Lib Novel Page 13
Sitting in my chair, having done everything I could think to do, I watch Olivia on the screen until Aris sends an update.
They’re outside, he sends, can you unlock?
Tapping the commands, I quickly unlock the outside doors and watch Bigby, Ado, and Rafael enter, locating Olivia and taking her. Some of the women protest, but Rafael stops to talk to them, and they calm down immediately.
I wonder if that’s some sort of vampire power, and make a mental note to ask him about it. After returning all the systems to how they were and scrubbing any evidence of my tampering with them, I change all of the mayor’s profile pictures to a naked photoshopped image of him, then shut down my computer, grab my laptop, and make my way to the pack center when I feel Olivia getting closer.
Chapter 6 – Olivia
It’s a bright, sunny day, and Rosa and Kaila are down at the beach. I’m making Kaila’s favorite, chicken tacos, and glancing out the back door every few moments, just to make sure I’m keeping eyes on them.
Everything’s a little hazy, but when they come kicking inside from the beach, and we have dinner, there’s a knock on the door. Rosa and Kaila hide—they’re always hiding. Because Amon, Rosa’s father, is an evil son of a bitch, and Kaila’s father, Bigby, is a fucking coward who abandoned them.
I open the door to a short little man whose hands are trembling when he hands me a paper.
“Sorry,” I say, “I was just sitting down to supper.”
“This is from Bernice Justine,” the man says, his voice shaking, before he turns and runs back down the path.
Bernice Justine. Rosa’s mother. We’re in danger because Amon has found us, and then I’m staring at Bigby Vandenberg, the aforementioned fucking coward.
“Bigby?” I ask, taking in all 100 feet of him. “What the hell are you doing here?”
Bigby says Amon is coming. That we need to leave. I realize he is our only chance of making it out alive.
“Rosa,” I appeal. “Please, think of Kaila. We just have to get out of here. We have to keep her safe.”
Kaila starts crying.
“Mom,” she says, her voice wavering. She’s taking deep breaths, like she wants to control it but can’t. “I’m scared.”
“I know, baby,” Rosa says, narrowing her eyes at me.
Rosa, I send to her, though we never communicate like that, in case it’s not safe.
“Please,” I say, raising her clasped hands in front of me, panic building and building. I don’t want anything to happen to Kaila and Rosa, but I also really, really don’t want to die. Not at Amon’s hands. Not like my family.
It crashes in on me all at once. I’ve spent almost a decade living in this shack with them, and now I’m going to die unless I can get Rosa out of here.
“Please, Rosie. I know you don’t like him. Let’s just go with him for now, and then we can figure something else out later.”
Rosa won’t, but then Bigby is taking her, and we’re in Rosecreek.
“Get your fucking hands off me!”
Rosa is screaming, having a complete meltdown, but my eyes can’t stop darting to the man with the blue hair. He’s standing a way away from the others, his hood pulled up, flinching every time Rosa screams.
He is so, so handsome.
“Oh, thank god,” Rosa says, coming around to me, taking Kaila from my arms and backing up against Bigby’s Jeep.
“Rosa,” I say, tearing my eyes from the man with the blue hair and refocusing on her, “this is the Rosecreek pack. They’re going to help us.”
But Rosa won’t calm down. Then, Linnea comes, showing us the shelter where we can stay.
“This is really something,” I say, taking it all in, astounded by the planning.
“I did my best to make it an area everyone can enjoy,” Linnea says, “if you follow me, I can show you the living area.”