Page 44 of Chains of Blood and Darkness

I redoubled my efforts, pouring every ounce of my power into breaking through the barrier, but it held fast, unyielding. The complete picture remained tantalizingly out of reach, taunting me. Whoever had done this possessed a level of skill and knowledge far beyond anything I had ever encountered, and the realization left me both enraged and unnerved.

“Who has done this to you?” I snapped, the words coming out like the crack of a whip. Rage surged through my body, a white-hot fury that threatened to consume me from the inside out. “Who’s trying to keep me from seeing the full picture?”

I stalked closer to Freddie, my every step fueled by the anger coursing through my veins. But he remained unresponsive, his vacant eyes staring past me, the barrier in his mind an impenetrable fortress. I slammed my fist against the wall, the pain barely registering as I grappled with the knowledge that I had been outmaneuvered. Whoever had done this, they were clever, and they had just made a powerful enemy.

Not many people had magic this powerful. I didn’t think Marsha did, but maybe I underestimated her. Or it could be someone entirely different. Someone who might conceivably also be responsible for the murders.

“Please, have mercy,” he begged. “He wanted?—”

His pleas briefly interrupted my thoughts, but then images of Freddie’s cruelty flashed through my mind—Serenity’s beloved dog taken away from her, and her delicate flesh bruised and battered from his relentless beatings. It was the sick, twisted desires lurking in his depraved mind, however, that pushed me over the edge. I had seen theperverted acts he longed to inflict upon her, the fantasies that consumed his every waking moment.

And now, one of my own had fallen victim to his darkness and corruption. I didn’t think Freddie killed Jacques, but he knew who did, and he was denying me my revenge by keeping it from me. The bonds of loyalty that tied my men to me were sacred, the very foundation of my power. And now the respect I commanded as king had been shaken by his actions.

I couldn’t let this stand. To allow such a transgression to go unpunished would be to invite chaos and rebellion into my kingdom. I had to send a message, to make an example of this traitorous filth for all to see.

My grip tightened on the handle of the blade, the metal cool and unyielding against my palm. I pictured Serenity’s face, the terror and pain in her eyes that had haunted her for too long. I thought of my fallen comrade.

A cold, terrible calm settled over me as I raised the knife high overhead. This was vampire justice—swift, brutal, and irrevocable. With a single, powerful stroke, I brought the blade down, driving it deep into Freddie’s soft, vulnerable flesh.

His agonized scream rang off the walls, and I watched dispassionately as he writhed in his bonds, his face contorted with shock and horror. Good. Let him suffer, as Serenity had suffered. Let him feel the depths of my wrath and pay the price for crossing the vampire king.

As his blood pooled on the floor, something dark and primal unfurled within my chest. In one last vicious act, I bit him once more, tasting the coppery liquid that gushed downmy chin, draining him until he grew limp in the chair. As his life force left him, power flooded into me, making me stronger.

I released him and wiped my mouth with the back of my arm. Then I met Dimitri’s eyes. “Get rid of the body. Dump it in the Mississippi.”

Dimitri’s eyebrows shot up, a mix of surprise and impressed amusement dancing in his eyes. “Wow, remind me never to get on your bad side. I’d say ‘you missed a spot,’” he gestured to his own chin with a smirk, “but honestly, the whole blood-drenched look really works for you. Very ‘vampire chic.’” His tone sobered slightly, though the corner of his mouth still twitched. “I’ll take care of it. Want me to gift-wrap him for the gators, or is this more of a catch-and-release situation?”

I turned without answering him and left Dimitri and the others to carry out my orders.

Chapter Nineteen

Serenity

The stench of Freddie’s sweat mixed with his alcohol-laced breath assaulted my nostrils as he lunged at me, his eyes wild with fury. His meaty hand reached for the blade, but I twisted away, feeling the cold steel slice through his wrist and arm. He let out an agonized scream and fell to his knees, blood splattering the dirty wooden floor.

“You bitch,” he spat, his voice dripping with venom. “I’ll take you fast and hard for that. You’ll be begging me to stop before I’m done with you.”

His words made the bile churn in my stomach. The thought of his filthy hands on my body, his weight pressing me down, made my skin crawl. I refused to lose my virginity to such a horrible, disgusting man. He’d steal my innocence and shatter my soul.

I backed up slowly, my heart pounding in my ears, until I felt the rough grain of the door against my sweat-soaked shirt. My hand felt around behind me, fumbling for the handle as Freddie staggered to his feet. The coppery scent of blood, mingled with the musty odor of the room, made my head spin.

“You ain’t goin’ nowhere, girl,” Freddie growled, his good hand making a fist. “You’re mine now.”

I swallowed hard, my mouth suddenly dry. My fingers finally found the cool metal of the door handle, and I turned it, praying it was unlocked. The door creaked open behind me, and I stumbled backward into the unknown, desperate to escape the nightmare that threatened to consume me...

I jerked awake. The nightmare was already fading, but adrenaline still surged through my body, setting every nerve on fire. Someone was brushing the hair off my forehead, and a fresh jolt of pure terror shot through me. My eyes snapped open, but I couldn’t seem to focus, my mind still trapped in the lingering tendrils of the dream. It had felt so real, like Freddie was actually here in the room with me.

I thrashed my head back and forth, my arms and legs flailing. “Get off me!” I screamed at my unknown attacker, my voice raw and desperate. “Get off!”

Strong hands clamped down on my wrists, holding me steady. “Serenity, shh. It’s me. It’s Angelo.”

At the sound of his voice, the fog of fear began to dissipate. I blinked rapidly, my chest heaving as I sucked in deep, ragged breaths. Angelo’s handsome face swam into focus above me, his darkeyes filled with concern.

For a fleeting moment, a wave of relief washed over me. Angelo’s presence felt like a lifeline, anchoring me to reality and chasing away the lingering shadows of the nightmare. But as my adrenaline faded and my mind cleared, confusion and unease crept in.

Why was he here, in my room? The question swirled in my mind. The part of me that yearned for comfort and safety wanted to lean into his touch, to let him chase away the demons that haunted me. But another part, the part that remembered the cold reality of our situation, recoiled from his proximity.

I was his prisoner. No matter how gentle his hands or how concerned his gaze, I couldn’t forget that. He had bought me, refused to set me free, ripped me away from the people I loved. The nightmare might have been a product of my own mind, but the waking world held its own horrors, and Angelo was the architect of them.

---