Page 16 of Bite of Sin

“They killed her,” Helena screamed. “Your precious government is murdering innocent people in cold blood.”

She was yelling as loud as she could, but I could barely hear her, and I was near the front of the crowd. Norman lunged at her, and she ducked out of the way, looking determined.

“Lisa never went to treatment.” Her voice caught. “They shot her in the head near the river.”

“Spewing lies,” Norman snarled into the microphone.

“I didn’t go to the vampires,” she shouted, running to stay out of Norman’s reach. “They killed her. I saw it. They’re murderers.”

Warner was shoving forward toward the platform, and I followed behind him. My hands clenched into fists when I spotted two more men hurrying onto the platform. They quickly caught Helena’s arms, shoving her to her knees before she could do anything. Norman stalked behind her, and I cried out when he raised a knife.

“Let this be a lesson to anyone who dares go against us.” Norman put the blade to her throat.

“No!” Warner roared, not caring who he was pushing out of his way as he tried getting to his sister.

The noise of the crowd swallowed his cry as Norman slid the knife across Helena’s throat. Blood gushed from the large wound, and my heart cracked when I watched her eyes widen and her tied hands go to her neck. Someone stepped in front of me, blocking the platform, and I swallowed a sob, darting around him.

Tears blurred my vision as Helena slumped to the floor of the platform when the two men released her. Warner had gone still, and I made it to his side and grabbed his arm.

“Warner,” I choked out. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m going to kill him—”

“She wasn’t alone,” Norman spoke up. “She has a brother who is always with her. And we got word that three people were involved. They need to be found.”

Cold fear slithered through me and squeezed as eyes were already finding us. Warner wasn’t hiding the fact that he was upset, and he looked just like Helena. A circle was already forming around us, and I tensed.

“Go, Kali,” Warner gritted out, tears wetting his cheeks. “Get out while you can.”

“I’m not leaving you here,” I hissed under my breath, watching warily as more people surrounded us.

Fingers curled around my wrist, jerking me away from Warner. I moved to defend myself until I realized it was Tim.

“You need to get out of here,” he bit out, trying to tug me away.

“Not without Warner—”

“Take her,” Warner cut me off.

I glanced back at him, my heart crumbling. He and Helena were my only family. There were others in the Clovers, like Tim, but it wasn’t the same. I had grown up with Warner and Helena. I’d lived with them and shared everything with them. I didn’t want to survive by myself.

“We’ll help get him out too,” Tim promised, dragging me away.

“That’s the brother,” someone shouted on the other side of Warner. “Look at how upset he is.”

“Don’t touch me,” Warner snapped when another guy tried grabbing him.

“Let me go,” I begged, fighting against Tim. “I can’t leave him.”

“Kali, think logically,” he breathed in my ear as he pulled me farther from Warner. “You need to leave the city to survive. You can be our outside ear. You can still be part of the Clovers.”

“I don’t care,” I cried, my body trembling. “I don’t want to leave.”

“Go through the tunnel. Hide. I’ll leave a note for you at our tree. Check for it in two weeks.”

He kept talking about plans, and I tried comprehending it as I lost sight of Warner. There were still some stares on me, but most were now focused on Warner. I could hear him fighting, and I protested when a second pair of hands grabbed me. I turned my head to see Jill. She was another member of our group, and even if she didn’t know what was going on, she was following Tim’s lead to get me out of here.

“Who is she?” a woman screeched, glaring at me. “Another traitor?”

---