Shattered Restraint

by Cassandra Lawson

  “So, there are more people having problems with Roger?” Danny asked, looking at Claire.

  “Yes, but he’s still got the majority following him,” she confirmed. “Even those who hate what he does think your vampires will be worse. That includes the ones helping me. They’re willing to give your vampires a chance, but only because I came back unharmed. Listen, I’m sure you have a lot of questions, but I don’t have time to answer them. I’ve been trying to get in contact with Cam to help us get you out of here, but Roger’s not letting me out as much right now. I was supposed to be out on patrol today, but Roger stopped me and sent someone else. Even if I get out of here, I’m not sure I can find Cam this soon. I still don’t know how we’re going to work it, but we need to get you out of the settlement within the next few days, even if I can’t find Cam.”

  “Why the hurry to get me out of here?” Danny asked.

  “Eventually, Roger will figure out you aren’t getting weaker. See, he has his heart set on you becoming undead so he can get you to kill your friends. That is, after he gets you to tell the vampire council how evil your friends are. Just be glad I was able to get him out of the room for your transition, or he might have succeeded. For now, Craig will keep telling him you’re getting weaker. It would really help if you pretend to be weak, especially when Roger’s around.”

  “Got it. I’ll do my best to act like I’m dying,” Danny said.

  “This will all be much easier if Cam’s involved.”

  “Why?” he asked.

  She shrugged. “It would be safer if you weren’t traveling alone. There are plenty of people who will want you dead as soon as Roger realizes you’re missing.” Claire looked like she was about to say more when a panicked expression crossed her face. “Someone’s coming!”

  “Go,” he said. “I’ll stay here and play victim.” That shouldn’t be too hard since he felt like a victim at the moment. Closing his eyes, Danny reminded himself of all the reasons he needed to survive. He needed to stay alive to save his friends. Then his mind drifted to Quinn. He’d only talked to her for a short time, but he really wanted to see her again. With any luck, she wouldn’t be disgusted by what he’d become.

  Chapter Twelve

  There were times when Claire envied the zealots—those were the ones who believed they were fighting to save humans from being killed or enslaved by vampires. Being infected and turned themselves was their ultimate sacrifice, and it was done for the greater good. Claire’s own sacrifice hadn’t been about the greater good. No, she’d become a vampire out of desire for revenge against those she’d believed responsible for her parents’ murders. She had been filled with hate rather than a righteous sense of purpose.

  “What’s bothering you, sweetheart?”

  “Don’t call me that,” Claire practically snapped at Abram, another recently turned vampire.

  “You don’t like me, do you?” Abram asked, looking more curious than hurt by her curt response.

  “I’m just having a bad day,” Claire quickly covered because she didn’t trust Abram. He came off like one of the zealots, but something told her he was more of an opportunist, which made him someone she couldn’t trust.

  “Maybe it would help to talk about it,” he suggested as he slipped an arm around her shoulders.

  Claire had never liked being touched, so it was easy to pull away from him. No one would suspect there was anything wrong. The truth was, she only found one man’s touch comforting, and he was a man she could not be with.

  Abram was attractive, with longish dark brown hair and a charming smile, but his grey eyes turned her off. There was something calculating in the way he watched everyone, like he was trying to figure out how best to use them. Even when he was joking and flirting, there was no genuine emotion in his eyes. Cam wasn’t the only reason Claire had for steering clear of Abram.

  “Having one of my former captors here has just brought back some bad memories,” Claire explained. It was hard lying as much as she did, but it helped to keep those lies as close to the truth as possible.

  Abram studied her for a moment as if he didn’t quite trust her answer, but he finally relaxed and nodded. “Don’t worry about him. Roger’s going to make sure that bastard regrets what he did to you.”

  Claire almost laughed because this had nothing to do with her. Roger would torture Danny simply because he enjoyed that sort of thing. “I need to get back to work.”

  This time, Abram stepped in front of her, blocking her path. The temptation to lash out at him was strong. Claire managed to keep her temper from snapping because there was no reason for her distrust of this vampire.

  “No one would blame you for being confused after your time with the blood whores,” Abram said, parroting Roger’s favorite term for the born vampires. “You came back without a single injury. They probably treated you better than most to confuse you about who your allies are. Plus, we grew up around Danny. Even if he’s the enemy now, we thought he was our friend at one time. It was hard for me to be part of the team that captured him. I’m here for you if you need me,” he said, leaning in closer. “Don’t let any confusion you might have over Danny make you forget who your friends are.”

  That was all Claire could handle of Abram for one day. “I know who my friends are,” she said through her teeth. “How dare you question my loyalty? Or, are you trying to tell me you’re no longer loyal to the cause?”

  Abram chuckled softly. “Nice, sweetheart,” he said. “You just threw that right back in my face. You’re a fighter.”

  Claire gritted her teeth at his use of the endearment. Only Cam could call her that—not that she’d ever tell Cam that.

  “What do you want, Abram?” she finally asked. “I’ve already told you I have work to do, and you’re still harassing me. You really are making me suspect there is some sort of rebellion in the works. Was there something you wanted to confess?”

  “I’ve got a confession alright,” Abram told her. “I want you. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t trust you, but I still want to fuck you.”

  She had to clench her fists to control her violent impulses at that moment.

  “Not gonna happen,” she said in a flat tone. “I am not interested in any man right now. The only thing that matters to me is avenging the deaths of my parents.” At least she was telling the truth about that last part.

  “Fine,” Abram snapped and stormed off.

  “What the hell were you doing talking to Abram?” Nate asked as he approached her.

  “I didn’t exactly seek him out for conversation,” Claire said as she glared at Nate. “How did it go with your patrol?”

  “No luck today,” Nate said. “Hopefully, we’ll find them soon.”

  “This day just keeps getting worse,” she grumbled.

  One dark blond eyebrow rose, and Nate crossed his arms in front of his chest. “That time of the month, Claire?” he asked.

  Claire punched him in the gut.

  “I can always count on you to say the wrong thing,” she grumbled.

  “Speaking of saying the wrong thing, are you going to tell me what Abram wanted or not?” Nate pushed.

  “Nice segue, and I’m not entirely sure what he wanted. Don’t try telling me you weren’t listening to the conversation. I know what a sneaky little weasel you are.”

  Nate flashed an innocent smile. “You wound me.”

  “Not yet, but I’m going to if you keep playing games with me,” Claire warned.

  He shrugged. “I only made it here for the tail end, and I’m not buying it. Sure, Abram wants you. That’s been obvious for a long time, and he’s watched you more since he became a vampire.”

  Claire had to stifle an involuntary shudder. The last thing she wanted was to attract Abram’s attention, but apparently, she had. “Totally wish you had not confirmed what I already suspected.”

  “Me too,” Nate said. “There’s something off about that guy, which I know sounds crazy because he’s never done anything
wrong.”

  Claire snorted. “There’s something off about most people. That includes you. I used to think Abram was just weird, not scary weird. How did I miss this before?” She paused, studying Nate for a moment. “You saw it, didn’t you?”

  “Sort of,” Nate said. “It was a lot easier when we weren’t faced with the crazies every day. Then again, maybe we’re the crazies for what we do.”

  “We do put our lives at risk on a regular basis, but it’s for a good reason,” Claire said. This was the way they always talked in case anyone overheard them.

  “You’re right,” Nate agreed. “Still, try to stay away from Abram. Might not be a bad idea to tell Roger he makes you nervous.”

  Claire shook her head. “Making me nervous is no reason for him to get killed.”

  “Roger won’t kill him over this,” Nate insisted.

  “There’s no telling what Roger will do anymore,” Claire argued, dropping her voice. “I don’t know what’s causing him to lose it, but he’s lashing out at people for no reason. Even his inner-circle seems terrified of him.”

  Nate stared at her thoughtfully. “I’m worried about you,” he admitted. “Before you get all bent out of shape about us talking openly, I’ve got guards who will warn us if anyone is coming this way.”

  “Good thinking,” she said. “Now, tell me what has you so worried.”

  “Unless I miss my guess, the only reason you’re still alive is that Roger needs you to back him with that vampire council. If it weren’t for that, he’d have killed you after he got you back from the born vampires. That is, after he tortured you… and probably raped you based on the way he looks at you.”

  Claire groaned as an involuntary shudder ran through her body. “Why do I attract all the crazies? I’m not ugly, but I’m not anything special.”

  Nate shook his head. “Not that I’ve ever even thought of you that way, but I can see why men are attracted to you. You’re strong. Some, like Roger and Abram, want to break you. Your strength is a challenge to them. Others, like your shapeshifter, are just attracted to strong women. It can be a big turn on to be with a woman who knows how to take care of herself.”

  Claire let her head drop. She didn’t have time to think of Cam. “He’s not my shapeshifter,” she insisted.

  Nate chuckled. “Then someone had better tell him that.”

  “I have,” she said, and found herself fighting a smile. “Cam’s stubborn.”

  “Glad to hear it,” Nate said. “Maybe he’ll be able to get you to leave before it’s too late.”

  On those words, Nate walked away, not giving her the chance to argue with him. Claire hurried to meet up with the team she was patrolling with in the morning. Hopefully, she’d run into one of the shifters and be able to let them know about Danny and the plan to help him escape, assuming Roger didn’t pull her from patrol again. With any luck, she’d run into Cam’s brothers instead of Cam. In her current frame of mind, she wasn’t sure she could deal with Cam. No, that wasn’t exactly true. The truth was, she just wasn’t sure she could resist him.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “What did you do?”

  Craig’s panicked voice pulled Danny from sleep, and he lifted an arm to rub his eyes. “Hard to do much when I’m tied to a fucking table.” That’s when Danny realized his arms were free. “Thanks for untying me,” he said.

  “I didn’t,” Craig sputtered, gesturing wildly. “Those restraints are designed to hold a vampire. We’ve tested them on the strongest vampires here, and you should still be weak from your transition.”

  Danny looked around, and sure enough, the restraints that had been holding his arms down at his sides were torn. The jagged edges were proof they hadn’t been cut. Tugging at his legs, he found those straps still had a good amount of resistance, but they gave some when he put a little more effort into it.

  “Stop!” Craig shouted. “You’ll get us both killed if you don’t act helpless. At the very least, stop acting like Hercules.”

  “Who?” Danny asked in confusion.

  Craig sighed. “I can’t believe the nymph never had you study Greek mythology. Hercules was a powerful warrior. Well, that’s what the stories say.”

  “Isn’t there a movie about him?” Danny asked.

  “There are several. Some days, I feel very old,” Craig said in a tired voice.

  “You were around in the beginning, weren’t you?” Danny asked.

  Craig nodded. “I was part of the original research team for the Moon virus. I had no idea what they’d planned to do with it—not that I have a good excuse for becoming this involved in everything.”

  Danny said nothing because Craig was right. It’s not like he could tell Craig his actions were excusable, because they weren’t.

  “You should not have broken your restraints,” Craig scolded him.

  “I must have done it when I was asleep,” Danny said.

  “A sedative might help you look weak,” Craig suggested.

  “No!” Danny said quickly. “I’ll do my best to look helpless, but I need to keep my mind functioning. For all you know, I might tell people I’m not fading away if I’m confused from a sedative.”

  Craig’s head bobbed up and down. “Yes, that makes sense. I’m not very good at this plotting stuff.”

  Sitting up, Danny stretched his arms over his head and groaned. “How long have I been here?”

  “Just over a day. Roger sent me in to make sure you’re cleaned up. With his new sense of smell, he didn’t want to be forced to endure your body odor,” Craig explained.

  “I don’t blame him. I’m not enjoying it myself. Are you going to let me shower?” Danny asked.

  Craig’s brow furrowed. “You have showers at the vampire settlement?”

  “Yeah,” Danny said, feeling foolish for asking about a shower. “Not sure why I would think you had them here when we didn’t on the island. It’s one of the things I love most about living at the born vampire settlement.”

  A wistful expression came over Craig’s face. “I haven’t had a shower in at least fifty years. Once the pipes broke, we tried repairing them, but we didn’t have anyone competent enough to do it. I’m afraid all you’ll get here is a sponge bath.”

  Danny looked at Craig’s pudgy hands and then back up at his face. “You are not giving me a sponge bath.”

  “That was the plan,” Craig said. “Of course, you seem capable of cleaning yourself up now. You understand that I’ll have to strap you to the table again before Roger comes in, right?”

  “I get it,” Danny muttered, but there was still a part of him that was panicking at the idea. The only thing keeping him sane was the realization that he could break the restraints if he wanted to. He just had to keep reminding himself that he wasn’t really going to be tied down. “If I’m so much stronger than the other vampires, why not just have me snap the restraints and kill Roger? I could take him by surprise.”

  Craig let out an annoyed huff. “That would be a stupid move. Roger has many followers, some of them just as twisted as he is. Even if Roger dies, someone else will step in to order your recapture. They’ll likely just order your death because it will be easier. The only way this will work is if we get you far from the settlement before anyone knows you’re gone.”

  Danny nodded because it made sense. “Any word from the shifter?”

  Craig shook his head. “We may have to find another way to get you back to your settlement.”

  As anxious as he was to get away from here, Danny had no idea what he was going to do when he left. Coward that he was, he wasn’t sure he wanted to face his friends this way. Guilt washed over him. How many times had he told Mitchell there was nothing wrong with him? Mitchell was a turned vampire like himself, and he’d also had a hard adjustment. It was so much easier to say the words than actually believe them. That just proved to him how hard it was to recognize one’s own hypocrisy.

  “I need to relieve myself,” Danny said.

 
“Of course.” Craig quickly moved to undo the restraints on Danny’s legs. “Right over there,” he said, gesturing to a door, which Danny assumed led to a bathroom. “I’ll set everything up for you to clean yourself.”

  Danny carefully avoided the mirror above the sink when he walked into the bathroom and while he washed his hands. Finally, he decided to man up and look at his reflection. He looked like the same person he’d been before. His skin gave the deceptive impression that he spent most of his time indoors because he didn’t tan or burn, just remained pale. His dark red hair, which looked almost brown in certain lighting, was still the same. Maybe his green eyes were a bit brighter, or it could just be his improved vision. While some people looked younger after the change, he still appeared to be twenty-eight. If he opened his mouth, he’d see the difference, and that was something he wasn’t ready for. It was bad enough he could feel the fangs. At least he wasn’t salivating as much anymore.

  When he came out of the bathroom, Danny found a wash basin, a cloth, and soap. The set up reminded him of how he’d had to clean himself growing up, making him miss showers even more. Craig kept his back to Danny as he cleaned himself. Danny couldn’t help but notice the way the scientist moved around the lab nervously, almost like he was afraid to stop moving.

  “You aren’t a vampire,” Danny commented after studying Craig for a moment.

  Craig turned to him with startled eyes. “No, I decided against undergoing the change, but I suspect Roger will force me sooner or later. Without the nymph blood, I’ll start to age and die within the next year. I only have a few more months before my mind starts to go. It’s a very painful end.”

  “Is that why you’re trying to help me?” Danny asked angrily. “Are you hoping Raven will be grateful enough to open a vein for you?”

  Craig shook his head. “No, I’m ready to die. This farce of a life I’ve been living is too much. I considered ending it all, but then I realized I had a lot to make up for. Honestly, I’m not sure there’s enough time left for me to make up for my past transgressions. I’ve been part of this evil for too long, and I felt no guilt at first. It’s only been in the last few years that I’ve realized I was doing something wrong. That speaks volumes for the man I’ve been most of my life.”