The Keeper's Vow (44 page)

“We’re almost done. Just one big man left,”
Mercedes said, checking the hallway.

“He’s one of the old ones. He’ll pick us off
before we get through the door—that’s not even the worst of our
problems. The second floor might cave in at any moment. The
explosion hit two beams.”

On cue, the house groaned. They all looked
up. Franco picked up a chair and smashed it through the window. “We
need to get out. Now.”

Mercedes looked from the window to Katie.
Katie shook her head. She wasn’t going to leave without Tristan.
She wasn’t going to leave him trapped under a house with a crazy
man. The house creaked as wood began to snap. Mercedes moved to
grab her hands, but Katie ran out of the room as the hallway
started to collapse. Mercedes screamed her name, but Katie didn’t
stop until she was at the bottom of the staircase. She pulled at
the door at the bottom. The house cracked more. The second floor
was threatening to fall right on her head. She pulled at the door,
but the frame that held it together was crushing it closed.

Katie flung her self at it but it didn’t
move. The walls started to crack and snap. She pulled out her gun
and shot the rest of her round into the middle of the door. She
flung her body against the hole ridden door and flew through just
as a tub crashed down where she was standing. Katie backed up as
the house collapsed into the hallway. Dust pushed past her as the
last of the doorway crumbled.

She was trapped. There was no way out. The
only way left was where Tristan and Eshmael waited.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

A laugh drifted
down the dark hallway. “Are you going to keep us waiting?” It was
the same voice. It was Eshmael. He faintly sounded like Larry.

Katie unsheathed one of her knives. Tristan
always taught her to keep one hidden.

Run.

Katie gripped her knife. No. She wasn’t
going to run. Not this time. She stopped at the end of the hallway.
He was behind this door. What if she opened it and Eshmael just
shot her dead?

What did it matter now? She couldn’t turn
back even if she wanted to.

She opened the door. She had to adjust her
eyes to the light. Her knees buckled when she saw Tristan. His
shirt was torn to pieces, his face and chest was bruised and bloody
and his wrist were held up and against a wall by chains. They were
raw.

He wouldn’t look at her.

“Hello,” the voice said.

Katie flicked her eyes across the room. He
was sitting in a chair on the far side smiling at her. He looked so
much like Larry, except he was more handsome. He had gray eyes like
her and Larry, they studied her.

“I knew you’d come,” he laughed. “This is so
perfect. Much better than my original plan.” Eshmael's face was
more angular and his eyelashes made his eyes dark. She’d seen
this
face before. Somewhere. “Why don’t you take a seat. I
was just going to tell Tristan about my plan for tonight.”

Katie didn’t move. She gripped her
knife.

“Put that down.” It was a command.

Katie didn’t move. Tristan always told her
never to make the first move. In a fight where you’re out matched,
look for weaknesses, don’t rush.

The back of Katie’s head split open with
pain and she fell to her knees. Someone stepped on the hand that
held her knife, she let it go. She was being pulled up by her hair.
She grabbed the other knife hiding around her ankle and stabbed her
attacker in the stomach and pulled up.

She was let go immediately and turned to
face her attacker. She knew him. His eyes widened as he fell to the
ground. Blood poured from his stomach. Katie couldn’t catch her
breath. This time she felt something. He was dying. Right before
her. He was fighting for life. His body jerked and his breath
quickened in sharp intakes. He was one of the body guards at
Larry’s club. He was the guy that had carried her to Larry’s
office. He was Yellow-hair.

He reached for her. Katie moved back.
What—what did he want?

His breaths stopped, but he never stopped
looking at her. She’d killed him. His blood was still warm on her
hands. She wiped her hands on her jeans.

“Idiot. No one told him I needed his help.
Now he’s useless to me.” Eshmael rolled his eyes. A man bled out on
his floor and he just rolled his eyes. “It was hard enough finding
him. Lawrence, surprisingly, has a loyal following. It will be hell
finding a replacement.”

“He was a spy,” Katie said, staring at his
open eyes.

“Lawrence thought so.” Eshmael waved at her
again. “Please, sit. Have something to drink you must be
tired.”

Katie turned to Tristan, but he still
wouldn’t look at her.

“Fine. Stand. Die of thirst. Just don’t ever
say I’m inhospitable.”

Katie’s head throbbed.

“You know. I never wanted you. I never knew
you existed.” He watched Katie. “I hired Daren, Tristan’s old lead
commander, to lure Tristan back into the City so I could get closer
to him. I really do have Daren to thank for this—turn of
events.

“He noticed you. Thought if he took you,
Tristan would follow. He was right, but the invalid never realized
that Tristan was stronger than him.” Eshmael stood up form his
chair. “Are you sure you don’t want a drink? I’ve got this really
nice bottle of scotch. My brother’s favorite.”

Katie looked back at Yellow-hair. She
couldn’t stop staring.
She
did that to him. It was too easy.
The knife slid in with no resistance.

She choked back vomit.

“—I thought it was peculiar that Tristan had
saved you. Maybe it was a coincidence that he was near by? I don’t
believe in coincidences, Katie.” Ice clinked and clanked against a
small glass.

“I sent my good girl Nicole out to test the
waters. See exactly what your relationship was. I hear you’re very
dramatic.” Eshmael smiled. “Yes, I know all about that. You see, I
had fates follow you and Tristan. Everyone thinks they’re killers
but really, they prefer to watch—for whatever reason, I don’t claim
to understand the minds of the sick and twisted. Anyway, I thought,
what if they’ve taken the vow. That would be an interesting
thought. Why, that would mean she’s not a human girl. Walking
around in the daylight? No, she’s not a shadow born either. She’s
half. How did our sweet boy Tristan find himself a halfborn girl to
fall in love with. How would they ever know the words to the
Keeper’s Vow. Now, I had a crazy idea. Wild really. But I needed to
test my new theory.”

Eshmael sat back in his chair and drank a
little scotch.

“You talk too much,” Katie said. A numbness
fell over her. “Your brother is on his way. Most likely right above
us.”

Eshmael stopped. “Then I guess I should just
kill you both now and go along my merry way.” Eshmael frowned.
“Don’t threaten me girl. My brother’s on the wrong side of town. He
has a habit of showing up when it’s too late. I like to make sure
of it.”

Katie gritted her teeth. He’d been watching
them? If he had been ahead of them this entire time how was she
supposed to make it out of this room alive, let alone with Tristan?
They were both going to die in this room.

Eshmael cleared his throat. “Are you
listening? Today’s youth—a bunch of selfish prats if you ask me.”
He sat his scotch down on the table next to him and pulled a gun
out of his jacket. “Listen, or I’ll shoot your friend.”

Katie held up her hands. “Okay, Okay, you
wanted to test your theory.”

“Ah—yes, “Eshmael smiled, “The kidnapping. I
wanted to see if Tristan would
know
you were in danger. And
of course—he’s very predictable—he came running back. So now, I
thought to myself,
why this girl?
Who,
is
this girl.
I had a hunch. A few years ago I killed his father, and
coincidentally my brother’s lover was there. But I told you,
Katie
. I don’t believe in coincidences.

“Do you know why I want Tristan? Because
he’s Ivan’s son. He has a power that I want. I didn’t get to take
it from Ivan that night. His wife made sure of that by cutting off
his head after I’d shot him—but he had a son. Now, don’t get me
wrong I was delighted that I got the chance to kill your mother
too, but what was she doing there? So far away from home. With
Ivan? The only thing they have in common is Lawrence. I had to see
you for myself. You were sitting in a little coffee shop. After I
saw you, little girl, with your gray eyes and—your name—how do you
say it, Tristan—
Katalina
. I knew. I knew you were his
daughter.”

Eshmael grinned again. “So this time. I
decided I wanted both of you. Tristan made it easy. Whatever
happened between you two, he came running down here with his tail
between his legs following me around like I’m too daft to notice. I
could have killed him days ago. But I didn’t. I took him because I
knew you’d come running.”

Eshmael stood up. “But you’re right I talk
to much. My brother should be on his way back after he found out I
fed him a false lead. We have maybe an hour or so. Let’s give him
something to find, yes?”

Eshmael moved towards her. The hair on her
neck stood up. He was powerful. She didn’t have to fight him so
feel that. It seeped from him. She grabbed her knife and gripped
it. She’d fight him. No matter what. She’d decided that.

Tristan spoke for the first time, “You’re
wasting your time on her. Lawrence doesn’t care about her. If he
did, he would have kept her the night he found us.”

Eshmael frowned. “Maybe you’re right. He’s
still in love with her mother. Holding on to the memory of her.
This little girl is nothing but a piece of that memory. Like you
are nothing but the memory of his beloved friend. Or maybe. Just
maybe, like with you, he kept his distance so I’d never go after
either of you. Alas, what I’m about to do to her
now
has
little to do with him.”

Katie backed up. The smile and pleasure that
eased out of his voice gave her enough reason to be afraid. She
thought once that he was a sociopath. Maybe she was right.

“You see Tristan. I asked you earlier. What
did she mean to you. You told me nothing. You lied to me. You’re
like your father. He used to lie and tell my brother that he wasn’t
evil spawn. That he wasn’t the demon he is. Your father was wrong.
You said earlier that I took everything away from you. I want to
show you that you’re wrong.”

Tristan yanked against his chains. Katie
gripped the knife. She wasn’t going to let this maniac touch
her.

He was quick. She sliced the air between
them and kept him at bay.

Eshmael laughed and backed up. It wasn’t
over, but all she had to do was fight long enough for Larry to get
here. She could do it.

Eshmael locked eyes with her. “You’re a
fighter I can tell. Your eyes tell me that you are ready to die
right here. But you’ve got one weakness.” In one fluid movement he
move toward her and pulled out his gun. It was pointed at Tristan’s
head. “Drop your weapon.”

“Don’t,” Tristan said.

Eshmael pulled the trigger.

Katie screamed and lunged at him. He grabbed
her arm and spun her around.

Tristan wasn’t dead. A bullet hole rested
right above his head.

“Drop your weapon or the next one goes
between his eyes.” Eshmael’s breath was on her neck.

Tristan’s eyes were on her. He shook his
head. “Don’t, Katalina.”

Katie dropped the knife.

“Good girl—now turn around and look at me.”
His hand was still squeezing her arm. “You’re very beautiful.”

Katie’s insides squeezed and dropped. It was
in his eyes. He was going to touch her.

“Get away from her.” Tristan’s voice was
hoarse, but she heard him fighting against his chains. “Just kill
me. Leave her alone. Just kill me. You were right. I lied. Please.”
He was sobbing.

“If you move. I will put a bullet through
his skull.” Eshmael whispered in her ear. Katie chocked back tears.
She didn’t want Tristan to hear her cry. She tried to blank out her
mind. While Eshmael let go of her arm and ran his free hand up her
back. “I won’t make it hurt. You’ll enjoy it. Women say they enjoy
me. But I do have to warn you,” his hand wrapped around her neck
lightly, “what I do, really is a required taste.” He started to
squeeze.

Katie swallowed and his palm pressed against
her throat. She grabbed his hand and pulled at it.

“Remember what I told you. If you move I
will put a bullet through his skull.”

Katie’s hands shook. He added slightly more
pressure and her body told her to pull at his hand. She fought
herself.

“Fight, Katalina. Damnit. Fight.” Tristan
was thrashing against the wall.

Eshmael kissed her cheek, then her forehead.
Tears clouded her vision. A blackness seeped up her mind as she
fought for every ounce of air.