Destiny's Revenge (Destiny Series - Book 2) (22 page)

I grabbed the door handle and jerked it, the handle coming off in my hand. I reached into the locking mechanism and unsecured the latch. I swung the door open and there was Max lying on the bed glaring at me. I was right not to let this wait until morning.

Max’s voice was monotone, “Great, something else for me to fix.”

“I’ll fix it. I think you’re pissed off at me when I didn’t do anything to deserve it. I need to talk to you.”

“Okay Super-girl, what would you like to talk about?”

“Why are you so angry with me?”

“I don’t know, Lauren, take your pick. Seth holding your hand in our living room was just icing on the cake. How about that you slept with Samael? How about that I had to be rescued by my girlfriend? How about that I deserted you when you needed me most, or the fact that I wasn’t there to protect you in the first place? Seth was right, you know? If I really loved you I never would have left. I would have stayed no matter how bad it hurt to see you like that. But I didn’t.” I moved closer to put my arms around him, but he pulled away from me.

“You missed Gramp’s funeral. You missed it because I couldn’t keep you safe. The whole time I kept looking out over gravestones to see you. I thought you’d come. Then it hit me. You weren’t there because you were afraid. I was more upset about you not being there than I was about putting Gramps in the ground.”

My voice was shaky, my eyes were clouded with tears, and all I could say was, “I’m sorry.”

“Great, you’re sorry. I did the only thing I could think of, I found Samael. I told him he could do whatever he wanted - to me, so long as he stopped trying to hurt you. My last ditch effort to try to save you - what a joke! That was a nightmare, but I was perfectly okay living it because I thought you’d finally be safe. Then he told me he spent the night with you, and I nearly came unglued.”

I cut in, “I thought he was you. I didn’t know.”

An icy voice responded when he said, “Yeah, sucks that you can’t tell the difference. Once he had bedded you, the next thing I know you’re rescuing me and you have some super human strength. I’m glad you aren’t scared anymore. I’m glad you don’t need me anymore. But here’s the real kicker, I don’t need you anymore either.”

Max rolled onto his side as I stood frozen. I couldn’t reach out to him. I didn’t want to. My heart felt like it had been ripped from my chest. Tears streamed down my face, and pain, real pain grabbed hold of me. I turned away and walked back down the hall. I didn’t take any clothes or anything, just picked up my keys, my wallet and Peanut’s leash. I left that night, finally understanding what Rewsna had said when she told me that my destiny had been altered. Peanut and I went to the little rented house I had in the middle of nowhere. I couldn’t collect my thoughts. In my final stand against the Beast, I had lost the only thing that I had been living for.

Max.

I heard the front door close behind her. I knew the hurt look she gave me and could see that she would never forgive me. I stood up from the bed to look out the window. The gravel hadn’t yet settled from her departure. She really was gone.

To think three days ago I would have done anything, said anything, or killed anyone to make sure she was okay. In the last five minutes I just hurt her more than Samael ever did, probably more than he ever could. I couldn’t bring myself to go after her, that would be weak and it wouldn’t make things any better for her. The ache in my chest would eventually go away. I couldn’t take the chance on being with her, not now, maybe not ever.

It’s funny how there are times when wanting someone to be safe is worth more than your own existence, worth enough to make a deal with the devil himself. The thought of Samael made my skin crawl, but I sought him out anyway.

Lauren meant more to me than my own life. I knew from the start when she told me we were destined for each other that she wasn’t just using artistic words or being overly dramatic. I have become so in tune with her that when she
watches
me through her special powers, I can actually feel her presence. After she had run away from Gramps, Benny, and me, I knew she was still looking in on me. I could feel Lauren watching me; every time she did, I could feel a wave of heat rush over me. Not heat like a fire, but the heat shining on you on a cool morning after the sun breaks through the clouds to give warmth to everything it touches.

After she took off from Gramps’ house, I must have left her forty voice messages asking her to come home. She never returned one. She never came back. I thought if I went back to my house she’d see me there, see our life that we had tried to build, and just walk through the door. I could feel her watching, but she never came back. After a week it felt like the walls were closing in on the house. I knew I couldn’t wait another day, not another hour. I needed to do something to bring her home - anything.

Samael had been by the house with some private investigator story. He left his business card. Rewsna had told me to watch out for him so I knew to play dumb at the time. The idea was that if he didn’t know I was onto him he might give up his hunt for Lauren. His card set on my kitchen counter for days. I ran through all the possible scenarios: killing him, framing him for a crime of some kind, I even considered trying to get help from Rewsna and the Council she had talked about. But in the end, I did nothing and just kept his card there on the counter, knowing that the Beast had only one mission in life - to find and to finish off the woman that I loved.

She wouldn’t come home to me, she wouldn’t call, and it seemed like she was checking in on me less and less. Finally I had an idea, hair-brained at best, but I owed Lauren and had to do this for her. I grabbed Samael’s card and called him. “It’s Max. I think I have some information that might help you find Lauren. Can I meet you somewhere?”

Samael offered to come to my house, but I declined and told him I’d meet him in his office building downtown. The entire drive to him I argued with myself about the insanity of my plan, but when I left my truck in the garage, I knew this was the right thing. I couldn’t do anything for Lauren while she was in hiding. Gramps’ funeral had been the day before. When she didn’t come, I knew she was too scared. I couldn’t do anything to stop Samael’s attack nearly three years ago, I didn’t do anything for her while she was in a coma, and I almost lost her when she was staying with me this time. My only option was to meet this guy head on, do whatever I could do to get him to leave her alone.

I stepped through the door. Samael’s charm had evaporated when his eyes met mine. He eyed me suspiciously. We stood sizing each other up, until he finally said, “Shall we go on with this charade that you want to help me find Lauren, or are you going to tell me why you are really here?”

I took a deep breath, straightened my back, and said in as manly a tone as I could muster, “I want you to leave her alone. I’ve come to offer myself to you. You can do anything you want to me, but I want this thing between you and her to end now.”

Samael cocked his head for a minute as if studying me, then chuckled at me, “What makes you think I want anything from you?”

“She’s a good person. She’s never done anything to hurt anyone. She can’t see her friends or her family, she can’t have a normal life because she’s sure you’re going to find her and hurt her again. I want it to stop. I’ll take anything you dish out, I just don’t want her involved anymore.”

“Interesting. You really came here without a weapon of any kind, didn’t you? You must think that we are somehow equals and you can reason with me?”

“No, Sir, I don’t, but I came here to make a deal with you. You do whatever you want to me, you leave her alone. You give me your word and I’ll give you mine. I would never give my word if I weren’t willing to back it up.”

“So in essence, if no harm comes to Lauren, you will submit to me? You will willingly give yourself to me?”

“I will.”

“Max, that is the most intriguing deal I have ever been offered.” His voice went from creepy to sinister and he continued, “I accept. You have my word that I will not hurt Lauren. In return, you will be indentured to me.” He paused, eyeing me cautiously. “You realize what this means, yes?”

“I know what it means. What do you want me to do?”

“Step this way.” Samael led me through a set of double doors into what looked like an old time vault. “You’ll have to forgive the accommodations, Max. I wasn’t expecting you to make this offer, or I would have had something a little more suitable.”

I stepped into the vault, praying that Lauren was watching right now. She could know for sure she was safe. I didn’t feel the warmth of her gaze and had to assume that she wasn’t. I hoped it wouldn’t take her long to figure out she didn’t have to look over her shoulder anymore. She could have a normal life again.

“Go ahead and make yourself at home. I’ll see what I can scrounge up for food. I’ve got to go run some errands; I hope you don’t mind keeping yourself company.” Samael shut the door and all light disappeared. I could hear a ventilation system kick on yet could see nothing. It was pitch black; no furniture, no shelves, nothing. I eased myself on to the floor alone with my thoughts and, as always, they turned to Lauren.

Hours passed. Samael didn’t return. I lay on the floor in the darkness second guessing my decision. I knew Samael was some kind of creature. What was his word worth? Would he really keep it? What could I do if he didn’t? How would I ever know if Lauren were okay? More hours passed: I was really locked up in a vault. I began tapping the sides of the wall: all four were solid. I couldn’t reach the ceiling, and there was nothing I could prop myself up with. The silence was deafening. Just when I thought I could take no more, I heard his footsteps.

Samael opened the door, and the light burned my eyes. I threw my arms up over my eyes to keep from being blinded. “Oh, Max, sorry. I know exactly how that feels. Well, maybe not exactly. I was once forced into a cave without light for years. You’ve only been here a few hours. Has the madness set in yet? If not, I promise you it is something to look forward to. Even today I cannot stand to be in dark places for long.” Samael’s smile was evil, and I knew he thought of me more as a toy than any kind of adversary. He handed me two boxes. One was full of food and water. The second was a camping commode. “Don’t let it be said that I don’t take care of my own.” Samael stepped back through the door and locked me in my own dark cave. I could hear his muffled voice through the door, “Max, enjoy your evening. I’ll check in on you in a day or so.”

I methodically removed the packaging and placed the commode in the farthest corner, then felt through the box of food and water. I had hoped to find a flashlight, candle, something, but there was nothing. I tried to be grateful for the food. I could feel a warmth take over me and could feel Lauren watching. My heart began to race and my hands were sweating.

I wanted to call out to her to tell her she was safe, that I had made a deal and no harm would come to her. I knew if I spoke she could hear me, but what could I say? She would be furious with me if she knew I had gone to Samael and asked for him to leave her alone and traded myself in the process. Her warmth enveloped me, and I savored those precious minutes. I ran through different things to tell her, but in the end I decided to remain quiet. If she didn’t know I could feel her presence, maybe she would check on me more often. If she knew where I was, she might try to get me out. I didn’t want her to put herself in danger trying to break me free from a prison I willingly stepped into. After several minutes a chill came back over the air, and I knew she was gone.

I wept. In my heart I believed my arms would never hold her again, I’d never feel the smoothness of her skin, see the light in her eyes, or feel the love of her touch. I didn’t begrudge that knowledge because I had also seen fear in her eyes and seen danger through her senses. This deal I had made with Samael ensured she would never have to feel those things again. I had made the right choice, I just had to live with it now.

There was no concept of time. The water was gone. The food was gone. I was alone in the dark. My mind began playing tricks on me. I’m sure I must have slept, but my conscious and subconscious were moving in unison. My thoughts of Lauren were jumbled up. I could no longer tell when she was watching me and when I was truly alone. I began to believe that Samael had left me to die. It felt like days since he had brought me the supplies. I felt a warm glow but couldn’t be sure Lauren was near. I had felt so many emotions since the last time I saw the light. Love didn’t seem to be in my vocabulary; I felt rage. I was sure I heard footsteps but Samael never opened the door. Someone was outside the door, but wouldn’t open it.

I summoned all my strength and yelled , “You son-of-a-bitch, where are you? I know you’re out there. You think sliding me food and water and staying hidden in the darkness will save you? Scared of a fair fight are you? Show yourself. I’ll rip your throat out myself.”

I was right, Samael was right outside when he replied, “Those are pretty tough words for someone who begged to be locked up, begged me to leave Lauren alone. You know I saw her last night.” My heart skipped a beat then pumped hard in my chest. Adrenaline coursed through me, and I tasted the hate I felt.

“You’re a liar. You said you would stay away from her. You gave me your word that if I came quietly you’d never hurt her again.”

“Well, that is a bit of a tricky situation. You see, I never meant to do her any harm, but it turns out I can shift into a pretty convincing Max. She took care of me, cleaned and dressed my wounds, offered to run away with me, and, oh, that’s right, she shared my bed last night.” I gripped the wall to steady myself as I envisioned the two of them in the throws of passion. My deepest love intertwined with my tormentor. I wanted him dead, more than dead – I wanted his existence erased.

“That isn’t possible. She would never believe that you were me. She can see through you. She can tell when you are within fifty feet of her, and I guarantee if you ever got within fifty yards, she would put a five inch hole through your chest. Keep talking, Samael. The more you lie to me the stronger you’ll make me.”