Page 53 of Blood Illusions

The dread weighed heavy on my chest, like a boulder lodged in my throat. I bit back tears as the news hit me like an avalanche. I had spent all night frantically researching and preparing for this moment, but nothing could have prepared me for this. The thought of losing my dad to those creatures made my heart race with fear and exhaustion from the constant fighting and running. Now, hearing they’d tracked him down but he was missing again, it felt like the world was crashing down around me.

My heart raced as I thought about the chaos that had unfolded. My mother a victim of a senseless vampire murder. And now my father, a skilled hunter, taken captive by those same creatures of the night. He was the best hunter I knew, an Elder, but against a horde of vampires, even though he wouldn’t stand a chance.

The bitter taste of anger rose in my mouth as I imagined Justice’s team being responsible for leading the vampires to my father. I couldn’t shake the feeling they were somehow to blame. Then I looked at Justice, and despite the resentment boiling within me, I knew he hadn’t intended for any of this to happen. He was still the enemy, but at that moment, he was also the only one who could help me find my father.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

“You bastard.” Damon’s chair scraped across the wooden floor as he stood, his fists clenched and trembling with rage.

Tim immediately reached out to restrain him. “Damon, sit and calm down, boy.”

Damon yanked free of his grasp and lunged across the table at Justice. “You left him to die. I’m going to kill you.”

Customers quickly scattered, knocking over chairs and tables in their rush to escape the commotion.

Tim jumped from his chair and seized Damon’s arm. “Damn it, Damon, cool it! This ain’t helping anyone!”

Another brave patron attempted to hold Damon’s other arm, but it was as if he’d changed into the Incredible Hulk.

My brother’s nostrils flared as he clenched his fists, his rage igniting like a thousand fireworks. His love and admiration for our dad knew no bounds. Learning that Justice had abandoned Dad to die alone filled him with an unforgiving sense of betrayal. Any alliance we had with the PMC, especially Justice, was broken.

Damon’s muscles bulged and trembled as he struggled against their grasp, his eyes wild with rage. Justice rose from his seat, and his footsteps echoed across the hardwood floor. Damon spewed a stream of profanities at him, his face contorted in fury. In the distance, the sound of sirens grew louder. I stood slowly, my heart pounding.

“Damon, calm down,” I pleaded, but he continued thrashing like a caged animal.

Chairs toppled over, and the table flipped over with a loud crash. Suddenly, the room was bathed in flashing red and blue lights as police cars screeched to a halt outside.

“Damon, please,” I shouted over the chaos as he thrashed, sweat glistening on his forehead.

Two police officers burst into the cafe, their badges glinting in the fluorescent lights.

The female officer yelled, “Police! Break it up, now! Step back and put your hands where I can see them.”

Like me, Damon ignored her words.

More police officers rushed into the cafe like stampeding buffalo.

The female officer narrowed her eyes. “Everyone needs to calm down and stand back.”

The crowd around us quickly moved away. I wanted to help Damon, but he was in no condition to listen to reason.

Her partner took control of the situation. “If you don’t comply, you will be detained. What’s going on here?”

Damon ignored him and yanked on his arms, trying to break free of Tim and the bystander.

Tim held onto Damon’s struggling form, his face contorted with anger and determination. “Stop, you fool.”

Damon’s roar ripped through the cafe as he broke free and lunged at Justice, who stood frozen, bracing for the impact. “You signed your death warrant, Justice. Nobody messes with my family and gets away with it.”

Before his fists could find their mark, a blur of blue uniforms swarmed in. “Police! Break it up now!” they shouted, pulling Damon back with firm grips. “You’re under arrest,” one officer barked, snapping handcuffs around his wrists as he struggled.

The cafe erupted into chaos, chairs and tables overturning in the commotion. Wild with fury, Damon thrashed against the officers. He nearly broke free, his gaze locked on Justice with unbridled anger, but the officers were quicker, more experienced. They forced him onto a table with a resounding crash, silencing the room. The loud crunch of metal colliding with wood reverberated through the cafe, turning my blood ice cold.

Tim’s grip on my arm was firm, more of a steer than a pull. “All right, enough gawking. Let’s go spring Damon before this gets messier,” he barked.

My insides were shaking after what I’d seen, and I couldn’t find my voice.

As we headed toward the exit, Justice tried to approach me. “Sawyer, wait.”

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