I shook with the need for her to understand, to see, to believe, to finally get how stupid she’d been. “Elder was that man. He did those things. He rescued me months ago and has been bringing me back to life ever since. You say I’m not broken. That I’m like you. But I’m not. I’m nothing like you. I was broken. I was all kinds of broken. Before Elder, all I wanted to do was die. I was days away from making that wish come true, so don’t say I’m like you. Don’t say they didn’t break me because they did. And only Elder had the power to bring me back.”
I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t prevent my snarl and snap. “You and your husband ruined the only good thing in my life. You stole me from the man who gave my life back. You destroyed everything. Don’t you see? Your husband shot him. He. Shot. Him. And I don’t know if he’s alive or dead or even where he is because you keep treating me as if I’m a child who doesn’t know her own thoughts.”
Tears trickled down my face, unable to stay bottled up.
The fissure of missing Elder echoed like an arctic gale. It hurt more than anything, and I wanted to pass that pain onto Tess who glowed with adoration whenever she mentioned the hated man named Q.
She could never be my friend because she’d married my nemesis.
“I’m done with this, with you, with that bastard you call your master. I’m done, do you hear me!” Stalking to the library double doors, I clutched my skirts and bowled through them tossing a livid growl over my shoulder. “Now you know the truth, I’m leaving. You can’t stop me. Don’t you dare try to stop me.” My voice wobbled but from anger instead of tears. “I’ll kill you if you do.”
Tess darted from the library as I beelined for the front door. “Wait—”
“Don’t!” I fumbled with the lock. “Just don’t. If you truly are in the business of saving slaves, then stay back and let me go.”
The lock sprung open; I wrenched the door wide. Dusk had fallen, casting everything in a sleepy haze.
I ran.
Tess didn’t try to grab me or shout, but she did chase after me, flying down the sweeping grand entrance, her feet bare like mine, equal slaps on marble.
I daren’t turn around or yell at her to stay away. I was out of breath, heart wild, mind manic; all I wanted to do was run. I didn’t care where at this point only that I had to get away from her.
Immediately.
A water fountain splashed merrily in the middle of the driveway, roosting birds filled the sky with chirps and twitters.
I hated the beauty of this place because it had come from the happiness of others.
“Wait, please!” Tess called, running after me but not trying to overtake. If her goal was to outrun me until I faltered, then she’d be running for a while.
I had enough adrenaline to power ten marathons.
Dashing past the fountain, I winced as asphalt switched to gravel. Hop-running, I darted for the grass verge just as a black car rounded the corner and coasted to a stop in front of me.
No!
Footsteps crunched behind me as the car’s back door opened and out stepped Q Mercer—my enemy.
His black suit matched his black aura, his jade eyes aloof and unreadable. I hated that he was handsome. I hated that he had the woman he loved. I hated everything he’d done to me.
But most of all, I hated what he held tucked close to his chest, protecting it with his body.
It wasn’t a gun or syringe in which to destroy my life.
It was something I wanted more than anything, and something I would never have.
A fat, squirmy baby in a green two-piece.
The strange image of a monster holding an infant slammed me into a brick wall, but it didn’t stop Tess running behind me.
Air rustled as she charged past, ran directly up to her husband, and instead of kissing him hello, or telling him to subdue me, or even reaching for the baby cooing happily at her arrival, she braced her legs, raised her hand, and slapped her damn husband on the cheek.
Chapter Five
______________________________
Elder
DOCKING IN CALAIS didn’t settle me.
It made me worse.
We’d arrived at our destination, but I had no satisfaction, no men to slaughter, no place to invade.
I still didn’t have a clue where they might’ve taken Pim.
“What do we do now?” Selix asked as he entered my quarters and crashed to a halt when he noticed the desecration of my cello.
The pieces of my beloved instrument decorated every inch of the carpet. Tiny splinters and string smithereens. That was all that was left.
That’s all that will be left of the bastards who took Pim when I get my hands on them.