by CY Jones
“Is that how ye see me, daughter? Am I nothing more than a monster to you?”
“No, father. You’re much worse. I don’t think there's a word in the English dictionary wicked enough for what you are,” I answer.
“I love your father. He saved me from myself, and I have given him all of me in return,” Alice answers, like a typical brainwashed idiot.
“I’m sure O’Donnell hasn’t saved you from anything. If he did, he probably made it happen himself. You’re only here to serve him, and as soon as he gets bored of you, or has no need for you, you’ll be nothing more than discarded trash, like Red over there,” I say pointing my thumb at the sulking redhead keeping guard.
“It doesn’t matter. I will always be his as long as he’ll have me.”
“Then you are a fool,” I reply.
“That mouth of yours makes me not want to give you your gift, daughter,” O’Donnell say interrupting us.
“Then keep it. I don’t want anything from you,” I spit out hatefully.
“Are you sure? You might like this gift. Wasn’t his cock in between your legs a couple of nights ago, or has the Senator's son made ye forgot all about him I didn’t know Blake was such a good fuck,” O’Donnell says crudely.
“What the hell are you going on about?” I growl.
Instead of answering, he tosses a velvet ring box onto the table in front of me, and I eye it warily.
“Go on, lass, open it,” he orders.
Giving Maddie a what the fuck look, I slowly pick up the ring box like it’s carrying a bomb and open it. Inside lying on a velvet cushion is a pair of bloody fangs. I glance between the box and O’Donnell’s smug look on his face, and I panic thinking about Atlas. He left to find me a cure. Did O’Donnell kill him before he could leave? No, that can’t be. O’Donnell isn’t strong enough to take a powerful man like him down.
“What is this?” I question, looking up at him disgusted.
“Ye know, daughter. I always admired how clever you are. So much like your mother, but just like your mother you underestimated me, and thought you could outwit me. That’s a dangerous game, and I’m happy to tell ye you’ve lost.”
“You’re talking in riddles, old man.”
“And ye are a fool. Let's eat, and afterwards I’ll have to give you a lesson on how I treat traitors," he replies, confusing me even more.”
I feel like I’ve entered another dimension, or the fucking twilight zone. God, I hope Atlas is ok. I refuse to believe that those are his fangs. Lifting the silver dome over my plate, I almost gag at the sight in front of me. I don’t know why I didn’t smell the blood earlier, since my shifter senses has returned. Those are not Atlas' fangs. He is alive and well, because on the plate before me is Gabriel’s head sitting in a pool of his own blood. Natalie’s loud gasp reaches my ears as well as the clang of Silas’s silverware hitting the floor.
“Why did you do this?” I ask as I stare into Gabriel’s lifeless eyes. His once beautiful hazel eyes is dull. All the light of life gone, and all is left is these clouded spears of death. His mouth is caved in, not just from having his fangs removed, but also the lower part of his jaw, and tongue. It’s clear he’s been severely tortured before I’m guessing Red removed his head from his shoulders.
“I told you. I do not tolerate disloyalty. Shall we retire to my office? We have so much to discuss.”
This is a question with only one answer, because before I know it, Hangman is pulling me from my seat, and holding onto me with a firm grasp.
“Silas, ye will also be joining us,” O’Donnell orders blotting his mouth with his napkin.
He’s acting like he just sat through a normal dinner, and didn’t just deliver a man’s head to me on a platter.
“And you, boi,” O'Donnell says, turning his cold gaze on Maddie. "The guards will escort you to your room. If you try anything, I will slit her throat myself. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes,” Maddie bites out, balling his fists at his side.
This is bad. This is so fucking bad. O'Donnell must have figured out Gabriel has been working against him, so it’s safe to assume he knows all about Silas. I can’t help turning my head to him, at the same time he turns his to me giving me a sad nod as he has come up with the same conclusion as I. Before I can shout a warning, Red comes up behind him and grabs his arm cuffing a sturdy pair of cuffs on his wrists.
“We wouldn’t want ye to try to do anything hasty. These cuffs are made from the same nullify stone as her bracelet,” the bitch says smiling wickedly.
“You know, I’m happy you’ve been replaced. I can’t wait until O’Donnell takes out the trash,” I tell her hatefully.
“You’ll be dead, so I’m afraid ye won’t be seeing anything,” she answer, not in the least bothered by my outburst.
“Come on,” Hangman says, yanking me towards the stairs.
I need to calm down, so I can think this through. We’ve been outed. O’Donnell knows about Silas now, so logic tells me he knows I’m his mate as well. I don’t even blame Gabriel if he did tell O'Donnell everything before he died with all he went through. I may be an assassin, but even I have limits. Right now, I can only hope that O’Donnell doesn’t make any hasty decisions. That he will continue on with his plans to sell me to Atlas, but in the meantime, I need some kind of assurance he will not harm Maddie or Silas. And what about Silas’s family? His mum wasn’t at dinner and we left Nat behind at the dinner table, so hopefully O’Donnell doesn’t have plans for them just yet. We’re going to have to break out of here. It’s the only choice we have. Waiting on Atlas leaves me with a higher survival rate than Silas and Maddie, but if we run, even with mine and Silas’ magic bound, we all have a greater chance of living through this.
The walk to O’Donnell’s office is silent and solemn. Hangman’s grip on my arm is like a vice, and I’m sure he’ll leave behind bruises. The only good thing is Red has happily skipped ahead, set on taking the elevator, and leaving us to take the stairs, so maybe I can talk some sense into Hangman.
“Are you happy now?” I ask the arsehole holding me.
“Happy about what?” he mutters.
“Happy about this. The part you’re playing to lead me to my death. Do you think my brother will want anything to do with you when he finds out my blood is on your hands?” He doesn't answer, but the small tic in his jaw shows me I’m getting to him.
“You know. Maybe if you helped me, helped us, I can return the favor. If my brother knew you saved us, you will be as good as his.”
After a long minute he replies, dashing my hopes with his answer. “I can’t help you. Even if I wanted to, it’s not possible.”
It doesn’t take us long to reach the office, and Hangman shoves opens the door, not bothering to knock. Why should he? It’s not like O’Donnell doesn’t know we’re coming.
The lighting in O'Donnell's office is dim, almost intimate. The heavy curtains inside as usual are pulled closed, and the room itself gives off a gloomy feel. I wonder did they torture Gabe in here, or did they do it in another building? The room doesn’t smell like blood, but it does give off an overwhelming scent of fear and sex. Sex can easily be explained, since O’Donnell likes to fuck like bunnies with Alice in here, but the fear has me bewildered until I spot Silas’s mum gagged, and bound to a chair in the corner of the room. Her dirty blonde hair is a mess, and tears run down her face, leaving black trails behind from her smudged eyeliner. On her left cheek is a sick looking bruise from someone striking her just recently.
“Let her go,” Silas roars. He tries to shake free of his cuffs, but the motion is useless.
“You are not in the position to demand anything, boi,” O’Donnell sneers. “Ye know, I used to like ye. I admired your drive. Your determination to get what’s needed done. Ye were everything my own son wasn’t, and then all that went to shite, and for what? Pussy and a pretty face.”
“That’s your daughter you’re talking about,” Silas replies, his heteroch
romia eyes glued to his mother trembling in the corner.
“As Shadow has eloquently said more than once. I am not her father, and now I’m inclined to agree. A good daughter will not run off, and fuck over her only caretaker. A good daughter will not sit and plot on her da, and defy me every chance she gets,” he replies, looking over at me with disdain. “Was her pussy worth your family's lives?” O’Donnell asks sinisterly.
“Remy is everything,” Silas growls, finally lifting his eyes from his mother, and training them deadly on O’Donnell.
“And you Shadow. What do you think? Are you worth the lives of a mother, or a faithful daughter?” O’Donnell asks turning to me. Shadow, not Remy, not daughter. He’s making himself clear where I stand.
“Why are you doing this? Gabriel, Silas, his mum. It’s a little much, even for you,” I question.
“I’m doing this because ye think I’m weak. Like your mother, you underestimated me. Ye thought ye were so clever, and you almost got away with it. I have to admit, I’ve been suspicious of Silas since you woke up. The boi hasn’t been the same, and he’s been bullshitting me about that marble bracelet. That’s why I had that last dinner. I had to know if one of my most talented assassins was nothing but a gutless traitor. Ye remember that dinner don’t ye?”
He doesn’t wait for an answer he just continues on answering for me.
“Yes, you remember. Your little spy confirmed Silas’s innocence, so I believed him. Why wouldn’t I? At the time, I thought he had no reason to lie to me, but then your little plan started to unravel itself. Your brother has been making moves that would be impossible without inside knowledge. I know that little thumb drive he has hasn’t been activated, so I can only assume that I have a rat in my mist. I put a tail on Gabriel, and low and behold, he was caught meeting with your brother and Oreo. Yes, ye are quite clever. You’ve always held great promise. Ye took one of my greatest lessons, and turned the tables on me. The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”
“That still doesn’t explain why you’re doing this.”
“I’m doing this, dear Shadow, to teach ye yet another lesson. Even after all you’ve done, I still haven’t given up on ye.”
“And what lesson is that?” I ask, fearing the answer.
“That there's no such thing as love, only death,” he answers, pulling his gun from behind his back, and aiming it at Silas’s mother.
“No," Silas and I both scream. I don’t think, I just act. Surging out of Hangman’s grip, I throw my hands forward, and everything happens all at once.
Something bubbles up inside me like an erupting volcano, and shatters all at the same time. My body heats, and I can feel the fire running in my veins like lava. The metal nullify band on my arm cracks and falls with a loud bang onto the floor, and a huge burst of fire leaves my hand burning a path to O’Donnell. I barely hear his shrieks of pain as I’m on the move. With nothing holding me back, I go after O’Donnell with everything I have.
Fucking bimbo barbie jumps in my path, and Hangman and Red jumps in the fray to guard her flank. Flinging my arms out again, a huge fireball flies in Red’s direction so fast she’s not able to dodge in time, and she falls to the ground in a heap of flames as the fireball hits her in the side of her face. Hangman uses that stupid rope of his and catches my arm, and I flip kicking out at Alice while using use my wind power to push her back sending her crashing into the wall. Turning my attention back to Hangman, when he yanks on the rope and pulls me towards him, I use my power, and pull the air from his lungs until he passes out on the floor.
“Watch out,” Silas shouts, and too late I catch a kick to the face from Alice. Her blue eyes are glowing an eerily blue, and she now has a set of impressive white wings on her back. You have got to be kidding me. O’Donnell got his hands on a fucking angel.
“You should not have done that, Remy,” she growls.
“It’s Shadow, bitch,” I spat charging her.
We’re both caught in a series of kicks and punches. I grossly underestimated this bitch, thinking she was nothing more than some airhead fucktoy O’Donnell keeps around. Alice catches me with a hard right to my left cheek, and I bite down hard on my tongue tasting blood. Shaking off the ringing in my ears, I try to use my air power to push her back, but somehow she’s able to block, and she doesn’t budge an inch. Repaying the favor, I hit her with a hard right at the same time she catches me with a punch to my gut. Gritting my teeth from the pain, I flip and scissor kick her, sending bimbo barbie flying across the floor. A loud click catches my attention, and I turn my head to see O’Donnell standing with his gun pointed right at me. He has burns on his face and arms, but through it all he’s still able to hold the gun steady.
“That’s enough,” he roars.
“What’s stopping me from taking you out right now?” I question, holding my hands out.
“Ye won’t be able to get to me, and Alice at the same time. What is stopping one of us from killing Silas and his pitiful mother?” he answers, and at his words Alice stands on her feet. Rolling her shoulders, she cracks her neck, and stares hatefully at me.
Hangman and Red are still passed out on the ground, and I’m hoping in Red’s case she’s dead. Looking around for Silas, my heart breaks when I spot him holding his mother to him as best as he can in his chains. There's blood all over him, and without checking, I know his mum is dead. I was not fast enough. O’Donnell killed her.
“Do you think you can take us both out before one of us kill him?” O’Donnell threatens, and I weigh my options in my head. The rate of both of us surviving is low, so low I can’t take that chance, and I drop my hands.
Pulling another set of cuffs out his desk, O’Donnell closes them on my wrist. I’m surprised he doesn’t activate his stupid shock collar, but when I swallow I realise it’s no longer around my neck. Looking down, I see it laying on the floor in a melted heap. It must have fallen off during the fight and my power melted it. The odds have shifted closer to my favor, but still I can’t risk Silas. I watch Alice walk over to O’Donnell and gently cup his burnt face in her hands. In mere seconds all the buns on his body heal, and he’s standing in front of me like nothing happened.
Hangman starts to stir on the floor, and to my dismay, so does Red. Her shrikes of pain is the only satisfaction I get as well as seeing that the whole right side of her face and hair is completely burned.
“Get out,” O’Donnell barks at them both, not bothering to ask Alice to heal Red.
Quickly, Hangman and Red leave the office, and Alice grabs a struggling Silas, dragging him away from his mother and to my side.
“Now, what to do with ye now? I can’t sell you to Atlas with all that power at your disposal. The two of you will try to kill me as soon as you’re free. I can give you back to the Senator since his son is very anxious to get ye back, but now I’m starting to wonder why?” he murmurs rubbing his chin. “I don’t know why ye make men do foolish things. Ye must have a golden pussy.”
At his words I freeze. Like hell will I ever go back to Blake’s. I rather die first. I will fight them both tooth and nail until I kill them all.
“But, I find I can't do that either. Ye breaking that band and my collar has put me in a pickle, and who knows how long these cuffs will hold. If I give ye to the Senator ye will easily overpower his son with that magical pussy of yours, and will be after me. I can just kill ye now,” he says waving his gun at me. “Get rid of the threat before the issue, but lucky for you dear daughter, ye are not the one I wish to see dead. Alice,” he says nodding to her, and she smiles pulling a gun from Gods knows where and pulls the trigger. My scream is cut off when a small black dart hits me in the chest, and I fall to the floor. A heavy body falls beside me, and I catch a glimpse of Silas’s lush brown hair before everything goes dark.
Twenty-Six
Vows and Promises
Rowen
Beeping from my current burner phone wakes me, and I untangle myself from Oreo’s warm body. Staring at the mes
sage, I take in my fate as the wheels are set in motion as soon as Gabriel made contact with O’Donnell.
“He’s agreed to the exchange?” Oreo asks groggily.
“Yes,” I answer.
“And what of Gabriel?” he questions.
“It doesn’t say, but since he’s not the one to contact me, I suspect he’s dead.
“We don’t have to do this. We can find another way.”
“Oreo, my love. You’re not stupid. You know as well as I do there is no other way. As much as I wish there were. This is the path that’s meant to play out.”
“I don’t want to lose you,” he cries.
Putting the burner phone down, I stare deep into his chocolate eyes. Eyes that are fighting back tears, but are filled with so much pain.
“You will never lose me. I will always be here,” I say, holding my hand over his heart. “No matter what happens, never forget that,” I tell him.
Nodding solemnly, he places his hand over mine in understanding.
“I need to ask something from you, my love. I need your vow that you will uphold what I ask, ” I tell him breaking the moment.
Gazing deep into my eyes, he answers without any hesitation, “anything.”
Leaning forward, I whisper into his ear, telling him things, I’ve been keeping locked deep inside me. Things I never told anyone, and what I wish for him to do if it comes to it. By the time I’m done he’s lost the battle to hold his tears in, but he swears to uphold his promise, and the magic in the room binds him to the vow.
I leave the room to give him space, and seek out my dads. They’re both sitting in the dining room, not really watching the television with Cody and Hunter beside them. Each of them are so deep in thought that they don’t even notice me when I walk into the room until I speak.
“O’Donnell’s people have made contact,” I tell them.
“And Gabriel?” Conner asks.
“Dead,” I answer.
“Good,” Hunter growls from his end of the couch.