some alone time with him. I’ll also do anything I can to keep my brother alive. Good or bad, he’s still my blood and I won’t be able to sit idly by and watch him be killed or sold.
The vampire looks at Whit. “Let Mya go. I vow not to go back on my deal.”
Whit stares at him hard. There’s murder in his eyes. Something I’ve never seen before. “Vow not to hurt Camden or Caiden.”
“Tsk tsk. You are in no position to make such a demand.”
“Cam,” Whit pleads in my mind. “Please don’t do this. Let me go instead. I’ll heal instantly. You won’t.”
I hold his gaze. Nothing he says can sway me. “I have to, baby. I can’t let this monster hurt that little boy. It’s me he wants, not you.”
Whit swallows and his bottom lip trembles.
“I’ll find a way out. I’ll bring Caiden with me.”
“I’m going to come for you. We all will.”
“I don’t want you getting hurt.”
“I don’t care about me!” he shouts in my mind. “You’re my life! My heart! I love you.” One lone tear falls down his cheek.
“I love you, too. Please be safe.” I turn back to the male. “Release the boy and I’ll go willingly.”
“Mya first.”
Whit pulls his magic back and lets her go, even as it pains him to do so. She drops to the ground but within seconds is pulling herself upright. Wasting no time, she walks over to me, removes my weapon then checks me for more, finding a few knives, and slaps handcuffs on my wrists. All they’ll keep me from doing is shifting. I have no other powers. Nothing else they’re restricting me from using.
Aries and the others fill the space with their guns drawn on the male and Mya. The low crackling bulb in the room allows me to see how Austin has blood splattered across his face. Sawyer is holding a severed head by its hair. They’ve obviously done some damage while we’ve been in here. None of them miss my brother on the floor or the others in the room. I shake my head in a silent conveyance of them not to do anything. They had to have heard everything that was said over the earpieces. At least when they weren’t killing others or when Whit and I weren’t talking with our minds.
“Tell them I’m going to find out as much as I can,” I send to Whit. “We need to kill this male and find the locations of his hideouts.”
“Camden…”
“I’ll be okay, baby.” I hope I don’t prove myself a liar.
Mya stays by my side, a hand on my shoulder while the male roughly shoves the child toward Whit, who crouches down to catch him in his arms. The boy immediately starts sobbing as he clutches fiercely to Whit. That’s all I need to see to know I did the right thing. Whit will take care of him. The others will take care of Whit.
With that settled, the vampire bends and clasps Caiden’s wrist to forcefully pull him to his feet. Caid cries out as his wrist snaps and he has no chance to heal from it, thanks to the handcuffs. I clench my jaw, hating the sight of my brother in pain.
The vampire nods to Mya, who opens a portal with a shimmery black color to it, effectively blocking out where we’re going.
“Follow us,” the vampire warns Aries and the others, “and these two will die very drawn out, horrific deaths.”
He drags Caiden into the portal, and I’m shoved hard from behind until I stumble through the cold and emerge on the other side. The floor is a shiny white tile and the walls are white as well. There’s no furniture in the room. Four recessed lights above us. No windows. And a solitary door opposite us.
“Welcome home,” the vampire sneers. “And don’t think that shifter locater your mate has for you will allow him to find you. You’re in a room that blocks everything, including sound. This is your new hell. The next time you see the light of day is when I have a buyer for you two.” He pushes Caiden to the ground, who lands hard on his hip. He shouts from the pain. I shoulder Mya out of the way to go to him but her grip on me is solid. She looks me up and down.
“Are you sure these two are going to get us more money, Realdo?” There’s nothing warm in her tone. Only disgust.
“Two