She Will Be Loved

15

I focused back in on the conversation just as James finished up, Isabella still standing across the room, her expression of horror reflected in every mirror.. "-no reason for me to touch her then." He sighed and I was surprised he didn't put a hand to his forehead, like people in old movies. "I destroyed the old one in vengeance."

"Alice." Bella gasped.

"Who the hell is Alice?" I demanded, my voice a garbled mess from my broken jaw. I was standing now, my voice weak with pain but still holding all the irritation I'd meant it to.

James glanced at me with a smile. "You'll understand soon, Genny. Patience. I have to take care of your sister, first."

"You can't—"

"Trust me, dear." James said soothingly. In an instant he was in front of me, breathing in with a smile. "You won't mind losing her. Not after I change you." He gave me a gentle kiss on the forehead, not even noticing as I struggled to break away from him. As he pulled back, his face was thoughtful. "Then again..." He said slowly. "I can't have you ruining my shot."

There was a loud crack and I screamed as I fell back to the ground again, clutching desperately at my second broken leg. James didn't even wait to see me fall, instead turning to my sister as she began to move toward me, yelling my name.

"Gene-!"

He dropped into a crouch and then he was on her, knocking her flying into a wall of glass. There was a sickening crack as she fell to the ground again, as shards exploded across the room. I hid my face behind my arm and felt bits of glass splinter into my flesh. I pulled down my arm to see James circling her like a vulture, admiring the wreckage.

"That's a very nice effect. I thought this room would be visually dramatic for my little film. That's why I picked this place to meet you. It's perfect, isn't it?"

"Bastard!" I yelled. It was all I could get out through the pain and my swelling mouth.

He turned and winked at me.

Then he walked over to my sister and placed a foot on her leg.

"Leave her alone!" I demanded, angry and slowly beginning to realize that if he changed me... if I became... like him... Was I going to be doing these things to someone? This thought was split in half as he stomped down hard and Bella screamed, her voice echoing with the snap of her leg. It was then that I had another thought: my sister was about to die. I was about to lose my sister, my sister who had come here to save me, and I was never going to get her back.

This BASTARD was stealing my family!

Stupidly—I cannot emphasize that word enough—I reached out and grasped a shard of glass, one almost as wide as my fist, and closed my hand around it. I don't know what I planned to do with it—throw it, maybe? And if so, how numb does a brain have to be before it considers throwing a piece of glass at a mad vampire?—but as soon as my hand closed over it, I felt it pierce my skin and I saw James turn and lock in on me like a shark finding a fish.

A drop of blood hit the floor.

I saw his face lose all humanity.

I saw the thirst take over.

I saw him arrive by my side, not caring as he yanked my hand up.

He sunk his teeth into my wrist and I felt the world seeping away.

"Isabella?" I muttered, looking for her. She should run now. This was going to be her only chance.

But when I looked across the room and found her, she was already unconscious.