I still had no idea where Caroline was or what I was going to do when I found her. My little chat with Lisa last night had shed some light on why Caroline had pulled her disappearing act, but it didn't change the fact that she was waist deep in shit and sinking fast. The dead bodies complicated things even more. I wasn't even sure what the right thing to do was anymore.
It had all gotten so fucked up, and in such a short time. I'd been here before. Only thing left to do was put one foot in front of the other and hope you were moving in the right direction. Standing still. Questioning yourself. Dwelling on your failure would not solve any problems. Action solved problems, and I'd get to it as soon as I figured out what I should be doing.
My cell phone rang from the bedroom, distracting me from my thoughts. Not that they were good thoughts anyway.
I thought about leaving the phone unanswered but hoisted myself off the couch with reluctance. It could be important. Only way to find out was to see who it was.
I'd put the battery back in last night. The vampires had caught me, so it was pointless to try to keep them from tracking it. The phone was no help, showing a number but no name to go with it. I clicked answer and waited.
"Aileen, are you there?" Caroline's scared voice came down the line.
"Caroline. Where are you?"
Soft sobs filled my ear, making my heart sink even further. "I screwed up. I need your help."
"Okay, Caroline, just stay calm," I said, fighting for that state myself. "I can help you but I need you to stay calm."
"Yeah, you're right. I need to stay calm."
I pressed my palms to my eyelids trying to ignore the prickling behind them.
Caroline started speaking before I could say anything. "It's just, there was so much blood. I've never seen that much blood before, and the bodies—they were both dead. I don’t know what happened. There were so many pieces." Her voice was ragged, and she sounded like she was on the verge of a panic attack.
"Let's not think about that right now. We're staying calm. We can deal with that later." I waited a beat as her breathing slowed, still fast, but she didn't sound like she might pass out or turn into the wolf at any moment. "Where are you? I'll come get you, and we can figure this out together."
Her breath rasped in and out. "Yeah, you're right. I don't think I can do this alone. I need help."
"Yes, you can trust me."
"Do you remember our senior trip in high school?" she asked.
My eyebrows furrowed. "We didn't go on our trip."
"Right, where did we go instead?" she asked. "Be there in one hour, and Aileen?"
"What?"
"Come alone."
The phone went dead in my hand as it fell to my side. I sat down hard on my bed and stared at my hands, feeling cold.
"You get all that?" I asked in a soft voice.
Liam uncoiled from where he rested his shoulder against the door frame and crossed the room. "Yeah."
I nodded, feeling like the worst kind of traitor. "You won't hurt her."
His eyes held mine. They were sympathetic even as they were unyielding. "I can’t make that promise as I'm sure you're aware."
A tear slipped free, and I looked away. Yeah. I was aware.
"Where is she?" he asked in a soft voice.
"You'll need me for this," I told him, meeting his eyes with grim purpose. "She'll have more than one exit planned, and she'll stay under cover unless she sees me."
His fangs came out, his eyes fierce. "That will not happen."
I raised my eyebrow, unimpressed. I didn't feel much of anything at the moment. Just numb. As if a different Aileen had taken over my body—one forced to do what was necessary, even while it felt like the worst kind of wrong. I felt defiled to the very core of my being. What was one angry vampire?
"I need to talk to her," I said, holding his gaze and not letting the anger in his eyes phase me. "You'll give me that, or I'll call her back and warn her you're coming."
He was across the room, his hand around my throat as he picked me up and held me effortlessly against the wall next to my bed. "It’s unwise to threaten me. I've given you more leniency and understanding than any other vampire in my command. Do I need to remind you of where you stand?"
My soft chuckle held little humor. "Go ahead. Do your worst. You still won't catch her without my help."
His fingers tightened around my throat, just a small movement, not hurting, just threatening. I let my conviction fill my gaze. I wasn't budging on this one. If he didn't like it, he could pack sand.
He drew closer, his smell wrapping around me as his eyes mesmerized. "Why? This action will only hurt you."
I flinched at the truth. "Those are my terms. Take them or leave them."
His hand loosened. I didn't move, remaining still as he drew closer and rested his forehead against mine. He sighed, his breath tickling my lips.
"You want to bargain? Very well." He drew back, a dark smile playing across his face. "You will owe me ten nights."
I blanched. "For what?"
He tilted his head. "That is for me to decide."
"Fine, but I want her safety guaranteed." I lifted my chin.
He shook his head. "You could not afford the price tag that came with such a guarantee."
"Still." I was willing to risk it.
"No. All I will promise is to try to keep her alive. Brax, and her own actions are the only thing that can guarantee the outcome." His face was serious as his eyes drilled into mine.
I took a deep breath and released it. Fair enough. I didn't like it, and there were too many things that could go wrong, but I could see how his hands were tied.
I looked away from him and stared unseeing at the wall. Moment of truth.
"I got kicked off the senior trip when I accidentally set fire to the chemistry lab during an unsupervised experiment." It was too late to change my mind. All I could do was hope. "Of course, I was covering for Caroline at the time. She stayed behind to keep me company. We spent the entire week on top of the abandoned railroad tracks over near the Scioto river. We told stories to each other as we drank the liquor we stole from our parents’ secret stash."
Liam squeezed my shoulder, his face neutral as he turned to where Nathan leaned against the door frame.
"I'll call Brax and explain what's happening," Nathan said in response to the unvoiced order from Liam. His eyes came to me for a moment before he turned and disappeared into the other room. His footsteps faded as Liam waited with me.
I didn't look away from the night outside, too drained and tired. What I wouldn't give to be able to roll back into this bed and just go to sleep, let the night pass me by. Sometimes being a vampire sucked.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
I'D TAKEN A long, scalding shower, wishing the heat would wipe away some of the emotional grime I felt. Tears cascaded down my face for several moments before I got a hold of myself. Crying wouldn't help things. My decision had been made, my course set. Sometimes being a friend meant doing what was necessary even if it hurt the other person in the short term. I saw no other way that didn't lead to death for someone. I doubted Caroline would see it in that light, but that was something I would have to live with.