Prologue
ELIJAH
Blood.
That’s blood...warm, thick, and still dripping onto my face. It’s on my fingers now as I’ve wiped my cheek.Why is there blood on my face?I can barely see at all but, I’m familiar enough with the viscous liquid to know that this is blood. The harsh copper tang of it is thick in the air.Is it mine?
Every nerve in my body is alight with torment. The intense pain has made me aware of parts of my body that I’ve never felt before. Slowly, consciousness is creeping back in.Was I asleep? Or maybe...knocked out?There’s an awareness that I should move, but the searing thrum in my head tells me if I move, I’ll vomit. The indescribable agony my body is in overrides the need to survey my surroundings.
There is a substantial weight on my chest.What is that?I can breathe, but I can’t move much more than my fingers. As they flex at my sides, the rubble on the ground scrapes against my skin. There’s a piercing ringing in my ears, and my vision is blurred.Why are my eyes so gritty?It hurts to blink.Dirt.There’s so much dirt in my eyes, and I can hear things falling from somewhere above, stirring up more dust.The debris...pieces of the structure we’re in. The structure we were in. There’s still a roof, but very little of the walls remain.
The kid.
Yeah. That’s right. There was....a kid. The bomb. The captives were never in here. This was a trap.
Shit....Abe.
“Abe.”
My voice.It’s more gravelly than normal and barely loud enough for even my own ears to register.My team. My... “Abe.”
Nothing. He doesn’t respond. No one says a word.Can they not hear me? Did they get out? Please let Abe be okay. Please, God.As soon as the thoughts are loose in my mind, I already know it isn’t good. There’s no way he left this place without me.Fuck!
“Damn it. Abel!”
Each time I say his name, it feels like blades in my throat. It hurts worse to talk than it does to move or blink my eyes.
“Abe!” I try to speak louder this time, but it comes out even more broken than before. Lifting my head, my forehead bumps into something solid so I let my head fall back to the floor. Closing my eyes tightly, I move them around behind my eyelids, attempting to clear some of the grit from my vision.
Once I open my eyes again,I wish I still couldn’t see,as every nightmare I’ve ever had becomes a reality.
Part One: The Beginning
CHAPTER 1
ELIJAH
My thoughts keep going back to that day. Back to my mistakes. It’s difficult to think of anything else when I’m surrounded by the memories.I have to get out of this house. I can’t keep staring at these walls. I can’t keep listening to this phone ring.Grabbing my keys, I’m out the door with no plan and no phone.Where am I going? What will I do once I get there?
Air. That’s it. I just need air. I need to stop thinking about Abe. Just get out of your head, Eli.
I walk because the only plan I do have makes driving a poor decision. I walk, and I walk until I find myself in front of Cornerstone.Definitelynot my usual hangout, but that’s the point. I don’t want to run into anyone I know. Anyone WE know. I don’t want to deal with any more questions, and I can’t stomach any more pity. No one here knows my name. They don’t know about the things I do when I can’t tell anyone where I’m going.
The place is packed. My lips puff out as I heave a heavy sigh.
This is definitely not my scene. That’s a good thing, though.
The upside? There are so many bodies in here that I doubt I’ll even be noticed. Downside? There are too many damn bodies in here.It feels like the whole of Austin is packed into this club. Cornerstone is quite large by anyone’s estimation, but feels like a shoebox at the moment.
I make my way over to the bar because the only plan I have is to drink. Pushing my way through the crowd isn’t necessary. People move when they see me. It’s instinctual. Abe always told me that my size and overall look are intimidating to most regular people, regardless of the ever-present smile. I argued, butAbe was always right.
Standing near the bar, I wait for an opening to get my turn at ordering. There are three bartenders at this bar alone, and that still isn’t enough. People are packed in here like sardines. The thrum of music and the roar of the crowd both add an element of tension to the ongoing drunken chaos. This is the main bar in the club. There are at least three other smaller bars scattered throughout the joint, but this is the first bar you come to when you enter. It’s the largest one by far. This isn’t my first time in Cornerstone. On a previous visit, I learned the other bars serve only limited items. Several beers on tap and select drinks depending on which bar you go to. This bar is the only one that serves a simple Jack and Coke. The various other bars cater to more frilly desires.None of that for me, thanks.
Seeing my opening, I take it. Sliding into the newly vacated barstool, I plant my ass because I don’t intend to move until someone moves me.Preferably, someone willing to also take me home. Where did that thought come from? I can’t let anyone in my home.
There are two male bartenders and one female. I can only see one of their faces, so I attempt to get his attention.No luck. Apparently, I need to be wearing a much tighter dress to qualify for service from this guy.Damn it. I need a drink.The female bartender is just a few feet away with her back to me. It’s too loud to be heard over the voices and the music, so I make no attempt to shout at her. Instead, I just wait.
When the female bartender turns around, I’m momentarily stunned.
