Swept Away: The First Bloodline (34 page)

“Where do you live then?  Where is home?” 
Why would you have a house in Missouri if you don’t live there?  That’s ridiculous or are you ridiculously rich and don’t have worry about the financial aspect of having two homes.

“Jarrod and I both live in Montana.  We have a ranch there.  It’s beautiful country.  I shall take you soon.  When we wed, we will live there.” 
Is that a matter of fact or a, you have no choice?
  “It’s a I hope you will live there with me.  Raise the twins on the ranch.  They would love it.  Remember I only asked for two things.  Where we live is really irrelevant, I would terribly miss it though.”

“Well, I, ,,,”  His eyes are bewildered but
she knew he had heard her thoughts.  “Always wanted to see Montana.  Where we live is irrelevant as long as we are together.  I’d follow you anywhere you have to know that.”  She gave him a come hither with her index finger and he was quick to oblige.  The sweet soft touch of his lips to hers.  Brief.  Too brief.  If only she weren’t shattered that was rather apparent as she yawned again.

She snuggled deeper
into her pillow. “Will you have Jarrod do that thing so I don’t wake up fifty billion times?  I just want to sleep all the way through tonight.”  She asked.  She felt his touch as he ran his fingers from her forehead down.  Her eyes fluttered closed.

     Taylor woke to the fresh scent of coffee.  Irish coffee.  With French vanilla crème in it.  She turned, stretching before sitting up on the side of the bed.  She looked at the bedside table and there it sat, all steamy and fresh.

             
She picked it up smiling before sipping it.  After throwing on the robe she noted lying across the foot of the bed, that she was sure meant for her but she had no clue where it came from.  She went looking for Damien to thank him properly. 

             
As she walked down the hall she noticed Liz’s room was open, bed made.  She kept going until she seen her sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee staring out the window into the heavy snow coming down.  Ashley and Zach would have absolutely loved this.  She turned her attention back to her sister who looked worried.  Deep in thought.  Lost even.

Immediately she wanted to know what was going on.  She didn’t worry like she was doing right now.  Not even while they were leaving for Chicago.  It was always like she knew everything was going to be okay and she didn’t dwell on it.   She went with the flow of life.

              “Hey, what’s wrong?”  Taylor brushed the little strip of hair that had fallen across Liz’s eyes. 

             
“They left.  Jarrod said that Michael couldn’t track them so he went after Vivian and that he had her.  That they had to go get her or he would kill her.  What if they don’t make it on time?  What if he kills her?  Will they blame us for bringing them into this?  What will we do if they do blame us? OH MY GOD!  What if they get killed?  I can’t live without him Taylor.  I love him and I won’t live without him.” She burst into tears.

             
“Wait, what do you mean, they went after her?  Who is the hell is Michael?”  Taylor could feel the panic in her voice.  She knew Liz was upset but she couldn’t comfort her right now, she had to stop anything from happening.

“Michael is the name of the vampire after us.  Vivian is their sister or practically anyways.  Michael has Vivian, Taylor.  He was going to kill her.  They went after her to save her.”

              “Where?”  Taylor yelled not meaning to.

             
“Australia. What are we going to do Liz?  We can’t just sit here while they put their lives at risk for us.  Too many people have been hurt because of us.  I won’t let them endanger their lives for us again.  They have already sacrificed enough by losing their parents.  We have to stop this from happening again.”

             
“Ok so what are we going to do then?  How are we going to stop it?”  She perked up waiting for Taylor’s answer.  Truth was she didn’t know what the hell to do.  Go after them.

             
“Did Jarrod get the Tahoe last night like he said he would?”

“Yeah, he went right after I went to sleep.  It’s parked out front.  Why?”

“Get dressed quick, we are going, I think I remember where she lives.  Damien

mentioned something about it last night.” 

              Taylor ran to her bedroom, throwing on her jeans, sweater and a coat.  She had to get there.  But then she worried would they miss them during flight.  Not wanting to waste time, she ran back toward kitchen halting in the hall.

“Liz, I didn’t know we had guests.” 
She spoke slowly to Liz and the man standing next to her.  Her face was pale white and her eyes were filled with tears.  She didn’t say a word.  He was too close to her.  “I’m Taylor and you are?”

             
“Michael.”  She choked back a scream.  He was tall, red hair, skinny, very unattractively dressed in what looked like a cloak.  Everything he wore was colored black.  Just like in the movies. 

             
“Nice to meet you Michael.”  She moved towards Liz slowly.  “We were just on our way out.  Is there something I can do for you or help you with?”

              He moved toward her quickly.  “Stop playing me to be a fool you idiot.  I know you know who I am and I definitely know who you are.  Where is the amulet?”  His eyes turned red.  His accent was thick.  British.

             
“What do you want with it?”  She knew what he really wanted.  Them dead.  Like graveyard dead.

             
“You know that to.  You have no idea how long I have been looking for you two.  We can start with the amulet as I just asked.  I won’t ask again.  Where is it?” She started stepping back slowly as he made his way to her.  Keeping an eye on Liz the entire time.  She knew he was toying with her.  If he were anything like Damien, he would be able to catch in a second.

. 
Just a little bit further please God this has to work.

             
Taylor looked behind her, almost to the hallway. 
Just a few more steps.  Come on.
  I reach the hall.  “RUN LIZ!!!  HE CAN”T GET US BOTH GO GET HELP!!!!”  The minute Liz ran out the door, Taylor ran down the hall locking herself in her bedroom.  She knew she didn’t stand a chance but as long as he was busy with her, Liz could make it to the Tahoe and be gone.

             
She could hear him laughing at her.  His footsteps were heavy and pounded against the floor.  “That’s right run!  I love the smell of fear.” 

             
Taylor climbed out the window taking off.  She turned the corner and she could see the back of the tahoe just before it went out of view.

             
“Thank God!”  She was still running, she couldn’t breathe but something inside her forced her to go.  She didn’t know where she was or where she was headed but she didn’t care.  She just had to run long enough for Liz to get a hold of Damien and Jarrod. 

“Wow!”
  She slipped, rolling down a hill before hearing a smack.  She screamed out in pain before everything around her went completely black.

*****

              She stirred immediately feeling the sharp pain to her forehead.  She reached up feeling the site of the pain.  Her right ankle hurt and ached a dull paining throb.  She tried to open her eyes but they were too heavy.

             
She could hear voices in the distance that she couldn’t make out for the fuzz that was lingering.  The feel of snow was cold against her back and side but it wasn’t cold enough to keep everything around her from going black again.

             
When her eyes finally opened, she knew she had been found.  She wasn’t cold anymore.  She couldn’t feel the snow against her.  She looked around the room.  A heart monitor, she looked down and a BP cuff was still attached to her arm.  Her finger had a pulse ox attached.

Her left hand had an IV.  She looked over seeing only fluids running through it at a slow rate.  She reached up to her forehead and could feel the bandage there.  It didn’t hurt as bad as it had.

             
“What the hell?”  Hands immediately were on hers.  She pulled them back but then when she seen who they belonged to, she relaxed know he was there with her.

             
“You’re in the hospital Sweet.  Take it easy.  I’m here.  Just rest.”  He held her hand in his while caressing it gently.

             
“How did I get here?  I was running from Michael.  Oh my God Damien, Michael he found us.  Where is he?  He wanted the amulet and he was going to kill us!”

             
“Shh.  Its ok your safe now.  I heard you scream.  I knew you needed me.  He left the minute he knew we were there.”  His voice was soft.  Filled with regret.  But from what?

             
“Vivian needed you Damien.  Did you get her?  Is she ok?” 
Please tell me she’s ok.  I don’t think I could handle another person suffering because of me.

             
“She’s safe and sound.  Michael planted the vision in Jarrod.  He set us up.  When we got there, she was fine.  She didn’t even know what was going on.  We took her back to Ramee’s so she would be safe.  I never thought he would have done what he did.  I thought you were safe.  He took off as soon as we got back.”

             
“It’s ok.  Oh my GOD LIZ!.  I told her to run for help.  She ran.  I know she made it to the Tahoe.  I got to see her heading down the hill when I was running from him right before I fell down the hill.”  She watched his eyes darken and fill with sadness.  “What, what’s wrong?  Oh my God did he get, he did, ok.  It’s ok.  We gotta get her.  Come on, we can get her back.”  Taylor went to sit u but his hand gently held her in place. 

             
“She was in an accident.  She was driving too fast and slid off the road over turning multiple times.”  His voice ended in a whisper.

             
“Ok, is she ok?  Is she hurt?  Take me to see her.” 
Please take me.  Don’t tell me she’s dead.

             
“She’s not dead.  Sweet she’s hurt bad.  She’s in ICU.  Jarrod hasn’t left her side.”

             
“How bad?”  A million different injuries started running through her head. 

             
“Bad Sweet.  I don’t quite understand it and I don’t want to make it worse by trying to repeat what he said.  The doctor said he will see you when you’re ready.”

             
“I want to see her now.  Have him meet me at bedside.” She shoved his hand away from her and stood feeling some soreness in her ankle.  She didn’t think about it again as her only priority was to get to Liz now and see how bad she was really hurt.  She reached over the counter.  She grabbed a 4x4, shut the pump off, and took out her IV. Holding the gauze in place as she left.

Following the signs
she made her way to ICU.  When she finally made it, Damien was right there beside her.  She slowly reached out to hit the button to the door, watching as her fingers trembled.  They were bruised and scratched up.  She had dirt under her nails.  No doubt from the fall.  She reached over putting some of the hand sanitizer in the dispenser on them and quickly rubbed it in.

             
Then taking a deep breath, she pressed the button.

             
“Can I help you?”  A voice on the other end spoke to her.

             
“I’m Taylor James.  I’m here to see my sister Liz….”  The woman on the other cut her off.

             
“We have been expecting you Ms. James.  Door is open come on in.”  The door buzzed. 

             
Slowly she started putting one foot in front of the other.  Damien’s hands on her shoulders, guiding her where to go.  She kept her eyes straight in front of her no wanting to see in the doors.  His fingers halted her movement.

             
“To your right.”  He whispered. Taylor could hear his voice crack.

             
She turned watching as Jarrod held Liz’s hand.  A very swollen hand.  She gasped as she got her first look at her.  She didn’t even look like Liz.  Her face was bruised and swollen severely.  Intubated, blood hanging, foley bag in place with a minute amount of dark urine. 

              Taylor walked slowly to her bed.  She looked up at the bags hanging and running through Liz’s central line.  Dopamine and normal saline. 
That can’t be.  There should be more if she’s hurt bad.

             
“Mrs. James.”  Taylor startled by the male voice.  A man stood in the doorway, she quickly know he was the Doctor.

             
“Yes.  Call me Taylor please.”

             
“I’m Dr. Netherland.  I’m the attending in charge of your sister’s care.  I was actually here last night when they brought her in.”

             
“How is she?” 
Tell me.  Tell me something.