Much love to my beta jayhawkbb. All mistakes are mine.
Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong solely to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.
From Chapter Five:
The nurse rushed to my side. "Shhh. Relax." I watched as she pulled a syringe of clear liquid out of her lab coat pocket and injected it directly into my IV. "Go back to sleep. This will all be over soon."
I tried once again to ask what was going on, but I no longer had control over my lips or tongue. My eyelids drooped as a feeling of warmth spread throughout my veins.
Chapter Seven
BPOV
My eyelids were heavy, but I slowly blinked them open. Lying in a hospital gown covered by only a thin, threadbare blanket, I shivered as I focused on my surroundings. Attached to an IV, I appeared to be in some type of enclosure. Stretching out my hand, I felt a metal grid and realized I was confined in a cage. I attempted to move toward the latch, but one of my legs felt bulky. Stiff. Looking down, I saw a cast covering my right leg, and I suddenly remembered. The accident at the party. The hospital. The nurse with fire engine red hair.
Oh, my God. Where was I? Somebody had taken me...but why? Stories about missing girls flashed through my mind. Girls stolen and sold. Girls never heard from again. My heart raced, I began breathing so hard I was hyperventilating.
When I heard muffled sounds coming from outside the room, I started to exhale slowly. The last thing I wanted to do was bring attention to myself. I needed to come up with a plan. In order to do so, I had to familiarize myself with my environment. The room was dim. Two small windows provided the only source of light, casting rays of sunshine onto the dingy carpet. As I continued taking in the space, my eyes landed on the opposite corner of the room. And that's where I spotted them—two men's bodies slumped on the floor. One man's lifeless eyes stared blankly in my direction.
When my voice erupted into a scream, a man flew into the room, dragging a woman behind him. "Looky here. Sleeping Beauty is finally awake. I'm sorry if we kept you waiting, but Vicky and I were having some alone time." He pulled the woman into his arms and pressed a sloppy kiss onto the side of her face before tossing her to the floor.
I recognized the woman as the nurse from the hospital. She lay on the carpet with a glazed expression, taking shallow breaths. The man approached me and curled his mouth into a twisted grin. He gestured toward the two corpses and chuckled. "Did my breakfast frighten you? I do apologize for not cleaning up after myself. My manners are appalling."
My brow wrinkled. His breakfast? What was he saying? Was he implying that he had eaten those two men?
Kneeling next to the cage, he tilted his head as he studied me. His sinister eyes were so dark that they were almost black. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm James Thomas Hunter III." Raising his nose, he sniffed the air dramatically. His nostrils flared. "Lord, have mercy. I don't think I've ever smelled someone quite so appetizing. It's no wonder you're so coveted." He opened the cage door and ran his icy fingers along my cheek, sending a series of shivers down my spine. "Perhaps I should keep you for myself."
Cringing away from his touch, I sobbed. "Please. I just want to go home. If you let me go, I promise not to tell anyone."
Removing his hand from the enclosure, he slowly licked each of his fingers, making popping noises as he pulled them out of his mouth. He then proceeded to laugh as if I had said the funniest thing he had ever heard. Without missing a beat, his expression suddenly became eerily solemn. "My apologies, Isabella. Once again, I've shown a disgraceful lack of decorum. Please allow me a brief moment to consider your request." As he tapped his chin, he stared blankly at the wall behind me.
Several minutes later, he frowned. "I suppose the right thing to do in this situation is let you return home."
My jaw dropped, and my eyes widened at his declaration. I don't know what made him come to that decision, but I certainly wasn't going to argue. "Oh, thank you so much. I promise I won't ever say anything to anyone."
He placed the flat of his palm against his chest. "I appreciate it. That means a great deal, and I know you won't...because I was just kidding. There's no way on earth I'm allowing you to leave. Do you think I'm crazy?" He arched an eyebrow in challenge. "Don't you realize how long I've waited to find you?"
Sniffling, I said, "I d-don't understand."
"Of course, you don't. Let me tell you something about luck, Isabella. I stopped in this podunk town a little over a week ago when I was on my way to Seattle. Needing a new pair of shoes, I went to a thrift store, and that's where I met Vicky. All it took was one glimpse of her succulent flesh for me to invite her out for drinks. Needless to say, I had the intention of doing all the drinking myself." He snorted with a wink. "But as soon as I learned she worked for a local hospital, I decided to use her for her professional skills instead, brokering the same deal I have with other doctors and nurses across the globe."
"What kind of deal?" I asked. My imagination went wild as I pictured myself in a bathtub filled with ice, missing my vital organs.
"If she happened upon any female patients with type Rh Null blood, she was to contact me immediately for further instructions, and I would pay a considerable fee for her assistance." He giggled like a little girl and rubbed his hands together. "And lo and behold, who showed up at her hospital last night? You. Being the greedy little bitch that she is, Vicky immediately called me and voila! Here you are! The girl with the golden blood, who is also the golden ticket for my dreams finally coming true."
Golden blood? More confused than ever, I said, "I think you're mistaken. There's nothing unique about my blood."
"No, you're the one who's mistaken. Vicky brought all your paperwork from the hospital. Now, all I need is a few photographs. My contact will want to make sure you're in tip-top condition." He removed his cell from the tattered pocket of his jeans. "Too bad we can't go outside and take them. The scenery this time of year is simply breathtaking. But I can't risk you running off, can I?"
How could I run off? My leg was fucking broken, asswipe.
"We'll have to make do with what we've got. We should probably do something about that hair of yours." He ran his fingers through my tresses, yanking brutally through the tangles only to mess it back up again. "Nah, I think I liked it better before. But we must do something about your face." Turning to Vicky, James said, "Hey, do you have any makeup? Isabella is looking peaked."
When she didn't respond, James stood and dashed across the room. Grabbing her by the neck, he jerked her off the floor. "Why must you be so rude? You're embarrassing me in front of our guest."
Vicky coughed, gasping for breath. "S-sorry," she sputtered. "I have a few things."
"Well. Go. Get. Them."
She scrambled into the other room, returning moments later with a small cosmetics bag. When she tried to hand it to him, he said, "Do I look like I work at Sephora?"
"No."
"Then get to it."
She came to the cage, sitting beside the open door. The entire left side of her face was swollen and bruised. Removing a compact, she dusted facial powder all over my skin. She then lightly coated my mouth with lipstick.
James held up his hands, as if framing the scene. "No, that didn't help at all. If you want anything done right, you must do it yourself. Shoving Vicky to the side, he took the lipstick and spread it heavily all over my mouth, smearing it underneath my nose and on my chin. Admiring his work, he said, "Gorgeous. Now, lets get some color on those cheeks." Using the same lipstick, he made a huge circle below each of my eyes. Tossing the tube across the room, he took his phone and aimed it in my direction. "Smile pretty for the camera."
When I didn't respond, he hissed, reaching inside the enclosure. Gripping my arm, he squeezed it until the bone snapped. Blinding pain rippled through me, causing me to howl out in agony.
"Oh, that's even better. Pure, raw emotion. You're a natural." He began taking picture after picture.
When he was finally through with his photoshoot, he said, "And that's a wrap, folks. Excuse me while I make a call." Whistling, he scurried out of the room.
With a groan, I cradled my arm. Thankfully, I still had some meds in my system. I couldn't fathom what kind of pain I would be in without the benefit of the drugs. Needing answers, I looked at Vicky who lay on the floor a few feet away from me. She was curled on her side, sniveling. "Why me?" I asked. "I don't understand."
"I'm so sorry. When I met him, he said his daughter was sick. He acted so desperate...said your blood could help."
I shook my head. Why did they both keep bringing up my blood? My parents never said anything about my blood type being different or special. Wouldn't I know something as important as that? "You both keep mentioning my blood. I'm confused."
"Your blood type is extremely rare. It's said to have healing properties."
It still didn't make sense. "Clearly, James is insane, and I don't believe for one second that he has a sick daughter. What do you think he's going to do with us?" My voice trembled as I realized there was no way I would get out of this alive. Something inside me finally cracked, and it was as if a faucet of fear unsealed, releasing tears down my cheeks.
"I don't know, but I did see him kill both of those men with his bare teeth." Her gaze focused on the two dead bodies lying across the room.
"What are you saying?" A cold chill of horror shot through me as I continued to sob.
"I'm saying he ripped out their throats and drank their blood. Isabella, I don't think James is human."
AN:
Almost makes you feel sorry for Vicky, doesn't it? Almost.
Thanks as always to the fabulous pre-reading team of K, Kay, Lizzie, Mandy, and Gail. These ladies keep me on my toes...seriously. Like earlier this week when Lizzie asked why I hadn't sent any updates. She got my rear in gear!
Your reviews have meant so much! I know many of you still have questions, but I think many missing pieces will come together in the next few chapters.
Next week, we hear from Edward, and you know I love me some Edward. Sigh.
I hope everyone has a great week! Today is Mr. HE's birthday, so we will be celebrating all weekend. My son is even coming home for a visit. Yay!
Take care and keep safe!
Until next time,
HE