Static (14 page)

"I'm hungry," he said, I'm sure to mask the
embarrassing situation, as he picked up the phone on the table. "Do
you want something from room service?"

I nodded, the popcorn I'd consumed long
forgotten.

He pushed a couple of buttons on the dial pad. "Pizza
okay?"

"Yeah, that's cool."

"Can I get a large pizza loaded, with extra cheese,"
he said into the phone. "Thanks." He hung up, took a swig of his
soda then looked at me as if he had a question. But instead he took
another drink, then stood to turn on the TV and game console.
Grabbing one of the controllers, he settled back into the armchair.
"Do you want to play?"

"Yeah, why not?"

He handed me the other controller and we played
Resident Evil in silence for the next half hour before the food
came. When the knock came at the door, Trevor got up, opened it and
grabbed the pizza. He brought it over to the sofa, and set it down
onto the coffee table, opening the top as he did. The spicy aroma
of tomato sauce and oregano wafted to my nose. I inhaled deeply, my
stomach growled in response.

I took a slice. When I bit into it, I sighed. The
taste was heavenly. I hadn't realized how hungry I was until the
food slid down my throat and hit my stomach. I gobbled it up in
three big bites, then took another. Trevor was just finishing his
first slice when I was shoving the last of my second into my
mouth.

After swallowing, I said, "I didn't realize how
hungry I was until now."

Trevor folded the rest of his pizza in half. "Sliding
through shadows takes a lot of energy. You'll find you'll be
hungrier more often." He shoved the rest of his pizza in his
mouth.

As I munched on my third piece, a multitude of
questions whizzed by in my mind. How had Trevor ended up like this?
Why was he helping me? How did he end up being a roadie for Malice?
And the kicker, why was he hell bent on killing them? But I didn't
have the heart or the guts to ask any of them. I was too exhausted
to do much of anything. Except sleep.

Thinking about sleep, I yawned, trying to cover it
with my hand.

Trevor nodded toward the open door. "You can sleep in
the bedroom. I'll stretch out on the sofa."

"Okay." I stood, and taking my backpack I wandered to
the bedroom. Before I went through the door, I looked over my
shoulder at him. "Trevor, everything's going to be okay, right? I
mean, I'm not going to morph into something disgusting, am I?"

When he met my gaze I could feel the intensity of it,
as if he were boring into me. But there was also something else in
his eyes, interest maybe, empathy definitely. "Get some sleep.
We'll figure things out in the morning."

I like how he said
we
. It made the icy ball in
the pit of my stomach start to thaw. I didn't feel as alone as I
had earlier.

I wandered into the room. I tossed my bag onto the
bed and looked around. The room was unusually clean, as if Trevor
hadn't even been inside. The bed was neatly made, there were no
shoes or dirty clothes tossed on the floor or draped across the
chair in the corner. The only indication that anyone was staying in
the room was the army green duffel bag lying on the rug against the
far wall. Trevor was even more of an enigma than I had previously
thought. I wondered what his deal was, but I was much too tired to
ask. Besides, I didn't think he'd offer up the information all that
easily.

Yawning again, I went into the adjoining bathroom and
took care of the necessities. After, I washed my hands and my face,
scrubbing my skin hard. Staring in the mirror, memories of what I'd
done to Josh flashed in my mind. I couldn't get the stunned look on
his face out of mind--the one that he had while I had tried to suck
the life out of him. I rubbed at the mark on my neck where Trevor
had injected saltwater and wondered what would've happened if he
hadn't showed up. Would I have eventually gone back to normal, or
would I've stayed that way forever?

Shivering, I pushed that from my mind and went back
into the bedroom to change into sleeping clothes. Once I'd unzipped
my bag though, I remembered that I didn't pack any jammies. All I
had to sleep in was a tiny t-shirt and my undies. With Trevor in
the next room I didn't feel comfortable like that. What if I forgot
where I was, and wandered into the next room with just my hipster
red undies barely covering my ass.

I stepped out into the living room. Trevor had
resumed playing the video game. He looked up at me.

"Um, I need something to sleep in. Do you have a
shirt I could borrow?"

For a few moments he just stared at me. His gaze
flicked over me from toe to head. I wondered what he was thinking
in that look, because I sure couldn't tell. Was he assessing me
wondering if his shirt would fit, or was it something else? I
didn't get a sense that he looked at me other than someone who was
a nuisance, some girl who he had to baby-sit.

After a few more seconds ticked by, he stood, tossing
the game controller onto the chair and walked past me into the
bedroom. I trailed behind, nerves suddenly making my stomach ache.
He bent down to his duffel bag, unzipped it and came away with a
dark blue t-shirt. Standing, he tossed it to me.

"Thanks," I said clutching the shirt in my hand. I
didn't know why but I was shaking. It seemed like something had
occurred between us but I couldn't name it.

Without a word, he left, shutting the bedroom door
behind him.

I quickly shed my jacket, camisole, jeans and socks,
and then slipped Trevor's t-shirt over my head. His scent clung to
the fabric and I took in a deep breath of it. He smelled like
darkness--and everything that came with it, like the shadows that
crept across the ground on a cool crisp autumn night.

I clicked on the bedside lamp, then padded to the
door to flick the main light switch off. I padded back to the bed,
pulled down the covers and slid under the sheets. The fabric was
cool on my skin, but soon warmed to my body as I snuggled down
under the blankets, tucking it under my chin. I yawned again, and
without another thought, I switched off the lamp, closed my eyes
and fell instantly asleep.

***

Considering what I'd been through in the past week,
it didn't surprise me that my dreams were disturbed.

I was in a hospital, walking down a long, narrow,
deserted hallway. The walls were glaringly white as was the floor
and the ceiling. I had an urge to shield my eyes as I walked. I
looked into every room I passed, but every bed was empty. Barren,
devoid of anything resembling life. I came to the end of the hall
and looked into the last room.

This bed wasn't empty.

Cautiously, I entered the room and approached the
bed. My stomach cramped. My throat ran dry. I knew who was going to
be lying on the hard clinical mattress.

Eyes closed, face gaunt and pale, Josh lay strapped
to the bed, an IV stuck into the back of his hand. There was little
resemblance to the golden boy of Boise High in the immobile concave
form. He looked like he'd aged seventy years and his bones could no
longer sustain any muscularity. He was a skeleton of his former
self.

And I'd done that to him. It was my fault.

I stood over him, watching him breath in and out with
the help of an oxygen tube. I wondered when he'd wake up and if
he'd still be Josh, still have his memories. Or if he'd forget
everything, including himself. I wasn't sure what I wished for
most. Either way the life I knew was over.

A single tear rolled down my cheek, off my chin and
landed on Josh's thin blue lips.

His eyes snapped open.

Stumbling back, I nearly knocked over the IV
pole.

His hand lifted from his side, reaching for me. I
grabbed it and squeezed, frantic for him to wake up. "Josh? Josh?
Can you hear me?"

He opened his mouth to respond. It gaped wide but all
that came out was deafening garbled static...

Clamping my hand to my ears, I stumbled backwards and
screamed.

***

Breath catching, I bolted straight up in bed. My
heart hammered against the inside of my rib cage. Pain exploded
from my chest. I rubbed at the spot between my breasts, concern
filling me that the organ might explode out of my chest.

I rubbed and rubbed until my skin was red and sore.
But at least I could breathe a little. I no longer had to suck in
huge mouthfuls of air to get the much needed oxygen.

Lying back on the pillow, I blinked back tears and
the sweat that was dripping into my eyes. Running my hands down my
torso, I realized that my t-shirt was soaked as were the sheets
covering me. I didn't know how long I'd been asleep—it hadn't
seemed that long—but it must've been lengthy enough for me to sweat
right though my clothes and covers.

I glanced at the big curtained bay window and saw
that it was still full dark. I couldn't have been asleep any longer
than a couple of hours. I was still tired, but I didn't think I
could go back to sleep. Not now. Not with the remnants of my dream
still lingering deep within my mind, and the hiss of static still
persistent in my ears.

Rolling out of bed, I stood and shuffled to the door.
I'd just peek out and see what Trevor was doing. Maybe he was still
awake and we could play some more video games because I needed
something to take my mind off things. I'd go crazy if I had to sit
in the room, in the dark, with my thoughts. I didn't even have my
DS. I'd forgotten to pack it.

Gripping the doorknob, I slowly turned it and pulled
open the door. I peered out into the living room and that's when
all the warmth in my body dissipated, leaking out from the bottom
of my feet, leaving me icy cold and shaking uncontrollably.

Chapter 16

"Well, well, Trevor, I think you've been holding out
on me. I didn't know you were keeping some for yourself."

Thane's voice jabbed at my senses. The sensation made
my stomach clench then roll over like a tidal wave.

That's when I leaned over and puked on the rug.

Thane laughed. "I think you plied her with too much
alcohol."

Trevor rushed to my side, and maneuvered me toward
the chair where I could sit with my head between my legs. I took in
one greedy gulp of air after another trying to calm my queasy
stomach, but it proved difficult sitting close to the guy that
ruined my life.

I kept my head down not wanting to look at him again,
but a magnetic pull urged me to raise my head, to take in his
magnificence. Before I could though, Trevor was pushing on the back
of my head to keep it down and placed a cold wet washcloth on my
neck. Relief was instant and I sighed.

He maneuvered a glass of fizzing water into my
quivering hands.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Alka Seltzer."

I took a sip and cringed at the taste. Lemony bubbles
fizzled on my tongue. It nearly made me gag all over again.

"Where did you pick this one up? I don't remember her
at the club."

My head came up with a snap. "What did you say?"

One eyebrow lifted and he smiled at me. He looked
amused. I couldn't believe the bastard didn't remember who I was.
He'd only tried to kill me a couple weeks ago.

"Oh, she has some fire. Maybe when you're done with
her, I can have her for a bit."

Fury propelled me to my feet and I dropped the glass
of alka seltzer on the ground. Trevor was at my side in an instant,
grabbing my arm and keeping me in place. "Nah, you don't want her.
She's not as exciting as she looks."

"Asshole." I struggled against the grip he had on me,
but he held me firm. I glared up at him, but he didn't bother to
meet my gaze. He was watching Thane.

"She looks exciting to me." That smile again, the
slow sexy lift of lips. Except this time it didn't send quivers
down my thighs. Instead, it made me want to cross the room and poke
my thumbs into his eyes.

Trevor shook my arm a little, getting my attention.
"Go into the bedroom. I'll be there in a minute."

I ignored him and continued to glare at Thane, my
back on edge, grinding my teeth together. He shook me again,
squeezing my upper arm. I shifted my gaze to him. He was staring at
me with dark intense eyes. Finally, I understood his intent. He
wanted me out of the room. Away from Thane.

I nodded and pulled out of his grip, to go back into
the bedroom.

Thane shifted on the sofa; setting down the cold
piece of pizza he'd been munching on, and frowned. "Hey girl, wait
a minute. Do I know you? You look sort of familiar."

I opened my mouth to tell him that yes, he knew me,
that he was the bastard that stole my life from me.

But Trevor answered for me, with a not so gentle
nudge toward the bedroom. "You don't know her, Thane. She's just
another groupie. They all look the same." He pushed me again. "I
told you to go to the bedroom and wait for me. So do it."

Thane laughed again. "Wow, man, I didn't realize how
much of a domineering prick you were. No wonder Devon made you. She
likes that in the men she takes."

An icy shiver rushed down my back as I looked from
Trevor to Thane and back again. Devon made Trevor into a cambion?
It surprised me, but I guess it shouldn't have, as Devon was the
only chick in the band. I didn't take Trevor for a guy that swung
both ways.

Trevor motioned to me to keep going, pleading me to
leave with his eyes. I heeded him and kept on walking toward the
bedroom. But before I could cross the threshold, I heard something
that made my blood run cold.

"Too bad about your sister, though, man. I think she
would've been a lot like you, strong and aggressive, able to live
this life. Actually, I bet she would've reveled in it."

From the side of my eye I could see Trevor flinch.
His hands curled into hard tight fists. Thane either didn't notice
or didn't care.