Jekyll, an Urban Fantasy (29 page)

“There’s a surprise,” Landon muttered. “Turner wants to get violent.”

“When it comes to that place, you’d better believe it. I want it wiped off the fucking Earth. I want to shove those Tasers so far up their—”

“Wait!” Eden said. “Can’t you just stay here for a bit longer? Let me go figure stuff out so we can avoid starting an outright war?” Because you don’t shoot your supplier, not when they’re the only one.

He looked at her like she had just told him she wanted to go shoe shopping. “They already started it. Don’t you remember? Let me refresh your memory—me, gyrating on the floor after they zapped my ass. I wasn’t dancing.”

“I know, but…”

“Are you worried about that kid?” Landon asked. “We’ll make sure any innocent people are free before we take the place apart. Don’t worry.”

“No.” They couldn’t take the place apart. She’d known that they were angry, that they wanted to know the truth. But she’d thought that, once they understood what The Clinic was, they would want to leave South Florida, not bring the entire place down.

“What innocent people?” Mitch said, tearing into another burger. She watched him, trying to understand how he could eat while they discussed something that would mean the end of his life.

“Eden says there’s a kid living there. We’ll have to make sure he’s not around during the fight.”

“Motherfuckers!” Mitch plopped down on the couch next to Landon. “There’s a kid in there? Well, that makes it a tad more complicated, doesn’t it?”

Landon nodded, and then they both looked at her. She didn’t respond, didn’t move, still trying to process what-and-when things had gone wrong.

Landon’s voice rang in her ears. “Since I’m the one with training—not to mention that I’ve been dreaming of this day for a lot longer than either of you have even
known
about The Clinic—let me tell you what we’re going to do.”

The men leaned towards each other as they spoke. An occasional insult was thrown, but mostly they agreed on their goal: To take down The Clinic without getting any of them killed.

“No, you can’t do that!” Her heart clenched, her vision started to constrict, drawing in on itself, darkening. That wasn’t right.

Mitch stood and approached her, his arms out in front of him. “I thought you understood what was going to happen.”

“Understand that you’ll knowingly not do something that will keep you alive?” Her jaw shook, breaking up her words. “That you’d destroy
everyone’s
chance at a normal life? How am I supposed to understand that?” She’d deluded herself, thinking they would understand how deeply they and The Clinic needed each other. She’d thought it had been about free will. It wasn’t. It was about revenge.

“We’ll do what we can for the kid and anyone else they have in there,” Mitch said. “But if they knew what The Clinic was really doing, don’t you think they’d want the same thing we do?”

“This isn’t what I want.” Her pulse spiked as she realized how opposing their goals were. And if he got
his
, he’d destroy hers. And himself. “No! You can’t go there. You can’t…”

He took her hands, ducking down to catch her eyes. “It’s the only way we’ll know what’s going on. We need records, files, information. And then, yes, I’m going to wipe them off the face of the fucking Earth for all the shit they’ve done. But you’ll be fine.” He glanced at Landon. “Right? She’ll be fine.”

“Yeah, completely. We’ll be right there. And I’ll make a few calls, have some friends on stand-by, just in case we need reinforcements. But, until we know more, I don’t want to bring in anyone who still has something to lose.”

What was he
talking
about? They
all
had something to lose. Each other. Themselves. Their humanity.

Mitch wrapped his arms around her. “And I’ll be right next to you the whole time, being a good boy until we’re inside. So you’ll be fine. I’m not going to let anything happen to you. Promise.” The end of his kiss met with him turning back to Landon, continuing plans that would get them nothing but revenge. Revenge that might cost at least one, if not all, of them their lives. There was nothing sweet or cold about it.

“So we call them, what, tomorrow morning?” Landon asked. “That gives us enough time to get a mic and some shut-eye.”

She closed her mouth, her mind, her feelings. How could they expect her to just sit back and not do anything? When it was within her power to help? No. If Mitch was too stubborn, too stupid, to save himself, then
she’d
do it for him. Even if she had to betray him to do it.

“Weren’t we supposed to take a nap at some point?” Mitch asked.

“We got a little distracted, didn’t we?” she said. The day was a blur for her—incredible pleasure followed by intense grief and a conclusion that left her only one choice. She wouldn’t allow him to kill himself—by fighting them
or
by not taking the serum.

“Is that what you call it?” Landon grumbled. “Well, the next time you get ‘distracted’, do you mind doing it a little more quietly?”

Mitch slapped him on the shoulder. “You got it, man.” Then he took her hand and put his finger to his lips. “Let’s go get distracted quietly.”

Eden laughed at his wicked grin, enjoying it for as long as she could. But her smile was wooden. Their plan left her hollow. Any hope of things working out for them was stretched taut in her mind. Like a tree in a hurricane—no matter how much she tried to bend, it would inevitably break in half. But she still had to try.

“Go get some sleep, Landon,” Mitch called as he stepped behind her and pushed her to the stairs.

“Uh-huh.”

They got as far as the top step before he grabbed her waist and pressed her against the wall, blinding her with a kiss. The heat of his hands on her ass promised pleasure. And the moan she released as his hips rolled on hers promised it wouldn’t be quiet.

After they both were so sated even
breathing
was a chore, he suggested they go across the hall to the BDSM-themed room.

“I’m going to need a break,” she said laughing. “I can’t feel my legs.”

“Then we nap first.” His smirk disappeared. “Seriously though, while I’m
all
for kink, the cage is...” His eyes darkened with regret. “The cage is too much of a reminder of
him
. You know what I mean?”

She nodded as he pulled her off the futon. “Yeah, I know.” All too well. The cage provided as much fear as it did security.

“But, just in case, I need to be in there while we rest.”

“It’s okay. Landon told me.”

He raised an eyebrow. “I’ll have to thank him later.”

“Don’t be mad, he’s just worried.”

“I’m not mad, I’m…” When the bravado drained from his face, all that was left was shame. “Not talking really well right now. I’m sorry.”

“You must be tired—you’re never without something to say.” She smiled.

He shook his head. “Not for that. I’m sorry that I can’t fall asleep holding you. I’m sorry I can’t wake up in the middle of the night and pull you closer just to make sure the dream is real. And I’m sorry I can’t…
be
what you deserve.”

She blinked away the tears that filled her eyes, but one escaped, sneaking down her cheek. She wiped it away roughly. “It’s never been about what we deserve, Mitch. It’s about what we need, what we want, and what we’ll do to have it. I need
you
, I want
you
.”
And I’ll do whatever it takes to have you…safe. So I can wake up in the middle of the night and have at you whenever I feel like it.
Someday.

He smiled and tugged her into a kiss. A long and feel-it-down-to-your-toes kiss.

“I think I could get used to the new you. She’s…”

“Naughty?”

“Are you kidding? I spent four days in bed with the old you. And
she
was naughty. Nah, the new you is…” It seemed as if he couldn’t focus, his gaze moving from her eyes to her lips, then down her body. “Perfect. You are perfect.”

After they’d dragged mattresses into the room—one for outside the cage and one inside—only the bars separated them. His hand still held hers long after his eyes had closed and he’d succumbed to sleep. She watched his chest rise and fall peacefully. Knowing she would give up everything to have it continue.

Perfect? No, she wasn’t perfect. Not even close. But it warmed her to know that’s how he saw her. Especially because he’d soon realize how wrong he was. All she could hope for was that it would be worth it. And that someday…he might be able to forgive her.

§ § §

After Eden took a short rest, everything and nothing was clearer. The boarded-up windows were the perfect symbol of their situation and their future. No light in or out, no
way
in or out. But there was a door. And she knew exactly where it led. She knew what she had to do.

Silently apologizing, knowing how angry he would be when he woke up, she gently unwrapped his hand from hers. With a small grunt, he turned over, hopefully having an amazing dream. Maybe he was dreaming of what
could
be. Eden was determined to give it to him. Despite what he said, she knew he wanted to live. And if he was stupid enough not to? Well… she’d make him realize all he had to live for.

She climbed off the futon, slipped her dress over her head, and went in search of the cell phone Fields had given her. It was her only way to communicate with The Clinic, with Fields. She tiptoed past the room where Landon slept and went downstairs. After grabbing the phone off the side table, she snuck outside.

She speed-walked away from the brothel, glancing behind her repeatedly. As soon as Mitch or Landon discovered she was missing, they’d come looking for her, so she needed to move fast. When she turned the first corner, she started running, not really caring if she was headed towards or away from The Clinic. When she felt like she was far enough, she ducked into a convenience store, shook her head at the cashier, and dialed Fields’s number.

§ § §

The second Mitch woke up, he started looking for her. But there weren’t that many places she could be. Fuck, they couldn’t have taken her again, could they? No. First off, he wouldn’t have slept through them dragging her away. And secondly, it would’ve taken The Clinic longer than one night to find out where they were holed-up. So somehow, she’d disappeared from right next to him, from a house that The Clinic couldn’t have discovered. Not that fast.

How?

Hyde
loved
Mitch’s paranoia. Ate it up like candy or raw meat or still-beating puppy hearts. Because paranoia meant that Mitch was weak. And that bastard did a continual body/mind check for any sign of weakness.

Mitch didn’t have time for this—not if his paranoia was well-founded.
Think of a fucking happy place, asshole.
He rushed downstairs and saw Landon sitting in a red velvet chair, calmly drinking a cup of coffee.

“Where is she?”

Landon froze, his face a mask and his hand holding out another cup towards Mitch. “Isn’t she with you?”

“Would I be asking you if she was?” he growled. “You didn’t see her come out
?” She couldn’t have just left, could she? Fuck.
When he’d said she should run for it, he didn’t think she’d
do
it. She
never
did what he told her to. And without even saying goodbye…

The cop stood, tension in his face and his body. “No.”

“How long have you been awake?” With Hyde taking a potato-masher to his insides, Mitch should get his ass back in the cage
stat
. But he couldn’t—there was no time. He had to push through, had to be strong, had to stay in control.

“About thirty minutes or so, but I left to get coffee.” He waved to the cups resting on the table next to the chair. Then he did a double-take. “The phone’s gone. Shit, do you think she went back without us?”

Thoughts of what might’ve happened filled Mitch’s head. In a very unpleasant way. He knew his pulse was thumping, felt its pound in his neck, heard it in his ears. Not a human beat at all. Like it was trying to keep tempo with a silent and tragic opera.
That
, or an invisible heavy metal concert.

Control…focus. She could’ve run for it, but…maybe she decided in some stupid-ass moment of delusion that she could take them down on her own…

Or maybe…

With quickly-clouding vision and the feeling that Hyde was already breaking through, Mitch stared at the cop.
Nooo!

The cop who’d been with him every day since they took her.

As an ally, not—

Landon was the one who’d been with her when she was kidnapped.

They left him bleeding!

Landon was the one who set up the useless surveillance at the liquor store.

To help. Damn you, he was trying to help!

Landon was the one who couldn’t find a shred of a lead at the police station.

That’s The Clinic’s fault, not his!

And Landon was the only other person in this house, the only one left besides Mitch…and Hyde.

Shaking, Mitch gripped his head with his hands. “Go away!” he begged. To Landon
and
to Hyde
. Go away!
He stepped forward, his vision even darker.

Landon’s eyes widened, and he put his hands out. “Turner?”

Mitch didn’t answer. What could he possibly say? It’s alright? I’m okay? Why would he say that? It
wasn’t
alright and he
wasn’t
okay.

“Turner, stop! You need to calm down. Let’s get you an injection, okay? Where’s the vial? Mitch!” He stumbled backwards as Mitch, unable to stop himself, advanced.

“Did you know Jolie, Landon?” His voice was low and menacing. He didn’t want it to be, tried to change it, shake it off before it was too late. “Or Carter? Did you guys compare notes, have a good laugh about how
stupid
I was? I don’t blame you—I
was
stupid. Still am. I’m always one step behind what’s happening. Who’s doing it. And the saddest part is that I always thought
Eden
was the trusting one.” He laughed, the sound hollow, filling the room in a way that angered him even more. Because he sounded insane, and he just…didn’t…care.

“Mitch, I’m not one of them,” Landon said hurriedly, fear overpowering his incredible patience. “I’ve
never
been. I’m on your side, on Eden’s side. You need to calm down and think about this.” He glanced at the door. The one he wouldn’t be able to go through without getting past Mitch. “How many nights did you sleep down the hall from me? I could’ve taken you out a million times, but I didn’t.”