Chapter 17 Part 2
This wasn't the Lyle she knew. The Lyle she knew was reserved and awkward, but also friendly. This Lyle, with his tight features and focused stare, brought a whole other person with him.
He held the flashlight up to them, directing the beam her way. "Chloe." He smiled softly at her. "You're still here. I was afraid they'd take you from me again."
Ethan clenched his fists and took a step over Raul, the blue lightning dancing along his knuckles.
"Ah ah, I wouldn't." Lyle pointed the gun--a sleek, black weapon--at his forehead.
Holding her hands out, Chloe made herself step over Raul, the shattered glass on the floor digging into her socked feet. Tiny pieces of it coated her exposed skin, pricking at her with every movement. "Lyle, let's just take a second to relax. We're friends, aren't we?"
'Friends' must've been the wrong word. Anger passed over Lyle's face and he gripped the weapon tighter. "We are more than friends. As soon as he gets out of the way."
Distract him. "Lyle, where did you learn how to shoot?" She asked quietly.
"I took lessons." He said, looking way too eager for her liking, "I knew you'd need someone to keep you safe."
"You always need to be kept safe." He went on. "That's why I let you have your guards. But then they wouldn't let me see you."
"They were there to protect her from you." Ethan said.
The light from Ethan's fists was more than enough to give the room a blue glow that highlighted Lyle's injuries. His bottom lip had been split and leaked blood down his chin. On his cheek was a large gash that dripped, the area around it already turning a different color. He leaned slightly to his left, favoring that side, and it made her wonder if the dark spot on his right leg was more than he let on.
At Ethan's words, Lyle's eyebrows came together and his nostrils flared. He put a finger next to the trigger.
He was an absolute psycho way beyond reach. "Okay, okay, wait. Lyle, you wouldn't want to hurt Ethan."
"He stole you from me."
Ethan needed to get out of here. The longer he was near Lyle, the closer Lyle would get to thinking Ethan needed to be eliminated. If he thinks he's losing you, he can and will become very dangerous, Jackson had said. His protection was paramount to both his country and to her. If she could just get Ethan to safety, he could get help. If she could get him away from Lyle, then whatever happened afterward would not be half as bad as if Lyle decided to use force against her mate. That left her with the option of stalling or...
....playing into his fantasy.
She set a gentle hand on Ethan's lower back, a comforting gesture, though more for her. Then, she took a deep breath and stepped forward.
"Elizabeth, no." Ethan tried to grab her by the arm, but she pulled it out of reach.
Her hands came out in a calming gesture once more. "Lyle, I'm so glad you finally came." The words tasted sour, but she swallowed past it and put on her best smile. "I've been wondering when you'd get here."
Lyle's eyes darted to Ethan and back to her. His grip on the gun relaxed slightly. All she could focus on was how close it was. "I knew you'd be waiting for me. I had to get here. I...I dyed my hair for you."
He had. It was now a dark color that curled at his temples instead of the easy blond he used to have.
It matched Ethan's color exactly.
"I noticed." She spoke around the rock in her throat. "Thank you."
"We should go." Lyle said. "I know you don't want to be here anymore."
She didn't, but not for the same reason Lyle thought. "Okay. We'll go. Can...I just need to say goodbye to Ethan real quick, and then we can go."
Lyle took a step forward, "He doesn't need any attention. Can't you see? I'm your mate."
"Of course, of course." Chloe quickly said to appease him. She didn't like the way his hand shook, as if he couldn't control it. With his finger next to the trigger, she desperately prayed he could at least control that. "We can go. Just give me one second."
Without waiting for an answer, she whirled to Ethan and whispered as quietly as possible, "Trust me." With such a small space, it was dangerous for Ethan to do any type of attack without hurting himself or her. It was up to her to diffuse the situation. She was afraid. God, was she afraid. But hopefully Ethan would be able to see past the fear to the determination in her eyes. I love you. She mouthed.
It was her turn to play bait. If it was the last thing she did, she'd get this crazy maniac away from Ethan long enough for him to get help. Long enough for him to find Jackson. This was her chance to make up for all the danger she'd brought to Ethan. It wouldn't be much, but by God, she could at least take this danger away from him.
When she turned back around, Lyle gave her his flashlight, then held out a hand. She hesitated, just barely, then grabbed it.
His hand was hot and damp. He pulled her from the bathroom, and directed her towards the back door of the house.
The living room was a wreck. In the commotion, the cushions had scattered off the couch, the lamp from the corner table rested in shattered pieces on the hardwood floor, and the glass top coffee table had a long red smear along the center. A pair of dark shoes poked out behind the couch. Chloe couldn't get herself to point the shaky flashlight beam at them.
How had he been able to take out these guards? There was no way. No way this man would be stealthy enough, strong enough, to take out this many highly trained guards. Not without some type of help.
He led her past the couch, to the back door. As they walked past, Chloe bit back a growing sob and finally pointed the beam of light to those shoes. At the light, Jim began to stir. Lyle, as if coming out of a stupor, glanced absentmindedly down at him. Before Chloe could blink, Lyle raised his gun and pulled the trigger, putting a bullet though Jim's head like he had Raul's. Chloe jerked, barely trapping the anguished cry in her throat. She turned her head to the side and squeezed her eyes shut. Jim.
Everything seemed to move like a dream. It was like a blink, or snapshot, and then she found herself outside, the moon and stars providing light for her eyes to adjust. At some point, Lyle's hand had moved up to right above her elbow, his grip firm, forcefully guiding.
He shepherded her through the backyard and towards the ring of trees--opposite of the direction of the other safehouse. Slow him down. Gravel and twigs cut into the soles of her feet, stinging, but she kept dragging her feet. It took focus for her to make each step as prolonged as possible.
She'd do whatever was necessary to give Ethan as much time as possible.
Reality had struck hard and fast. This might be it. This might be the last time I see Ethan. She had no doubt that once Lyle got her off the property, he'd do his best to put them both off the radar. With his apparent technology skills, she imagined he could make disappearing an art form.
By the time they hit the trees, Chloe's feet were raw. "Lyle, where are we going?" Maybe if she talked, she'd be able to ignore the burning pain in the soles of her feet.
"Our car." He said, "I parked it this way."
Our car. Not his car. "How did--," She sucked in a quiet breath as a sharp rock dug into the arch of her foot. "How did you take out all of those guards? They were all highly trained."
Lyle glanced behind them briefly, then slowed just the slightest bit. "I've been training too." He said, "Just for you."
When Chloe first met him, Lyle had been stick thin. He had a gangly type of body, one that did not build muscle easily. She hadn't been paying enough attention, but now, when she looked, she could see a bit more muscles under the dark shirt he wore.
"You need someone to protect you. So I became someone who could." He said it with an easy tone, as if secretly molding yourself into a warrior was something that just happened.
What kind of regimen had he been doing?
"Where are we going, Lyle?" She asked again.
Lyle gave a weird half-sigh. "I love it when you say my name. Can't you just hear it? The beauty of it rolling off your lips?"
His footsteps got shorter as they stepped deeper and deeper into the wooded area. They must've been getting close, otherwise he would have been more frantic about moving faster. When they first started towards his car, he was all but dragging her next to him. Now, his hand had loosened on her elbow, and he held his gun next to his side instead of out in front of him.
"You are going to love our resort." He said, a dreamy quality to his voice. "I booked the penthouse for an entire month. You said you liked vacations, so..."
She wanted to scream at him that this wasn't a vacation. That he was kidnaping her. That vacations with crazy psychotic assistants were not even vacations. The scream churned with the panic in her chest. She desperately shoved it down.
When she knew for sure she could talk evenly, she asked, "Where did you get all of the money?"
He pulled her around a wide, uneven tree and over a jagged brown root before responding. "I transferred the money from the Royal treasury. Don't worry, they won't even notice--they haven't noticed for two months now."
A branch snapped behind them.
Lyle whirled, shoving her back, and fired a shot into the general direction.
"He's following us." He growled.
Ethan?
Chloe took a step back and peered around him. Her heart felt like it exploded in her chest. No, no, no, no! Ethan couldn't follow them. He was supposed to get Jackson. He was supposed to be safe.
Lyle held his gun at the ready, scanning it around him. "Where are you...?" He muttered, mostly to himself.
Chloe glanced around, anxiety filling her every pore. "Lyle, he made a promise," she said, "he won't follow us."
Lyle took a step to the right, trying to pinpoint a location. "I'll make sure he doesn't."
"Really, Lyle, let's just go. The faster we get out of here--"
"He's ruining your happiness!" He yelled into the trees.
"I'm perfectly happy." Chloe interjected. She, hesitant, put a gentle hand on his back. Though it felt wrong. "If we don't go now--"
"Show yourself, you bastard!"
To Chloe's growing horror, Ethan stepped from their right, his hands raised in surrender. "All right, all right."
Lyle raised his gun. Ethan, keen enough to notice the danger in the way Lyle practically twitched in fury, said, "Let's just stay calm, okay?"
"We had a promise."
"I never make promises with criminals." Ethan glanced her way.
Lyle growled, "don't look at her, you look at me."
Ethan frowned, his eyebrows coming together. "You think if you take her somewhere nice she'll learn to love you? Are you that blind?"
What was he doing? "She'll never love you." Ethan continued. "And I refuse to let her be put in any more danger."
"Ethan." She breathed, her heart clenching painfully in her chest. Didn't he realize what he just did? The second Lyle felt Ethan was threatening his fantasy-he could blow. Or worse.
Lyle must've heard her because he turned around. Before she could school herself, he took note of the withheld tears in her eyes and the way she shook with cold and fear.
The anger and focus drained from his face, replaced by dawning understanding. "You love him." A dark expression crossed his face. "You love him."
Chloe froze, her blood running impossibly colder. "Wait, Lyle--"
"You never loved me, did you? Did you?" He yelled the second question in her face. Lyle, filled to the brim with rage and bubbling betrayal, gripped her arm hard and yanked her forward.
"Let her go, Lyle," Ethan said. "Your fight is with me, isn't it?"
A guttural noise of rage crawled from his throat, and he shoved her backward. Her foot caught on a rock, and she threw her hands back to catch herself as she tumbled to the ground. She let out a grunt as her elbow scraped against the tree next to her.
Then it happened.
A bolt of electricity shot out from Ethan's direction, striking Lyle in the shoulder. With a grunt of surprise, Lyle ran with the blow, his shoulder pulling back with the force.
"Ethan, no!" Chloe cried, scrambling to get off the ground.
Before Ethan could even think of a second attack, Lyle turned and swiftly fired three times. Bang. Bang. Bang.
"ETHAN!" She screamed. Her heart lurched in her chest and stopped. She couldn't breathe. White hot agony flamed in her stomach. But it wasn't her pain.
No, no, no, no, no, no.
Ethan went still, slowly glancing down to his stomach. She shot over to him, just barely catching his torso as he fell. "Ethan, Ethan, oh God--"
"Get away from him." Lyle commanded.
Chloe ignored him, her heart shattering into pieces, and desperately put pressure on his stomach where blood seeped through his t-shirt.
The gun clicked behind her. "I said, Get. Away. From him." Cold metal of a barrel dug in between her shoulder blades.
She couldn't. Wouldn't. Pressure. I need to put pressure on the wound. Ethan stared up at her and coughed, dark liquid leaking from the side of his mouth.
The gun dug harder into her back.
"Do it." She muttered, putting most of her weight on Ethan. How much pressure did he need? More? She didn't want to push too hard and somehow make it worse.
"What?"
"Do it!" She yelled, her throat stinging with the effort. "You'll have to shoot me to get me away from him."
Lyle screamed in frustration and then struck her shoulder, hard, knocking her to the side and away from Ethan. Pain flared sharp and hot in her shoulder, but she moved to get up--
--until she stared down the dark, sleek barrel of the gun.
"You are going to get into my car, and we are going to the resort. Now."
"Fuck you." She spat.
Lyle shook his head, disbelief throughout his whole frame. "You're confused,Chloe. But don't worry, you love me. I know you do. I can see it. I'll get you to where you're supposed to be and we can be together forev--"
Two quick, sharp shots blasted through him.
Chloe barely rolled out of the way as Lyle fell toward the ground.
"Lizzie!" Jackson.
Completely on autopilot, Chloe shot over to Ethan whose eyes had closed. Jackson was here--Jackson would take care of Lyle. She had to take care of Ethan.
Her hands were dark and sticky, but she didn't pay any attention to that fact as she put pressure once again on her mate's stomach. "Jackson!" She cried.
He wasn't moving. He wasn't moving!
"Ethan, come on." Her vision burned, blurring with tears. "Don't you dare leave me. Ethan?" Oh God, please.
Strong hands covered hers on his stomach. "Put more pressure." Jackson instructed. He moved upward to put two fingers on Ethan's neck, under his jaw. Jackson cursed, then tilted Ethan's head back.
Her brother began chest compressions, stopping every half a minute or so to push air into his mouth. "Damn it, damn it, damn it."
She couldn't do anything but press down hard on his stomach. He was going to die--she could tell by the tenseness in Jackson's shoulders and the quick desperation in his motions.
Fury swept in. Why didn't he let her do this? Why didn't he let her go? Jackson would have come. If he'd just waited, damn it. Now she had to swallow the sobs leaking from her chest as she watched his life drain from the body that tethered his soul to this world.
He was going to die. Her mate, dead, before they'd had a chance to really begin their chapter of life together. Useless. She was useless.
Unless. Her heart stuttered once in her chest. Unless I heal him.
But could she do it? She didn't even know the extent of her abilities yet. Would it be enough? And what would it do to her? Ethan would be so mad. He made her promise to to use it until they learned more about what it was...but this was Ethan. She had to do it. She had to. He would not die. Not on her. Not when she'd finally started getting the happy ending she'd always dreamed of.
Chloe sucked in a stuttering breath and closed her eyes. That somewhat familiar heat gathered in her chest, she embraced it, letting it build and build and then imagined it shooting down her arms and through the tips of her fingers, into Ethan's body.
Warm. She felt warm. It encouraged her to keep going. Her fingers got warmer. Warmer. Hot--it burned through her touch, burned down deep into her veins and traced itself under her skin, like electricity and fire dancing through each cell.
"Lizzie." Jackson sounded far away, calling out to her from the other end of a tunnel. But if she focused on him, she couldn't give Ethan the attention he deserved, so she squeezed her eyes tighter and pushed.
"Lizzie!"
Sharp pain dug its claws into her stomach, biting, tearing. It was all she could do to hold onto him. Her legs burned, every cell in her lower half feeling as if they exploded, bursting into powerful flames.
"LIZZIE."
The strength in her muscles waived, siphoned away by the power flowing through her. Her back cramped, wanting to buckle under the heavy weight of her. Let go, her bones wanted her to let go. Only the weight of her determination and desperation kept her upright.
Something crashed into her side, and she fell with it, unable to fight anymore. Darkness, chilling, greedy darkness swallowed her up slowly. Someone shook her. Yelled her name. She didn't care.
Ethan choked on a gasp.
She tumbled into oblivion.