The Collector (24 page)

“No,” she says. She shakes her head. “No. No, please.” Her voice cracks. I reach for her, and she bends at the waist. “Dante, please. Tell me you’re lying. Say it.”

I try to pull her to me, but she yanks away.

“Please.” She says it so softly, I almost miss it. Then she jerks upright and jabs a finger in my chest. “You tell me you don’t mean it. You tell me you’re lying.”

“I can’t,” I whisper. A stinging sensation pricks my eyes, but I can’t cry. I can’t. If I do, I know I’ll never stop.

Her face twists with pain, and she starts to shake her head again. Tears slip down her face. “Say it,” she cries. “Say what you are.”

I push my fists against my eyes and fight against the burning behind them. “I’m a collector,” I breathe. “I’m a demon.” I pull my hands away from my face, because I have to see her face. I have to see how she’s looking at me now that she knows.

When I do, I can no longer stop the tears. They crash over my cheeks and free-fall to the ground.

Because her face.

It’s filled with fear. And betrayal. And disappointment.

“Charlie,” I say, my voice broken from crying. “I’m a demon.”

A cry escapes her throat as I repeat the word. She pushes away from the wall and starts to move down the hallway. Her tears morph into sobs.

“Charlie,” I yell. “Please. I love you. I’m going to protect you.”

Charlie stops walking. She swivels around and marches toward me, her eyes blazing with anger. “Protect me?” she growls. “
Protect
me?” She raises her hand and slaps me hard across my face.

I cover the stinging spot, and at the same time, I reach for her. She tears away from me and runs down the hall.

“Charlie!” I chase after her. The gym doors fly open under her hands, and I watch as she crashes into Blue. She throws her arms around him and sobs. He immediately pulls her to him and looks for what could have hurt her.

His eyes land on me, and I stop dead in my tracks. Blue pushes Charlie behind him, and his chest swells. His hands ball into fists, and his chin lifts slightly. He’s preparing to fight me, and from his blazing eyes, he won’t stop until I cease breathing.

Charlie breaks away from him and runs across the dance floor and out of the gym. People stop and stare at me and Blue. I move to go after Charlie, but Blue steps to the side and catches my eye. He shakes his head back and forth, and for the first time in my entire life, I’m actually afraid I’ll lose the fight.

I nod once, then turn and walk back down the hallway—away from the only girlfriend I’ve ever had. The only girl I’ve ever loved.

Away from Charlie.

Chapter Forty-seven

Desperation

Alone in the bathroom, I splash cold water on my face. I almost don’t recognize the person staring back at me, broken and ashamed. Someone should have warned me about love’s dark underbelly, about the rejection and despair.

Drying my face with a rough brown paper towel, I wonder where she is right now. The last I saw, she was racing out the gym. It couldn’t have been more than fifteen minutes ago, but it feels like forever.

As hard as it’ll be to face her again, I’m already looking forward to it. I’d rather have her hate me to my face than be without her. Besides, I made her a promise that I intend to keep. I’m going to protect her, body and soul. I’m going to right my wrongs. And maybe one day, she’ll forgive what I’ve done.

I walk into the gym and spot Annabelle on the dance floor. Her eyes connect with mine, and she strides toward me. I brace myself for a second slap, but she just looks at me funny.

“Where’s Charlie?” she asks.

I glance around, searching for her. “She hasn’t come back inside?”

“I didn’t know she went outside.” Annabelle narrows her eyes. “Why
did
she go outside?”

“Because she hates my guts.”

Annabelle’s face softens, which surprises me. Then it opens with alarm. I turn to see what she’s staring at and spot Blue racing toward us.

He’s breathing hard and bends over on his knees to catch his breath. “I can’t find Charlie anywhere,” he tells Annabelle, completely ignoring me.

“You searched everywhere?” I ask.

He glares at me, and I’m certain he’s debating kidney-punching my ass. “Yes,” he says through clenched teeth. “What did you do to her?”

“Enough to make her hate him,” Annabelle chimes in.

I race outside the gym with Blue close on my heels. Together we call her name, circling the school.

“Maybe she went back inside,” I say.

“Maybe you should get the hell out of here and leave this to her
friends
,” Blue snarls.

I bite my tongue because I don’t want to give Charlie another reason to hate me. Instead, I say, “I’m going to run by her house. Maybe she called her grandma to pick her up. I’ll take care of this. I’ll find her. Just call me at Wink Hotel if she shows, okay?”

Blue clenches his jaw.

“Blue,” I say, louder.

“Fine. Fuck.” He stomps back toward the gym.

Racing toward Elizabeth Taylor, I fight the fear that something terrible has happened. If it has, I will never forgive myself. This close to deadline, I shouldn’t have let her out of my sight. Not even for a second.

I drive around the parking lot a few times, then head toward her house. On the way, I speed like a lunatic and manage to make it there within five minutes. Without even considering knocking, I run toward the trellis and climb toward her window. I need to see for myself if she’s here, and I don’t want Grams freaking out and calling the 5-0s.

The window slides open beneath my hand, and I remind myself again that this lax safety needs to be remedied. Inside her room, I look for anything suspicious, but nothing seems off. Then I head toward Grams’s room. Near her door, I hear the noise of chainsaws and garbage trucks—all sounds coming from Grams’s sleeping body. I ease the door open and move to her bedside. If she wakes up, I can’t imagine what she’ll think. But I know when she does, her granddaughter will be gone. I know the pain she’ll feel, the abandonment. It hurts what’s left of my heart.

Silently, I lean forward and gently kiss her forehead. She’s been good to Charlie, and I’ll always be thankful to her for taking care of the girl I love. I pull her blanket closer to her chin and turn to go.

…

At Wink Hotel, I barrel down the hallway toward my room, praying there’s a message from Blue.

Pushing the door open, I breathe a sigh of relief.

There on my cream-colored retro phone is the red blinking light I’ve been hoping for. I dash across the room and push the message button. The sound of Annabelle’s voice fills my head.

“Dante, it’s Annabelle.” She pauses, like she’s letting that sink in. “We can’t find Charlie. We’ve looked all over the school. We even looked in the places nearby where she might have walked to. Billy’s Burgers, Movie Buzz, the Arcade…”

She continues to rattle off places they’ve searched. But I can’t listen anymore, because the room is spinning. I hang up the phone and lean over, gasping for air. The realization burns through me like fire.

They have her.

I jump up and pace the room in a panic. I always figured I had until the end of tomorrow.
One more day
, I’d said. Somehow, Boss Man figured out what I’d been planning. And he’d acted.

My failures rush through my brain like poison. I lived my life like a selfish brute. I watched my father die. My mother found a replacement for the husband I killed, and the only piece I have left of him is now with her. I lost Max, my best and only friend. My favorite shoes were stolen at the stupid party where I lied to Charlie for the last time. And now the only girl I’ve ever loved has been taken by a collector.

Everything that has ever been important to me is gone. And though I want to fight for hope, to feel like I can turn this all around…right now, it’s too much. I cover my face with my hands and scream into them.

I can’t lose her. I can’t lose Charlie, too.

My mind ticks off the possibilities of how to get her back, but each time I hit a road block. Even if I can find her, he’ll know I’m coming. My cuff will give me away.

An electric shock bolts over my spine, and I stiffen. I peek between the fingers covering my face and stare down at my ankle. My cuff.

It’s the reason they knew where to find her, the reason they know where I am this very moment. That piece of blasted dargon has kept me prisoner for two years, caged like a filthy animal. I pull my hands away and cross my leg over my knee. Pulling up my dark jeans, I run my fingers over the cool metal.

Boss Man gave me a choice the day I became a collector. Wear the restraint and walk among the living, work for hell and be traceable by him and the other collectors. Eat, breathe, and carry on a normal existence on earth.

Or.

Break it off and die a final death. No afterlife. No Judgment Day. No nothing. Just an eternity of silence. I’d heard of one collector who did it before. I believed it a rumor, but now I’m not so sure. I heard he lived for several hours before starting to fade. And now I wonder…

Being locked in the ninth ring of hell is one thing. It’s pain beyond my imagination, but deep down, I figured there’d always be hope. Someone, maybe Max, would spring me from my torture, and I’d be back in action. But this… This is final. No backup plan, no last-minute resolution. Just death.

I imagine Charlie afraid. About who she’s with at this very moment. It stirs something hysterical inside me.

And just like that, my decision is made.

Chapter Forty-eight

Coinkidinks

I push my jeans back down over my new lame sneakers and head for the door. For now, I need my cuff. But my hours as a collector are numbered. The realization is both exhilarating and terrifying.

Elizabeth Taylor has been packed since this afternoon, and when I get outside, I ensure our bags are still in the backseat. I note the size and wonder if they’ll fit into Valery’s tiny trunk. She no doubt has one of those sporty chick cars. Guess she’ll have to figure it out, because I won’t be around to ensure the bags are properly packed, or that she stays ahead of the collectors, or that Charlie fulfills her destiny.

I’m about to slide into the driver’s seat, trying to keep my mind focused, when something seizes my attention. Spinning around, I spot a figure standing against a car near the back of the parking lot. In the dim lights, I can’t quite make out who it is, but the gut sensation I feel tells me everything I need to know—it’s a collector. Pulling my blazer back, I wrap my fingers around the Glock in my waistband. If Creepy McCreeperson doesn’t announce himself soon, I’ll bust a cap in his ass.

The guy takes two quick steps toward me, and I raise the .45 and aim. His hands fly up, and he screeches to a halt.

“Holy crap,” he says.

I narrow my eyes and smile when I realize it’s Max.

“What do you think you’re doing, Captain Psycho?” he says, breathing hard. “You almost shot my ass.”

I put the gun away and pull Max into a hug. “What are you doing here?” I say, laughing. “I almost killed you.”

“Dude.” He starts motioning toward his body. “You know you can’t hold this down. Besides, you’re going to need me.”

When I realize what he’s saying, I push him lightly. “Shut up. You’re going to help me?”

He nods and grins, but a flash of fear fires behind his eyes. “Figured you’ll need someone to talk to when you turn into a Popsicle.”

My chest aches when I remember that I’ll never make it that far. Realizing this, I know I have to stop him. I won’t let him be locked away because of me. “Max,” I say, “I’m not going to let you do this.”

“The hell you’re not,” he says. “It’s done.”

I inspect his face, searching for any sign of wavering. But he looks as determined as a bull. And if I’m being honest, this works out even better. I’d planned to find Valery first, but this will save time. If Max says he’ll help me, then I trust him to take Charlie to Valery once I rescue her. “I’m not going to talk you out of this, am I?” I ask.

“No,” he says. “So what’s the plan, man?”

I rub my forehead, remembering Charlie and feeling a knot of dread form in my stomach. “They’ve got my girl.”

“Seriously?” Max asks.

“Yeah, you didn’t hear?”

He shrugs. “Never got a call.”

I think about what that means. If Max didn’t get called, and I didn’t, either, then maybe only one collector has Charlie. And I have a good idea which collector that would be. “I’ve got to find her,” I tell Max.

He nods, runs around Elizabeth Taylor, and jumps in the passenger seat like we’re headed to freakin’ Disneyland. I get into the driver’s side and glance at my best friend. “Thank you, Max. For helping me. For helping
her
.”

“Meh,” he says. “Figured the world could use some peace. I’ve been giving it hell for a while now.” He winks, and I punch him in the shoulder. My way of saying,
I freaking love you, man.

For the next twenty minutes, we drive around town with our heads stuck out the windows like dogs trying to sense another collector. When we near an enormous grocery store, Max grabs my shoulder. He looks over at me with big eyes, and suddenly I sense it, too—another collector. I pull into the store parking lot and park near a line of Dumpsters. We watch people coming in and out of the sliding glass doors. I’m not entirely certain what the collector will do to Charlie, but if he wants witnesses, this would be the place.

“You think he’s in there?” I whisper, like the guy can hear us from here.

“I don’t know. But I think I feel him, don’t you?”

I nod. “Look, Max. When we find Charlie, I want you to grab her and run. Let me deal with this dick, okay?”

“No way,” he protests. “I came for a fight, yo.”

“Dude, if you care about our friendship, you’ll do this. Please? I want her safe. It’s the only thing that’s important to me.”

He rolls his eyes and sighs. “What am I supposed to do with her?”

“Find Big Guy’s liberator. Hand Charlie off to her. Then run. I’ll be right behind you.” The last part is a lie, but I can’t chance Max’s safety.

As Max mutters about Big Guy calling his collectors
liberators
, something moves across my line of vision. When I glance forward, I don’t see anything, but I know someone was just there.

“Hey,” I say slowly. “Does the collector feel closer to you?”

A banging sound rings near my head. Max screams like a girl, and I jump in my seat. I turn to my left, ready to punch through the window if I have to—and stop when I see a mane of red hair.

“You scared the crap out me, Red,” I snarl, rolling the window down.

“Who is it?” Max asks. He leans forward but doesn’t say anything.

In front of me, Valery’s eyes get so big, I’m sure they’ll explode right out of her melon head.

“What’s your deal?” I glance at Max, who has a similar look on his face. “Uh, Valery, this is Max. Max, this is—”

“Valery,” Max chokes out.

“Max!” she screams.

“What the H, guys?” I say.

Max flies from the car and races around the front. Valery meets him right in front of Elizabeth Taylor’s grill and leaps into his arms. She wraps her legs around his waist, and he presses his mouth over hers.

And then…then they just kinda start getting it on right there on the hood of my car. Like I’m not sitting right here. Like we’re not trying to save my girlfriend from hellfire demons.

Through my open window, I can hear Max moaning. My face scrunches in disgust. I lay on the horn. “Can someone tell me what’s going on?” I yell out the window.

Nothing.

They keep making out like I’m freaking invisible.

Then it hits me. Valery turning into a nut job and declaring her devotion to her fiancé. Max telling me his fiancée died, saying
people change when shit happens
after I questioned him about his playa ways.

I get out of the car and move to stand in front of them. Over their slobbering bodies, I say, “Seriously?” I scratch my head. “I mean,
seriously
?”

When Valery comes up for air, she giggles like a psych ward junkie. “Max,” she coos, running her fingers down his cheek.

“Baby,” Max says, nuzzling her neck.

“Not that this isn’t terribly romantic and wildly coincidental,” I say. “But I’ve got to find Charlie.”

Valery’s head twists to face me, Charlie’s name snapping her out of it. “I knew something was up. You’ve been driving around town like a maniac, and I just
knew
you’d lost her.”

I look at Max but point at Valery. “Meet the liberator.”

Max stares at her, wide eyed. “No way.”

She nods and gives him a devilish smile. “I’ve been busy since…you know…the accident. So, are you…?”

Max nods, appearing ashamed. “I work with Dante,” he says, no doubt hoping that sounds better than
I work for Lucifer. Heard of him?

She bites her lip and seems for a moment like she’s going to cry. Max pulls her close and whispers in her ear. She shakes her head back and forth. Then her head snaps up.

“What are you going to do?” she asks me.

“We’re going to find Charlie,” Max answers.

Her body relaxes against him. “You’re going to save her?” she breathes. “You’re going to risk your life?”

He nods, clearly pleased with himself.

Valery steps away from him. She studies him for a long time without saying anything. Then she turns to face me. “Then I’m going to help you.” She glances back at Max, and I fight the urge to mention that this was already my plan, to have Valery help us. “And once this is done,” she continues, still staring at Max, “once that girl is safe…you and I are going to make up for lost time.”

The twosome snuggle and laugh, and I have to practically drive a stick between them to wrench their bodies apart. “Both of you,” I say, “in the car. There’s time for that later.”

Valery looks at Max and nods. Then she climbs into the passenger seat, and Max jumps in the back. When I slide into the driver’s seat, I notice Max running his fingers over Valery’s neck and whispering in her ear.

I roll my eyes, but a small smile tugs at my lips. I’m happy for them. And with Valery and Max both on my side, I allow myself to get excited that this will work—that I’ll save Charlie from the collector and get her safely under Valery’s protection.

Before my time is up.