Deadly

Chapter 16

Bennett stayed cooped up in his room all day. Benjamin assured us that it was normal behavior for him, but I'm not sure he knew what the real definition of normal. After watching his guards repeatedly almost drown those girls, I didn't want to be alone. It wasn't because I was scared they would come after me now, Benjamin had told me they wouldn't be able to hurt me. No, I just didn't want to be alone with my thoughts.

Normally I would have gone to Felicity for company, but she was with Dallas. Even though he hasn't been able to protect her from Fefe, Riley and Darla, she seemed to think he could now.

Slowly and hesitantly, I knocked on Bennett's door. Last time I'd seen him, it changed everything. We were working together now, not against each other. He didn't answer, in fact, I couldn't hear anything. He hadn't left his room, Benjamin was certain of that, but that would mean Bennett was ignoring me.

" Bennett?" I asked.

I thought back to our last encounter. " You should go," he said taking a step back. " It's worse here, it'll keep happening."

Did he mean his curse?

Was he scared to lose control?

" Bennett, I just want to talk." I said. " Please."

There was no answer. Leaning back against the door, I stared at the wall. This place.. It was draining. There were people everywhere, but it felt lonely. It lacked emotion.

Shoulders slumped, I walked to the hallway with the guest bedrooms. In front of my room I paused, hand held out. I glanced across the hall, at Dallases room. Felicity hadn't left since we had lunch. Just like this morning, she'd looked terrible. I couldn't help but wonder if she needed me. Did she want to talk, or be around me? What if I was being selfish? By staying away from Dallas, I was also putting distance between us.

" What's the worst that could happen?" I asked myself. Turning around, I walked to his bedroom and knocked on the door. Five racing heartbeats later, the door swung open. Dallas stood there, hair tousled, shirt only half tucked in.

His eyes softened into warm pools of chocolate. " Katherine."

My walls broke for a brief second when I heard the longing in his voice. Shaking away thoughts of forgiveness, I fortified my walls, drawing them up around myself.

" I came to see Felicity," I said shouldering around his large frame. When my skin touched his broad shoulder, a shiver travelled through my body. Ignoring it and the insatiable desire to look back into his eyes, I searched for Felicity. She was sitting on a couch on the far side of the room, her hands folded over her lap.

" Hi Katherine," she said smiling slightly.

Dallas closed the door and sidled up beside me. " Where have you been?"

Pretending I didn't hear him I walked across the room to join Felicity on the love seat. " How are you holding up?"

She shrugged unconvincingly.
" Alright, I guess."

Reaching out, I took her hand in mine. " You don't have to lie to me, Felicity."

Nodding, her smile turned sad.
" How much longer do we have to stay here?"

I'd hoped she wouldn't ask that question. I could have lied and told her that I didn't know yet, but I didn't want to do that. She would find out sooner rather than later. " He said a week from now."

The little light she'd had drained from her eyes. " That long?"

" No one is going to hurt you again." Dallas said to her. He sat down on an arm chair to the right of the couch. " Benjamin swears it."