A Shade of Doubt
Page 32
Griffin shook his head grimly.
I retreated and allowed him to close the door.
Gavin and Zinnia were known to have their disagreements. But from the look on Griffin’s face, I sensed that this was worse than usual.
I descended the tree and continued through the forest until I reached my next stop—Landis and Ashley’s tree. I stopped dead in my tracks as I reached the veranda. Ashley was sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall, sobbing into a tissue.
I felt awkward encroaching on her during such a private moment. But she noticed me before I could retreat, so I found myself walking over and kneeling down on the floor next to her.
I placed a hand on her shoulder as she sobbed even harder.
“Ashley, what’s wrong?”
“Landis… he… he’s cheating on me.”
“What?”
“I saw him with one of the human girls.”
I was stunned speechless as I stared at her. “Ashley, are you sure?”
She nodded vigorously.
“I mean, are you one hundred percent positive? You definitely saw Landis? Are you sure it couldn’t have been someone else?”
“I have freaking vampire vision, Aiden. I know what I saw. It was him.” Her sobbing became harder and she stood up abruptly, running back into her apartment and slamming the door behind her.
What is going on?
As I descended the treehouse and made my way toward the final couple, trepidation ate away at me thinking what I might witness there. I didn’t know that I could stand seeing Claudia and Yuri fight. I’d grown too fond of them both.
As I reached their treehouse and began ascending, I could already hear an argument boiling up, the angry voice of Yuri drifting through the kitchen window. I didn’t need to enter the home to hear what it was about.
I stopped outside the kitchen window and stared through it. Yuri and Claudia were standing at opposite ends of the room. Tears streamed down Claudia’s face as Yuri shouted her down.
“I told you already, I didn’t,” Claudia cried. “I would never, Yuri. I swear—”
“Stop lying. Just stop it,” Yuri bulldozed over her. “What do you take me for? A moron? I thought at least that much had changed when you married me. Now I see that I was wrong.”
I couldn’t believe such harsh words were coming from Yuri’s mouth. He never spoke to her in this way. It was so unlike him.
Although it was none of my business, I couldn’t stand watching my best friend crush his wife like this. I hurried to the front door and pounded my fists against it.
“Open up,” I yelled.
The door swung open, Yuri standing there, his chest heaving as he glared at me.
“What do you want?” he spat.
Gripping his collar, I forced him back, away from the doorway, and barged into their apartment. I pushed him against the wall, pinning him there by his collar.
“Stop accusing Claudia of whatever it is you think she’s done,” I growled.
Yuri’s eyes narrowed on me as he struggled against my grip. I held him there fast.
“Get off me!”
“Not until you listen to me.”
He kneed me in the stomach, loosening my grip on him enough for him to scramble away from me. He rushed for the front door, but I got there before him, slamming it shut before he could exit. He exhaled in frustration, wiping sweat from his brow with the back of his hand.
“Listen to me, goddamn it!” I hissed. “You need to stop yelling at your wife before you sorely regret it. Something strange is going on around this island—”
Before I could finish my sentence, Yuri lurched for one of the tall windows either side of the front door and smashed through it. Shards of glass fell everywhere. I tried to chase after him, but he slammed the elevator shut before I could reach it. I glared at him as he descended to the ground.
I walked back into the apartment toward the kitchen where Claudia was slumped in a chair, still sobbing uncontrollably. As I put an arm around her, trying to comfort her, I couldn’t help but wonder.
Who’s next?
Chapter 22: Sofia
Derek and I were in our kitchen, about to pour ourselves a glass or two of blood for dinner when I heard our elevator creaking. I looked out of the window to see Abby hurrying toward our front door. I left the kitchen and opened it before she had a chance to knock.
Her palms were sweaty as she clutched my hands and pulled me out of the penthouse.
“What’s wrong, Abby?”
“There’s been another one,” she panted.
“Another what?” Derek had appeared at the door behind us.
“A killing.”
My heart sank to my stomach.
“Who? Where?” Derek demanded. His face was stony as he grabbed his cloak and locked the front door behind us.
“Just… just come.”
Derek had no patience for elevators, and neither did I. The three of us jumped off the balcony into a nearby tree and leapt from branch to branch down to the ground. Abby led us away from the Residences, toward the Vale. As we began winding through the streets toward the town square, I prayed that it wasn’t Anna and Kyle this time. Whatever predator this was had struck just next door to them last time.
I was relieved when Abby led us straight past their house. We sped down several more streets before finally stopping in a cul-de-sac. She pointed to a house at the end of it where a crowd had gathered.
The crowd parted for Derek and me as soon as they noticed us. I looked around at the humans as we passed. Their faces were grim, their eyes filled with panic.
I retreated and allowed him to close the door.
Gavin and Zinnia were known to have their disagreements. But from the look on Griffin’s face, I sensed that this was worse than usual.
I descended the tree and continued through the forest until I reached my next stop—Landis and Ashley’s tree. I stopped dead in my tracks as I reached the veranda. Ashley was sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall, sobbing into a tissue.
I felt awkward encroaching on her during such a private moment. But she noticed me before I could retreat, so I found myself walking over and kneeling down on the floor next to her.
I placed a hand on her shoulder as she sobbed even harder.
“Ashley, what’s wrong?”
“Landis… he… he’s cheating on me.”
“What?”
“I saw him with one of the human girls.”
I was stunned speechless as I stared at her. “Ashley, are you sure?”
She nodded vigorously.
“I mean, are you one hundred percent positive? You definitely saw Landis? Are you sure it couldn’t have been someone else?”
“I have freaking vampire vision, Aiden. I know what I saw. It was him.” Her sobbing became harder and she stood up abruptly, running back into her apartment and slamming the door behind her.
What is going on?
As I descended the treehouse and made my way toward the final couple, trepidation ate away at me thinking what I might witness there. I didn’t know that I could stand seeing Claudia and Yuri fight. I’d grown too fond of them both.
As I reached their treehouse and began ascending, I could already hear an argument boiling up, the angry voice of Yuri drifting through the kitchen window. I didn’t need to enter the home to hear what it was about.
I stopped outside the kitchen window and stared through it. Yuri and Claudia were standing at opposite ends of the room. Tears streamed down Claudia’s face as Yuri shouted her down.
“I told you already, I didn’t,” Claudia cried. “I would never, Yuri. I swear—”
“Stop lying. Just stop it,” Yuri bulldozed over her. “What do you take me for? A moron? I thought at least that much had changed when you married me. Now I see that I was wrong.”
I couldn’t believe such harsh words were coming from Yuri’s mouth. He never spoke to her in this way. It was so unlike him.
Although it was none of my business, I couldn’t stand watching my best friend crush his wife like this. I hurried to the front door and pounded my fists against it.
“Open up,” I yelled.
The door swung open, Yuri standing there, his chest heaving as he glared at me.
“What do you want?” he spat.
Gripping his collar, I forced him back, away from the doorway, and barged into their apartment. I pushed him against the wall, pinning him there by his collar.
“Stop accusing Claudia of whatever it is you think she’s done,” I growled.
Yuri’s eyes narrowed on me as he struggled against my grip. I held him there fast.
“Get off me!”
“Not until you listen to me.”
He kneed me in the stomach, loosening my grip on him enough for him to scramble away from me. He rushed for the front door, but I got there before him, slamming it shut before he could exit. He exhaled in frustration, wiping sweat from his brow with the back of his hand.
“Listen to me, goddamn it!” I hissed. “You need to stop yelling at your wife before you sorely regret it. Something strange is going on around this island—”
Before I could finish my sentence, Yuri lurched for one of the tall windows either side of the front door and smashed through it. Shards of glass fell everywhere. I tried to chase after him, but he slammed the elevator shut before I could reach it. I glared at him as he descended to the ground.
I walked back into the apartment toward the kitchen where Claudia was slumped in a chair, still sobbing uncontrollably. As I put an arm around her, trying to comfort her, I couldn’t help but wonder.
Who’s next?
Chapter 22: Sofia
Derek and I were in our kitchen, about to pour ourselves a glass or two of blood for dinner when I heard our elevator creaking. I looked out of the window to see Abby hurrying toward our front door. I left the kitchen and opened it before she had a chance to knock.
Her palms were sweaty as she clutched my hands and pulled me out of the penthouse.
“What’s wrong, Abby?”
“There’s been another one,” she panted.
“Another what?” Derek had appeared at the door behind us.
“A killing.”
My heart sank to my stomach.
“Who? Where?” Derek demanded. His face was stony as he grabbed his cloak and locked the front door behind us.
“Just… just come.”
Derek had no patience for elevators, and neither did I. The three of us jumped off the balcony into a nearby tree and leapt from branch to branch down to the ground. Abby led us away from the Residences, toward the Vale. As we began winding through the streets toward the town square, I prayed that it wasn’t Anna and Kyle this time. Whatever predator this was had struck just next door to them last time.
I was relieved when Abby led us straight past their house. We sped down several more streets before finally stopping in a cul-de-sac. She pointed to a house at the end of it where a crowd had gathered.
The crowd parted for Derek and me as soon as they noticed us. I looked around at the humans as we passed. Their faces were grim, their eyes filled with panic.
