Release (The Protector Book 3) (25 page)

 
“What are you doing here?” I asked. Tension rose in my shoulders and I reached inside to put my shields in place. I wouldn’t make the same mistake I’d once made with Vincent. Nobody was getting inside my head.

“I feared Vincent would reject my offer. Your presence here only confirms that suspicion.”

“Can you blame him?” I asked.

Alessia turned and questioned me with her eyes.

“You’re asking him to concede and admit he was wrong to a room full of people he has no respect for. He’s spent years building a family here and creating a new life, and you all but destroyed them in one fell swoop. You’re not offering him anything he wants.”

“Interesting analysis, my dear boy, but you are uneducated on many of the details.”

“Care to educate me?’

“Perhaps…” Her eyes gave me a head to toe and she turned away, hips swaying intensely with each step. She gracefully fell into a black leather chair that contrasted with her skin. “Do you know why all of this began, my darling hunter?”

My eyes wandered the room and saw doors and hallways branching off in multiple directions, but everything seemed strangely quiet, and the tension in my shoulders tightened.

“Chase?” Alessia said. “If I’m going to take my time to share something with you, I expect your complete and utter focus. Look at me when I’m talking to you.”

I did as she asked and shook my head. “No, I don’t know why.”

“Of course, why would Vincent tell you? He wouldn’t want to corrupt his reputation, after all. Well, if he’s chosen not to share his story, then perhaps I should respect that. Just mentioning her name provokes the demon inside him. Pathetic and cute all at the same time.”

“Whose name?”

“Rozeilia Vaneltio,” she said, and then covered her mouth with a faux guilty smile. “Oops. I shouldn’t say anymore…I’ve said too much already. Let me just tell you that Vincent did some very, very bad things. He broke ancient laws, disgraced his family, and stole many precious lives from royal bloodlines.”

“So you think taking over Vincent’s safe house and keeping everyone hostage is going to sway him? Or were you planning on killing them all to send a message?”

The vampires on the couch all looked up at once, eyes panning back and forth between us. It was the most movement I’d seen from them.

“Of course not. I’ve been here for weeks now. If I was going to kill them, they’d all be dead. Poor things were too afraid to even go out and hunt. Mother had to bring you snacks, didn’t she, dears?”

The vampires on the couch tensed as her gaze fell upon them. They nodded and remained silent, letting their eyes fall back to the hands fidgeting in their laps.

“And I see you’ve come bearing gifts!” A gust of air carrying the smell of perfume brushed past me and before I noticed her move, Alessia’s warm breath was on my neck.

“Let us see what you have.” Her lips brushed my ear and she twirled around, scooping the container from Tiki’s arms. She grimaced the moment she lifted the lid. “Blood in a bag…” She shook her head. “The depths he has sunk to in order to survive makes my heart shed a tear. A pity.”

Alessia turned to one of the vampires on the couch and her gaze narrowed. “Take this to the back and let the others know this is all they’re getting. If this is what you typically dine on, I have no desire to bring you any kind of treats. I will keep them for myself.”

“Yes, mistress.” He bowed and picked up the container, disappearing down the hall.

“Are there many of them left?” I asked.

“More than I had hoped to see in a lifetime. Although there are only a few dozen here, I suspect he has more than just this safe house.” She cringed. “It seems my son has opened an orphanage, bringing the scum of the vampire world together like a pack of mutated rats, all struggling to survive on a single rotted corpse.”

I shivered at the imagery.

“I have to admit, I expected Vincent to arrive, not you.” Alessia’s black heels tapped along the floor and her perfume engulfed me. “If I’m going to be completely honest—and I see no reason not to be—you’ve ruined my surprise.” Alessia’s smile faded and her face stiffened.

“We just came to bring the blood. We’ve done that, so we should probably go,” I said.

Alessia’s power started to tremble. Waves of it pulsed off her skin and the steel door behind us slammed shut. All of the locks slid into place and the
click
echoed through the room. “Nonsense, you’ve only just arrived.”

A pang in my stomach sent a chill through my spine. I wanted to reach behind me and check for my daggers, but I knew there was no movement subtle enough that she wouldn’t notice. Not that the blades would do me any good. I’d put one directly above Vincent’s heart once and he was unaffected by it. I didn’t want to imagine what little damage it would do to her.

Alessia snapped her fingers. The remaining two vampires got up from the couch, bowed to her. “Leave us.” They nodded and disappeared down the hallway. “You three, please sit.”

“That isn’t necessary, we really should be—”

“You are sweet, Chase, and so very handsome. For that, I will offer you leniency—just this once—for your disrespect of my hospitality. Sit,” she demanded, still maintaining her honeyed tone.

Tiki moved in front of me and took a spot on the couch. I felt Alessia’s eyes burning through me and her power came with it. On one hand, I wanted to be close to her. I wanted to crawl into her lap and feel her hands on my face. On the other, I was terrified.

Her intense energy swallowed me and I followed behind Tiki. At this rate, I wasn’t even sure my elements would be of any use on her.

Willy stood beside the couch, his hands clasped in front of him. He hadn’t said a word and his eyes were on the floor.

“Is there a problem?” Alessia looked at Willy.

When nobody answered, Willy cautiously brought his eyes up. When he saw we were all looking at him, his eyes quickly diverted to the floor and he shook his head. “No…no pro—problem.” Willy’s skin flashed to match the dark brown walls.

“Then please sit,” she said, but her tone wasn’t as friendly as it had been.

“Ye—yes ma’am.” Willy did as he was instructed, sitting on the far edge of the couch. His skin shifted from deep brown to the black of the couch and he leaned back, letting the cushions mold around him.

“My, you are a strange creature, indeed.” Alessia walked in long, slow strides towards Willy. “There is power inside you.” She sniffed the air. “But you’re just a puppy.” Her fingers ran through his messy brown hair, and I could see Willy wincing at her touch. “How does a creature with such power carry so much fear?” She crouched down and forced Willy to look at her.

The moment her hand touched his face, his body relaxed.

“Tell me darling,” she whispered. “Tell me what troubles you.”

“I…I don—don’t want to.”

“Calm yourself,” she said, and power enveloped the room. “Tell Mother your fears.”

Willy sat up straight and stared into her purple eyes. “Your son scares me. You scare me. I’m scared you are going to hurt me just like your son did.”

“My sweet, sweet boy. You need not fear me at this time. I wouldn’t dream of doing to you what my son did.”

Alessia’s power pulsed as her fingers danced along Willy’s jaw. Willy nodded and smiled.

“Good boy. Now get comfortable.” Alessia rose to her feet and moved back to her chair.

Willy cracked his neck and knuckles and leaned back, throwing his feet up on the coffee table in front of him. The pale tone returned to his skin and he smirked, brown eyes meeting mine.

“Now, let us talk business. You know my son as he is now, not as he was. This is a perfect opportunity for me to get your insight, without past emotions being involved. What do you think of him?”

I opened my mouth but didn’t speak. Naturally, I was going to be honest about my feelings for Vincent, but the last thing I wanted to do was offend her.

“Come now, don’t be shy. We’re all friends here,” Alessia said.

“We don’t always see eye to eye,” I said. “And I spend as little time with him as possible.”

Alessia pursed her lips and examined my face before turning to Tiki. “And you?”

“I share many things with him. What others may see as faults, I understand on a different level, and as such, I embrace them. I enjoy his company.”

“And what about you?” She turned to Willy, an unnerving smile pulling at her lips.

Willy shrugged. “I’d love to tear his throat out and eat his ashy remains.” His voice didn’t waver and he said each word with conviction.

I didn’t say a word, but I shoved my elbow into him.

“What? She wants to know. No need to pussyfoot around. We all feel the same way—except for Tiki. He likes everything.”

“Is that so?” Alessia’s eyes fell back to me.

My stomach tightened and sweat formed on my palms.

“Your heart rate spikes. Fear and pheromones leak from your pores, Chase. Why don’t you try again? But before you do, let me just say I expected more. I’m disappointed you don’t respect me enough to give me your honesty. I’m not sure if I should be offended or not.”

“It’s not that I don’t respect you.”

“No? What then?”

“I didn’t want to offend you with my response.”

Willy laughed. “Since when do you wear a filter?”

I glared at Willy, who picked at something on his fingers.

Alessia smiled and leaned forward, resting her chin on the back of her hand. “This will be the last pleasantry I offer you, my dear. Your looks can take you no further. Perhaps you should take a page from your friend’s book.” She acknowledged Willy with her hand. “Now try again, with feeling this time. What do you think of my son?”

I glanced back at Willy and I could feel her power floating around him. I shook my head and met her gaze. “I think Vincent’s a dick.”

“Yes!” Willy shouted. “A giant dick!”

“He does evoke that response, doesn’t he? Do you hate him? Have you ever wanted to drive one of those pretty little ruby encrusted daggers into his cold black heart?”

The sweat on my palms didn’t slow and I wiped them on my pants. I looked at Tiki, who remained silent, not even offering me a shrug. “I may have attempted that a time or two.”

“Oh please!” Willy laughed. “If you could have, you would have killed him long ago. We all would have. No offense lady, but your son is a little crazy in the head.” Willy swirled his finger beside his head and then sighed. “I really hope you take him home with you.”

Alessia’s expression remained neutral and she ignored Willy’s outburst, keeping her eyes on me. “Attempted…and failed? I’m shocked to see you alive.”

“Yeah well, the silver blade I stuck in his chest didn’t do much. Your son heals fast.”

“Oh, that he does. Such is our family’s gift.” She grinned. “So, what do you think I could do to convince my young Vincent to cooperate?”

Willy snorted. “Cooperate? Vincent? Those words don’t belong in the same sentence, lady. My thought is you should just stake him. Be done with your troubles.”

I shook my head and ran my hands through my hair, stopping midway to pull on it. I needed to feel something in this moment. Alessia’s hold on Willy was going to get us all killed.

“I may be a vampire but I am not heartless. He is my son and I love him. I miss having him in our home, and I want to see him returned without incident. Please, Chase, tell me what I can do.”

“I’m not sure there is anything you can do. He loves the very things you despise—turned vampires. I don’t know why he sees things differently than you, or what caused all this, but he wants nothing more than to see them alive and know they’re safe. To him, they’re family.”

Alessia grimaced and shook out her hands. “I never understood his appeal for these…atrocities, but you make a valid point.”

“Me either,” Willy said. “As far as I’m concerned, there’s no need for any vampires in this world. They’re a waste of skin.” Willy looked to Alessia and smiled. “No offense, lady.”

“I think I preferred you as a monster trapped in a terrified little boy’s body,” she said.

“Yeah well, you got more than you bargained for then, huh? Let me tell you a little something about your son—”

“Enough,” Alessia said. Her power pulsed, vibrating against my skin.

A pink color crept up into Willy’s face and his eyes opened wide. He didn’t look at anyone as he slumped back in the leather, his skin rushing back to a black that made him blend in with the furniture.

“That’s better.” She smiled. “Thank you, Chase. You told me exactly what Vincent wants more than anything. That’s the key to winning him over.” She rose effortlessly from the chair, her heels clicking along the hardwood. “I was hoping for an alternative measure, but I had a feeling this would be my only option. I’m glad to know you didn’t ruin my surprise after all!”

I didn’t know how to respond. Instead, I wiped my hands on my pants again and leaned back in my seat.

“Bring me Veronica!” She beckoned, still managing to keep the subtle caress of sweetness in her tone.

Veronica? Veronica was dead. I saw the blood pouring out of her when I drove out of the parking lot. There was no way she could’ve survived those wounds. That thought made guilt rise in my throat. I’d left her to die.