United Eden (15 page)

Thank you, I said, her face flattening when she heard the sincerity instead of the sarcasm in my voice. That was very thoughtful of you. I smiled, winking at her, before finishing my journey into the bathroom.

There are some new slippers in there, too, she cal ed out. And I picked you up that to-die-for hair conditioning masque I discovered on the black market of cosmetics and theres a coconut sugar scrub that wil redefine life as you knew it and” Thank you, Cora, I said, just enough warning in my voice to silence her mid-sentence.

I cranked the water on and pul ed the ponytail holder from my hair, unleashing a good half pound of sand onto the tile below. As I peeled off my layers of clothing, the half-pound grew to a respectable kiddie-size sandbox.

Stepping under the shower, another layer of sand trickled off me, mottling the water running down the drain for a few minutes before it final y ran clear. Satisfied I was
mostly
sand-free, shampooed, and conditioned, I turned off the water, stepping out into the heavy steam.

I slid into the jammies Cora had laid out for me, wondering if I should let her take charge of more of my wardrobe when the black yoga pants fel to just the right length”finding pants to fit my mutant long inseam required shopping in the mens department or looking like I was waiting for a daily flood”and the light blue tank was the softest, most comfy material Id ever had wrapped around me. She knew her stuff, I gave her that, but I wasnt quite ready to let her make me into her own three-dimensional paper dol .

Five fingers tearing through my hair served as the grand finale to my beautification. I might have tried that hair . . . masque . . .
thing
if I hadnt been so eager to eat. Cora or Abigail on their own were culinary legends, but their talents combined resulted in meals that were worthy of left-over mummification so generations after could pay their respects.

Stepping out of the bathroom, the smel s of epicurean delights were absent. Maybe theyd decided on ordering pizza instead, although I couldnt think of a time either had ever stooped to this level of disgrace.

Cora? Abigail? I cal ed out, silence my only response. Instinct fluttered to the surface, something was wrong, but it was an instinct I wanted to ignore. Nothing was wrong, this was them playing a prank on me.
Stop being so paranoid all the time
, I reminded myself.

Just as I was rounding the corner into the expansive kitchen, a figure stepped in my path. A man who was unfamiliar, dressed in a flashy suit topped off with a flashier tie. He grinned at me, running his thumbs down a pair of metal ic gold suspenders, snapping them at the waistband.

You guys did not hire a stripper, I snapped, shouldering past the man. Tel me you didnt hire a . . .

What I saw next wouldnt compute. Id left the girls in the kitchen, banging around the cupboards like women on a mission, and in barely ten minutes time the room had fil ed with twenty bodies, a handful holding a wide-eyed Abigail and another handful struggling with a furious faced Cora.

My bachelorette party had just gone from death-defying to downright deadly.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

SURPRISE

What is this? I asked as the man with the suspenders shouldered past me, making sure he hit me with the same force I had him.

And here I was under the impression you were a smart girl, an al too familiar voice emitted behind a shield of bodies before cutting through them. Two Haywards” plus one soon-to-be”girls al on their own, hundreds of miles away from the protection of their Al iance, and the first thought that comes to mind is,
what is this?

Troy, I sneered, scanning the room, calculating a defensive that wouldnt end as soon as it began. Given the numbers of Inheritors Troy had brought along and that the only al ies I had in the room were bound up, my chances of putting together a successful fight wasnt looking good.

But that had never stopped me before. What do you want?

Yet another question as unremarkable as the first. He clucked his tongue, shaking his head. You know what this is and what we want. The vagueness of his answer was specified by the ful -length stare that slid down my body.

Wel , here I am, I said, spreading my arms to the side. I wont put up a fight.
This
time.

Troy gauged me, trying to figure out if I was cooperating or antagonizing. No matter what he decided I was, he motioned towards the remaining handful of men not attached to Cora and Abigail. As they progressed towards me, I didnt step back, nor did I let the adrenaline pulsing through my body ready it for a fight.

Instead, I searched for peace in the moment, remembering the look in Wil iams eyes last night. He was always in the forefront of my mind in these kinds of instances. So it wasnt a surprise thoughts of
Would I ever see him again? What would he do if he never saw me again? What
would I do if I never saw him again?
were at the forefront, but as much as the possible answers to these paralyzed me, I wouldnt let Cora and Abigail suffer in my place. This was my battle, the war Id brought about. I wouldnt let anyone sacrifice themselves in my place.

Thats a good girl, a voice that grated on me like nails running down a chalkboard purred behind me at the same time her hand pinched around my neck. My parents had always taught me that
hate
is a very strong word . . . but I
hated
that woman.

Of course the cowards wouldnt go into battle with a twenty year old girl without you, Stel a, I said, trying to sound like al my strength and emotion hadnt just run dry at her touch.

You should know by now men are nothing but the muscle fol owing orders coming from the brains of the women, she replied as the six men coming for me found a piece of me to adhere their grips to.

I wish I could agree with you on that statement, Stel a, but Ive got a personal policy against agreeing with bitches . . . so, sorry, no can do. I shrugged, only serving to dril the fingers deeper into my flesh.

I wonder if that perpetual smirk you wear wil stil be in place in a few days? Troy mused, grinning malevolently at me.

Probably, I replied, keeping my tone light. Theres little you can do to me that could change it.

Wel see, Troy replied, too much hidden meaning in his tone to be comforting.

Alright, youve got me. I glanced at the herd latched onto me. Do with me what you wil , but you can let them go now. I nodded at the girls who were putting on their bravest faces, wishing Nathanial and Joseph would walk through the door. There wouldnt be an Inheritor left standing when they were done with them.

Isnt that a nice notion? Troy said, spinning to look at the girls. But one that, unfortunately, wil go unrealized.

I surrendered, I said as calmly as I was capable. I played by the rules. Now its your turn.

Bryn, Bryn, Bryn, Troy said, shaking his head. Is there anything you know about me that would lead you to believe I fight fair?

Rage shot through me, but it was as explosive as a wet fuse. Nothing sparked to the surface like I wanted it to. Accepting physical warfare was getting me nowhere, I tried a little psychological. My eyes grabbed his, narrowing at the same time I smiled. Is there anything you know about me that leads you to believe
I
fight fair?

Troys grin matched my own”threatening. A worthy opponent, he said, staring me over again. I wait decades to find the next one.

Consider your wait over and, unless you want to experience an Armageddon the instant Stel as laughable grip”I peaked my brows in reminder to that instance only weeks back in Germany”comes loose, you better let them go now.

Ah, idle threats. Troy flicked his ear my direction. What would I do without them and the sheer desperation in them? Turning away from me to the two parties with their captives, Troy nodded his head. End them.

So help me” I struggled, as effective as an ant stopping a shoe from squishing it.

Boys win! I knew you girls would be doing something lame like needlepoint or . . . a new voice cal ed out from a materialized body right before Patrick took in the scene. His eyes scanned his sisters-in-law first before they leapt to me. There were few times Id seen Patrick scared, but this was definitely one of those times. It wasnt just fear, it was terror.

Get out of here! I shouted a beat before the six men grabbed him, but Patrick teleported a mil isecond before they had him. The charging men col ided into each other, rumbling the rafters.

Patrick flashed next beside Cora, his fist shattering into the jaw of the man holding her by the throat. He disappeared again, appearing the next instant in front of Abigail, driving his elbow into a mans exposed neck. The heap of men were righting themselves, some already moving in Patricks direction, but he disappeared right before one mans fist connected with his nose.

Appearing again by Cora, a left hook took out another one, sailing him into the loveseat.

Enough! Troy yel ed red-faced, before giving a slight nod to the captors holding me. It was instant, electrifying, and brought me to me knees despite the dozen hands holding me up.

I screamed, nothing decipherable but primal notes emitted in agony. I stuffed the scream back inside, the shock of it surfacing on my face, but I wouldnt give these men the satisfaction of knowing the pain I was feeling.

Patrick stal ed mid-strike, a horrified look taking the place of the prior concentration. Stop it! he yel ed, charging towards us, but four men barreled into him from behind before he could teleport away. Im warning you right now, he continued against the men seizing into him. You do that one more time and every last one of you wil be wheel-chairing your way through eternity.

Troy raised his hand and the sharpness of the pain dul ed, but the sting continued to spread like blood through my veins. I wanted to moan, I wanted to pant, I wanted to tremble, but more than I wanted any of that, I wanted to show these men just how little their best attempts could bring me down.

Wel , that was uneventful, Troy said, yawning. I expected something better than that coming from Patrick Hayward, but after that feeble attempt, Id have to say these girls put up a better fight. He squared himself in front of Patrick, pitching a bent arm high in the air before he released it into Patricks stomach. I saw the pain of it register in Patricks eyes, but nothing else gave Troy the pleasure of knowing hed hurt him. Patrick and I were more cut from the same fabric than I wanted to acknowledge.

Maybe Im just saving the best for last, Patrick said, his school boy sarcasm present even in the midst of this hopeless situation. How do you know Im not about to teleport every single one of these baboons into the middle of San Diego Zoos lions den, leave them for lioness fodder, and teleport my ass back here to get on with kicking yours?

Troy sighed, stretching his arms above him like this conversation was so boring he needed to perform calisthenics to keep from fal ing asleep. If you were able to teleport others, you would have already removed the woman you love from the room.

Patrick kept his face blank, giving nothing away, but I sensed the surprise register in him when Troys acknowledgement affirmed that Patricks best attempts at burying his feelings hadnt fooled him. His feelings sat so plainly on the surface, an emotional amoeba like Troy could pick up on them.

Wil iam might not notice the way you look at her, Troy said slowly, staring at Patrick staring at me. But I havent missed it.

I dont know what the hel youre talking about. Thankful y, because the day I start comprehending the ravings of a lunatic, Il know its time for the straight-jacket, Patrick responded, slow and seething.

Theres no need to play ignorant with me, boy. Wil iams not here to rip out your eyes for looking at her the way you do and believe me, I havent missed the way Miss Dawsons hips sway when she walks either.

You seem to like your tongue since you run it so much, Patrick said, glowering at Troy. So if youd like to keep it, youd better shut your mouth now before I not so surgical y remove it.

So fierce, so angry, so desperate to defend her, Troy said, his eyes excited from the male testosterone flowing. So much like Wil iam its scary.

Of course Im desperate to defend her, Patrick shouted, his façade of indifference crumbling. Shes my brothers girl!

How noble of you, Troy said, smirking at him. But no, its not just that, its something more, something that goes much deeper than brotherly loyalty.

Whatever you say, chief, Patrick said, looking like he had to force his eyes away from me.

Since youre so adamant Im wrong and I so rarely am, Id like to conduct an experiment, Troy began, the twinkle in his eyes making my stomach drop. Bring Bryn here. He motioned my captors to come towards Patrick. You say youre not in love with her. Convince me youre not.

How am I supposed to do that you crazy SOB? Patrick snapped, his eyes skipping between me and Troy as I was drug right in front of him. My face was so close to his I could feel his breath pulsing over my forehead.

Look at her, Troy demanded, propping a fist under his chin, observing us like we were some laboratory rats.

I am looking at her, crap for brains, he answered, his eyes continuing to shift between me, the seven around me affixed to different pieces of my body, and Troy.

Your attempts at deflecting your feelings for her by insulting my intel igence are lost on me, Troy laughed, before charging forward, ripping my hair back with one hand, and tilting my chin up with his other, angling it closer to Patricks.

Take your slimy hands off of her! Patrick shouted, struggling against the men holding him back.

LOOK AT HER! Troy yel ed, ripping my head farther back via my hair.

A whimper escaped from me.

Im going to break every bone in your damn body the next time I see you, Patrick snarled, fixing his eyes on me. This classify as
looking
to you?

Patricks eyes didnt waver away or close for a blink. He took me in, embracing me with those pale blue eyes as emotionlessly as Patrick was capable, but today it seemed he wasnt very capable of looking at me impassively. I saw his feelings as bright as the mid-day sun in the depths of those eyes, so intense it made me squirm.