Page 45 of The Black Lotus (Fatal Florals Duet #2)

THIRTY-EIGHT

ASTER

S omething is wrong. My bones ache, and there’s a nagging in the back of my head, a voice screaming that I need to act before it’s too late.

I should trust in my instincts . Especially since every unanswered text is just another distraction as my anxiety rises.

The stupid emotion won’t seem to leave me alone, like a gnat you just want to swat away and kill, but can’t seem to.

I hope, after all of this is over, I can go back to the psychopath empathy-free killer I am.

I check my texts, again , my phone trembling as I send another one, hoping this is the one she will answer.

Aster

Hey, how is it going?

Serena? Is everything okay?

Answer me. Your silence is driving me crazy.

Okay. I’m worried now. Answer me. Please

It’s been over an hour since you left; are you still at the police station? What’s taking so long?

Call me when you see these messages or so help me vixen, I will come down there and drag you out myself.

“Fuck!” I yell, throwing my phone and dragging my hands through my hair. I watch numbly as the useless piece of plastic bounces off of the couch and clatters onto the floor.

She’s safe. I keep trying to convince myself as I pace the living room, glancing at the clock and watching the dial tick slowly by. Has the clock always moved so slow?

Jason Wiley , my fingers curl into fists so tight my knuckles go white, he always made snide comments about me looking familiar and was a part of every investigation that pointed in my direction.

He is a cop. He is the good guy. Serena is safe at the police station, and if they arrest her for anything, I will just bail her out and find a way to clear her of all charges.

If I can’t do that we’ll just flee the country.

Sitting around and doing nothing isn’t doing me any favors. Sighing heavily to breath out some of the tension does nothing, so I grab my phone and walk up to our room. “Fuck,” I mutter as I walk in and see Serena’s phone sitting on the bed. No wonder she hasn’t answered me.

I search for the station number to see how much longer it will be. If her questioning takes any longer, I’m going to drive down there, give her phone to her, explain they can continue tomorrow, and take her home.

The line rings a couple times as I pace the room before an automatic woman on the other end talks. “Salem Police Station, if this is an emergency, hang up and dial 911; if not, please press one to be connected to a member of our staff.”

I press one, my fingers tightening around my phone as I wait. “Hello, this is Claire. How may I help you today?”

“My girlfriend Serena Raven, was taken in for questioning by Deputy Wiley a little over an hour ago and she forgot her phone here. I was wondering how much longer she will be there and if I should bring her her phone.”

“Hold please.” I hear her nails click against the keyboard as her mouth smacks what I can only assume is gum.

She said hold, but hearing her and muffled voices on the other end isn’t really putting me on hold; where is the music or the silence?

My jaw clenches as I wait listening to the annoying sounds.

“Shit.” I hear her whisper before the line switches to the annoying music I was waiting for.

I guess she finally realized that she never actually put me on hold.

I collapse on the bed, the spring squeaking as I lay there, staring at the ceiling and wait for her annoying voice to come back on the line.

“Hello, sir?” her voice interrupts the shitty music.

“Yes, I’m here,” I say, sitting up.

“I’m sorry, but Deputy Wiley wasn’t scheduled to work today. I checked with the other officers, and he never brought anyone in. Are you sure you were told the correct information? Maybe someone else brought your girlfriend to a different police station?”

The pit in my stomach grows and drops all at once, my voice sounding like a robot as to not give anything away. “Thank you. I was probably given the wrong information.”

Hanging up, a deep guttural roar rips from my throat as I throw the phone, watching it smash into pieces on the floor. She was taken. She was taken because we were both foolish and thought a cop could never hurt her. Of course, Cynthia has a cop on that damn list of hers.

Any cop could go dirty if offered enough money, and with everyone else dead, he will get the most money if he succeeds.

I don’t think, I just act, ripping the bedding off of the bed, and smashing the side tables to pieces, tossing the dresser, and breaking everything in my line of sight.

My chest rises and falls in deep breaths as I look at the aftermath of my rage. At the result of my stupidity, my stubbornness at refusing to listen to my gut and going with her.

He drove a personal car . I didn't even think it was strange. Most police officers drive unmarked vehicles now. If he’s smart, which it seems like he is, he would have made it untraceable.

I fall to my knees, retrieving the laptop to find out any clues and praying it was spared from my wrath. I may not be a genius hacker like Zephira- My breath catches. “Zephira,” I whisper.

“Yes, brother?”

I clutch my chest, the laptop falling off my lap. “Fuck! Where did you come from?”

“I heard you whisper my name,” she muses, crossing her arms as she stands by the door, looking at me with a knowing smirk. “Does this mean Serena is fair game now?”

She fucking knows. I spring off the floor, striding towards her and wrapping my hand around her throat as I slam her against the wall. My grip tightens with each word. “Where. Is. She?”

She struggles to breathe, her answer gargled. “Who?”

“You know who,” I growl, watching her face turn blue.

She claws at my hands, silently begging for release, I toss her to the ground, my body begging for her blood. But I won’t kill my sister, not until I have answers. I don’t want to kill her, if I’m being honest, but if anything happens to Serena, I will end her.

She coughs, as she looks up at me and laughs. Is she fucking kidding me? She has the balls to laugh in my face right now? I kick her stomach, smirking as she grunts.

“I’m not fucking around, Zephira! Tell me where she is!”

She looks up at me, wiping the spit from her mouth with a crazed, unbelieving look in her eyes. “You kicked me,” she says more as a statement than a question. “You kicked your little sister. Not even Serena-”

I lift her by her shirt, her feet dangling helplessly in the air. “Don’t. Say. Her fucking. Name.”

Taunting me like the little girl she is, her lips start to form Serena’s name. My vision goes red and before she can utter a word, I slam my fist into her gut.

“If you don’t want me to throw you down those stairs, you better start talking.”

She looks over her shoulder at the stairs that may not kill her but will do some damage and presses her lips into a thin line.

“Speak!” I demand, my face twisting into a ruthless snarl, my muscles tight as I bare my teeth.

I feel no remorse hurting her like this. I would do worse if I had the time to bleed the answers out of her, but I don’t know what that dirty deputy has done or where he has taken her, so brute force is my only tool.

“Ask nicely,” she rasps.

Is she fucking with me right now? I hold her body over the staircase like a ragdoll, showing how serious I am, but no ounce of fear shines in her eyes as she waits for what I’ll do next.

My head flinches back at her brazen personality as I start to see how much we are alike, our similarities really starting to shine in the face of danger.

I growl as I bring my hand over my face. “Will you please tell me where Serena was taken?” I grind out, annoyed with our little game. But if this is the only way to gain any answers, then I will play. I would do anything to find Serena.

“See? Was that so hard?” My hand tightens in her shirt, and I wish it was her throat I was squeezing. “Put me down so we can have a nice discussion like adults.”

“There is nothing to discuss! Just tell me where she is!” I scream, spit flying into her face.

“Uh huh.” She shakes her head at me, an impossible smirk on her face. “I’ll only tell you if you’re nice. And big brother,” she smacks my cheek a couple times and my muscles strain with my desire to chuck her down the stairs, “you’re not being nice.”

“Fine.” I place her down as nicely as I can, watching her fight to regain her balance.

“Say sorry.”

I stare at her, my mouth open and my fists clenched, refraining myself from killing her. “I’m… I’m sorry.”

“For?” She prolongs the word.

I’m sorry I’m growing tired of this stupid game and am about to murder you is what I want to say, but instead I relent and apologize. “For throwing. Kicking. And… Punching you,” I mutter.

She turns her back and walks down the stairs. “All your questions will be answered soon.”

I should have just snapped her neck. I asked nicely and that’s all she is going to tell me? I stomp down the stairs after her, gripping her arm and forcing her to stop. “That wasn’t the answer to what I asked.”

She shrugs. “That’s the answer you’re getting. Be patient and you can see her again.”

Her fingers peel back mine and she walks to the kitchen acting like she owns my house, grabbing something from the fridge.

I slam the door closed as she pulls out a water, my hand resting above her head as I look down at her.

“I don’t have time. Serena doesn’t have time.

” She glances away, swallowing slowly. I knew she cared.

“Now, if you know where she is, tell me, otherwise, I will be the last person you ever see.”

“We both know without me you’ll never get to her. You can’t kill me, Aster, and that’s killing you.” She ducks under my arm and plops down on the couch, patting the spot next to her. “Come sit. I don’t want to miss the look on your face when you get invited to the show.”

The show? What the hell is she talking about? What ticket? Will there be others watching? I will kill anyone in my way if this show has anything to do with hurting Serena. Spilling the blood of everyone in my way as I slash through body after body to get to my vixen.

Reluctantly, I sit beside my sister and wait. Zephira holds all the cards, and she and I both know it.

“Let’s watch some TV.” She grabs the remote and flips through until she lands on the station she was searching for.

What I see on the screen has all the blood draining from my face. No! I jump to my feet, taking a step towards the TV. No, no, no; it can’t be. This has to be another trick. A lie. This can’t be true.

“That’s the face I was talking about.” She takes out her phone and snaps a picture. “Your ticket should be here soon.”

The doorbell rings and I don’t hesitate, rushing to answer it.

All that greets me is a sleek black box.

How did the messenger get past my cameras?

I look back at Zephira as she holds up her phone showing my system on it and smiles.

Of course she deactivated it. With shaking hands, I reach down and open the latch, seeing a ticket to Graves.

All thoughts dissipate as I drop the box, turning around to grab my keys.

“Oh look! It's your ticket. Now you have your answer.” She walks down the steps, looking back over her shoulder. “Are you coming? I thought you wanted to get the girl.”