Release (The Protector Book 3) (30 page)

A
snap
sounded in the distance; Karissa and Garrett crept forward, and when the sound came again followed by branches and leaves rustling, they ordered Tiki to keep watch and cautiously stepped into the shadows.

“Vincent caught me, locked me away in a cage beneath his wa—wa—warehouse, and he...”

Tears rolled down his cheeks and he turned to me. I didn’t know what else to do, so I opened my arms and Willy fell against my chest.

“I tr—tried, Chase. I tried as hard as I could…” Willy sniffed. He sobbed heavily against my chest, and all I could do was hold him there. His body convulsed against me, and I felt his tears soaking through my shirt.

“I’m here, buddy…I won’t let anything like that happen to you again.” I squeezed Willy tight.

Willy pulled away, taking deep, shaky breaths. He tried to wipe the tears away but he couldn’t keep up with them.

“I didn’t want to gi—give him up, but Vincent wouldn’t stop. Hot pokers at first, then he cut up my chest and stomach with sci—scissors. After they healed, he did it all again, and while he waited, he lit my feet and han—hands on fire, one at a time…”

“Willy, I…”

“Let me finish.” Willy’s voice was stern, but his hands were still shaking.

I bit back my words and nodded. The heat had risen in my chest and spread to my arms. My left arm throbbed and seared with pain, but the anger was too much. I didn’t want to hear anymore. I wanted to jump to my feet, find Vincent, and destroy every inch of him for making Willy feel like this.

“When I finally told him who it was, he sent everyone he had after him and brought Duncan back to the warehouse.” Willy stopped and dropped his forehead to his knees. He shook his head, and after a few quivering moments, he rested the side of his face against his knee. “Vincent could’ve compelled me at the start but he didn’t. He wanted to cut Duncan’s name out of me. He wanted to hear me scream. Instead, he saved his mind rape for when Duncan arrived.”

“He compelled him? Why?”

Willy shook his head. “Not Duncan…”

“Why would he compel you after he got what he wanted?”

“Vincent wanted to send a message to me, and anyone else who mi—might try this again.” Willy shook his head.

“So why did he compel you, then? What did that accomplish?”

“He took over my mind, and made me…” Willy’s voice caught in his throat and he covered his face with both hands. “He made me…ki—kill him. My best friend, Chase. Vincent took over my mind, and made me stare into his eyes be—before I took his life.”

“Oh…” I said, and I couldn’t hold back my surprise. There wasn’t much Vincent could do that would surprise me, but making Willy kill his best friend, well…I hadn’t seen that coming.

“Do you know what it’s like to be compelled? Your mind screams at you, telling you to stop…but you can’t.” Willy’s hands curled into fists and the drops came down his eyes in a flood of tears. “I cut his head off with a serrated bread knife. I wasn’t allowed to tu—turn away until every inch of him had turned to ash.” Willy jumped to his feet and started pacing. “And now, ev—every time I close my eyes, I see his face. I see the betrayal in it…all because I wa—wasn’t strong enough.”

“Willy, that is
not
your fault!” I stood beside him and grabbed his shoulder. “None of this is your fault. You were brave, Willy. Duncan would’ve been proud.”

Willy pushed me away. “He wasn’t proud!” he screamed. “You know what his last words were?” Willy’s gaze was a mixture of anger and sadness, and I shook my head. “ ‘How could you? I thought we were friends!’ ” Willy spat the words out and stared at me.

“There was nothing you could…” I took a breath and shook my head. “I’m sorry, Willy…” I didn’t know what else to say, and it wasn’t good enough. Nothing I could say would ever be good enough.

“What’s all the yelling about? Did you get your panties in a twist again?” Vincent said, glaring at Willy.

Willy jumped as Vincent stepped from the shadows, his yellow eyes glowing in the darkness.

“Relax, I already ate. And even if I was starving, I don’t eat junk food.” Vincent laughed.

Willy stared at Vincent and the anger in his eyes was already gone, replaced by fear. He stepped back, letting the shadows of the forest cover his face.

“Calm yourself, hunter. I only killed some kind of animal. No need to get that look in your eyes.”

The heat sitting in my chest would no longer contain itself. It begged for release, and I had no problem giving it just that. I arched my arm back and launched a flaming ball of power towards Vincent. The blue and red flames tore through the air, crackling before they exploded over Vincent’s back. My damaged arm spiked with pain and I pulled the magic back. I didn’t need it. Not for this.

I stormed towards Vincent, and Veronica jumped between us. She hissed, long, violent fangs dropping from her gums, and before her talons could burst from her fingers, I grabbed her by the throat and threw her with all the strength I could muster.

Pale limbs flailed in the dark air and her body vanished into the forest. I heard another
snap
when her body hit the ground, but I didn’t slow my pace. I stalked the ground, and with each step, the anger swelled inside me.

Images of Willy chained and dangling from the ceiling flashed in my mind. Vincent was on his knees, dipping one of Willy’s feet in kerosene. His perfect white smile and flawless skin flickered in the dim light of the room. Vincent struck a match and laughed as Willy’s leg lit up in bright orange flames. Willy’s skin flashed from yellow to blue then red, smoking as the flames crept up his legs.

I shook the vision away. Vincent had torn his shirt off and was extinguishing the flames in the dirt. His muscular, white back was smoking, flexing as he gripped the earth.

“Williams!” he roared, but before he could act, I smashed my fist into the back of his head.

Vincent crumpled and tried to roll away, but I pulled him back and smashed my knee into his chest. He gagged as the air was forced from his lungs. I pulled each blade from its sheath and squeezed them in my hands. Launching fist after fist into his face, the blade’s handles reinforced my punch and I didn’t hold back.

“Chase Williams, that is enough. He has done nothing!” Tiki pulled me off Vincent and pushed me away from him.

“Nothing? Nothing?” I shouted. “You have no idea what he’s done. I had no idea. Until Willy told me.” I turned my icy blue stare to Vincent.

Vincent’s face was covered in blood and the yellow of his eyes was gone, replaced by black. His jaw dropped, dislocated from his face. He pushed his chin up forcefully and bones grinded against one another before snapping back into place. His eyes were locked with mine as he pushed himself up and his fangs bit his bottom lip.

Veronica lunged out of the forest, stampeding towards me, but Vincent jumped to his feet and his arm shot out, grabbing her by the hair. Her feet slipped out from beneath her and she hit the ground with a
thud
. Thick blonde locks were wrapped in Vincent’s hand and he didn’t let go.

“You’re hurting me,” she whimpered.

“Good. You fight when I tell you to and only then.” His voice was firm but his eyes were still locked on me.

Veronica nodded and cried out until Vincent released her.

“I have done many things, Mr. Williams, that I am not proud of. I took the hatred I had for the Sovereign and what they did to me, and I released that fury on anyone who crossed my path.” Vincent reached up and adjusted his jaw a few times. He wiped the fresh blood from his mouth, all the cuts and breaks in his skin gone and replaced by smooth, blood-smeared flesh. “I am not proud of those moments, but they exist nonetheless. As a vampire in hiding, I had little desire to have my information sold to the highest bidder.”

“You tortured him and made him kill his best friend. You
will
pay for that.”

“Will I? We need each other, hunter. That much is clear. For that reason, I will allow this…outburst of yours to be forgiven. For now…”

I fought against Tiki’s grip. Fire burned through my soul and I channeled it into my blades. “You son of a—”

“Chase, leave it alone!” Willy shouted, appearing between us and helping Tiki hold me back.

My anger flared and I pushed forward. Both Tiki and Willy’s feet slid backwards in the dirt as I inched myself closer to Vincent. “Get out of my way.”

“No,” Willy said, a low growl rumbling from his chest.

“He won’t get away with what he did, Willy. Now get the hell out of my way,” I commanded.

Willy pulled his hands off my chest and stared up at me, the sadness and anger filling his eyes again.

“What?” I asked.

Without a word, Willy threw his fist forward and it cracked against my jaw. Anger peaked inside me but I pushed it back down.

“What the hell is your problem?” I yelled.

“I didn’t tell you all this so you could run off, half-cocked like some hero to the rescue, you stupid ass!”

“What?”

“I told you because…because I’ve never told anyone before. Duncan was my only friend until I met you. You’re the best and only friend I’ve ever had other than him, and I thought I could share that with you.”

“But after everything he did, how—”

“I don’t want revenge, Chase. I don’t want to cause anyone else pain. Even him.” Willy pointed at Vincent.

His words tore the anger from my soul and the tension began to leave my body. I rubbed my jaw and Willy shook his head, walking away from me.

The yellow of Vincent’s eyes returned, and for the first time, I saw sadness in them. “Willy,” he said, stepping forward.

“Don—don’t talk to me, Vincent. Don’t look at me and don’t come near me. Stay away from me and stay out of my life.”

Vincent stopped in his tracks and looked between us. “Willy, for what it’s worth, I’m sorry. I did…unspeakable things to you and your friend.”

“Duncan.”

“What?”

“He has a name. Duncan. You cut me apart, made me bleed, lit me on fire, and ripped apart my mind. You made me watch my best friend’s life fade from his eyes. The life you made me take. Don’t you
ever
forget that name.”

Vincent’s eyes were lost in the anger swirling around Willy, and he nodded. “I did terrible things to both you and Duncan. Things I can never take back. I treat you the way I do out of that guilt, and for that…for everything, I apologize.”

“How kind of you,” Willy said, spitting the words at him.

Vincent lowered his gaze. “I don’t expect forgiveness, and I’m not asking for it. But I assure you I am no longer that person.”

“Congratulations, but your assurance still means
nothing
to me. Just stay away from me, and I’ll die happy.”

Vincent nodded. He looked at me, shook his head, and wiped most of the blood off his face with the sleeve of his shirt.

I looked back to Willy, waiting for him to say something else, but his expression had changed. He was no longer angry, or sad; he was focused. He began to sniff the air, catching the scent of something before a low growl escaped his throat.

Another loud
snap
came from behind us. I grabbed both my daggers from the ground and the elements flared up inside me. We all stared at the shadows and I crept forward, ready to strike, when Karissa and Garrett came out of the woods.

Out of breath, they grunted as they dragged something behind them, and a large figure folded down the bushes. Four legs trailed limply behind its body while the other two were in each of the werecats’ hands. Curved black horns protruded from its head, its throat had been half torn out, and red spots covered its light colored fur.

Karissa and Garrett’s clothes were both in tatters, torn to bits and barely covering anything. They were out of breath and with each exhale came a throaty rumble.

“What is that?” I asked, my pulse thumping in my neck.

Garrett looked over the dead creature and then back at me. “Dinner.”

******

Tiki and Willy helped Garrett skin the creature and cut it apart. In a few hours, the meat was roasted over a crackling fire, and we all ate in silence. The meat had a strange tang to it, but it was a welcome meal after what the trolls had tried to feed us.

We each took turns on watch, but when it was my turn to sleep, I couldn’t. I stared up at the night sky, images of Willy’s story flashing behind my eyelids. Guilt tugged at me over the memory of what had been done to him, and then over everything I had done.

I had forced Willy to go to Vincent’s warehouse. I had ignored the blatant fear he’d shown and made him do it. He’d ended up getting kidnapped, and now I realized just how traumatic that had been for him. Here I thought he was just an uneasy guy who was nervous around vampires, when in reality he’d suffered a horrible fate there once already.

Willy tossed and turned, lying along the leaf-covered ground beside me, and when I realized he was still awake, I apologized. First for attacking Vincent and pretending that hurting him could make everything bad that had happened to Willy go away, then for everything else. But he never responded.