Duncan (25 page)

“Tonight. Jared got a text and…” Nicole took a deep breath. “Jared and the rest are on their way here now. Kenny wants to trade.”

“Trade?” Pam looked from Nicole to Duncan’s furious frown.

“You for her,” Nicole cursed. “You can’t do this, Pam. He will kill you.”

“She isn’t doing anything.” Duncan’s voice was stern and final as more pounding started. Pam just sat holding Daniel in shock.

Duncan opened the door, but blocked Jared as he tried to go to Pam. “She isn’t leaving this house.”

“Fuck you for even thinking I would suggest it.” Jared pushed past Duncan making his way to Pam.

Looking up at Jared, Pam shook her head. “I’m so sorry. This is all my fault.”

“No, it’s not,” Jared replied sternly. “But I need you to tell me what this means.” He handed her the paper Kenny had left.

Taking the paper she read it.

One bitch for another. If I even catch a whiff of a Warrior, I will kill her. You know where I am, Pam. Don’t make me take another life because of you. See you soon, sweetheart.

She could hear Kenny’s voice in her mind as if he was reading it to her.

“Where is it, Pam?” Jared knelt down to take the note from her, handing it to Duncan who stood close. “Where did he take her?”

“I can’t tell you.” Her eyes rose to meet his. “He
will
kill her, Jared.”

“Fuck!” Jared stood, walking away, looking like he wanted to kill something.

Pam looked down at Daniel, his eyes watching her. God, how she loved this child. This had to end, mostly for the innocent staring so intently at her. Until Kenny was stopped, Daniel would never have a normal life, and neither would any of them. Leaning down, she kissed his cheek and nose.

“I love you, Daniel Duncan Roark.” She touched his cheek as she stood, handing Daniel to Nicole.

“No, Pam.” Nicole shook her head but took Daniel.

“What are you doing?” Duncan grabbed her arm, but she shook it off walking to Jared, who stood talking to Damon and Sid, trying to come up with a plan.

“He isn’t lying.” Pam stopped in front of Jared. “If he even thinks you guys are anywhere near he will kill her. He wants me.”

“We are not making a trade, Pam,” Jared replied, his anguish clear in his eyes, a hardness she had never heard in his voice.

“Then you’ll never see her again.” Pam tilted her head. “Can you live with that? I sure can’t.”

“Just tell us where she is and we
will
get her.” Sid cracked his knuckles.

“You’re not going anywhere near that place,” Duncan growled.

“Then she dies. I can’t live with that.” She felt her eyes welling up. “How can I face any of you, especially Jared, when I know I could have done something?” A mixture of fear and determination laced her words.

“
No!
” Duncan shook his head, refusing to listen. “It’s not happening. You’re going nowhere near him, Pam.”

“I want my life back, Duncan. Don’t you get it? This is a no win situation for me. If I stay, Tessa dies, and
that
is on my head, my conscience, and I will have to live the rest of my life with that. I can’t do it.” She shook her head. “If I go…” Pam looked up at Duncan, her face filled with pain, and then she turned to look at Daniel in Nicole’s arm. She knew what would happen if she went and was sure so did everyone else, but this wasn’t about her getting to live the life she wanted. This was Kenny shoving his will down her throat again, and it had to stop. “If I go, then Daniel has a chance of a normal life. With Kenny after me, he never will get that. Right now, Daniel and Tessa are what’s important. This needs to end, and it can end.”

Pam wanted to scream at the unfairness of it all, but in order to have the life she wanted, her past had to be put to rest. If that meant her giving up to Kenny, then so be it. Hopefully, she could find her way back to where she belonged, with Duncan and Daniel.

Duncan cursed, pulling her away from everyone and into the kitchen. “You are important to me and Daniel,” Duncan hissed. “I won’t lose you.”

Pam’s heart fractured a little at Duncan’s words. She knew there was no other choice, but the one she had decided upon. The love and fear radiating from Duncan swelled her heart. Walking up to him, Pam wrapped her arms around Duncan’s hard body. “This has to end.” She kissed him, a soft small kiss on his lips. “I love you, but this has to end.”

“We can get her out,” Duncan argued, not willing to give an inch.

“Can you promise me Tessa won’t be hurt or killed?” When he just stared at her without making that promise, she laid her head on his chest. “I have to do this, Duncan.”

Jared walked in with Sid and Damon hot on his heels. “We have a plan.”

Adam followed moments later. “Count me in.”

“Shit is about to get real.” Sid smiled, a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

*****

Sloan dragged Jeff out of the house ignoring his screams of pain. He made sure to run him into a wall when Jeff started screaming threats at Jill.

“What am I going to do with you?” Slade turned Jill’s face to his, keeping her focus off Jeff.

“Why?” Jill frowned. “I didn’t do anything.”

“I keep fixing you, and you keep getting broken,” he teased, shaking his head when she snorted. “I need to get that bullet out of you.”

“Ugh…really?” Jill looked down at the hole that had already started to close. “It doesn’t hurt as much. Can’t I just keep it as a war wound…a conversation starter?”

His right eyebrow rose as he looked at her, a slight smile forming on his lips. “We’ll see.” He stood. “We need to get an x-ray though. I want to make sure it’s not close to anything important. You are half human, you know.”

Jill let him help her up; her human legs started to shake, making her wobble. “Believe me, I know.” She tried to take a step, but her leg gave out. He caught her picking her up. “Sorry.” Her voice hitched as his strong arms held her carefully, holding her with ease.

Slade carried her outside to Damon’s car he had left for them. Putting her gently in the passenger seat, he walked around and climbed in. “You okay?” He looked her over before starting the car.

“I’m good.” She frowned. “Shouldn’t you be helping them find Tessa?”

“I’m a doctor first,” Slade replied, turning the key. “They don’t need me.”

Jill stopped him before he could put the car in gear. “But Tessa might. If they find her and she’s hurt, then she is going to need you.”

“You have been shot, Jill,” Slade growled at her in frustration. “We need to see where that bullet is.”

“But I’m half vampire,” Jill shot back. “Tessa is human, and she was beaten up pretty bad.”

“Dammit!” Slade slammed his hand on the wheel. “I can’t just choose whom I’m going to help and who I’m not.”

“You’re not making the decision,” Jill replied. “I am, and I’m refusing treatment until this is over.”

Slade didn’t say a word; he just slammed the car in gear and took off. His jaw clenched, causing the muscle to bunch. Jill turned to look out the window, and then closed her eyes, wondering if she would make it by the time he got back. Catching her breath was becoming harder.

*****

Jill heard her name being called, but opening her eyes took way too much effort, so she just grunted.

“Jill, dammit.” Slade’s voice was becoming clearer. “Don’t you fucking die on me.”

“Die?” Jill finally opened her eyes to see Slade standing over her, staring down at her. He looked blurry. She blinked repeatedly trying to bring him in focus. Panic seized her, quickly followed by fear; she tried to sit up. “What’s wrong with me? Why can’t I see?”

Slade held her down. “Stop before you rip out your stitches.”

“Stitches?” Jill blinked again, her vision finally clearing. “Did you knock me out and take the bullet out?”

“No, you crazy little….” He actually laughed cutting himself off. “You passed out in the car. You failed to tell me you were having a hard time breathing. Instead, you talked me into putting you to the side to help someone else. The bullet nicked your lung.”

“It did?” She still looked confused, her brain trying to catch up.

“Yes,” he hissed, staring down at her. “Why didn’t you tell me you couldn’t breathe?”

Jill felt so tired. She closed her eyes just wanting to go to sleep. “Because more people would be affected if something happens to Tessa,” she mumbled. “You need to help her. She has people who love her.”

Slade frowned at her words as he watched her fade. Knowing that she was going to be okay, tempered the building rage that had been forming since he had discovered her with a bullet hole. Touching her cheek, he told himself he was just making sure there wasn’t any temperature, but he knew that was a lie. The beautiful, brave little Warrior unconscious before him, had somehow weaved herself into his every thought.

“Dr. Buchanan.” A nurse walked up with papers. “I need someone to fill the paperwork out.”

“Has anyone called her family?” Slade asked, looking up from Jill’s pale face.

“Yes, we have.” The nurse looked down at Jill and frowned.

“Then they can fill them out when they get here.”

“They won’t be coming, doctor.” The nurse handed him the papers. “We can wait until she is able to do it herself if there isn’t anyone else.”

“Why won’t they be coming?” His eyes narrowed, realizing he really didn’t know anything about her at all.

The nurse hesitated for a second. “One of the nurses in the ER went to school with Jill’s sister. She gave me the contact information and…” The nurse looked down at Jill frowning. “They said they do not have a daughter by that name.”

“Are you sure you had the right number?” Slade felt his anger return, building, but he kept calm. Surely, parents would never disown their own child, especially someone as remarkable as Jill.

“Yes, sir.” The nurse nodded. “We were warned that we would probably get the response we got. It seems after she was turned, her parents and family disowned her. We had to try as they are her-”

“Thank you.” Slade had heard enough. He grabbed the paperwork taking a pen off the small table next to the hospital bed. The first line was her name. He didn’t even know her last fucking name. Now he knew what her comment meant when she fell to sleep. He’d bet his last dollar none of the others knew her last name either.

“I’m sorry.” The nurse turned to leave.

“What is her last name?” It was more of a growl than a question.

“Her legal name is Jillian Robin Nichols.” The nurse watched him write it down before she turned, leaving him alone.

Slade wrote the name then looked over at her. “Jillian.” He smiled. She looked like a Jillian.

Chapter 27

Pam drove slow enough so that her shaking hands could control the steering wheel. As the men had made their plans - that didn’t include her - Pam had left the kitchen saying she had to go to the bathroom; instead, she had grabbed a set of keys on her way upstairs and jumped from the window. She knew Kenny better than any of them, and if he even thought the Warriors were close, he would kill Tessa with no hesitation and certainly no remorse.

Clicking her blinker on, she stared down a road she swore she would never step foot on again. She sat on Kellogg Ave., her blinker lighting up green in the dark car. No cars were coming, but still she sat. Turning her head, she looked at the street sign, River Row Road. Looking at her hand on the steering wheel, she spotted the ring, warmth and sadness spreading through her. Quickly, she pulled it off, shoving it deep in her pocket. No need to stir Kenny up more than necessary.

A horn blared behind her making her jump. “Shit! Okay!” she shouted. “Okay,” she repeated more calmly. God, she had to get a grip.

“Time to put your big girl panties on and end this.” Her voice was resolute as she spoke to herself in the darkness, and turned into the road. “One way or another, this ends tonight. Just please, God, let me see my baby and Duncan again.”

Pulling up to the house at the end of the road, she flipped off her lights and stared. This use to be one of her favorite places in the world to come, but that all changed. It was filled with nightmares that she’d rather forget. This was Kenny’s house of horrors, a place he used for his sickness.

Her eyes quickly looked away from the small white house that stood so innocently against the Ohio River. Rain splattered the windshield. Movement of the curtains caught her eye. Turning off the car, she left the keys in the ignition.

Stepping out, she shut the door and climbed the steps. With one deep breath, she reached out opening the door, preparing herself for his tricks, but instead of walking in as the Pam she had been when she’d last seen him, she walked in with a new purpose. She had to survive this; she had so much to live for.

The door slammed behind her, and she was immediately smacked in the back of the head. Turning around, she came face-to-face with her walking-talking nightmare.

“Can’t believe you fell for that again. You always were a dumb bitch.” Kenny tsked shaking his head. Grabbing her by the neck, he pushed her the rest of the way in. “Get the fuck in here. Where’s my kid at?”

Pam caught herself before she fell. “He’s not a part of this.”

“Since you pressed charges on me for rape, we need to travel anyway and can’t be dragging the brat along. And don’t think we won’t be discussing the charges you pressed against me,” Kenny warned. “But now that I know you can breed, I’ll keep you nice and pregnant.”

Knowing she would kill herself first, Pam ignored his bullshit as she searched around for Tessa. Spotting her in a chair tied up, Pam ran over to her. “Are you okay?”

“You shouldn’t be here,” Tessa whispered, her eyes shooting to Kenny.

Pam untied her and helped her up. “You said you’d let her go.” Pam walked toward the door with Tessa trying to stay as far away from him as possible, but he caught her hair pulling her away from Tessa.

“I know what I said.” Using her hair as leverage, he whirled her into the wall.

Something inside Pam snapped as Daniel’s little face flashed in her mind. She had to survive this. She had to see her family again. That’s what Daniel and Duncan were, her family. Slowly, she stood up. “Don’t ever hit me again, you sick son of a bitch.”