Part 19 (1/2)

21.

Amoan of pain escaped my lips-pain from the herbs they'd forced me to swallow, and pain from learning Riley wanted me dead.

”I'll take her back to my trailer until tonight,” said Riley. ”I can keep an eye on her there.”

But Bulldog laughed. ”I don't think so.”

Riley frowned. ”After everything I've done, don't you trust me?”

”Oh sure, I trust you, but I don't trust that thing in your pants. I know what it's like to be your age, when everything revolves around whether you're going to get lucky or not.”

”I'm not like that.” Riley scowled.

He snorted. ”'Course you're not. She's coming back with me.”

Bulldog released his hold around my neck, lowering the knife so he held it loosely at my waist. If I was at my normal strength, I could easily have grabbed the wrist holding the knife, and twisted the weapon from his grip, probably snapping a bone or two at the same time. But I wasn't up to my normal strength. I'd never felt so weak in my life.

With his free hand, he grabbed both of my slender wrists. His big hand easily circled both wrists, crus.h.i.+ng the bones together. Though painful, it was nothing compared to the fire still raging within me. I felt as though every internal organ was burning, and soon smoke would start pouring from every orifice, until I crumbled into a small pile of ash and blew away in the wind.

Bulldog started to drag me back toward the carnival and the group of trailers gathered at the rear. The deconstruction of the midway was still underway, most of the carnies completely unaware of what was happening in the fields behind them. The sounds of metal clanging, engines thrumming, men shouting instruction to one another filled the night air.

Riley chased after us. ”If you want this to work, I'll have to conduct some of the same rituals on her instead of Brooke.”

”I still want the other girl,” Bulldog replied.

”But you don't need her. This one will give you so much more.”

”So you say, but if it doesn't work, I want backup. Besides, we've already done so much work on the blonde, no point in wasting it. I've been looking forward to seeing her peachy skin bleed.”

We stopped outside of a large trailer. This one was brand new and at least four times the size of Riley's home. Bulldog entered first, dragging me up the steps behind him. My feet caught on the metal slats, my ankles banging painfully against them.

The interior was gaudily decorated, with the couch in black leather, and a gla.s.s and chrome table. A lion-skin rug spread out on the floor, the lion's mouth open in a permanent growl, its black eyes gla.s.sy. I imagined Bulldog's bedcovers would be something animal print, probably with black sheets below. I shook the thought from my head. I really didn't want to be thinking anything about The Bull's bed right now.

He slung me down to the floor. I landed with my face only inches away from the lion's. I felt sorry for him. Here we were, both predators, both reduced to lying on some sc.u.mbag's floor.

But at least I was still alive.

Bulldog turned to Mitch and Russ. ”Go and get the other girl. We won't have long until the planets are aligned. We need to be ready.”

Mitch nodded and disappeared out the way we'd come in.

I groaned and started to push myself to sitting. Riley dropped down at my side, his hand on my arm as though to help me up, but I shook him off. ”Don't touch me!”

”Icy,” he said, almost begging. His eyes flicked to where Bulldog stared down at us both. He dropped my arm and moved away.

”Don't you have preparations to make?” The Bull said, his eyes like stone as he stared in Riley's direction.

Riley ducked his head. ”Sure, Bulldog. I'm on it.”

He disappeared into another part of the trailer, only giving me a fleeting glance as he did so.

The Bull stood over me, a hulking mountain with me in its shadow. For a moment, I thought he was going to kick me. I wished vehemently for my strength to return, but the twigs or roots, or whatever they'd force fed me still burned in my stomach, and I barely thought myself capable of lifting my own head off the floor. As soon as the stuff wore off, I swore Bulldog Mackenzie would meet the same end as Jordy. My anger was like a red cloud, encompa.s.sing my entire being, and I gritted my teeth. I would make him pay for this. He would see who he was dealing with, and I'd make him regret it.

”I can't believe a tiny little thing like you could take out someone like Jordy.” I could hear laughter in his voice, as if this whole thing was no more than another game, a real life ride in his carnival.

”Size isn't everything,” I managed to spit.

”Clearly Jordy didn't know that, huh?” The look he gave me made me think he even had a tiny bit of appreciation for the murder I'd committed. Not that he'd appreciated one of his own being killed, more that he admired anyone capable of taking a life.

I coughed, the herbs in my gut burning up my throat like acid. ”Jordy was asking for it.”

My attention was drawn beyond Bulldog as Riley came back into the main part of the trailer. He held a number of items in his hands, but I struggled to make out what they were from the floor-a bowl, and a number of candles, along with a few other items.

My traitorous heart still swelled at the sight of him.

I didn't want to hate him; I cared about him too much to bring myself to hate him. But right now, I wanted to grab him by the shoulders and shake him so hard his brain rattled in his head, and yell in his face to ask him what the h.e.l.l he was doing.

He set his items down on a table, and positioned himself with his back to me, blocking my view. d.a.m.n him if he couldn't even look at me!

A knock came at the door.

The Bull turned at the sound. ”What?” he barked.

The door cracked open and a tall, skinny woman, a slash of red lipstick across her mouth, most of which had bled into the lines around her lips, stepped into the s.p.a.ce. ”Hey, Bull. Hunter needs you over at his commission.”

Bulldog's eyes narrowed. ”Can't he deal with it? I'm kinda busy here.”

”No, sorry, he can't. It's an emergency.” The woman's eyes flicked to me, and I wondered if she knew exactly why I was there. ”We don't want another accident happening.”

Bulldog sighed. ”Fine. Russ, you're in charge here. No one leaves my trailer, and no one except Mitch and the other girl gets in. Got it?”

He nodded. ”Got it, Bull.”

Bulldog pointed at Riley. ”And you behave yourself. I've got eyes on you.”

”Jesus, Bull. What have I ever done against you?”

The Bull's eyes flicked briefly to me. Riley might have betrayed me, but The Bull was sharp enough to have picked up on the fact there was something between me and Riley. Or at least there had been.

”You've got preparations to get on with, haven't you?” he said to Riley.

Riley pressed his lips together and nodded, still not looking at me.

”Don't worry, Boss,” said Russ. ”I've got backup.” He tapped his hip, just below his jacket. I noticed Riley tense. Was the other guy implying he was armed? It wouldn't surprise me if he was.

Bulldog threw me a frown, clearly not wanting to leave me alone, and then slammed from the trailer. The atmosphere changed as soon as he was gone, and not in a good way. The guard on me had effectively fallen to one person, and I could tell he took his role seriously. I didn't want to contemplate the idea that he had an itchy trigger finger.