Page 90 of Sinful Mates

I pushed her back. “What are you playing at, Bianca?”

“Who says I am playing? I just wanted to give you a little insight, the closure you never had.” She pouts.

“I knew your mother. In fact, I watched her for months while she worked. She never once recognized me; she would tell me all about her wonderful daughter. At first, I was curious about her, then it turned to hate. Your mother is the reason mine is dead. So, I thought it was only fitting that I let you know the same pain.”

“What are you talking about? I don’t even know you.”

“Of course, you don’t, how could you? But when you started working under Tobias and Theo, and I could tell straight away you were their mate, I couldn’t take it. It infuriated me watching them watching you. And you were completely unaware of the effect you had on them. Your family once again taking from mine. What’s the saying? Mother like Daughter. So, I decided I would take something from you.” I don’t like where this conversation is going, my brain trying to come up with anything to make sense of her words.

“So, when I saw your mother leaving work that day, I followed her. She was singing happily to the horrendous music coming from her stereo when I ploughed into her. You should have seen the look on her face when I got out of the car and walked over to her. She honestly thought I was her friend. I went to finish the job, killing her there on the spot when people started coming out while I tried to squeeze the life out of her, instead breaking her neck, but even that didn’t kill her. Your mother was a tough bitch, I will give her that.” I take a step forward clutching the lamp.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you. You don’t stand a chance. But wow that feels so good to get off my chest, like a weight lifted. Do you feel better, Imogen, knowing the truth? Did it give you closure?” she says, stepping impossibly close. I want to kill the bitch, want to rip those hairs off her head and skin her alive. Only I know she has the power here and she won. The triumphant smile that breaks out on her face, as my tears start to brim makes me want to smash her face till there is nothing left of it.

“I can’t wait to see the heart ache on their faces when they come home and realize their mate killed herself, so weak and pathetic like her mother,” she says before she grabs me, her hands going around my throat and squeezing as she lifts my feet of the floor, my legs kick at air, as I struggle to breathe. I claw at her hands trying to loosen her grip. My head is becoming light from the lack of air. Giving up on clawing at her hands, I instead jammed my thumbs in her eyes digging in deep. I can feel the slimy feeling of her eyeballs as my thumbs glide into the sockets. She releases me, dropping me on the floor and clutching at her eyes and screaming.

“You fucking bitch,” she says making me look up at her. She goes to move toward me, her foot going back as she rears back to kick me where I lay on the floor. I brace myself for it. When her strangled scream breaks out in the room, everything happens so fast I’m sure I imagine it. One second, she is aiming her kick, the next she is thrown backward. I sag in relief when I realize it’s Caroline. She grabs Bianca by her hair, ripping her upright before dragging her to the door.

“You can’t kill me,” Bianca laughs.

“No, I can’t, but that doesn't mean I can’t teach you some respect,” she says before throwing her through the door and into the shed. Bianca screams and begs as Caroline does god knows what to the woman. I stand just as she walks into the room again dusting off her clothes.

“Are you okay, Imogen?” I nod but I’m not alright; that bitch killed my mother, took the only person I had left away from me, for reasons I don’t know. How can anyone be alright after learning that? Tears brim before flowing over. Caroline’s arms wrap around me, pulling me close. “There, there, child, she can’t hurt you anymore. I’m here now,” she whispers soothingly.

“She killed my mom,” I whisper between sobs.

Caroline freezes before pushing me at arm’s length. “What did you just say?”

“She killed my mom, said it was payback for my mother killing hers.” Caroline looks just as confused as I feel about Bianca’s reasoning. My mother would never take anything from anyone, she was a good woman and a great mom to me. Caroline pulls me back toward her, hugging me tighter.

“We need to leave; we can figure out everything else later. But for now, we have to go before they come home," she tells me. I nod and let her drag me to the car. When I get in the silver Audi, I notice a woman sitting in the passenger seat. Caroline ducked inside to grab my suitcase.

The woman has an eerie feel about her. She isn’t that old. She looks around my age but there is something off about her. Her energy is off; I can’t explain it. She doesn’t scare me, but it’s like I can literally feel the power rolling off her. She turns in her seat, flicking her auburn hair over her shoulder and peering back at me, her pale blue eyes flicking to mine before she smiles softly.

“You must be Imogen. I’m Claire,” she says, reaching over the seat to shake my hand.

As soon as I place my hand in hers, she gasps, gripping my hand tightly. Her eyes turn white, and she has this faraway look. Like she is seeing through me at something I can’t see. I rip my hand from her grasp, alarmed. Her eyes seem to come back into focus, and the color comes back. Claire smiles softly, but she can’t hide the worry in them. The driver's side door opens, and Caroline hops in the car, looking between us, as Claire remains calm, staring like she is trying to figure something out.

“What happened?” asks Caroline, looking as confused as I feel.

“I don’t know?” I answer honestly. Claire remains silent but turns around in her seat, gazing out toward the front.

“We need to leave, now” she says, staring toward Caroline. Caroline hastily jams the keys in the ignition before taking off at a fast speed down the dirt driveway. Dust and dirt spray everywhere. Claire leans forward, grabbing something from between her legs. Its a black leather backpack. Sitting in the middle seat, I watch as she rummages around in her bag before pulling out a necklace. The necklace seems familiar; it takes a few seconds for me to figure out where I’ve seen the intricate design before. Sitting forward slightly, I pull the bracelet from my pocket.

It has the same design as the necklace Claire holds in her hand, the same silver vines and leaves wrapping around the bracelet to the pendant which has a lotus hanging from it, that is caged in by the vines.

“What’s that?” I ask her.

“It’s a witch’s talisman,” she says, her eyes darting to the bracelet I hold in my hand to show her.

“Turn back around,” Claire speaks when she sees the bracelet hanging from my fingertips.

“What, you just said we had to go?” Caroline says. I can hear the panic in her voice as she stares at Claire. Caroline spins the car around, anyway, heading back toward the house.

“What’s going on?” I ask,

Claire grabs the bracelet before dropping it and hissing in pain.

“That’s why I can’t read you, why it looks like you have no future. Where did you get that bracelet?” she asks, as I snatch the bracelet from where she dropped it on the carpet between the seats.