Page 71
Story: Bite of Vengeance
They’d ripped my shirt off hours ago to cut into me, using some type of hawthorn lotion or oil to keep my wounds open longer. Anguish was coming in constant waves, and I wasn’t sure how long I’d stay conscious if I didn’t get some blood. From how the guards were rotating in, I was guessing I’d been here less than twelve hours.
The worst part? I had no fucking idea where Kali was.
But there was a weight crushing my chest that wouldn’t dissipate. A feeling so heavy it was nearly impossible to focus on anything else. It was exactly how I’d known something was wrong when I couldn’t find Kali in the compound earlier. How I knew she’d been in trouble. Which meant she wasn’t safe now, and I couldn’t fucking get to her.
I wrenched against the chains, not caring how deep the spikes dug into my wrists. But they didn’t give at all.
“I can honestly say, I never expected to have you here.”
I snapped my head up, gritting my teeth when the collar cut deeper into my throat. Rowan was standing in the doorway with his arms crossed, and a triumphant smirk on his face. He strolled inside, casually taking his time to circle around me. When he stopped in front of me, he chuckled cruelly.
“Seeing a Kane in PARA custody is almost as good as knowing I have the twins.” He leaned closer. “And I hear you’re in love with one of them.”
“I will fucking kill you,” I snarled, my heart beating out of my chest.
His leering grin had me seeing red. “I don’t think you’re in a position to do anything at all. My men tell me you’re not answering their questions.”
I glared at him with loathing, not saying a word. They’d been asking the same thing the Clovers had wanted to know. Especially where my father’s property was.
“Or maybe you don’t have the answers,” he mused, cocking his head. “I have it on good authority that you and your brothers aren’t with your father anymore. You pledged allegiance to the Shadows. Interesting.”
How in the hell did he know that?
Someone else stepped in the doorway, and shock swept through me. For a split second, I thought it was Kali who was staring at me, looking completely at ease. But no. I didn’t even need to smell her scent to know it wasn’t her. It was Keeva. Her cold smile had rage simmering into my veins. She fucking played us. Had she even been a prisoner at all? My stomach plummeted. If she was working with Rowan, then he knew everything. Where the Shadows were. That we were attempting to make an alliance with the Clovers.
Rowan noticed my attention was behind him, and he glanced back. “There you are. Did you get any rest, sweetheart?”
Keeva nodded, stepping into the room and walkingstraight intoRowan’s arms. He kissed the top of her head while meeting my stare.
“She’s a phenomenal actress, isn’t she?” he praised, giving her a smile before he focused back on me. “She had to stay in that cell for weeks to get this to work. The first time, I knew Amaros wouldn’t be able to help himself if he thought we were moving a twin to Project Hope. And after you saw her, she stayed until I knew you’d try to break her out again.”
There wasn’t an ounce of regret in her brown eyes when she raised her gaze to me. She was with PARA. Most likely in Rowan’s bed. We didn’t rescue her. She’d already chosen a side. Rowan had probably brainwashed her the second she was old enough to talk.
“Your father stole my sister,” she said, anger rising in her voice. “She doesn’t belong with vampires. Now she thinks she belongs with you.”
“She does,” I growled. “She’s mine. And if you hurt her?—”
Rowan laughed. “You think you can threaten her? You might be a Kane. But her? She’s a Blackwell. Just like her sister.” He must have seen my flicker of confusion. “Amaros never told you her real last name? Not that you’d know what it meant unless you’ve read the books. But Keeva is special. So is Kali.”
The way he spoke her name had me wrenching in the chains. This motherfucker was going to bend Kali to his will—no matter what it took.
“She’s back where she belongs. Even if she doesn’t know it yet.” Keeva glared at me. “And you deserve all of this. Vampires shouldn’t be in this world.”
“You’re a Shadow,” I spat out. “One of us.”
“No, she’s special. Nothing like you.” Rowan ran his hand down her hair. “Don’t listen to him.”
She gave him a peck on the cheek. “I only listen to you, Rowan.”
“Do you want to see Kali?” Rowan asked, returning his focus to me.
I clenched my teeth together, knowing he was fucking with me. Then he walked out of the room for a moment only to come back with a small bag.
“You listen to me, and I’ll take you to her,” he promised, his words laced with threat. “If you don’t, then you’ll just stay in here.”
“What do you want?” I bit out.
He pulled out a balled-up cloth and handed it to Keeva. “Open your mouth.”
The worst part? I had no fucking idea where Kali was.
But there was a weight crushing my chest that wouldn’t dissipate. A feeling so heavy it was nearly impossible to focus on anything else. It was exactly how I’d known something was wrong when I couldn’t find Kali in the compound earlier. How I knew she’d been in trouble. Which meant she wasn’t safe now, and I couldn’t fucking get to her.
I wrenched against the chains, not caring how deep the spikes dug into my wrists. But they didn’t give at all.
“I can honestly say, I never expected to have you here.”
I snapped my head up, gritting my teeth when the collar cut deeper into my throat. Rowan was standing in the doorway with his arms crossed, and a triumphant smirk on his face. He strolled inside, casually taking his time to circle around me. When he stopped in front of me, he chuckled cruelly.
“Seeing a Kane in PARA custody is almost as good as knowing I have the twins.” He leaned closer. “And I hear you’re in love with one of them.”
“I will fucking kill you,” I snarled, my heart beating out of my chest.
His leering grin had me seeing red. “I don’t think you’re in a position to do anything at all. My men tell me you’re not answering their questions.”
I glared at him with loathing, not saying a word. They’d been asking the same thing the Clovers had wanted to know. Especially where my father’s property was.
“Or maybe you don’t have the answers,” he mused, cocking his head. “I have it on good authority that you and your brothers aren’t with your father anymore. You pledged allegiance to the Shadows. Interesting.”
How in the hell did he know that?
Someone else stepped in the doorway, and shock swept through me. For a split second, I thought it was Kali who was staring at me, looking completely at ease. But no. I didn’t even need to smell her scent to know it wasn’t her. It was Keeva. Her cold smile had rage simmering into my veins. She fucking played us. Had she even been a prisoner at all? My stomach plummeted. If she was working with Rowan, then he knew everything. Where the Shadows were. That we were attempting to make an alliance with the Clovers.
Rowan noticed my attention was behind him, and he glanced back. “There you are. Did you get any rest, sweetheart?”
Keeva nodded, stepping into the room and walkingstraight intoRowan’s arms. He kissed the top of her head while meeting my stare.
“She’s a phenomenal actress, isn’t she?” he praised, giving her a smile before he focused back on me. “She had to stay in that cell for weeks to get this to work. The first time, I knew Amaros wouldn’t be able to help himself if he thought we were moving a twin to Project Hope. And after you saw her, she stayed until I knew you’d try to break her out again.”
There wasn’t an ounce of regret in her brown eyes when she raised her gaze to me. She was with PARA. Most likely in Rowan’s bed. We didn’t rescue her. She’d already chosen a side. Rowan had probably brainwashed her the second she was old enough to talk.
“Your father stole my sister,” she said, anger rising in her voice. “She doesn’t belong with vampires. Now she thinks she belongs with you.”
“She does,” I growled. “She’s mine. And if you hurt her?—”
Rowan laughed. “You think you can threaten her? You might be a Kane. But her? She’s a Blackwell. Just like her sister.” He must have seen my flicker of confusion. “Amaros never told you her real last name? Not that you’d know what it meant unless you’ve read the books. But Keeva is special. So is Kali.”
The way he spoke her name had me wrenching in the chains. This motherfucker was going to bend Kali to his will—no matter what it took.
“She’s back where she belongs. Even if she doesn’t know it yet.” Keeva glared at me. “And you deserve all of this. Vampires shouldn’t be in this world.”
“You’re a Shadow,” I spat out. “One of us.”
“No, she’s special. Nothing like you.” Rowan ran his hand down her hair. “Don’t listen to him.”
She gave him a peck on the cheek. “I only listen to you, Rowan.”
“Do you want to see Kali?” Rowan asked, returning his focus to me.
I clenched my teeth together, knowing he was fucking with me. Then he walked out of the room for a moment only to come back with a small bag.
“You listen to me, and I’ll take you to her,” he promised, his words laced with threat. “If you don’t, then you’ll just stay in here.”
“What do you want?” I bit out.
He pulled out a balled-up cloth and handed it to Keeva. “Open your mouth.”
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