Chapter 41

Chapter Forty-One

TYRANT

I don’t know where the fuck reality begins or ends. I don’t know what the fuck a dream is made up of or what the fuck a nightmare is. Everything means nothing, the same as nothing means everything.

A red hot yet icy pain soars through my back. I suck in a breath and it feels like someone is stabbing me.

Stabbing me.

Fuck.

Oh, fuck.

My eyes open and I all but throw myself from the infirmary bed that I’m in. I tear at IVs stuck into my hands. Blood squirts in thin, long streams, hitting the perfectly white, clean floors.

The door to the room opens and nurses stand there, shocked. They’re young nurses. Ones just graduated and some nursing students who are learning as they attend classes.

I know where I am. The far northern side of SA . There’s a small medical campus there, mostly used for things like stitches, sprains, getting tested for the flu… or some STDs…

One of the nursing students lets out a scream.

“Get the fuck out of my way,” I growl. “I have to find her! Where is she?”

My voice starts to bellow. Behind the nursing students, Demo and Vic appear. They push through and hurry toward me.

I throw a punch at Demo, clocking him in the jaw. His head barely moves and he launches his right hand forward, grabbing me by my throat and driving me back toward the bed.

I’m weak. I hate fucking feeling weak like this. The pain in my back is endless. Trying to breath feels next to impossible.

“You should be in a fucking hospital right now,” Vic says to me.

“We’ll call the ambulance,” someone says. “He needs a hospital and sedation!”

“Call an ambulance and I’m putting your ass in it,” Demo barks at the nurse.

“Give us the room,” Vic says in a little bit more calm of a voice.

Demo’s grip tightens on my throat. His eyes meet mine. “Sit the fuck down. You’re going to end up hurting yourself and then there’s no chance at getting her back.”

Getting her… back…

I crash down onto the bed when Demo lets me go.

“You’re lucky to be alive right now,” Vic says. “We found you with a knife in your fucking back.”

I look up at Vic and nod. “Yeah. I was attacked.”

“No shit,” Demo says. “Who did it?”

“Something got sprayed in my face,” I say. “I heard a noise and went to check. Some kind of liquid was sprayed. It had no smell but it burned like fire. Stung awfully too. When I turned away I felt the knife go into my back. Then I passed out.”

I stand up. Demo puts a hand to my chest.

“Serafina,” I growl. “Where is she?”

“We don’t know,” Vic says.

I take a step. “I have to find her.”

My knees start to give out and I grab for Vic.

“Your brother is waiting out there to talk to you,” he whispers to me. “We need to have a meeting about this. Talk it all through.”

“I’m not putting on a fucking mask and robe right now,” I say. “Fuck the traditions. My claimed one is missing.”

“She’s not your claimed one any longer, is she?” Demo asks.

I look at him. “No. She’s mine. You already know this.”

“And look where it’s gotten you,” Vic says.

“Fuck off,” I growl. “Did they do this? Is this the legion ? Did they kidnap her from me?”

Now my head and heart are throbbing and racing faster than ever. The door opens once again and in walks my brother. Just outside the door I see a group of men in robes and masks. Luc is carrying his golden mask in his left hand. His eyes are intense, serious, staring straight at me.

“Every second we waste, there’s a greater chance of her death,” Luc says in a calm voice. “So the more you hesitate to give me answers, the more you’re just killing her.”

“Fuck you,” I say. “I’ll fucking kill you.”

I lunge at Luc but nothing feels right about my body at this point. Everything hurts. I’m fucking dazed. I don’t have the strength I normally do. I end up toppling toward Luc and he simply just pushes me away. I bump into a wall and feel another red hot jolt of pain in my back and my lungs and I drop down to one knee.

“We have nothing to do with this,” Luc says. “I would not run my throne as such. Wasting time over whores and the claimed .”

I look up at my brother, gritting my teeth. “Then who the fuck stabbed me? Who the fuck took her? Where the fuck is she?”

“Why do you care so much about it?” Luc asks. “Why does it matter so much to you?”

Luc is fucking with me. Goading me into an emotional explosion. I climb to my feet.

“Who took her?” I ask.

Luc stares. He genuinely doesn’t know. Which means if you look at it a certain way, the legion is getting fucked right now too. This is getting bigger, messier, and more dangerous.

“A knife to my back, Brother,” I growl.

“Not by my doing, Brother ,” Luc says. “If I wanted to hurt you, you’d know it. No need to stab you in the back.”

Our father…?

“I have something to show you,” Luc says.

“Fuck you,” I blurt out. “Whatever you did or whatever you know, tell me. I need to get the fuck out of here right now.”

I take a step and my back is on fire again. My lung feels as though it’s just exploded.

“You were stabbed in the back,” Luc says. “This isn’t some joke, Tyrant. You were stabbed and Serafina was kidnapped. That’s reality right now. Stop trying to be a fucking hero. Now tell me the fucking truth so I can show you something and we can figure this out. Each second she’s closer to death!”

“You did this,” I growl.

“Fuck,” Luc says, shaking his head.

That’s when Demo steps in, slamming me against the wall so hard I see planets and galaxies dancing in front of my face. Demo is also talking to me—yelling at me—but I can’t hear a thing. My back is torn open again. I can feel blood seeping into the cheap hospital clothing that’s been forced on me.

Demo slaps my face. Once. Twice.

“Tyrant,” Luc’s voice says in a wobbly tone. He pushes Demo out of the way and grabs for me. He gets close to me. He speaks so only he and I can hear his voice. “I know what you’ve done with her. To her. For her. I know she’s more than just a claimed one to you. You’ve fucked up big time, Brother. I might be able to help you if you confess and help me.”

I picture Serafina. Attacked. Taken. Hurt. Dead. Rage spills over and bubbles like acidic adrenaline.

I’m right back to life and I grab Luc by his shirt, pick him up and walk him across the room. Demo and Vic pull me away and I shove them both away from me.

“I have to find her,” I say. “I’ll burn the world down to find her. Of course I love her. I don’t give a fuck about any plans or agreements. I’ll take my punishments for her. She is not getting married to anyone but me. You got that, Luc? She’s marrying me! I’ll give up my place in line at the throne for her. I’ll do… anything…”

“Careful,” Luc says.

“Fuck being careful. She’s mine. I will find her. I will kill whoever took her. No matter what.”

“You fucked up, Tyrant. You were given orders.”

“I did what I was supposed to do.”

“If she were here right now, you would not hand her over.”

My brothers says it. He doesn’t ask it. I have nothing else to say and don’t give a fuck what else Luc has to say. I have to find Serafina.

It takes too much out of me to get to the door. I grab the handle and pull, breathing through the pain. Yet breathing causes even more pain.

I rip open the door and stumble forward, only to find two masked men standing there, holding Des. Each holding an arm. Des’s feet not touching the ground, but rather dragging on the ground. And his head bobbing left to right, his face bloodied.

“What the fuck,” I growl.

I look back and Luc stares at me. “Ready to have a conversation now, Tyrant?”

I’m ready to kill Des right now.

The door is shut and the two masked men throw Des onto the bed where I just was. Demo keeps his right hand out, making sure I don’t go after Des.

“This isn’t ideal for a meeting like this,” Luc says. “But I have approval. Considering the circumstances of Tyrant’s health.”

“I’m fucking fine,” I say. “Takes more than stabbing me in the back to take me down.”

I can’t attack Des—yet—so I spit at him. My thick spit hits just under his left eye.

“I fucking left,” Des says in a slurred voice. “I didn’t do it, Ty.”

“Then why are you here?”

“Answer him,” Luc says. “Your life hangs in the balance right now, Destroy.”

“ Hangs ?” I growl. “I’m fucking killing him with my bare hands.”

“I’m not talking then,” Des says. “You want to fucking kill me? Then kill me.”

Des smiles. There’s blood everywhere. This guy’s tough. Insane. He’s smart too.

“If you kill me, you’ll never know,” Des says.

“Your fate will be decided elsewhere,” Luc says.

“The fuck it will,” I growl. “Why is he here like this?”

Luc looks at me. “Because I believe you. We have no evidence of what’s been suggested. But I believe you. I told the legion the same.”

What the fuck is this? Some kind of brother moment or something here? All of a sudden Luc wants to be in my corner.

“He fucking drugged her at the party,” I say. “If it wasn’t him, then it was Mac. Did you beat the fucking shit out of Mac?”

“No, I didn’t,” Luc says.

He looks at Des again.

So do I. “You motherfucker. You set this up. For what? You don’t want to marry her?”

Des chuckles. “Oh, I can’t wait to marry her. I’m going to fuck her senseless. And I know she’ll think of you the entire time. I can’t wait to make her stare at me. I can’t wait to watch her cry as I fucking force my cock into her cunt. Her mouth. Her ass.”

I lunge for the bed and Luc orders me to be taken down. One of the masked men gives me a fucking jolt that drops me to the floor. I grab for the bed and don’t give a fuck about pain. There’s blood all over my back. My body is now jittery.

The other masked man grabs Des’s hair and pulls. He then places a knife to Des’s throat.

“It’s over now, Destroy,” Luc says.

“You’ll never find her,” Des says. “You need me alive. I want a deal right now. Life for life! Fucking life for life!”

He’s almost screeching. I climb back to my feet.

“Life for life,” Des says. “We shake and it’s in stone. In fucking stone between all of us. I did not do this to her, Tyrant. And I did not attack you. You have my fucking word.”

“Why the fuck do I want your word?”

“Because I know more than you do. I know more than Luc does. I’m the only voice of reason in this fucking room.”

I grit my teeth. I feel my chin quiver. There’s emotion inside my soul I’ve never felt before.

“You will not take her as your wife,” I growl. “You will relinquish the proposal. Whatever the punishment is, you face it.” I swallow hard. I can’t believe what the fuck I’m about to say. “Your life…”

“Say it, Tyrant,” Des says.

The look in his eyes. This cocky fucker…

“Your life will be spared,” I say.

I feel like I’m going to vomit.

“I will ensure any vote on this matter… I will not vote your death…”

I reach with my right hand and Des places his hand against mine.

What the fuck did I just do?

I just potentially saved Serafina’s life. For all I know, she’s already dead and Des completely fucked me over. It’s a risk I have to take. I’ll risk it all right now to find Serafina and hold her again. She’s mine. All mine. She will wear a diamond ring from me. She will wear a wedding band from me. She will carry my children in her tender womb. She will be my everything.

I’ll handle Des some other time. I’ll give up any chance I have at the throne. I’ll break all agreements with my brood . With the legion itself. My own father can chase me around the world, wanting to track me and kill me. That’s nothing compared to how I fucking feel about Serafina.

“Speak right now, Destroy,” Luc orders. “Or I will rescind the deal and have you taken away. Cut you limb from fucking limb.”

“A deal is a deal, Tyrant,” Des says.

“Who the fuck took the woman I love?” I ask.

“Your wife did.”