Always For You (Books 1-3) (15 page)

I
also needed to talk to Grace. I needed to tell her the truth. He'd
told me she didn't know, that only her older sister –
my
sister
- Ellen knew about me, about what had happened in the past. He
pleaded with me not to tell Grace, but I had to. This was my sister,
and I had to talk to her. So much had happened in the past 18 months
that I needed to tell her about.

He'd eventually relented and had given
me her address. I felt some pity for him, pity over the relationship
with his older daughter that had broken down over the years, broken
down because she had found out about me, about his past. He feared
the same would happen with Grace if she knew, but that wasn't enough
to stop me. He had to answer for his mistakes, it all had to come out
now.

So there I was, on a warm September
evening, once again sitting on my bike on the street, once again
prepping myself, wondering what I'd say when I announced to another
member of my long lost family who I was. A few nights ago it had been
Trevor, my father. Now it was Grace, my sister.

I sat there, nervous once more. Unlike
Trevor, she knew me. She had met me 18 months ago in that bar, she'd
watched on as I beat up that mugger. I didn't know whether she'd
remember me or not, but that night probably made a mark on her. I'd
seen her often though, saving her from the crash, from those drunks,
from the overdose down the ally. I was never one to believe in fate,
believe in guardian angels, but it seemed weird to me that I'd been
there each time to help her, to save her. I'd felt a bond towards
her, feelings that I'd misinterpreted, feelings that I now understood
fully. She was my sister. It felt right.

I
looked up to her flat and saw that the light was on. I could see a
shadow moving past the curtains, pacing, constantly moving around the
room. I sat there grappling with myself, pushing myself to go and
ring the bell.
It
might not even be her, could be a flatmate?

As
I was gathering the guts to step off my bike and head towards the
door, I saw a car slowly pull up outside.
I know that car.

A couple of moments later I saw the
curtain move, and a face peer through. From where I was I couldn't
quite make out if it was Grace or not. I sat and waited, before the
front door opened and a girl stepped out. It was Grace.

She walked sheepishly, nervously, to
the car, looking up and down the street briefly before stepping in.
The car stayed motionless for a second before slowly pulling off up
the street away from me. Without thinking, I started the engine and
set off after it, making sure to keep my distance.

That car. I knew it from before, from
that night at Room Z. I'd seen it rush out of the ally and past me
down the street. The ally that I found Grace down, collapsed on the
floor. I had to follow it.

Grace

I sat in the back of the car as we
pulled through the streets. The three glasses of wine I'd thrown down
my neck were doing little to calm my nerves as I looked out at the
world going by, regular people going about their regular business.

We continued on until we'd got out of
the town, everything becoming less urban, more country as we drove.
Soon we were on quiet roads, my pulse beginning to race as we became
more and more isolated. There were no cars around now, no houses to
the side of the road, no people walking their dogs. The car cruised
along in silence as we drove, my heart beating faster and faster in
my chest.

I thought I heard a distant hum behind
us as the world grew quieter, but couldn't see any vehicles. We went
on and on, the sun going down outside, covering the world in
darkness, the overcast sky shrouding the glow of the moon and stars.
All that remained was the light of the car, illuminating our path as
we shot by trees and fields, vineyards and farms.

After about 30 minutes – the longest
of my life – we turned up a path, large trees on both sides. We
came to a large gate, black and strong, supported on either side by
white pillars. I watched as the gate slowly opened, the car sneaking
forward and continuing up the driveway towards an imposing
Renaissance style mansion.

The car pulled up and stopped outside,
the world plunged into silence as the engine died down. I could hear
the drivers door open as John stepped out, shutting it carefully,
quietly. I sat in my chair, a growing fear in me, as the door opened
to my left, revealing John for the first time, standing there in a
suit.

“
We're
here Grace. Please, get out of the car,” he said peering down at
me.

I stepped out, my legs shaking, my
breath short. “Don't be afraid Grace,” he told me. “This is not
about pain, not about fear. You have nothing to be afraid of.”
There was a sinister tone to his words. They didn't comfort or
reassure me at all.

I walked ahead of me towards the house,
large motion sensored lights bursting into life, revealing ornate and
opulent walls, dotted with carvings and other decorations. We walked
up the steps to the wide entrance, the front door large and
formidable. He inserted a key and pushed, the door opening as I
followed him inside.

Cain

I followed as the car pulled off and up
the street, making sure that I kept my distance. Was this the same
guy as before? Was she working as a hooker? I hated the thought. I'd
have hated it before, but now that I knew she was my sister, it made
me sick to my bones.

The
car continued through the town as the sun began to bow out under the
horizon. I stayed back, keeping several cars behind if I could,
hoping that they wouldn't see me. Soon they were off, moving on out
of town, through the less urban areas on it's boundaries.
How
far would they go?

I had to know now. I had to know what
was going on. If she was a hooker, I had to help her, had to tell
Trevor. It was my responsibility.

As the roads thinned and became less
populated, I began to drop further back. I made sure to stay far
enough behind so that I was around any winding corners, keeping out
of sight as they pulled further into the country. My bike was loud,
whirring away as I tried to keep pace, forcing me further back as the
world become ever quieter.

Soon they were out of sight, the high
beam of the car the only indication of their location, a few hundred
meters away from me up the road. I could see faints cracks of light
flickering between distant trees, helping me keep them on my radar.

Then, suddenly, the lights slowed and
turned, moving up a secluded pathway. I cruised slowly up towards the
path, my bike growing quiet as it crawled forward. I could see the
car stop for a moment before moving back on, pulling away into the
darkness ahead. I turned down the lights on my bike and rounded the
corner, creeping forward in the blackness. Ahead I saw the silhouette
of a large house, cast against the skies.

I continued on, seeing a gate closing
in font of me. I couldn't get there before it shut tight, locking me
out, preventing me from getting closer. I looked ahead into the
darkness as the light of the car died in the distance. A waited a
moment, letting my eyes adjust to the dark when suddenly some
spotlights came on outside the house, shining their glow down on
Grace and the mystery man.

I saw him walk towards the house and
open the door. Grace walked gingerly behind him, looking wobbly on
her feet. It didn't look natural. She didn't look happy. Something
wasn't right.

September
10
^th
2013

Grace

The inside of the house was even more
opulent than the outside, the walls covered in tapestries and
magnificent paintings. There were beautifully carved tables and
chairs adorning the main hallway as I walked in, luxurious carpets
covering the wooden floors. It looked like something out of a royal
palace, old and dripping in money. It also made me feel uncomfortable
– large and cold, every footstep echoing through its cavernous
rooms.

He turned as we walked in, pirouetting
with his arms held high and wide. “What do you think of my little
place in the country,” he shouted with a smile, his words bouncing
off the walls.

I had nothing to say. I had hoped we'd
as least stay in town, maybe go to the city. An apartment, modern and
warm, with people nearby. That would at least have made this
nightmare more bearable. But no. We were here, in a creepy mansion in
the country, miles from anyone, miles from anywhere. I had nowhere to
go, nowhere to hide. I still had no idea what he was going to do with
me, do to me. And here, in this place, no one would hear me scream.

“
Lighten
up Grace.” His words came at me like a hiss. He moved close, his
hand touching my side, his slithery lips brushing along my neck. I
shuddered at his touch, his feel. “We're here to enjoy ourselves,”
he whispered in my ear. “Don't be shy, and don't fear me. Let
yourself go, you might just enjoy it.”

He stepped back, turning on the spot.
“Follow me,” he said as he walked away, leading me through the
hall towards another door. He opened it and walked into a lavish
living room. “Sit down please Grace.” He pointed at a chair.

I sat where he'd ordered and he walked
to stand in front of me. He moved slowly, menacingly, confidently. It
was as if he'd done this a million times.

“
Now,
I want you to submit to me. You will do what I tell you, when I tell
you. Do you understand.”

I shook my head. “What if I don't
want to.” As I spoke I heard a slight sound back out near the
hallway across the house. It was faint, but sounded like a crack of
glass. I looked at John, who hadn't seemed to notice anything, his
eyes still fixed on me.

He looked down his nose at me, his
glare stiffening. “You will do it anyway.” His words were
suddenly more aggressive, more threatening.

“
And
if I don't.”

He chuckled lightly. “Then the deal's
off, and you know what that means.” I did.

I nodded my head slowly. There was
nothing else I could say, nothing I could do now. “OK, I submit.”

A
wide smile grew across his face. “Excellent.” He reached to his
pocket and pulled out a small white packet, just as he had back in
Room
Z
.
“First, I want you to take this. You remember it, don't you?”

“
I'm
not taking that. Not after last time. No way.” I felt my resolve
grow. I wasn't taking that shit again, I didn't care what he said,
what he did.

“
Take
it,” he said again, his smile disappearing. “I like shadow's. I
want you to become a shadow again.”

I shook my head once more. “I won't
take it. I won't.”

I could see him thinking, the clogs in
his mind working their way to a conclusion. “OK Grace,” he said
quietly. “I understand. No drugs.”

He put the packet back into his pocket.
“I'm sorry for asking. I shouldn't be so insensitive, I apologize.”
The change in his tone unsettled me.

“
How
about a drink instead?” He walked over to the back cabinet and
poured two classes of champagne out of a cooler. “Here,” he said
as he walked back towards me, “it will calm your nerves. It's
Crystal.” I didn't give a shit what it was.

I snatched the glass from him and took
a gulp. He watched closely as I did, his eyes lit with anticipation.
“Good girl, drink it down.”

I felt it immediately. The lightness in
my head, the tingling in my fingers. The world started to blur in
front of me as I reached out. “It's OK, it's OK,” I could hear
him whisper, “it will just lighten you up.”

Then, everything closed in, the
blackness overcoming me, and I collapsed to the floor.

Cain

I peered in as Grace entered the house.
I knew something was up. This wasn't right. I shook the gate: it was
stuck fast. I started climbing, grasping the vertical slats of cold
metal tight, pulling myself up and over the gate.

The lights outside went off, plunging
me into darkness but for a dim light shining from inside the house. I
moved forward slowly, my eyes adjusting, filtering in as much light
as possible. Gradually my vision improved, allowing me to quicken my
progress. I heard a shout from inside as I went, a man's voice. I
listened for something more. Nothing, silence again.

Shit,
no.
The
lights came back on as I approached, bathing the outside in a yellow
glow once more. I rushed forward until I reached the front door,
moving around the walls and looking for a window. I caught sight of
Grace being led to the back of the house, in through a door from the
hallway. I don't think they'd noticed the lights.

I
went back to the front door and tried to push it open. It was locked
from the inside.
Fuck
.
I moved back round the house, searching for another way in.
Screw it.
I took off my jacket and wrapped it as tight as I could around my
fist. There was a window further along the front wall of the house,
leading into what seemed to be a study adjoined to the hall. I looked
in and saw that the door to the hall was shut. Hopefully they
wouldn't hear me.