Dark Secrets (Dark Secrets #1)(182)
Author: A.M. Hudson

“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.”