Dante (Blood Brothers Book 5) (7 page)

Chapter Five

Jagger struggled to break his bonds even
if every previous attempt had been futile.
He beli
eved he’d been conscious for quite a few
hours and in that time, he’d learned the children were being kept in separate rooms. The little ones were probably scared out of their wits. He had to find a way out of here and save the kids and get them to safety. And then see his beautiful Camryn again. Where was she now? What must she be thinking?

He would give anything to hold her in his arms right now. For the hope of just one more kiss from her soft lips
,
he would find the strength to go on. Giving up hope was not an option. There had to be a way to get out of th
ese cuffs. Finally, he decided
if he couldn’t get out of the handcuffs, he could at least get his hands in front of him.

Lying flat on his back, he managed to stretch his arms enough to get his rear through them. Jagger struggled for several more minutes before he was finally able to pull his legs through. To look at them, the cuffs seemed normal, though he knew otherwise. “
Reikius Imos Ish
,” he muttered.

An electric jolt shot through his body, stinging like crazy. Mere magic wouldn’t get them off. He’d need to use his brain to get out of this predicament since it appeared the only way out of them was to break the spell or use the actual key.
He wasn’t sure which
of
the two guards he’d overheard had it. He did learn they went by the names of Cobra and Cottonmouth.
There had to be some way to lure them to him.

Jagger
looked around the large room for a means of escape. There were no windows and the door was solid oak. His gaze fell on a small nook next to the door and an idea popped into his head. He stalked to the door, banged on the wood with a hard thud, and then placed his ear against it.

When he heard nothing, he pummeled the door again. This time he heard light footsteps coming up some stairs. Quickly, he slid his body into the nook and waited.
Jagger cringed slightly at the loud creaking sound the door made
.
He figured there had to be
some kind of
metal
latch on the other side keeping the door locked. Jagger held his breath and willed his heart to stop beating so fast. He was sure whoever walked through the door would hear it.

He didn’t have to wait long before a slender vampire with long, dark hair strolled in. Without hesitation, Jagger pounced on the rogue’s back, throwing the chain that connected his cuffs around his neck and yanking hard. The rogue clawed and hissed, trying to fight off a determined Jagger.

Jagger’s fury at being captured gave him the strength to crush his enemy’s windpipe. He sank his descended incisors into the nape of his adversary’s neck and tore out a large chunk. The rogue dug his talons into Jagger’s arm, cutting into muscles and tendons. It hurt like a motherfucker, but Jagger hung on for dear life. If he couldn’t kill this vampire, he
would be the one to die.

The children depended on his survival. He let the rogue go long enough to grasp a fistful of his hair and yank with all his might. A hunk of scalp ripped off with all that hair, producing an agonizing scream from his red-eyed enemy.

Knowing he couldn’t give his opponent a moment to retaliate, Jagger propelled him into the wall, not allowing the sound of crunching bone to slow him down. He
,
then
,
lengthened his fingers and morphed his hands into talon
-
like weapons. Even with the hindrance of the cuffs, his
vampire
abilities were functional
, one of the perks of being a hybrid
. With a swift
lunge
, he dug his h
and through the rogue’s back,
plowed toward his heart
and crushed it in his palms.

The rogue crumpled at his feet. Wasting no time, he searched the fallen vampire’s clothing for a key, but to his frustration found nothing. Damn. He’d have to get out of here with these
damned
things still on, but first he had to find the children.

When he left the room, Jagger was taken aback by the large structure. He was at the end of a long, dark hallway. This place reminded him of the interior of a thirteenth-century castle.

Jagger made his way down the hallway and checked each room as he went. When the third door he tried opened, he saw a small figure lying on a cot with his back turned.

“Jaxson!” Jagger hurried over to the little boy, panic in his chest. He hoped the child was merely sleeping and nothing was seriously
wrong
with him. He gently shook the boy’s shoulder. “Jaxson,” he whispered.

With a wide yawn, Jaxson stretched his arms over his head and turned to face Jagger. The child rubbed his eyes. “Jagger!” He scrambled to his knees and flung his arms around Jagger. “I thought you were dead.”

Even though Jagger couldn’t return the hug as he wished, he was still relieved to find his young cousin alive and well. He pulled away with a frown. “Why would you think I was dead, little one?”

“I heard the mean men say they were going to kill you. Where’s Adri? And where’s my daddy?”

“I’m not sure where the girls are, but we’ll find them. I promise. As for your father, I’m sure
he’ll be here soon
. I know he will. Have they hurt you?”

Jaxson shook his head. “No, but they wouldn’t give me anything to eat but bread and water. The bread had green spots on it.” He scrunched his little face up in disgust.

“We’ll get you out of here, but I have to find the others.”

“Adri is scared of the dark.” Jaxson poked out his bottom lip and looked like he was going to cry, but to his credit, he didn’t.

Jagger’s heart went out to the little boy. Seeing this small child’s courage in the face of adversity firmed his resolve to get them all out of here in one piece. “I have to check the other rooms to locate your sister and cousin. Then I’ll need to find a way out
of this place
. You wait here until I come back for you. Can you do that for me?”

“Can’t I come with you? I can help. Daddy showed me how to throw a punch. I can hit someone real hard.”

Jagger chuckled lightly despite the gravity of their situation. “I’m sure you can, little one, but you would be a bigger help if you stayed right here. I’ll return when I can. Please do this for me, okay?”

Jaxson folded his arms across his chest and scowled. “I
guess
, but if you need me, I’ll rescue you,” he said solemnly.

“Thank you,
Jaxson
. I appreciate the offer,” Jagger answered with equal seriousness. He gave his young cousin a brief smile of encouragement before slipping out of the room. There were seven more doors to check before he could find a way out. Carefully, he examined four more.

In the fifth room, he found a woman with flame-red hair that flowed past her waist. Her back was to him, and she was standing over what looked like a bassinet. She leaned over and picked up a swaddled bundle and cradled it to her chest. “She’s a beautiful child.”

Gianna!

“Put her down,” Jagger growled. Wanting to rush at her but unwilling to endanger the baby, he remained where he stood.

“I’m sorry, Nikolai Grimaldi, but I can’t do that.”

His blood ran cold at the way she emphasized his last name as if it were poison on her lips.

“She’s a lovely little thing, is she no
t? A female-born vampire. She’
ll be strong
—
if she grows up.”

It took everything within Jagger not to rush the bitch and rip out her heart, but he had to think of his tiny cousin, so innocent to the evil surrounding her. “Put her down!” he
roared.

“Or what?” She turned around to reveal
herself to him
. She was quite beautiful, but there was something off about her face he couldn’t quite put his finger on. Bright green eyes taunted him, daring Jagger to do his worst. “Will you use your powers on me? I think not.” She pushed back the blanket covering the baby’s face and stroked a plump cheek.

Thankfully, the child was sleeping, blissfully unaware. If it weren’t for the damn cuffs, he would have used a spell to blast a hole in her chest, while ensuring the baby’s safety. Before the thought fully formed in his mind, the redhead raised her hand.

Bolts of lightning shot from her fingertips and sent him flying through the room. Jagger hit the wall with a heavy thud. Lightning sparked from her fingers yet again, sending another powerful electric current through his body. The sensation of being electrocuted grew more powerful by the second. He bit his bottom lip so he wouldn’t scream out, even though the energy flowing within him was probably one of the most painful feelings he’d ever experienced.

Jagger refused to give the bitch the satisfaction.

She cackled with glee, obviously taking pleasure in his torment. As the jolts increased in intensity, a tear slid from the corner of his eye. Would he ever see his beautiful Camryn again? What about his mama and papa? The last thing that registered in the murkiness of his cluttered thoughts was the sound of a baby crying.

<><><>

Since their journey to Vegas
, Dante seemed standoffish. His
treatment
of
her
,
wounded Isis’s soul
.
She didn’t understand how he could be
hot one minute, making love to her with such vigor and passion, awakening
her body to feelings she hadn’t known
, and then go cold t
he next, barely speaking to her.

When she’d finally left Sidewinder’s house, Dante had given her an odd look.
Isis
hadn’t paid too much attention to
the disdain on
Paris’s face because
she’d
never
had his complete approval.
Other than to ask if the children were there, Dante had barely spoken more than two words to her.

She’d been waiting for an opportunity to get him alone, but it had been difficult because as soon as they had left Sidewinder’s, they had headed for the jet to take them to their next destination, Vancouver. During the plane ride, Dante had told her to get some rest, but it was difficult to relax while he and Paris talked strategy in the seat in front of her, not because their conversation was distracting, but because it seemed she was deliberately being left out. By the time they’d landed, Isis was completely on edge.

Now she sat in the bac
k of the car Dante had hired,
close to tears. He pulled the car to a halt. “This is it. Another one of Sidewinder’s hangouts. I’m parking here so we won’t be detected. We’ll have to walk a mile or so.”

“Great.” Paris opened
the front passenger door. “I need to stretch my legs.”

Dante was about to do the same, but Isis
decided
to make her move now or the opportunity would be lost. There was no telling when they’d next be afforded any privacy. Placing her hand on his shoulder, she stopped his progress. “Wait. Don’t go.”

He stiffened, his muscles tensing beneath her fingertips. “We need to go, Isis.” His tone sounded distant, and she snatched her hand away as if she’d been slapped.

“Actually, I need to talk to you.”

“What about, Isis? Paris is already outside and we need to join him.”

“
Could you give me five minutes
? I doubt that would make a big difference to this mission. I promise I won’t need any more of your time than that.”

Dante released a deep breath and turned in his seat, directing his cobalt gaze in her direction. “Fine. What is it you’d like to discuss? I hope it’s important, considering my nieces and nephews are still in danger.”

She wasn’t sure what she’d done to earn his scorn, but she didn’t deserve to spoken to in such a condescending matter
. “That didn’t stop you from fucking me on the plane,” she snap
ped, tired of his coldness. “I’m not going to allow you to treat me like someone you can just screw and then ignore on a whim.”

Dante’s eyes narrowed to dark blue slits and those sensual lips of his tightened to a thin white line. “Isis, I don’t know
what game you’re playing but —
”

“What are you talking about? Games? You’re the one who’s been treating me like a leper, and I think I’m entitled the courtesy of being told what I’ve done to offend you.”

Dante opened his mouth to reply but a tap on the window forestalled him. “One moment,” he bit out before opening the door. “Could you give us a few minutes, Paris?”

“Hurry up,” the shifter growled. “I’m anxious to get this over with.”

“Likewise, my friend. We’ll only be a few minutes.”

Paris nodded and walked away.

When Dante closed the door and turned to face Isis once again, it was with narrowed eyes. “Hurry up and get to the point, Isis.”

“First off, don’t talk to me like that.”

His nostrils flared and a muscle twitched in his jaw as if his patience was wearing thin. “How am I talking to you?”

“Like I’m a piece of dirt on the bottom of your shoe.
But if you’re going to be rude, at the very least
tell
me what I did.”

“I don’t have time for this shit
.”

It infuriated her when he placed his hand on the door handle as if he would actually get out of the car without addressing her concerns, but Isis reached over the front seat and gripped his shoulder. The beast within her was threatening to erupt. “
Were you lying to me on the plane when you said you wanted to be with me again or is that something you say to all the women to make them feel special? I didn’t peg you for a user, Dante and I still don’t. If
I’ve
angered you in some way, tell me what I did or at least be mature enough to tell me you’re finished with me.”

Dante clenched and unclenched his jaw, his lips going white as he pressed them together. He obviously wasn’t used to women talking to him this way, but that was tough shit. Isis let no one back her into a corner, not even a man who she knew she was falling in love with. She hadn’t survived the last several decades without knowing how to stand up for herself.

For several moments Isis didn’t think Dante would answer her, but when he finally did, it wasn’t what she wanted to hear. “Why are you so familiar with the Serpent Gang? You lied to me. You said you had
a
friend who was a member. You never said anything about being friends with the entire gang!”

A lump formed in her throat, her anger suddenly draining away. She should have known he’d catch on when she’d offered to go into the hangout with all those rogues in attendance. Dante was by far one of the most perceptive men she’d ever met. Silently cursing her stupidity, Isis cut her gaze from his for the first time since she’d initiated this conversation. She should confess her past and be done with it, but how could she make him understand? “It isn’t what you think.”

He swiveled in his seat to look at her full on
, his brow raised
. “Oh?
You have no idea what I’m thinking. But go ahead and enlighten me. What exactly aren’t you telling me because from where I was standing you
looked
pretty
chummy with them.
Maybe you were a member or still one and you’ve been leading us on a wild goose chase.”

His accusation had the same im
pact as a punch in the stomach.
“
Is that what you really believe? That I’m capable of a plot that would involve harming children?
Okay, so I didn’t tell you I knew more about the Serpent Gang than I let on,
but I disassociated myself from them years ago, so
, no, I was never a member.
They only allow membership to vampires.
”

“There’s an exception to every rule.”

“But not in this case.”

“If you say so.”

“I do
because it’s the truth. If you don’t believe me,
I don’t know what I can say to change your mind
.
But if you truly believe I’m here to sabotage this mission then I’ll stay behind. When you and Paris return, just drive me to the airport.” She bit the inside of her lip to keep it from wobbling. Tears stung her eyes and she turned her back to him so he wouldn’t see them. Isis expected Dante to get out of the car after her declaration, but didn’t. Instead
,
the two of them sat in silence for an uncomfortable amount of time. Finally when Isis felt she was able to look at him without crying, she turned around to find him staring at her with his shrewd gaze.

Dante pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.
“
Isis, you have to
admit,
it looked suspicious
. My family is in danger, and your involvement with these rogues makes me wonder what you’
re not telling me. However, you’re right. I should have questioned
you
before now instead of shutting you out. I
,
honestly
,
don’t know where the two of us are headed, but I’ve been burned before
,
so pardon me if I’m a bit cautious this time around. I do know you make me feel things I haven’t experienced with anyone else. But so help you, Isis, if I find out you’ve been lying to me, I’ll kill you myself.”

Isis could tell, Dante meant every word
. Now was the time to come clean about everything, but the moment her lips formed the words, they got lodged in her throat.
She couldn’t do it, not when he was so close to realizing his feelings for her. Isis truly believed that once he could finally admit his love for her, he’d be more receptive to what she had to tell him.

“I
was
friendly with one of the members who introduced me to more of the gang
and I hung out with them on a few occasions.
I distanced myself from them because of the atrocities I witnessed.
They were way too intense for me.
If you believe nothing else, know that I’m here to help you and your family because I
don’t want anything to happen to the children and because I
care
very deeply about
you.” She took his hand in hers and hoped he could see her sincerity.

Dante brought her hand to his mouth and brushed it with his lips. “Forgive me,
bellissima
. I was being an ass. It’s just…I’m worried about my family. Adonis
has been
fucking with us for so long, it’s hard to let anyone new in. Do you accept my apology?”

Isis breathed a sigh of relief. Her heart leaped when she saw the tenderness lurking in his gaze. “Of course. And I understand where you’re coming from. Just…tell me if you have a problem. Please don’t shut me out.”

“I promise. We’ll be honest with each other from here on out.”

She intended to tell him everything, just not yet.
Isis
hoped he didn’t learn about her past from someone else before she was ready to tell him
; otherwise things would be
over before they could properly
begin
.