He had to be kidding me. After all the shit Inés and I went through to get back to this fucking place.
Just then, the last voice I wanted to hear joined our conversation.
“It’s an honest question, Brother. Why don’t you just answer the man, hmm? Wouldn’t that be the easy solution?”
“Why the fuck is he here?” I barked out, unable to contain my rolling emotions. My goggles and mask were back on but my tone of voice couldn’t be mistaken.
“Why so angry, Brother? It’s not because you're hiding something, is it? It would be a shame if it were true.”
“If what was true,” I gritted out, my hands balled into fists.
Otis walked around the table and stood beside Dean who had his arms crossed, still staring at me.
“If you were planted here by one of the clans, of course. Who could possibly escape the clutches of bloodsuckers once they’ve captured you? You’d either become one of their blood banks or you’d be turned. And since you’re not the latter… perhaps you’ve become one of their little toys.”
The moment the term left his lips, I leaped. Chairs clattered and men barked out commands that no one followed. My fists landed on Otis thick skull, my knuckles throbbing when I would hit his goggles. But it didn’t stop me. No. This was the moment I waited for. I was going to put his head on a spike and made sure no one doubted me ever again.
They let a snake inside our den, seeing him as a comrade. I was going to show them the truth. I was going to cut the snake off by the head and save everyone here from his lies.
“Get the fuck off him!”
“What the hell is going on with you Vik?”
“What kind of poison did they put into you?”
“Shit, you know one of the clans can make zombies out of humans. They follow their every command. I just bet you—”
Arms came around my neck and pulled me off as Otis cackled on the ground, his teeth stained crimson with blood.
When the barrel of a gun was pressed against my head I stopped struggling, panting and glaring at the pathetic excuse for kin.
“You make one more move and I blow your fucking brains out right here in front of everyone. We wouldn’t be able to save her skull then. Not the way you do with your fucking bloodsucking souvenirs back at your residence. I told you I would kill you, asshole. You should have never taken her from me.” Beau, the young fucker from topside, hissed into my ear under his breath so no one could hear him.
“I think they got him. I think he’s one of them,” one of the residents in the room spat out.
A familiar voice rang in my head and my skin prickled. “They’re going to torture you. Get out while you can.”
Ares?
“We can’t fucking trust him. Why else would he cover his face like that? He’s about to turn and he doesn’t want us to know!”
“Throw him in the prisons,” Dean ordered and I saw red.
Get the fuck out now!Ares shouted in my head.
I quickly twisted, shot my arm between his hold and elbowed Beau in the face, knocking him to the ground.
Two more men jumped on top of me as I struggled to get away, kicking one in the crotch and kneeing the other in the neck. Crawling on the ground, another fucker landed on top of me and knocked the wind out of my chest.
“What the fuck is going on?” Carson called out.
“Why weren’t we informed of this meeting?” Amir sneered, suspicion lacing his tone.
“Because you fuckers were part of his team. We couldn't trust you not to take up his side for that simple fact. You need to face that he’s not the man that left here. For all we fucking know, he chose to leave and side with the enemy!” Ozzy’s theory ignited murmurs all around the room and I knew it was over. They would never take anything I said seriously once he threw out that assumption.
“Throw him in the fucking prison until we can interrogate him,” Dean ordered again and I roared.
Three men grabbed me and dragged me out of the strategy room. I snapped my jaws in their directions though they couldn’t see me behind my mask.
