The Divide (The Divide Series Book 1) (26 page)

Softly, I slipped back into my room and shut the door behind me. As I leaned my back against the solid wooden door, I took a sip, the ice-cold water trickling down the back of my throat. It felt amazing, so I gulped the rest of the water and headed back to bed.

I sat the cup down and started to get into bed when I realized I was wearing sneakers. Why would I wear sneakers to bed?
Think, Mia, think.
Then it hit me. It was one thirty-seven in the morning. Aileen’s mystery person was supposed to come get me at midnight. Something must have happened. Hurriedly, I pulled back the pillow and sighed in relief when I saw the backpack. What happened to the person coming to get me? I tried not to panic. Maybe they were delayed?
Or maybe Aileen lied to you
. I shook my head. I didn’t trust her, but my gut told me to. I decided I would just have to escape on my own.
And how exactly? You don’t even know where the secret tunnel is.
I willed the voice in my head to shut up—I really needed to stop talking to myself. Sitting on the bed, I closed my eyes and tampered down the brewing panic. There was no time for me to lose my head, because I had to stay focused on getting out of the place. 

After sliding the backpack on my shoulders, I made my way to the door and tried to breathe as quietly as I could as I leaned up against the door, trying to hear any noise. It was silent. With my ear pressed up against the door, I stayed for five very long minutes, just in case someone was walking around. I didn’t need to be caught. 

Finally, I opened the door—thanking the heavens that it made no noise—and made my way to the stairs. Stopping, I listened: nothing. My heart pounded away painfully, and my hands were slick with sweat.
I can do this
, I repeated over and over again, before taking a deep breath, and started walking down the stairs. Every time a step creaked, I cringed.

When I got to the last step, I let out the breath I’d been holding, and walked slowly and quietly toward the front door, and peeked out the window next to the door and almost groaned out of frustration. Six men perched outside the front door talking and I definitely wouldn't be able to sneak by them. Turning around, I walked slowly back toward the stairs.
Where to now, smart one?
I bit my lip and tried to think. Maybe I could try the kitchen? Silently, I walked past the stairs, on my tiptoes, toward the kitchen. 

“Where do you think you’re going?” a deep voice asked from behind me. I jumped and turned around quickly, running into the hall table. Something fell off and smashed to the ground. A light turned on, and Aedan and Jake were standing in front of me.

“I…ah, I was thirsty,” I finished lamely.

“With a backpack?” Jake asked, amused.

“I always sleep with a backpack,” I said. “Since I’ve left home it’s become a habit. You can’t trust people out there.” 

“Sure,” Jake said, raising his eyebrows.

“Didn’t you already get something drink?” Aedan asked, squinting at me like he had a hard time seeing me.

“I wanted more?” I said, hating that it came out more as a question than an answer.

“Jake,” Aedan said. “Go get Mia something to drink.”

Jake licked his bottom lip before walking past me. Aedan and I stood in silence. I kept my gaze away from him, but I could feel his branding my skin. I wrinkled my nose.

“Nervous?”

I looked at him. “No, just tired.”
I think it’s time to get away from him.
 

“You shouldn’t be roaming the house so late,” he said. “Never know when something might happen. I figured you would know that already, seeing how you barely escaped in the first place.”

“I thought you said it was safer here.” I pushed my hands into my pocket to keep Aedan from seeing them shake. 

He ignored my comment. “How exactly did you escape?”

“What do you mean?” I tilted my head to the side. I knew what he meant, but looking stupid would be the only way to stall him.

“Everyone is trying to figure out how you escaped,” he said. “We were all in your father’s office when the attacks started, but you weren’t. Luckily, a few of us were able to get to safety. How did you manage to leave without being noticed?”

Agathy never told anyone?
Smart woman!
“I was with Tyler in the library. I was helped out of the house,” I said. I wanted to ask what had happened to Tyler, but I didn’t think he would’ve told me.

“How?” he inquired.

“How?”

“How did you get out without anyone noticing? I would assume someone would have been noticed smuggling you out.” He stepped closer to me and narrowed his eyes even further while his brow wrinkled.

I stepped back an inch. My hands clenched my stomach. I could feel the sweat start to pop up on my skin. I swallowed nervously. “Someone made a diversion, and I was able to slip out the back door unnoticed. I guess I was lucky.” 

“I don’t think you’re being very honest with me,” he said, taking another step closer to me. “But I doubt you’ll tell me. Why is that?”

I looked over his shoulder to see Aileen walking silently behind him. She had a finger pressed against her mouth. “Why is what?” I asked, looking back at Aedan.

“Why won’t you be honest with me? I’ve never been dishonest with you.”

I snorted. “Yeah, okay.”

Aileen picked up a large vase, lifted it up, and slammed it against Aedan’s head. His eyes rolled back, and he dropped to the floor like a sack of flour. I looked up at Aileen’s calm face. Did she really just do that?
Maybe I can trust her after all.
 

“Is anyone else down here?” she whispered. I didn’t understand why she was whispering. She’d made enough noise hitting Aedan over the head with the vase. 

“Jake’s in the kitchen.”

Panic slashed across her face, but it was gone as fast as it happened. “Follow me.” She grabbed my arm, and we headed back up the stairs.

“Why are we going upstairs?” I asked at the same time Jake spoke.

“Where are you two going?” 

We both turned to see him standing at the bottom of the stairs, his face composed, but his eyes gleaming with excitement. My body stiffened from his intense stare. We were just a few steps away from the top.

“I’m taking Mia back to her room,” Aileen said. She started to walk back up the rest of the stairs. 

“Stop,” Jake said. She and I both looked down at Jake, who had made his way up to us so quietly that neither of us had heard him move. He grabbed my other arm. “Why don’t I bring her up?”

“I can do it,” she said.

“You should take care of Father,” Jake said, pulling me roughly toward him. “He seems to have hit his head on a vase and is lying unconscious on the floor.”

“Oh dear,” Aileen said, her voice dripping with false surprise. “He really shouldn’t drink so much.”

“Mother,” Jake said. “Go help Father.”

She cringed at his tone and looked my way. Her nostrils flared, and I could see a sheet of sweat gleaming on her forehead. I wasn’t sure what or who she was so terrified of, but it sent cold chills down my body. She slowly let go of my arm. “Mia, never be afraid of the dark; the dark will be your savior when you least expect it.” With that, she walked down the stairs. I watched her retreat, thinking over her words. What dark?

Jake pulled me painfully up the rest of the way and into the room. As he slammed the door shut, he threw me across the room and I didn’t have time to catch myself before I fell firmly onto the floor. My right shoulder slammed into the hardwood floor, and I cried out in pain. Jake kept the light off, but I could see him pull something out of his pocket, punch something in, and lift it to his ear. He turned around to face the door, giving me an opportunity to try to get out of reach. I made my way silently to the bed and slid underneath it, squeezing my eyes shut as the bed frame pinched against the exposed skin on my back. I let out a breath as I scooted all the way to very back of the bed. But when I tried to roll on my side I didn’t fit, so I stayed on my stomach. It would have been smart if I'd taken my backpack off and got a weapon out before I slid under the bed, but I hadn't thought of that. Now I had no way of getting to one. I was stuck—pretty tightly—under the bed.

“It’s time,” Jake said. I wasn’t sure who he was talking to, but I didn’t want to find out. I could only see his feet walk around, closer to the bed. “Mia, where are you?” he asked tauntingly.

I tried slowing my breathing down so I wouldn’t be so loud. My heart wanted out of my body—I wanted out of my body.
Well, way to get yourself cornered.
I, once again, ignored myself.

“Oh, Mia, where are you?” he asked at the same time I could hear a loud scream come from somewhere in the house. “Come out come out, wherever you are.” More screaming started up, along with thumping. I started to shake. What the hell was going on? “Come on, Mia, do you really want me to find you? Because no one’s coming to save you, and if I have to come get you, you’re not going to like it.” I could see his feet as he walked around the bed. I fisted my hands, my nails biting into my skin. “Alright, I guess I’ll just leave and come find you later. I think my help is needed downstairs, anyway.” I watched as his feet moved away from the bed. The door squeaked open, screaming floating into the room, and then silence as the door shut.

For a few minutes, I didn't move a muscle. When I couldn't hear anything, I started moving out from under the bed. My legs were the first to come out, and when I finally pushed the rest of myself out, I sighed. As I started to get up, something solid slammed into the side of my head, knocking me off my knees. My head slammed into the floor, and stars danced in my dark vision.

“I really can’t believe you fell for that.” Jake laughed. He grabbed the collar of my shirt and pulled me up toward him until we were face-to-face. “Kieran will be so proud of me.” I fisted my hand and slammed it into his right ear. He yelped and let go of my collar. I kicked at him, heard him grunt, and crawled away from him on all fours. Jake tackled me to the floor, knocking the breath right out of me. He shoved me over until he was straddling my hips.

“Stop!” I screamed, shoving my hands into his face. 

He grabbed both of my wrists and pulled them over my head, pinning them to the ground. “Do you really think you could take me?” He bent his head, and his nose hit my neck, making me jump. He started to sniff my neck. “You smell fucking amazing. Luckily for me, Kieran said I could have a taste once I got you.”

Fear pierced through me. I lifted my right leg and kneed him in the groin. He grunted and fell to the side. “Get off of me!” I screamed. I tried to push myself away from him, but he got back in the same position.

“You bitch.” He grunted, taking my head between his hands and slamming it into the ground. I screamed from the needles of pain puncturing my head. I kicked at him, but he had slid down my legs to pin them. One of his hands went back to pinning my wrists while his other started to roam up my shirt. “I’m going to take what I want.” He slammed his lips against mine. I opened my mouth and bit down on his lip until I could taste the metallic, warm blood dripping into my mouth from his lip. He bit back harder, and I felt him draw blood. I kicked with my whole body, trying to get him off of me, but his hand reached under my bra, grabbing on to my breast. Tears formed in my eyes; I wasn’t strong enough to get him off, and he wasn’t going to stop. I tried to push again, and this time he finally flew off. I heard him grunt and yell, “What the hell,” then saw his body fall on the ground. A large body came into my view, but I couldn’t tell who it was in the dark. I tried to scoot my body back, waiting for the person to attack me.

“Mia?” His voice broke the silence, and I cried out in relief.

“Gregory?” My voice wobbled.

“I’m here.” He bent down and picked me up, cradling my body in his arms. He moved over to the bed, still holding me. “Are you okay?” I shook my head and buried myself further into him. I had been so close to losing my innocence in the most horrible way, I didn’t think I’d ever recover. His arms tightened around my body.

“What’s going on?” I mumbled. I could still hear screaming and commotion coming from other parts of the house.

“Jake's working for Kieran,” Gregory said. “I was supposed to be here at midnight to get you, but Kieran’s men were all over the place.”

“You’re the person who Aileen said was coming for me?”

“Yes.” He started to set me down on the bed. I didn’t want to let go, but I did so grudgingly. “You have to believe I didn’t want to leave you, but I had no choice. I met her yesterday. She told me it was important for you to come here and that, no matter what, I had to make sure you did. So I thought the best way to do it was be a dick and push you away. And will you look at that?” He smiled. “It worked.”

I rolled my eyes. “Was part of your plan to leave me here?”

“Actually, no.”

“Then why did you leave?”

“Mr. Wibert threatened to hurt you if I stayed.” Gregory cupped my face. “I couldn’t let him hurt you, so I agreed to leave. But what he didn’t know was that I was already making plans to break in and get you.” He moved his hand over my bloody lip, wiping away some of the blood. Anger bloomed in his eyes.

“How did you and Aileen meet up about our escape plan?”

“She saw me before I left and told me the plan. I agreed with her and told her I would do anything to get you out of here,” he said. “What I didn’t know, until around midnight, was that Jake was one of the rebels.”

“How did you find out?”

“I overheard some of the men talking about Jake being Kieran’s lap dog. Once I knew that, I knew you would be in greater danger. I’ve been trying to sneak in all night without anyone noticing, but it hasn’t been easy. It wasn’t until Kieran’s men came in that I was able to sneak up here to get you,” he said.

“Maybe next time you could warn me ahead of a time, and you wouldn’t have to be a dick.” I crossed my arms together to stop the shaking.

I could see him roll his eyes. “Like you would ever go with it.”

We both turned toward Jake, hearing him stir. “We should probably get going,” Gregory said. His thumb swiped once more at my mouth before he grabbed my hand, and walked us to the door. Jake’s voice stopped us in our tracks.