Red Awakening: (Red Knight #2) (25 page)

“Ben, Dom, take Elizabeth upstairs,” he orders. “Make sure you restrain her to the bed.”

“Is that really necessary?” I keep my anger fixed on him.

“Yes it is,” Adrien snarls.

“I want to talk to her,” I demand.

“Does she look in any sort of state to talk to anyone,” he yells. “You can see her when I say.” He storms through the swing door into the kitchen.

I inhale, watching Dom lift Liz from the couch. Her arms flop lifelessly as they take her to the stairs. I know if I stay here, I will end up losing it. I need a timeout.

                                                        ***

I have half a bottle of whisky left and it’s doing fuck all to ease my irritation. I’ve been sitting here behind the barn for hours now, smoking Dom’s cigarettes, one after the other, and drinking Ben’s alcohol which I found in the Chevrolet. I’m questioning whether I made a mistake coming here. I guess I’m still holding onto the past. Pretending I’m still Liz’s protector. Human. I need to get my head around the fact things will never be like that between Liz and I again. We’re both no longer those people.

With my knees to my chest and my back against the corroded wall, I flick the drained cigarette butt from my lips, and take another glug of whisky.

“Hey.” I turn my head against the wood to see Sara standing at the corner, holding a blood bag.

I shake my head and turn away, unsure whether I’m pissed-off she’s here, or kind of relieved. I decide to hold onto the cruel comment on the tip of my tongue.

“Hey,” I nod.

She moves closer to me as I take another swig of the whisky. Her hand swoops down to grab the bottle as she stands in front of me. She places the rim on her lips, and takes a mouthful before handing it back. My eyes fall onto the blood bag she’s holding.

“Is that for me?” She nods a yes. “Well you can take it back.” My efforts to remain cool fail. “I don’t want it.”

She hovers before me for a few seconds, then turns to walk back to the house. Shit. After what she did for me in that attic, she doesn’t deserve my dick attitude.

“Sara,” I call and she stops with her back to me, her head lowering. “Sorry.” She turns and I see that same look in her eyes I saw in the attic. “Want to share the rest?” I shake the bottle.

Her lips pout, thinking about it. “Is that Bens?” she asks.

“Yeah, and it tastes great.”

She grins as she makes her way to me. Her back props against the wall and she slides down at my side.

“So, who’s watching Daniel?” I ask, handing her the bottle.

She takes a drink and brings it down to her crossed legs. “Dom….He’s coping.”

I chuckle. “I never saw him as the nurturing type. Always thought he was the one who needed looking after.”

“I just needed a break,” she says. “It’s too intense in there right now.”

I watch the side of her face as she stares into the woods. I can’t read her mind, but it’s clear she’s screwed up.

“Thanks for earlier,” I say. “Was just what I needed.”

“No problem,” she half-smiles.

I want more from her. I know she didn’t just shag me to make me feel better. When I first met her, she dominated me. Made me, and probably every other man she fucked, work for the privilege. I’m starting to actually care for her. I’m seeing her human side.

“What’s your story, Sara?”

She smirks as her head tilts back so she’s looking up to the sky. “I think you’re the only one who has ever asked me that. Why?”

“You fascinate me,” I grin.

“Really, there’s nothing fascinating about me Nathan. Just a long line of trouble.”

“Trouble is fascinating.” I nudge her arm, playfully. “Come on, after the awesome O I gave you earlier, I think I deserve to know you better,” I say, light-hearted.

“What do you want to know, Nathan?” I can tell she feels awkward, but I’m going to carry on.

“Who you were before.”

“Oh god.” Her eyes close and she goes all twitchy.

“You knew who I was before,” I say. “So come on, can’t be that bad.”

“Okay-okay,” she cringes and takes a breath. “I was once the head cheerleader at high school.”

I giggle out loudly. “Well, that explains your flexibility.”

“My parents were run of the mill. Protective. Encouraging. Hard-working.”

“Only child?” I question.

“No,” she says in a whisper. “I had a little sister, Kim. She died at seventeen. Hit and run.”

I gape at her. She’s upset and it’s an unusual thing to see. I’m such an insensitive dick sometimes.

“I’m sorry. Really, you don’t need to go on. I’m just being a nosy dick.”

She gazes at me with this trust in her eyes. “No you’re not. You’re kind of helping me.”

“What happened to you, Sara?” I reach up and lie my hand on her cheek for a second.

“I ruined everything. Boys. Drugs. Alcohol,” guilt echoes in her tone. “But after everything I put them through, they stuck by me. I went through rehab, counselling, the whole works, and I pulled through. After uni.” She goes quiet, finding it difficult to continue. “After uni,” her voice becomes angry. “That’s when it all went wrong. That’s when I met him.”

“Laurie?”

“Yeah.” She takes a big swig of whisky for courage. “He interviewed me for an internship at a pharmaceutical company in Washington DC. He was the chivalrous type, you know, and I fell for it. We dated a few months, then he asked me to move into his apartment. I was excited, but he said before I could move in with him, I had to become a member of this Executive group. His hobby he said, like roleplay, and I’d be called his Red. I did it. Immature and fucking stupid I was.” Her fingers dig into her leg. “Within a week he had me chained to a bed, and kept me like that for a month. Drinking me… Raping me.”

She stops speaking and covers her face with her hands. I thread my arm around her shoulders and pull her close into my side. I’m so sorry for her, but at the same time, damn angry. The sick asshole. In a way I wish he was still here. I’d like to kill the son of a bitch again and again, very slow and painfully.

“You really don’t have to go on Sara,” I say as she moves off my chest, and back against the wall.

“I want to. Got this far. Might as well get it all out.”

“Why did Adrien let that happen to you?”

“He didn’t know. I rarely saw any of the coven. They were always in different States, running the blood industry,” she says.

I breathe out. “Well, he had to know something.”

“He didn’t. Look, you have him all wrong. He’s kept the industry under control for decades. If he wasn’t in charge, then god knows what this world would be like for us.”

She shuffles around on her butt to gaze at me with those unyielding firm eyes. It’s the same scenario I went through on the journey here. I need to shut the fuck up about Mr Prick. To all of them he’s a god.

Out of the blue, she grabs my hand. “Listen, I know how you feel. But you have to accept what is, is. You can’t save her, only Adrien can.”

I pull my hand away from hers. She’s frowning at me. But I can’t sit here and listen to this shit. She’s just told me what she went through with an Executive. The fucking contracts. The torture. So how can she still believe in him?

“Do you know why I’m here?” she snaps at me. “Instead of Liz carrying that child, it was supposed to be me. The night Adrien turned me, I stuck up for myself. I attacked Laurie with everything I could, and in return he nearly killed me.”

“Are you forgetting Sara?” I yell. “Instead of killing the twisted bastard, he kept him on the fuckin payroll!”

She nods her head down, then her eyes flash furiously back onto me. She downs what’s left in the whisky bottle.

“He didn’t have a choice.” She releases a whisky hiss. “Not under the order’s authority,” she utters. “Selene made sure of that.”

I pull out a cigarette and light up, then take a long exasperated drag. This conversation has gone down the shitter. I offer Sara the pack, but she refuses. I lean my head back against the wall and blow out a cloud of smoke. I’m ignoring her. I need to.

Again her hand takes mine. With the cigarette hanging off my bottom lip, I turn to look at her.

“You don’t trust him, then that’s fair enough. But after everything I’ve just told you, can you not trust me?” she asks.

Between my thumb and finger, I take the cigarette from my mouth and flick it away. She’s getting to me, and I don’t know what to think or feel. I need to remember why I’m here. I can’t turn my back on Liz now.

“Nathan, in the attic… I wanted you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean, Sara?” I’m so confused right now.

“I needed you,” she states. “Still do.”

Oh fuck. I can’t get into this. Not here. Not now.

“Sara, look… the timing is all wrong.” I gulp down the awkward tightness in my throat. “I didn’t think you did feelings and emotions.”

She yanks her hand from mine. “You really love yourself don’t you? Think you’re irresistible to all. I’m not in love with you, so don’t worry about that.”

“Then what the fuck is this about?”

“It’s about being stuck here. I thought I saw a different side to you with Daniel. Thought you were trustworthy and honest,” she rants. “I felt a connection with you…”

Screw it. I quickly wrap my hand around the back of her neck and pull her lips to mine. At first she mumbles, refusing to kiss me back, but it doesn’t last long. Now I feel her tongue gently brushing mine with every sweet, wet, movement. My cock stiffens for more, but I need to fight the urge. I run my fingers down her hair as I pull back. I look into her eyes. Her tame, captivated eyes. I do feel something for her, but I’m unsure what, and I need to put a lid on it, for now.

I position my head against hers. “Sara, right now you need to let me do what I came here to do,” I say. “It’s not a good time to complicate things. We’re in a dark place right now, and my friend, she’s stuck in the middle. Until she’s safe. Until Daniel is safe. This can’t happen again. Can you understand that?” Her eyes close as she nods a yes.

Nathan

Sara’s eyes drop to the floor as she walks through the large country kitchen. She’s been avoiding me for the three days we’ve been here, and it’s been a damn nightmare. I do want to sort this out with her. Lie my cards on the table, and admit that there’s a small part of me that wants there to be more between us. But this house has been like hell for me, listening to Liz screaming upstairs. So I’m not going near Sara, and don’t think I ever will.

I’ve only seen Liz once and I had to leave. I couldn’t bear to watch them pin her down as her weak body convulsed. The injections Dom invented are useless for her. Her thirst is off the scale. I’m no expert, with being relatively new to all this myself, but hers is not just the basic awakening. It’s bloody, violent, painful, and aggressive. The short time I stood there, I watched as she attacked with every inch of her body that wasn’t bound. Crazed she was, growling and fitting. And the names she called Adrien, jeez, I almost felt sorry for the guy.

The turning point was when she gazed directly at me with her new vamp eyes and snarling teeth. She didn’t seem interested in my words of reassurance, or in the blood bag being held in front of her. She didn’t know me anymore. All she wanted was the kill. It was when her ankle snapped I had to get out of there. Adrien and Ben held her down so hard, the damn thing twisted and broke. I wanted to rage war on them. But when I noticed Liz unbothered by the pain, more intent on causing it, I vowed not to go back in there. Not until she has done with the whole evil possessed body thing.

Adrien, well he’s only here for her, and her alone. He has no interest in Daniel. When Liz has settled down, he’s out of here before you can say
gone
. Don’t get me wrong, another time or situation, I would confront him. I guess I’m trying to stand back, see if he does man-up.

Sara has just finished giving Daniel a bottle. She’s dressed him in a tiny grey jeans and white shirt outfit. The little guy looks cute, even Ben and Dom seem to think so. Vampires cooing over a baby, a sight I thought I’d never see.

Sara gets up from the couch with him, and holds him out to me as Adrien comes through the front door. He’s been flitting again. Out there running through the fuckin trees like that’s going to help. He stands still, panting in his gym wear with a stunned look. He must have forgot his kid is here, and now he’s come face to face with him, the horror in his eyes is obvious.

Dom and Ben sneak into the kitchen with the right idea. I’d join them, but Sara is still holding Daniel out to me. I nod behind Adrien’s back, uncomfortable with the male role model status I seem to have been given. She moves her arms and places Daniel right in Adrien’s face. Like lightening, with his waste of space head down, he turns and nearly leaps up the stairs to get away.

Sara takes Daniel back into her body with upset in her eyes.

“Give him here,” I say, watching her confused expression because I’ve spoken to her.

Her nose scrunches for a second. “You sure?”

“Yes Sara… I’m sure.” I take his waist and balance him on my hip. 

I can’t believe how big he’s got. I bet he’s doubled in weight. I do something automatic. I look a dick, but I can’t help myself; talking baby and twisting up my face to entertain him. Sara laughs. I frown at her, but she’s not looking at me. I peer down to see him chomping on his protection charm with a smile.
Way-hay, his first smile, and just for me.

“Yay… who’s clever,” I laugh, triumphantly.

“Dom… Ben,” Sara yells.

Dom pops his head through to check that the coast is clear of moody Mr Prick.

“Come look at this,” she waves.

Dom, Ben, and Sara stand by me. We all, with one stupid face after another, receive the sweetest baby beam ever.

Daniel turns his head to the stairs. Adrien hovers there, straight-faced.

“Elizabeth… she’s awake, and wants to see Daniel,” he mumbles.

I carry Daniel up the first step. “Here.”

I’m holding out his son, and all he does is turn his back on us.

This is just great. I wanted to see Liz alone. I shouldn’t be taking the place of her ass-wipe of a husband. Her seeing Daniel for the first time is supposed to be a family thing. Now I feel as awkward as a stripper in a convent.

I grumble and reluctantly climb the stairs. Just what the hell do I say when I go in there, and she asks why Adrien isn’t holding Daniel?

I close my eyes before I knock. I’m trying to get inside her head, but all I hear is a buzzing static. Her shield is that of a blank. The last time I saw her, she was about as crazy as crazy can be, and I’m kind of worried about Daniel’s safety. But I can’t say she’s not allowed near her son until she’s back to her old-self. She’ll never be her old-self, and I have no rights to this kid.

Daniel grabs at my ear. His big eyes scrunch, like he’s telling me to toughen up. I huff as I tap on the wood gently, then push down the handle. I put my head through vigilantly, leaving Daniel outside, out of her sight. Her gaze hits me immediately and I have to look away. I need to get my head wrapped around the sight of her still chained to that bed.

“Nathan,” she says in surprise. “Where’s Adrien…Daniel?”

I tear my eyes away from the rust coloured carpet. She looks so innocent, young, like she’s been ripped from the streets by some weirdo, and locked away in this room. She’s clean, wearing pale blue pyjamas, and her silky hair tumbles over her chest. I gulp, I hate lying, and to her of all people. She’s not some dumbass. She knows me well and my lies never get passed her. Our rocky past together doesn’t help. When we were an item, I lied countless times, and she sussed me out on every occasion.

I take a slow step inside and close the door. As soon as she sees I’ve got hold of Daniel, she gasps and urgently shuffles up to get a better view of him.

“Adrien, he had to go out… for supplies,” I say.

All she cares about is her son. All she wants to do is hold him. I could untie her. I want to. But would she hurt him?

“Nathan, just bring him closer… please,” she asks, desperately.

I perch on the mattress at the foot of the bed, rotating Daniel so he’s facing her. He does his little party trick, blowing bubbles while clutching his dribble coated hands together.

The smile on her face; a delight that could light the darkest night. But it fades, and fast. She realises she can’t hold him. Fuck, I can’t do it. I’m not going to be a part of keeping her away from her son. I reach out to her bound wrist with one hand, but she flinches back.

“No Nathan,” she barks at me. “I don’t want to hold him… yet.”

“You won’t hurt him… look he wants you to.”

She smiles sweetly. “He doesn’t. He wants to wait until I’m better, don’t you,” she says to him. “Is he good?”

“For a baby, yeah sure he is.”
This is so damn awkward.

“I haven’t heard him,” she sighs. “I’ve been listening out for him though.”

“Well, you’ll be listening out for a long time, because he hasn’t once yet belted out a scream,” I grin.

“It’s kind of all gone wrong hasn’t it?” She bites her lip. “You didn’t need to see that back in London, and you certainly didn’t need to come here.” Her hair hangs before her face as she looks down.

“Are you being serious? I’m the one holding all this together,” I say. “Look at me you goon.” She lifts her eyes, and I see a flash of her old-self. “Things will work out… okay?”

“Yeah,” she says in a doubtful breath.

“You know how long we’ve known each other. I want you to swear to me, you’ll never ever let things get to this Armageddon stage again, without telling me.”

“I think it’s way passed that now.” She watches Daniel with a hopeless expression. “I can feel it Nathan. I want to hurt someone. I’m fighting against it but it’s so strong.”

“Liz… it does get easier.”

I remember it too well. So my awakening wasn’t as intense as this, because god only knows what kind of mumbo-jumbo is happening inside her body. But I remember the hate I had for everything, it made me sick. I wanted to rip the face off anyone who came near me.

“The things I’ve done and said to Adrien. I remember it all.” A tear falls out as she blinks. “He keeps forgiving me, but I can see he’s getting weaker every time.”

Daniel kicks and gurgles, making Liz smile through the sorrow.

“Look see,” I say firmly. “This little one is all that matters, Liz.”

“Adrien says a few more days, and I’ll be able to control it… to hold Daniel.”

Well that gives me no comfort at all. Everything else that dick has said or done has gone tits up. I don’t believe a single word he says, but I won’t say that to her.

“Yes, it will come before you know it,” I say, sceptical.

“Is he good with Daniel?” 

Well, I guess he’s been spinning her a yarn on how he’s the perfect daddy. What the fuck do I say here? Your husband hasn’t even held him, fed him, or stayed in the same room with him for more than a minute. I can’t answer. There’s lying and there’s lying, and I’m too angry to reassure her.

“Nathan?” She’s frowning at me because she knows already.

“I won’t lie to you Liz,” I blow out. “It’s been difficult.”

She goes all quiet on me, full of disappointment. If he wanted to keep up this pretence, he should be in here, not me.

“Liz, a few days, okay?”

I stand up to leave. I’ve missed her but if I stay any longer, I’m only going to rock the boat by telling her exactly what I think of Adrien. I position Daniel on my hip, bending over to kiss her hair, stealing a sneaky breath of her. I blink and straighten up to see Daniel’s tiny stubby fingers gripping his mum’s hand, and the despair in her eyes.

“Liz, you can do this.” I take Daniel to the door, and quickly go before I lose it.

                                                      ***

Sara is sitting on the sofa, watching me meltdown. I hand Daniel to her. I need to do something. Something that needed to be done a long time ago.

“Where’s Adrien?”

Sara stands up with Daniel. “Nathan… you need to put your fangs away.”

“Adrien?” I snap.

“He’s not here,” she says, nodding her head.

Got it. He’s out doing what he does best, avoiding the fuckin problem. Well not anymore. I take a breath, and I’m already meters into the forest. If he’s out here flitting, then I’ll find him. I have nature on my side. The energy gaged from the woodland, flowing water, and the earth beneath my feet will make me faster, and more sensitive. I never use the hippy dippy shit, usually it’s just blood. But this warrants raping nature of its vitality.

I fly through the wilderness, eyes searching as I tune into every disturbance of air. I dodge huge evergreen pines and sense a vibration. I make a right, to see the sun setting behind a snow-cap mountain. He’s there, standing still. The dick is enjoying the view, while Liz suffers.

My fists are out ready. I flit to his back and clutch his shirt, tossing him meters high. He lands with a topple, and bounces straight back up to his feet. With my back arched, I glare, gasping, ready to show him more pain.

“You fucking lying piece of shit,” I growl. “Why didn’t you tell her you can’t even touch your son?”

“You think that will help her recover,” he yells. “You have no idea what she’s going through.”

I snigger. “I have more knowledge of that girl than you’ll ever know.” I step closer. “You destroyed her life, all so you could feel human. Well, you’ve never been human, you’re the epitome of evil.” He doesn’t disagree, just stands there staring because I’ve touched a nerve. “You’ve done something much worse than feed from the living,” I bark. “You played her for your own selfish gain, and now it’s all fucked up, you don’t want to deal with it.”

I hear a crunch to my back. I spin around, and surprise-surprise, see Dom and Ben. His little toy soldiers, ready to protect the big boss.

I smirk. “Well the cavalries here.”

“Come on Nathan,” Dom appeals. “We need to stick together on this.”

“Tell that dickhead that then. All he wants to do is run around in the frigging wilderness, sulking.”

“Nathan, you should go back to the house,” Ben says, approaching me. “You don’t stand a chance.”

“Back the hell away,” I warn him as I look back to Adrien. “I want to hear it first… the truth from his own lips.”

“What?” Adrien snaps.

“That you hate your own kid?”

He snorts, shaking his head down at the ground. “I don’t hate him. He just shouldn’t exist.”

He flits right by me, leaving me standing in a path a flying debris. I eyeball Ben and Dom. Both just turn and walk away from me. I’m the damn outcast here, and my presence isn’t helping Liz, or me.