Arielle Immortal Resolve (The Immortal Rapture Series Book 8) (4 page)

“I’ll be back, my love, so don’t go anywhere,” she promised, as she crossed the passage and let it close behind her.

Chapter 2

WHEN TROY ANSWERED
the phone he could sense in Sebastian’s voice the excitement and resolve to end Annabel’s life. Sebastian’s zeal gripped Troy’s attention, giving him a surge of commitment to run to his side. Troy slipped the mobile back in his pocket and paused for a moment to smile. He ran his tongue over his lips, savoring Gabrielle’s kiss, and darted into the night after Sebastian.

He tracked his scent and soon arrived at the edge of the park Sebastian mentioned on the phone. He scanned each direction carefully before he crossed it in large strides. He reached the cobblestoned square, which was surrounded by average size homes. It was the typical European roundabout with five exits. He stood motionless before walking quietly in the night like a ghost until he located York St. He was to look for the second house on the left off of York St. The quiet was deafening as he stood behind a huge tree across from the two-story house.

His immortal gift gave him a clear view of the small rundown house and its tall fence with the large padlock at the gate. This wasn’t going to be an issue for Troy and his immortal strength. The house appeared deserted but Sebastian was already in there. He paused again and after scanning deep in the dark he approached the house in slow, calculated movements like a panther after its prey, and hurdled the fence without any difficulty, landing inside the garden. He darted toward the tall hedge growing against the house and disappeared behind it. He noticed that the light was on in one of the rooms so he crept along the wall and stood underneath the window. He peeked inside but the room was empty.
Where’s Sebastian; where is anybody in this house?
Troy’s thoughts whirled like a windmill in a storm.

He decided to move but just before he emerged from the hedges he heard footsteps approaching from the far side of the dark street and caught a clear view of three men emerge from the shadows and stop short of the gate. Troy examined their faces and immediately knew that he was dealing with immortals. Their lips were moving but their conversation was soundless to a human ear; however Troy could hear every word. He paused and pulled back behind the hedges, waiting for their next move. The man who seemed to be the leader of the trio looked around as if he was waiting for someone.

“We must wait for Clair before we meet with Annabel,” he said. His voice was loud and quite intense startling Troy.

“Jon, what if the price is ridiculously low?” one of the guys asked the man who wanted to wait for Clair.

“We don’t have to take the job,” he replied. “She did, however, promise that it’ll be a hefty amount. I guess we have to wait and see.” He continued looking around nervously.

A weird silence fell between them again, as Troy’s body tensed. Sebastian was in there with Annabel and maybe a few more thugs and now there were three more guys and a woman who would be joining them shortly. The odds were stacking against him, how was he ever going to overcome this kind of obstacle? With jaw tightened and breath held in his throat his thoughts pulsed wildly, realizing that he needed more help.

He cursed silently, knowing that Ian and Eva had left for their honeymoon. He didn’t have Loren’s number but he could call Christian and Isabella as well as Nathan. Lost in thought, he started when he felt his phone vibrate.

He pulled it out of his pocket and upon gazing at the screen, his jaw dropped. How could that be possible? Antonius’ name flashed across the screen like a rescue vessel throwing out a lifeline. He found himself smiling and a spurt of exuberance rushed through his body like lightning in the night. He answered the call with a text message.

I can
’t talk, but I need your help.

I
’m heading your way with friends. Don’t try to do anything stupid alone.

But how did you know?

Gabrielle called. She said you needed help.

Troy chuckled softly, relief engulfing him.

I have a strong feeling that Sebastian is in deep trouble. He's not picking up his phone or texting back.

Where are you?

Troy gave him the address, put away his mobile with a sigh of relief, and waited for his friends to show up.

With no clue as to where Antonius was coming from, he pulled further back into the hedges and waited. His eyes were locked on the three men, hoping they'd make their move soon; he needed to make sure that Sebastian was safe. Just as his patience was wearing thin, he caught a movement in his periphery. He spun around and was shocked to see four men creeping in the shadows across the street.

It couldn’t have been more than a couple of minutes since he’d spoken with Antonius, but as he scanned their faces he recognized Antonius, Gerard, Giani, and Arturo. His friends seemed to be aware of the three thugs standing at the gate as well because they were watching them intently. He let out a deep breath of relief and his eyes turned back toward the gate. Troy studied the men again and frowned, his worry over Sebastian increasing; every minute that ticked away could bring Sebastian closer to disaster. He sought revenge in such a brutal way that he would’ve moved the Alps to get to Annabel and that could land him in deep trouble. Troy pursed his lips. Worrying wasn’t helpful at the moment. He glanced again inside the room but it was still deserted.

“Clair, there you are…” An amused voice made Troy jump and turn his gaze back toward the gate. A young woman had approached the three men and they were exchanging friendly greetings. They pressed the button on the wall and the faint sound of a bell was heard from somewhere inside the house. At first there was silence and it was long enough to make Troy anxious but finally the door flew open and a large-built man step over the threshold. He glared at the gate with an assessing look and finally walked across the garden and unlocked the padlock. He didn’t seem to know any of the newcomers but introduced himself as Raffaele with a dry smile. The woman stepped in front of the three men and her voice came out cold and firm.

“I’m Clair,” and pointing at the others she continued. “These are Jon, Liam, and Oliver. We're here to meet Annabel at her request.”

Raffaele nodded, moved aside, and let them in. He secured the padlock and headed back toward the house. There was no further dialog between them as they crossed the threshold and disappeared behind the front door.

As soon as the door closed behind them Troy’s friends run across the street, scaled the fence and crossed the garden in large strides. They shook hands quietly, Troy’s relief quite palpable. Words formed on their lips but no audible sounds were heard. They peeked through the window and watched the man who called himself Raffaele pause for a moment, then advance across the room. He stopped in front of the wall directly opposite the front door.

The newcomers looked around and finally rested their gaze on Raffaele. They watched him intently as Raffaele placed his hand flat on the wall, leaned in, and pressed. The wall gave in, revealing a secret passage. He stepped aside and, looking back at them, motioned for them to enter first. He followed at their heels, pressed his palm against the wall on the inside, and the opening disappeared.

Troy cursed with clenched fists and eyes narrowed to slits. His mind was whirling with wild thoughts.

“What is it?” Antonius asked.

“I’m worried about Sebastian and wondering how many immortals we have to face behind that wall.” Troy’s voice was full of concern.

“It doesn’t matter how many they are. We can handle them.” Antonius smiled wide and patted Troy on the back. The front door wasn’t a challenge and soon enough they stood in the middle of the room.

Giani and Arturo climbed the steps soundlessly to eliminate any thugs on the upper floor while Gerard and Antonius moved down the hall to search the rooms on the main floor. Troy remained on guard to prevent any surprises from the outside or the secret passage. The upstairs rooms seemed to be empty and so were the filthy rooms on the first floor. They all assembled again in the front room and walked over to the wall to find the secret passage.

“Where in the hell is everybody?” Giani whispered. “Are they all behind that wall?”

“Most likely,” Troy replied, glancing around the room.

Their eyes honed in on the wall that concealed the invisible door.

Girard crept up to that wall and, leaning forward, placed his hand flat on the surface. His fingers traced around the area they’d seen the goon pressing a few minutes earlier. It wasn’t long before he felt the small bump on the wall and, pressing it impatiently, exposed the opening. A faint smile of satisfaction crossed his face as he looked back at his friends and motioned them to follow.

They stepped inside the opening and came to a halt, adjusting to the intensified darkness, as the door closed behind them. They scanned the area, eyes darting from side-to-side. They were shocked to find themselves standing at the top landing of a long spiral metal staircase, leading down into a dark cellar. They could feel the coolness of the stone and the dampness of the air around them. A thick, musty odor filled their nostrils, making it hard to breath.

They exchanged brief glances, as anger intensified and silence filled the air. They made their way quietly down the spiral staircase, trying to pick up Sebastian’s scent. That wasn’t an easy task as the scent of immortality was everywhere. Their eyes focused on the dark corridor as they stepped down on the wet cold floor. They could clearly see slithers of light coming from two rooms at the very end of the corridor. As they moved further down the passageway they heard muffled sounds coming out of the room closest to them. They moved closer and peering through the cracks of the door, observed a small room dimly lit and poorly furnished. There was a large dirty sofa pushed against the concrete wall, a small fridge stained with mold and dirt and several chairs around a large old table. There were six men in that room and that included the man who called himself Raffaele; three were the newcomers Jon, Liam, and Oliver. The other two scums seemed to answer to Raffaele. To their surprise the female who called herself Clair seemed to be in her late teens. They were all seated around the table.

“Where in bloody hell is Annabel?” the man who called himself Jon asked with clear frustration.

“She had to run an errand that couldn’t wait but should be back shortly,” Raffaele replied.

The newcomer cursed in disapproval. “I told Annabel that I don’t like to be kept waiting.” The anger in his eyes deepened.

“Well you can either wait or just leave,” said Raffaele, in a firm tone. “Annabel calls the shots,” he explained.

Jon raised an eyebrow at Raffaele and, leaning back in his chair crossed his arms, a displeased look on his face.

Silence felt. Clair stood and started to pace anxiously.

“Sit down!” Jon growled looking up at her. “You’re utterly annoying.”

She looked stunned. Rage stained her face and she shot him a look full of anger. Jon’s expression was cold and unruffled, so Clair slumped down on the dirty sofa.

“Is there anything to drink in this sticky place?” she spit at Raffaele.

“You don’t have to stay if you don’t like it here,” Raffaele replied, his tone pissed. “There's Salve and beer in the fridge. If you want something to drink you can get up and get it yourself, there’s nobody here to cater to you,” Raffaele replied stiffly, glaring at Clair in annoyance. “Take it or leave it.” His voice was harsh and icy.

“Thanks,” she replied, seemingly undaunted by his rudeness.

Troy and the guys needed to locate Sebastian immediately. Dealing with Annabel’s thugs came last. They were six immortals in that room almost equal to Troy and his friends. They could use the element of surprise, but the fact that Sebastian was in trouble was shifting the scale to the other side. To their relief the men decided to play cards to pass the time waiting for Annabel. Soon enough they were all involved in a lively game, including the girl. Their laughter and conversations became louder as Salve and beer were consumed. They were being energized and inebriated in equal measure, and that seemed to be a plus for the guys.

Troy turned his attention to the faint sliver of light coming from the cracks in the door at the end of the corridor. He crept closer and put his ear against the door, but all he could hear was silence. He peeked through the crack and his body stiffened as he gasped in shock.

“What is it?” Girard asked in a low voice, grabbing everyone’s attention. Troy raised his hand for silence, turned the knob and threw the door wide. Sebastian’s appearance made the guys gasp in horror, curses leaving their clenched teeth. Utter disbelief was their first reaction. The room was equipped with torture contraptions that included binds, metal frames designed to clamp over a body, metal cables with shackles at the end to restrain and hoist bodies on the concrete walls. Silence fell among the men as they looked in horror at Sebastian’s naked body. Troy shut the door behind them and moved toward the wall.