Boxed Set: The Ink Series Volume 1-5 Read online

  “Look, you drink some more wine, I’ll be right back. Loosen up. I thought this was what you wanted.” Tucker headed off down the hall.

  I finished off my glass, setting it on the table. The foyer clock sounded as I waited for him to return. The house held a spooky quietness. I searched for the remote, trying to find a way to liven the place up.

  It had been some time since Tucker had taken off. I wondered what was keeping him.

  “We have guest,” Tucker’s father, Everett, said from behind me, startling the life out of my body. “How quaint.”

  My stomach dropped. I hurriedly grabbed my skirt off the floor.

  “Oh, don’t let me trouble anyone,” he said, bringing up a hand to stop me from putting my skirt back on.

  “Tucker said the house was empty,” I said quietly, not making eye contact with him.

  “That it was,” Everett answered. I quickly drew my skirt up, and moments later he was standing right beside me.

  “Hot little number you’re wearing. I heard you were the talk of the Seafood Shack tonight, Hope. Every housewife in Cherry was gossiping about you,” he said, lifting the bottle of wine off the table. He gave it a little shake, its insides splashing around in the bottle.

  I backed away. Tucker’s dad tracked my every move.

  “Now, what would your dad think about you being here with half your clothes on and one practically empty wine bottle?” A snide smile graced his lips. He drew a cigar from the front pocket of his jacket.

  “He knows I am here.” I crossed my arms, watching him light it up.

  “Not for what I walked in on.” He blew out a cloud of smoke, licking his lips and grinning. “Bad things can happen when you’re off doing wicked things,” Everett said, the spark in his eyes worrying me.

  Finally, I spotted Tucker, happy to see him for once.

  “Tucker, so glad you could join us,” Everett said.

  I looked at Tucker. He rubbed at his neckline. “You remember Hope.” They both grinned, appreciating the hilarity among the two of them. My stomach fell even more, understanding Tucker wasn’t upset by his dad’s surprising stopover. In fact, I was sure he probably called him now.

  I rounded the table, taking my flip-flops.

  “Where you going, Hope?” Tucker questioned.

  “Home,” I said, short and to the point, just about to the door. Everett strode forward, blocking my exit. He grabbed for my arm, but I bolted for the kitchen before his hand could clamp down on me.

  “You stay away from me!” I screamed, drawing one of the knives from the chopping block. I held tightly to the handle. My insides trembling.

  “Oh, no, not a knife,” Everett said, waving his hands melodramatically. He wasn’t scared of me. And this made me panic even more.

  I’m afraid

  I pushed off the counter, darting for the hall. The knife still in my grasp as I took off, putting as much space between Tucker and his unbalanced father. My feet pounded against their fine wood floor as I ran for shelter. Someplace to keep me away from the two of them.

  “Oh, come on, Hope,” Everett called out, his voice resonating up the staircases as I rounded the corner.

  I rushed down the hall, going for the first door I spotted. I turned the handle. It was locked. And so was every one after that. My heart raced as I considered my next move.

  Were these people really crazy enough to attack a girl in their own home? Well, I wasn’t hanging around to find out.

  My eyes darted around, hunting for a new escape. I shoved the curtain out of my way, looking out the window. It was too much of a fall to jump.

  All of a sudden Tucker’s hand clamped down on my shoulder. I screamed. “Calm down,” he whispered in my ear. He smoothed my hair. Everett observed his son take control. Tucker clamped a hand down on my wrist keeping me from taking off.

  “There’s no reason to end the party because I’m here, Hope,” Everett said, puffing away at his cigar. He moved closer, his bulky frame towering over me. I trembled at the touch of his hand against my cheek, the way he was looking at me as if I was some delectable piece of meat he wanted to sink his teeth into.

  I pulled away as his hand continued caressing me. Tucker wrapped a hand around my waist, lifting me off the floor.

  “What are you doing!” I shrieked. “What are you going to do with me?” I jerked my feet and scratched at his face. As soon as my nails sliced into his skin, Tucker became outraged. He let go, dropping me down on his bedroom floor.

  Everett locked the door. “Oh, no, no, no, Hope. We haven’t hurt you. So why would you want to hurt my son?”

  I crawled away from them, stopping at Tucker’s writing desk. “I just want to go home.”

  Tucker grabbed me by the shoulder. “Stand up.”

  “What are you guys going to do to me?” I asked them.

  They looked at each other as if they were debating this for the first time.

  “We just want to have a little fun,” Everett said. He dug around in his pocket and pulled something out, giving it to Tucker.

  “Open up,” Tucker said, his fingers stroking my neck, trying to persuade me to open my mouth and give in. I twisted away and winced as a piercing sting hit my cheek. He had thumped me good. I watched his eyes, searching for the decent Tucker that I remembered.

  “Open up, Hope. This will let you have a lot of fun with us. You want to have fun, remember?” Everett said, standing over Tucker. His legs straight and his body full of life as he watched his son take control and force the pill into my mouth. He clamped a hand over my mouth and nose, shaking my skull and squeezing my cheeks, forcing the pill into my system.

  “Doesn’t matter if you don’t swallow it, its dissolvable.” He lifted me from the floor, dropping me on the bed.

  I spit out the nasty after taste. I couldn’t begin to wrap my brain around how quickly things had gone from harmless to deadly. I was sure these people were going to hurt me. And there was probably nothing I could do about it.

  My head started to tingle. Whatever it was they gave me was now having an effect. Tucker and his dad stood at the end of the bed, watching me, neither one of them making a move.

  I did my best not to nod off, but it was proving difficult. I was slipping in and out of consciousness as these two psychos stood before me. I feared drifting off into a sleep, not because of Ezra, but because I knew once I no longer was conscious I possibly would never see the light of day again.

  Tucker’s father unfastened his belt. My body revived at the vision of this. He handed the belt to Tucker. Tucker coiled the thick leather around his knuckles, the belt buckle on the reverse end, swaying side to side. I tracked its motion with my eyes as he whipped it at me, striking me in the face, the hard metal bringing tears to my eyes.

  “Wake up!” Tucker shouted.

  What kind of bizarre game were they playing? I pushed myself into a sitting position, holding my aching face, trying to make sense of what was going on.

  “That’s better,” Everett said.

  My head fell forward. One more flash of light exploding behind my eyelids, this time I didn’t fight it. I relaxed even more, allowing it to remain, knowing where I was heading. Welcoming Ezra.

  “I think she’s passed out,” Tucker said to his dad.

  Pain ripped through me once again. My head snapped back just as Tucker’s father was pulling his cigar away from my skin. I pulled my hand back, tears falling from my eyes. I was in misery. The smell of my burning flesh made my stomach nauseated.

  “Stand up!” Tucker and his dad barked at me. They stood on either side of me gripping my arms, and dragged me across the room. I dug my heels into the carpeting, losing my flip-flops as they dragged me along.

  “They are going to kill you,” a familiar voice said in my ear. I tried to gather my wits. Tried to make sense of who it was I was hearing. I shook my head, bringing myself back into reality. It was Ezra.

  “They are going to kill you, unless you do what I say. Let
me in and I will get you out of here,” she told me.

  “What do I do?” I asked out loud.

  “You do what we tell you to do,” Tucker said, thinking I was talking to him.

  Ezra was at the door, the three of us passing right through her as we moved through the doorway.

  “Go to sleep,” she said.

  I wished it was that easy. I dropped to my knees in the hallway, hurrying to think of any way out. It was a bit challenging to fall asleep when you were being dragged by two men to who knew where.

  “Fight them. They already proved they will hit you. Fight and make them do it again,” she pressed.

  I screeched, doing as she recommended, swatting at Everett and smacking Tucker in the face. I broke loose and gave him a stiff elbow to the face as he tried to regain control of my thrashing arm. I heard Tucker’s furious growl as he held his nose, blood filling his hand.

  I braced myself for the next hit, cringing when a fist collided into the side of my face, knocking me to the floor. My head fell slack and my eyelids shut instinctively.

  I was totally unaware of how much time had passed since I lost consciousness. My head pounded, my arms were aching and tied behind my back.

  Waves crashed in the distance. I wasn’t inside anymore. I was outside and by the water. I dropped my head to the side, opening my eyes the best I could. It was dark. The only light was the glint against the water that came near my face before drawing back. As another wave approached and hit my skin I realized I was nude. Naked and alone.

  I rolled on my stomach, lifting my head up so I could understand.

  “Hello?” I called out into the darkness. Was I even close to home? My head pulsated, I was in so much pain I barely could see straight. Everything was a blur.

  The waves crashed against me again, this time making me gag on the water. The force dragged me to my side, gradually drawing me into the water. I dug my feet into the sand trying desperately to stay on the coastline. Without the use of my hands, if I slid into the water, I was sure to die.

  I closed my eyes, not able to stay awake anymore. I was petrified this was it for me. Tucker and his dad were long gone, probably pleased, both of them certainly thinking I was dead. Why else would they drop me near the water and not stick around?

  A million images flashed in my mind—growing up in Georgia, Slade, moving to California, all the good times I had with my family, old pets, all my favorite music. Karsen’s laughter. Things you only saw when you were fading away.

  But I didn’t want to die. I wanted to stick around. I didn’t want my parents to grieve for me. I didn’t want to leave this life, not yet.

  A warm gust of air blew across my skin. I no longer felt wet and cold. Or even sore.

  I opened my eyes, looking around, listening for the racket of the ocean. Wiggling my toes, but finding no wet sand. I moved my hands, realizing they were no longer bound. I was staring up at the sky. The sun wasn’t out yet, but it wasn’t totally dark. I shut my eyes, listening to the birds singing, the same familiar chirps I heard every… morning.

  I opened my eyes for a second time. Was this sunrise? Had I made it to where I needed to be without knowing it?

  A hand brushed across my forehead, Lucy’s image coming into view. She smiled. “You’re alright,” she whispered, urging me to remain still.

  I raised my head. She gently pushed my head back down.

  “Don’t move, Hope. Just trust us and everything will be okay.”

  I nodded, searching for Slade. I needed to see him. I knew if I laid eyes on him that I would be able to do anything.

  “Slade,” I said in a gravelly voice.

  “Slade is right here,” Lucy assured me.

  “I’m right here, Hope. And you’re going to be okay,” he said, kissing my temple, his lips calming me as they warmed my skin.

  Lucy and Slade stood above me while Lucy read from a large, heavy leather book. She snapped the book shut. “Okay, it’s time.”

  Slade shook his head, shutting my eyes with his fingertips. I followed along with his silent commands, waiting for them to do whatever it was they needed to do to fix everything. I could ask questions later on how I got here, where Tucker and his father were, and what had happened to me.

  But right now, I needed to trust them.

  A small drone filled my ears. I opened my eyes, confused by the sound, and shrieked at the sight of Slade. He stepped forward, plunging a knife blade into my chest, tearing through my flesh. My eyes filled with tears, my body left weak. I clutched the wound, gaping at Slade as he held the bloodstained knife in his grasp. His eyes locked on mine as he watched me fading right there in front of him.

  So much for trust, I thought to myself, rolling to my side. I did my best to apply pressure to the wound and crawl away from him. But instead of attacking me some more, he knelt down, pressing his hand over mine and held me tightly in his arms. He kissed my forehead.

  “It’s going to be okay,” he whispered.

  I stared into his eyes, trying to have faith in him.

  “I wasn’t trying to hurt you. I was getting rid of Ezra. Now it’s your turn to end this, Hope.” He smoothed my hair, pushing it away from my face and behind my ear. I didn’t understand him. What could I do? I was lying in his arms, bleeding out. Too shocked to feel the pain. Too frightened to try to fight. My heart was beating slower and slower

  “What do I do?” I asked faintly.

  “Just let go,” Slade coaxed me.

  I was confused. I stared at him, unable to speak. Was he telling me to just roll over and die, literally?

  “Just trust me, Hope. This is part of the plan. Do you trust me?”

  I nodded slowly, beginning to cry.

  “Don’t cry. Do you really think I would just kill you?” He smirked, and I didn’t find it funny at a time like this, but it eased my heart and allowed me to believe his words.

  “I love you,” I whispered, dropping my hand away from my wound.

  “I love you, too,” Slade said back. He caressed my hair, his face the last thing I laid eyes on before I did just as he said… I let go.

  Eternity

  A magnificent fire raged in the distance, and I was at ease. I opened my eyes to the soft glow, the warmth, the smells. It all was flawless. And the weirdest thing was, I didn’t know why I felt this way.

  Was this what heaven felt like?

  I sat up gazing down at my chest. There was no gory wound. I was in a black dress. A beautiful dress that I knew wasn’t mine, but it sure felt like it was meant for me.

  “Welcome back,” Slade said.

  I watched him as he happily stood next to the fire as if he had been there this whole time. He offered me his hand.

  I took it, allowing him to help me to my feet. If I was dead, I wasn’t sure how Slade got here, but it was even more picture-perfect.

  He grinned, watching me try to make sense of everything that was going on. Not saying anything to help me out. He let me toil with it for a little bit. I sighed. I probably would never understand without his help.

  “I don’t get it. Are you going to explain all of this to me?” I said finally. Slade pulled me close, wrapping his arms around me.

  “Ezra is gone. It worked. And you would be surprised to know what you’re capable of now.” He touched my cheek. I raised my eyebrows, everything falling into place and making more sense than ever before.

  Slade nodded his head, his eyes lighting up. “Yes, yes and yes.” He replied, before the words even escaped my lips.

  I was a witch.

  Ezra was dead and we could be together.

  “I apologize you had to deal with Tucker and his Dad, but I promise you, I got you out of there before they could do any real harm. And Ezra, she did what we all anticipated. And that was assume she could use you as her means of destroying me. But she was sadly mistaken. And I am sorry I stabbed you. But it was the only way to get rid of her,” Slade explained.

  I gripped the spot where m
y wound had been, the image of it still embedded in my mind. But it didn’t matter anymore, because I was still alive, and I was staring at the best thing that ever happened to me.

  “You did what they did to you that night, the night you guys crashed. You saved me. Now I’m like you guys?” I asked, thrilled at the thought of it.

  Slade quickly nodded his head, watching me take it all in. “I held off on the tats, wasn’t sure if you were that kind of girl. But if you look down at your wrist…” He took hold of my hand, flipping it over.

  I smiled. A very exceptional tattoo adorned my skin. A black heart, more detailed and complex than the solid black one from before. It twinkled against the sun, making me smile even bigger.

  I pulled him in for a kiss. “I want to learn everything there is to know about being a witch.”

  “And we have all the time in the world to teach you,” Slade said with a nod.

  The idea I could learn magic and possibly do it myself excited me. But not as much as the idea of being with Slade and never having to worry that anyone would take him away from me. That made me the most excited.

  “I love you,” Slade said, drawing me in for a kiss, his fingers tangling through my hair, his breath warm against my skin, my heart did a joyful jig.

  I held on tight.

  “I love you more,” I said as we broke apart.

  I held tight to Slade’s hand as we headed down the beach back to my house. A million questions needed to be asked, but I knew there was a time for all of them, so I settled on just a couple as we grew closer to my house.

  “What about Tucker and his dad? What about my dad?” I questioned.

  Slade squeezed my hand. “I gave him a little help in being honest.”

  “What does that mean?”

  Slade smiled. “Let’s just say you won’t be seeing either one of them in the near future. And as for Tucker’s dad, I don’t think a criminal record will do him any good in the next election.”