Unconditional Love

Blood Stained Street

Y/n POV~

I love you Claggor.

I reel back in cowardice as the door flings open. Vi squeezes my hand reassuringly, keeping her eyes on the intruders.

I might have looked like a pussy because I was flinching from a door opening, but I sure as hell won't look like one when I start throwing punches at the enforcers. I'm not going down without a fight.

"Vander?" Vi says in disbelief.

"What?" I ask opening my eyes and fixing my posture.

He sighs, "we don't have much time."

"How did you find us?" I question still in disbelief.

Vander walks into the shop with Benzo following his trail. He drags his big feet over to us, and he puts a hand on each of our shoulders. He looks me dead in the eyes before saying, "I'm proud of you." Shit, now I'm crying.

Then he adds, "both of you," looking over to Vi. "Always have been." He cups my face with his big, calloused hands, and he wipes my tears away. I'm about to lose another dad.

"I'm sorry, I..." I start but Vi interrupts me.

"We... this is the only way to protect the others," she says putting an arm around my waist. Vander removes his hands from my face and puts them back on our shoulders.

All of the sudden I hear hounds barking in the distance. The sound of weapons clashing with metal uniforms fills the toxic air.

"Vander," Benzo barks a warning.

He turns to Vi, "you've got a good heart. Don't ever lost it. No matter how the world tries to break you."

He then turns to me, and his eyes soften. "You've got your daggers?"

"Always."

He nods his head in approval before continuing.

"You're a fighter, Y/n, and you're smart too. Remember that you don't always have to win the battle to win the war."

He looks down at us with a sad but loving expression.

"Protect the family."

Why does this sound like a goodbye?

"Vander, What are you—-" Vi yells out.

He forcefully pushes us into the cold, dark, wet cellar of Benzo's shop.

"NO!" Vi and I scream, while Vander locks the bulky wooden door.

There's no way to kick this door down. No secret passage to sneak out of. No back exit to make our escape. If there was I'd know.

"Vander! Let us out! This isn't right," Vi yells through the door keeping us from Vander.

We started banging aggressively on the door, but it's no use. It won't budge. I hear an important sounding woman with a thick accent start to speak, and I quiet Vi so we can eavesdrop.

"I'm guessing that's for me?" She queries.

A pair of heavy footsteps enter the store, and I'm guessing it's an enforcer by the sound of metal handcuffs clinking from side to side.

"Are you gonna let us make the arrest or not?" A young enforcer asks rudely.

"You'll oblige a doomed man one last smoke. Won't you?" Vander asks calmly.

More footsteps enter the store. My guess is they belong to the lady enforcer. "I'm not putting you away, Vander," the lady says.

Vi and I exchange nervous glances when suddenly I realize, 'so this is the chief making deals with the hound of the underground? Thought she'd have a bit more blood lust to be honest.'