Fifty

“They can’t change their lives because of me.” I shouted. “They have jobs, they have a life here.”

“You’re family, Elizabeth.” Victor mumbled. “And we stick by each other.”

“I said no!” I struggled violently against Bradley’s hold to no avail. “Jennie will call Miles. He’s a private investigator. He’ll nail your family. Follow them, take pictures of them. You can’t expose something that’s been kept a secret over me. You can’t ruin your lives over me.”

Victor glanced at the rear-view mirror before he spoke. “Maybe there’s another way, Bradley."

Bradley glared daggers at his big brother.

"Bradley, can we at least talk this through."

"You don’t have to be here if you don’t want to Victor," he growled in annoyance. I'd never seen him so vicious, so angry, and so completely freed of his well-practiced cool face. “I fight my own battles, Victor, you know that! I don’t need anyone to tell me what to do. But what I will do is keep Elizabeth as far away from here as possible, even if I have to do this alone. I’ve made my decision."

In my peripheral view I saw Zane freeze, and I could feel the air shift suddenly, awkwardness hung in the air. I fidgeted with my fingers. I tried to calm down; I wasn’t sure why I felt a sharp pain on my chest.

“Lower your waves. Zane,” Victor reasoned. “Bradley won’t leave without us. No need to worry. I'm pulling over." Victor’s voice was sensible yet it sealed with authority.

The car slowed to a normal pace.

“Dammit Victor, keep the car moving!” Bradley roared.

"Bradley, please." Zane tried to reason with her brother.

"No! You don’t understand! He knows what she is to me. And he seeks revenge. `"

"The young witch had promised –”

He interrupted her. “Do you honestly think Benjamin will honour that promise? It must be him. After what I did to his mate and after tonight, with his sister, do you think he’ll call it even? Ethan was there to distract me. They wanted to measure me, to see if I cared enough about her to fight, Benjamin set me up. They would’ve attacked if they really wanted Beth. What happened tonight was just a distraction. He’s planning something big. I have to keep Beth safe, at all costs."

“You can stage a break-up.” Zane continued.

“Do you think he cares whether Elizabeth and I are dating?” he roared in frustration. “He cares about what hurting her will do to me. He has nothing against her. He’s only after her to get to me. Only after me to get to dad, we all know he hates dad.”

“Beth is our weakest link.” Victor said thoughtfully.

“The council –” Zane was saying.

“Nobody can stop him now.” Victor mumbled. “He’ll stop at nothing until he finds her.” He must have used his atypical gift to get that info.

“Jennie , Zack!” I shouted, struggling against his hold. “I’m not leaving without them.” And then something occurred to me. “He knows about my uncle!” I was crying with frustration. “Take me back to mom!”

"Listen to her," Zane said.

“Stop the car.” Bradley mumbled dejectedly.

"Let's backtrack to the beginning, there has to be another way." Victor wheedled.

The car screeched to a halt on the middle of the road. I didn’t know where we were but the rain fell harder now, the fog was a thick mist that covered everything into gray.

"There is no other way." Bradley hissed.

"I have to go home! I need to make sure Uncle Miles is safe." I yelled.

He ignored me completely.

"She’s right," Victor broke the silent awkward moment.

"No." Bradley was furious.

"I’m not afraid of a little hunt. The warlock doesn’t stand a chance against us."

"He’s doing the hunting. He’s not waiting for us to hunt."

Victor smiled. "Things haven’t been this interesting in a while."

"If I fight him, his clan is with him." Bradley mumbled.

Victor only shrugged the adrenaline lighting up his face, “Gives us more of a challenge.”

"This will damage the treaty. It would be like the sixties again."

“It would be a great idea if we kill each one of those parasites."

"That’s too risky.” Zane mumbled. “A lot of innocent lives will be at risk.”

Bradley turned his depraved glare on her, his voice a low hiss. "Only. One. Life. Matters. Here. And. its. Elizabeth’s!"

Victor and I exchanged worried shocked glances.

Zane shrugged as though Bradley hadn’t spoken.

The awkwardness elongated for a long moment as Bradley and Zane glared at each other.

I refused to break it.

“Let’s weigh in our options before we rule anything out.” Victor said quietly.

"No," Bradley growled.

I glared at him, finally aggravated.

"Look," I pleaded. "I have a plan."

"I don’t want to hear it!” he grumbled.

I glared at him and continued. “I call my uncle; tell him I booked him and Jessica”

“Jessica?” Zane asked.

“His girlfriend,” I sighed. “…into a hotel in Dubai for two weeks, I'll need to borrow some money Bradley. Send him a ring and flight tickets tomorrow morning, they leave same time. I go home, tell Jennie I’m moving out. We’ve been fighting a lot lately anyway; she’ll think she’s the reason. We go to your house and Rebecca ‘accidentally’ starts a storm, I run away into the woods, scared, you decide it’s safe, you won’t come looking for me and Benjamin comes after me. You take him down. No need to involve more people than necessary.”

“It’s good.” Victor mumbled in insulting surprise.

Bradley sighed in frustration. “No, it’s not. Benjamin is not stupid, why would I let Beth go alone into the forest when I know he’s hunting her down.”

“You and Carrie will go hunting.” I urged. I had to convince Bradley for my real plan to work; he had to buy in on this one for the time being. “There’s no telling what he’ll do to my family.” I shook my head. “If he’s willing to kill me to get to you – all just for some unknown hatred he has for your father – he’ll have no morals not to do the same to my uncle to get to me.”

“It’s not such a bad idea.” Zane said. “It’ll give us time to find Benjamin before he hurts anyone.”

“He doesn’t have my uncle’s scent; he won’t be able to follow him.” I mumbled suddenly encouraged.

“And we can keep Jennie safe.” Victor said.

I stared at my feet afraid if I looked up at Bradley he’d see through me. My heart beat should’ve ratted me out. He must’ve thought I was still shaken by bumping into witches or the storm, I guessed.

"I can’t jeopardise her life like that – it’s too risky."

Victor was tremendously certain. "Bradley, I’ll personally make sure he doesn’t get anywhere near her."

“He’ll fall for it.” Zane said confidently. “We’ll protect her, trust me.”

“I don’t trust anyone with her life, not even myself.” Bradley protested. “How long?” his question was directed toward Victor.

“They are waiting for us to move again.” Victor answered in deep thought. “Twenty miles.”

“So they can hear us.” I bellowed.

Zane tapped the side window. “Sound proof.”

“How many?” I asked no one in particular.

“Two.” Zane and Bradley answered in unison.

“And the others?”

No one answered.

“We need to get back now! They could be at Jennie ’s house.”

Victor revved the engine but he didn’t turn around, instead he looked at Bradley, his eyes asking for permission.

“Please Bradley.” I pleaded in a low voice. “Tell Victor to turn around and drive like the maniac he is.”

That earned me a playful snarl from Victor.

“We need to get there in half an hour.”

Bradley almost smiled. “I have a better idea.”

I shook my head. “No. Jennie will faint if we just suddenly appear at her doorstep and I don’t want to be doing anymore explanations tonight.”

“Turn the car around.” Bradley commanded in a tired voice. He looked exhausted.

Victor swirled the car around, the tires squealing pointedly on the sloppy wet road.

“Zane call mom, tell her there’s been a change of plan.” Bradley said. “Jennie must be safe at all cost.”

Zane was commanding words in a foreign language onto the phone when Bradley spoke again.

“When we get to the house, Victor I want you to slow down, I have to be absolutely certain we’re clear. I don’t want any surprises. I’m coming in with you, I’ll help you pack.” He mumbled something under his breath when I opened my mouth to speak. “You either take it or leave it. Victor and mom will have to watch Jennie for as long as it takes to catch that leech. We leave tomorrow afternoon, your mother will be very suspicious if you leave tonight, there’s been a storm, and she knows you will never – under any circumstances – go out in a stormy night.”

“But you can’t put everyone’s lives on hold because of me.”

“I – said – you – either – take – it – or – leave – it.” Bradley snarled through clenched teeth.

“Fine,” I grumbled. I had to settle. “But I tell my mother tomorrow when I get back from school. I don’t want her to worry.” I prayed she wouldn’t turn to alcohol because of my decision. “Such an over protective old uptight demon,” I complained under my breath.

Of course they had absolutely no problem hearing me.

Zane and Victor laughed.

Bradley scowled at me.

“Oops.”

The car sneaked to a halt as we drove up on Jennie ’s street. Regardless of tonight’s incidents, I still felt a fresh wave of terror grip me and chills surged through my body from the crown of my head to my toes. The thought of Jennie , alone in the house, hopeless and begging as red hungry eyes watched her every move made me curl back onto Bradley body.