The ryan chronicles seri.., p.94
The Ryan Chronicles Series, page 94
“Has anyone warned Steve?”
CJ stops what he is doing and looks at the phone. What color was in his face disappears, and both of us move at the same time. I get there first, pulling the receiver off the wall. I dial by memory, staring at my brother with my heart pounding in my throat.
After the third ring, the phone connects.
“I was wondering just how long it would take you.”
The voice chills me to my core, and I meet CJ’s gaze. Lucifer has Steve and Jennifer Williams, our adoptive parents, and I know damned well what he is going to demand for their lives. CJ’s face echoes the same panic ripping through me and I shake my head at him. We can’t make the jump. If we do, we leave the possibility of Lucifer taking possession of either one of us, and that would be a disaster to our family.
It’s futile to beg for their lives and I squeeze the phone for a moment, gritting my teeth.
“You bastard,” I whisper as I listen to the scraping of metal against stone.
“I want your brother’s heart this time,” he says with a laugh.
“That’s never going to happen.” I close my eyes, dipping my head because I know what the price for my insubordination is.
Lucifer locks onto my mind’s eye, holding me hostage and giving me a full view of Steve and Jennifer in their apartment. I struggle to break free but it is no use, and when he runs the edge of the blade down Jennifer’s arm, she screams.
I bang my head against the wall, holding the ripping pain inside, helpless to look away from the unfolding massacre.
Steve bellows, struggling against the demons holding him in place. With whatever strength he has, he tosses the first demon on the ground and punches the second in the throat. His face is a mask of fury, the same type of fury pummeling every muscle in my body.
Just as he is within reach of Lucifer, that bastard snaps his head towards Steve, blasting him right off his feet. Steve sails through the sliding glass doors and right over the edge of the balcony. I can hear his cry fade and the faint sound of smashing metal followed by the shrill sound of a car alarm.
“It seems your adopted father does not have the ability to fly,” Lucifer says and my knees buckle. The swirl of rage and remorse fills every fiber and I can’t breathe. I slowly sink to the floor still gripping the phone to my ear.
I know it’s useless, but it still tumbles from my mouth anyway, “Please don’t kill Jennifer.”
The ghost now squatting next to my form overshadows the horrifying laugh that comes through the line. CJ throws a punch at the wall, burying his fist in the drywall.
The knife in Lucifer’s hand lashes out, slicing through her abdomen. She screams as she tries to hold in her viscera. Blood spills along with her intestines and my stomach rolls.
He drills the knife into her multiple times, relishing her fading cries, and I just want the connection to end, to unsee what he is doing. The receiver drops from my hand and my breathing stalls and starts in inadequate fits until the light fades from Jennifer’s eyes and the connection severs.
I can’t seem to recover, to pull air into my lungs, and Steve’s ghost whispers, “Breathe.”
It’s a mantra I’ve heard from his lips before, in that calming tone, that seems to loosen the tightness in my chest and give me the ability to draw sufficient air.
My gaze travels to Steve’s ghost crouching next to me. “I’m so sorry,” I whisper and he pulls me into a hug.
“There was nothing either of you could do,” he says, trying to wipe out the guilt embedded in my heart.
CJ is still beating the shit out of the wall because he knows as well as I do that Steve and Jennifer are dead, but at least I was able to block him from the disturbing mind-meld I had with Lucifer and the visions he fed to me. That is something I would keep on lock down until I stopped breathing.
Jennifer shimmers into view at the same time Valerie steps inside the house.
“Lucifer’s in New York,” I say for the benefit of the rest of the family in the room.
Valerie looks at me, and then the spaces that the ghosts fill before her gaze darts to CJ and his bloodied fists and tear-stained face.
Tears don’t come for me. They are locked with the horrors I’ve survived, and I stare at the ghosts in our midst. “You need to move on,” I say, knowing what happens to ghosts that hang onto this life. My father was an exception and we all know it.
“Maybe I can help,” Steve says and I shake my head.
“Go see your daughters and give Hannah a kiss for me, okay?” My voice cracks and I press my lips together. My vision swims and I close my eyes. A hot path cascades down my skin and I swallow the lump in my throat.
When I open my eyes, Steve has his arm around Jennifer and they both meet my gaze.
“We will see you again,” he says and I try to give them a smile. They don’t know I’ve destroyed Paradise Cove and with it, any chance of ever seeing them again.
“Go,” I whisper, and they fade into nothing.
My chest squeezes and I glance at Valerie, still frozen just on this side of the garage door. Her complexion is ashen. My announcement of Lucifer and New York brings back all sorts of horrifying memories for her, and CJ’s complete melt down doesn’t help.
The hole in my soul widens again, and I finally turn my gaze to the family room, meeting Bridget’s wide-eyed stare. The only other one staring at the spot Steve and Jennifer just vacated is my daughter and from her expression, she knew them enough to be shattered by their death.
Valerie already has CJ in her arms, offering her warm comfort to her husband, while I shake uncontrollably on the floor a few feet away.
Sam whines, crawling across the floor. When she reaches me, she lays her head on my leg. She knows how close I am to losing my shit, and I look up at the ceiling, trying to control the whirlwind building in my chest.
It isn’t until Bridget takes a knee next to me that I focus on something other than the swirl pattern on the ceiling. The words I said to her so long ago bubble up to the forefront of my mind.
“I should have let you run,” I say. “You might have gotten far enough away to be safe.” My voice is flat, devoid of any of the emotions tearing into my stomach, and I slowly stroke my dog to settle her. She’s seen me like this enough to know there is a very dangerous storm brewing inside, but Bridget doesn’t understand the complete absence of emotion.
“What is wrong with you?” she asks, tears flow in a steady stream down her cheeks and I stare at her.
“I’m broken,” I say and find my feet. I need the chill of the evening air and the spray of the waves crashing on the rock, so I leave everyone and cross to the rock wall. I take a seat, stretching my legs out as I lean against one of the posts. Sam takes her position next to me and I continue stroking her head. The tide is rising and every now and then, a rogue wave hits the rocks and splashes up into my face, but I’m so numb that the cold does not penetrate my skin.
I don’t acknowledge CJ when he takes a seat on the opposite side, adopting the same position. He is quiet, and I don’t bother listening to his thoughts, I just need the nothingness right now, the numbness to remain and if I speak, the swirl inside me will crash down like a rogue wave and leave me decimated.
“I can’t do this without you,” he finally says, and I turn my eyes in his direction.
“I’m not going to survive whatever goes down,” I say.
“The hell you aren’t!”
We both jerk at Bridget’s harsh interruption. She looks at CJ. “Dinner is burnt and I think Valerie and the kids need you,” she adds, and he glances at me. I nod towards the house and he goes. I’m not ready for the turmoil inside the family room, and I look out over the ocean again.
“Sam, go inside.” She points towards the house but my dog doesn’t move.
“Go take care of April,” I say and she lifts her head, meeting my gaze for a moment before trotting off.
Bridget watches and then turns towards me. I turn away because I have to keep the shit locked inside right now. It’s the only way I’ll be able to function, and we’ve both seen what happens to me when I embrace the darkness. I end up under suicide watch in the hospital.
She steps closer. Her fingers touch the cheek facing the water, turning my gaze to hers. I meet her sad hazel eyes, and my teeth involuntarily clench. She keeps her hand on my cheek with her thumb caressing my skin. When the soft pad of her thumb travels over my lips, that flare of burning heat warms the chill in my bones enough for me to acknowledge her.
I shift, planting my feet on the grass, and pull her into a hug. My ear rests on her breasts and I focus on the thumping of her heart. She kisses the top of my head, wrapping me in her arms just as tightly as I hold her.
“I’m sorry for your loss,” she whispers, and I pull away, meeting her gaze.
“I’m not the only one feeling the pain,” I reply.
Her lip turns up on one side with acknowledgement. “I didn’t think you were feeling anything.”
I pull her closer, delivering a kiss. This is the only way I can show her what is brewing within my skin. It’s the only way I can share my loss, and she gasps before she deepens the kiss, letting our tongues perform a slow and aching dance.
I’m the one who breaks the kiss this time, and I stare deeply into her haunted eyes. “He’s just as dangerous as we are, except he has zero qualms about destroying everything in his path. CJ and I are hung up on preserving all we care about. That includes this town. The idea of innocent people dying...” I shake my head and press my forehead to her chest. “That’s going to be the thing that undoes us.”
Angel Fury Chapter 11
I don’t know how long we remain like this. All I know is the moment I let go of her, this connection will pass. Finally, I glance up. Bridget stares out at the ocean with a slow stream of tears running down her cheeks. I push her back a step and stand without losing the physical contact.
“If I come out of this alive, will you be there?”
Her gaze snaps from my chest to my eyes. Hesitation, along with a rollercoaster of emotions passes over her face.
“I might have to kick your ass first.” Her voice trembles. “If you survive, will you be here?” She squeezes my arms.
“I’m not sure how much of me will be left, or if you’ll even be willing to help me pick up the pieces,” I say, searching her eyes and take her hand, covering my heart with it before moving mine to cover hers. “But if you are, then I’ll be waiting right here.”
She sucks in her lower lip and nods.
I inhale, centering myself and hardening my shell for a moment.
“Think you’re ready to face everyone?” I ask and glance at the house behind her.
“I wasn’t the one who ran off,” she says, stepping back and wiping her face.
And like that, the connection breaks. I clear my throat. “Thank you,” I say and drop my gaze to the ground.
“For what?”
“For reminding me what really matters.” I step towards the house and she follows. A new determination revives my senses and instead of the pain, I sharpen it into a boiling anger, keeping the lid on it until the right time.
“Lucifer must be stopped. No matter what.” I glance at my daughter. “Even if it means the rest of this town burns.” When I swing my gaze back to CJ, he stares at me with an open mouth.
“We can’t...”
“We have to. That’s his play. Devastate us and then strike in order to divide us. His end game still holds, CJ. He wants an army.”
“You can’t expect me to...”
I hold up my hand. “Do you want to win this?”
“Jesus, Tom, I can’t let innocent people die!”
“Then say goodbye to your family, because that’s who will suffer.” I can’t help the venom in my voice. CJ just blinks at me in utter incomprehension. “We have to think like Dad.”
Our father was notorious for being ruthless when necessary. If his family was in danger, nothing was going to stop him from keeping them safe. Nothing. Not loss of life or limb or anything, deterred the man. I never thought twice about that hard resolve of his, of that Angel of Death persona he displayed when cornered, but now I understand it more than I ever expected to.
CJ had yet to grasp it, even though he could project the same image, he just doesn’t understand the tenacity and dedication this particular cause requires.
His lips thin and his eyes turn icy. “I know what this requires,” he starts, and I cross my arms, cocking my head in challenge. “But sacrificing innocent lives to protect our own is not okay. Ever. Just like killing your best friend to save your daughter.”
He went there, and the burn starts in my core like a mini-cyclone. I cross the distance in seconds and slam him against the wall. There is nothing I can say because he’s fucking right, again.
“If we fuck this up...” I can’t finish and he doesn’t complete the sentence.
“You can’t expect me to do nothing,” he says.
“And you can’t expect me to make those kinds of sacrifices. It’s not in my DNA.” We are nearly screaming at each other and the building tension between us is close to exploding. “This is a no win situation, just like that phone call.” I point to the phone. “The only way we win is if we take him on here.” I point to the ground to make my point. “With all of us in the fight except those he covets most.”
Horror dawns on his face.
“He’s right,” Valerie says from the other side of the kitchen. “We all have to be in this fight and with us here, there is no one for Lucifer to use as a pawn.”
“You aren’t fighting with me,” CJ says, looking beyond me at Valerie.
“I will be fine.”
“He snapped your fucking spine like a twig last time,” he growls and I drop my arm from across his chest, stepping back with as much surprise as that radiating from Valerie behind me. “I’m not going through that again.”
His gaze narrows and jumps to mine, he turns and disappears into the living room and after a moment, the piano rings out as he smashes the keys, drilling out a tune that takes me a few seconds to get.
I step into the room and start laughing, crossing to the other side of the piano. I had never heard Highway to Hell so clearly on the ivory keys. He stops playing and just bangs his forehead on the keys.
“Raven was a pawn, CJ. So was Hannah. Lucifer tore me down to nothing and stole any hope of heaven in the process. I’m no longer pure in any sense of the word, in case you hadn’t noticed, and I have that fucker’s grace burning away whatever goodness is left.”
He lifts his head and just stares at me.
“I don’t think I could transfer the grace, even if I tried. It’s bound with his blood inside me like a malignant disease.” I inhale, calming the burn to a low simmer. “The risk in all this is that I fall into the same trap and have to make a choice. If that happens, you’d better be the one to rip my heart out, because if he gets his grace back, you are dead, along with Valerie and Alex.”
He blinks his eyes and swallows hard. “I don’t know if I can do that.”
“If it comes down to it, you have to; otherwise your daughters become the devil’s concubines.” Just the thought clenches my stomach, and I turn to step back in the kitchen, but Bridget’s wide eyes meet mine.
I halt, meeting her glare.
“You said...”
“I said if I survive, I didn’t make any promises,” I say very softly. “But I do expect my brother to do as I ask if shit goes south. It’s the only option we have, and it will save lives. Lives I give a damn about.”
She studies me and I keep her stark stare. I know it’s not something either of us want to come to fruition, but it’s important to lay as much of the plan out there so no one gets blindsided.
“How do we kill him?” she asks, looking between CJ and me.
I only have one idea of what needs to be done, and I glance at my brother before I answer, “We have to tear off his head.” Visions of my father’s head in Lucifer’s grasp surface in an unwelcome wave and I shiver under the thought.
“Tom? CJ?” Valerie’s voice calls from the other room. We both cross and step into the kitchen.
“Where are the kids?” CJ asks looking around at the empty family room.
“I sent them downstairs when you took your argument in the other room. I’m glad I did. Take a look at this.” She points at the breaking news tag on the television.
The screen displays the scene right out of a horror movie, and the caption reads Ex FBI agent falls seventy stories to his death. Wife found brutally murdered in apartment.
I glance at the clock. It had only been a little over an hour since that phone call, and the reporters were already swarming. When I glance back at the screen, my eyes widen at the image of me leaving the apartment with Sam by my side along with the tag—wanted for questioning.
“That fucker,” I whisper and trade a glance with CJ. His jaw is just as tight as mine is.
“But...” Bridget starts just staring at the screen.
“He’s framing me for their death,” I say, pulling her attention away from the screen.
“But you were right here.”
“Doesn’t matter. He’s hedging his bets, and after what happened to Jennifer, I’ll be lucky if I ever see the light of day again.”
CJ grabs my arm, turning me towards him.
“Lucifer gutted her,” I say without sharing the visual.
“How do you know that?”
“He forced me to watch.” I turn back to the television and the camera footage from the hallway outside the penthouse rolls across the screen, again. The vision of me covered in blood is unsettling, but the additional touch of having an image of Sam next to him really burns.
I collect my thoughts and glance at CJ. “Why do you think I shut down like I did?” I ask softly.
CJ processes what I said with an open mouth, and he blinks a few times before he says, “What do you mean forced you?” He speaks slowly to control any chance of his stutter surfacing, and I let out a sarcastic laugh.
