Red Awakening: (Red Knight #2) (17 page)

“By who?” I almost scream.

“No idea. I got back to the hotel after I left you two, and I was jump by at least five Sang. All hooded… the works,” he angers. “Left to rot in a warehouse.”

“How did you find him?” I ask Adrien.

“I’ve been tracking his phone,” Adrien nods. “The signal was dead, then all of a sudden comes back on,” he says, bemused. “Doesn’t make any sense.”

“The council, what happened?” I enquire.

“Nothing.”

My forehead crumples. “Nothing?”

“No, I got a call from Leanna, cancelling. Vincent apparently showed up and apologised,” he smirks. “Said everything has been dealt with, and blood distribution is now up and running normally. Don’t believe him. I know something is going on.”

I purse my lips. “Perhaps it’s just teething problems.”

“No… my coven has been attacked.” His fingers curl hard into his hands. “And I’m not going to forget that.” He looks at Ben. “You stay with Sara and Dom tonight. We’ll work on this tomorrow.”

Ben charges to the door; he’s pissed-off. “I’ll find them.”

“Ben,” Adrien barks. “You don’t do a thing without me.”

“I’ll try not to.” Ben closes the door.

Adrien remains still, in contemplation. I make my way into the kitchen and pour him a neat whisky. Instead of the usual quarter glass he has, I fill it to half way, then make one for myself. I kind of need it.

I lower the glass to his face and wait for him to take it. As his fingers slip around the crystal, his other hand pulls me down onto his lap.

“Let’s move away,” he says, light-heartedly.

I angle back a little, biting my cheek. “Adrien, I know you. You can’t leave the coven.”

“I think I’m ready to try,” he breathes. “I’ll never be free. You want normal, I want normal, and that’s not going to happen when I’m surrounded by incompetent idiots, and back stabbing Sang.”

“Where would we move too?” I smile a little, wanting him to relax.

His brow rises. “What about the wilderness. Somewhere isolated with trees, and no one within a hundred mile radius.”

I giggle, unsure if he’s being serious. He’s never seemed like a wilderness kind of guy to me. He likes his luxuries too much: his designer suits, his showers every day, expensive colognes, and his fine wines and whiskeys. I can’t imagine him in a woodland setting.

“And you’ll wear one of those lumberjack shirts will you?” I chuckle.

“Why not… don’t you think I’ll suit flannel?” His fingers playfully dig into my waist.

I try my best to picture it. But no, nothing does it more for me than watching him get dressed in a morning. Crisp white shirt open, the sweet fit of his pressed trousers over his fine backside, and his clean delicious fragrance.
Hmm.

“I can read you too well, Elizabeth. Why don’t you just ask?”

I bite my lips and slip my fingers over the collar of his t-shirt. Okay, he’s got me. I run my digits over the hem, feeling his soft skin and fine hair.

“Are you not going to speak?” he flirts.

“Do I need to?”

“Let’s finished what we started shall we.” He lifts and carries me across the room.

He drops me carefully before the dining table, and his crotch accidently rubs against my hip. He’s hard. Painfully hard. And it is my duty, my burden, to make his pain go away.

“Turn around,” he demands.

I slowly rotate and feel his hand on my mid-back. My eyes seal in desire as he pushes me down over the table. His hand sweeps up and down my behind then journeys to my zipper. In a forceful flash, he has my bottom half free of clothing. I sway for him, my fingers stretching out on the table. The sound of fabric chafing as he removes his trousers, makes me wet and ready.

“Oh god!” I cry out as he plunges into my sex.

His motions are hard and deep, animalistic. This is not making love, this is an absolute wild instinct, almost angry. He needs to release his frustration inside me. Faster and faster. Harder and harder. Oh hell, he’s pleasuring me with pain.

He digs his fingers into my back, scouring them up my spine and down to my butt cheeks. Now he’s gripping my hips, moving me up and down his solid sex. My throbbing wet walls pain and ooze onto him, as he lunges with vigour, making me cry out for more.

“God!” he comes into me.

His arms wrap around my waist and squeeze. I slow down my breathing and hum out, feeling all fantastic strewed over the table. He slowly draws out and playfully slaps my ass. I exhale and straighten up as he tosses me my panties with a cocky grin.

“Yes,” I say without a second thought, watching him hop into his trousers.

He looks up with a puckered brow. “Yes?”

“Let’s move away. I’m sure I can learn how to catch and gut a fish. We can be like Mr and Mrs Wilderness.”

I’ve made up my mind. After everything that’s happened, living in the middle of nowhere, with no trouble, no vampires relying on Adrien, has to beat living on the edge all the time. As long as I’m with him, I can do the simple life.

He smiles charmingly, and charges right up to me. He takes my face in his hands and lies a happy passionate kiss on my lips.

“Okay,” he says.

Liz

‘You know I can’t smile without you, can’t smile without you. I can’t laugh, and I can’t sing, I’m finding it hard, to do anything. You see I, I feel sad when you’re sad, feel glad when you’re glad….’

What a beautiful twinkling tune. Who would have thought that an old Barry Manilow song, could be made into such a sweet lullaby.

I yawn with a stretch, tearing my eyes open in the summer heat. I shuffle on the sofa, and bring my knees up to my chest, squinting in the sun’s rays beaming through the window.

As gentle as this music is, why on earth is Adrien listening to it? I sniff, placing my feet on the fluffy rug.

“Adrien,” I call, feeling an eerie cool air around me.

I frown, looking to the closed doors that lead to the bedrooms. Using my hands, I push myself up, and make my way toward the sound of the music.

I open the glass doors and stand for a moment. My ears must be playing tricks on me, the sweet sound is coming from the spare room.

I take a reluctant step. “Adrien.”

I receive no answer, and now the music has become an unnerving hush. My white trainer socks tread slow over the cool marble floor. I open the master bedroom door and stick my head into take a look. He’s not here. The bed is as crisp and clean as it was this morning. I feel like I’m playing hide go seek.

“Adrien,” I grin. “Would you like me to close my eyes and countdown?”

With light footing, I turn to the spare room door. I hear a noise. A strange sound, and not from Adrien’s lips. I place my ear against the door when it occurs again. I reel back. The sound has created a fear in me. It’s a sound I never ever thought I’d be exposed to. For one: it’s impossible. And secondly: it’s not something I’ve even considered.

I take another step back and stare at the door, as the coo and gurgle of a baby,
yes a baby!
Has my heart racing. Has Adrien offered to childmind without my knowledge? From what I know, he has not one acquaintance with kids. Vampires don’t reproduce. They can’t. It’s a side-effect of being dead.

I have to look. I need to. There’s a strange urgency flowing within me. It is vital I see inside this room. The emotional pull from whatever is behind that door has consumed me. I inhale and twist the doorknob.

What the hell is that?

The queen-size bed has gone, the dresser has vanished, and so has the black velvet damask chair. All that is standing dead centre of the room, is a beautiful crib dressed in white lace. A baby’s crib. Breathless, I hold my chest and gulp. I don’t think I can look.

A breeze blows through the white nets as a tiny foot emerges out of the crib, then another. I take a step closer, watching two tiny pink hands playing with ten tiny stubby toes. A tear hovers on my eyelid as a rush of love waves over me. I know this child is mine.

I swallow and close my eyes, moving slowly forward. I peer down into the crib. Oh my god. Blood. Blood. Nothing but blood and a blue blanket! I scream, racing across the room. I cry out and rip the nets down from the patio doors, which are now locked. I see her. The evil bitch has my baby.

“Selene… Selene!” I scream and punch at the glass.

She has her back to me, and she’s holding my son. She’s rocking him side to side, and all I can see are his little feet.

“Give him back,” I holler. “Give him back!”

“Elizabeth… Elizabeth, wake up… You’re dreaming, wake up!”

Unable to breathe, I force open my eyes to find Adrien shaking me, violently. I push him away, screaming, and jump out of bed.

“She took him… she took him away!”

Adrien hurries to me. He’s trying to take my arms, but I’m not going to let him. I have to get my baby back. I hit him hard in the chest, again and again.

“Elizabeth, you were having…” He freezes, his wide eyes looking down my body. “What is that?” He flits to the light switch, and flicks them on.

“Are you listening… she took him,” I scream at him.

He’s not listening. He’s just standing there glaring at me. I march to him. I will make him listen if I have to. He grabs my arms and shakes me again.

“Get the fuck off me Adrien,” I yell in his face.

“I’m taking you to hospital… now.” His pale features fret.

I scowl up into his eyes. “No… why do I need to go to the hospital?”

With an expression he’s never displayed before, terror, his eyes slowly travel down to my waist. I drop my view. Shit, blood, it’s all over me.

I sway as a deafening buzz clouds my head, and stagger into the bathroom. I fall to my knees and over the toilet bowl, sliding on the bloody material of my nighty. I’m going to die.

Adrien grips my shoulder, then holds back my hair as I vomit and retch. I cough, choke, and splutter, then fall back so I’m sitting on the cold floor, cradling my legs.

“Elizabeth.”

Adrien crouches to me as I sob uncontrollably. He brushes my hair away from my face, then tries to pull me up. I dig my fingernails into his hands to get him off me.

“Elizabeth… please, you need a doctor.” He’s on his knees, full of concern.

“I saw him… I saw our son and she took him.”

“You were having a nightmare Elizabeth.”

I can see it in him; it’s imperative for him to believe that it was simply a dream. But something is happening to me. I can feel it. He’s stroking my hair, trying to calm me down. It’s not happening though. How the hell am I supposed to be calm?

“I’ve seen our child, Adrien,” I sob. “His tiny feet… hands.”

His fingers stop at the crown of my head, and swoop under my chin to lift. He gazes with doubt in his eyes as my tears continue to fall.

“You know that can never happen,” he says, firmly. “We’ve discussed this.” He shakes his head. “Is this some fantasy you’re having?”

Is he fuckin joking? He thinks I’m bloody imagining this. I hit his hand away from my face, and jump up to my feet. I tug at the hem of my silk nighty, and angrily tear it over my head. Yes, I’m stupid. Stupid to think he’d believe me. He thinks I’m having a mental breakdown because I want a baby. I’ve never seen myself as a Mother, but what I saw in the spare room, was our child.

I storm into my closet, removing my nighty, and pull a black hoodie over my head.
God
. I stop as I get just below my bust line, catching sight of my reflection. My abdomen is swollen, hard, shell like.
Shit
. Adrien charges in, and hovers in the doorway as I continue to study my body.

“See,” I yell. “I’m not fuckin fantasising.”

“Elizabeth, that could be anything, and that’s why you need to go to hospital,” he groans.

I ignore him, whip off my bloody underwear, and quickly step into some clean pants. I need help, and the only one I can talk to, is Sara. She’ll understand. She’ll listen. I charge out of my closet, holding my leggings and pumps.

“Where are you going?” he barks, pacing anxiously. “Elizabeth… please let me help you.”

I wiggle into my leggings and slip my feet into my pumps. I need to get out of here.

“Elizabeth!” He thunders to me, clutching my arm. “I will not let you leave.”

Panting and weeping, I peer up at him. “You have to let me… I’m not losing my mind.”

He breathes over me. “We both know vampires are infertile.” He takes my arms again. “What’s gotten into you?”

My breathing stops. Damn, she was in my dream, Selene. My jaw drops as I gaze, with a terror flooding through my veins. I can’t tell him about her visiting me, and taking my blood. She told me not to. But what if it’s all connected.

“What is it?” he asks in frustration. “What aren’t you telling me?” I turn away, snivelling. “Elizabeth,” he yells. “Fuckin start talking, now!”

I squeeze my eyes tight. “Selene.”

“What about her?”

“Selene,” I sob. “She came here yesterday.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” He releases my arms and paces to the wall.

“She… she told me not to.”

“And?” He glares right at me.

“She told me,” I sniff. “I was going to die because of that ring Laurie cut me with. She took some of my blood, and told me not to say a word to you about it.”

He marches, grunting, and gets right in my face. He takes my elbows and lowers his face to mine.

“Have you a brain in that head?” he barks. “I’m guessing no, because you don’t give Selene your fuckin blood.”

He releases me and I stumble back, hitting my hip hard on the doorframe. I can’t stay here with him. He’s not who I thought he was. He’s a monster.

I reach behind me and grab the doorknob. I race to the front door, but his hand shoots over my shoulder, and slams against it. I’m scared. Too scared to turn. I angle my head to the floor. His forceful breaths hit the back of my neck. God, I used to love his breath on my skin, but now, now it’s fearful.

“Elizabeth,” he says softly. “I’m listening.” I rotate slowly, keeping my eyes on his black socks. “Tell me, because I cannot accept you’re carrying a child,” he says in a desperate tone. “How can I, you’re covered in blood and need a doctor. You’re probably hallucinating.”

I hesitantly raise my eyes to his. I see sorrow, worry, and apprehension in them. His once gorgeous eyes, now display nothing but a bleakness. But something is happening here that is much more important than his feelings. I can’t feel sorry for him anymore. I don’t have it in me.

“In my dream, I saw our son.” He nods in disbelief. “He was beautiful, in a crib, normal, pink and alive,” I say, watching his eyes close. “She came. There was blood, and she took him,” I cry. “I couldn’t get through the glass.”

He stares down at my stomach. I’ve never seen him shake, but he is. Gradually, his fingers hover over my belly. He touches as I sniff in upset. I peer up into his eyes and he moves away with speed. He’s visibly shocked.

“How and why,” he utters. “It’s… it’s not heard of dammit!”

He storms away and heads toward our room. I follow and find him rooting in his closet. I watch as he bends over and slides out the old chest, which he used to keep in the spare room at The Shard. He runs his hands over the top, fingering the Celtic carvings.

“Adrien?”

He doesn’t look, just replies with a heavy sigh before opening the lid. He slips his hand inside, and takes out a red rolled up cloth. He unravels it, breathing shallow. Oh shit. He’s holding a short silver blade. He turns, springing up and down as though the blade has awoke something inside him.

“Only one way to deal with this,” he says, revealing a darker side.

“I… I need to… to go.” Dazed, I make my way through the hall and into the lounge.

He’s following me. I don’t feel too good. Dirty and nauseous. I can’t argue or fight, all I want to do is close my eyes, and drop down onto the sofa.

“Elizabeth.” He’s squatting before me, holding the blade. “I can kill Selene. I can get answers. I’m the only one she fears.”

“Who are you?” I mumble.

He shakes his head. “Three years I’ve been free of orders from them,” he grunts. “I did more than my time serving, and this is how I’m repaid,” he angers.

I scowl. “Secrets?”

“Yeah well, what did you expect?” he callously replies. “I’ve lived a long time, Elizabeth.”

I crease my eyes. Maybe it would have been better if we had never met. Idiot, fool, fuckup, you name it, that’s me alright. I’m literally killing myself over him.

“We’re going to Sara’s, and I will have you see someone who will determine the truth,” he says. “Pray they are just fantasies Elizabeth,” he warns. “Because if they’re not, we’re in trouble.”