Tainted Blood (Book 2)

7. Only In Dreams

She sat quietly on her bed, watching Torben as he talked with his hands about something she wouldn't focus on. She was looking for an opportunity, which would certainly present itself. Torben had grown very comfortable around her. Careless would probably be a better word, he often turned leaving his back exposed and weak. He turned, just as she thought he would, and she stood silently behind him. He turned half around nearly fell into the glass.

"Jesus! Virginia you scared me," he exclaimed, his hand over his heart. His smile sank as he took in her appearance. She looked angrier than he had ever seen her. More awareness than he had seen in weeks.

"What's going on?" he asked carefully prodding for an answer. A low growl escaped her throat. His hand instinctively fell to his stake gun, he'd never used it on her and didn't want to break that record. He took four rather large steps to his left, toward the door. She allowed him to move, white eyes watching him the whole way. His free hand fell to the doorknob. She snarled and started at him.

"Whoa. Hey," he said as he held his hand up, releasing the doorknob. She still refused to stop her advance. His heart slammed in his chest as she advanced, "Stop!" he screamed. She stopped as the cold metal tip of the stake gun pressed into the fabric right over her heart.

"You lied," she whispered.

"What?" His eyebrows pulled together in clear confusion.

"You lied to me. You told me she wasn't here." He looked at her like she belonged in the maximum security section of a nuthouse.

"Who wasn't here?"

"Olivia."

"She's not here Virginia," he stated.

"Stop lying," her voice raised in octave and volume, "Just stop lying to me." She sounded beaten down, so tired.

"Virginia, I'm not lying to you. She is not here." She shook her head and stepped back from him. This allowed him to gather himself as push out of the corner he was trapped in.

"I never pegged you as an asshole like Cornelius."

"I am nothing like that thing!" Torben spat out the last word like it was poison.

"Bathroom, now." He sucked in a breath and held it. He knew what walking into that small enclosed, non-monitored room meant. It meant that one of two things was going to happen; he would either walk out alive or not. He just hoped he could convince her of the truth, not whatever distorted reality this place had forced her into. The door closed with a heavy thud behind him, officially sealing off the outside world.

"I know she's here Torben. I talked with someone who I would give my life for. Stop lying to me," she said, her face still turned toward the door. He was thankful that she wasn't showing him her eyes, the pure white of them startled him to uncomfortable heights.

"Who did you talk to?"

"Does it really matter?" she asked callously.

"Actually it does. Especially when they're calling me a liar," he snapped. He smelled so strongly of anger that it surprised her.

"His name is Jason. He's a very old friend of mine with absolutely no reason to lie to me about the whereabouts of my daughter. You, on the other hand, work for the company, or person, holding me captive. Self-preservation is a pretty big reason to lie Torben."