Leticia (32 page)

“
You
should have seen her face when Tristan got out of your car
.”

“What?”

“
He
drove you both back and carried you up here. I was panicking like mad, I didn’t know what had happened to
you,
” he said before kissing me for a moment
.
“Don’t scare me like that again
.
”

“I’m sorry
.
”

“I have a confession to make too. I kinda punched Tristan for biting you,
and
swore at him
.
I don’t normally use the ‘F’ word, but it just came out. I didn’t know what had happened though, I just hit first...”

“Thought later?”

“Yeah
,
” he sighed
.
“Leticia, Tristan said we all need to talk, there’s more to this trouble than we thought, and if I’m honest... he thinks you knew
.
”

“What!”

“Let me call them up here
.
”

He shouted down to them and they
made
their
way upstairs. I t
hought Jackson would have sat with
me again, but instead he
leaned
against the wall facing me, his arms folded across his chest. You could see he was uncomfortable.
Nancy didn't look happy at all and Tristan looked genuinely concerned.

“Leticia, do you feel up to an important talk?” Tristan asked
.

“
Yeah I think so,” I wa
s starting to get concerned now
.
“What’s wrong?”

“Now be honest
. Is
there anything else you need to tell us about what happened when you were with Luke?”

“Erm... I told Jackson what happened the night I went into isolation
.
”

“Yeah, he relayed the story to us, that’s not what I meant
.
I mean... did anything else happen before you left?”

“Like what?”

“Anything
,
” Nancy shot
.

“I told him what I
was;
he hit the roof and left me. I was taunted, attacked, stalked, and I fled. That’s everything. You know this, so why are you asking me
?
”
I shot back
.

“
And
you haven’t left anything out?” Tristan asked
.

“Like what!” I was getting annoyed now
.
“You obviously think I have, so wh
y
not just tell me what I’m supposed to be hiding or lying about
.
”

“Leticia calm down
,
” Jackson finally spoke
.

“No! What exactly am I being accused of here?”

Tristan stepped forward and started explaining. “Obviously you know we were taken, Nancy has told you what happened. Well, after they staked me
,
they drove to the entrance of the Moor
s
and to that little barn where we were before.
They carried me inside and one of the men brought a rucksack in
;
Leticia it was full of needles. I heard them talking, they said... they couldn’t wait to see what effect the blood would have on them... that if a werewolf’s blood could make them so strong, my blood should be able to do the same, and possibly more. Another guy said since they couldn’t catch the were-bitch my blood would have to do, no matter whether it was as good or not
.
”

“I don’t... I don’t understand...”

“The guy who had the rucksack said he believed my blood would be better for them and last longer
. He
said since the werewolf’s blood was so many years old, it would have probably lost some of its power. He believed that was why the effect wore off so quickly
.
”

“
And
you think this man meant
my
blood?” I gasped
.

“Yes I do, who else would he be ta
l
king about?”

“So... hang on, you think I gave these people my blood?”

“Yes, back when you
were
with Luke
.
”

“Oh my God
!
You’re
... you actually believe that I would do something like that?”

“How else would they get it?” Nancy joined
in
.

“I don’t believe this
!
I can’t believe you actually think I would do that. I’m not standing for this
.
” I jumped up of the bed, which wasn’t a very clever thing to do when you
were
recovering from extreme blood loss. The room started spinning
and I had to grab the bed post to steady myself. 

“Where are you going?” Jackson asked, grabbing my arm to help support me
.

“Get off me, don’t you touch me
!
” I yelled
.

“You can’t leave in this state
.
”

“Watch me
.
”

I shrugged him off, grabbed my bag with all my money and cards
,
then staggered down the hallway towards the stairs using the walls to steady m
yself
. Jackson was following behind me, telling me how stupid I was and asking me where I was going, but I didn't acknowledge him at all. I don’t know how, but I managed to get down the stairs in one piece.
I picked my car keys up off the stand by the door and made my way outside. Jackson steadied me several times
while
I got to my car
.
Honestly
I was grateful, but there was no way on earth I was going to tell him that. He watched me throw my bag in the car then gripped me and turned me to face him.

“Leticia please, please don’t go
,
” he begged
.

“Piss off
.
”

“Leticia
,
” I heard Nancy shout
.
“Where are you going to go? You have nowhere to turn
.
”

“
You’re wrong!” I shouted back at her
.

“Please, don’t leave me
,
” Jackson choked
.

“Leave me alone! You think I’m one of them
!
You’re
as bad as them two in there. I’m in the state I’m in now through saving
his
life
and this is the thanks I get. Well you can all go to Hell!” I pushed him away from me and more or less fell into the car, slamming and locking the door behind me. It took me a few attempts to get the key in the ignition, but eventually I was able to drive away. I confess I nearly drove straight into Nancy’s car, my vision was so blurry, but I didn't care. I just wanted to get away from all of them.

I stayed on the back country
lanes;
the last thing I wanted was to get pulled over by the police on
the main roads. I nearly had a few accidents, but eventually
I got to Huddersfield. I checked into the same hotel I
’d
brought Adam to, and went straight to my room. I ordered room service, hoping the food would help me feel better. I was right, only half an hour or so after I’d eaten I felt great again, well, my body did, but my head was really messed up. I was so upset at my
supposed
friends’
accusations
and Jackson, I was absolutely fuming with him, he knew me better than the others, I’d spent a lot more time with him. So for him to think I could do that, mixed with the fact I was falling for him, caused me a great deal of heartache.

I was
sitting
on the bed, tears running down my cheeks, wondering where I should go and what to do. There was a knock on my
door;
I wipe
d
my eyes before opening it. It was the guy who had brought my food. He came in the room and stood by the bed, I was about to ask him what he was doing, when he morphed into Jackson.

“Get out!” I seethed
.

“No, if you want me out you will have to throw me out.”

“Don’t tempt me...”

“Why are you being like this with
me
? I didn't accuse you of
anything
.”

“You stood there with them, you believed them
.
”

“No I didn’t, I admit when Tristan first told me I wondered if it was possible, then I knew it couldn’t have been. Tish, I’ve watched you for months, I knew you existed weeks before we met in the
parking lot
.
I’d never seen you doing anything
dodgy;
when you weren’t working you always seemed to be on your own. So I know
its
complete rubbish!
”

“Why did you watch me for so long?”

“
You fascinated me, and on top of that... I thought you were the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen
.
”

“Oh...
” I paused.
“
Jackson I swear, I didn’t know about the blood
.
”

“I know
,
” he said coming closer to me
.
“
I believe you and I trust you
.
”

I didn't respond
.
I had a frog in my throat. A single tear fell down my cheek.
He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close to him.
We stood there for a few minutes before his phone started to ring. I sat on the bed
while
he answered it.

“Nancy calm down
,
” he began
.
“Take a bloody breath I can’t understand a word you’re saying... where are you?
Why
are you at the summit?
W
ell you can stop looking, I’m with her now. Yes...
I’m not telling you where we are... because you don’t believe her... since when... WHAT! don’t you dare, that’s MY house!... I don’t care where you take him...
them
then... oh for gods sake fine
we’ll be there when and
if
we can
,
” he hung up.

“What’s the matter now?”

“They’ve caught two of them and they’re locking them down in my ba
sement
.
”

“Why?”

“To question them
. They
want us there
.
”

“Why should I go?”

“Nancy said she believes you
.
”

“She should never have doubted me in the first place. She should have just told me what was going on and then asked if I knew anything about it. Not just instantly assume I was part of it. She’s seen what’s happened to me,
to
my house and she still had the nerve to accuse me. Some friend!”

“I know and I completely agree with you, but staying away won’t solve anything Leticia
.
”

“I know
,
” I sighed
.

“Have you paid for the room already?”
he asked, taking my hands in his.

“Yes why?”

“Cancel it, come back
.
”

“Jackson I can’t
.”

“At least come back with me now... we could get some answers
.
”

“OK
,
” I
agreed
.
“
But
if
they
say
anything nasty to me... they’ll get it good
.
”

“That’s fine, I agree completely
.
”

We went separate ways when we got to the cars. Jackson
wanted
me to ride with him, but I knew he wouldn’t bring me back to the hotel later, also, if things got out of hand between me
,
Nancy and Tristan, I could just jump in the car and leave.

When we arrived at the house, they were at the front door waiting for us.
Nancy looked over at me rather sheepishly, whereas Tristan walked over to me as soon as I got out of the car. I think Jackson expected him to be nasty because he was by my side within seconds.