Chapter 23
Adam drove the twenty miles to meet Angelina. He was feeling pretty nervous, which was a new emotion for him when it came to girls. Tonight she had wanted to double date with her friend Debbie and her boyfriend.
Pulling up to the restaurant, he spotted his Angel right away. His eyes moved from her to her friends.
“Okay time to man up.” He flicked off the lights and cut the engine. “You’ve done the double dating before minus the fangs and crazy vampire shit. You got this.” After his pep talk to himself he made his way toward them and all his nervousness vanished at the smile his Angel greeted him with.
“Hey.” She smiled shyly, taking his hand in hers.
“Hey.” He replied, staring down at her not caring he was ignoring her friends at the moment. He wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms, take her somewhere they could be alone.
“You remember Debbie and her boyfriend Dale from school?” Angelina broke the uncomfortable silence.
“Ah yeah.” Adam smiled tight lipped in an effort to hide his fangs. He honestly didn’t remember them.
“Hi.” Debbie gave a half smile sizing him up. The look in her eyes clearly stated she found him lacking.
“I watched you play football.” Dale stared into his one golden eye as if hypnotized. “Didn’t you get a full ride to Penn State?”
“Yeah, but things didn’t turn out.” Adam said politely, wanting to edge the subject in a different direction.
“Man, sorry about that.” Dale replied with a frown. “You were damn good.”
“Thanks.” Adam nodded, glancing to the door of the restaurant. “Never eaten here before. They got good food?”
“You eat food?”
“Debbie!” Angelina frowned at her friend.
Debbie held her hands up. “Sorry, but I’ve never met a vampire before.”
“It’s okay.” Adam forced himself to smile down at Angelina. “Haven’t met a steak I didn’t like.”
Dale laughed, patting him on the back as they headed into the restaurant. “That makes two of us buddy.” Dale opened the door for them all. “So let’s get in there and do some damage. I’m starved.”
The whole dinner was uncomfortable with Angelina trying to keep up conversation that included Adam, but it always came back to him being a vampire.
“Man, I gotta ask.” Dale pushed his plate away. “What’s it like. I mean to have all that power has to be awesome.”
“Honestly I would rather be playing football at Penn State.” Adam replied. “This isn’t something I wanted. I was ready to go to college.”
“Why is one of your eyes yellow?” Debbie grimaced as if it disgusted her.
Angelina reached under the table grabbing his hand. She looked at him with an apology in her eyes. “I’m a half-breed.” When he saw the confused look on their faces he sighed. “Half vampire, half human.”
“What does that mean?” Debbie frowned, her tone bitchy. “I mean do you have to have blood or…”
“It doesn’t mean anything.” Angelina broke in shooting Debbie a nasty look. “Adam’s been working with the Vampire Warriors. He was at the fairgrounds…”
“Oh shit!” Dale laughed cutting in. “You’re the one who threw Hank Ross off the Ferris Wheel.”
Adam smiled sticking his hand out for the high five Dale was wanting to give him.
“Man I would of loved to have seen that.” Dale leaned back a huge grin on his face. “Hank is such an a*shole.”
“It was definitely a bright spot in my night.” Adam grinned then winked down at Angelina who rolled her eyes, but grinned right back.
“So you’re going to be a Warrior?” Dale took a sip of his drink.
Adam shrugged his shoulder. “That’s the plan.”
“That’s freaking amazing.” Dale looked awestruck turning his attention to Debbie. “Isn’t that amazing babe?”
“Yeah…amazing.” Debbie replied cocking an eyebrow, still staring at Adam.
“We better get going. We’re going to be late for the movie.” Angelina grabbed the bill, but Adam snatched it from her.
“I got this.” Adam grinned wanting to kiss the frown off her face.
“I got the movie then.” Her tone was final.
Adam leaned close. “Don’t think so.” He finally kissed her softly. “This is a date. You’re my date…beautiful.”
Angelina blushed and stood. “I’ll be back. You guys go ahead and I’ll meet you at the door.” She looked at Debbie. “You want to come.”
“No, I’m good.” Debbie smiled, grabbing her bag. She waited for Angelina to leave before turning her attention on Adam. “So what’s your game Adam?”
Adam had stood to get his wallet out of his pocket and froze. “There is no game.” His tone was hard. He knew what she was talking about because he could read her without even getting into her mind.
Slipping her purse on her shoulder she put her hand on her cocked hip. “Come on.” She snorted. “Is she the only one who will give you the time of day since you became….whatever the hell you are?”
“That’s a little harsh Debbie.” Dale frowned, glancing around uncomfortable.
“Harsh? I’ll tell you what’s harsh. Watching your best friend cry every day after school for years, going to every dance in hopes to get a simple glance from some guy who doesn’t even know she’s alive or how about watching her cheer the loudest at his every football game only to have him walk past her without a glance.” Debbie shot both Dale and Adam a nasty glare. “No Dale, that wasn’t harsh. Harsh is going to be watching her get her heart broken again.”
Adam felt like someone sucker punched him in the stomach. Never would he have thought his Angel had suffered so much because of him. To think he had caused her that kind of pain almost brought him to his knees. He kept his eyes straight ahead as Debbie and Dale walked past him to pay their bill, Dale giving him a manly comfort pat on the back.
“We ready?” Angelina returned, her smile making her eyes sparkle.
Looking down at her he wondered if Debbie was right. He couldn’t live with the thought that he had hurt her in the past. To think he would do it in the future would kill him. He loved her, but did he love her enough to walk away?
********
Pam grabbed her stuff off the kitchen table as quietly as she could. She was late already and wanted to get out before Kenny woke up.
“Where are you going?” His deep voice stopped her cold.
“I have to go get fitted for my dress.” Pam’s voice held strong. “I’ll be back soon.”
“Make sure you are.” He came up behind her, his hands cupping her hips pulling her back against him. “We have some things to take care of.” He grinded his hardness into her ass.
Nausea gripped her stomach fighting its way to the back of her throat. “I have to go into the office.”
“It’s Sunday.” He growled into her ear. “Stop putting this off Pam. I’ve warned you what would happen to your friends if you fight me.”
Pam pretty much hated herself for the weakness his words caused her. She hated what she had done, what she had to do. “I’m not fighting you Kenny.” She tried to keep the hatred out of her voice. “I have to take care of a few things and then I’ll be…back.” She couldn’t call this place home, not anymore. It was her hell.
He continued to grind into her. “You have such a sweet ass.” He nuzzled her neck, his hand slowly moved from her hip across her flat stomach making its way to her breast.
“I’m going to be late Kenny.” She bit her lip to keep from crying out in pain when he squeezed her breast with a cruel twist.
“You are on my time bitch.” He pinched her nipple hard. “If I say you don’t go…you don’t go.”
Pam actually threw up in her mouth from the pain, the nightmare of what he had done to her the last time made her force it back down. “If I don’t go Nicole will get suspicious.”
The pressure on her breast let up. “She’s a nosy bitch.” Kenny grunted. “I can’t wait to get a piece of her.”
Anger crossed Pam’s face, but she kept her mouth closed. No way in hell would she ever let the son of bitch hurt Nicole. “I’ve got it under control Kenny, but you have to let me go. The more I’m not around the more they ask questions.”
“F*cking Warriors, think they’re better than everyone else.” He reached around unsnapping her jeans. “We’re going to show them whose better, aren’t we babe?” His hand slipped into her jeans.
A single tear slipped from Pam’s eye as she squeezed them tight. “Yeah, we’re going to get them….” She prayed to God her voice sounded convincing.
Her words triggered what she knew they would trigger. He roughly grabbed her hair to keep her in place as he pushed her pants to her knees, slammed her over the table and plunged into her dryness with a forceful thrust. In his need of self-fulfillment he didn’t pay attention to her grunts of pain as he thrust into her over and over again. “We are going to have it all.” His words timed to his thrust. “With the Warriors dead, especially that arrogant f*ck Duncan Roark, nothing will stop us from being on top.”
Out of the corner of her eye she saw a syringe, the needle long with a glistening bead at the end. She struggled, but it was no use. He was too strong. The needle stung her arm. “Kenny please…no.” Her voice rose with each word.
Pam rode out the storm biting her tongue, lip and inside of her mouth to keep from screaming. With one last hard thrust that nearly pushed her off the table, he finished and abruptly pulled out of her, smacking her hard on the ass. With shaky arms she pushed herself off the table feeling wetness sliding down her legs, but was afraid to look. The last time he had taken her like that she had bled for a week.
He grabbed her ponytail, jerking her around roughly. “Make sure you’re back early.” He lifted his hand toward her cheek laughing when she flinched, then patted her cheek hard.
She looked up into his mismatched eyes, one gold…one brown and hated him with such a passion it made her ill. “What was in that syringe?”
His golden eye started to glow as he looked down at her. For a long while he didn’t answer, but then a grin full of such evil broke across his lips. “I don’t answer to you. Get the f*ck out of here.” He hissed, grabbing her ponytail again yanking hard enough to bring tears to her eyes. “Don’t forget my warning. You breathe one word about anything, the people you care about will die a slow painful death and the Warriors will not be able to save you.”
Surprised her legs held as she walked out the door, she raced to the bushes at the side of the house barely making it before she threw up. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she eyed Kenny on the phone through the window and vowed she would kill him. She knew what was in the syringe and she prayed to God it didn’t work. Slowly she looked down, her hand already on her stomach as the bile rose to her throat again.
Turning toward her car she unlocked it, threw her stuff in the passenger seat and took off. She had to get the smell of him off her before she got sick again, but a glance at the clock on the radio made her groan. She was going to be so late, but she couldn’t show up like this. She had to shower. Spotting the warehouse in the distance she clicked on her turn signal and prayed no one was there yet.
Relief hit her when she turned into the empty parking lot. Jared had given her and Nicole a key weeks ago for them to open up if warriors were ever late for training. Parking in the shadows she jumped out, ran around to her trunk and rummaged through the junk to find the small bag of extra clothes she always had packed. If Kenny ever found it he would kill her, but she had it hidden well underneath tons of stuff she kept in there for a decoy, stuff Kenny wouldn’t even look at twice. Closing the trunk, she looked around to make sure she didn’t miss any cars then headed across the parking lot clicking the lock button on her car. The beep echoed in the empty parking lot.
Slipping the key, in she turned again to make sure no one had pulled in, turned the key and slipped inside. It was pitch black, but she didn’t want to turn on any lights. She just needed soap and water, then she would be out with no one the wiser. Opening her cell phone she used the light to find her way to the showers.
Setting her stuff down Pam reached in turning on the shower, adjusting the water to scalding. As fast as she could she ripped her clothes off using the light from her phone to check for blood. She wasn’t surprised to find the smears on her underwear. Without thought to the temperature she stepped under the steaming water in a desperate attempt to wipe everything she had endured from her skin. Dunking her head underneath she squeezed her eyes shut, wishing she could do the same for her memories. Pressing her forehead against the cool tile she let the scalding water beat down on her, not really feeling the burn. She was numb.
Her tear swollen eyes spotted a pair of scissors on the small ledge where the soap and shampoo sat. Reaching over she gripped them tightly just staring at them. How easy it would be just to end everything now, but she wasn’t a coward. Kenny had her for now, but she knew in time, if she could stay alive, she would see him put away for life or dead. Either one would be fine with her.
Reaching back, she grabbed her ponytail pulling it out from her head. She had always loved her hair, but having it used as a tool to control her was going to come to an end….tonight. With a sense of power she slowly brought the scissors to the back of her head and like a mad woman started hacking at the bunched up hair.
As if in a dream she brought the hair, still in the pony tail, in front of her in one hand and the scissors in the other. The first thought that flashed through her mind was Nicole and how pissed she was going to be when she saw her long hair gone before the wedding. A small smile tipped Pam’s lips, laughter escaped her trembling lips. Before she knew what was happening sobs racked her body so hard her legs gave out. Her knees hit the tile, but she didn’t feel the pain as her body folded into itself…..her pony tail still clasp tightly in her hand.