Hyde (33 page)

He sat on her bed, "No it wasn’t. Hanna I am
cursed, I feel nothing. I have no heart. Henry cursed me. Don't you
see it's why I stole his soul? He stole my heart." He looked at
her, pleading with her, "Don’t you see. You make me feel again.
Your feelings are so strong even I feel something."

She refused to hear him, her mind was reeling at
the events that had taken place. He had betrayed her father in
every way, he had been the reason her mother died, he set up her
aunt and uncle and then made them murder her best friend. He forced
her to be reliant on him, he had been her savior. She looked back,
seeing every step she'd taken had been planned out by him. She had
slept with him. She fought back the urge to throw up.

"Let me die Marcus." She was empty.

"Hanna you will see this is better. When I kill
Sam I will make Henry erase your memories of him. And this
conversation." He walked to the door leaving her alone in the
room.

She walked to her bed to cry herself to
sleep.

****

She woke to the sound of water being poured.

She opened her eyes to see Marcus smiling at
her.

"Bath time Hanna."

She shivered, "Marcus please just let me have a
shower like a human not a sponge bath like an animal."

He watched her and nodded, "Fine but I will wait
outside the bathroom."

She sighed, "Thank you." She hated the idea of
him touching her. Her only saving grace had been that he was
disgusted by her love for another man. She'd managed to avoid any
serious touching. She knew it would be short lived. He would
eventually want her in his bed again. She would follow her mother
and take her own life before she ever did that again.

He took out a key and opened the latch on the
manacle. She almost cried as it slipped off her foot. Her skin had
gotten raw where it touched.

He grabbed her arm, dragging her to the
bathroom.

He stood in front of the door to the bathroom
with his arms crossed.

His smug look explained how it would be going.
She slipped the stupid nightdress he'd given her off. She was
completely naked standing in the cold bathroom. She started the hot
water and jumped in before it was even lukewarm.

The water heated quickly making her feel better.
She rinsed his kisses and licks from her throat and arms. She
washed her face repeatedly. She imagined Sam touching her. She saw
his lips dragging along her throat, his fingers soon became the
water.

She opened her eyes ensuring he wasn’t there for
real.

But then she heard his voce, "Hanna?"

She looked all around. She could hear him. She
poked her head out the side of the wall to see Marcus looking at
his phone. She slipped back into the water.

"Hanna?" She jerked to the left and right not
wanting to whisper, Marcus had incredible hearing.

"Hanna if you can hear me, be ready. We will be
there at high noon."

She nodded wondering if Sam could see her in the
shower. She used her thoughts to speak to him, "Sam?"

Nothing happened. She wondered if Lydia was able
to somehow make their voices come out of the shower.

"Okay love, wrap it up."

She looked out at Marcus, "Why?"

He frowned, "I'm getting annoyed standing here.
I want to go back to your room and tie you up." He grinned, "Now
that you're clean."

She frowned, "What time is it?"

"Why?"

"Curiosity."

"Eleven thirty."

"I'm hungry."

"I don’t care."

She poked her head out of the shower again and
stuck her lip out, "Please."

He laughed, "Fine. I'll tell Henry to bring you
lunch."

She felt disgusted but smiled at him,
"Thanks."

He rolled his eyes, "If your trying to butter me
up it won't work. You're staying."

She nodded, "I'm fine with it as long as you
stop treating me like your possession. It’s the only problem we've
ever had Marcus."

She stepped out. He wrapped her in a huge white
terry towel robe. It smelled like him. It was a scent she resented
more than anything in the world.

He rubbed his hands along her arms.

She put her hand through his.

He raised an eyebrow, "What are you doing?"

She frowned, "What?" He lifted their joined
hands.

She looked at his big hands and imagined them on
her body, she needed to feel turned on. She remembered the feel of
his fingers. She needed to make him believe. "If I'm here I want it
to be fun Marcus. I don’t hate you. I never have. I know everything
you did was because you love me."

She smiled at him as they walked back to her
room.

He kissed her cheek. She knew he wasn’t fooled
but he was hopeful. She thought about having another shower to wash
the kiss from her cheek.

He tightened the manacle around her ankle again
grinning, "Hanna do you want to have dinner with me?"

"Like untied and in a normal pair of pants and a
t-shirt at a table?"

"Yes."

She pretended to be thinking, "Uhm okay. I
guess."

He stood ensuring the chain was still attached
to the wall, "I will have lunch brought to you now."

He left the room. She ran to the window and
looked out the frosted glass. She tried opening the window but it
had been nailed shut. She panicked, glancing around the room
wondering how they would be able to free her with Henry in the
house.

Chapter Fifty-Three: Alaska

Aleksander

He looked down at the window she stood at. He
pointed to it. Sam nodded.

"I know."

They dropped from the tree to the ground with a
loud thud.

Lorri looked at them, "The minute we get her we
head for Hanna." She was reassuring Sam.

He didn’t look reassured.

Lorri held a tight grip on Aimee, "We need to
check the perimeter before I just let you run loose. You maintain
your composure."

Aimee nodded but her blank stare at the house
said otherwise.

Aleks hadn’t seen Alise in a while, but even
through a window across several acres, he could tell she looked
rough. Her thin frame was nearly skin and bone. Her once long silky
hair was cropped to her shoulders and dull looking. She paced
inside of the window of the huge estate house. He didn’t see Blake
or Daniel anywhere.

Sam flashed himself forward to the property
line. As he walked across it Aleks waited for their guards to
react.

Sam looked back but nothing happened.

Lorri released her hold on Aimee and the seven
of them crossed into the property together. Aimee winked Ari and
the wolves, Lorri moved with incredible speed while Aleks and Sam
flashed themselves ahead.

They fanned out in groups without speaking.
Lorri and Aimee went to the right, Aleks and Sam to the left and
Ari and the wolves went to the huge out buildings to
investigate.

Sam followed Aleks to a back door. They both
flashed inside.

The house was incredible. The back door was a
laundry room and yet it still had a beautiful Mediterranean feel to
it.

He walked slowly, watching for anyone and
anything. There were no cameras as far as he could see, no
people.

The rooms were empty of any sign of life.

Aleks frowned wondering what kind of set up it
was. If the home was where they were doing their research there
should at least be guards. Aleks looked at Sam whose face was full
of doubt as well.

"Trap?" Sam whispered.

Aleks shrugged and pointed to a set of stairs.
They climbed meeting Ari and the Lucas at the top of the staircase,
on the main floor at the grand entryway.

Ari looked at Aleks, "What's going on?"

He shook his head. They waited for Lorri and
Aimee to climb the stairs to the main floor.

They cleared the main floor finding nothing but
expensive furniture. They climbed to the second floor together
again fanning out. It was the floor they'd seen Alise in the window
pacing back and forth nervously.

The bedrooms on the top floor were extravagant,
as one would expect in such a home. It was full of furniture but
minus people and lab equipment.

Alise still paced back and forth in the room
alone, at least a projection of her did. It was below the window
and with the room being dark enough she was completely visible from
the street. Inside the room she appeared as Annabelle did. Her
worried face slightly visible to Aleks. Aimee never cried when she
walked into the large bedroom. She looked at the thin girl pacing
back and forth and nodded.

She looked down at the bed and dropped to her
hands and knees. Ari and Lucas walked into the room as she fished
around under the bed.

Aleks watched as she pulled a dark blue t-shirt
out. It had an atom on it. On the back it had writing in
lipstick.

Aimee turned it over gently and laid it out on
the hardwood floor.

In bright red lipstick it read, 'TRAP! BOMB!
RUN! ALASKA!'

Everyone dove into a circle, touching as Aimee
winked them to the street still clutching the dark blue shirt.

As their feet touched the ground Ari screamed,
"WHERE'S BEN?"

Aleks looked not seeing him.

He flashed into the house again, to the room
with the bomb, "Ben, Ben."

He called into the home.

He ran down along the whole floor flashing
ahead.

"BEN!"

He ran down the stairs to the main floor. As he
opened the front door he felt a shock wave hit him. He felt heat
tearing at his back but he flashed himself forward to escape
it.

He dropped to the ground at Lorri's feet and
collapsed on the gravel of the road.

He heard the low hum of voices and Lorri
speaking softly, "Oh my god it's a hellfire bomb. How?"

His back burned. He heard himself crying out in
pain. His hands slid along the gravel in agony, gripping the rocks
and squeezing them tightly. Fresh blood dripped onto the rocks as
smoke filled his lungs and everything went black.

****

He woke to Lydia's voice, "There is no saving
him. He's not you Lorri, he wont live through the poison of the
hellfire. He has an hour tops."

He felt sweat pouring from his face.

He looked up from being facedown on a mattress.
Something cool soothed his back.

"Lydia." His voice croaked.

Her face lower to his, tears filled her eyes,
"Aleksander. I'm so sorry honey."

"Ben?"

She shook her head, "He was still inside. They
found him. He was caught by a snare, a magical one."

Aleks couldn’t believe what he was hearing. The
loss and betrayal of Andy Cromwell had been unbearable to their
group but, Ben would be devastating. His heart ached for Lucas.

"I have an hour before the poison takes me?" His
words left him feeling broken.

She sniffled and nodded, "Yes."

He took a deep breath and pushed himself up off
the bed.

"Stay still Aleks."

He shook his head, "I need to get to Hanna. I
need to finish the deal I started with Henry."

Lydia looked confused.

Sam's eyes were filled with fear, "You think he
will help you?"

He nodded, "I made this deal with him years ago.
We have to hurry. I need something to cover my injuries."

Lydia left the room and came back in with
bandages and a sweater.

Aleks held his breath trying not to scream as
sage cream and bandages were placed over his seared flesh. He
pulled the sweater on unable to avoid the tears in his eyes.

Dorian appeared at the doorway. His face fought
to show his concern, "Lorri messaged me."

Aleks nodded, "You coming?"

He furrowed his brow, "Where we going?"

"Final hurrah."

Dorian's stare went blank as he mastered his
emotions, "Lets do it."

The three of them flashed from the room
instantly.

Aleks stepped onto the lawn at the bottom of the
driveway and threw up.

"The poison is going to end you brother. What's
the plan?"

He smirked at Dorian, "Free Hanna and kill
Marcus."

Sam laughed, "I like the plan but I think we
need more than that. My mother spoke of Henry a lot. He's old and
powerful and he will protect Marcus."

Aleks laughed, "I made him a deal once. You see
I helped steal the soul. I'm as much to blame as Marcus is. When
Henry finds his soul he will kill Marcus and me. I made a deal that
if I find the soul and return it he will allow me to live."

Dorian looked confused, "You don’t know where
the soul is though."

Aleks nodded, "I think I do. I think it's always
been right in front of Henrys face."

"His ridiculous bowler hat?"

Aleks grinned, "Marcus's chest."

Dorian raised an eyebrow, "Oh that is smart.
Even if it's not there maybe he will kill Marcus looking for
it."

The three of them walked up to the door. Henry
came out as always.

He grinned.

"I know where it is."

His grin faded, his dark eyes narrowed in
disbelief.

"I know where he's kept it all along."

Henry crossed his arms, he never spoke. He never
needed to.

Dorian smiled, "Hello Henry."

Henry nodded at him never taking his eyes off
Aleks.

"To what do we owe such an honor? Dorian, my
brother it's been too long." Marcus strolled from the house.

Dorian grinned, "It has been a long time. I felt
it was an adequate amount of time though."

Aleks could see Sam was on edge, he was ready to
lose it.

Marcus grinned directly at Sam, "This makes my
life easier. Dorian really you shouldn’t have brought such a gift.
I have nothing for you. Maybe when young Sam here is dead I'll let
you have your turn with dear Hanna."

Aleks put an arm out grabbing Sam's, "Sam."

Dorian chuckled, "I think I'd rather a bit of
that scotch you keep for special occasions."