56

The hum of his voice filled my ears, waking me up. I felt his hand squeeze mine gently. He buried his face in my neck, kissing up to my ear. I hummed in response.

"Your phone keeps going off."

"Mhm."

He slid his hand in my shirt, letting the tips of his fingers skate across my skin as his hand traveled higher. "It's really annoying."

"So are you." I moved my hand to his, pulling it out of my shirt and resting it against my stomach again. "Be quiet."

He hummed as he kissed my cheek. My phone started ringing. "You should -"

I moved my hand to cover his mouth. "No. They can wait."

He wrapped his hand around my wrist, kissing my palm before pulling my hand away. I felt him pull his arm from under me slowly as he raised up. I groaned once the comfort of his body against mine was being pulled away. "They need you, baby. The Mikaelson's are still here, and Caroline is really worried about you. If I don't make you leave, she'll hunt you down and kill me."

I sighed as I opened my eyes. I turned to face him, laying on my back. I stared up at him. He let his hand slip to mine, holding it firmly in his. I moved my other hand to his face. The soft, caring look in his eyes was accompanied by a smile on his face.

My phone started ringing again. It seemed louder than normal. A sinking feeling washed over me. I looked over at my phone before reaching for it. I stared at Damon's name for a moment before answering his call and putting the phone to my ear.

"Hey."

"You need to get over here. Now."

I furrowed my brows. "Why? What's wrong?"

"Now, Evelyn." He hung up.

Kai sighed as he pulled away from me. I sat up as I looked at my phone. The messages were from Ryan, Caroline, Stefan, and Jo. I checked the message from Caroline first.

Care:

Get home now.

Care:

Answer the phone!!

Care:

We need you!

I checked the message from Jo next.

Jo:

Under the bed.

The ominous message made my skin crawl. The unease that washed over me made me nauseous. I called Jo. After she didn't answer, I texted and asked what was wrong before calling Caroline.

"Where are you? Did you get my message?"

"Yeah, I'll be there soon. Have you heard from Jo?" I pushed my hair back.

"She texted last night and said she was going on some trip or something, and the twins were with some aunt or something. Why?"

I furrowed my brows. "Nothing. I have to go, Care."

"Wait. Is something wrong?"

I looked at my hand as I thought. "What's so important?"

She was quiet for a minute. "Ric's alive. He wasn't actually ever dead. I'll explain when you get here."

I felt a weight lifted off my chest. "Is... Is he okay?"

She didn't answer immediately. "Yeah. I'll see you soon, Ev. Bye."

She ended the call before I could say anything else. I pulled my phone away and went back to the messages with Jo. Mine didn't ever deliver.

"What's happening?"

I took a breath before looking up at Kai, who was standing at the end of the bed. "I don't know." I looked at my phone again. "I just have a bad feeling." I stared at the message she sent. It was from a day ago.

"What is it, baby?"

I thought for a minute. Jo wouldn't leave the twins with someone who wasn't Caroline, Stefan, or Damon. Especially if she went on a trip that was for more than a few hours. She wouldn't just text this to Care either. She would call and stop by in person to let her see the twins before she took them somewhere else.

I looked at Kai. He's talked about his family dozens of times, and he's never mentioned anyone except his immediate family. "Do you have any aunts or uncles?"

He furrowed his brows. He was quiet for a moment. He moved to sit next to me. "None that are alive. Why do you ask?"

The sinking feeling in my stomach was making my head spin. I tossed my phone on the bed before jumping up. I started putting my clothes on.

"Evelyn."

I pulled my shoes on. "We need to go see Jo." I grabbed my phone and started walking away.

I could hear him following me. "Why? What's wrong?"

"I don't know." I pulled the door open and started walking toward the elevator. I pressed the button and stepped back.

"Hey." He moved in front of me, making me look at him. "I need you to explain why you're freaking out so we can at least be on the same page."

The elevator still wasn't opening. I felt sick just standing and waiting. "I will explain on the way. We just need to go."

He sighed as I turned away, going to the stairs. I rushed down the stairs, and he followed me. He caught up, walking by my side as we walked to Jo's. Taking a car would take too long, seeing as it's only a few minutes away.

"Explain now, baby."

I slid my phone in my back pocket. "Jo texted me a really weird message that said under the bed. She texted Caroline and told her she's going on a trip and leaving the twins with an aunt." I glanced at him. "You don't have an aunt." I looked in front of me again. "And Jo would never just text Caroline something like that."

I could hear his silence. The sinking feeling that was starting to weigh me down was now resting on him, too.

I walked up to the door, pausing. It was partially cracked. It had been broken into. Kai and I glanced at each other. My chest felt tight.

He turned back to the door and pushed it open slowly. The lights were on inside. I followed him inside. He started looking around downstairs while I went up the steps. I tried to keep my breathing steady as my heart was racing.

I checked the nursery first, only to find it empty. It was a wreck. The cribs were broken into pieces. There was blood splattered across the walls. There was a lump in my throat, making it harder to breathe. I forced myself out of the room. I walked to the guest room, finding it empty and untouched.

The door to Jo's bedroom was broken in half, as if it had been beaten down. There were blood drops on the floor. I glanced over to see Kai walking toward me. He stopped in front of the nursery. I could see his face drop.

I walked into the bedroom slowly, bracing myself for what I might find. I pushed the door open slowly. There was a broken chair, presumably from blocking the door. Everything was trashed. There was blood smeared on the door to the bathroom, which was nearly closed all the way. I looked at the ground to see broken glass from the lightbulb.

I drew a shaky breath before walking further. I slowly opened the door. The light was out, and there were different types of broken glass across the floor. From the shower, mirror, and lights. My eyes wandered to the bathtub that was far across the room slightly hidden behind a wall.

I swallowed as I took a few steps further, I stopped, seeing a pool of blood beside the tub that was still dripping. I suppressed the urge to scream in horror. I tightened my fists as I walked closer. I covered my mouth with my hand, muffling my urge to throw up.

"Evelyn."

My eyes were glued to Jo's body lying in the bathtub. She was covered in blood, which was hers and possibly someone else's. Her throat was slashed along with the rest of her body. I could see her chest moving as slowly as possible.

I rushed closer, rounding the tub and reaching for her as I knelt down. I pressed my hand to the side of her face, turning her head to look at me. A whine left her lips.

"Jo. Jo, it's me. It's Evelyn." A cry slipped from my throat. "Please open your eyes." I didn't care for the glass cutting into me.

I watched as her eyes slowly opened. They were only slightly open, though, telling me she's on the brink of death. "Twins..."

"What?"

She tried to breathe in but started coughing up blood. I helped lift her head to stop her from choking on her own blood. Her hand moved to touch my face. I could feel the blood that was on her skin transferring to mine. I looked up as I screamed for Kai. I turned back to Jo, and she mumbled something as her eyes closed.

"No." I cupped her face in my hands. "Open your eyes!"

She sighed quietly as she forced her eyes open again. "Bed... twins." Her eyes fell shut again.

I bit into my wrist and put it to her mouth. She started to drink slowly. I could feel the hot tears running from my eyes.

Jo opened her eyes. Her hand drifted to mine, urging me to move my hand. "Babies."

I stared at her for a minute, trying to piece together what she was saying. I gasped as I shot up. I ran into the bedroom again. I laid on my stomach and looked under the bed. I could see a huge box; I pulled it out and moved it to the bed as I stood. I pushed the lid off the box.

Both of the twins were lying completely still. I felt like I was being pushed to the limit over and over without a break. I breathed out shakily. I could hear footsteps from outside the room. I looked up to see a muscular man. He looked like he was on the other side of the fight. And like he was ready for more.

His eyes drifted to the babies. The overwhelming urge to shield them from the already devastating damage he had inflicted was filling me with rage. He looked at me again. I reached for the lid, keeping my eyes on him the entire time. I covered the babies.

A smirk turned the corners of his mouth. He started toward me. I braced myself for the pain I was about to go through. I turned to face him completely as he barreled toward me, slamming me into a wall. I whined as he crushed a few of my bones.

As he started to readjust himself against me, I brought my knee up to his stomach with as much force as I had, sending him back a few steps with a grunt from his lips. I didn't allow myself time to breathe, I kicked his right leg backward, breaking it. He groaned as he stumbled back.

His hand reached out toward the box. I grabbed it quickly and lowered it to the ground. I slid it across the room as the foot of the man knocked on the side of my head. The force of the kick knocked me to the ground and filled my head with ringing. A blinding pain took place in my stomach as he kicked me a few times. I felt blood coming up my throat.

He flipped me to my back. I opened my eyes in time to see him throw a knife toward my face. I moved just in time for it to hit the floor beside me, only just grazing my cheek. I breathed out in relief, blood filling my mouth. I rolled to my side, coughing out the blood.

I looked over to see him dragging himself toward the box. I pulled the knife from the ground as I jumped up. I ran toward him. I gripped his shoulder as I drove the knife into his back, aiming toward his heart. He yelled out in pain as I forced him to the ground. I twisted the knife in a full circle.

His hand reached behind him, grabbing my hand. His other hand reached up, grabbing my throat. He leaned back into me as he put pressure on my windpipe. I moved my hand from his shoulder to the hand around my throat. I bent his hand back, breaking his wrist.

He started to rise to his feet, but I moved my hands to his head. After a moment of trying to make his skull cave in, I twisted his head completely, tearing it from his body. I stumbled back a few steps, my hands still gripping the head of a monster. I could still feel blood in my throat.

I glanced up from the head in my hands to the box that remained untouched. There was now crying coming from it. I looked up higher to see Kai. He was holding his phone by his face. The head in my hands fell to the floor. I could feel his blood on me.

"The twins are fine." I glanced down at the body that was spilling blood on the floor. "We have to get Jo to the hospital."

He stepped closer, "Damon and Caroline just got here."

I looked at him again. I could hear footsteps. I looked over to see them. They stopped at the door. Their faces were covered by expressions of disgust and terror. Caroline looked at me, in shock. After a minute, Damon moved to get Jo. Caroline slowly walked toward me. She stopped a few feet from me. Her eyes moved to the box with crying coming from it.

"They've been in there for a while."

She breathed out shakily before walking over to them. Damon rushed out of the house, Caroline following with the babies. I heard the squeal of the tires as they drove away.

I could feel blood all over me. The lightheadedness that washed over me paused the ringing in my ears for just a minute before it started again.

I looked up again, and Kai was in front of me. I watched his lips move, but I couldn't hear anything from them. My vision was engulfed in black. I felt like I was floating.