Blood Bonded

35

When Raelyn woke up, grogginess slammed into her like a freight train. She struggled to sit up and felt a tug at her wrists. She glanced down and saw manacles clapped around her wrists. The manacles encased her hands, preventing her from blasting sunshine.

The chain was thick. She glanced down, and—sure enough—her ankles were restrained. She lay on a granite slab in the middle of what appeared to be an old high school gymnasium. The basketball nets were lifted, and the bleachers were all pushed in. It reeked of floor polish and stale pencil shavings.

She glanced around in the dim light. The corners were too dark to peer into. Raelyn shivered as the cold from the rock under her seeped deeper into her bones. She tugged hard at the short chains, hoping some vampire strength would kick in. No success.

"Dominic?" she called hesitantly.

"Your bonded will not save you," Rossi said, stepping into the light as he adjusted the sleeves of his dress shirt. "In fact, very shortly you will feel a horrific pain as he is wretched away from you."

Raelyn's heart pounded. "Are you going to kill me?"

Rossi shrugged. "No. I will kill Dominic so I can have you. But, I have a few things I need you to do first."

"I won't do it."

"You will. Do not confuse me for Muci. I do not ask. I expect. Lucky for you, I am not a sadist." He flicked out a knife. "Not that I am opposed to using pain as a motivation. However, I have found other's pain to be a far more compelling argument."

He nodded and the bright fluorescents burst to life. Raelyn blinked in the light. There, dangling from one of the lifted basketball nets was Gabe, hanging from his wrists. Red lines ran across his forearm, leaking blood onto the floor below.

Raelyn jerked up, only to be stopped by the chains keeping her hands above her head. "He's your son!" Her hands flared, by the light was contained.

Rossi smiled. "I love my sons, but if they stand in the way of my power, they will not survive. Dominic will die only to break your bond. Let me tell you what you will do. Shortly, my oldest son will arrive and I will kill him. Then, you and I will bond. If you give me any pushback, I will slit Gabe's throat and produce my next heir through you violently. If you immediately comply, I will spare Gabe and allow him to be my heir. I will use you to produce other heirs more gently."

Rossi leaned down and stroked her hair. "If you are obedient, I will even let you see my children. If you disobey, I will take them from you. If you rebel, I will take them by the head and slowly peel off their flesh before your very eyes. And you will know that it was your vile behavior that killed them."

Raelyn began to shake. "You're a monster."

He smiled. "Thank you. I don't care what you call me now, but once we are bonded, I expect you to refer to me as master." He stood back up. "I could be very kind to you. But only if my kindness is earned."

A door slammed in the distance. "Ah, there is my other son!"

Raelyn saw Dominic sprint toward her. In a split second, a knife appeared at her neck and Dominic froze.

"Hello, Dominic. You have come to die so soon?"

Dominic locked his eyes on Raelyn. "Let her go."

Rossi frowned and flicked the knife, slicing into the side of her neck. She whimpered instinctively, stress flooding her body. She took deep, even breaths, trying to keep her heart rate low.

"Relax, Rae. I'll take care of this. Just keep your heart steady, okay?"

Deep down, she knew that wasn't true. Rossi had too much power. And a knife at her throat. "Do it," she choked out.

Dominic frowned. In a flash, Rossi was beside his son, a knife plunged into his stomach. Dominic froze—the knife had locked his muscles in pain. Another knife plunged into his back.

"Stop!" Raelyn shouted.

"No," Rossi said smugly. "I will not." He pulled another knife and plunged it into his son's back.

Raelyn's mind raced. And then it clicked.

She yanked as hard as she could on the chains, causing the metal to slice into her skin. After a few violent yanks—doing everything she could to push on—her ankles were a bloody mess. She lifted her head before slamming it back against the granite.

Rossi groaned. "Would you please stop making so much noise? I'm busy over here." He lifted his son and tossed him across the court, where Dominic slammed into a wall and collapsed onto the floor.

Raelyn began to breath in short breaths. The pain was clouding her vision. Good. She yanked again, causing new wounds on her wrists.

If she broke the bond first, there was no reason to kill Dominic. And her Capo legacy wouldn't transfer over to Rossi.

Raelyn relaxed and finally allowed the stress and anxiety and fear and hopelessness and regret wash over her. Her heart beat began to climb and tears streaked down her face. She slammed her head down again, a headache blooming at the violence.

As her heartrate climbed, she allowed herself to weep.

She would never graduate. She would never dance with Sam again. And she would never tell Dominic how truly and deeply she had fallen in love with him.

Her breath shortened and the side of her chest began to ache.

This was it. She looked over at Dominic's slumped form. Rossi was standing over him, a final dagger lifted in his hands.

Suddenly, a dog's bark interrupted him. Dane rushed in, growling and hovering protectively over Dominic as Rossi took a step back. "Stupid dog."

"Rossi?" she managed. "The bond is breaking."

He glanced over and grinned victoriously.

"But your son's not the one breaking it."

He frowned. Then he realized what she was doing. He swore and raced over.

She chuckled weakly. "I guess this wasn't in your plan, huh?"

He grabbed her wrists in a panic, trying to stop the cardiac arrest.

It was too late. Raelyn felt the world spin and then plunge into black

Dominic wretched the last knife from his back and felt his heart shatter into a thousand pieces. His brother hung from bloody wrists. His bonded lay in a pool of blood.

Her own.

With a roar, Dominic lifted his hands and light purer than sunlight burst out and into the room. He winced as the light faded.

His chest hurt like it was slowly being ripped apart. Her power flooded him as an inheritance. He staggered over to where ash sat at her side—all that remained of the senior Rossi. He felt his father's inheritance pour into his chest.

He turned back to Raelyn. "No," he muttered. "Raelyn. I shouldn't have taken you. Made you my bonded. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. This...this wasn't the plan."

He winced but sat on his knees and began chest compressions.

"C'mon, Rae. C'mon. Come back. Please," he choked, "Come back."

He continued, dread seeping into his bones.

"Please."

He continued.

"Please."

His arms grew weak.

"I love you."

He closed his eyes, tears having blurred his vision beyond recognition. He finally stopped compressions. He threw his hands over her body. And wept.