A tremendous boar burst through the brush behind her, his eyes red and glowing as he slashed his tusks and charged.
Dita shot up in bed, sweating, a scream caught in her throat. She panted, and a sob escaped as her face clenched in pain, though her eyes saw nothing.
She smelled smoke and fire when Heff’s strong arms wrapped around her, and she curled into him like a child as he rocked her, whispering in her ear as she cried.
When she exhausted her tears, she lay in Heff’s arms, her face placid, her mind numb, cold as ice.
“Dita, drink this.” Heff handed her a glass of water, and she took it dumbly, sipping it as he peered at her, his bright blue eyes full of worry. He took the glass from her and set it on her nightstand, and she curled back into him.
Time passed as Heff held her, and whether it was minutes or hours, Dita couldn’t say. The clock began to move again when Perry entered the room. Cerberus uncurled himself from where he lay snuggled with Bisoux and trotted to Perry to snuffle into her hand. She didn’t seem to notice as she looked over Dita.
“Thank the gods, you’re awake.” Perry turned to Heff, her eyes full of questions, but he just shook his head. He pulled Dita a little closer and rested his cheek on the top of her head.
Perry sat next to Dita and tucked a lock of hair behind her friend’s ear. “I know you’re not all right. Do you want to talk?”
Dita shook her head.
“What can we do?” Perry peered at her with big, hazel eyes.
Dita shrugged.
Perry’s face lifted. “Dita, do you want to go to Cyprus?”
Dita raised her head, and her chin trembled. She nodded.
Perry smiled at Heff as black smoke enveloped them, and when the gentle breeze blew it away, they sat on the white sands of a beach in Greece.
Dita unfolded herself slowly from Heff’s lap, her limbs stiff and aching as she stood, the soft breeze stirring her hair. Petra Tou Romiou, a cluster of gigantic rocks nicknamed Aphrodite’s Rocks, stood white and tall in the distance. The stones of the rocky beach pressed into her feet, and the sun was warm on her skin. The ocean called to her, and as she moved to it in answer, she pulled her shirt off and peeled off her pants, discarding them with her eyes on the horizon. The sparkling, turquoise water lapped against her feet, its chill snapping her into awareness.
She was home.
She waded into the still water and dove in, following the shallow slope, then around massive rocks where small schools of reef fish swam, unfazed by her presence. An eel slowly emerged from a crag and swam past, its body a continuous wave, its striped skin mesmerizing as its eerie eyes peered at her, its mouth gaping as it found another opening to disappear into.
The rocks were covered in coral and kelp, and every crack in the rocks seemed to be home to something, octopus and squid, cuttlefish and crab. Starfish and giant sea snails crept along the rocky bottom, and anemones stuck to the rocks with tentacles that danced in the current.
She came to a clearing in the ocean floor and released the last of the air from her lungs. She sank to the floor, lying on her back, looking up at the sun far above. A school of jellyfish pumped their way past, their long tentacles fishing, trailing behind them. A massive sea turtle swam through not long after, and she watched it through her hair floating in the water around her.
The endless ocean cradled her, pressed all around her, and she felt so small inside of it. Her anguish drained out of her with the current, her heart lighter as she pushed off the ocean floor and up to the surface, shooting out in an arch. She slid back in just under the surface and came to rest on her back, the sound of the ocean in her ears, the warmth of the sun on her face as she drifted.
She was born in those waters, and they always brought her peace. On that day, she woke on that very beach, fully grown. Her father was Uranus, god of the sky, born when Zeus’ father, Cronus, castrated him. When Cronus overthrew Uranus, he threw the severed appendage into the sea, and she was born of the foam.
A pod of dolphins swam around her, and one nudged her with its nose. She ran her hand between its eyes and down its back. It nudged her in the side, and the pod swam away, leaving her in peace in the late afternoon sun. She watched their fins slip in and out of the water until they were out of sight, and then she made her way back to the beach.
Her wet hair hung down her back, and a stream of water ran down her spine as she walked up the beach. Heff’s jeans were rolled up, and his arms were wrapped around his knees as he watched her approach, his face reverent. Perry stood as Dita walked up and handed her the clothes that she had shed.
“Better?” Perry asked.
“Much,” Dita said, and pulled on her shirt, then wrapped her arms around her friend. She walked over to Heff who stood, dusting off his pants to hide his eyes, and slipped her hand into his. He looked down at her, and she smiled up at him and said, “Let’s go.”
Ares watched with bloodshot eyes as Eric talked to the owner of the bar where the girls worked. He rubbed his hand across the stubble on his jaw. He would win, and he would get a token. And with that token, he would make her pay.
Eric had on a winning smile as he chatted with Jerry, who was eyeing Eric suspiciously.
“Where did you say you came from?” Jerry’s arms were spread, his palms resting on the edge of the bar.
“Vegas. The girls didn’t mention me?”
His brow raised. “Funny, no, they didn’t.”
Eric’s smile fell. “I really need to find out where they are.”
“Yeah, you said that. Thing is, see, I’m not going to tell you anything. Sorry, kid.”
Eric looked resigned and stood, extending his hand. “No problem.”
Jerry grasped Eric’s hand, relieved … until Eric yanked him forward, grabbed the back of his head, and slammed it into the bar, the sick thunk the only sound in the quiet pub. Jerry slid behind the bar and to the floor.
Eric squared his shoulders and walked into the back, into the office, and opened up the laptop on the desk, his cruel eyes digging through what would be the end of the two sisters.
Dita twisted her hair up into a knot that still smelled of salt. Perry and Heff sat with her in her living room while they all watched Eric. His face glowed blue from the light of the computer screen as he dug for the girls’ address on Jerry’s laptop. Dita chewed her nail and folded her legs under her.
“This is it,” she said to no one, to herself. “He timed this perfectly. Kiki’s by herself at their apartment.”
Eric had gotten what he wanted and was scribbling furiously on a piece of paper. He took the pad with him when he left, not even glancing at the unconscious man lying in a heap behind the bar.
Dita looked in on Kiki. “Gods, I hope this works.”
———— New York ————
Kiki filed her nails on the couch in her apartment while the television quietly played in the dark. After days of being with Owen, she was enjoying the solitude, though he hadn’t let her leave easily. They’d gotten into a small argument about it. He felt charged with taking care of her, and figured Kat would be pissed if he let her come back by herself, which he was right about. Kat would be.
She promised him she’d only be gone for a few hours, wanting to take the subway home. She said she’d call him when she’d gotten her things, that he could come pick her up. He’d reluctantly agreed, and she was thankful. After everything that had happened, she hadn’t had a moment alone. Riding the train by herself with nothing but the sound of her iPod in her ears brought her more peace than she’d had in days.
Kat had promised her that they would talk the next day, before they had to work. Kat said she was fine. Kiki knew that was bullshit. Anything that would keep her away for three days was way bigger than Kiki really understood.
She clicked off the television, and the room went dark. Gooseflesh broke out across her skin, and she reached over to turn on the lamp, creating a small island of light in the dark room. The sounds of th
e city buzzed outside.
She smelled roses, and a single thought possessed her thoughts.
Owen. I need to call Owen.
Kiki picked up her phone off the coffee table, tapped on his name, and laid the phone to her ear, her eyes wide as she watched the dark corners of the living room.
“Hey, Kiki. You ready?”
“Yes, but … ”
“Kiki, what’s the matter?” His alarm was unmistakable.
“I’m not sure. Something’s wrong.” Her voice wavered.
She heard the clink of keys through the phone. “Stay on the phone with me. Dillon and I are on our way.”
The front door boomed as a fist banged against it. Kiki’s heart thundered in her ears. “Someone’s here,” she whispered.
“Don’t answer it. We’re on our way.” Dillon’s car started in her ear.
Eric yelled through the door. “Kiki, I know you’re in there. I just want to talk.”
Her breath shuddered in the phone as she held on to it for life. “It’s Eric,” she whispered.
“Stay with me. Dillon, go. GO.”
“Kiki, open the door.” He banged on it again.
She sat, frozen, and tears welled up in her eyes. They weren’t going to be fast enough. Eric wouldn’t wait.
“KIKI,” Eric screamed, and Kiki jumped as a tear slid down her cheek.
“Owen, I love you. I want you to know.”
“Kiki, no—”
“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
“Don’t hang up, Kiki. Don’t hang up,” he begged, his voice ragged. “I love you, too. Kiki, I love you. Please, don’t hang up.”
There was a scraping on the other side of the door, and the wood groaned before the door popped open. Eric stood in front of her with a crowbar, and Kiki screamed.
Kat was on her way back home, grateful that Kiki was at Owen’s. She had slept most of the day, leaving only to drive through the city. Her car roaring around her brought her back to life, for a while.
Her phone rang. She reached into her passenger seat and picked it up to see that it was Owen. Her heart dropped. Why would Owen call? Something was wrong.
“Owen?” She answered.
“Kat. It’s Kiki.” Owen said, and the hairs on Kat’s neck stood on end.
“What happened?”
“It’s Eric. She went home to get her things. I’m sorry Kat. You have to get home. Go, now. He was breaking the door down when I lost her.”
“I’m around the corner.” Kat’s tires smoked as she turned. “Fuck, Owen. Why did you let her leave?”
“I tried to go with her. I’m sorry.” His breath hitched. “She said she just wanted a few hours alone. I didn’t think … ”
Her emotions were on overdrive, and his were too. It was just as much her fault as his, and she couldn’t blame him. Not for that. “It’s not your fault. Don’t call the cops, Owen. You can’t. My family could be in danger if we’re connected with this. I’m calling my dad.”
“We’re on our way.”
Kat hung up and pulled up her father’s number. She took a deep breath as it rang.
“Hai.”
“Papa.” Her voice quaked.
The worry in his own words rang in her ears. “What is wrong?”
“Kiki’s in trouble. I need help, he’s come after her. He’s here, at our place.”
“Eric?”
“Yes.”
“Chikusho,” he swore. “I will send help, Katsumi.”
“I’m going there now, Papa.”
“Go. Be safe.”
“I love you, Papa.”
He paused, his voice rough. “I love you, Masume.”
She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and tossed the phone back into the seat as she sped down the street with her mind racing. She drove up to the curb in front of the brownstone and reached under her seat for her gun, racking it as she ran up the stairs, her heart skipping a beat when the bullet clicked into the chamber.
She ran up the front steps and pulled open the outer door. She stood motionless for a moment before stepping cautiously into the dark entry. Her front door hung open in splinters, and the room beyond was pitch black, except for a single lamp that lit a small part of the living room. She held the gun up and pressed her back against the wall, then closed her eyes and listened.
The city hummed around them. A car thundered by, and when it was quiet again, she heard a muffled sob. Her eyes flew open.
“Eric, let her go,” she called to him through the wall and open door.
“Why would I do that, Kat?”
“Because if you don’t, you’re going to be in even deeper shit than you already are.”
“Funny, because this gun that I have pointed at your sister’s head would disagree.”
Kat froze. There was no way that she could get off a shot, not with a gun to Kiki’s head. The room was too dark, and she had no idea where he was. Fuck.
She took a deep breath and stepped into the dark room, holding her gun out in front of her.
“Ah, ah, ah.” Eric stepped out of the shadows. His wide arm was around Kiki’s neck, and her small hands hung on to it as her nails dug in to his skin. His gun was pointed at her temple.
Kat trained her Ruger on Eric’s left eye. “Let her go.”
“Put the gun down, Kat.” He released the safety, and Kat’s heart stopped. She lowered her gun, and Eric smiled. “Drop it.”
The gun fell to the ground with a clunk, and Kat raised her hands. There had to be a way to get them out of there. If she kept Eric talking, Dillon and Owen would come soon. But they would all be fucked unless she could get Kiki away from Eric. “What’s your plan, Eric?”
“I told you this wasn’t over. Kiki is mine. And if I can’t have her, no one will.”
“And what about me?” Her hands were loose by her side as her eyes met her sister’s.
“Collateral damage.”
Kat’s eyes met Eric’s. “Tanaka already knows you’re here, Eric. If you kill us, he won’t stop until he finds you.”
“Not if I disappear. If he can’t find me, he can’t touch me.” He turned to Kiki. “Change your mind, Kiki.”
Kiki twisted to look at him, her face calm as tears rolled down her cheeks. “Okay, Eric. I change my mind. I want to be with you.”
“Tell me you love me.”
Her voice was flat when she answered, “I love you.”
His face twisted in rage as he pressed the gun deeper into her temple, and she screamed. “You’re a fucking liar!” he howled, then said softly, “You can’t lie to me. You don’t know how bad it hurts when you lie.” He looked back to Kat, but said to Kiki, “Sleep, Kiki. It’s time me and your sister had a talk.” He flexed his arm around Kiki’s neck. Her mouth opened and closed as she tried to scream, scrabbling against his arm, her legs kicking and pushing against the floor before she slowed, her eyes rolling back in her head as she finally went limp.
Kat’s eyes were on her unconscious sister as a tear rolled down her cheek. “What are you going to do with me, Eric?”
He pointed the gun at her. “I’m gonna kill you.”
Dillon pulled his car up next to Kat’s and left it in the middle of the street with the door gaping. He took the steps two at a time, threw the door to the building open, and stepped in softly, stopping in front of her broken door to listen. He held his hand out to stop Owen from moving past him, and laid a single finger on his lips.
“So, you’re just going to shoot me?” Kat sounded fearless, but he could hear the edge in her words.
“That’s the idea.”
Dillon heard footsteps, and Eric’s voice moved closer to the door.
“I’m sure that won’t attract any attention. What are you going to do with Kiki?”
“Oh, I have plans for Kiki.”
“So, your big plan is to shoot me, then leave my apartment with my unconscious sister thrown over your shoulder? Inconspicuous.”
r /> “Shut the fuck up, Kat,” Eric said, deadly calm. “This is over.”
Dillon stepped into the doorway and saw Eric just a few feet in front of him with his gun pointed at Kat. Her eyes darted to him, and Eric turned.
Dillon’s fist flew out and hit Eric in the eye, and the gun skittered across the room. Kat scrambled for it as Eric circled Dillon, rage written all over his face. His dark hair was wild, his lip curled as they moved around each other. Dillon could swear his eyes were glowing red in the low light of the room.
Eric moved faster than should have been possible and landed a heavy punch that sent Dillon reeling. When he regained his balance, he charged Eric, who caught him in a hold and slammed him to the ground. Dillon flipped and climbed on top of him, pounding his face over and over, until Eric rolled them again, the two wrestling on the ground, grappling for an advantage.
“Shoot him,” Owen yelled.
“I can’t get a clean shot.” Kat’s voice faltered.
Dillon rolled off Eric, and the two men stood. Eric charged Dillon, who spun out of the way. Eric hit the wall, and as soon as he turned around, Dillon was waiting. He put every ounce of his weight, every shred of who he was, behind his fist, and when it connected with Eric’s temple, Dillon heard the crack, and he knew.
Eric fell to the ground, his dead eyes staring at the ceiling, his neck bent at a sick angle. Dillon turned to Kat. The gun hung in her hands between the wide stance of her legs, and her mouth was slack, her brows knit in shock and fear. He moved to her and wrapped his arms around her as her knees gave out, dropping to the ground with her when she collapsed.
Owen ran to Kiki, calling her name. He took her pulse. “Kiki,” he called to her, hoarse as he patted her cheek. “Kiki, wake up.”