Retribution

chapter TWO

Every muscle ached. Denver’s legs and thighs started to spasm when she stepped into the parking garage. Denver hadn’t had time to grab anything and now she regretted it. But knowing she couldn’t go back, her eyes scanned the darkened slots. A knot loosened low in her gut when she spotted her friend’s car. Laura had made employee of the month and with that came a parking spot next to the entrance and damn close to the elevator. Now she prayed Laura had left her keys under the mat which she usually did. On many occasions she’d argue with her about doing it. Now she was glad she didn’t listen.

Balancing Reed against the side of the car, she opened the door and plopped his body in. She had to stop for a second and make sure he was breathing. His body was still hot but it had a stillness to it that was unsettling, dead like. She’d seen it before, many times in the hospital. Death had a way of creeping into patient’s rooms and stealing their life without anyone knowing it. This is how he looked now. Placing a hand on the center of his chest, she felt the pounding of his heart under her palm. Relieved, she ran to the driver side, hopped in and reached down to search under the mat for the keys. She let out a relieved breath when her fingers brushed over them, brought them up and started the car.

It grunted, sputtered and stopped.

“Oh come on.” Her fingers tightened on the keys and tried again.

Nothing.

She blew out a breath and closed her eyes. Her body jerked back as she remembered Laura telling her the starter needed work and the only way she could get the car to start these days was to turn the key slowly but firmly as she patted the gas at the same time. Denver closed her eyes and prayed. Wiping her hand down the side of her thigh, she grabbed the key and turned. The engine coughed and then jerked into a purr.

She backed out of the slot, shifted and hit the gas. Damn. A man. No, not just any man, but one of the men they were running from stepped out of the shadows and right in front of the car. If she hadn’t been so alert, she would have veered the car to the side and hit the wall. Hearing Reed’s grunted moan gave her other intentions. She pressed her foot on the gas harder. If she died that day, she was going to take the man with her.

He drew up a gun and pointed it directly at the car, directly at Reed. The sound of gun blast hit her senses seconds before the bullet hit the side of the car. Too close for comfort. Reed’s eyes opened and he straightened his body with a jerk.

“Stay down.” As she sped toward the man, he jumped out of the way and rolled between other parked cars. “Stay the hell down!”

More gunfire rang out and the ping of bullets hitting the rear of the car made her jump. Another bullet hit the rear window, shattering it into a million pieces that rained down across their bodies. She didn’t stop for the gate to rise at the end of the lot. The car plowed through, breaking it in half. People yelling, cars slamming on breaks and squealing to a stop were only distant memories compared to the sound of bullets ringing past her head.

****

Denver drove until the brightness of the sun began to itch and burn the surface of her skin. She’d have to find safe harbor soon before she pulled the top layer of her skin off with her nails. The ultraviolet rays zapped the energy from her body in pools. Not knowing where to go, she turned onto the highway and drove toward the shore. She could get there in less than two hours if she pushed it. She dared to steal a look in the rearview mirror and then to the passenger side of the car. Reed still sat, his eyes closed, his breathing ragged. Pain furrowed between his brows even in his unconscious state.

What was it about this man? She didn’t know him from Adam but in a split second he’d awakened something low in her gut she hadn’t felt in years. Raw need and hunger clawed at her senses. Reaching over, she lightly touched her fingers to the side of his face, slid them down the cheek. He moaned but didn’t awaken. Bringing her hand back, she blew out a breath and tried to concentrate on driving and finding the beach house.

She’d used it before, many times and knew it was vacant. An old family friend gave her permission to use it anytime she so desired. Good. She could have the house for months if she so desired and right now, this very second, that is what she needed. Hidden solitude, a refuge, a place where they could hide and Reed could heal. What came next they’d figure out later.

Time ticked by, but before she knew it she was turning into the long driveway. Huge bushes that were in much need of trimming lined the drive, almost shielding it from the outside world. She slowed to a halt, jumped out the car and in one quick motion slid the garage door up and out of the way. She tromped back to the car and drove the car into the garage and out of sight. At least now, if anyone was looking for them, they wouldn’t see the car.

The thought of people searching for her pummeled her brain. Her life as she knew it was over. She’d never be able to go back. Glancing over at Reed, she wondered who the men were that were trying to kill him. What did he do? Maybe he was the crazy one? She hadn’t thought of that.

She hadn’t thought. That too was new. Everything was plotted out for her. Her life could easily be a well scripted book. She didn’t like surprises and not once did she question those men. Immediately doubt surfaced in her mind. Certainly they would have shown some sort of identification if they were cops or the feds… wouldn’t they?

Her heartbeat pounded and competed with the throbbing in her head. She shivered inwardly and tried to push back the images of Reeds battered, beaten and broken body as it was carried into the hospital. What person does that to another? Would they do the same to her or just kill her quick for helping him?

“Stop.” She mumbled to herself. She dragged her hand roughly across her mouth as she sucked in a breath of air, easing the tightness in her chest. Now was not the time to worry about it, to second guess her actions. It was too late to change what she’d done. Too late to go back. Too late for a lot of things.

Reed stirred in his seat, dragging her back to the here and now. She needed to get him out of the car and into the house. She was so tired. The sun constantly zapped her energy and the longer she stayed awake, the worse it got. She pushed her door open, stepped around to his side and opened his door.

Leaning into the car, she touched her hand to his forehead, sliding her fingers along the jaw line and around to the back of his neck. “Okay, Reed. I’m going to need you to help me.” One quick tug and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and using her body as a counter weight, pulled him from the car and at the same time lifted him to her shoulder.

Between gritted teeth and puffs of air, she took one step and then another, each one bringing her closer to the safety of the house. The muscles in her legs, back and arms burned with each step.

“Only a little further.” She choked out more to herself, knowing he couldn’t hear her. Or at least she didn’t think he could.

****

Denver laid Reed on the one bed in the house, his breath grunting out as he hit the mattress. All she could do was stand at the side of the bed and stare down at him. His breathing was erratic. His eyes clenched tightly together with evidence of pain etched between his brows.

“Sorry, I don’t have anything to give you for the pain.” She apologized, not really expecting him to answer.

After a minute she turned, grabbed a blanket that was heavy in her fatigued hands and fanned it open across his body. Now all she had to do was wait. Wait for him to wake up. Hoping when he did he’d be better, she pivoted, grabbed the rocking chair from the corner and dragged it next to the bed. She’d sleep and watch.

Darkness engulfed her body as soon as she closed her eyes. The nightmares quickly followed. They only came now when she was overly exhausted or afraid. This time she was both. People running. People screaming. The walls painted red with blood and tears. She’d had the dream before, years ago when the hunters killed her parents. When her sister was captured, beaten, raped and slaughtered. That’s the only way she could describe it since they cut her open and ripped out her innards after feasting on her blood and heart. A ritual of some sort. A ritual to cleanse the earth of the impure.

Even in her sleep the tears fell from her eyes, saturating her face, pulling a moan from her throat. She hated the sleeping more now than ever. It wasn’t as bad when she slept at night. She could pull herself from the nightmare and the horror. However, when she slept during the day, the sun was so strong it wouldn’t allow her to awaken until her body was totally regenerated, totally sated with the need to sleep no more. Now all she could do was whimper and succumb and pray.

****

“Shush, sweet one.” Reed heard his brain say when the cries penetrated his senses. “I’ll protect you.” He tried to push up but he couldn’t bear the pain.

He’d heard her talking to him, telling him to be still, to be quiet, to hurry up and get well, but he couldn’t respond. The pain was too much. He smelled her now. She was different. Not like the other ones. Not like the ones who hunted and haunted him, the ones who’d killed his family. The ones who’d kicked him with steel toed boots and hit him with metal bats and cut him with rusty jagged knives. Each assault was worse than the one before. They’d strapped him to the wall and worked on killing him for three days. They laughed he was the last so they were going to enjoy it. They wanted to savor the destruction of a race. But he’d fooled them. He had refused to die. He may not be as pure as his brother but he was Lycan. His healing ability was fierce. Silver didn’t kill him like his ancestors, only slowed him down, and the only way a bullet would take his life would be if it were through the heart or head.

But they didn’t know that. They thought clubbing and kicking would kill. If he survived the fever raging through his body, if he survived at all, he’d show them what would kill. And he’d gladly do it with his bare hands and teeth. Retribution would be his and he’d savor every second.

He refused to die before he had the chance to kill them, before he sought revenge on the ones who claimed they were purifying the earth of the filthy. He wasn’t dirty. They were and when he finished with them, his body, mind and spirit would be sated with their blood.

A sigh escaped from between his gritted teeth. He drew in a deep breath, trying to not grunt with the discomfort but couldn’t. Every nerve ending, every muscle, every bone pulsed with pain. And then he heard it. Her words were just a mere whisper in his ear. Soft. Warm. Only to be replaced with cries of anguish. Cold. Hard.

Struggling to make sense of what was happening to him, he pried his eyes open. Shadows danced around the room reminding him of ghosts around a bon fire. Sucking in several deep breathes and blowing them out, he turned his head toward the subtle noise fracturing the silence in the room. His gaze settled on the silhouette reclined in the chair. Everything flooded back into his mind. Being beaten. The hospital. The nurse and then the men. The same men who were trying to kill him. Dread replaced the pain in one swift lick. He had to get out of there. Had to get to a safe place. Reed attempted to push up and sharp pain stabbed him in the spine. He flopped back to the bed, out of breath and disgusted with himself.

“Help me.” He tried to yell it but couldn’t get it pass the pain. It floated out of his throat on a wave of utter nothingness and dissipated into the air above his head. “Got to get out. Can’t you hear me?” Nothing. What’s wrong with her? He knew she was alive, saw her chest rise and fall. Lying perfectly still on his back and staring at the ceiling, he tried to figure out a way to get up and out of there. If he could rock back and forth in the bed, roll to the edge and fall to the floor, he could use the edge of the bed to pull up and stand. Knowing it was going to hurt, but also understanding it was the only way, Reed sucked in a large amount of air, blew it out and repeated the action as he slowly rocked his body. He started slow, almost nonexistent and then quickened the motion increasing his momentum. Counting to ten in his head, he planned to throw his body to the floor. Eight… nine… ten!

Shuddering with renewed pain, he rolled, reached the edge and felt his body give way to the emptiness leading to the floor. The scream that ripped from his throat was parallel to the pain ripping through his body.

“Urgh!” He groaned through clenched teeth. Pressing his opened palms to the floor and in not so much as a fluid motion, he pushed up to a sitting position and rested his back against the side of the bed.

The room fluttered around his head fading from light to dark, the fog choking him. “No.” He shook his head to remove the fuzziness. “Don’t. Pass. Out.” He demanded of himself.

He pushed up on all fours, reached for the edge of the mattress and pulled himself up. It was impossible to ignore the onslaught of pain slicing through him. His head pounded as if someone with a jackhammer was sitting on his shoulders drilling straight through his skull. He didn’t know how he moved at all with the burning sensations vibrating through every nerve ending; nonetheless, he knew he had to do it. Get up and get out.

Reaching as far into his soul as he could, he summoned every drop of energy reserve he could find. He’d do this or die. Knowing the latter was probably inevitable, he again grabbed the side of the bed, hissed out a breath and pulled himself up. Maybe even a little too fast. Light exploded behind his head and dropped straight to his stomach, making him have to sit down. Nausea bubbled up like a geyser, but he shoved it back down. He swallowed past the lump clogging his throat, past the bile trickling into his mouth. He gulped in air and swallowed again, until the queasiness settled.

He couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe. The only thing he could do was grip the edge of the mattress, close his eyes and pray when he opened them it would be better. There was something definitely wrong with him. He should have healed by now. This type of pain was foreign to him. He’d felt his torn body start to knit back together and then something happened. Something bad. The fever started from within and now it burned the surface of his body.

Reed didn’t know how long he sat there. How long he rode the pain. He pried his eyes open and stared right into the darkest pools of brown he’d ever seen. For a long moment they gazed at each other, not speaking. God knows he wanted to but each time he opened his mouth the muscle spasms made him shut it.

She was the first to speak. “What the hell are you trying to do?” Her voice was dry and laced with anger.

“Get up,” he whispered through gritted teeth. “Get out.”

“Why?” Denver remained sitting, her body relaxed back as if they were having a casual conversation. “Where are you going to go?”

“Don’t know on both accounts.” And that was the truth. His plan sounded like a grand idea when it first came to him, but as he sat there trying to figure out his next move, realization came to him and he remembered where he was and who the woman was sleeping in the chair.

She’d said her name was Denver. She’d taken care of him in the hospital. But where was he now? How much time had passed?

“Where are you going? She asked again. This time her voice was calmer, warmer. “Or I should say, trying to go?” a subtle mocking smile curved her lips and he didn’t like it.

Reed’s brow furrowed. “Don’t know.” He blew out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “Thought I’d get up. Might feel better.”

“Do you?” She stood now and took a step toward him. “I’ve been awake for about twenty minutes and you were just sitting there.” She kneeled down in front of him and looked into his face. She took his hands in hers and squeezed them between her fingers. “You shouldn’t have tried to get up without my help.”

“You wouldn’t wake up.”

“Yeah, sorry. It’s hard sometimes when I’m really tired.”

“Why’d you do it?”

She shot him a confused look.

“Save me.”

“Seemed like the right thing to do.”

“And now?”

“You shouldn’t have.” He lifted his hand and touched the side of her face, ran his fingers along her jaw and across her lips. “They’ll come after you now.”

“It won’t be the first time I’ve had to run. They don’t know me or where we are.” Her voice held undertones of uncertainty that she tried to mask.

For now. Reed could smell her fear, something different layered on top of her natural scent. He remembered everything from the hospital room, her fangs, the change in her aroma, everything. She was one of the others that were hunted and her naïve thoughts in trying to save him probably would cause her own death. But could he trust her? Surely they didn’t know about her or they would have killed her a long time ago. Or worse. Would she turn him over to them the first chance she got once she realized what they intended to do to her? What he was?

He closed his eyes to the thoughts, opened them and stared into her gaze, trying to read her, understand her, and believe her.