Venom (The Reawakening Series Book 1) (14 page)

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

Ian ends up calling me to say that he picked up another shift, and asking if we can go out for dinner a little later.

I agree even though I wonder how tired he must be.

The day drags by and I’m ready way before our date.

Nicholas is playing his game when I get downstairs. I hope to sneak out of the house, but he stops me.

“
Where are you going?” he asks without looking away from the game.

“
Dinner.”

He stops the game and looks at me.

“
Have a seat,” he asks nicely, which surprises me.

“
I really should be going.”

“
Sit down or you’re not going, Sarah. I should’ve had this talk with you a while ago.”

“
Nick, there is no need—”

He interrupts me. “You don’t realize how naïve you are.”

I see Lexi peeking around the corner and smile as she hears him.”

“
Once you kiss a guy or hmmm—do other things… you’re kissing everyone he has kissed before.”

I look at Lexi, “So you are telling me that, by association, you kissed Tyler?”

“
No! I didn’t kiss that lame excuse of a vampire and don’t try to deviate from the point I’m trying to make.”

I’m so embarrassed I just want to crawl under the coffee table and hide. I just want this conversation to end.

I look up at him and I’m sure my face is red. “How many girls have you kissed?” I ask, hoping he will just tell me to leave.

Lexi is now standing near the door, no longer hiding, and she is trying not to laugh.

“
It’s different. I’m a guy.”

“
That’s not fair. Let’s say Ian comes to you and says the same thing. That he is a guy so it really shouldn’t matter.”

He looks back at Lexi. “Can I get a little help here? I can’t deal with this female teen crap. You are a woman. You do the sex101 talk.”

Lexi is now laughing and I see something that wasn’t there before… something in the way she looks at him. Maybe this Nicholas reminds her of how he used to be before he went all crazy.

Nicholas goes upstairs and Lexi tells me I should go before he comes back down with more lectures.

I know it’s still early, but I wait for Ian outside of the house so he doesn’t have to deal with Nicholas.

***

“
You look tired,” I tell Ian. “Are you sure you want to go out?”

He grins, “I’ve been looking forward to this.”

He drives off after we decide to grab something to eat at a fast food place and take it to the park.

On the way to get the food, I notice a car following us at a distance. I don’t say anything. I’m probably being paranoid anyway, but then, we grab our food and the car keeps following us.

“
Is everything okay?” he asks.

I nod. “Yeah. Can you stop over at the next shopping area? I have to use the restroom.”

He stops and the car following us keeps going. I feel like I can breathe again. I don’t know why, but I have a bad feeling about that car.

A few minutes later, I come out of the clothing store where we stopped and we head over to the park.

The park is well lit and has a few picnic tables. We sit on the first one we find, side by side, and Ian turns the music on his phone while I take our food out of the bag.

Ian stretches and moves his neck from side to side.

“
It’s really nice of you to work so many hours to help your sister,” I say.

He shrugs. “It’s the least I can do.”

I almost jump on his lap when I feel someone’s hand on my arm.

“
What the—” he starts to say, and I turn around to find Cassie, Cody and Chloe standing behind us.

I’ve never seen someone look as scared as Chloe does at this moment.

I slip my hand into Ian’s in a tight grip. “What are you doing here?” I ask Cassie. “What is Chloe doing here with you?”

“
She is here for motivation,” says Cassie.

I know that Ian is as scared as I am… I can feel it in the way his body tenses and his palm starts to sweat.

“
I’m tired of your games, Cassie. What do you want to leave Noelle alone once and for all?”

Cassie smirks. “You know what I want. I want payment for the clothes I bought her, for the time I wasted on her, and for Cody’s pain and suffering. He doesn’t handle rejection well.”

“
You know damn well I won’t get paid for another two weeks. I told you that,” says Ian.

I face him, “Is this why you’ve been working like a mad person this week?”

Cassie shakes her head, pulls Chloe in front of her and puts a knife to her throat.

“
What the hell are you doing?” Ian and I ask at the same time.

“
You should know that I am always in control,” says Cassie. “I call the shots and things in our school will stay that way until I’m no longer there. Now pay up.”

I look at Ian, “Did you agree to pay her?”

Ian looks embarrassed. “She told me things about your brother, and we made a deal so she would leave you alone.”

“
It know, it is pathetic,” she says.

“
I’m not for sale, Cassie!” I snap. “I never was! I don’t care who you threaten. He will not pay you and you can damn well have your slutty clothes back! I will bring them to school Monday.”

Cassie hands the knife that she is holding to Cody, but still keeps a tight grip on Chloe’s arm.

“
Cody, show her the consequences of not doing what I tell her to.”

Cody moves toward us. Out of instinct, I put myself in between him and Ian, but Ian pushes me out of the way.

Cody advances on him with the knife and cuts his arm.

The sight of his blood awakens something in me, but it isn’t thirst. It just makes me angry. So angry, that I launch toward Cody, punching his nose. That catches everyone by surprise. The knife goes flying and Cody loses his balance. Before he gets himself together, Ian is already on him, punching him over and over again. I try to stop him, but it’s like I’m not even here. Surprisingly, I don’t get hurt while trying to stop him.

In trying to stop the fight, I miss what is happening around me. It isn’t until Cassie is right next to me and Ian stops punching Cody, that I notice the blood coming through Ian’s shirt, and he collapses to the ground with the knife lodged into his right side.

Cody is all bloody and bruised. “What the hell did you do?” he yells at Cassie.

“
I did what you wouldn’t. Now let’s get the hell out of here.”

They run away, dragging Chloe with them, and I am on the floor, next to Ian.

I pull his head onto my lap, carefully moving him.

Panicking and crying, I grab my cell phone and call Nicholas. He answers after the first ring.

I never, ever call him so he knew there was something wrong right away.

“
Sarah, what is wrong?” he asks.

Sobbing I say, “I need your help. I’m at the park close to the school.”

He doesn’t say anything at first. Then asks exactly where he can find me.

I give him directions as fast as I can.

“
What is this about?” he asks.

“
I just need your help okay? Please hurry.”

I was afraid if I had mentioned Ian, he wouldn’t show up.

“
Noelle?” says Ian.

“
Shhh. Don’t talk.”

Ian is losing a lot of blood and I don’t know if I’m doing the right thing or not, but I move his head off my lap and pull the knife from him. I then use my jacket to put pressure against his wound, attempting to keep him from losing even more blood.

“
Noelle,” he says in a weak tone.

“
Please, don’t.” I say. “You will be okay.”

“
It sure doesn’t feel like it,” he says.

“
No, you will. My brother is on his way. He can help.”

Ian gives me a sad smile. He slowly moves his hand and drops it on top of my hands, which are now covered in blood.

“
I’m sorry. I should have told you about the money. I just wanted Cassie to leave you alone.”

“
I believe you.” I say sobbing harder when I notice the bleeding isn’t stopping. I finally move my hands away and just stare at his injury… helpless.

Years ago I could have just turned him… well, that is a lie, I would have probably killed him in the process. I could never stop.

Frantically, I look at my watch wondering where Nicholas is. We don’t live that far.

“
Noelle,” says Ian. I look at him with water in my eyes. “I love you,” he pauses. “I know it’s crazy, but I do. You have to promise me that no matter what, you will get away from Cassie.”

I can’t form a response before his eyes close and he is no longer responding.

I hug him and cry.

Nicholas and Lexi come rushing toward us. Lexi manages to get me away from Ian’s limp body while Nicholas moves closer to Ian.

“
What the hell happened?” asks Nicholas.

“
That doesn’t matter. I will tell you later, just please save him.”

Nicholas looks at Ian and shakes his head. He gets his phone and dials a number.

“
What are you doing?” I ask.

“
Calling for an ambulance.”

“
No, Nicholas, please! You have to save him. Turn him. It is too late for human medicine.”

He ignores me as he tells the person on the phone where we are.

I try to get away from Lexi, but can barely move.

When Nicholas hangs up the phone, he looks at me and then at Lexi. “Let’s get her out of here,” he says.

“
No! We can’t leave him here. I’m not leaving him!” I scream.

“
Take her to the car!” Orders Nicholas.

Lexi uses her vampire strength to throw me over her shoulder and take me to the car as I squirm around and yell at her.

Nicholas follows right behind.

Lexi gets me in the back seat and gets in to keep me from running out of the car. Nicholas gets in the front seat.

Nicholas faces me and he sounds cold. I hate him for this. I hate him for not saving Ian.

“
You have two choices,” he says. “We can go home now, or you can stop throwing a fit and we will watch as the ambulance comes and goes to make sure he at least made it this far.”

“
There was too much blood! You saw it! He is not going to make it!” I cry.

Lexi puts her arms around me, but I snap at her.

“
He still has a chance, Sarah,” says Nicholas.

“
You could have turned him!”

“
You think you like him, don’t you? Well, if I had done that, he would have hated you for it.”

I see he glances at Lexi as he says that and there is an unspoken conversation between them. I know he thinks she was the only person ever worth turning. Something about his tone and the way they look at each other makes me cry even more. I know Nicholas isn’t lying. I know what it is like being a vampire and there is a possibility that Ian would hate me. But I still hate Nicholas for it. If Ian dies, he will be gone forever and I can’t bear the thought of it.

Lexi tells him that is enough, just in time to see the ambulance pull in. Minutes later, they are carrying Ian out on a stretcher, and I, once again, try to get out and go see him, but Lexi stops me.

“
Look,” she says. “He is not even all covered up. He is still alive. They will help him.”

I glance at Nicholas and the tough act is gone. He looks truly concerned. Then I look at Lexi. “But he is all alone. I have to be with him.”

Lexi’s tone softens even more. “I know you do,” she says. “We’ll call and check on him, okay? Even if you go with him, I doubt they will let you stay near him for long. Not to mention that you will have to answer questions from the cops.”

I watch as the ambulance drives off.

“
Fine. Let’s just go home okay?”

I know that once we are there I will be able to sneak out.

I’m sure they suspect that is my plan as well.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

As soon as we get home, I walk toward the stairs.

Nicholas is in front of me within seconds. “Not yet, Sarah. What happened?”

I go back and sit on the couch. I decide to tell him the truth. If Ian made it, the cops will ask him what happened; and if he doesn't, Nicholas and Harvey need to know what is happening because I will get revenge. I know Nicholas, at least, will go after the ones who were behind this.