The Secret Society

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

HPOV

"Lucy?"

A male laugh came from the other end of the line.

"Where is she?" I shouted.

The phone line went dead...

The blood rushed from my face.

Claire took in my expression and her mouth dropped open.

"What did she say?" Claire asked.

"It wasn't her," I called while actually nearly falling to my knees.

After all the confusion and eagerness to find out what had happened to Lucy, I had almost forgotten about Ella.

"Ella," I called out, hurrying to my car. What was she thinking? Where was she going?

"Wait Henry," Claire called. I turned around swiftly to see her running over to me.

"What about Lucy and Evan?" Dilemma upon dilemma, that is what my life had suddenly resorted to.

"Ella is safe and will not come to any harm, while we are unsure about Lucy." The b***h had a fair point, I will give her that.

"Where can I go?"

Claire crossed her arms and stood staring into space. After a few long moments she suddenly spoke.

"You go find Ella, I will go see Caius... okay, so he may not be able to speak too much, but I will get out of him what I can."

I nodded and exchanged numbers and headed off to find Ella.

EPOV

I ran out the mansion and along the long winding road trying to hail down a cab. I needed to get home and try to find any traces of Evan. He could have gone home after being with Lucy, who knew, who cared, I was still living on hope.

The thought of Evan not being in the world anymore actually pained me.

I had grown to loathe him, actually felt like killing him myself on several occasions, but the thought of him actually being dead left a numb feeling in my chest.

After the longest two hours of my life, I eventually went running through the door. The house was empty and quiet.

"Evan," I called while running into each room of the house. I finally headed into the bedroom and noticed the cupboard doors open and all of Evan's clothes had gone!

Why the f**k were his clothes gone, please?

I ran to the telephone and called his mobile. It was going straight onto answer machine. I knew this would happen, but like I said before, I was living on hope.

I looked around the room, studying each bit of furniture to see if anything had been moved. Would Caius's men actually come to the house and take his clothes, trying to hide the fact they had killed him? Would they really go to such great lengths to hide this? Did they believe for one second I would believe Evan and Lucy would run away together?

Of course they would!

CAIUS'S POV

"Confirm," I asked.

"Yes."

That was all I needed to hear. I was... don't get me wrong, I am not a complete heartless bastard, but I was annoyed.

Why didn't Henry tell me two days ago he and Lucy had split up? Why had Ella not advised me last week that she and Evan were no longer a couple? Why the f**k did nobody tell me anything anymore?

FUCK IT.

DAMN.

MEGA f**k.

Henry was standing staring at me, waiting for my response. After I choked out my most f*****g stupid reply to date, me and Henry got into a heated discussion.

Then he asked me to call my henchmen. Okay, how I held my laugh in I will never know. Henchmen, did he think we lived a hundred years ago or something?

And after making the dumb f**k mistake of apologising to Henry, he launched for me. I didn't fight back. I didn't have the right to defend myself. He believed I had killed Lucy and for that, I would take the beating.

Had I actually killed Evan and Lucy? Well, of course that is what he wanted to know. Do I tell him the truth or do I lie out my ass in hopes he would keep me alive?

I didn't deserve to live at this point.

Lucy, with her strawberry blond hair, how it radiated when she moved her hair side to side, how she oozed s*x appeal more than any other woman known to man. She was Mrs Perfect and now, well, now she is not.

I told my men they did not need permission, if they saw each other again, take them out. That was my exact words. Take them out... take them f*****g out... why would I say that? Why would I f*****g say something so stupid and for the first time in my dumb ass life not mean it?

Die, you bastard.

I could imagine Henry saying it over and over as his fist punched into my nose. I suddenly felt my body tumble to the floor. I had no strength to move, I had no energy left in my body.

I nodded in and out of unconsciousness to eventually be woken by Claire.

"Hey dumb ass," Claire called while prodding me with a pen. "You still alive?"

"No," I moaned out in pain because f**k, I really had just taken the best beating of my life.

"What the f**k did you do this time? Tell me now if Lucy and Evan are dead." Her voice was actually quite threatening for the first time in our twenty-one-year relationship.

BITCH.

"I thought you didn't like being involved in this side of work." I mocked the b***h because she was just so f*****g annoying it was enjoyable to wind her up.

"Don't make me finish the job Henry started," Claire moaned out. I still never had or could get used to her whining.

"CAIUS!" Claire called. She wanted an honest answer. Did I tell her the truth? Did I tell her the lie? Each one slightly surreal, but memorable.

"CAIUS, last chance." I think she would have rammed the pen down my throat if I didn't answer.

"YES!" I yelled out. "YES, they are both f*****g dead, okay? Yes, they are as we speak being driven off a cliff." I took a deep painful breath.

"Do not tell Henry and Ella, Claire. I mean it. Let them think they have run off together, it's the best way. They will never get over this if they believe we killed them... I killed them... I f****d up. Claire, things are going to change after this, I swear it will, love."

The next second there was a foot in my face and I was out cold again.

I am not sure how many hours later it was when I was being pulled up by John. He looked panicked as he carried me over to the sofa in my office.

"Are Lucy and Evan taken care of?" I was hoping something went wrong... yeah, bite me, not something I would normally think either.

"It has been sorted, sir. It looks accidental."

I nodded and f**k it hurt a lot. Each move I made hurt like hell, each twitch felt like a kick in the gut and each blink felt like my eyes were being poked out.

I deserved the pain.

I took the pain.

"We have to get you to hospital, sir," John called. I would have nodded in agreement, but like I said, it was too agonising to do so.

John and Phil wrapped an arm around me and helped me up and walked me to the car.

I suddenly felt my left side go down and turned to see John had been shot in the head. Phil began panicking and quickly pulled us to the side of the car.

I looked over to see John with blood pouring from his head.

"f**k!" Phil called out. It was as if he could read my mind.

"Stay down, sir," John called and went to lift up while pulling a gun from the back of his pants.

"NO!" I yelled because this was obviously a professional and then he was down, with a bullet in the head and I had to face facts. I was a goner. I could barely walk. I had no chance of running to the house or getting in the car without getting shot.

For some unknown reason I wasn't scared at facing death in the face. I didn't have that fight-for-survival instinct in me. I believed I deserved death. I was ready.

I loved Claire.

Why the f**k did that thought come into my head?

I heard Claire screaming in the background. I tried to yell to her to get inside, but she came running over to me. I was only thankful the hit man was not after Claire's blood as well.

"Claire," I mumbled out. "Claire, there is one thing I want to say to you."

"Caius, save your energy, I've called the cops. They are on their way." I knew the cops were no good in this situation. He would be moving closer as we speak.

"I love you, Claire Bear."

Claire's smile at me and that smile brightened up my f*****g day like the sun.

"I'm sorry I haven't given you the life I promised I would have."

"Caius, please, save your energy, baby. Everything will be okay and we can go back to kicking each other's asses."

We both laughed. Well, Claire laughed. I think mine sounded more like a choking sound.

I heard a noise coming from behind us and I knew it was time.

"Wait, let my wife go inside," I pleaded. I couldn't have her witness this. Whether the hit man took any notice was a different matter altogether.

"NO!" Claire screamed. "Please." She begged. She actually begged for my life. After everything I had ever done to her, she now was fighting for me.

I heard the steps come closer around the car and I looked up, a gun pointed to my head, Claire screaming and f*****g Nathaniel Armstrong standing there with a f*****g grin on his face that would sink a god damn ship.

"Nathaniel," I stuttered out. I was a dead man. He hated me. I called him a hit man, but I think he was doing this for himself; he wanted me dead for a while now.

"GO!" Nathaniel shouted to Claire, but she held on to me as though her life depended on it.

"Please, God, please," Claire begged.

"Sorry, sugar pie, but this is one hit I will be accomplishing." Damn him.

"No!" Claire called while pulling at me and covering my body with her own.

"I can go through you, it's no problem for me, but I presume you would prefer to live?" Nathaniel asked her.

"Please love, please go inside," I begged her. "I won't be able to stand this knowing you are killed as well."

Claire's tears were streaming down her face and for the first time in years, I truly noticed how beautiful she was. She was stunning and Lucy held nothing on her, NOTHING.

"Please baby, go inside and hide."

"I'm not going to kill her," Nathaniel called and damn him. How could I hate him for giving the woman I love a chance?

"Thank you," I whispered while kissing Claire on the hair. It was the best I could do with my injuries.

"Last chance," Nathaniel called.

"Go, please go." I pushed Claire off of me and she kissed me for the first time in years and f**k it felt like the first time we kissed. How I'd missed her.

"I love you," I called again to Claire. The second she moved, I kept my eyes on her, following her until she reached the house.

"Close it," I called to Claire as she stood at the door begging with Nathaniel to let me live.

"Your choice," Nathaniel called to her while holding the gun at my forehead.

Closing my eyes thinking of only Claire, the image of perfection, the bang went...

Fuck.

HPOV

I searched for Ella everywhere. The only place I hadn't looked was her home. For some reason I didn't feel she would go there, but it was my last chance. I had to go.

My phone rang. Nathaniel popped up.

"Jobs completed," Nathaniel called. I grinned. Caius deserved it.

"His men?"

"Dead."

"I'll transfer the money within the hour."

"The girl was an interference."

"Claire?" He had better not have hurt her.

"The wife, yeah. They had their moment together. I gave the fucker that at least, but I let her live. But if she causes any trouble for me, I will have to come back and sort her out."

FUCK.

"I'll make sure she keeps quiet." I wasn't sure how, but I will sort it.

My mobile rang through again and Claire's name popped up.

"I have to go, Nathaniel, another call. I will call you soon," I promised and hung up.

"Claire," I called.

"OMG Henry, Caius is dead. He is f*****g dead and John and Phil as well."

I didn't care.

"Are you okay?" I wanted to honestly know.

"Yes," she called while crying uncontrollably down the phone.

Caius has done this to too many families, I reminded myself. He deserved this. How many people's lives had he destroyed?

"I'm sorry Claire," and I truly was. I had caused this. I had her husband killed. I made her feel this way, but on the other hand her husband had me looking for my ex-fiancée who could at this very moment be dead because of him.

"Claire, did he mention Lucy?" And yes, call me an asshole, whatever you want, but I needed to know.

"He said they were fine," she choked out. Why did it sound like she was lying?

"Claire?" I questioned her.

"He said they were alive," Claire snapped at me.

She wouldn't lie for him, surely? He was dead now; there is no reason to lie for him.

Lucy and Evan were alive somewhere. For that I was grateful.

Life could be good for the four of us.

Life was just about to begin.