Thank you JJ34 for editing the beginning!
As a recap from Chapter 11, Trinity and Drake got closer sexually. As Trinity went to change in the other room afterwards she was attacked by Jamison. The attack brought back a flashback of Trinity's past and her former marriage. Words were said and Trinity left to deal with baggage from her past. Alex, Meridian and Connor went to find her. Please remember to vote!
Enjoy,
Meridian
Mourning Aura
Trinity drove up to the warehouse. She took a deep breath to center herself. Something in her soul shifted. A loss of expectations she formerly had for a love, marriage, and children. It all blurred from a dream into reality. Slowly from the beginning of her marriage her blurred unrealistic expectations were devoured by the brutal blinding light of reality. She climbed out of the Hummer and walked up to the front door of the warehouse. She slowly entered glancing around viewing the destruction.
She remembered when she had first married Jeremy; he had carried her over the threshold to show her the refurbished warehouse. It was his idea of their perfect home and office. He had renovated several areas so that he had an office for his salvage and treasure hunting and she had space for her dream of a jewelry store where she designed the jewelry. Unconsciously, she smiled at the dreams that began her marriage. But the dreams had slowly dissolved. The fights had begun with the stress that slowly took over until Jeremy started doing drugs to cope with it.
How much she missed the man she loved in the beginning slipped through. She had forced herself to never cry while she was married to him once he started doing drugs. The more she cried and fought the more he enjoyed hurting her. The only part of it she remembers was the initial night he had done so many drugs he was virtually out of his mind. It was a stupid fight. He was pissed that dinner was running late and he had thrown the dinner on the floor. Unaware of the person her husband had changed into, she got in his face to fight with him. He had hit her until everything went black. It was at noon the next day that she woke up in the hospital and Jeremy was asking who had beaten her. She still remembered whispering, "You." He threw everything from her bedside table across the room and left.
She had tried to hide what was happening from her sister Alex. She really did suck at lying. Her excuse of falling down the stairs was a miserable lie. Jeremy had become more and more possessive after that and she rarely left the warehouse.
Their beautiful dream warehouse had turned into her dingy dirty prison. She took stock of things in her mind. She saw the holes in the walls from when Jeremy would get mad and punch the wall instead of her. Handcuffs were chained to the bed with blood on them, her blood. After Jeremy's death, her sister Alex had warned her that if she focused too much the block her psychic sister had built in her brain would tumble down and all the worst memories would come back.
There were very little emotions attached to the events right now but even on the outside looking in it was heartbreaking. Alex had warned her if she focused on it too much that would change like a virtual closet door that was full, it would open and all of the bad things would fly out. Alex had built the door to help her cope, after watching her sister struggle for six months with counselors making little progress she had to do something. Alex was relieved when she tried constructing a psychic block on the horrible memories and it had worked.
The stains were still on the bedroom floor were her husband had died. Not really her husband, some other man after the drugs. The brilliant man who was into salvage and ocean treasure hunting went from brilliant to a rambling madman on drugs. It was hard to believe the man who did the drugs was so cruel and uncaring but still her husband Jeremy.
She kept telling herself she could be strong enough. She had to be strong enough. The words from Drake and Logan kept ringing through her head. Marcus's words had hurt, "Trinity was and will always be regarded as a slave and a whore. She is inferior and unqualified to be anyone's mate." She was really starting to adore her sister Meridian's mate Marcus and this made her feel like an outcast but the worst was yet to come. She actually had some hope of something going forward between her and Drake. Then without even talking to her he judged her and said words that froze her heart, "I can't have a whore for a mate much less a mistress."
She had promised to never let herself cry ever again. Alex had blocked most of the memories but a few still slipped through. Alex was unable to block them all out but had been able to block most of the worst ones. Entering the warehouse was not like entering a place she had never been but more like walking into a partially faded nightmare to find out it was real.
She was going to deal with this now. She would never be weak again. She never needed anyone ever again. Love was just a lie someone made up. Love was a very cruel illusion.
Trinity faced her demons as she walked into the basement. Her loss of memories made her feel somewhat empty and lost. She was overcome with a cruel coldness that oddly calmed her soul. She had to decide what to do. She searched in the corner for the hidden bombs she knew Jeremy kept there. She planted them around the foundation. No one should ever come here again. No one should ever have to live what she lived through. She placed his ashes and urn in the center of her cell in the basement. It was where a part of her died and he should be left in the same spot.
She sent a text to Alex & Meridian: Destruction clears way for growth. I love you.
Trinity left the building and sat in the hummer away from the warehouse with the remote detonator. "Goodbye. I loved the real you Jeremy." One tear slid down her cheek as she hit the button and the building exploded. She drove around for hours. She had no idea where she was going.
~~~~~~
Meridian saw the blast from a distance. She felt pain in her heart. As Meridian, Alex and Connor drove up they saw the police and fire department but there were no updates. Alex climbed out of the SUV and just stood there looking at the rubble burn. Connor got out and stood behind her. Meridian stayed in the SUV.
Alex started to cry, "Please tell me she wasn't in the building!" Connor grabbed her and held her.
~~~~~~
Meridian's hold on Marcus, Logan and Drake had passed. Drake was in his room. He felt a horrid feeling in his stomach. He felt the change when he entered the room after talking with Marcus. He felt her loss of happiness; her lack of smiles just coldness remained. He felt so damn empty and guilty. He had hurt her. He should have been standing up for her and protecting her but he abandoned her. All over fucking status and what others would think. Well fuck that!
The pictures of her abuse were stuck in his head. One thing that really blew about being a vampire is that memories of things like that did not fade like in normal humans. He was stuck with each description of her abuse and each photo in his mind.
Marcus knocked and walked in. Both of them looked like a wreck. "Have you heard from them?"
"No, I'm just a feeling of mourning from Meridian." Drake turned on the TV to see the news report of the remote warehouse exploding. Drake buried his face in his hands.
~~~~~~
"I really don't think there is anything we can do here. Let me drive us back. Even if she was inside it will take days to figure out." Connor commented as he picked up Alex and placed her in the SUV.
Meridian became very cold just like she had when bad things happened. They went back to Alex's mansion.
Connor carried Alex up to her room and Meridian followed. Marcus, Drake and Logan tried to follow them when Alex's assistant Tarrin blocked the way. Tarrin stood directly in front of Marcus.
"No, now is not the time. I should write a book 'How to not fuck things up as a vampire'. You guys need to back off. Alex will burn this house to the ground if she gets any more upset. Meridian is likely to behead you with some object from the room so back off!"
Marcus looked at her and scowled, "You will not forget our rank and who we are!"
Tarrin's voice became stern and extremely serious. "Oh ancient ones, I know who you are! You're the ones who hurt Trinity and if we're lucky she's not dead. You will also not forget those two women in there have not killed you yet but could. One in particular risked her life to help you without you asking. You underestimate what happens to us lowly humans when in pain. They don't even know if Trinity is alive. You were not here when she was dragged out of that filthy basement barely alive. So DO NOT consider this disrespectful, I am trying to save your lives. In the end we still have a job to be done!"
Marcus knew he had to reign in his anger. "Please just have Meridian come out and talk to me."
