VOLITION (Perception Trilogy, book 2) (22 page)

Fred helped me to the showers. Everything after that was a blur
until I was dressed and resting on the couch. There was a mini celebration
going on around me.

Jabez handed me a bottle of beer. “You deserve this, man.”

“Where’d you get booze?”

“Hey, when you have a winner in the house, it’s amazing what
you can get.”

Thankfully, Zoe kept her distance, resuming her role of dutiful
cousin, pouring out the Vanderveen charm on Jabez and Fred. Mary’s eyes
narrowed as she watched her.

Time for some damage control.

“Mary?” I called her over. She sat on the coffee table and faced
me.

“Thanks for all you’ve done for us. For me.” I reached for her
hand with my bruised fingers. She didn’t pull away.

“It benefits us all,” she said. Her eyes warmed up a little.

“I still want you to know how much I appreciate what you guys
have done for me. What
you’ve
done.”

The smile I’d hoped for appeared on her lips. She bent over and
kissed me gently on my bruised cheek.

I gazed at her appreciatively, and then caught Zoe staring. Her
expression was grim. I thought maybe I’d just screwed things up instead of
making them better, but then the doorbell rang. There was nothing I could’ve
done that would turn things upside down faster than what was waiting on the
other side of the door.

Chapter
30

We all stared toward the door. Who could be calling at this
time of night? The police? Had they discovered the fight club?

The bell chimed again.

“Is someone going to get that?” Zoe said.

Jabez moved to the door, motioning for Fred to follow. His
voice echoed through the foyer, “We’re not buying.”

“We’re not selling anything.” My spine tingled. I recognized
the voice. My eyes darted to Zoe. Her eyes popped wide. She knew it, too.

“We’re looking for Zoe Vanderveen and Noah Brody,” the voice
continued.

My heart thudded against my ribcage. Zoe covered her mouth with
her hand. Mary’s eyes never left the doorway, but her mouth was pulled into a
deep frown.

“You and the rest of the country,” Jabez said. “Can’t help
you.”

“We’re friends of theirs. I know they’re here.”

Jabez chuckled low, the way he did when he didn’t actually
think what you said was funny. “Get lost.”

I thought we were home free until Zoe jumped to her feet. If my
head hadn’t felt full of cotton and my body not a stiff and painful mess, I
would’ve been able to stop her.

She’d disappeared from view but I heard her clearly. “Taylor?
What are you doing here?”

Jabez and Fred entered the room, leaving her at the door. Jabez
raised an eyebrow at me. “Friends of yours?”

I shook my head slowly. Taylor Blake? How’d he find us? And who
were the “friends” Jabez’d referred to?

I tried to sit up, but my body revolted. A groan escaped from
my lips.

Zoe’s voice echoed toward us. “You need to go.”

Taylor Blake was still the stubborn jerk he was before. He
traipsed into the room with his sister Hannah and his lovesick puppy Rebecca in
tow.

He took in the room until his eyes settled on my bruised face.
“So, someone finally did what I could only dream of.”

“Why are you here?” I asked.
And how did you find us?

“That’s not important right now,” he said, taking a seat in one
of the empty chairs like he owned the place. “What’s important is that I
am
here.”

“What’s going on?” Mary asked. She stared at me. “Who are these
people?”

“They’re from the last place we stayed at,” Zoe said, her eyes
never leaving Taylor’s face. My stomach pinched at the way she seemed to be
admiring him.

“Yes,” Taylor said. “We’re old friends. Aren’t we Zoe
Vanderveen?”

 “What? Wait?” Jabez said, his face incredulous. “
You’re
the president’s granddaughter?”

“Oh my God.” Mary’s hand went to her throat. “I thought you
looked like her.” Then her gaze bore into me. “You’re
the
Noah Brody?
From the blog?”

Taylor broke out in hysterical laughter. “You didn’t know?
Amazing.”

I sent him a withering glare. If I hadn’t just been busted up
in a fight, I would’ve been all over him, knocking his lights out.

Now Zoe and I were exposed. We were in more danger than ever.

Hannah and Rebecca stood silently against the wall. Hannah’s
expression was dark and sorrowful. Rebecca retained her haughtiness while
somehow looking like a scared rabbit. Zoe’s gaze had settled on them, too, and
a new scowl covered her face.

“So, you’re here.” I tried to ignore the shock and awe that had
over taken the room. “What do you want?”
Reward money?

 “For now, just a place to stay. It’s cold out there.”

“I can believe we’ve been harboring fugitives,” Mary said.

“It’s not like that.” I beseeched her with my eyes. “Our lives
are in danger.”

“And now our lives are!”

True.

“Do you want me to throw them out?” Jabez said, waving at
Taylor.

Mary shook her head. “They’d just go to the police. We’re stuck
with them for now.”

Taylor made
tsk
ing sounds. “That’s not very hospitable.”

Lucky for us, Mary and Jabez were dodging the law for some
reason, too.

“How
did
you find us?” Zoe asked.

“Your gun, sweetheart,” Taylor began. “Remember that time in
the barn? You had your gun under your pillow. I slipped a tracker on it when we—”
Taylor’s face broke into a smarmy grin. “—were otherwise engaged.”

I stared at Zoe with disbelief. They were together more than
once?

Her eyes met mine and she shook her head. In denial or remorse,
I couldn’t tell. Fact was he’d had access to her gun.

Somehow Taylor had taken charge of the room and I hated him for
it.

“I think I should make proper introductions,” he said. “I’m
Taylor Blake, that’s my sister Hannah and our friend Rebecca. We traveled here
from Utah. And that’s Zoe Vanderveen and Noah Brody.” Taylor laughed. “By your
facial expressions it’s clear you didn’t know you had one point five mil under
your noses.”

“What do you want?” I’d managed to sit up somewhat during his
speech. “Are you going to turn us in for the money?”

“Come on, Noah. What do you take me for? If I was going to do
that, I would’ve done it already.”

“What then?”

“All in good time, my friend. Now why don’t you introduce us to
our hosts?”

Mary crossed her arms and spoke up with attitude. “I’m Mary,
and that’s my brother Jabez.”

Taylor nodded until his eyes landed on Fred. His eyebrows
jumped. “A humanoid?”

Rebecca gasped. “We have to leave, Taylor. This is a den of
iniquity!”

“A what?” Mary laughed harshly. “You are free to leave. Please,
do.”

Taylor shrugged. “I’m sure it’s harmless.”

He removed his jacket, and my heart sunk. He was serious about
staying. The girls remained huddled together against the wall. Taylor motioned
to them to sit on the rug. They complied without question.

Rebecca hadn’t changed a bit, her face still a smug expression
of self-righteousness. Hannah was a different story. Her light had gone out
with Simon’s death. Obviously their relationship was real and not simply
arranged. She wore her sorrow thickly, like an extra coat.

Taylor held out his left palm exposing a silver ring.

“A ComRing!” I shouted at him. “You idiot, you’re going to lead
them right to us!”

Taylor scoffed. “Chill out. It’s turned off, okay.” Then he
smirked. “Besides, they’re not looking for
me
.”

Chapter
31

ZOE

I felt ill.

First, watching Noah get beat to a pulp, even if he did win.
And just when I thought he’d bought our ticket to freedom, Taylor Blake showed
up.

Why?

And now Noah believed there was more going on between Taylor
and me than there was. I didn’t kiss Taylor in the barn.

But at the time, I’d wanted to. I was an awful person.

Taylor was here again, in the same room as Jabez and Mary. And now
they knew the truth about us.

Why wouldn’t Jabez and Mary turn us in for cash like that? They
didn’t owe us anything and I was pretty sure they didn’t even really like us.
At least Mary didn’t like me. I was her ticket to a warm million in her pocket.

It was all just too much. I had to sit down. All the chairs
were taken so I sat on the rug against the couch by Noah’s feet and rested my
chin between my knees.

I scanned the room and it seemed that everyone was staring at
me. No matter who I looked at, they were examining me. The crazy president’s granddaughter.

Except for Fred. Fred stood in the corner and held his gaze
steady at some invisible point in front of him. Did he have a pause button or something
that Jabez had pushed?

It was late and I wondered where everyone was going to sleep.
There were more beds in the factory dorm, but that room wasn’t heated.

Mary took the lead and instructed Jabez, Fred and Taylor to
move beds into her room and Jabez’s.

Jabez squawked. “I’m not sharing my room.”

Mary gave him a stern look. “It’s only temporary. I don’t like
sharing my room either, but we can’t let them freeze.”

By the time the guys were done—Fred and Taylor doing the heavy
lifting and Jabez with his broken arm, giving orders—a set of bunks were set up
in each room. Noah and Taylor moved in with Jabez. Hannah and Rebecca moved in
with me and Mary.

And here I’d thought I’d gotten away from the righteous sisters
for good.

They both adorned the same long braids down their backs as
before and wore worn-looking winter coats. Both had grim expressions on their
faces. Mary made them take the top bunks.

“Hannah needs a bottom bunk,” Rebecca said.

Mary crawled under her blanket. “Too bad.”

Hannah’s eyes finally lifted from the floor. “It’s fine. I’m
fine.”

She didn’t look fine. In fact she looked ill. Likely, still
mourning Simon’s death.

“I’ll take the top bunk,” I offered, motioning to Hannah to
take my bed.

I climbed up and burrowed under the blankets with my clothes
on. Even though this room had heat, it was still cold. Frost crept up the
outside of the window, testifying to the dropping temperatures.

“Why did you guys come here?” I hoped one of the girls would be
more honest than Taylor. Even if he was on the hunt for me, for the reward, why
would he drag the girls along?

“We didn’t really have a choice,” Rebecca said, climbing to the
top bunk opposite me. I knew she’d be the spokesperson.

“Why? What happened on the commune?”

“You mean, since it was destroyed because we were gracious
enough to house you?” Rebecca’s dark eyes narrowed to slits. She glanced down
at Mary, who lay in the bunk under me. “I’d be careful if I were you. If you
like this place and want to keep it.”

“What happened at your commune?” Mary asked.

“The authorities stormed it, guns blazing. Hannah’s fiancé was
killed.”

Mary’s head peeked out, her eyes searching for me. “Is this
true?”

I sighed. “Yes.”

“You knew this and came here anyway?”

“It wasn’t my decision. You and Noah made the deal. You needed
a fighter, remember?”

“
Jude
and I made the deal.”

“Look, we’ll leave as soon as Noah is fit to move. One more
day, tops, then we’ll be out of your hair forever.”

“Just make sure you take your commune friends with you.”

They weren’t my friends, but I let Mary have the last word.

As tired as I was, I couldn’t sleep. The sounds of deep
breathing came from the other three. Listening to them actually sleeping just
made me more aggravated that I wasn’t. My clothes felt twisted and
uncomfortable so I took them off, having warmed up my bed with body heat. When
sleep still evaded me, I got up for something to drink, grabbing Mary’s
housecoat that hung on the back of the door.

I startled when I saw Fred sitting in the chair in the dark. I
moved as quietly as possible to the kitchen and tried to find a glass and fill
it by the light coming from the open fridge.

I heard a noise and jumped when I saw Taylor Blake’s form fill
the doorway.

“You can’t sleep either?” he said.

I shook my head. I closed the fridge door and turned on the
small light over the stove.

Taylor crossed his arms and leaned against the door frame. He
wore jeans and a loose t-shirt, a really good look for him, I had to admit.
That and the messy bed head.

I swallowed and tightened the belt on the housecoat.

“Why did you come?” I asked. “Really?”

His eyes locked with mine. “For you.”

“For the money, you mean.”

“No, I mean for you. I seriously couldn’t get you out of my
mind, Zoe.”

I felt my face flush with this declaration. I ran a hand
through my short hair, wishing it were long again, so I could hide behind it.

“I like it,” Taylor said.

“Like what?”

“Your new look. It’s hot.”

I felt lightheaded. I sat on one of the kitchen stools. “What
happened, after we left?”

Taylor rubbed at the bristle growing on his chin. “We went to
South Dakota. Hid in the mountains.”

“I’m so sorry. It’s our fault that you guys got caught in our
cross-fire.”

“We didn’t exactly make it easy for you to leave. Finn—”

“Yeah, I remember.” Finn’s obsession with Noah and his blog.

“And he really did believe going up against ‘the spawn of Satan’
was God’s will for him. In other words, it’s not your fault. He was looking for
a fight.”

I tapped my fingers on my glass. Taylor didn’t look like he was
going to go back to bed.