Life After Dark: Book Two of the Dark Series

Chapter 129

~ Timoria: Friends and Scary Alliances ~

"Don't give me that!"

"What?" Lucky asked, responding to Dawn's sudden irritation with him.

"That 'I believe that you believe' psycho-babble crap! Either you believe me, or you don't." Her brown eyes flashed, challenging him to answer her.

"I-I..." Lucky pushed himself off the bed. He swept trembling hands through his dark blonde hair. His back was to her, but he knew that she watched him. Her eyes bored into his back with alarming intensity, demanding that he be honest with her. But, how could he be, he wondered, when he wasn't certain as to what the honest truth was?

Beginning to pace, he remembered his earlier conversation with his father. Luke hadn't actually said that Nikolas was dead, but the look in his eyes... The cold, distance in Luke's blue eyes had been just as revealing as anything he could have said. But Dawn's eyes... Aside from her initial reaction to Lucky's presence, her eyes told him his brother was alive. Very much alive-

"Either you do, or you don't," she said again. Dawn tried to keep her tone even. She wanted to remain calm, but his stalling agitated her. Shifting uncomfortably on the bed, she said, "Lucky—"

"I don't know what to believe, alright?" he ground out. He spun around to face her. The fury in her eyes didn't prevent him from going back to her. He stood beside the bed and looked down at her. He cupped her face, raising her head until their eyes met. "I want to believe that he's alive, but what if he's not?"

"He is." Her voice was firm with conviction.

"Well," he said, releasing a long breath. His hands fell from her face, and he shoved them into his pockets. His eyes remained on her, but no words were spoken. As the silence grew, he became uncomfortable. Unable to hold her stare, his eyes wandered until they settled on the spot on the wall just a little to the right of her head.

"Lucky?" Dawn asked, her voice soft as she interrupted the stillness of the room.

Sapphire blue eyes darkened as they connected with her dark chocolate orbs. "Yeah?" he asked.

Dawn's eyes had clouded over. Her bottom lip quivered slightly, and she chewed on it nervously. Hoarsely, she asked him, "What aren't you telling me? Where's Mama and Stefan? Dara and Alex? Something's happened to them. Tell me."

Lucky shook his head. "Your mom is...Carrie's okay. I mean, I think she's okay, and for the others, they should be fine, too."

"What do you mean 'they should be'?" Dawn grabbed Lucky's hand, forcing him to look at her when he had turned away. "Why are you the only one here? My mom would be here with me. The others would be, too. What's going on?"

Lucky drew a long, hard breath. Sweeping his hand through his hair, he paused before answering her. He nervously moistened his lips as he lowered himself to sit beside her on the bed again. "This isn't GH. We're on an island somewhere-"

"We?" she repeated with a frown. "Just you and me? Why? I don't understand."

"The bombing was no accident-"

"Lucky, I realize that-"

"Will you be quiet a minute and let me finish?!" he asked. His tone was one mixed with agitation and humor. He knew that she understood as she offered him a faint smile and slight nod of her head. "Helena was behind it all-"

Her hands clutched his as fear gripped her. "She kidnapped us!"

"No," Lucky said, shaking his head. "She probably would have taken you, but my dad... He got to you and had you brought here."