Page 57 of Ghoul Kisses

“Start walking,” Pete hisses. We walk to the Porsche, and my heartbeat pulses in my ears. Vanessa and I look at each other as Pete walks behind us.

I climb in the front seat, Vanessa in the passenger, and Pete in the back. I pretend to check the rearview mirror, trying to see if Pete still has the gun aimed at me.

Fear grips me hard as I stare at him. I see the hatred in his eyes. How will I get out of this? I can’t take him to the key because the mansion is protected by magic. I turn to look at Vanessa and I feel pain shoot through the back of my head.

“Keep your eyes on the fucking road,” Pete sneers. I want to pat my aching head, but Pete might kill me. I drive through a few lights and take the long way to the mansion. Instead of going straight to the bridge that leads to Mercer Island, I drive through Port Angeles, to buy time so I can come up with a plan. Think! Sarah! Think! I slowly push down on the gas pedal.

“You know you are a hard person to track, Sarah. I had to use Vanessa to get to you,” Pete says.

I grip the steering wheel so tight my palms hurt.

Man, I want to hit him so bad. I have to get away from him.

“I went to Vanessa playing the caring card.” I glance at him the rearview mirror, he gives me an evil grin.

“Then I tricked her into thinking I loved her. Humans are fucking stupid,” he strokes Vanessa’s neck.

“You’re good in the bedroom, though.” She slaps his hand back.

“Don’t touch me!” she screams.

I turn my eyes back to the road and notice we are passing a trail of tall trees. Without thinking, I floor the gas pedal, swerve the car, and hit a tree. My head bangs on the steering wheel as blood drenches my face. My head and my chest ache as I gulp for air like a fish out of water. My vision is a little hazy, but I see Vanessa; half of her body is through the windshield. Blood and guts splatter on the dashboard. I whimper, and tears fill my eyes, but they don’t fall. I’m in too much pain. Pete yanks me out of the driver’s seat, and beats me in the face with a pistol. It hurts so much, that I can’t feel it anymore.

“Is that ghoul worth you killing yourself over?” If my jaw weren’t numb, I would spit in his face.

He bites into his wrist, placing it to my mouth. With the little strength that I have, I shake my head. I want to die. Please kill me. Get it over with now, asshole. He clutches my jaw in his hand and drops of blood drip on my tongue. The blood tastes sweet like a starburst candy. A burning sensation slithers through my veins, and the numbness in my face disappears. My strength is back. Then the pain in my chest is gone. I feel like I have the best pain reliever on the market. Pete pulls me to my feet. A pickup truck pulls over to the side of the road. An old man jumps out of the truck.

“Ma’am? Sir? Do you need any help? I’m cal—” Pete shoots the man in the head, and he falls to the ground. As I stare at the gush of blood from the wound, and Pete grips my left arm tight, digging his nails into my flesh. He drags me to the truck, leaving Vanessa’s bloody body in the car.

“Drive bitch,” Pete says. I step over the man’s bloody dead corpse as tears fill my eyes. Climbing into the driver’s seat, I shift the gear into drive, and pull onto the street. As we pull up to the front metal gate, I cut the engine as my heart pounds and fear clogs my chest. I want to summon Eric, but Pete will kill me.

“Where the fuck are we?” he asks.

“Eric’s mansion.” Pete glances around then slaps my face. My face stings.

“I don’t see a mansion.”

He places the pistol at the center of my forehead. I raise my hands in the air.

“I can get you the key, please,” I say, trembling.

“Get out of the car,” he orders.

With shaking hands, I unhook the seatbelt and open the door. I jump out of the truck and in a matter of seconds, Pete has me by the hair. I struggle under his grip, elbowing him. He lets me go, and I sprint to the metal gate, banging on it so hard my fists ache.

“Help! Open up the gate!”

Pete turns me around and punches me in the face. I hear the bones cracking in my jaw.

“You’re stupid,” he says, pressing the pistol to my forehead.

I taste blood in my mouth. Pete pulls the trigger sending a bullet through my head. I exhale as everything goes dark.

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