Deceived (Burned Book 2) Read online

  "Did it ever occur to you that I didn't want to be turned? That the risk wasn't worth it to me?"

  His blank look answered my question, the thought had never crossed his mind. His humanity was gone. I meant nothing to him. I was simply a means to an end. A tool to be used as he wished.

  "You left me with no choices, Alejandro. None." Shoving my feet into a pair of sneakers, I glanced at the yoga pants and black t-shirt I'd yanked on in my haste. Perfect. "I knew my only way out was death, either yours or mine."

  I stared at him as he writhed on the bed, blood slickened sheets matted to his body in a tangle of crimson. "If you would have just let me leave…" My voice cracked, a sob trapped in my tightened throat. "I just wanted to leave."

  My only plan was to run, to find Kyra. She and Spencer would keep me safe. She had stayed off his radar this long, maybe she could hide me from the retaliation of the House.

  I sprinted into the living room and grabbed his phone. Dialing Kyra's number from memory, I paced as I waited for the connection. Dread chilled my blood when it went straight to a generic voice mail.

  "Dammit!" I bit out, disappointed tears threatened. My message was clipped, but I stumbled over my words. "Kyra it's Ari. I just stabbed Alejandro." I rushed to the front door, breath coming in strangled gasps. "He's bleeding out in his condo. I'd like to say I wasn't stupid enough to do this without a well thought out plan, but I was. I—Shit!"

  My jaw dropped. I froze in the foyer, my heart pounding. Alejandro's furious eyes stared back as he blocked the front door, his blood dripping onto the floor.

  Chapter Thirty

  I spun left and dashed into the living room. Going where, I didn't know, but I just wanted to put as much distance between me and the furious vampire as I could.

  In a blur of movement, he stood in the doorway to the bedroom. Lips thin, face drawn, his dark eyes watched me like the prey I was. The predatory gleam had me shaking.

  My chest heaved as I struggled to catch my breath. I wiped my sweaty palms on my pants, leaving a streak of wetness in their wake. My eyes darted around the room calculating any avenue of escape.

  I shifted my weight onto my right foot intent on trying for the door again. He noticed the minuscule movement and blocked the front door in a flash. I ran for the kitchen instead, maybe I could grab a knife—something, anything to defend myself. My feet pounded on the hard floor. My lungs convulsed, starved for air as fear tightened my chest. His long stride ate up the distance as he continued to toy with me.

  My foot caught on the kitchen rug. Time slowed as gravity worked against me and I collided with the hard floor. The impact knocked the remaining air from my lungs. Sprawled on the floor, I heard his heavy footfalls behind me. Refusing to give up, to admit defeat, I rolled myself onto my back and scurried backwards.

  "How dare you?" he snarled. Bloody spittle flew from his mouth. His clothes were saturated with it. The copper scent permeated the air. It made my stomach roll and bounce. Breathing through my mouth made it worse; I could taste it in the air.

  My heart sank. There was no hope, no escape. Except one.

  I shoved myself off the floor, my eyes never leaving the hunter in front of me. He corralled me backwards into the living room, ignorant of my new plan.

  There was only one choice left.

  Each step backwards was like a retreat, his eyes flared in triumph. He thought he had me.

  "I gave you everything." The rage on his face transformed him into the monster he really was. The one that hid behind his eyes. "You wanted for nothing. Nothing!"

  He stalked closer, a cat cornering a mouse.

  My palms spread against the glass as my back hit the balcony doors.

  I was trapped—or so it seemed.

  "I'll not allow you a quick death like Daniel." His fangs peered out from his lips as he clicked his tongue, tsking like my act of misbehavior was nothing more than a dog peeing on the carpet.

  "No." An evil grin spread, matching the glint of insanity in his eyes. "You are going to suffer. You're going to beg for me to kill you. How dare you betray me!" The veins bulged on his neck.

  Before he could lunge, I threw the patio doors open. I caught my footing before I tumbled backwards onto the balcony floor. I pivoted for the railing. The metal was firm under my hands.

  My hands shook but I never hesitated. The fall was steep. I'd have a while to think as I tumbled to my painful death, watching the street rush up to greet me. I preferred to die at my own hands, than at his.

  I catapulted myself over the railing, hours in the gym giving me the strength and coordination I needed to clear the railing. I sailed over; the air rushed around me as gravity became my friend and dragged me toward my death.

  I was free. For a brief moment in time I was free from the House, my ambitions, my family, and society's expectations.

  The freedom was fleeting, like holding smoke captive in my hands.

  My neck whipped around as I was jerked backwards. Cruel fingers dug into my shoulder, the grip bruising. Nails bit into my flesh, breaking the skin. Five pinpricks of pain exploded. My shoulder popped as it dislocated with gravity and my momentum fighting against his superhuman grip. He yanked and the movement pulled my body into his.

  I panted with agony and trembled in his hold. His arm clamped around me in a suffocating vice. I was caught.

  "You'll not escape me that way." His blood-tinged breath filled my face. I gagged from the putrid scent. Whatever tortures he had in store for me would be horrible, but I still preferred that hell over being changed.

  His growl reverberated through my body. It was the only warning before he tore into my throat. The virgin flesh yielded easily, his sharp canines slicing through my skin. Blood ran down my neck and pooled in the notch of my collar bone, sticky and warm. The pain was immense, a blinding agony I'd never experienced.

  I screamed, an awful, gut-wrenching sound of horror and defeat. The sound bounced off the glass building and into the dawn, blending with the noise of the early morning traffic below. I screamed while spots danced before my eyes, multiplying until there was nothing left but blackness. I let the numbness take me under, fleeting thoughts sifting through my fingers like ashes.

  At least I tried, I could say that much. I didn't go softly, but raged against the dying of the light. My light.

  My life flashed before my eyes, disappointing and lonely. One filled with poor decisions and selfish motivations. That knowledge ate at me, gnawed at my insides. I had turned a blind eye to the wrongs around me. My weak justifications obvious if I would have examined them in any depth. While I could see the lies of others as clear as I could hear their words, I easily deceived myself. And I would pay for it a thousand fold.

  ***

  I stood in a white hallway. One that stretched onward for an eternity, a stark alabaster tunnel. Curious, I walked forward. My heels clicked on the tile floor, echoing in the endless corridor.

  How had I gotten here? Where was I going?

  I was confused. My brain was a muddled mess. A memory nagged at me, a shadow in the deep recesses of my mind. I needed to remember something, something that lingered in the back of my mind like an itch. But when I struggled to focus, to figure out what it was, I was forced away by a searing agony.

  Panting with the strain, I relented and turned my focus to my second problem—escape. I studied my surroundings as the blank chalky walls dragged on, no change, no art, no doors, just a corridor of white.

  Whispers lured me onward. The words hushed and difficult to decipher. I walked faster, intent on finding them. I wandered for hours, but they were always out of reach. I was lost in the blankness when the first change appeared. In a crisp, clean line the tiles changed from white, to a deep maroon.

  I straddled the line, half my body on white, the other on red. Confusion pulled my brows low. What was this place?

  I continued down the endless hallway, uninterested in turning back to the blank whiteness. The constant beat of my he
els on the tile matched my heartbeat. The voices continued to pull me along.

  Miles of empty halls until I came upon the next change: a single white door blended with the droning white walls. I brushed the firm wood with my fingers, tracing the patterned grain. The whispers called to me from the other side. I pressed my ear against the door, straining to hear beyond the wood. It was solid, the sounds no clearer than before.

  I stared at the shiny bronze knob. Would it be locked? Or would it turn under my hand?

  My heart raced as I considered the answers. I searched down the hall. There were two choices: continue down the endless hall or open the door. The consequences lay heavy on my shoulders. What would happen?

  I closed my eyes, searching within for the answer. My heart wanted to follow the whispers while my anxious mind pursued the threads of possibilities, laying out the path of each one. The pounding heartbeat in my ears had replaced my footsteps. Frustration built, I dragged my fingers through my hair, my nails catching in the tangles.

  "Just do it already," I snapped, my voice loud in the silence.

  I reached out. My fingers closed around the cool metal. It turned easily under my hand. I pulled and the door opened without protest, swinging inward silently. I threw my arm over my eyes and struggled to block the blinding light that radiated from the other side. I hesitated on the threshold, squinting, and waited for my eyes to adjust.

  The whispers continued and beckoned me forward. The ache inside me demanded that I cross the barrier. Unable to see anything beyond the light, I took a deep breath, my lungs expanding with air. I concentrated on the sound of my breath. The repetitious movement was comforting. I took a single step into the room, squinting. The light was dimmed, but I still couldn't see beyond the brightness. Another step and I was fully beyond the barrier.

  The door slammed behind me. Startled, I jumped with the noise. My hand rose to my racing heart. I reached for the knob, but there was nothing there. The door, the wall, it was all gone. In its place a green meadow that stretched as far as the eye could see. Flowers of all color and size were sprinkled haphazardly. The explosion of color was painful after the stark red and white hall.

  The lush grass dipped as the meadow gradually banked at a pond. The clear water was still and inviting. The whispers enticed me closer to the water, luring from the other side.

  I walked to the edge and stopped under a lone tree. The low branches dipped into the water, the hanging leaves shaped like tears.

  "It's a Weeping Willow."

  I gasped and jumped, startled by the voice. I whipped my head around in search of the source. A man sat cross-legged under the tree, resting against the bark. His hair was short, but a long uneven strand fell into cerulean eyes. A familiarity teased my memory, but nothing connected. I rubbed at my chest where a hollow ache gnawed with growing intensity.

  The wind whispered louder, teasing me with promises.

  Lured by the whispers, I turned my back on the man. Dapples of light reflected on the pond. I wanted to immerse myself in the cool depths. The water would wash away the pain.

  I tugged on the lapel of my suit jacket; the fabric felt tight and constraining. My hands closed on air. The jacket was gone. My finely tailored dress suit had been replaced with a delicate dress. The flowing purple fabric moved against my legs with the gentle breeze. Shoes gone, my bare feet dug into the springy grass. The sensation was familiar, a remnant from childhood.

  Tendrils of fear wound around my heart, but my focus was drawn back to the whispers. I stepped forward, inches from the water.

  "Don't." The man's strong command forced my attention.

  "Why not?"

  When he didn't respond, I tore my eyes from the water. He leaned against the trunk, reposed, without a care in the world. His hands toyed with a long blade of grass, running the stalk between his fingers.

  "I'm surprised to see you here." The sigh that he released was heavy with disappointment. The ache intensified. His voice teased my memory.

  The long leaves of the willow swayed in the gentle breeze and caressed my face. A face flashed in my mind, one with sky blue eyes and dark shaggy hair in desperate need of a trim. A jagged pain lanced through my head, banishing the memory.

  I lifted my face to the warmth of the sun and closed my eyes. The pain fled leaving no trace. Peace filled the hollows and soothed the aches in my body, only the giant gaping hole in my chest remained. I couldn't remember the last time I'd felt so relaxed and at peace, if ever.

  I didn't want to remember. I didn't want to lose this feeling of contentment. The whispers resumed their call from the other side of the pond. They whispered promises of peace, of harmony. I'd never worry or struggle again if I'd follow them.

  It was tempting, so tempting. I ached to rest.

  "You need to go back." His voice invaded my harmony.

  My hands clenched into fists. I frowned and spun around. "Can't I just savor the moment?" My voice dripped with acid. It was the same tone I used in the courtroom. The one that made witnesses cower on the stand. "Just shut up a minute and let me enjoy it."

  Wait. Courtroom? I was an attorney. Memories trickled in, accolades, congratulatory celebrations. I was a damn good one too.

  I loosened my fists and my hands trembled. My peace was slipping through my fingers as each memory returned. I struggled to shove them away, to hold onto the elusive contentment.

  The whispers, that's where I'd find peace. I hesitated, searching the bank for a way around the pond. The murmured voices persisted, demanding I follow them.

  "You'll never find a way around the pond. But it doesn't matter, they aren't coming from the other side."

  "What do you mean?" My eyes snapped back to the man. I shook with impatience, knowing if I didn't hurry I'd lose my chance.

  "You can't walk around it because the water doesn't end. The whispers are coming from the water, not from the other side."

  "I need to go into the pond then." The urgency was overwhelming. I stepped forward.

  "That's not what you want." His subdued voice was barely louder than the taunting whispers.

  "How do you know what I want?" Anger simmered my blood. "I want the oblivion the waters promise. I deserve it." Furious at his persistent distractions, I stomped to his feet and glared at him like an annoying bug. I felt the tug of the water behind me, the lure. But I had to give this jerk a piece of my mind first. I opened my mouth, ready to release more venomous words.

  My eyes met his and my heart slammed to a stop. Blue eyes the same shade as the gulf blinked back. Recognition crashed into me. My hand covered my gasp, struggling to keep it from escaping through my shaking fingers. Memories whipped through my mind with a bruising speed.

  "Daniel?" I sobbed.

  His smile was lopsided, his eyes shining with a film of tears. I fell to my knees beside him and held a shaky hand to his face. A face I had last seen pale and lifeless on the floor of Alejandro's office.

  Alejandro. The remaining memories resurfaced, my attempt, my failure. I buried my face in my hands, my tears traced patterns as they trailed down my face.

  "I failed."

  His arms embraced me. Their familiar warmth encased me in a comfort I never thought I'd feel again. The hollow ache in my chest disappeared.

  "You didn't."

  "I betrayed you. I failed as a friend, failed at protecting you, and I failed at avenging you." I sobbed into his soft white shirt, bunching the material in my fists as I held onto him.

  "Shhhh." He rubbed a hand along my back. The slow, circular motion soothing. "You did what you had to. You'll see as the pieces fall into place that they were meant to happen like they did." Putting pressure on my chin, he raised my head and looked deep into my eyes. His thumbs brushed away the wet trails. "I've already forgiven you."

  "I don't understand."

  "You will." His smile only frustrated me further.

  "Why can't you just tell me?"

  His laugh filled the air. My heart sputte
red to life as the sound rejuvenated my soul. I ached to hear it again and again. "I can't tell the future, Ari. I only know what the waters reveal."

  I stared at the water seeing nothing but my reflection. "You are incredibly frustrating."

  "Am I?" He laughed again.

  I pulled him to me, crushing him in a tight hug. It would have cut off his breath if he'd been breathing.

  Oh my God! He wasn't breathing!

  Frantic, I felt my own chest. The breath moved in and out in short bursts as I fought for calm. "Are we dead?"

  "Sort of…"

  My eyes flew wide with shock. I took comfort in the rhythmic beating of my heart.

  "But not exactly," Daniel continued. "We're in Limbo."

  "Limbo, huh?" I scanned the endless field. The flowers and grass moved in a choreographed wave, dancing in the wind. "This seems like a nice place to spend eternity. It's better than the living world." I inhaled Daniel's scent. The familiar leather and citrus filled me with a peace almost as comforting as the one promised by the whispers.

  He pushed me away, his deepening frown caused a fissure of unease to unravel inside me. His expression was serious, focused. "You have to go back."

  "But I'm dead."

  He shook his head. "I'm dead." The sadness I found in his eyes hurt. "You aren't … yet. You still have the choice to return."

  "If you and I are here in Limbo, can't you choose to return?" My voice rose. I fought to keep it steady. I wasn't ready to lose him again.

  My heart splintered into a thousand fragments as his sad eyes met mine. "No." His words were so quiet I hoped I'd imagined them. His next words made it impossible to pretend otherwise. "That was never an option for me." He dragged his fingers through his hair. The listless mohawk flopped to the side, cascading over one eye in a waterfall of white-blond. "I can't go back."

  "Then I'll stay," I rushed out, panic threatening. I crossed my arms, frowning like a petulant child. I had just found him. I refused to leave without him. "Don't you understand? You're all I have! I was miserable without you. Alone." I glared at him from between strands of my red hair, which had fallen in disarray around my face.