Page 70 of The Black Lotus
She turns her back and walks down the stairs. “All your questions will be answered soon.”
I should have just snapped her neck.I asked nicely and that’s all she is going to tell me? I stomp down the stairs after her, gripping her arm and forcing her to stop. “That wasn’t the answer to what I asked.”
She shrugs. “That’s the answer you’re getting. Be patient and you can see her again.”
Her fingers peel back mine and she walks to the kitchen acting like she owns my house, grabbing something from the fridge. I slam the door closed as she pulls out a water, my hand resting above her head as I look down at her. “I don’t have time. Serena doesn’t have time.” She glances away, swallowing slowly.I knew she cared.“Now, if you know where she is,tell me,otherwise, I will be the last person you ever see.”
“We both know without me you’ll never get to her. You can’t kill me, Aster, and that’s killing you.” She ducks under my armand plops down on the couch, patting the spot next to her. “Come sit. I don’t want to miss the look on your face when you get invited to the show.”
The show?What the hell is she talking about? What ticket? Will there be others watching?I will kill anyone in my way if this show has anything to do with hurting Serena.Spilling the blood of everyone in my way as I slash through body after body to get to my vixen.
Reluctantly, I sit beside my sister and wait. Zephira holds all the cards, and she and I both know it.
“Let’s watch some TV.” She grabs the remote and flips through until she lands on the station she was searching for.
What I see on the screen has all the blood draining from my face.No!I jump to my feet, taking a step towards the TV.No, no, no; it can’t be. This has to be another trick. A lie. This can’t be true.
“That’s the face I was talking about.” She takes out her phone and snaps a picture. “Your ticket should be here soon.”
The doorbell rings and I don’t hesitate, rushing to answer it. All that greets me is a sleek black box.How did the messenger get past my cameras?I look back at Zephira as she holds up her phone showing my system on it and smiles.Of course she deactivated it.With shaking hands, I reach down and open the latch, seeing a ticket to Graves. All thoughts dissipate as I drop the box, turning around to grab my keys.
“Oh look! It's your ticket. Now you have your answer.” She walks down the steps, looking back over her shoulder. “Are you coming? I thought you wanted to get the girl.”
THIRTY-NINE
SERENA
Who would have thought the person supposed to serve and protect would be the one to kill me and finish the job? Irritation boils in my veins as I struggle against my restraints, trying to piece together a plan to escape, run, anything besides staying an obedient little captive. When he came to get me from the back seat, I was ready to headbutt him right in the gut, but he snatched me by my hair and dragged me out. I wanted to fight but the moment his gun pressed against my back I froze as he quickly secured my wrists with zip ties.I’m shocked he didn’t blindfold me and let me see where he took me.When I got out of the car, I didn’t know where I was at first since only seeing an empty dirt parking lot, lights off to an entrance of some sort. It wasn’t lit up and nothing was fully done, but once we got to the entrance, I saw the big sign for Graves Haunted House and my heart soared.
I wanted to say a snide comment about taking me to Aster’s place, that he would surely find me and cut off his balls for being stupid enough to bring me to his sanctuary, but I thought better of it, Jason’s cold steel was still digging into my spine.
Best to stay quiet in a situation where you don’t know your opponent.Heading deeper into the grounds, all thirteen housesare bare. With everything we’ve been dealing with, he hasn’t had time to think about what the houses will be this year. He told me once this was all over, we would sit down and design everything together. I feel tears threatening to spill over at the thought that our vision won’t come true. That thispigwill be the one to succeed and take me away from Aster.
We walk through the forest, through each abandoned house, finally stopping at the last one. There are old chains hanging from the ceiling, ones that were forgotten or maybe ones to be used again.Who knows; maybe Dirty Cop was the one to hang them. An attempt to give his little lair a creepier feel to it.
I snicker at the thought.
“Is something funny to you?” Jason asks, ramming his gun into me harder.
“Just your futile attempt to make Aster’s haunted houses creepy, it is laughable. You know you really should have done your research. I happen to love horro-”
The last word vanishes from my chest as he smacks the back of my head with the barrel of his gun, my knees buckling as I collapse onto the dusty floor, almost face planting as my head spins.
“Keep up that smart ass mouth of yours and I’ll show you how scary I can be.”
I must have had some kind of stupidity juice this morning because, even though I scream at myself to shut up and stay quiet, I laugh in his face and say, “You don’t scare me,deputy.If anything, you intrigue me.”
He doesn’t say anything, but his eyebrows dip in confusion as he holsters his gun.
Why would he pocket his weapon if he was planning on killing or torturing me. I glance around the room, noting there is no other weapon in my line of sight. Not one he could use on me or me use on him.Guess the chains will be my way out ofthis mess.If I know anything about Aster, one if not several of the dangling silver is real, I just need to pinpoint which one I can wrap around his neck. I wiggle my arms as I rub my wrists together, tugging them apart in front of me, but feel nothing except resistance as my shoulders drop.I will find a way out of this.
I shake the thought away as I run my mouth again. “Allow me to elaborate. I’m intrigued to find out what faces and sounds you’ll make when the roles are reversed. When I get out of here and get-” I ponder the right word, sucking my teeth as a shiver of desire works through me, “-creative with the many waysIwill tortureyou.”I really must have a death wish.
He kneels down, sitting on his heels and looming over me. “You say you like horror? Will you like it when you’re the star of your very own movie?” He smirks as he stands up and walks to the corner of the room, dragging a chair I didn’t notice before back to the middle. “Have you ever seen the movieJeepers Creepers?”
Now I’m the one staring at him like he has two heads, but I’m curious to see where he’s going with this. “Of course I have. It’s a classic.”
He pulls me up by my hair, a hiss dying to escape, but I keep my pained feeling locked behind my lips, not wanting to give him any kind of satisfaction. His nostrils flare as he pulls harder, throwing me onto the chair, my head finally getting relief as I almost topple over from the force.
