Page 61 of This Blood That Breaks Us

Seventeen

Zach

The castle was flooding. Little drops of rain fell into the bucket next to me, and thunder shook the painting above the fireplace. It had poured all day and into the night. Will and I sat by the fire in one of the common rooms. The castle was big enough no onewould bother us. They were too busy running around patching holes and cleaning up ruined carpet. Ezra said it was the biggest storm Ireland had seen in nearly ten years.

It was hardly the karmic justice they deserved, but it made me laugh a little. Will and I giggled like schoolgirls while watching the others pace the halls in a frantic mess to clean; I hid him so he wouldn’t have to help.

The warmth of the fire made me think of Blackheart and my brothers. I wondered what they were doing and if they, too, might be staring into a fire. Presley was probably getting into trouble somehow, and I hoped Aaron was taking good care of Kimberly. He was good at it when he got out of his own way. It was strange. I never imagined my little brother with anyone. All of his high school girlfriends were nothing special, but I knew immediately when I saw that look in my brother’s eyes after he met her. It reminded me of when I’d met Ashley.

I wondered how she was. Better off without me, that I was sure of.

I hoped Aaron and Kimberly were happy and together and they’d get to do all that fun couple shit.

“What do you think the love birds are doing right now?” I asked Will to snap him out of dissociation. He was sitting on the floor by the fireplace and staring into it like he might jump in. “I was thinking of them all. Wherever they are.”

I wasn’t technically breaking my rule because I hadn’t said their names.

William grinned and took a swig of his drink. “Probably fuckin’ like bunnies, I’d presume. New relationship and all that.”

I laughed thinking of that night Aaron came down the stairs to get Kimberly’s water. His hair messy and his face glowing with happiness.

“I’m glad someone gets to be happy.” I raised my glass, and William clinked his to mine.

The door opened, and Luke and Thane emerged looking more chipper than ever.

“You look happy.” I laughed.

“Because I think this is going to work. And because I got this.” Luke smiled, pulling a bottle of liquor from his jacket.

“You’re drunk.” I laughed at first. Then the worry set in. “Wait, why are you drunk?”

Luke almost drank himself to death after Sarah disappeared. Thankfully, he was already a vampire, so he wasn’t in any real danger. That didn’t stop me from calling Ezra just in case.

“Good news—stop with that look.”

“He’s okay. Really, I’ve been with him all day,” Thane said.

I grunted an acknowledgment in his general direction and got to my feet to survey my brother.

He smiled from ear to ear. “You worry too much.”

“Just about you.”

“The guys gave him this bottle and made him take a double shot of it. I think it’s pretty much pure alcohol.” Thane stumbled. “It’s got a kick to it.”

“They like me now.” Luke smiled radiantly. “That, or they gave it to me to kill me and weed out competition.”

I patted him on the shoulder and took the bottle so I could smell it. “Tell me the good news.”

“With the flood, they’re going to bring in a lot of people for repairs tomorrow. Ezra was really adamant on getting it all done in a day.”

“So, that means?”

“It’s our opening!” He pushed me playfully, and I had to steady myself.

“You think we’ll be able to hide in the chaos,” Will said.

“Exactly. Ezra had to stay over on the mainland because of the storm, so he won’t be back till after it clears. He wants Zach and I to go meet with a client in the early morning. We can takethe main ferry. And you two can sneak in the cargo hold. It can work.”