CHAPTER 18
The door swung open and I wanted to take it back. I didnt want to walk into the bedroom. I didnt want to see what was in there. I forced myself to take a step forward.
I collapsed onto my knees, "Nooooooo, God please noooooo."
I wailed. My stomach twisted and I heaved. I crawled to the corner of the room and threw up. My body continued to be rocked by convulsions but I made myself crawl to the side of the bed. I needed to see them; they were my parents. I pulled my shaking body up on my Moms side of the bed.
An image of Sunday morning came to me. It was the one day my parents would sleep in. And every Sunday I would sneak into this room and try my best to crawl into the bed with them without waking them up.
Of course both of them would be awake from the minute I opened the door. I would grab the end of the blanket and pull myself up and with flailing arms and legs would crawl over Mom and plop myself between the two of them. They worked very hard trying not to laugh. And every Sunday without fail Dad would stretch and yawn and say, "Oh my goodness Olive Oil, have you been there all night?" Olive Oil was his nickname for me.
Now as I pulled myself up, I saw Mom staring with unseeing eyes at the ceiling. Her throat had been slit.
Blood spread out on the pillow underneath her head. It had turned her salt and pepper hair a reddish shade.
With a strange detachment, I noted her favorite white eyelet sheets that she had for years and loved were probably ruined. I bet they would never come clean. I crawled over Mom and saw Dad too was staring at the ceiling. His throat had also been slit. I tried to lay myself between them and saw theyre hands were clasped. The tears started flowing. I raised their entwined hands and
145 ducked under them and lay there with their arms wrapped around me. I lay there sobbing and thinking about Sunday morning and Olive Oil so I never heard him enter the bedroom.
"Welcome Miss Sherman. Its so nice to see the whole Sherman family reunited once more."
At the sound of the voice, my head shot up. Just like in the movies, Freddy was back. I think my mind may have snapped because in a surprisingly calm voice I asked him, "You know, the last time we met, I didnt catch your name."
He looked surprised at my question but answered, "Well, let me rectify the situation by properly introducing myself. My name is Evan Sebastian."
I looked around, "Is your troll with you?"
He smiled, "Rest assured Miss Sherman he is close by."
I still had the gun gripped in my hand. I didnt think he could see it. I tried to make sure that I didnt do anything that would draw attention to it.
He continued speaking, "I really wish it hadnt come to this. I was hoping that you would see things from our point of view. But sadly, we know you wont cooperate and that means that you must be eliminated with the rest of the abominations that walk the earth."
I listened to his calm condemnation of people who were different from what he was and had to give reason one last shot. "Who made you God? How can you judge who should live. No one should do that. Ive met some of these people and they are kind and decent."
He laughed, "Kind and decent? You have no idea what they are capable of. Did you ever ask your precious Mr. Valente if hes ever killed humans before? No? Well I can tell you he has. We keep files on the different species and your vampire has taken more human lives than any other vampire that we have a file on."
146 "More lives than you?" I asked.
"This was unfortunate. I didnt want to have to kill your parents but they wouldnt cooperate. I wanted them to help me convince you to join us."
"Your mind is twisted. How can you justify your killing as being righteous and good?"
"Because we want the world to be pure, the way it was meant to be. God created man and then woman. He didnt create vampires, werewolves and Sensays."
"But you are not God. You dont have the right to say how this world should be structured. You have to believe that all things created on this earth have their purpose."
I was trying to reason with him but saw that instead he had became more agitated. "A purpose? And what would that be Miss Sherman? Would it be so that these creations can f*ck each other and make new and more disturbing abominations?"
He walked closer to the bed and his eyes looked feverish and his next words made my blood run cold in my veins, "We know you slept with them Olivia. There were signs of it all over the hotel room in Philly. Of course well get more information out of Mr. Sandstrom when we interrogate him later."
Evan smiled at me then, "That was rather heartless of you to leave him there, unprotected while he slept."
"How did you find us? I didnt use any phones or credit cards?" I wanted to know how these guys always seemed to know where I was.
"We are not without resources. Our members are strong and many. We have people in all walks of life that are always willing to assist us. Policeman, government officials, and even some of your own kind."
Evan looked out the window at the setting sun. "I believe were done talking. I am not a fool to stand here and talk while your ,,friends wake and come for you."
147 He opened his jacket and pulled out a knife. Without a doubt I knew that it was the same knife that had slit open the throats of my Mom and Dad. That thought made me see everything through a red haze. It was like a veil of red had dropped in front of my eyes.
Keeping my hand with the gun concealed, I pushed myself farther upright. "You, Mr. Sebastian, are a fool to think that because I am a woman that Im waiting for someone to come rescue me." I pulled my hand out from under the blankets and fired. I kept squeezing the trigger long after the gun was empty and Evan had fallen to the floor. I dropped the gun and lay back down on the bed. I knew that Evans troll, having heard the gunshots, was probably on his way. I didnt care. If I was going to die, then it would be best if it was right here with the people I loved.
I heard someone enter the room, "All I ask is when you kill me you do it right here and leave us be." I said in a dull voice.
"Ohhhh, Piccolina you are not going to die this day and I sure as hell am not leaving here without you."
I shot upright on the bed. "Roberto!"
Roberto ran over to the bed and scooped me up into his arms, "Dio Santo! Olivia! I thought I had lost you. When I heard the gunshots I was across the meadow and I could not run fast enough."
With me in his arms he left the bedroom and headed down the stairs. He strode into the living room and set me on the sofa. "We need to hurry and get out of here before either more Guardians arrive or the police. But I need to make sure youre okay."
"Im okay." I protested, as he looked me over. "Did they hurt you at all? Did they even lay one finger on you?"
"No." I began to weep. "Roberto...my parents...."
"I know Piccolina. I know. And they will pay for this." His voice was like steel. "But right now we need to
148 get moving. Juan is waiting for us on the other side of the woods."
He stood up and again lifted me into his arms. I started to protest but he said, "We can move faster this way."
He started for the door, but I stopped him. "Let me down one second, I need to grab something." He looked reluctant but did as I asked. I ran over to the desk in the corner and picked up a photo of me and my parents on the day that I graduated from college. It had been their favorite photo of me.
They said it was because they were so proud of my accomplishments and my choice to work in a field where I helped people find their way back.
But I couldnt help my parents find their way back. They were gone from me forever. Roberto stood behind me. "Im sorry Olivia, we need to leave." He lifted me gently into his arms again and carried me out of the house. I jumped when I saw a man dressed in black standing in the front yard. Roberto squeezed me a little and said, "Its okay. Hes with me." Roberto never said a word to the man, just nodded at him and the guy nodded back.
Roberto took off at an easy run. We ran across the meadow and into a line of trees. I knew these woods. I use to play in here when I was a kid. We were near a small creek when Roberto stopped in his tracks and went still. Taking his lead, I held my breath. He carried me over to an overgrowth of bushes and hid me behind them. "Stay here. No matter what, dont move or say anything." He whispered.
He left me then and went off in the direction that we had just come in. I heard a growl and then the sound of a scuffle. I couldnt help myself and crawled around the bush to see if I could see anything. Robert and the troll from the kidnapping were fighting. The troll had a knife in his hand. He threw himself at Roberto and I had to force myself to
149 stop the scream that was in my throat.
I heard a growl erupt from Roberto and then he leapt into the air and landed behind the troll and grabbed him by the head and easily twisted until there was a horrible cracking sound. The trolls body went limp but Roberto did not let him drop to the ground. Instead I watched in horror as Roberto threw his head back bared his fangs and with a motion that was blurry, sank his teeth into the trolls neck. When Roberto was done, he threw the troll on the ground and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and began to walk towards me. Something inside me snapped and it felt like my brain shut down. I could see and hear the sounds around me but its as if I couldnt process any of it. Roberto stopped in front of me. He bent down and said, "I told you not to come out. Come on."
I stayed in my kneeling position with my head poking around the bush. Roberto sighed and grabbed my chin with his thumb and forefinger and forced my eyes up to his.
"Sonofabitch! Olivia, look at me." I could hear his words but they seemed as if they were coming from the other side of a long tunnel. Roberto scooped me up and began to run. He ran fast and the woods sped by us. I was aware and at the same time unaware of my surroundings.
We broke out of the line of trees and on the side of the road there was a dark SUV waiting for us. Juan jumped out and opened the door for Roberto.
"Is she okay?" Juan asked with worry in his voice.
"I think shes in shock. Lets get her in the car." Roberto said.
Juan ran around to the other side and got behind the wheel. When Roberto and I were in the backseat he said, "Go. Do you have any idea what to do for someone who is in shock?"
Juan glanced back in to mirror, "I think youre supposed to loosen their clothes."
150 "Juan! Im serious here." Roberto snapped.
"So am I. I had a first aid course some years back. And man I wouldnt try to snake on your woman like that. At least not when she was in this condition," he added.
With me still lying in Robertos arms, Roberto opened the zipper of my leather pants and lifted up my t- shirt. When he saw the white tube top he muttered, "F*cking Leeds." He grabbed the edge of the tube top and ripped it down the middle. Then he carefully lowered my shirt back down. He stroked my hair and murmured softly to me, "No one will hurt you Olivia, you will be all right." "Where the hell was Alex?" Roberto asked Juan.
At the mention of Alexs name I snapped back into myself. "Oh my God Roberto! The Guardians have Alex. Evan told me before I shot him."
"Goddamnit," Juan said from the front seat.
Roberto asked, "Did he say anything else?"
"No, but Roberto, it was my fault. We were at a hotel in Philly. We stayed there because Alex was shot and had lost a lot of blood. I woke up around noon. I was confused and I left. I left him there during the day with no protection." I confessed.
Roberto and Juan exchanged a look. Juan looked at me with disgust.
"Its not your fault Piccolina. If you had been there they would have gotten you both."
"Oh Roberto. Im so sorry, we need to find him. We cant just leave him in their hands. Do you have any idea where they would take him?"
"No. And even if we did we have no way of knowing if hes still alive."
I felt a light breeze blow over my skin, even though the window wasnt open or the air conditioner on. I closed my eyes and breathed deep. My mind felt calm and clear.
"Hes still alive." I whispered.
Roberto shook his head, "You cant know that
151 Olivia."
"Hes sill alive. But hes in pain." I said in a calm voice. Roberto face became like a mask of granite. "I think I can find him Roberto. I dont know how. But I have a feeling deep inside that I can."
"We will talk about it when we get you somewhere safe." He said in a clipped tone.
I didnt understand the undertone of anger in his voice. We drove for a few hours maybe more. I dozed off a couple of times only to wake up to terrible nightmares that always ended with visions of my parents in their bed. Each time I awoke from one of those nightmares, Roberto was holding me, whispering soothing words to me. I came fully awake when the car stopped. We were in a wooded area and I could hear water lapping at a shore near by.
"Where are we?" I asked drowsily. Juan answered, "On the shore of Lake Ontario, near Oswego County."
Roberto added, "This is one of my homes. We will be safe here. Juan will be staying and by morning there will be some day guards here."
I nodded and followed them into the house. It was nice. Kind of like a summer home at the beach. Of course being a vampires house the windows were tightly shuttered. Roberto led me down a long hallway to a bedroom.
The room was bright and airy but I had to suppress a shudder when I looked at the white coverings on the bed. Roberto noticed and came over and took my hand and led me over to the bed to sit down.
"We need to talk Olivia. What happened tonight was horrific, and I want you to know that no matter what, we will have vengeance against those who did this."
"Oh Roberto, it was awful. I know Im still in shock. But Im also f*cking angry at those Guardian bastards. And the anger is easier to deal with than the pain.
152 I want to go after Alex. I cant let them hurt anyone else I care about."
The pained look was back on his face again. It took my addled brain a second to realize what I had just said.
I took Robertos hand in mine. "I want to be honest with you, last night with Alex; I had certain feelings for him. He is a handsome, kind man. He also makes me laugh and has a sense of humor not unlike my own."
Roberto stood and walked over to the window but since it was shuttered he turned and chuckled, "You havent lost your knack for being rough on my manhood I see."
I stood up and walked over to him. I wrapped my arms around him. He asked in a quiet voice, "Did you sleep with him Olivia?"
He grabbed me roughly and pulled me into his arms. "Did he kiss you like this?" he asked before his mouth came down on mine and his tongue slid into the warmth of my mouth.
He wedged a leg between mine so I was riding his muscular thigh. "Did he make you wet Olivia? Did you come in his mouth in sweetness like you did mine?" His hands were everywhere. Roaming over my aching breasts, between my legs, on my ass.
"Let me love you Olivia. Let me erase his kisses from your mind. Let me leave my mark on you. You are mine, I wont let you go."
I wanted him. I wanted him to erase all of the memories in my head. All of the ugliness. All of the pain. Still kissing him I walked backwards and let us fall together onto the bed. He leaned back and began to unzip my leather pants while looking into my eyes while his dark eyes filled with passion. He slid my pants from me and stared for a minute at the red thong I was wearing. He swallowed hard, "Olivia, never in my life have I desired anyone the way I desire you."
153 I stood up and stood before him. While looking into his dark blue eyes, I undid his belt and opened his pants. I pulled them down and was glad to see, as was his custom, he had nothing on underneath. Still looking into his eyes, I slipped to my knees before him.
"Olivia, no, let me...."
"I need to do this Roberto. I want to taste you."
I took his hard length in my hand. With my other hand I began to lightly stroke him. I smiled a little when he shuddered. I could feel the pulsations begin inside me as I bent my head and ran the tip of my tongue along his length. I heard Roberto moan and I felt the wetness rush to my core. The fire began to race to my nerve endings and my desire turned into a frenzy. I took him deep into my mouth and marveled at the taste of him on my lips. Relaxing my throat muscles, I took his whole length until lips were wrapped around the base of his shaft. With a roar, Roberto pulled my head back, bent and picked me up and tossed me onto the bed. He pushed open my legs and in one swift motion buried himself deep inside me. I raised my hips up to meet his thrusts and felt my orgasm build.
Roberto groaned, "Yes Cara. Youre so tight and so scorching hot. I want you to come for me, only me. Youre mine. "
He hadnt even finished speaking when I exploded and my muscles contracted and gripped him tight.
"Dio! Olivia! Im going to explode!" He yelled out and slammed into me with each hot spurt. He stayed inside me but rolled us over so that I was on top.
"Olivia, if you only knew how much you are beginning to mean to me."
I kissed his jaw, "Tell me Roberto. Tonight I really need to hear it."
He rolled us onto our sides and stroked my hair. "Im not good with soft words, Olivia. I hadnt planned on you. You should have been Alexs. But I look at you and
154 you are the light in my darkness. I know that I should let you go but Im not strong enough."
Tears rolled down my face, "I love you Roberto. Ive seen you as vampire but I know you as friend, lover and protector."
I kissed his jaw, his cheeks, his brow and he said, "I am not worthy of your love Olivia, but I vow I will spend eternity trying to be."
He kissed my mouth as he said those last words. Soft kisses. I realized he had once more grown hard inside me. For some reason an image of Alex passed across my mind but was gone the instant that Roberto began to move his hips; rocking us slowly back and forth while he kissed me tenderly and whispered sweet words in my ear.