless Cereus had invited her?

“Take that shit back to the bedroom and put it in a suitcase,” I bark at her, making her flinch and rush down the corridor to Cereus’ bedroom.

“What’s eating you? I’m the one who’s been tortured for the last five hours.”

I smile down at her bruise-free face. “Actually,” I push the door open to the left of her, “he was the one tortured.”

Her head slowly turns to the open door, her mouth dropping open as she takes in the scene before her. “Who is that?” Anyone else would have retched going in there but not my dark princess.

“That’s the fucker who hit you.” I grab her face in my palms. “You don’t lie to me… ever.” I shove her away from me letting her think I’m mad at her, and I was at first but I can’t stay mad at her.

“How did you find out?” she questions, again taking in the scene, blood coating every inch of the tiled room. I’d lost myself to the rage and literally cut him limb from limb.

I pin her against the wall. Blood taints her hair and clothes. “You should have told me but despite me not wanting her around at first it turns out that Georgie respects me more than you do.”

I’m pushed back, her weight wasn’t strong enough to shift me but I pretend I am letting her loose. I follow her small frame darting through the villa into her room. She leaps onto Georgina, knocking her down on the bed. Her eyes expand with shock when Cereus straddles her, her small hands wrapping around her neck and throttling her. “You fucker, you fucker!” she snarls as Georgina thrashes beneath her. Her arms flay as the blood vessels pop in her eyes. Cereus lets out a loud screech and climbs off her.

Disappointing!

Georgina tries to get up but a fist to the temple from a Cereus knocks her out cold.

“She can’t come with us Cereus,” I warn her.

“Get out, I don’t want to talk to you right now,” she snaps.

I’m going to have to do the thing I didn’t want to do.

PRESENT DAY

I’m starving, how long have we been in here?

The door opens and the fat jerk walks in and drops a can of soda in front of me. “Thought you might be thirsty.”

“Why are you even holding us?”

“Who is the ‘us’ you’re referring to?” he asks looking around the room.

“You know I’m not here my sweet, sweet Cereus.”

My throat constricts and the world around me distorts. So much blood, warm and alive in my hands holding over the wound as it seeps from the man I love. My mind traces back to the night, the night my life ended and the dream realm claimed me forever.

I thought I was safe, encompassed by the darkness, slave to its draw but I was just like our many victims, I was drowning in it.

Pain cripples me; my heart cracks with every breath I take – every breath that’s not accompanied by his.

I was always just one soul pleading for another and now I’m alone again, lost.

…Remember

I try to navigate my way through the haze of muddled thoughts to take me back to that night.

TWO DAYS AGO

The floor is cold when I slip from the bed but the fire inside me is too hot to care, I pad across the room and open the door further.

Grunts and skin slapping against skin assaults my ears.

… NO

My hands shake uncontrollably; I’ve never felt this kind of dark anger so intense inside me before, I crave the sight of blood to bathe the anger in. My heart drums a war beat with each pad of my foot towards Ryan’s room. Pushing the door open wide, I berate myself for waking up, for having to discover this betrayal. Wishing there was a way of protecting my heart from what it is witnessing.