Torn Asunder

Chapter 12 Dante

Some people go from the frying pan into the fire. I went from the frying pan to being hurtled into the center of a nuclear reactor. Andros, the man escorting my twin's body around, seemed overwhelmingly surprised when he walked us into a relatively modest sized building and we were confronted by some darkly glowering faces.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" A man with an Irish brogue demanded, coming over to grab my wrist and jerk me away from Andros. The thing is, even thoguh I was in Valentine's body, I wasn't about to tolerate any one manhandeling me. And even though I was now stuck in a body that lacked the preternatural strength I'd become accustomed to, I jerked my wrist out of his grip and shoved him away. I entended for him to take a step back, so when the man slammed into the far wall and everyone looked at me with startled surprise on their faces, I realized that my Valentine's body still packed a supernatural strength. I didn't even break a nail.

Andros gave out a bark of laughter. "Caleb, meet Dante. Dante, Caleb." the Cajun drawled.

I blinked, looking at the smug biker and back to the glaring Irish man who stepped towards me once again. "What the hell are you on about?" Caleb demanded of Andros.

The only woman in the group just stared at me while a tall brown man hesitantly stepped between Caleb and Andros. I raised one of Valentine's arched eyebrows at the Mexican woman, noting that she seemed to see how the body didn't quite fit the soul. The brown man continued to try to calm Caleb down and Andros just sniggered to himself in the corner.

"What the hell is going on?" Caleb roared, drawing all the attention back to his anger flushed face.

"This is Valentine's body but right now it's her twin Dante in the driver seat." I started the long explanation. "What this means is that if you fucking touch my twin ever again, I'll rip your face off myself. Having her whore herself out to you so you Feed her? What kind of friend are you supposed to be? She's so afraid you'll ditch her that she gave you her virginity! That's one step above rape you jackass!" With each word I had taken a step closer, still not used to looking up at anyone. The man's anger was a heavy perfume in the air and his hearbeat was a rapid, golden pulse under his skin. By the time I finished my rant, I was close enough to swing a powerful right hook to Caleb's jaw that dropped him to the floor. Aware of my current strength, I held back and Caleb wasn't even unconscious. Sore as hell yes, but he was still cognizant.

Of course he reached for me, obviously still somehow expecting Valentine's more self effacing nature. He was figuring I'd back down, I'd give way. I didn't. Instead I stood my ground and we ended up nearly pressed chest to chest, neither one willing to compromise on this. "Whatever agreement you have with Valentine is over. Right now I'm assuming she's in India, in a den of vampires, wearing my skin." I snarled out through my teeth. I could see the flash of understanding deep in the man's eyes, as if he suddenly realized that my actions were as much prompted by fear as they had been anger and resentment. "Now are you man enough to go help her or are you going to run away because I won't let you fuck her anymore?" I demanded, putting my fists to my hips. I still hadn't given ground to him.

"I get Valentine back into her own body and I'm going to enjoy putting a stake into your chest myself." Caleb promised darkly.

I couldn't quite keep the smirk off my face. "You're never getting Valentine back. With or without me. Which one of us do you think she actually loves?" I taunted with glee. I knew my name was tattooed onto her back, not Caleb's. She always wanted me watching her back. "Which one do you think she'd pcik?" the scorn was heavy in my voice.

"This is getting us nowhere!" the brown man said, once again acting as mediator. He must have seen the same dark violence surface in Caleb's eyes as I had seen and acted to calm  the situation down. There was something in how Valentine's body reacted to the tall brown man that let me know she trusted him. This must be the best friend Luka then, to get a reaction like that. "You're both dumber than exhaust fumes if you think Valentine wants you all pissing on her to mark your territory. We all know she wouldn't put up a fuss, she'd just walk away."