Chapter 44: The Dark Side

"You sure this is going to work?" I asked James as he plugged Janet's phone into his computer.

"Pretty certain,' he grinned, winking at me. Had he not learnt his lesson after almost losing an arm?

After James showed me how to track Janet's phone using mine, I peeked out of the Swenlow's kitchen window at Caspian's car parked out front. I couldn't see him through the tinted windows, but I could imagine he was clenching his jaw and gripping the steering wheel, so tight that the leather stood the risk of unbinding. He had refused to let me come here alone, the most I could get was him waiting in the car while I ran inside to get the tracking software installed onto Janet's phone. It was not smart to have both James and Caspian in the same room, as Caspian would rip James's head right off if he even looked at me.

"I still wish you'd explain to me what's going on," James said. He had abandoned his glasses and as much as I hated to admit it, his eyes were actually a very pretty grey.

"I can't," I replied, holding my hand out for the phone.

Instead of giving me the phone, James placed his hand in mine. "You've already been contaminated by the dark side," he stated. His eyes stared right into my soul, trying to make me spill the secrets I was hiding.

I jerked my hand away from his.

"He's not good for you." James sounded like my mother when he said that.

I had created the dark side; I was the one who pulled Caspian into the darkness and forced him, well he had offered, to help me. Still, I was bad for Caspian and not the other way around.

"And you're good for me?" I asked, knowing what he was hinting at and allowing annoyance to seep into my voice.

"You can say that," James replied. "I could show you everything you're missing."

"I just need the phone." I gestured towards the computer screen, where a big, fat '100% Installed' was flashing.

James unplugged the phone and held it out towards me. I reached for it, only to have it snatched out of my reach. James put the phone in the pocket of his shirt and grabbed my wrist, yanking me towards his chest. "What about my reward?" he whispered, using his free hand to run a finger along my sternum. He hooked his finger around my butterfly necklace and looked down at me. I pushed against his chest and at the same time twisted my wrist, but it was of no use.

"Please," I pleaded, half begging for the phone and half begging him to release me.

"I do something for you, and you do something for me." James flashed his teeth. "I've helped you twice now, and all I'm asking for is one, little kiss," he finished.

"No," I practically screamed. How the hell was he so strong, when he did nothing besides sit behind a computer all day?

"Yes," he contradicted me, moving his face closer to mine.

I took the opportunity of his closed eyes to wiggle out of his grasp. I ran toward the door, but wasn't able to get to it, before he grabbed my wrist and pulled me flush against his chest. "I've got much more in stall for you," he hissed, through his teeth. Sue me for thinking James Swenlow was one of the decent ones. I might have been on the dark side, but he was on the darkest side.

I faintly heard the sound of two raps on the door, before James crushed his mouth against mine. He moaned loudly against my lips, while using his tongue to pry my lips open, in a way that made unpleasant goosebumps cover my arms and legs . I struggled against his chest, while he tried to tangle his hands in my hair. He grabbed a fistful of my hair and jerked my head back to allow him to lay kisses along my jawline and my neck, before moving his lips back up to mine. I tried to bite down on his lips, to shock him into releasing me, but my mouth was beginning to ache with the force of his kiss.

I felt a gust of wind as the door opened so quickly that it collided with the wall. James broke the kiss but kept his arms around my waist. He smirked at the person at the door. My heart stopped beating in my chest, when I saw his heartbroken face.

I tried to move towards the door to the man waiting there, but James tightened his grip on me. I glared at him and opened my mouth to scream at him, but he silenced my words, with his lips. He kissed me forcefully again. The disgusting taste of his mouth mixed with the saltiness of my tears, as I feebly struggled against him.

Suddenly muscular arms ripped me out of his grasp.

"What the hell!" James shouting caused me to look quickly back at him, just in time to see Caspian land a punch to his jaw. James took a couple of steps back rubbing his jaw. Caspian lunged forward, slamming his fist numerous times into James's face. Blood dripped from James's lip onto the floor. Caspian shoved roughly against James's chest, causing his body to fall limply to the floor.

Caspian lifted a hand to hit James again, but I put a shaking hand on his shoulder. He looked back at me, his face twisted with anger. I shook my head, trying to tell him it wasn't worth it. He took one more look at James's still form and delivered one more brutal kick to his gut, making sure to dig his heel into James flesh, surely leaving an ugly bruise.

"Let's go," I said as I tugged on his arm.

Caspian nodded his head, not trusting his words.

I held Caspian's hand in mine; his knuckles were bright red, with James blood. I stopped just before we headed out. I swiftly walked towards James and reached into his shirt pocket. I pulled out what I was looking for, only to find that a spider web of cracks covered the screen of Janet's phone.