The Belial Ring (The Belial Series 3) (32 page)

The ache in her chest that had developed after Jake
’s death seemed to have gotten wider. It was now a bottomless pit in the middle of her chest.
Innocent people keep getting killed because of me.

Panic surged through her and she sat straight up, grabbing Jen
’s hand. “Kati. Where’s Kati?”

Jen squeezed her hand.
“It’s okay. She’s safe. I hid her away, with a cell phone. She called security. Henry’s men have already reached her. They’re bringing her back to the estate.”

The panic slowed, but didn
’t completely dissipate. As long as Kati was around her, she was in danger. “I want her, Max, and Danny in Dom’s shelter until this is over. My uncle too, as soon as he gets back.”

“
When we get there, we’ll see—” Henry said.

Laney
’s voice whipped out. “No. We will not ‘see.’ They need to be protected.”

She looked over at Jen and caught Henry
’s eyes in the rearview mirror. “The humans involved in this mess are dying. I need to know they’re safe. These guys are going to keep coming for me, and no one else is going to die.”

Even as the words left her mouth, Laney knew she had just crossed a line that couldn
’t be uncrossed. She’d just broken the world into two categories: humans and non-humans. And Henry and Jen were in the non-human category.

W
ith a shock, though, she realized: so was she.

And
right now, the humans needed to be protected.

Henry nodded.
“Okay. I’ll take care of it.”

Laney turned to look out the window, her hands curled in
to fists. Rocky’s blood was on her shirt, on her hands. The damn ring was covered too.

She swallowed down the bile that tried to rise.
She didn’t want this destiny. Not at this cost. It was too steep a price.

Henry drove through the gates and they closed behind him.
It appeared that double the usual number of guards were on duty, and they were all armed to the teeth. Laney noticed the anti-aircraft Stinger missiles system had also been raised.

Henry had had the defense system installed after the helicopter attack last year.

It was illegal for any private citizen to have such a weapon system.

Apparently, Henry no longer gave a damn who knew about it.
He wasn’t taking any chances.

Laney struggled to rein in the emotions swirling inside of her.
She took a deep breath. “Drop me at my cottage, please.”

Henry glanced back at her.
“Laney, I think it would be better—”

“
Henry, I need some time. My cottage, please.”

Henry nodded
, and a minute later, he pulled up in front of her place. Jen started to get out of the car.

Laney shook her head.
“I—” She swallowed. “I just need a little time alone.”

Jen looked at Henry, who shook his head.
She turned back to Laney. “I know. But you can’t be alone right now. It’s not safe. But I’ll stay back.”

Laney wanted to argue
, but she knew it was futile. They were right. “Okay.” She climbed out of the car.

Laney watched the car drive off and turn onto the main drive.
She turned to look at her little house. She pictured Jake sitting on the porch. His spirit was everywhere.

Memories of Rocky warred with memories of Jake.
Laney felt like she was choking on them.

Jen stood silent behind her, letting her have her moment.

Taking a deep breath, Laney looked at Jen.
“Could you—Would you—” She sighed. “I’m going to go in alone, okay?”

Jen followed Laney up onto the porch.
“I’ll stay here. Do what you need to do.”

Laney nodded
and went inside. Closing the door behind her, she hurried down the hall and through the small kitchen to the back of the house.

She tensed as she eased
the back door open. She didn’t like deceiving Jen, but she needed some space. She needed to be alone.

Silently, she slipped out the back door and down the steps.
She crossed out the back gate, walking up the hill that bordered her yard.

At the top of the hill, Laney began to pick up the pace.
Before she knew it, she was flat-out sprinting. She flew over the grass. Her feet pounded the ground.

Images of Jake and Rocky in death assaulted her with each step.
Her breaths came out in pants; her legs and arms felt leaden.

Gasping, she came to the crest of the hill above the field of mammoth sunflowers.
They were all dead. Giant fallen stalks lay on top of one another. Not a sign of life was left. Numb, Laney pushed her way among the tall plants on trembling legs.

She searched the field
, looking for the center, the place where she and Jake had picnicked months ago.

Frantic, she pushed stalks aside.
Where is it? Where is it?

Finally she found it, although the stalks had almost completely buried it.
She raised her hand to her cheek, feeling Jake’s touch. She pictured his eyes, his mouth.

She could have sworn she heard Rocky
’s laughter, felt her arm around her shoulder. Then the images of them in death returned.

And Laney screamed and screamed and screamed until her throat was raw and she had no breath.

CHAPTER 69

Cairo, Egypt

P
atrick collected Laney’s and Jake’s bags and carried them down to the foyer. They were leaving for the airport in a few minutes.

He was trying to keep
himself busy by checking to make sure nothing had been left behind. He dropped the bags next to the front door.

Victoria walked down the stairs
and gave him a small nod.

Her phone rang and she answered it.
“Henry? How are you? How’s Laney?” Victoria gasped, reaching out a trembling hand for the bannister.

Patrick moved
toward her. His heart pounded.
Oh God no
.

Victoria sank heavily to the stairs, tears in her eyes.
“Yes, I’ll tell him.” She disconnected the call.

Patrick knelt down in front of her, his chest tight, his legs on the edge of collapse.
“Is it Laney?”

Victoria grasped his hand, shaking her head.
“No, Patrick, no. She’s fine.”

Relief washed through him.
Thank God.

Victoria squeezed his hand.
Her chin trembled. “But there was another attack. Rochelle is dead.”

Patrick sat down before his legs gave out.
Rocky had been a constant fixture in Laney and Kati’s home. She had such a strong spirit. It was impossible to believe she was gone, too. “What happened?”

Victoria
’s face was pale, her eyes empty. She sounded like a ghost. “They were ambushed on the way home from the airport. Rocky saved Laney.”

Patrick closed his eyes, feeling the new grief wash over him.
“Who else?” He cleared his throat. “Who else was there?”

Victoria looked up.
“Laney, Rocky, Jen, and Kati.”

“
Oh dear God.” Patrick’s hand flew to his throat. “How are the rest of them?”

“
Alive but shaken. Very shaken.”

Patrick pictured Rocky sitting at Laney
’s table, beating him at Scrabble. He looked at Victoria, knowing this new grief on top of Jake’s death would be Laney’s undoing. “We have to tell Laney. Rocky’s death on top of—” He cut off.

Grief rolled through him, stealing his voice.
Getting his emotions under control, he said, “We have to tell her.”

Victoria grabbed his hand, her eyes swimming in tears.
“We can’t. Not yet. It might not work. Please, Patrick.”

Patrick grasped her shaking hand.
He hesitated for only a moment before pulling her into a hug. He felt her sobs as she wept quietly into his shoulder.

Patrick stared up at the ceiling, tears swimming in his eyes as well.
He prayed the same words he’d prayed when Laney was kidnapped, back when this all began.

Dear God, please keep her safe.

CHAPTER 70

Baltimore, Maryland

L
aney didn’t know how long she’d stayed in the field. She remembered crashing to her knees at one point. The next thing she knew, she was waking up, and Jen was sitting next to her, waiting.

She looked up at Jen, her throat aching.
“They’re gone, Jen.”

Jen pushed Laney
’s hair from her face. She reached down and gently pulled Laney to her feet. “I know, honey. Come on.”

Laney didn
’t fight her. Jen slung Laney’s arm around her shoulder and practically carried her back to the cottage.

At the house,
she led Laney upstairs and turned on the shower for her. Before leaving her alone, she leaned over and kissed Laney on the forehead. “Get undressed and hop in. I’ll go grab you some clothes.”

Laney did as she was ordered, not having the strength to think for herself.
She let the water run down her body. Closing her eyes, she allowed the heat to chase away some of the cold that had seeped into her bones.

It was a while before
she realized the water had gone cold. She turned it off and stood staring at the wall, trying to figure out what she was supposed to do next. The simplest of tasks seemed incredibly complex right now.

Finally, she stepped out, drying
herself off and pulling on the clothes Jen had left for her. When she opened the door, Jen was just outside. Jen opened her arms and Laney walked into them.

The wave of grief shattered over her
again. Laney sobbed and sobbed, feeling like her heart had been smashed into pieces.

Grief stabbed at her like a weapon, slicing away her happiness, her comfort, her future.
And guilt ate at her. Because she knew, down deep, that Jake and Rocky were dead because of her.

Me and my damn destiny
. She as good as killed them herself.

Jen led her into her room, tucked Laney in bed, and
then crawled onto the bed next to her. She rubbed Laney’s back. “It’ll be okay, Laney. It’ll be okay.”

Laney wanted to believe her.
She wanted to cling to Jen’s words. But she knew it was a lie. It was never going to be okay again.

CHAPTER 71

W
hen Laney woke, daylight streamed in through the blinds. She stayed quiet, not wanting to let Jen know she was awake. Jen had been constantly by her side through the night, and Laney had needed her. But right now she needed to be alone.

Memories of Jake ran like a film through her mind.
She slammed her fist into the pillow. How could he be gone? She remembered last year when she and Jake had taken a break, both of them unsure how to say what they really wanted.

 
How could she have been so stupid, taking time off from him? Why had she wasted their time together? Why hadn’t she just told him how she felt?

It had been obvious to her from almost the moment she met him.
She trusted him. She loved him.

But those feelings had been new and frightening.

And that was what had
really led to their break. Fear. She’d been afraid of what she felt—so she had shied away from fighting for him, fighting for them
. So stupid
.

And now he was gone. There was no more time for them.

Rocky’s face, her hand going limp, flashed through Laney’s mind. Laney felt like it was happening all over again. She lowered her face into her pillow, thinking she was too exhausted to cry, but the tears came anyway.

The hole in her chest
was still there. It felt like it was the size of a canyon.

She glanced at the clock.
8:47 a.m. She’d been home for less than twenty-four hours, yet it felt like it had been a lifetime. She sat up, feeling an ache in her back.

She immediately spotted t
he ring, sitting on her bedside table. Jen must have cleaned it and put it there.

Laney
glared at the thing, hating the sight of it. Her damn destiny. Her being the destined one was what had gotten Jake killed, Rocky killed—hell, years ago it had even gotten Kati’s husband killed.