Chapter 8

Tommy let me know the following day that Lauren’s car was ready, so we made plans to pick it up after school. Overjoyed that I no longer had to sneak out, I was eager to simply be outside with Tommy again. We stopped by my house to see if Lauren was ready. My mother’s car was parked in the driveway, so I guessed Lauren had made it home. I unlocked the door, and as we all walked in, I wasn’t the only one surprised to see Lauren. She was digging through her purse, wrapped only in a towel.

Tommy quickly turned around, but Demetri was apparently stunned. He locked his gaze on her, and his lips parted ever so slightly. I could almost see the drool forming on his lower lip. Lauren turned a shade of bright red, as she rambled, “I’m sorry. I didn’t know you would be home this early, and of course I didn’t realize we’d have guests, and I needed to get this from my…”

I covered Demetri’s eyes. “You’re clear.”

She rushed out of the room, right before Demetri yanked my hand away.

“Em, why’d you go and do a thing like that? I was enjoying the view.” A wicked grin formed on his lips.

“Geez, Demetri, you didn’t look, did you?” Tommy asked.

“I couldn’t help myself,” he said. “I mean, last night was incredible enough, but this? Thought I’d died and gone to heaven.”

“What do you mean last night?” I asked.

“That’s between Lauren and me.”

“What are you talking about, Demetri?” Tommy asked. “They didn’t even stop by yesterday.”

“That didn’t stop Lauren,” he said, smirking unabashedly.

The moment Lauren reentered the room, fully clothed, Demetri backed her up against the far wall. He placed his hands on the wall, on either side of her head and whispered, “Now where were we?”

He leaned in close to her, his face inches away from hers.

The petrified look she wore was classic. “Excuse me?” she said, rather loudly.

“Last night,” he said. “I think we were just about to kiss.”

She turned her eyes away nervously. “That… That was a dream.”

“Afraid not, princess. You were in my room, and your hands were touching me.”

Tommy and I gaped, shocked into speechlessness by the whole surreal scene.

Lauren ducked out of his entrapment and buried her head in her hands. “I can’t believe I did that.”

The hurt look that appeared on Demetri’s face was adorable. “You seemed to be enjoying yourself last night.” He added quietly, “So was I.”

“No, that’s not what I meant…” She sighed as she lifted her head back up. “Look I’m sorry. Sometimes I can’t control it.”

I felt like I was listening to a conversation I shouldn’t be. “You teleported last night?”

She nodded. “Into his bedroom.”

I gasped. “Are you serious?”

“I thought I was dreaming,” she explained, embarrassed again. “I… I didn’t mean to—”

“You should be careful, Lauren. What with last night, and then I come here today and you’re traipsing around in a towel…” Demetri grinned mercilessly. “You could give a guy the wrong impression.”

She folded her arms against her chest, as a twisted smirk appeared. “Didn’t see you look away.”

His grin somehow got larger. “No, ma’am.”

“So other than to attempt to make out with me, why are you here?” Lauren asked, her smile returning.

“Do I need another reason?” he asked, moving closer to her.

“Uh, yeah. Something noble, part of a clever plan to win my heart over.”

Tommy rolled his eyes. “Your car’s ready,” he said to Lauren. “That’s why we’re all here.”

Lauren pulled out her checkbook from her purse. “How much do I owe you?”

“Oh, we’re good,” Demetri said. “I made a deal with the junkyard owner to get the parts. He had some work he needed done—you know, exchange of services.”

Her jaw dropped, as did mine.

“No, I can’t accept that,” she said. “You’ve worked on this car for a while.”

“It’s already done. No worries,” Demetri said.

“And you really don’t want anything in return?”

“It doesn’t work like that, Lauren,” Demetri said. “Not with friends.”

“I… I don’t know what to say. Except thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Demetri said. “Well, you ready to go?”

She nodded and grabbed her purse.

At seeing his truck, Lauren frowned. She looked even more uncomfortable after we got in and she saw me position myself on Tommy’s lap. “Isn’t there some other way we can do this?”

“It’s okay. Tommy knows not to have sex with her while you’re sitting right next to him.”

“Demetri!” Tommy yelled, but I laughed.

“Or are you jealous? That you don’t get to sit on my lap?” he said, before he turned to Tommy. “You, uh, wanna drive back? Let me get some lap action from Lauren here?”

“That won’t be necessary, thank you,” Lauren said dryly.

“I bet you would’ve enjoyed it,” he said, as he fired up the old Ford.

Lauren gazed curiously at Demetri as we started the drive to Manchez.

“Yes, dear?” he asked.

“Trying to figure you out, Demetri.”

“Oh, well, I’m pretty easy. What’s got you confused, princess?”

“This whole thing. Saving my life, fixing my car. Protecting my sister. What’s your angle?”

“Maybe I’m the most selfless person you’ve ever met.”

“With the nicest body, too, right?”

“Your words, not mine. But I’m glad you finally are admitting it.”

She laughed. “I could see how a girl could get swept off her feet with you.”

“Oh yeah?”

There was an excitement to his tone, and it suddenly became crystal clear that, despite all his bravado, he was falling for her.

“I’ll bet you keep those high school girls on their feet,” Lauren said.

“Not so much interested in them. But there is one girl who’s got my attention.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. She acts like she doesn’t care, but then she ends up in my room in the middle of the night.”

“Look, I said—” she began.

“I heard what you said, but I think your actions speak louder than your words.”

“That’s not fair. I wasn’t in control.”

“Tell me one thing, honestly, and I won’t say another word about it,” he said.

She sighed. “Fine, what is it?”

“Did you enjoy touching me?”

At the question, the color drained from her cheeks. “I… I don’t remember.”

“You are so full of it. I can’t believe you won’t admit it.”

“Is that frustration I hear in your voice?” She grinned, happy to get under his skin, I was certain.

“After last night, you shouldn’t be surprised,” he mumbled under his breath.

We pulled into the shop parking lot. Their father was working on a car in the garage, with their mother nearby, assisting.

Demetri introduced Lauren to both of them as his soon-to-be girlfriend.

“Actually I’m Em’s sister,” she said.

“Don’t sell yourself short, princess. The future is full of possibilities.”

“You’re confusing the future with your fantasies,” Lauren said.

His parents smiled, and then his mother spoke. “Good luck, Lauren.” She gazed affectionately at her husband. “I remember our courtship.” She turned back to Lauren. “Smith boys can be very stubborn.”

“You can say that again,” I muttered.

Tommy intertwined his fingers through mine.

“It was nice to meet you both,” Lauren said. We walked to her car, parked on the side of the building. Demetri got the keys and joined us soon thereafter.

The hood and driver’s side door were both a shade of red, a stark contrast to the dark blue of the rest of the car.

“I know it’s two-tone, but we’re not equipped for painting…” Demetri said.

“It’s fine,” Lauren said.

He popped the hood and showed her the repairs they did. “Keep an eye on the temperature gauge. If it gives you any problems, let me know.” He closed the hood.

“Are you sure you don’t want anything at all?” she asked.

Demetri chuckled. “Don’t tempt me. You’ve been bad enough lately…”

“Thank you so much.” She went to kiss him on the cheek, but he turned his face at the last second to kiss her lips instead.

“You’re welcome,” he said.

She withdrew, embarrassed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…”

“I did,” he said. “Don’t ever have to apologize for that.”

She got into the car and lowered her window. Then she glanced over at Tommy. “Thanks again for helping fix my car, Tommy.”

“No problem. Glad we could help,” he said. Tommy and I slowly walked away from Demetri and Lauren, toward the woods. I was still able to hear some of their conversation.

“I will admit the two of you do have a certain charm. Kind of chivalrous,” she said.

“Guess I’ll see you around, Lauren,” Demetri said.

“Wow, you called me by my actual name? May be hope for you yet.”

“So what do I do the next time you show up in my room?”

I gaped at that question, but I couldn’t hear her response. “How did she answer that?” I asked Tommy.

Tommy smirked. “She asked if she was unwelcome.”

“She said that?”

He continued to listen, before he burst out laughing. “He said that invitation’s been open since the accident. She asked what the problem was, if he didn’t know what to do.”

My lips parted in shock. She was unapologetically flirting with him. I didn’t know what to think of it.

“He said he knows what he wants to do.” Tommy shook his head. “Poor Demetri.”

“What?”

“She’s toying with him hard. I’m not sure if he even knows that.”

“Of course he knows. He’s enjoying the game,” I said. “You make it sound like he’s not the wolf in that scenario.”

“What do you mean?”

“With how he goes on about sex all the time, it sounds like Lauren would be yet another conquest for him.”

Tommy smiled. “That’s because you don’t know him that well. But you’re empathic. What are you feeling from him?”

I remembered getting the feeling he was falling for her, on the ride over. “Okay, I see your point. But if you listen to what he says, it sounds like all he wants to do is sleep with her.”

“Guess Lauren will have to figure out the truth,” Tommy said. “I think he’s playing with fire.”

“Going to be interesting, that’s for sure.”

Total freedom never felt so sweet. And this time, when I lay down in the clearing by the creek with Tommy, I didn’t worry about a single thing. Not my father, not my mother, not Lauren. I was truly relaxed. Tommy even seemed calmer, taking his time with me, easing into our make-out session. In my ultra-relaxed state, I felt every little sensation: the gentle breeze making the hairs on my arms stand up, his fingertips sliding across my skin, his warm lips pressing against mine. My whole body tingled, a warm reverberation of the energy gently pulsating within. That perfect connection was there, with Tommy, with the earth beneath me, and the air surrounding me. In my whole life, just being, breathing, never felt so right.

I should’ve seen it coming a mile away, after a night like that. When everything is going right, that’s when it all goes horribly wrong. I knew that. Yet somehow it managed to take me by surprise anyway. How could I be so delusional as to believe a jail cell could hold him?

****

School was like any other day, in fact, it was better because it was Friday. Roz was at her locker that morning, and we discussed our plans for the weekend—she and Tommy were going to come over to my house to watch a Tales from the Crypt marathon on cable. Roz was even going to spend the night at my house, now that Lauren had reformed and was no longer a mega-bitch.

At lunch, the most serious discussion circled around the overall unfairness of grading gym class and why it was a requirement every year. As inane as that sounds, I welcomed the conversation. It had nothing to do with an overprotective mother, a father who could kill people by touching them, or my impending kidnapping.

Roz was absent from gym class that afternoon. I texted her but never got a response. On my way to my next class, I passed by the nurse’s office to see if maybe Roz was there. The door was locked, which was unusual. Even when Judy was treating a student, she still kept the door unlocked. I texted her as well to make sure everything was okay.

Granted, my spidey senses should’ve been tingling at this point. Maybe I was still on a high from the night with Tommy, or the nights I spent celebrating with everyone. I guess I didn’t want it to end.

I had continued to ride home with Tommy and Demetri, because they didn’t mind, and more importantly, I lost my seat on the bus. We had just pulled down my street, when a text came in on my cell phone. I suddenly felt drowsy, like history-teacher-droning-on-about-Ancient-Sumerian-culture drowsy. With a great deal of effort, I pressed the required buttons to bring up the text. It was from Roz.

the vision came back he’s coming for you Reading that should’ve woken me up. Instead, the phone dropped from my hand. I leaned against Tommy and nearly lost consciousness.

“Em, are you all right?” I heard him ask.

I barely had enough energy to respond. “Tired.”

Demetri parked his truck in front of my house. I wanted nothing more than to curl up into a ball and take a nap. Tommy assisted me out, and I heard him take a deep inhale through his nose.

“Shit. He’s here.”

In a flash, Demetri got out of the truck, and Tommy pulled me along toward the house. Still drowsy, it took me a few seconds to realize what was happening. In one horrible moment of clarity, I understood. My father was in my house, and he was assaulting my sister. Roz’s vision was coming true after all.

“Lauren,” I whispered. “He’s got Lauren.”

We burst into the house to find Lauren collapsed on the ground, my father standing over her.

“I didn’t want to hurt her,” my father said, before his eyes fixed on me. “Emily.”

I kneeled next to her, placing my hands on her head and heart. I cried tears of joy at the feel of her body starting to feed, pulling the energy from me.

Yoki must’ve sensed something wrong, as she was barking and scratching at the door like a mad dog, from outside in the backyard.

My father’s hand touched my head. In an instant, the energy stopped healing Lauren, and my wooziness resurged. I wasn’t healing him. He was taking my energy. A creepy satisfied moan slipped through his lips.

“Get your hands off her!” Tommy charged at my father, knocking him off his feet and away from me. I watched in horror as my father grabbed his leg. In seconds, Tommy fell to the ground.

“No, leave him alone!” I shouted. Trembling, I tried desperately to stand. As I faltered, Demetri grabbed my father, lifted him in the air, and threw him back against the adjacent wall. My father slumped, unresponsive.

I crawled to Tommy and placed my hands on his chest. His body immediately pulled in the energy.

A furious knock sounded at the front door. “Hello?” The door opened and Roz walked in. She scanned the room and gasped. “Oh no, it’s happened. Em, are you all right?”

I nodded weakly. She joined me, kneeling on the other side of Tommy. Yoki continued to bark and carry on. “Roz, can you…” I motioned to the back door, and she obliged, letting Yoki inside.

Yoki bounded over to Tommy, licking his face.

Tommy stirred and his eyes fluttered open. He jolted up. “What’s going on? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. I think he’s unconscious,” I said. “Courtesy of your brother.”

“Lauren, are you okay?” Demetri asked. He lifted her in his arms and brought her to the couch.

“What… what happened?” she responded.

“Did you call the police?” Roz asked.

I shook my head. Roz grabbed her cell phone and dialed 911.

“Lauren, are you all right?” I asked, as I joined her on the couch. I placed my hand on her forehead. I left it there as it felt warm and placed my other hand on her shoulder.

“Yeah, just dizzy,” she said. “Your hands are really hot.”

Yoki made her rounds, greeting everyone with a wag of her tail, as if she were making sure her pack was okay.

The door opened, and the next thing I heard was my mother’s panicked voice.

“Emily?” She ran to us on the couch. “Lauren! Are you all right? What happened?”

Her gaze settled on my father, lying slumped against the other wall. “Is he…”

“No, I think he’s only passed out,” I said.

At that, she turned to Tommy and Demetri. “Keep her safe,” she said, before bolting out of the room.

Roz paced, still on hold.

“Oh no,” I said, knowing where my mother was headed. Guess the concealed weapon permit didn’t quite go through yet.

Someone finally picked up at 911. “Send the police, there’s a fugitive here…” Roz began, but her voice trailed off. She collapsed to the floor, sending her phone bouncing off the coffee table.

“Roz? What’s wrong?” I said, before it became all too clear. My father’s hand grasped her leg, sucking all of her energy away. It seemed to be with great difficulty that he pulled his hand back.

He sat up in that deliberate, villain-never-dies fashion, like Michael Meyers from Halloween.

Then his gaze turned to me.

Yoki growled at him, her fur standing up on end. Tommy’s loving, kind dog had transformed into a formidable beast.

“Baby girl…” My father’s voice sounded more like a whisper, making my skin crawl again. He made it to his feet and crept toward me. Yoki barked and then lunged at my father. Her sharp teeth sunk into his arm.

My father muttered a curse under his breath as he grabbed the dog by the nape of her neck with his free hand. She dangled in the air for only a second or two, before her body grew limp. He lowered her to the ground.

“Yoki!” I screamed, kneeling down to her, letting out a sigh of relief when I felt her chest rise up and down. I rose and turned to my father. “What kind of a monster are you?”

“You don’t understand,” he said, as he looked down. “I made a promise...”

Tommy and Demetri positioned themselves in front of me. It was a nice gesture, but still I trembled in fear. With his power, no one can stop him.

“Don’t move another inch, Jonathan,” my mother yelled, the gun pointed at his head.

He pressed his lips together in a thin line. “Anne.”

“You’re not taking her this time. I will shoot you dead.”

“I’m sorry it had to end that way, all those years ago,” he said, with genuine regret in his voice. “I truly didn’t want to hurt you.”

“You hurt everyone you touch,” I yelled. “Just go away!”

“I can’t do that, baby girl. Not without you. I need you.”

He moved closer to me.

“Take one more step and I’ll blow your head off,” my mother said, her voice a low-pitched growl.

My father stifled a laugh as he met her gaze. “You won’t do it. I know you, Anne. You still have feelings for me. I can see it in your eyes.”

To my astonishment, she wavered, teary-eyed. The total opposite of the badass at the jail. I guess when it came down to it, she didn’t want to hurt anyone any more than I did.

“No, you can’t take her. Not this time,” she whispered between sobs.

“I’m sorry,” he said, before he grabbed Tommy and Demetri. His hands touched the bare skin of their arms, and it appeared to amplify the effect—both of them were drained in seconds.

“No!” In a panic, I threw myself into my father, breaking his hold on Tommy and Demetri. He fell backward, crashing into the coffee table.

Lauren edged herself in front of me, grasping my hand. I could feel her heartbeat racing as fast as mine. “Get out of here!”

Her words eventually made it to my brain, but I couldn’t leave everyone with that maniac.

My father quickly made it to his feet and was about to lunge at me, when the blast of a gun firing filled the room. He cried out and clutched his shoulder.

My mother gasped, as if she couldn’t believe she’d actually fired it. My father stomped over to where she stood shaking and disarmed her. Before Lauren and I could get to her, he struck her down with the butt end of the gun. Then he ejected the clip and tossed the gun aside as if it were nothing.

Lauren threw a punch that rocked my father for a moment.

“I’m sorry I have to do this, Lauren,” he said, as he touched her face.

I threw a kick to his knee, but he saw it coming and stepped out of the way. Like in my dream, I was powerless to stop him.

Lauren collapsed as my father withdrew his hand.

“Baby girl, we have to leave now.” My heart sank at those words. I suddenly remembered, it was the same thing he said all those years ago, when he kidnapped me the first time. I glanced around and realized no one was left standing.

What do I do now?

I scrambled to my feet and tried to make a run for it. But my father caught me and hoisted me over his shoulder. I screamed at the top of my lungs, kicking and punching him as he carried me out of the house, but it became harder and harder to continue the effort. His very proximity tired me. He dropped me into the front seat of his beater car—a relic from the seventies, I was certain.

“We can do this the easy way or the hard way, Emily. Which will it be?”

I reached for his face, a pathetic attempt to gouge his eyes. He caught my hand.

“Okay, I’ll take that as the hard way,” he said, and placed both of his hands on my head. I tried to swat his hands off, but my energy disappeared until I couldn’t even lift my arms. I let my hands fall to my lap and tried to concentrate on healing myself, to regain at least some of my own energy back.

He strapped me in, locked my door, and walked around to the driver’s side. I slid my hand toward the seatbelt buckle. God, only two more inches. I made it to the buckle, but my sweaty fingers slid all around it. My father entered and grabbed my hand.

“Emily, you don’t know how much I’ve missed you.”

My eyes became drowsy, and his creepy smile was the last thing I saw before everything went black.