Dark Prisoner ✔

Chapter 13: Cold War

Alec was the last to walk into the house behind the others. Kade, Dario and Nikolai were deep in discussion over Giovanni's motives for attacking them tonight. However, Alec wasn't done wondering about his uncle.

The door closed behind them and he spotted his brother emerging from the hallway with a controlled expression on his face. But Alec understood the look of triumph in his young brother's eyes. Vadik must have spent some time with his mate and they had come to an agreement of some sorts.

"How did it go?" Vadik asked.

"Giovanni's men intervened in the mission," Alec answered.

"And Mikhail?" he prompted.

"Unresponsive," that was the only word Alec found to explain his thoughts to his brother. However, he slid the piece of parchment with the message to his brother who was quick on the uptake.

Vadik raised a brow. "He's planning something," he muttered softly.

"You two," Kade's voice intervened.

Alec and Vadik exchanged a look wondering if they were caught.

"We're going to have to arrange a meeting with Giovanni," Kade suggested.

"Why?" Alec asked.

Kade stared at him puzzled. "Did you not notice that Luca was about to kill you?" he remarked sarcastically.

"I noticed," Alec countered. "But why do you care?" He closed the space between them and held his dark eyes with his own. "Isn't that what you want?"

Kade's clenched his jaw so tightly that Alec was sure it'd break. "The only one that gets to kill you is me, otherwise you stay alive," he growled.

"It doesn't really matter anymore," Alec retorted. "If Giovanni wants me dead, he's free to try."

"I didn't ask for your opinion," Kade snapped. "Your life is mine."

"Okay, maybe we should take a breather," Dario spoke between them. "It's been a long night for everyone."

The only way Alec moved was when Vadik grabbed him and practically pulled him up the stairs and into the room they were staying in.

"Do you want to start a fight?" Vadik raged.

"Maybe, I do," Alec replied as he sat on the chair and grabbed this throbbing head.

"What's going on with you?" His brother's voice etched with concern.

"I'm pissed at everything," Alec growled as he got to his feet and started to pace in front of him. "I try to fix one thing and then a hundred things break in the process. I'm fucking cursed, that's what's wrong with me."

Vadik sat on the arm on the chair and sighed. "I know we are," he shared.

"On top of that, our fucking father left his mess for me to clean up and I'm exhausted!" Alec's tone rose even though he didn't mean to. He tried to keep his cool but it was just spilling out now that they were alone. What was he going to do? God, sometimes he really just wanted to pick up a gun and pull the trigger in his own skull. That should make everyone's lives simpler.

"Alec, where are you going?" Vadik asked.

Alec hadn't realized his feet were taking him towards the door. "I need some air," his throat felt as if someone had their hands choking the very air out of his lungs.