Nothing Without You | Eric Coulter [2]

seventeen

    "Tori, Harrison, please. They'll kill him." I'm still not quite sure how I've found myself in this predicament, standing here in front of Tori and Harrison and pleading for them to save Eric's life.

I guess my first mistake was thinking the worst had already blown over. I should've known better than to let my gut down. But I did. And now, here we are.

"Nessa, you know we'd help you if we could. But there's just nothing we can do," Harrison replies apologetically.

"There must be something. He won't stand a chance if they put him up on trial, you know that," I argue, "Eric may not be the most likeable person, I get it. But that doesn't mean he deserves to die. He isn't guilty of the things that he's being accused of. Eric was manipulated. If anyone should be held responsible, it should be Jeanine."

"We understand." Tori smiles sadly at me, "But it's just not our decision to make. This is out of hands, Nessa."

"Then, give me a name."

Tori and Harrison exchange a look that I can't quite decipher, indecision written clearly on both of their faces.

"Please," I plead again, "Give me something to work with here."

The both of them glance at each other again in a way that has a sour taste building in my mouth.

Before either of them even answers me, I ask, "It's my mother, isn't it? She was the one who had the guards take him?"

"I'm sorry," Tori confirms with a nod.

I should've known the moment I saw Edgar amongst the group of guards that budged into our room.

Silly ol' me still held onto faith that my mother wouldn't hurt me like this.

But faith was a useless little thing. And I guess this was a rude awakening, reminding me that my mother wasn't the same woman I had remembered her to be anymore.

✧

I burst through the double-set doors without bothering to knock.

Both my mother and Edgar, who were the only ones in the room, startled at the sudden intrusion and Edgar reach for his weapon.

Fixing him with a glare, I jerk my chin at the open door. "You can leave now."

"What the hell did you just say to me?" He shouts, spittle flying from his mouth.

"Get. Out," I grit out.

My temper was on a short fuse today. With everything that was going on, I feel like I was on the verge of lashing out and punching someone in the face. With any luck, that someone might just be him.

"Go ahead, say that again and I'll-"

"You'll what?" I challenge, turning to face him head-on. "What the fuck are you going to do about it, asshole?"

"Alright. That's enough, you two," My mother cuts in and lets out a sigh when neither of us back down. "Edgar, would you wait outside, please?"

Edgar seems reluctant to follow orders, but eventually, he backs up before heading to the door.

"Let him go," I cut straight to the chase. "The only reason why Eric ever went back to Erudite was because of me. He did it to save me. Are you really going to punish him for that?"

"Sweetheart, I'm sorry but I'm afraid I can't do that." Her expression looks so apologetic that I almost believe her for a second there. Almost. "We can't have any people thinking that they can defy our leadership and get away with it. If I allow his release, then we'll have-"

"No," I cut her off, "There is no 'we' here. Don't act like anything you're doing is for me. It's about you and your thirst for control. It's insulting that you're even pretending like it's anything more than that."

"Vanessa, I'm sorry."

Evelyn's bottom lip trembles and her eyes start to water. I almost laugh at the sight, because no part of me thought that those tears were genuine.

"Save the theatrics for someone gullible enough to buy it," I scoff, anger boiling in me. "You've been gone from my life for twelve years. Twelve. Fucking. Years, and not once did you even try to get us out of that hell hole. And you know what the worst part of it all is? It's that you knew. You fucking knew what living with Marcus was like and you still left us with him. Was that not enough for you, Evelyn? Because you seem to get a kick out of making my life as miserable as you possibly could." The words spill out of my mouth, "Eric's the only person in my life that I know without a sliver of doubt was behind me. And now, you're taking him away from me, too. I didn't have a mother growing up, and that's fine. I've made my peace with that. But I refuse to live a life without Eric. And if that means I have to run you over, then so fucking be it." My chest heaves with anger, "I will burn the entire world down for him. Just like I know he will for me."

"Watch your mouth, Vanessa. I am still your mother."

"My mother's dead," I spat, "She died when I was four. I was there. I watched them bury her. You? You're just a stranger that looks like her."

Just then, the door flies open once again and Tobias enters the room.

He looks like he's fuming, but as his eyes meet mine, they soften and he approaches me.

"I heard about what happened," He tells me before turning to our mother, "This is wrong. Call off the trial and release him."

My mother straightens up, meeting Tobias' gaze and then mine.

"I am in charge here. That man is a criminal, and he is where he belongs. Justice needs to be served. I am not going to change my mind."

"Justice?" I scoff, taking a step towards her only to be intercepted by my brother.

"Calm down, V," He whispers but I push on.

"There is no justice. If there were, Marcus would be the first to suffer its wrath. But the last I checked, the man is still walking free. Since you're so hell-bent on watching justice be served, why don't you go after him instead?" I shake my head, "But you're not going to do that, are you? Because let's be honest here. You don't give a fuck about justice, all you want is power."

Shrugging Tobias' hands off of me, I stomp out the door.

One thing's for certain, I'll get Eric out of that prison if it's the last thing I do.