Unbound (48 page)

When it stopped and he opened his eyes, she was looking over his shoulder. He turned to find the group of men from upstairs taking in the scene between him and Dani. He got to his feet.

“The battle she fought on her own was nothing short of hell. I don’t know how she’s still breathing, much less walking.” He pulled her up from the chair and began pushing her toward the front door. “I think we should have Doc come look her over as soon as possible. Let me take her out alone so they don’t think the
Council
is favoring her, given there are two members present. She showed me their thoughts. The anger and tension is at a critical level so I want you to keep watch. It could go downhill quickly.”

They all followed to the door and stopped to let Darren escort her out alone. There were at least twenty warriors milling around the parking lot and they all looked at her with disgust but Darren stayed close behind her, his expression daring them to make a move.

TWENTY-THREE~

Hiding behind the wall separating the living room from the dining room, Mason had narrowly missed being hit by a half full pitcher of lemonade that flew past his head. He hadn’t seen Tessa this pissed off since the day he told her Griffin was going to be bonded to Sarah.

“Honey, just calm down and
let me tell you what’s going on,
” he pleaded with her.

“Oh, I know what’s going on, Mason! You are just like Griffin! You make promises you have no intention of keeping and to hell with anyone that gets hurt because of your betrayals! You promised to keep her safe!” she screeched. Tessa paced like a caged animal.

“I don’t see how tearing up your own house is going to help this situation and I have other important things I know you will want to be aware of.” He peeked around the corner and a plate flew past his head.

“Are you going to tell me they might kill my daughter? I have been dreaming about her execution for a week, Mason. I usually keep my mental distance from Griffin but I felt it when he found her hurt and naked!
He may think he’s going insane
because I have been all up in his shit! I hope he suffers for being so damn blind! How could he not know she’s his baby? How could he let them hurt our girl?” Tessa was screaming.

“I
think she’s in love with my son,
” he blurted.

“That’s nice. When she is publicly executed, he can watch and suffer along with me. Or is he like the rest of you, with no heart to speak of?” she growled. “I thought she was dating a warrior. Why do you think she loves your boy?”

“She has been dating Cayden and I wasn’t aware that anything had ever happened between her and Chase until the dress shop incident. I know she loves him. When they took her out in cuffs today, Chase stopped her for a hug that was really intimate for a girl that is supposed to be angry with him. So I took the liberty of stepping up to help guide her from the room. I touched her and felt
the affection and need for him,
” he confessed.

“Oh my God! Chase is your son? Holy shit! Do you know what that means? I have to sit down! My heart can’t take this shit!” she huffed and fell back into a chair. Mason slowly entered the dining room.

“Has she spoken to you about Chase? I wouldn’t have put her in
his home for protection if I’
d known it would cause her pain. The day she went missing, there was a showdown between Cayden and Chase over who loved her more. Griff
in
was stunned, but he held his tongue.”

“He was stunned because Chase is going to marry his daughter, nightmare Barbie is what Dani calls her, but he was publicly declaring his love for Dani, right?” she asked.

“I wouldn’t say it was public, but yes, Chase said it in front of Cayden, his father Gage, me, Debbie and Griff
in
. We had to separate the boys before they killed each other. They were childhood best friends until Chase somehow hurt Dani. Cayden picked up the pieces and Chase has been paying a steep toll since then, as far as I can tell.”

“Dani met the boys the second week of school at a club. She and Chase hit it off and she struggled to avoid him at first because she had a high school sweetheart. Lucas ruined that relationship when he went to visit her. Somehow Dani ended up drunk and in bed with Chase.” Tessa stopped to raise her eyebrows at Mason. “She didn’t give me the whole story, but I know Chase refused a drunken offer of sex because he didn’t want to violate her trust. She’s a virgin. Well
,
she was. I don’t know anymore. After Chase found her drugged at the club and brought her back around, he asked her to be his. He said it would be the two of them forever with children and a home. An American vampire’s happily ever after. That’s when nightmare Barbie showed up and dropped the engagement bomb on her. She has been angry with Chase since that day,” she explained. “She thinks he was going to lead her on and take what he could get until he was bonded. Then, she would be left to suffer while he moved on happily to his marriage. I really don’t blame her for feeling deceived.”

“I see. The engagement is actually an arranged marriage based on a vision given by Griffin’s sister the night she killed herself. Do you know the story?”

“I know that years before I met Griffin, your brother was killed by someone trying to do the same thing that is happening now. He was kidnapped and killed for his powers. Griffin’s sister was secretly bonded to him. She killed herself rather than live without him,” she said quietly, with respect for the loss of his brother.

“Actually, my brother killed himself because his kidnapper was going to kill him and use his power to capture Griffin’s sister. The two of them were indeed secretly bonded and he knew if he were already dead, the kidnapper wouldn’t be able to take his power. When Griffin’s sister, who was precognitive like you, realized her mate was dead she wrote a vision of the future before she followed him to the grave.” A tear slid down Mason’s cheek. Tessa crossed the room and hugged him tight. “She said a child from the house of Vaughn and a child from the house of Deidrick would bond in love and bring an end to the fear of our children and the pain of their loss.”

“So when it started to happen again, you and Griffin decided to force together your children in hopes of fulfilling the vision. Little did you know your children had already found
each
other?
Wow,” s
he sighed, “It just wasn’t the daughter you expected.”

“The funny thing is, if your time line is correct, Chase had no idea he was promised to one of Griffin’s daughters until after he met Danielle. That makes me feel a little better about his behavior. It saddened me to think he was capable of leading a girl on for his own selfish pleasure until he had no more use for her.”

“You sa
id one of Griffin’s daughters, n
ot nightmare Barbie specifically?”

“Her name is Samantha. Chase had a choice between the twins, but Sam can be very persuasive. Not to mention she’s beautiful, hence the Barbie reference. To answer your question, no, it didn’t have to be Sam. So if it was known that Dani is Griffin’s daughter, I could break the engagement between Chase and Sam without causing a house feud. Sarah would lose her mind but that is something for Griff
in
to deal with.”

“I think it’s more important for her to survive your faulty penal system first.” Tessa put her hands over her face. “They’re going to kill her, Mason. I have watched it every night for a week. You can’t imagine what it’s like to watch your child die.” Mason stroked her back.

“I know I’ve let you down Tessa, but I’m going to make this right. Not only is she my godchild, but I believe she holds the key to my son’s future happiness and the fulfillment of the prophecy. I need you to understand that if it comes down to it, I will expose her identity. They will be much less willing to execute the daughter of
a councilman
.”

“Or, they might kill her on the spot for being an abomination to your race who would muddy your blood lines,” she retorted.

* * *

Griffin was arguing with Gage when they ente
red the area known as ‘the hole
’
.

“I’m sorry, Griffin. I don’t like it either, but we must follow the letter of the law. She killed another vampire so I have to detain her until the
Council
passes judgment. Cayden is losing his mind and Koren won’t speak to me, but I’m sworn to uphold the law.”

“Do you have to detain her in a prison cell?
You know she isn’t going to run,
” Griffin growled.

“I know no such thing. She was on the run when the murder took place. To be honest, I think this is the safest place for her given the tension around here,” Gage returned.

“You know damn well it wasn’t a murder! She was defending herself! Did you see her? She didn’t do that to herself!” Griffin snarled.

“The fact remains that our law states any vampire that kills another has committed murder and must stand trial. Self-defense can be achieved without killing your attacker.
This is what others will argue,” Gage calmly explain
ed.

As they reached the door before the row of cells, Griffin took a deep breath. He didn’t want to see Danielle locked in a cell. He had been unmercifully haunted by th
e voice in his head since he
found her yesterday. It asked him over and over again how he could be so blind. It demanded he protect this girl and care for her like one of his own, like a daughter.

When he reached the nine by nine
jail
cell
,
the sight of that sweet girl, so petite and fragile looking, huddled in the corner at the far end of the metal slab they called a bed, broke his heart. She had her legs tucked up to her chest with her arms wrapped a
round them. She seemed so small
curled around herself like that. She looked like a child. Her face was turned away from him so he couldn’t see the bruises at first.

“Do you want to stay out here or go in with her?” Gage asked.

“Lock me in. I’ll call for a guard when I’m ready to leave.”

Dani gingerly got up from the bed and approached the bars when she heard Griffin’s voice. Her lips were split and her eyes blackened from the fight. Her nose had a cut across the bridge and looked as if it could be broken. Worst of all was the sight of her neck. It was black and blue with the marks of repeated strangulation. Gage stepped into the cell and took her chin in his hand, turned her face from side to side trying to assess her injuries.

“You look like a prize fighter that forgot to fight back. I thought I taught you to keep your hands up,” he accused, shaking his head. He heard the cell door locking behind him.

It was distressing for Griffin to see her pretty face marked. She wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face in his chest.

“Thank you for coming. Did you bring a camera with you?”

“Yes, I brought a camera, but I’m not sure what you want it for.” He hugged her a bit uncomfortably and loosened when she winced. “I’m sorry.”

“I need your help. It’s a little embarrassing, so I n
eeded to ask someone I trust.” S
he stepped back with a blush. “I think it will help my claim of self-defense if I document my injuries before they heal. I have no idea how long it will take to get to trial,” she paused, “so I need you to take the pictures.” Danielle backed up and said, “Can you do that for me?”

“Yes. It’s a shame I didn’t think of that. Are you sure you don’t want me to find a woman to do this?” He knew she would have to remove her shirt.

“I don’t feel safe with the others here and I’m not comfortable with Cayden doing it. He’s having trouble looking at me. He feels responsible for my injuries, particularly the marks on my neck. I don’t want to make him see the rest of my injuries,” she explained.

“Alright then, if you’re sure, let’s get it over with so you can rest.” Griffin pulled a thin digital camera out of the inside pocket of his suit jacket. Danielle moved back against the wall and pulled off her shirt. Griffin tried not to look shocked at her battered torso. The girl had scrapes, cuts, and huge bruises covering her entire body. He did as she asked and took pictures of her as proof of the brutal attack.

* * *

The
council
chamber was housed in a building that also contained the hall of records and a library. It’s where their history, family trees, laws and disciplinary hearings lived shoulder to shoulder in a huge round building with a domed roof. The council chamber was a round room in the center of the building that was surrounded by a marble hall. The room was floor to ceiling Carrera marble. There were five sets of double doors that led into the council chamber from various angles.  The library and hall of records ringed the outside of the build
ing along with private councilme
n offices. Inside the chamber there were rows of curved dark wood benches, all orientated toward the rear of the room and t
he long tables occupied by the C
ouncil. They passed laws that affected their entire race and passed judgment on those who broke the law. Their law was very strict and punishment was swift and exacting. Because of these truths, it was very unusual for vampires to break the law. The benches were full of curious vampires and angry warriors waiting to witness the fate of the vampire youth known as Danielle Scott.