holy crap... that took forever... 5 more chapters to go... this is a long one... buckle in..
thank you to marsupial for her ever present peace of mind and support
thank you to my awesome reviewers dammit naomily, mynameislizzie2, tigertrap, Andy 34... take some antacids, light some incense, whatever you need for this one...
with that...
WARNING: Graphic depictions/descriptions of violence, mature themes of KARMIC proportions.
disclaimer: I own nothing but my oc's, ideas, twisted thoughts...
Chapter 28
"I can't tell you what I don't know." She knew there were cameras but she had no clue how they worked or where they were exactly. It wasn't something that she needed to be aware of.
Inspector Goddard stared at her. "Ms. You did live in that house yes?"
"Yes."
"So you're aware of the home's security system and cameras?"
"Yes but.."
"So how is it that the surveillance equipment was disabled earlier today? The system housing the recorded material removed?"
..
Katie could see the bodies and none was Luke. The driver had tried intervening and she whirled the gun on him. She growled at him to go check the rest of the house. The gun and her gaze didn't move but Effy's eyes did. Cook winced but nudged his head at a pistol not far from her reach. Neither would know if it had bullets left in it or not but it was their only chance. She had dropped the knife and the stunner. Neither could help her anyway. Katie simply wasn't close enough to her. She moved when the driver turned and headed up the stairs. Her fingers were almost on the grip when she heard Katie turning.
Effy didn't quite grab the gun. She couldn't let Katie see it, couldn't let her take the only chance either she or Cook might have to defend themselves. She let out a breath when the brown eyes and the gun were trained on her once more.
"Dilemma this. Isn't it?" She didn't know how she was keeping her voice steady.
"What is?" Katie took a step forward and found herself slipping a bit on the plastic and the blood. She held off on getting closer. She could hear the driver going up the steps. She both wanted him to find Luke and not. If he was in the house, he'd be down here... unless... Her hand shook and she closed her eyes a second. Effy moved the slightest bit. Cook's eyes were still on her. The driver yells and a gun is fired. The twin turned, alerted by the gun. Effy seeing her chance and grabbing the pistol.
..
"I wasn't there... earlier. I don't know what happened."
"Ms. Fitch. You're the only person conscious right now. One of a handful to be alive after what looks to be a damn right massacre. Including one fallen officer of the Crown."
"What?"
..
Naomi and Emily had approached the open door tentatively with the blonde leading the way. They stopped when the man rounded the corner coming up the stairs. "Shit." Naomi stopped in her tracks as the gun came up. "Go!" She said the word as the sound crashed around her and inside her. She fell backward into Emily. She thought she heard screams. Someone was moving. Wait. I'm moving. I'm pushing her? Why are we wet? Fuck that hurts. She stumbled even as Emily pulled her along.
Effy couldn't remember the gun being so light. She remembered target practice. It had felt heavier. Different gun. She was, in her mind, watching slide shows of what she'd learned. She'd managed to pull the pistol up when she barely registered the noise as something slammed into her left shoulder. Cook screamed. It was a horrible sound she thought. Her finger reflexively pressed the trigger as her arm was on the upswing and her body was falling back. She didn't know if she hit anything. There was another explosion and she couldn't tell where it had come from. But her pain hadn't gotten worse. She thought that was good. Her back slammed into the plastic covered ground and she felt the air leave her lungs. She held on to the gun.
Katie had been distracted by the driver's gun firing the first round. She'd taken her eyes off her but she'd seen the motion. She turned back in time to see the gun in Effy's hand, in time to fire a shot. Her eyes had seen the burst of red on the brunette's jacket. She would have been elated had it not been for the immediate pain into her side and up into her chest. She staggered backward and crumpled after slipping. She grunted and reached for the pain. Her hands came away covered in blood. She cursed. Then she realized the gun had fallen out of her hand. There was another gunshot. And another. Could she hear voices? "Emily?"
..
"What massacre?" She was screaming at Goddard now. She didn't know what he was talking about. Who was dead? "No... no.. she was alive. He said she would be ok."
"Who is he, Ms. Fitch?" Goddard took note but the doctor stepped in. She became hysterical and the doctor didn't want that.
"I'm sorry Inspector. You will need to come back later. Ms. Fitch... Ms. Fitch.. focus now."
"No." She was pushing at the doctor's hands. She grabbed the IV and pulled it out of her arm. A nurse came over to her and was preparing a syringe. "She's not dead. She's ok. She has to be ok."
"I need to talk to her. You can't give her that." The inspector was protesting.
"Sir. You need to leave." A male nurse came in and began escorting the office out.
..
Emily had noticed what Naomi had seen a second too late. She heard the shot as Naomi was half-turned. There was a thick sound but she didn't know it was the bullet piercing the blonde's body. They moved back the way they had come until Naomi stumbled. Emily's hand was wrapped around her arm. She was pulling at her. "Naoms.." She saw the blood then and almost let go. There were more gunshots but she didn't know where they were coming from. Another one and she felt the heat of it as it seemed to whizz by her. She looked up to see the man with the gun coming closer. A shot rang out and she saw the muzzle flash. The pain in her leg caused her to scream but it was muted. She looked down at Naomi. She lay on top of Emily unmoving. The gun was almost above her. She saw a shadow behind her and the gun moved up but it never fired. Instead, she heard the explosion and the man with the gun was propelled backward. She tried to turn to the footsteps next to her.
Katie struggled to move. Her breathing was shallow and there was a burning in her side. She'd heard her sister. She was sure of it. She blinked and she was on her back. When she looked up she saw Effy holding a gun on her. She let out a garbled laugh and there was liquid in her mouth. She coughed and almost choked on it. She turned her head and spit some of it out but it made her cough again. Surprisingly, Effy was on her knees then, and with great difficulty turned Katie on her side after setting the gun down and using only her right arm in the process. The blood was a deep red. She thought it wasn't a good sign. She met the blue eyes.
"Not... thanking... you." Effy stared at her. She needed to go upstairs. See what was happening. She had a gun now. She could do it. "You... stole her..." She shook her head at the words.
"She didn't belong to you. She belongs to herself."
"No..." Katie was shivering and she couldn't tell if it was anger or her injury. "You need... you need to get help."
"I do." Effy agreed but she didn't move. She hoped Cook wasn't dying on her yet. "You won't go near her again." A small choked laugh and more blood.
"She can't... live... without..."
"She can and she will." Effy could feel the throb in her shoulder. She needed to stand up, to go find a phone, before she was far too tired from her own injury to make it up the steps. "You won't go near her."
"Can't..stop... me..." Katie's eyes met Effy's. The blue eyes were without emotion. She needed all of her energy. She stood up, taking the gun with her.
"I already did."
..
She had been knocked out by whatever they gave her. When she woke, she saw that the IV had been reattached. More surprising, she wasn't strapped down. She almost wished it though. It would be easier to stay still if she was strapped to the bed. Her mouth felt dry. When she focused, she realized he was sitting in a chair about three feet from the bed. "Jameson."
"Hello, Emily."
"You're here."
"I am." He didn't stand or rush to her side. "How are you?"
"How..." It almost made her laugh. She thought it was the worst question ever. "Shitty."
He smiled. "I can imagine." He stood then and poured a plastic cup of water from a carafe on the rolling table at the foot of her bed. He brought it to her. "Here." Her hand shook as she took the cup and he covered her hand with his as she drank.
"Thank you." He nodded. "Can you tell me what happened?" He smiled.
"I can." He put the cup back on the table and pulled the table closer to her, leaving it within reach. "At least I can tell you what I witnessed. However," He looked at her and almost reached out to touch her face. "You've not talked to the police. It'll be harder to persuade them that you haven't any information if you, in fact, know the particulars." She swallowed.
"So you won't."
"No. I won't." He stared at her. "Your friend, Effy,... will be by as soon as she finds out you're awake."
"She's alive?" He tilted his head at her question.
"You've not talked with anyone?" She shook her head. "Oh. I see." He scratched at his jaw and then took her hand. She wanted to pull away. Not because she couldn't stand his touch. Oddly it was still comforting as it had been in Laura's flat. She wanted to pull her hand away because he was comforting her before he said anything. That couldn't be good. "Effy is alive and in the hospital here. A few doors down. Your friend Naomi is also alive. She got shot. Your other mate Cook is alive as well."
"Katie?" She cringed as he squeezed her hand and shook his head. She was flooded with sadness. Her eyes brimming with tears at hearing her sister didn't make it. "Did you?"
"Don't ask those things. I'm granting you the barest information." She nodded, tears falling from her eyes. "Luke's dead too." She let out a relieved sob at that. But her heart was aching. Her sister was gone. Jameson stared at her as she cried. He didn't get any closer or offer more than simple hand-holding.
"Get away from her." Effy's voice was louder as she slowly walked into the room. She had an IV stand with her. Her left arm in a sling. Jameson looked up but didn't move away.
"You're up and about. Good on you."
"I said..."
"I heard you. But she doesn't seem to be troubled by my presence. Why are you?"
"Because you're the same kind of sick they were."
"Hardly." He did move away from Emily, letting her hand drop to the bed. He slipped a hand into his suit jacket and Effy tensed. He smiled and shook his head. "Really? It's a hospital." He pulled out a mobile and put it in Emily's hand. "When you're ready to be discharged. I'm sure the police will have spoken to you by then." He stepped away and headed past Effy who stood very still. He leaned in. "I'm not looking to hurt her. Or you. If I wanted that, you'd be with the pile back at that house. I didn't tell her by the way. Left that to you." He left without a look back.
Effy stood there a moment, not sure she could move really after he left. She looked at Emily and saw the tears. She slowly walked to her and took a seat at the foot of the bed. Emily wiped at her eyes. "Hey."
"Hey." She wished she still smoked. You're in hospital. Don't think it would work. She sighed. "How's the leg?"
"It's there. Stiff feeling." She looked at Effy and took her in. She looked tired, Massively tired. "Your arm?" Effy smiled.
"It's there. Shoulder. Bullet didn't do as much damage as it could've."
"Bullet." Emily swallowed. She nodded, remembering the sounds, the smell. The pain. "Yeah... Jameson... he wouldn't tell me what happened. Says it would mess up things when I talked to the police."
"He's right. But I don't give a fuck about them." She had already talked to Goddard. She'd given him answers to questions he'd asked. She didn't offer any more or less. "If you want to know, I'll tell you as much as I can."
"Naomi? Is she ok?" She took a breath. "Cook? How...?"
"Naomi took a bullet to her... abdomen. Went is as she turned apparently from the angle. She needed surgery but she'll be ok." She could see the color, what little there was, drain out of Emily's face as she spoke to her. She didn't go into detail because she knew it sounded a lot worse. She almost died. She almost fucking died. She's hooked up to too many machines. Effy gripped her gown, trying to breathe. She nodded to herself. "Cook is ok. He's hurt but he wasn't shot."
"Luke... He hurt him." It wasn't a question. Effy knew Emily hadn't made it to the cellar and seen it for herself. She could only imagine what she had seen when she lived there. She nodded.
"Yeah. He hurt him."
"How bad?"
"He'll recover."
"Doesn't answer..." Effy shook her head at Emily. "What happened to answering as much as you can?" The twin gave her a smile.
"That's... that's as much as I can Ems." She closed her eyes and wished she would stop seeing it all. "It wasn't..." She could feel her body shiver and she hated it. "He's resting."
"Effy..."
"It's ok... it's ok... they're ok." She smiled and tried to sound stronger than she felt. Emily groaned as she moved but she scooted down enough to touch Effy. It would have been awkward to hug her without hurting her because of how she was sitting and Emily's own leg.
"What happened?" After a few minutes, she started talking.
..
Luke took a drink right from the bottle as he stood over a whimpering Cook. He was impressed. The boy was bleeding and in pain and yet he didn't say anything about where Emily was. He thought it a shame. "Why'd you have to be a cop Cook? You were perfect. Absolutely fucking perfect." He grumbled. "You knew the job, knew how to do it... could give a beating..." He chuckled. "Could take a beating. But you had to be a cop. Fuck I could have forgiven you falling for Emily. I mean.. I'm over the moon over Katie so I get it. I get wanting to stick that cock in something so pretty all the time."
Cook had his eyes closed. He needed to tune him out. His body felt literally drained and knew he couldn't keep fighting with the restraints. The pain was close to unbearable but he was holding on. He'd almost pissed himself a couple of times. He knew Luke would laugh and get off on it if he had. As it was, the psycho was rambling. He probably hated that more than the pain. "Shut.. up."
There was a loud laugh. "I'm sorry Cook... did you say something?" He laughed again. "You're telling me? Telling me to shut up?"
"Yeah... fucking tosser.. Always running.. yer fuckin' mouth..." Cook opened his eyes and looked up. "I'm pissing you off... so you talk..." Luke wasn't laughing. "It's what you do... shit don't work your way and you start movin' your fuckin' lips."
"You're chatty yourself. Don't suppose you can tell me where Emily is huh?" He crouched down. "You can end this. Tell me where she is. I stop hurting you. I stop... talking. What do you say?"
Cook laughed even if it hurt everywhere. "I say fuck you." He let out another laugh. "I say fuck you.. you psycho bastard... you and your fuckin' cunt of a girlf..." He didn't get anything else out. He was hit across the face hard.
"Fuck this. Get him up! Get that fucker up on his feet!" Luke was yelling. He threw the bottle against the wall as the two boys with him uncuffed Cook and pulled him up off the cot. He grunted when his foot hit the floor. The pain rocketing up his leg to his fucked up knee. He almost passed out. They were holding him up by his arms. The first few blows were delivered to his torso. Then a few more to his face. He knew he had pushed the right button. Just then there was a loud thud upstairs. Loud enough for it to draw Luke's attention and the boys. "What the fuck is happening up there?" He went to grab for his own gun but he had left it in the bedroom. It would have been too tempting to shoot Cook by mistake. "Let him go. Get upstairs and find out what that was."
His body dropped mercilessly to the ground and he couldn't do more than grunt. All he could think of was he'd been so close to getting out. One of the boys was faster than the other and had been halfway up the steps when he was shot dead. The other one came back down and stood between Luke and the stairs, gun drawn. He fired off a few rounds and hit one of the men coming down. But then he himself was hit and he fell dead on top of Cook. Luke went for his gun but found himself shot in the leg. He fell back as he took hold of the weapon. He fired off one round but was quickly disarmed as he was hit in the upper arm. He dropped the pistol. He was looking up when someone came to him. "Bring him upstairs. Then grab the other bodies and dump them down here."
..
Cook opened his eyes and took in his surroundings. He was in a shared room but the curtain was drawn around him. He couldn't really move. His body was in various states of pain. He knew had likely been given enough painkillers to knock most people out. He didn't know whether to curse his youthful experiments in drugs or not. His leg was in traction and thoroughly wrapped up all the way down to his foot. He was thankful for that. Even if with the bandages it looked twice the width it normally was. He pressed the call button. He wanted to see the girls, make sure they were ok.
He thought he remembered seeing Effy at one point. But it could have been a dream. It didn't take long for the nurse to come in. "You should be asleep young man." She smiled at him as she approached. She checked the IV and adjusted one of the gauges.
"My friends..."
"Are asleep. It's 2 in the morning." She put her hand on his good arm and stroked it. She was older and he thought she was trying to be motherly. If only she knew, he'd never known such a thing.
"They ok?" He asked. His voice a little drawn out. She smiled at him.
"They're ok luv. Rest. Your body needs it." He was about to interrupt but she was getting blurrier. He barely grasped that she'd given him more medication as his eyes closed.
..
Luke had been taken upstairs to one of the bedrooms. He knew it was Emily's and Cook's. He didn't know why this was. He went to ask and was hit with the butt of a pistol. He dropped to the bed and groaned. His leg and arm were bleeding all over the bed. A man walked into the room. When he looked up, Luke laughed. "Jameson... really? You're back? Does daddy know?" He laughed louder. He knew Jameson's father had ousted him from the city just before Luke was allowed to expand. He hadn't wanted his son to end up dead in a crime war nobody wanted. He turned over and sat up on the edge of the bed. "Seems you're out of place."
Jameson shrugged. "I'm where I should be. You're done." He shook his head. "You went after what was mine."
"What was yours? I recall the drug trade being... divvied up..."
"Not that." He stared at Luke. "Laura. She was... a friend."
"A friend... All this for a friend?" Luke looked at him. "I didn't kill'er. If that's what this is for, it wasn't me."
"No. It wasn't you." He gave a nod to one of his men who let out a whistle. In seconds, the room was overrun with six other men. Between them, Luke was held down and stripped, placed face down on the bed. He struggled but found his good arm broken. Jameson got close to him. "You took her from me with your stupid ideas. You made her into something I didn't want." He was interrupted by Luke's scream. He was being brutally taken by someone without mercy. "You gave her the perfect bait and she let go of what little control she had." He gripped Luke's face. "I'd make this more painful if I could, but I think it'll be painful enough. Think of it. Every cock that goes in your arse... will take your pretty girl's cunt." He felt a bit of a resurgence in Luke's struggle but he was held down. "I'll have her ripped to shreds by the time I'm done. And you can know that it was all your doing." He let go of his face. "I killed Laura. Did it with my own hands. And Emily... she'll be well taken care of from now on." He stood and walked out. He stopped by one of his men.
"Don't take all day. Be diligent and don't leave... evidence. Then empty a gun in his face. I don't want an open casket." He was whispering as if Luke could be able to hear him above all his own screaming.
"What about Fitch?"
"She's not here. If she comes home, don't hurt her." He met the man's eyes. "I know what I said to him but she's not to be harmed. If she shows up, bring her up here to see what's left of him but don't physically hurt her. I promised." He left the house. He was having a drink in a bar down the road twenty minutes later when he got the phone call.
..
Effy had curled up next to Emily and they'd both fallen asleep. A nurse woke them up a little later and ushered the brunette back to her own room. She hadn't told the twin about her sister. She would eventually but telling her what she had divulged so far had taken its toll. It had been such a long time since she'd felt this tired. Not since Tony. She'd woken up and been poked and prodded. Then she was told she could likely be released in the next day or so if she behaved. The nurse thought she was amusing. Effy didn't.
She was surprised when Jameson walked into her room. "Get out." He smiled and shook his head. He had a small carry-on bag. "Get out."
"Effy... We both know I will do as I please." She went to reach for the call button. "Don't do that. It would be... unfortunate if we had company. You and I can keep our mouths shut. Can others?" She withdrew her hand and stared at him. "See. You're smart." He put the bag aside. "You and the others will need something to wear when you're released. Well... you and Emily. The other two will be here longer before seeing the outside world."
"I'm not buying what you're trying to sell."
"You already bought it." He took a seat by her bed. "The moment you left your flat." She glared at him. "What did you think would happen? Were you going into the situation guns blazing and saving Cook? Oh right... you weren't armed."
"I was."
"No. You weren't. The knife you had with you was much too insignificant. You saw." She said nothing but he kept his eyes on hers. He was intrigued by her. "Did you tell her?" He knew she hadn't. It wasn't something to be blurted out and there hadn't been enough time for them to share such an intimacy. "Thought not. No one will tie you to it. The gun used wasn't recovered." She held her breath.
..
A couple of his men had still been close to the house when Jameson had sent them word to head back. He described the women and one man they might run into and not to hurt them. They hadn't left the property too much earlier, having done what he'd commanded. They'd left Luke's mutilated body in that room. His face a mess of bullet holes and mauled flesh.
They were in the drive, noticing the newly arrived black car still warm, when they heard the gunshot. They rushed in to see Naomi and Emily under fire. They took out the threat immediately and tried to calm the one woman who was still conscious. One of the men started to run towards the cellar where they'd left the man to die when a woman with a pistol came through the door. He held his hands up but she fired. The gun didn't go off and she fell to her knees. Her eyes fell on the two women lying on the ground and she screamed.
..
"You have it." Effy was feeling ill. He had the gun she'd used to kill Katie.
"Yes."
"Are you blackmailing me?" He shook his head. "Then what?"
"Emily." The look on her face would have him incinerated on the spot if she could.
"Why... She's suffered enough. Leave her out of it."
"No."
"No?" Her voice was rising and he could see her intent to get up and go after him. He held a hand up.
"I'm not saying she hasn't suffered enough. I just mean I won't leave her out of it." Effy was on her feet. He remained seated. "She needs help you can't give her. The blonde can't give it to her either."
"And you can?"
"Yes. But indirectly." She stayed on her feet. If she wasn't attached to the IV, she might be tempted to strike at him. "She needs therapy."
"Noted. Go the fuck away now."
"No. Effy." She took a step. "I get that you care. It's obvious. I've been to your flat, seen your work laid out on the wall." That froze her blood. "You aren't untouchable. She's not untouchable. Not from me, not from a lot of people. She was witness to a lot of... events. Some people would want her silenced. Some people would wipe all of you out simply for having a toe in the water." He pointed to the bed. "Please sit." She did but only cause she was feeling sick. "You all stepped into it the moment you came across her. You could have walked away but you chose to not. She may not even be aware of what she's seen, who she's been with." His face was grim. "I have... connections. Deep ones. If she's associated with me, if you all are, then you will be kept safe." She felt even more nauseous. He saw her color change and stood up. He grabbed the waste bin in time for her to lurch forward and vomit.
..
Emily woke up and winced. She'd fallen asleep after they'd brought her breakfast. Effy hadn't been back and she imagined the nurses were keeping a closer eye on her as she'd proven to be ambulatory against their wishes. She'd spoken to the doctor and he'd explained her wound was fairly superficial. It had pierced the thigh but it wasn't too deep into the actual leg. It had met some opposition from another body. Naomi. She'd been hit by two bullets. One that went into her and the other went through her and into Emily. She stopped herself from crying then. She'd asked about Naomi's condition.
At first, the doctor had been reticent to speak since she wasn't next of kin. But he relented and told her she was still in critical care. She was young, physically fit and expected to make a full recovery but she hadn't regained consciousness and she'd lost a fair bit of blood. She would likely get moved to a regular room once she was awake. She'd then pushed her luck and asked about Cook. He smiled at her and shook his head but then he told her anyway. She'd been provided a wheelchair per her request.
She wheeled herself to Cook's room and stopped at the door. His eyes were closed. There was swelling and bruising. She imagined most of his body had the same discoloration. He looked so young. You're not old. Neither is he. She smiled sadly as she took in the way his leg was suspended. It looked painful and monstrous. "You gonna stay there gawkin'?" He opened one eye and half-smiled at her.
"Hey." She said it softly as if her voice could bring him more pain. She got the wheelchair as close as she could. She reached out and took hold of his hand. She'd seen the bandage on his other arm. "I'm sorry."
"What for little twin?" He grimaced at the nickname. He met her eyes and squeezed her hand. He realized it wouldn't apply anymore. He thought about the cellar. The smell of blood, other smells as the bodies voided themselves. "How're you feelin'?"
Emily shook her head. "Barely a scratch. What about you? Looks like you took a bit of a spill yeah?" She wasn't minimizing it. They both knew what had caused his injuries and why. They'd lived with the demons long enough to know their methods.
"You should see the other guy."
"Should I?" She played with his fingers.
"Naw... Heard he's gone though. Good thing yeah?" Emily nodded. "How's blondie?"
"I haven't seen her yet. But Effy said she was ok." She told me the same about you and here you are looking like you got run over. She recalled what the doctor had said about the two bullets. "I think I'm afraid to see her."
"Why?" Cook wished he could sit up more. He wanted to comfort her.
"This... it wouldn't have happened if it wasn't..."
"Emily.. don't. Don't do that. Don't you be doin' that. What happened... it wasn't like it was the church choir..."
"No. But Effy and Naomi. They weren't a part of it. They wouldn't be hurt if not cause of me."
"Effy was still involved with me. We don't know what could've happened. So stop. It won't help anyone. Not you. Not them." She looked at his leg. "Emily."
"She's dead Cook. My sister is dead."
"I know. I was there." He answered quietly.
..
He was rubbing her back as she dry heaved. A nurse came in and helped him with her. They got her back into bed. Effy was dizzy. She couldn't think about what he'd said. It was too much. She started panicking. The nurse tried getting her to calm down. When that wasn't working, she was given a sedative. In other circumstances, Jameson would have been asked to leave. But he lined certain pockets and his presence was overlooked. Effy eventually calmed down as he sat there on his mobile.
"What do you want?" Her voice was even and she felt like she was slightly underwater. She didn't want to fall asleep with him there. He looked at her.
"Frankly... I'm not at all certain." He put his phone away and stood up. He approached her and put his hands in his trouser pockets. "I didn't want to be back here. Not for business. I was happier being away." He looked at her hand. "But circumstances being what they were... I had to come back." He looked into her eyes. "You're smart. I can use your skills in a pinch. But I don't have a real use for you on a day-to-day. The blonde... no use at all. Cook..." He chuckled. "He'll be in pain for a long while... prick took a lot, I'll grant him that. Tough one. But he's damaged goods."
"Emily?" She closed her eyes and felt her stomach drop at the thoughts in her head. She couldn't let that happen. She opened her eyes and tried to move but found his hand on her good shoulder. He held her in place as she stared at him. The look full of anger.
"I do like her. If it wasn't because I like her, you'd all be dead." He was amused by Effy. She was so utterly protective. "But she's broken." He let her shoulder go. "Maybe once she's better... who knows?" He shrugged his shoulders as he saw the emotion in her eyes change. "You thought I wanted her like they did? It's why you said what was it... 'the same kind of sick'." He shook his head. "I'm not an angel. And you all are, in some ways, mine now... But I don't take what's not offered freely. Especially when it comes to women." He turned to leave, stopping at the door. "She did ask for my help when she called. She wanted me to save you and Cook. I told her what I wanted. She didn't say no. But when she's better, she can decide what she wants. I'll be seeing you though." He walked out and Effy curled up on her side to cry.
..
Cook was crawling. He glimpsed Effy heading up the stairs. He couldn't follow. He couldn't stand. Even the crawling was taking what energy he had. But he crawled to her. Katie was lying on her side where Effy had left her, coughing up blood. Her eyes met his. She would have tried to kill him but she no longer had a weapon. Her eyes were full of hatred. He lurched forward and pushed her on her back, his body now askew on top of hers. He could feel her trying to breathe. Her arms came up to push against him but he held on to her, using his dead weight to keep her in place.
"You ain't going near her... again..." He was breathing heavy as she was breathing shallower. He could see the fear in her eyes.
"She'll..." She coughed and tried swallowing the blood coming up. "hate... you." She felt herself choking on the blood. She was frantic and tried to push once more but he held on. He met her eyes.
"But she'll be free of you." He held on as she pushed and tried to kick him off until there was no fight left in her. It didn't take long. Before he knew it, there were other people in the room but he lost consciousness.
