Page 158 of Trapped By the Blood Ruby

“No,” he croaked.

“Oh, yes.”

His limbs began to tremble. “What do you want? Name it—anything—and I’ll see it done.”

“Ah. We’ve reached the begging phase. I told you I’d have you begging. I bet you’d do anything with her life in the balance.”

He would. Gods, he would. Which was how he knew—he loved her, would do anything to keep her safe and out of Lio’s hands. “Name your price.”

“Unfortunately for you, there’s nothing you can give me that I cannot get myself. I will have her. Maybe I’ll even let you watch as I take her over, and over, and over.”

Bile rose in his throat, threatening to choke him. His vision flashed red. He closed his eyes, trying to stop his rapid breathing. It gave him away, showed his agitation.

Lily was fine. She was safe at their townhouse in the city. Zola and the others would protect her, even if he didn’t make it out of this alive. Surely they wouldn’t trade her, knowing how much she meant to him.

Except, they didn’t know—not really. To them, she appeared as nothing more than his pet. A pet he was fond of. But fondness didn’t scratch the surface. And fondness wouldn’t be enough to sway their decision.

Guilt soured his mouth. He should have been more truthful with himself—with her—about how he felt. How much he was coming to love her. How deeply she’d burrowed beneath his skin and into his heart. In turn, his family might have known exactly how important she was to him. That her life meant more to him than his own did.

What if… What if he never got the chance to tell her?

Marco stirred, forcing all thoughts of Lily to recede into the back of his mind. “Well, well, well,” Lio proclaimed. “The precious heir awakens. Just in time, too. I was growing bored.”

Marco blinked, his eyes going in and out of focus. His stare was glassy and semi-vacant. He’d lost more blood than Laurent and had cuts and bruises marring his body. Lio had taken his anger out on both of them when he’d first weakened them, but especially Marco. Jealousy was a sickness that had festered in his youngest son.

Sadness and disappointment crushed Laurent’s chest. He didn’t see this ending well for Marco. Part of him hoped the disappointment was merely because he’d have to find a new second. But he’d be lying to himself if that were the case. He cared for Marco, perhaps more than he had a few months prior.

Whatever Lily had awoken in him was gathering strength. He cared about things he shouldn’t have. Had developed wants and desires he believed to be dormant.

It was no use bargaining with Lio. He knew that. Lio was too far gone.

“Have a nice sleep, Marco?” Lio walked over, grasping Marco’s curly hair in a fist and jerking his head back. Marco groaned, his eyes unseeing. It was a wonder he wasn’t already dead.

Vampires healed, regenerating at a rapid pace, except in extremely weakened states, like now. And especially when exposed to iron. While iron wasn’t wholly a vampire’s kryptonite, it was a substance that harmed. Their bodies could only take so much.

It had taken Zola days to heal after he’d rescued her.

“You know, I’ve spent the last couple of decades thinking of all the ways I’d make you suffer once I got my hands on you.” Lio’s face was less than an inch from Marco’s. “But I find now that I’ve had a bit of fun, I can’t be bothered.”

Marco said something unintelligible.

“You’ll have to speak up, Marco. I can’t hear you.” Lio wrenched Marco’s head even further to the side. Laurent flinched, but could do nothing besides watch. Marco only groaned. Lio struck, latching on to Marco’s neck. A feral sound of pleasure left Lio’s throat.

Laurent’s breathing quickened. Perhaps it was merciful this way—better to drain Marco and end his suffering. Better than keeping him here in a tortured state⁠—

“Sire—we’ve got movement outside.” A vampire appeared at the base of the stairs. Laurent eyed the female. She reminded him of Zola, though her hair was longer. This was one of Lio’s children. He’d seen her earlier when Lio had first captured them.

The trap his spawn had set had fooled even him. They’d gone looking for him, but hadn’t expected the number of vampires Lio had under his command. Ultimately, it ensured his defeat.

“Sire?” Lio’s spawn asked again. “Shall I handle them myself?”

“No,” Lio snapped, pulling away from Marco’s limp form. Laurent eyed his heir. There was a possibility Lio hadn’t fully drained him. “It’s Sarkas’s family. They’ve come to make a trade. I want the girl. Make sure she comes to me. The rest—have Bardanes handle it. He owes me that much.”

Laurent sneered. “You’ve been working with that piece of shit?”

Lio rounded on him, wiping blood from his chin. Vampires weren’t generally messy feeders, except when they wanted to make a point. Lio had wanted to make a spectacle of this. “Bardanes has proven himself to be quite the ally. You know what they say about the enemy of my enemy. I didn’t think it was possible to find someone who hated you as much as I do.”

“You are a disgrace.”