24

24

Aaron groaned with frustration as he clutched his bleeding arm. What the freaking hell just happened?

He staggered toward his car and got in, starting it even before he’d closed the door.

Lauren.

Sonofagoddamnbitch!

Marcus bloody Stanford took Lauren.

He reversed the car, both hands on the wheel, adrenaline numbing the pain of having a bullet lodged in his bleeding arm.

Aaron wasn’t giving half a shit about his arm at that moment. Lauren was gone. And it wasn’t just that she was gone, she willingly went with Marcus Stanford!

Aaron couldn’t understand it. One minute they were peacefully driving, next thing, Stanford appears in Aaron’s rearview mirror, waving a damn gun and Lauren starts hyperventilating and recoiling from Aaron like he was a bloody black mamba!

His jaw clenched as he swerved around corners, missing thick tree trunks by centimeters.

What was the matter with her? He’d seen how she was looking at him, the fear clear in her eyes. She’d gone totally berserk on him when he’d gone into the woods to lose Stanford who’d been following them.

The route in the woods was hidden and Aaron knew it well, so they would have stayed hidden if Lauren hadn’t gone yelling and leading Stanford right to them!

What had she thought? That he was going to hurt her? That he would kill her in the woods. Goddammit!

“Motherfucker,” Aaron cursed in frustration. Lauren’s trust in Aaron was fragile, he knew that, but what he hadn’t expected was for it to splinter under the tiniest pressure.

Didn’t she understand that he’d never harm a hair on her head? Didn’t she see that?

Anger mounted within him as Aaron drove up onto the road and slowed down. His head turned to the left and there in the distance, he saw that Stanford asshole’s car disappearing.

Aaron’s mouth formed a thin line and sweat began to gather on his forehead.

Marcus Stanford was taking Lauren back to Woodfair with him. Probably straight to his parents.

With one jerk of his foot, the car launched forward and Aaron turned right, feeling the anxiety claw in from driving in the opposite direction to where he knew she was being taken to danger. But he had to do this.

His phone was lying on the dashboard and Aaron, grabbed it, dialing Gray’s number.

“Howdy,” greeted Grayson.

“Grayson.”

Aaron’s voice sounded labored and rusty even to his own ears and he was certain Grayson heard in his tone that shit just hit the fan.

“Woah, Aaron? You sound like the baby the walkin’ dead would have with an X-man. What the hell happened?”

Aaron cringed as the pain started burning in his arm.

“Can’t explain now, but Lauren’s been taken by Martin’s son.”

“What?! What the fuck happened? When—”

“Gray, listen! I need to get somethin’ done, it’s going to end all this crazy bullshit so I gotta do it now. I need you to go to the Mayor’s house, their office, everywhere the Stanfords are! Find Lauren! And don’t go alone, take your friends with you.”

“What if they ask questions?”

“Tell them the truth! Tell them Marcus Stanford lost his damn mind and kidnapped her, then spread the word to the rest of the town. Get everyone ready to burn that little Stanford down.”

“Goddamn it, Aaron, they’ll think it’s you who took her!” Gray exclaimed, bringing his running down the road to Parker’s house to an abrupt stop.

“I’ll take the risk. Besides…”

Aaron trailed off, groaning as his arm grew tense from spasms.

“Aaron? Aaron!”

“I’m alright...Marcus shot me in the arm.”

“What?! Oh, my God! I can’t—”

“Calm down! I’ll be fine! Listen... find Lauren. Tell everyone, the town will go crazy with rage if it means savin’ their last survivin’ Burns. I’ll bring Hutson back with me, he’ll clear me of all suspicion of kidnappin’ Lauren.”

Grayson sighed heavily. “Okay, good. I’m at Parker’s house now, we’ll go to the Mayor’s with the rest if I can convince them.”

Aaron nodded. “Good. Find her for me, Gray.”

“Ain’t nothin’ gonna stop me, Aaron. I’ll find her.”

Aaron clenched his jaw and hung up, tossing his phone on the other seat.

The seat Lauren had been sitting on. And now she was gone with bloody Marcus Stanford!

Aaron slammed a hand against the steering wheel, clenching his jaw against the pain in his arm.

The whole thing made him want to go raving mad, but he had to keep it together for now. This whole thing was going to come to an end soon.

Too long.

He’d waited too damn long, living under oppression in his own town for something he never even did. Now he would end it and he’d make sure that all those who aren’t already punished, get what’s coming to them and all those who never deserved the pain they suffered, be protected from the evil of the town.

His mouth twisted in fury as Aaron realized that that town was so blind...so damn blind to the evil it harbored that even if Aaron had had the proof twenty years ago to prove the angel to be a devil, Woodfair wouldn’t have believed him.

They’d have said he was possessed for trying to bring disgrace to the chosen ones of God. Aaron’s skin crawled. It was sickening.

His hands tightened on the wheel as he passed a few widely spread mansions. Houses built from old money and legacy. Aaron brought his car to a stop at one such house, pressing the intercom repeatedly.

“He-hello, who’s there?” asked a voice, frazzled by the urgent buzzing of the intercom.

“Aaron… Aaron Spencer. Need to see Hutson right now!”

Aaron closed his eyes as his chest heaved. Fuck, the bullet wound hurt like a bitch.

“Aaron Spencer?” asked the voice, slightly incredulous. Before Aaron could respond, there was a buzz and the tall, black iron gate swung open.

He fought against the shivers running through his body and forced himself to drive the car in, jerking it forward through the gates.

The long driveway seemed even longer then, but Aaron toughed it out until he parked haphazardly across the green lawn before the magnificent house.

Stumbling out, he made his way to the front stairs where the double doors opened and a shocked young man looked out at Aaron.

“B-but...Mr. Spencer! What happened?!” cried the young butler, rushing forward with outstretched hands.

Aaron only grunted in response as he rushed blindly up the stairs.

The butler, Higgins Jnr was his name, immediately wrapped an arm around Aaron, supporting him as they hobbled up the stairs and into the house.

The amount of blood covering his left arm had the young man pale.

“Father! Father! Jason!” called Higgins Jnr as the doors closed behind him and Aaron.

Two men came bustling out from different places. One looked like Higgins Jnr, only older and also wore a butler’s uniform, the other was dressed as a nurse.

“Oh, my God!” said the nurse, already whipping a pair of gloves out of his pocket and putting them on.

“What in the name of God happened, Aaron?” asked Higgins Snr.

Aaron clenched his jaw and shook his head to clear the dizziness.

“Got...shot…” he murmured. “I need to see Hutson. Now.” The nurse and Higgins Jnr helped Aaron toward a room near the kitchen, but he pushed them away, attempting to go looking for Hutson, but they tugged him back firmly.

Higgins Snr shook his head. “He’s asleep on a pill, won’t wake up for hours. Besides, you need to get your arm looked at right now!”

With that, Higgins Snr ran off to get all of Jason’s medical kits so the young man could sort Aaron’s arm out.

They struggled to get him to sit still on the bench as Aaron was only interested in getting to Hutson.

“Mr. Spencer,” said the nurse, holding Aaron’s face firmly to make eye contact. “I need you to listen to me. You’ve lost a lot, I mean a lot of blood and you need to let me take you to the hospital.”

“No!” A burst of pain shot through his arm and Aaron hissed. “Fuck...no, no hospital. No…time. Just...do somethin’. Aren’t you a fuckin’ doctor or nurse?”

Jason glanced at Aaron's arm with uncertainty. “I don’t have anesthetic. It’s going to hurt, sir. Like a bitch.”

Aaron stared him in the eyes. “Do it.”

With a nod, Jason took the multiple bags Higgins Snr hurried back with as Higgins Jnr filled a large bowl with water.

Jason put out everything he’d need as Higgins Snr cut Aaron’s shirt off with a shiny pair of scissors.

“Alright. This is gonna hurt a little,” said Jason.

Aaron clenched his jaw but barely managed to not groan as the fluid Jason applied burned like it was from hell. His eyes closed and he turned away, willing his body to go numb while Jason cleaned around the wound and prepared to remove the bullet.

Thoughts of Lauren flitted into his mind and Aaron held onto them, praying in his heart that Grayson would find her and keep her safe. It would work perfectly, he knew this. If the entire town was aware that Lauren was gone and they were told that Marcus had taken her, they would all keep their eyes wide open on the Stanford family, despite what they believed about Aaron.

It would ensure that the Stanford’s wouldn’t hurt Lauren, buying Aaron time to get back and make sure she’s safe.

“Motherf…!” Aaron trailed off on a groan as the piercing pain dulled to a burning throb in his arm.

Plink!

He opened his eyes to see Jason drop the bullet into a tiny metal tray.

“Perfect, you should be okay…Let me just…” Jason murmured as he frowned, focused on his task. “Clean and wrap this up.”

Aaron swallowed and fought the urge to lean back against Higgins Jnr who sat on his other side.

“How on earth did you get yourself shot?” asked Higgins Snr.

Aaron glanced up into the old man’s kind brown eyes and shrugged.

“Don’t know...was minding my own business...then bam!”

The older man scoffed and nodded. “Sure. I hope Mr. Hutson believes that fairytale.”

All Aaron could do was nod. He was beginning to feel woozy.

He looked at Jason in accusation. What the hell had Hutson’s nurse put in him?

The younger man shook his head as he bandaged Aaron’s arm and shoulder, ensuring that the wounded bicep was restricted from movement to avoid further damage.

“Don’t even fight it,” he told Aaron calmly. “It was a small shot, just to make sure your stubborn ass sleeps for at least two hours.

Aaron’s eyes widened. “Are you...insane? Don’t have two hours to waste... Lauren.”

They ignored him, gathering around him to lead him over to a large comfortable sofa where they lay him ensuring that his arm wasn’t compromised.

“You’ll be alright, big fella,” said Jason.

“Asshole,” muttered Aaron as the sleep took him under.

Jason nodded, grinning at the insult as he pulled off his gloves, watching Higgins Snr covered Aaron with a light blanket. “You’re very welcome.”

******

Lauren’s mind was one big jumbled mess. She felt like she was the piece of an unsolvable puzzle and she couldn’t find her place, couldn’t orientate herself.

She felt lost in the hazy darkness.

Sounds and voices drifted in and out of the obscurity, only visitors. Announcing their presence in the darkness around her, but never staying, instead fading away again into nothing.

Slowly, feeling returned to her body and her fingers twitched.

A flutter of her lashes had her blinking against the sudden light all around her.

She groaned. A dull ache throbbed at the base of her skull, making it painful to move her eyes around.

Lauren finally managed, to somewhat clear her vision and took a look around the strange room she was in. Instant panic kicked in and she jerked on the bed where she sat, her legs kicking out in front of her.

The clang of chains had her gaze dropping to her feet where chains really did surround her ankles. Her wrists ached and she looked at them to find them restrained as well.

Well, fuck.

Lauren wanted to groan but knew it would probably make her head explode, so she didn’t. What on earth had happened? She had been in the forest with Aaron, trying to run away from him, until... Marcus!

Lauren gasped. Marcus lied! He wasn’t trying to protect her, he’d been trying to get her back to his parents! And she, like an idiot, went along with him! Damn!

She looked at the vast glass that let in plenty of light. Its curtains were opened. The room was empty, besides the bed and a small lamp. There was a brown door to her left and she stared at it.

Suddenly it opened, sending her jerking back in surprise.

Marcus.

He walked in easily, his handsome face wearing a pleasant smile.

Lauren glowered at him.

“You bastard.”

Marcus’s smile dimmed a little. “That’s not nice, honey.”

“I wasn’t trying…” she groaned at the pain in her head. “…wasn’t trying to be nice, you shit head. Let me go! You said...you weren’t taking me to your parents!”

He strolled around the bed on his perfect, long legs.

“And I didn’t,” he said, making Lauren frown. “They don’t know where you are, neither do they have any idea where I am.”

She shook her head. “What? Then…why?”

Marcus shrugged. “Father’s desperate to use you to keep the mayoral chair under his butt. He was going to kill you and frame Aaron for it, so the town would remember the whole evil-Aaron-Spencer-murder-priest thing and support our Rev. Johnathan Burns based campaign even more. Also, I just got tired. Of waiting for the right time to have you. At least here... it’s just you and me.”

He stared at her with eyes full of desire.

Lauren scowled with a shudder. ‘What the hell? That makes no sense... just let me go.”

“I can’t.”

“Why the hell not?”

“Because I’ve kidnapped you and I’m going to ask for ransom. From my father.”