KILLERS CAN LOVE TOO by Mary Claire Garcia (classic books for 12 year olds txt) 📖

alive. He frowned as he laid Tanya on her bed. He was going to tell the siblings where he planned to take her. It was up to them to put two and two together. He tucked Tanya inside the comforter.
“Tell her I’ll be taking her out to the amusement park tomorrow evening” Damien said as cheerfully as he could muster.
“You’re planning to take her out on a date! Alright then,” said Mirabella.
“What a great idea! We’ll take her out shopping tomorrow, Damien,” Iris said.
He left knowing the siblings probably thought it was a way to cheer her up. If only they knew it was a trap just for their new best friend. He never planned to kill the girl he wanted to marry.


 
CHAPTER X
Cam was surprised at the turn of events when he was absent at school. He should go to Tanya now and comfort her. He felt strangely happy. Must be the realization he had yesterday. He was in love with Tanya and he wanted her to fall in love with him too. He smiled as he knocked at Tanya’s door. There was no answer. Was she still asleep?
“Miss Tanya is not in Headquarters, Lord Ashraic,” said Rick who was passing by.
“It’s not a school day. Where is she?”
“Uhh she went with the girls from her squad. They said they were going out to prepare her for a date with Sir Damien,” said Rick who clearly wanted to flee from his presence.
He cursed. Rick flinched. So the bastard was one step ahead of him. Guess he should just wait for his princess to come home. He sighed. Is she still wasn’t Damien’s queen.
Tanya wanted to turn the mall to dust. It was already late afternoon and her companions still haven’t found the right attire for her. It was very tiring but she never had so much fun in her life. They laughed at the ridiculous clothes they found and tried almost every dress they could find. So they decided to rest first. Even Reapers get tired too. They were at the food court and people were staring at them. Mirabella was wearing a sleeveless beige top with a white skirt and gold high heels. She had gold jewelleries on and her long caramel coloured hair made her look like very elegant. Iris was wearing a red kimono top and a black frilly skirt. She had matched her pair of black doll shoes with the red stones and the result was a beautiful breathing doll. Tanya was wearing a black top with a gold zipper dividing the middle. She was also wearing black leggings with her black boots. She looked like a very seductive huntress.
“People are staring,” Tanya said.
“Let them, sweetie” Mirabella laughed.
“Tanya dearie, tell us. Are you in love with Damien?” asked Iris.
Tanya was startled of the directness of the question. The two had been using endearments to her too. It made her feel precious to them and she knew she really was.
“No, I’m not in love with him. I…also plan to tell him that later,” Tanya said.
It was the truth and she was no longer confused.
“So why did you agree to this?” Mirabella asked.
“I…know this is his way of cheering me up”
She looked down. She knew most people would view her as someone who’s just taking advantage of Damien. The siblings hugged her.
“We know you’re not using him, Tanya darling. You’re just going on a date to have fun!” said Iris.
“Are you in love with someone else, sweetheart?” asked Mirabella.
She blushed. The two squealed.
“Who is it?” insisted Mirabella.
“Friends can have secrets too”
I winked and ran off. They chased me laughing and pleading all the way.
Damien looked at his watch. He was still early and the night was young. He smiled grimly. This was the night he would sacrifice sweet Tanya for the sake of his family. If he had never come, Tanya would never have become a ransom. He was nervous as hell and he tried to look normal as he looked at his reflection in the large mirror by the hallway. He looked alright but his eyes contained fear. He frowned. Tanya wouldn’t notice something was wrong, right? It would be dark and the rides would surely distract her.
“Take care of Tanya or I’ll kill you Damien”
He turned around. It was Cam. Guilt stabbed him. He tried to laugh it off.
“I heard girls are afraid of horror houses,” Damien said.
“Tanya’s not that kind of girl,” Cam growled.
“I’ll make it our last destination. Heard people go mad inside,” Damien laughed.
He was dropping hints. He felt ridiculous but he was frantically searching his mind for the right thing to say to save Tanya.
“I’ll…drop her here by 11. If she’s not here by then, she might have become a ransom or something,” Damien said.
“You should wait downstairs,” Cam said.
Something was wrong with his friend but he could not quite tell what it was.
“The Red King should go see Alice too”
He shrugged. They waited and both of them were speechless by the sight of her. Her long untameable white hair had been cut just above her shoulders with bangs which made her look younger and more…alive. Her lips were glossy and a faint gold eye shadow was applied on her eyes. She was wearing a long sleeves light blue dress with black ribbons, black ruffles and black laces. She was also wearing a pair of blue high heels. Her slender neck had on a black choker with a blue stone. She was enchanting. She was captivating. Cam turned his head away. Tanya had not made herself beautiful for him but for Damien this night. She smiled shyly.
“Tanya, you look like a fallen angel!” exclaimed Damien.
Tanya laughed and looked at Cam. What should he say? That he wanted to steal her away and that he wanted to show her how much he loved her? It was fucking impossible. Jealousy was killing him inside. He put on his sadistic facade.
“So Warren dies and you go to Damien. That’s not really angelic, right?” Cam sneered.
Hurt flashed at Tanya’s face. She recovered at once. Cam wanted to comfort her. He gritted his teeth. They left without another word and he felt like the biggest asshole in the universe.
It was almost closing time. They had tried every ride in the amusement park already. Damien clutched Tanya’s hand.
“Let’s go to the horror house,” Damien said.
She frowned.
“It’s almost closing time, Damien,” Tanya replied.
Damien laughed.
“Come on, Tanya”
They ran to the horror house and went inside. He was going to do it.
“Damien, why are you stopping?” she asked.
He covered her mouth and her nose with his drug-soaked handkerchief. She tried to scream and turn him and the handkerchief to dust but the drug was faster. She fainted at once and he carried her.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered.
Some guards were inspecting the horror house. He hid inside a coffin. After an hour, he knew it was time.
“MAD HATTER!!!” he shouted.
An eerie laugh filled the horror house. The exchange was made very quickly. The Mad Hatter’s people took Tanya and his family was safe once again. He left the territory that very night. He would never be able to show his face to Cam or Tanya again. He could not sleep despite the luxury and comforts provided by his private jet. He could not forget sweet Tanya’s last scream.
It was midnight already. Cam cursed. Something had happened. He tried to reach their cell phones but they were turned off. He pushed the speed limits just to reach the amusement park quickly enough. He tried to decipher everything that Damien had said. He could not understand it. He turned the lock into dust and ran to the horror house. Damien had said this would be their last destination. Why did he know something would happen? Then he found a handkerchief lying on the floor. He knew it was Damien’s because he saw him using it before he left. Were they in danger? Then he smelled the drug and Tanya’s scent. No. They weren’t in danger. Only Tanya was because of Damien. Then everything made sense. Heard people go mad inside. She might have become a ransom or something. The Mad Hatter had made Tanya a ransom. Where could have they taken her?
Tanya’s head felt like someone was trying to crush it open. Her head ached and she felt that she was underwater. Where was she? She tried to rub her eyes but she found that she cannot. Panic and clarity sunk in. She was in a human-size aquarium filled with water. Oxygen was attached to her mouth and hundreds of wires were attached to her whole body. Some were filled with her blood and others were giving her some kind of fluid. She was wearing a strait jacket and a white jumper. Her feet were bare but her ankles were chained on the metal flooring. Who did this to her? How did she end up in it, anyway? She tried to recall what happened. It was Damien. He had delivered her to the Mad Hatter. She vaguely remembered hearing the exchange. So the Mad Hatter had finally got her. She pounded the glass. The glass wasn’t breaking at all despite her strength as a Level 999. If she still had strength left. She felt as weak as a leaf! It must be the wires. She tried to remove them. Electricity flowed through her. She screamed if that was possible. She let go. The wires would be killing her before she had removed even one. She tried to turn the glass into dust. Electricity ran through her once again. So efforts of escaping would just kill her. The water was freezing and they were continuously taking her blood. Her aquarium was in a sort of a laboratory and everyone was wearing a Grim Reaper mask. No one was paying her attention. The connection! But she can only use it to alert a Reaper that she was in danger. Could they possibly find her? Then she knew how. If she can connect with a Reaper, she can turn to dust the path until it would lead to her. It was only a small amount of power to make a path on the ground but the distance would probably kill her. Cam would be probably worried sick of her right now. She smiled and closed her eyes. Yes, she’d do this for Cam. She summoned her power searching for Cam. Electricity ran through her and she screamed and fainted once again.
Cam felt her. He was in his room waiting for news of Tanya being found. He had sent all his Reapers to find her. He had questioned Mirabella and Iris and found that they never knew of Damien’s plan. Tanya was trying to reach him. Just like the night she had turned his stained glass windows into dust because she was in danger. Then he looked at the floor. A long crack from where he was standing had formed. He followed it and it reached the Headquarters’ gate. The crack ended with a form that looked like it had exploded. He frowned. Tanya wanted for him to follow it but wasn’t able to finish the path. Something had prevented her. Had they made her too weak already? Was she being tortured? Frustration and panic clawed at him but there was nothing else he can do but wait for Tanya to continue the path that would lead to her.
Three days must have passed already. Tanya knew she was getting weaker and weaker by the minute. The Mad Hatter thought she was just trying to turn them all to dust. She realized he did not know of