Love Hurts (25 page)

The gravel crunched beneath the car’s tires as the low-priced sedan slowly pulled into the driveway of his old home. The place he grew up. But it wasn’t a place with many memories of happy times. It was a place of utter misery. A place Frankie never recalled because he had pushed it deep down into the depressed recesses of his mind, where everything messed up that every occurred in his life was wiped out and forgotten.

Frankie wasn’t an unintelligent man. He was far from it. He knew not to try anything foolish. Instead he busily watched every movement of the men transporting him to his father. The more he knew about them physically the better the odds he could overpower them or just simply outsmart them later on.

They weren’t your typical men. They were just as evil as the majority of his family, demons. Like his father. And all demons wanted one thing, power. They never felt they had enough, and they were all searching for the way to get more of it. Someone was always higher up in their dark world.

The men quickly climbed out. Frankie did the same. He took in the old house. At one time it was magnificent. Now it was just a run down version of what once was. He hadn’t laid eyes on it since he was maybe fifteen.

The men yanked Dylan out the other side of the car. She pulled it together and made it around to Frankie’s side. He refused to look at her. He was standing outside of the one place he never wanted to see again because of her.

“
What are they going to do with us?” She whispered to Frankie in fear for her life.

Frankie shrugged. “I would have no idea. This is the part of my life I tried to stay
far
away from.”

The men motioned them to follow up the porch steps.

Mitchell opened the front door. Frankie was a bit relieved it wasn’t his father already. He needed a few minutes to stomach the idea of seeing him again.

“
Well hello again,” Mitchell said to the two of them, thrilled to see Frankie standing on the porch as he had hoped for. He patted Frankie on the arm. As if Frankie was okay with being there. Frankie did not speak. He watched Mitchell fondle Dylan’s hair, doing nothing more than making her queasy from the looks of it. “And you. You made me very happy.” He tickled her chin with his fingertips, giving Frankie a cold expression before he drifted back to the matter at hand.

“
If I would have known what kind of person you were I wouldn’t have,” Dylan insisted.

Frankie winced. He knew she was treading on shaky ground talking back to these men. They weren’t upstanding citizens. They would destroy her and think nothing of it. But he bit his tongue once more and said nothing.

“
What are we waiting for boss?” One of the men asked.

Mitchell took Dylan by the elbow. “We have one more visitor.”

Frankie scanned the grounds of the old home. He didn’t see anyone else. Just before he ran out of ideas on who could be joining them, Sam’s car pulled up. Frankie held back his shock. It was written all over Sam’s face just how furious he was to be there, as much as Frankie. Sam approached, climbing the stairs, all eyes on him.

“
Let me guess. You’re here for the cookies,” Frankie said, leaning in the direction of his brother.

“
Phinn, I’m here because that idiot got a hold of Delaney.” He looked at Dylan. “And let me guess you’re here for that one?”

Frankie shrugged. “I’m just here for the cookies.”

Sam gritted his teeth. Not in the mood for his brother’s sarcasm.

***

The room was dark. And the fireplace roared in front of her, the heat licking her skin and making her uncomfortable. Its orange light cast sinister shadows across the walls as she waited for something to happen. Her arms ached from their position around the back of the chair, bound with rope. She lifted her feet, pressing her toes into the old wooden floorboards, dropping her head in misery.

“
What is your name?” A voice asked at last. Delaney lifted her head, whoever it was stood behind her. She swallowed, trying to endure the scorching inferno roaring in front of her, she could feel the sweat saturating her skin. Her shirt clung to her body.

“
Delaney,” she said. The man circled around her. His hands behind his back locked in place.

“
They tell me at one time you were going to marry my son.” Amarus slowly paced, taking in the beautiful girl’s rich chocolate brown hair, her dewy skin. He could see what his son saw in her. He had many a girl like her in his day. Beautiful she was, a work of art.

“
At one time yes,” Delaney answered, she stared into his eyes as he sauntered by her, dark and mysterious. She couldn’t see Vance in his features. But she for sure saw Frankie. The eyes, the mouth, the curious way he carried himself, even the insignificant haughtiness that seemed to be fading.

“
It has been a long time since I seen my son.”

Delaney nodded, afraid to say anything more. She settled on listening.

“
He and I are more alike than he thinks. But he likes to think he took after his mother more than his old man.” Amarus crossed the room again, a small smirk settling on his lips.

“
I wouldn’t know. I know nothing about who he really is. He lied to me the entire relationship.” Delaney lifted her head, her eyes pleading with Amarus. “Will you please just let me go? I want nothing to do with any of this, or your son. I just want to go home.”

Amarus walked across the room, securing her chin with his fingertips. He stared into her eyes, sending shockwaves of fear through her entire body just from his simple touch. She tried to pull away but it was no use. “But he wants you. And if you know my son, you know people like us get what we want. You wouldn’t want to mess with fate would you, Delaney?”

“
No.” She spit out. She didn’t know why she even agreed with the likes of this man.

“
Do me a favor?”

She slowly nodded her head.

“
Convince him to listen to his old man. Let him see that his old man isn’t so bad. If you do this for me, I promise you I will spare you.” He pulled his hand away, turning on his heel.

Delaney felt the feeling die away. She stared at Amarus in uncertainty. Wondering just what he had done to her. But it was too late to debate on it any longer. The door came open letting in the very two people she didn’t want to see.

Sam’s eyes instantly fell on Delaney before he forced himself to look at his father.

“
Well, hello. It’s been some time now. What would you say? Ten years?” Amarus asked, his once delicate state had vanished and was replaced with a confidence unlike any other.

Neither son was eager to speak to him. He knew it all too well. It would take a couple hours for Frankie to warm right back up. But Sam on the other hand, it would take maybe a lifetime. But that didn’t matter. He didn’t need compliance from the bottom of their hearts. He could force conformity on anyone given the right conditions. Everyone had a breaking point. And Amarus was great at finding them.

“
Well since nobody is too eager for introductions, we will all rest and reconvene in the morning.” He headed for the door. “Bright and early, I’ll have June make breakfast. Do you two still like scrambled eggs and ketchup?”

Sam gritted his teeth in anger. “I have no plans of making this drag out any longer then it has to. Tell us what you want.”

Amarus jerked his head to the door, where his goons stood, waiting for anyone to try and slip away. “Ah. Now he talks. Breakfast in the morning, I’ll explain everything.”

Frankie stepped forward. He sensed the resentment between the two of them. And he was trying to prevent Sam from getting a limb lopped off. “I think maybe we should talk now. Or else things could get a lot uglier than they already are. We all know Sam isn’t willing to stick around the old house.”

Amarus retracted his venomous glower. He gestured toward Delaney. His men quickly untied her and lead her from the room. Sam reluctantly looked at her, her eyes were frightened.

It’s going to be okay
. He mouthed as she passed by him. He had to do something for her after the hell he put her through. It wasn’t like he fell out of love just because she hated who he was. He still cared deeply for Delaney. And he wasn’t going to allow her to be destroyed by his father. He wanted something from them.

Amarus pulled the chair away from the flames. He took a seat before his two sons. Crossing his legs and leaning back in the chair. They kept their eyes on his every move like the soldiers he trained them to be.
Always be aware
he would always tell them.

“
I’ve been looking for you both for quite some time now.” He started. “I need your help.”

Frankie eyed Sam.

“
Obviously saying no is not an option. When has it ever been one?” Sam muttered, waiting for his dad to lay some pathetic scheme on the two of them. He heard it all before.

Amarus held back the urge to scream at his first born. To knock some sense back in his pathetic mind. He might not have been in contact with him for years, but he was no stranger to Sam’s ways. He was weak like his mother. Afraid to take what was his. He tried for the longest time to show Sam the ways of the incubus. But he always dug his heels into the ground and refused to come along for the ride.

“
Does the name Alcina ring a bell to either of you?” Amarus asked, his eyes darting between his two boys. Frankie crossed his arms taking an agitated posture.

“
Adrienne’s daughter, that’s girl’s a real bitch,” Frankie said with a chuckle. Alcina had almost castrated him years ago. He stayed far away from girls like her. She was as deadly as they came when it came to men. A daughter of an incubus and a succubus she held more power than most.

Amarus looked between his two sons. Knowing Alcina was a stickler for blue eyes. “I need you to become friendly with Alcina. Get her on our side.”

“
What for?” Sam asked without delay. He knew his dad was gunning for him to do his dirty work, “And why not Frankie. He likes this kind of thing.”

“
Alcina’s father has found a man to marry her.” Amarus pinched the bridge of his nose. “That can’t happen.”

Sam looked at his father in uncertainty. “Why does it matter who she marries?”

Frankie stepped forward. “Alcina is the daughter of Abaddon. Abaddon is the all knowing, all doing, powerful incubus. My guess is daddyo wants to get his seed in her before someone else contaminates the gene pool.”

Amarus stood. “Well sure there’s always that. But I want to make it so nobody has the chance.”

Frankie gave his dad a disgusted look. “I know you’re holding up pretty well for your age. But isn’t she a little young for you?”

Sam studied his dad as he stood a bit unsteady. His eyes grew in astonishment. “He’s been cursed.” He looked around the old parlor. “That’s why you and this place look like shit. You can’t leave here. And you’re looking for a way out.”