Dark Secrets (96 page)

The haunting piano
stopped below us, and the gentle clicking of applause filled the
air as Jason pulled me along—attempting discretion—and to my
amazement, succeeding.

We stopped by the
stairs, waiting as a few couples emerged from the darkness,
straightening their clothes, looking a little flushed. Jason smiled
at them knowingly, pulling me in to conceal his tight grip within
the closeness of our bodies. I tried to push my hips away from his,
but he hooked his foot around my ankle, leaning closer to whisper
against my brow. “If you bring attention to yourself, young lady, I
will dig my fingertip into your skin and cut your bone in
half.”

I stopped struggling,
taking shallow breaths to suppress the deep urge to fight, and when
I saw my hand against the lapels of Jason’s jacket, my ruby ring
standing out like midnight blood, Mike’s face, the way he smiled
when I accepted his proposal, came to mind. All those things that
were lost filled my heart with regret. I wanted Mike to come—wanted
him to save me. And a part of me didn't care about anyone else in
the room; a part of me just wanted to scream out while I still had
the chance. But if I even indulged in the idea, I’d be risking
Mike’s life too.

“
Mike can’t help you
now, anyway, Ara. He’s only human.”

David could help
me—if he were here. I know he’d...

“
David will not help
you, either. He’s not coming back for you.” Jason’s eyes flooded
with amusement as he looked down at the cold liquid running from my
nose and eyes, trickling past my quivering lip. “But you already
knew that, didn’t you?”

I nodded, closing my
eyes tight.

“
It’s quite the
poetic ending, really, that you despised him, lost him because you
could not become the beast he is, and yet, in dying, your beautiful
face and body will be marred beyond recognition, crafting you,
essentially, into an eternal beast.”

“
No!” The fright left
my lips in an uncontrolled wail, and several other cries came from
nearby, couples parting, nearly toppling over the railing as a bulk
figure burst through them on the stairs. Jason slowly looked over
his shoulder, his gaze meeting Mike’s for a split second, a
lifetime of comprehension passing the invisible barrier between
them. And Mike started running.

Panic overruled my
fear. I wriggled in Jason’s arms, torn between reality and
paranormal. I couldn't let my world touch Mike’s—couldn’t let him
die for me. “Jason!” I gasped in a low voice. “Run!”

“
As you wish,” he
said, and in that moment, as he reached down and swept me off the
ground, Mike knew. I closed my eyes and prayed as the darkness
closed me in, seeing Mike’s face, seeing all hope slip for that one
heartbeat when he knew, when he realised for the first time, that
he would never see me again.

A rush of wind and the
feel of speed beneath my feet ended suddenly. I opened my eyes
again to kaleidoscope shadows of leaves on my hands and dress.
Jason spun me at the shoulders, facing me in the other direction,
and pointed past the border of the forest to the top of the
stairs.

Mike grasped the
railing and leaned into the night—searching the darkness
frantically, as my name echoed off the emptiness, his voice
breaking to tears beneath the panic.

“
He won’t give up,
you know,” I said.

“
Then he’ll
die.”

I looked back at Jason
and, seeing the seriousness in his eyes, slowly looked upon my
Zorro one last time. Mike’s hands flew into his hair, gripping
tightly as he sunk down onto the step, his head between his
knees.

“
That’s quite a
warrior you have there,” Jason said. “Perhaps I should oblige him
to a duel?”

“
You came here for
me. You leave him out of this,” I warned, clenching my
fists.

Jason watched again
for a second as Emily landed beside Mike, her hand on his shoulder,
her head whipping up to search the gardens before she took off up
the stairs, running. Mike rolled back, looking up at the sky, then
reached into his pocket, his phone lighting his face blue a second
later.

“
My dad. He’s calling
my dad.”

“
No,” Jason said.
“He’s calling the police.”

The severity of the
situation hit me then. I drew a shaky breath, feeling the frosty,
pine-scented wind tighten my chest. “You won’t get away with
this.”

“
That was never the
plan.”

My shoulders slowly
inched closer to my jaw. “I…I don’t want you to hurt
me.”

“
Of course you
don’t,” he said, amused. “It wouldn’t be any fun if you
did.”

“
Fun? So that’s what
this is really about? Fun?”

He turned to me,
slowly laying widespread fingers to his mask and drew it away,
revealing a face that stole my breath. “To a degree.”

“
You’re sick, Jason.”
I looked away from the kind eyes of my David, offensive on this
vile man.

“
I’m not the sick one. Your
beloved
vampire ex
is.”

“
David?” I scoffed. “At least
he
would never take an innocent life
for revenge.”

Jason’s sudden burst
of laughter was revoltingly boyish and sincere; a different kind of
laugh to his brother’s. “Oh, that’s right. You think he’s kind—and
compassionate.”

“
I
don’t
think
.
I
know
.”

He spun around about a
foot away and bowed with humour, crossing his hands over his
stomach. “My dear, young lady, you have been kept in the dark,
haven’t you?”

“
Not as far as I’m
concerned.” I wedged my hands onto my hips.

“
As
far as you’re concerned? As far as
you
are concerned, my sweet girl, he
is a vile, disgusting vampire who kills people with his teeth; not
good enough for you to love eternally. Is it any surprise he might
have done something terrible in his past that, perhaps, hurt
others?”

“
Like
what?”

“
Like killing a girl
I was in love with!” Jason’s cold breath infected the side of my
face as he sprung up suddenly in front of me, whispering his words
into my skin. “And I intend to repay him the favour.”

I jerked away, shoving
him. “Go ahead, Jason. If you’re going to kill me, just get it over
with.”

He laughed. “Excuse
me?”

“
You heard me.” I wiped my lip, standing taller. “I’m tired of
this. In fact, since you obviously want to taint his honour with
your little story about how
evil
David is, why not break into a little bad-guy
monologue?” I challenged. “Maybe you can even get stuck in it just
long enough for me to escape.”

Jason’s hand moved,
and every muscle in my throat seized up, the blood filling my head
above the cage of fingers. “Do not speak to me with such contempt,
you haughty little bitch.” He thrust his arm downward, slamming me
to the floor.

I coughed out, falling
to my side, clenching the grass in a small fist as I tried to catch
my breath—half suffocating under the rattling of my
heart.

“
Have we learned our
lesson now?” The predator towered over me.

“
Just leave me
alone.” I sniffled, rolling onto my knees, tearing the mask from my
face.

“
Leave you alone?” He
knelt beside me, taking the mask. “Why would I go and do a thing
like that? Especially now you’re crying.”

“
What’s that got to
do with it?” I asked, dabbing a finger under my lashes.

“
She cried. She
begged him to stop.” He turned my jaw until it faced him; I
wouldn’t look into his eyes, though. “You, my dear, have only
reached phase one of your torture.”

“
Then what’s phase
two?” I asked through my teeth, scrunching the grass tightly. “If
you’re going to kill me, I’d rather not drag this out playing
guessing games.”

“
Oh, but my lovely girl, games are half the fun—they’re what
will climax the ending when I show him the way I hurt you,” he said
in a kind voice, like he was talking to a child. “Finally, he will
get to see how it feels to watch someone
he
loves die at the hands of someone
he’s trusted his whole life.”

“
You
saw
him
kill her—this girl you loved?” My whisper came out
ragged.

“
I did—in his
memories.” He seemed to choke. “You cannot fathom the debasing
things he did to her, Ara—you cannot comprehend what she suffered
in those last moments.”

“
So
you’re
going to be the one to
make
me understand?” I said
sarcastically.

Jason thumbed a tear
away from my chin. “Yes, but first, by making you see.”

When his hand came up
fast, I cowered, shielding my cheek, but he shoved my wrist away,
gripping both sides of my face to pull me closer.

“
What’re you doing?”
I asked, nose to nose with this man who meant to hurt
me.

“
Blessing you with
the gift of insight.” He squeezed my face tighter as I fought him.
“Sit still.”

“
No. I don’t want you
to touch me.”

“
You need to see
this,” he said, breathless. “You need to know what you’re dying
for.”

“
Why?”

“
Why?” His voice
broke, tears coating his eyes. “Because it matters.”

And a small part of me
actually felt a pang of pity for him then. I held my breath,
listening for the voices in the distance calling my name. All I
wanted was to run to them, to get away, but I exhaled slowly and
looked deep into the eyes of my captor. “Let it go,
Jason.”

He pressed his thumbs
under my eyes, holding me in place; the indentation of his grip
suggesting that movement might result in a cracked skull. “Take a
deep breath, Ara.”

“
Please—don’t.” As
his icy touch sent a stinging jolt through my cheek, I jerked back,
wriggling like a fish on a hook; I pushed my wrists down on his
forearms, merely making his grip tighter. “Get off me, it
hurts.”

“
I know.”

“
Please—” I tugged at
his thumbs. “Please stop.”

“
Close your eyes,” he
ordered. “It will hurt less.”

A whimpering cry shook
the back of my throat; I swallowed hard, scrunching my eyes tightly
over the hot, stinging tears, and drew a quick breath instantly
when I saw a girl—as bright as the sun in the day. She looked like
a memory, one that didn’t belong to me, but clear as a
reflection.

“
Rochelle, Rochelle,
Rochelle,” a man said, standing over her where she cowered in the
corner, her head in her arms. His feet parted enough that I could
see her bare toes, her golden legs, and honey blond hair falling
over her shoulder. She looked just like Emily.

“
Yes.” Jason’s grip
eased and the stinging in my face turned numb and cold. “She did.
Will you sit still now?”

As I nodded, the film
became clearer; the girl looked up—her eyes round with fright, her
whole body convulsing uncontrollably.

David knelt beside her
and softly ran his fingers down her arm, taking her hand, then
kissed it. “Such a pretty little thing. It’s a pity you had to cry,
Rochelle—you really are repulsive when you snivel.”

She buried her face
again, her delicate, feminine voice so high, so frightened.
“Please. Please let me go.”

He smiled softly. “I
will. I just have to do something first.”

“
W-what?” even in a
quiet voice, her French accent was so thick.

His hand slid along
her ankle, up her leg, coming to rest on her knee. “If you promise
to lie still, I will be gentle.”

“
No.
Please!”

“
Don’t beg,
Rochelle.” He unfastened the top button on her dress, parting the
collar. “It won't hurt for long.”

“
Va te faire foutre,
trouduci.” She spat on him.

“
You dirty little
whore!” He thrashed the back of his hand across her chin with
lip-splitting force.

I squealed, covering
my mouth as she did.

“
Shh.” Jason squeezed
my face. “You’ll expose our position to your little hunting
party.”

“
I’m sorry,” I
said.

“
Just watch.” He
pushed my mind closer to the memory: David lowered his face to the
girl’s and whispered something in her ear, turning her cheek to
lick the blood from it after.

My chest
tightened.

“
Your taste does not
really appeal to me,” he said.

“
Then let me
go.”

“
I would, if you were
merely my next meal, but I'm here for another reason.”

“
What
reason?”

“
My brother does not
have the courage to do what must be done.” He ran his finger down
the opening in her dress, smoothing it off her shoulder. “This is
not personal, Rochelle. It’s just business.”