Betrayed by Blood (Betrayed #1) Page 18

  “Why would you think that?” I question.

  “Well, you did fall in love with a man in Korea, dear.”

  “Oh my goodness. I’m such an idiot. Em, he’s a government contractor! He’s from the States so no I wouldn’t be moving here permanently.”

  “Does that mean I can’t come visit you?”

  My heart lurches at her question. “Oh, Em. Please tell me you’re coming for a visit. Twelve months is an awfully long time to go without visiting your best friend,” I whisper into the receiver.

  “That’s why I was calling. I’m going to start looking at tickets next week. What do you say we come up with a day that works best so you can help me find the right flight? I mean, let’s face it, you know way more about international travel than I do.”

  “Em, that sounds perfect. I’m really good any day next week after school. We get out at four so just email me what day works best for you.”

  “Yay! I’m so excited. I’ll get to hop on a plane and spend some time with my bestie. Maybe do a little shopping, meet the man that stole your heart. I mean, as your best friend, I do have the right to interrogate him. Plus, we need to see how he rates on the Emma hotness scale.”

  I begin laughing so hard that tears leak from the corners of my eyes. Gasping, I inhale a few deep breaths before replying, “Oh, Em, he rates really, really high on the hotness scale, among other things. I can’t wait to get your flight settled next week. I’m ready for you to be here.”

  “Me either. I’ve missed you terribly. Well, I’ve got to run now. I’ll send you a calendar invite later today. Love you!”

  “Love you, too.”

  Hanging up the phone, I catch a glimpse of the time and sigh, realizing I’ve only got an hour before I have to be at Madame Lin’s to teach. So much for lounging around waiting for Alex to come back. Tingles erupt in my belly and heat pools in my core as I think about all of the delicious things Alex did to me last night. Pushing all thoughts of Alex out of my mind, I quickly gather my belongings and head to my apartment.

  Arriving at the penthouse, the loft is strangely quiet as I enter. Strolling into the foyer, I’m startled as Madame Lin rounds the corner, a scowl marring her perfect brow. My hand flies up to my chest as a small shriek leaves me.

  “Oh!” Madame Lin arches an eyebrow in response to my outburst. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you.”

  “Mmm. Yes, it would seem so. You clearly lack the ability to pay attention to your surroundings.” She crosses her arms over her chest while peering down her nose.

  “Oh. Um, yes, well, I do apologize,” I say, trying to walk around her into the sitting room. Madame Lin continues to block my path before slathering on a smile that reminds me of a king cobra.

  “Come join me for tea. There are some things we need to discuss,” she says, matter-of-fact, before turning and walking into the sitting room.

  Following behind her, I sit when she motions toward the couch. Madame Lin waves her hand and a servant appears with a serving tray, housing a teapot and two small teacups. Placing the tray on the table, the servant bows and exits, leaving me alone with Madame Lin once again. Pouring a small amount of the tea into both of the cups, she offers me one before taking one for herself. She motions for me to take a sip before she sinks back into the plush leather sofa, getting comfortable. The tea is bitter and tastes a little funny.

  Smiling as if she’s just been told a funny joke, Madame Lin says, “You know, Ms. Parker, the girls love you. Cho Sang-hyun loves you. I really don’t see what all the fuss is about.” Her words confuse me. My brain seems to be a little fuzzy and I’m having trouble comprehending things. The room seems to be growing unclear.

  Finally able to put together a sentence, I say, “I don’t understand.”

  “No, you wouldn’t. You see, you are necessary. Someone important requires your presence, even if I find you revolting.” Her words sting. Who is she talking about? What the hell was in that tea? What is going on? Black starts to creep in the sides of my eyes as the room begins to spin. Soon the spinning fades and my once clear vision is now a haze of blurry shapes.

  She grips my chin with such bruising force a yelp is torn from me. She turns my head to the side, studying my eyes. “Ah, yes the tea is working,” she exclaims. Shaking my head to ward off the dizziness, I’m met with a wave of nausea and force my hand to cover my mouth. Swallowing, I lay my head back and close my eyes before righting myself. Unable to see, my hearing is heightened as I wait for my fate to be determined by Madame Lin and her unknown associates.

  The full effects of the tea take place as Madame Lin claps and exclaims excitedly, “Yes! Perfect. Here you are. She is ready. The tea is working.”

  Heavy footsteps enter the room, moving closer; my mind goes to Alex, wishing he were here to save me from my unknown fate. I always feel safe when he’s around, no matter what. I should have known better than to come here alone. Something told me this place wasn’t right.

  “She’s ready?” a man’s voice echoes through the room.

  “Yes, she is ready,” Madame Lin proclaims.

  “She wants to see her before we leave,” the man states.

  “What! You brought her here? Why didn’t you tell me?” If I didn’t know any better, I’d think Madame Lin feared this unknown woman. My heart thrums in my chest, blood pounding in my ears as I wait. If Madame Lin is terrified of this unidentified woman, I know I sure will be. What exactly does she want with me, anyway? My hands clench into tight little balls. The bite of my nails prick the palm of my hands, digging deeper with each passing moment.

  Sweat beads on my brow as tension thickens the air. The fog inducing tea continues to cloud my vision. Squeezing my eyes closed, I take in a deep breath, drumming up memories of Alex. Calling to mind his touch, the curve of his jaw, the thick stubble he always seems to sport when he’s around me. Filling my lungs with air, it’s as if he’s with me, his lavender and sandalwood scent filling me, soothing some of my fear.

  A hushed whimper leaves me. Fate can be a real cruel bitch sometimes. She’s the one that brought Alex to me. He is my saving grace that came into my life and awakened me. Now . . . now she’s taking him away from me. No more soft caresses, no more holding me to his chest, whispering how I’m the light of his life reaching the darkest corners of his soul. My chest aches with his absence. The truth is, he really is my saving grace, shining brightly, taking away the darkness. For the first time in my life, I feel alive. Maybe this was meant to be, maybe this was always destined to happen, or maybe she wanted something good to happen to me before the bad.

  Heels clicking in the foyer has me snapping my eyes open and sitting up straight as I look from side to side. Waves of nausea roll through me. Clamping a hand over my mouth again, I squeeze my eyes closed once more, trying to push the ill feeling away. A female’s voice sounds from the foyer.

  “Where is she?”

  “She’s in the sitting room.” Madame Lin’s words drip with disdain.

  “Is there a problem, Ajumma?” the woman sneers, her voice ringing with authority.

  “N—no, everything is as expected.” Madame Lin’s voice echoes with submission. Odd. Why would she be afraid of this woman? Trembling begins in my legs and I have to cross my ankles to keep my knees from knocking together. Steps echo as they start walking in my direction. Quickly, I rush to whisper a silent plea to God. “God, please take care of Alex. Help him to move on. Please, if you’ve ever listened to anything I’ve asked, I’m begging you. I love him. Please, help him get through this.”

  My rushed prayer comes to an end as a presence comes to stand in front of me. Tension locks all of my muscles, making it impossible to move. Blood rushes to my ears, loudly thumping as I wait in silence. Finally, a smooth hand caresses my face. Flinching, my eyes pop open, searching for the stranger. My vision is completely unfocused and hazy. Shadows and silhouettes are all I can see.

  “I’ve delivered her as you requested. Unharmed.” Madame Lin�
��s voice sounds from somewhere in the room.

  “Silence,” a vaguely familiar man shouts.

  The shadow in front of me crouches, leaning down, inching closer. Instincts scream at me to kick, scream, and run. Madame Lin’s tea is at full effect. I’m going to pass out at any moment. I’m fighting it as hard as I can, but I don’t know if I can hold out much longer. I grasp the edge of my skirt, desperate to have something to hold on to.

  Shadow’s hand grips my chin, tilting it from side to side as if he or she is inspecting merchandise. Slowly, the shadow pulls back, removing the smooth hand from my face. Stifling a shudder, I wait. A moment passes before the shadow finally speaks.

  “Hello, Ttal. I’ve been waiting for you.”

  All of the air shoots from my lungs as a voice from my past echoes a nickname I haven’t heard since I was a child. No. Please. God. No. It can’t be. Reeling with the voice from my past clawing at my soul for vengeance, shadows and darkness take me deeper, submerging me into a never-ending abyss.

  If fate is on my side, I know I’ll survive.

  Alex and Kylee’s story continues in Bound By Blood coming summer of 2016.

  A Note From The Author

  More than 2.5 million cases of child abuse and neglect are reported in the United States alone each year. One out of every fifteen children will be exposed to intimate partner violence, and ninety percent of these children are witnesses to unspeakable acts of tragedy. Domestic violence does not discriminate. It can affect anyone no matter their race, age, gender, sexuality, social status, or even nationality.

  If you or someone you know is in need of help please reach out to The National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or go online to DomesticShelters.org. Please remember you are not alone.

  Xoxo

  Vic

  To my wonderful husband and son, who managed to be patient with me during this incredible journey. Thank you. I truly could not have done this without you.

  My darling sister Yazi thank you for always listening, and being my cheerleader when no one else was. I will be eternally grateful for you always. To my parents who supported me on this journey thank you so much. Your love and continued support means so much.

  Clara Fox you have been the best friend a girl could have ever asked for. Those face-time chats really keep me going! My heart bursts with love every time my phone rings and your smiling face is there to greet me.

  Gabbie S. Duran without you there would be no Betrayed By Blood. Thank you for being my mentor guiding me through this process, and most of all thank you for being my friend.

  Rebecca Marie. Your text messages and our chats have kept me going on days that I didn’t even want to get out of bed! Thank you for all of the messages that make me smile. You truly are a blessing.

  To my wonderful team, my beta’s, my editor Edee M. Fallon, my cover designer Rebecca Marie, my formatter Stacey Blake, my promotional crew at Once Upon An Alpha run by Shannon Hunt and her crew and my street team. Without you I wouldn’t have been able to do any of this. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

  Last but not least, to all of the readers, and bloggers who took the time to read Betrayed By Blood. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

  Former Director for a major corporation Victoria has spent most of her life inside of a book. When she wasn’t reading she was busy scribbling down stories of her own. Meeting her husband while he was in the United States Army, Victoria quickly adapted and learned the role of the military spouse.

  After finishing her Business Management Degree in college she spent years working in the corporate world where her writing quickly fell to the wayside.

  Finally, taking time away from the corporate world Victoria has been able to dive into her stories and create a whole new world for you to live in. She now resides in the sunny Tampa, Florida area with her husband, son, and two amazing boxers. When she isn’t writing you can find her on the beach or hiking. Maybe even writing on the beach . . .

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