Page 195 of Dark Souls

“Take me to him,” I ordered, my voice terrifyingly calm. “Or I will rip her throat out right in front of you.”

Mitchell lowered the phone from his ear slowly and raised his hands to the side. “Ilaria. What are you doing?”

I sharpened my nails, piercing Lia’s throat as she whimpered, pleading silently with her fear-stricken eyes. His face paled, seeming to actually care about her life, which was a surprise.

“I won’t ask again. Take me to Luka. Right now, Mitchell.”

“I don’t know who you’re talking about, Ilaria. I think you must be confusing–”

“You with The Devil?” I sneered, a twisted smile creeping up my face as he stared at me blankly, giving nothing away. “At first, I wondered how that could be too. How could Mitchell Morton, the cherished, highly respected family man and commander of the Romano Army be stupid enough to think he could run The Underground, keep two Demonski Upirs captive, and still get away with it right under the royals’ noses?”

Understanding registered on his face as the pieces fell into place. He cocked his head to the side as his eyes darted between Lia and me.

“I know you and Luka had some kind of relationship, but he was just using you, sweetheart. I don’t know what lies he fed you, but he’s a sick man. A man like him can’t feel anything for anyone. He’s not a good person. He’s done terrible things. His kind are evil and need to be controlled or ended. It’s best you forget him and move on.”

I threw my head back and released a vindictive, ice-cold laugh that filled the confused silence.

“It wasn’t me he fed lies to, Mitchell. It was you. I know everything. Your nephew isn’t missing. He’s dead. I killed him. And I am the only person who knows where Hana is. So, you have two choices. Either I kill Lia too, rip out her throat, and I run to my family to tell them exactly who you are and what you have been doing so they can hunt you down and make you pay, or you take me to Luka right this very second.”

’Shit. I am going to have to take her to him and kill her. That is the only way this stays quiet.’His thoughts made me smile. They were exactly what I hoped he would be thinking.

“Okay, okay. Let’s just calm down. I’ll take you to him. Just let my daughter go.”

“Not until I see my soulmate with my own eyes.”

His eyes widened when I said the word soulmate and a heavy silence settled between us. We stared at each other. As I read his mind, I tightened my grip on Lia’s throat.

“No, Mitchell. I’m not fucking bluffing. Try me,” I dared. His jaw tensed as his blue eyes flickered down to the blood that was trickling down Lia’s neck.

“Please, daddy. Just do what she says,” Lia begged, her voice shaking with fear. She was either a brilliant actress or she really believed I would kill her if I had to.

Mitchell hesitated but then slowly lifted his hand towards us. “Okay. I’ll take you to him.”

I nudged Lia, and she stretched out her hand, placing it in his. A second later, the room blurred as he transported us to a rocky cliff top. The raging sea below and the wind whipping at our bodies created a soundtrack to the eerie scenery as my eyes scanned the ground for the cave’s entrance.

“Let her go now, Ilaria,” Mitchell demanded, still clasping Lia’s hand.

As soon as I noticed a small drop a short distance away in the rocky terrain, I shoved Lia into his chest before I zoomed over to the cave’s edge and shouted down into the darkness.

“Luka!” My voice bounced off the walls, projecting back to me with no response. And then I saw him. Lying on his back, his clouded eyes open but unblinking and staring up at me. A faint smile curved his lips. Tears welled in my eyes as my gaze drifted down his body to find a huge, bloody hole in his stomach. A pool of blood had formed beneath him, tainting the sand a dark brown colour. A heart-breaking sob choked in my throat as a few small rocks tumbled down the death drop when I scrambled closer to the edge. He was dead. That much was obvious. And even though I knew he had died in his vampire form and would soon resurrect, it was still the most gut-wrenching and sickening thing I had ever seen.

“The monster is dead, Ilaria. Was it really worth your life to see him one more time?” Mitchell’s voice came from behind me and I closed my eyes, allowing all the pure anger and hatred I had for this man to poison any ounce of morality or goodness I possessed. He wanted a monster? I’d fucking give him one.

Slowly, I raised myself to my feet and turned to face him. His vampire side had taken control, ready to attack as he stood tall, his red eyes gleaming with viciousness as he unbuttoned his suit jacket. I held his gaze, allowing Rue to the surface to meet his beast with my own. Lia stared between us from her position on the ground. Undeniable fear and anxiety possessed her pretty face as the wind blew her blonde hair back and forth.

“I never wanted to kill you, Ilaria. You should never have got yourself caught up in this mess. Despite what you might think, I respect your family, and I am loyal to your grandfather.”

“Hmm, I think we have different definitions of loyalty.”

“How so? I have served Arius faithfully for years as his commander. RunningThe Undergroundis not a crime. Your family has never tried to put an end to the club. I may have omitted my involvement, but only because I didn’t want to bring the negative attention it could cause so close to your family.”

“Wow, you really expect me to buy your bullshit, don’t you?”

“I don’t want to hurt you, Ilaria. We can put this behind us. If you allow my wife to erase your memory, we can all go on with our happy lives.”

“Quite an offer.” I clicked my tongue over my teeth. “But there is one major issue. I really want to hurt you.”

He straightened his spine and cracked his knuckles, hissing between his fangs in a last attempt to intimidate me.