Page 65 of Bound by Vengeance
Vicky continued to stare at Nathan’sramrod-straight back while he stalked forward. “Huh?” she asked,blinking as she turned toward Declan.
“Your arm,” he said and waved at her lefthand. “Your fingers are twitching.”
“Oh, ah, yeah.” She hadn’t realized it, buther index and middle fingers were giving the smallest of spasms.“Almost healed now.”
Declan looked from her to Nathan and backagain. “He didn’t do this.”
“Of course not!” she blurted far faster andlouder than she should have.
Lucien turned toward them and frowneddisapprovingly. Declan waved his hand at him. “Just gossiping,” hesaid dismissively. “Mind your own business.”
“Fuck off,” Lucien replied before turningaway from them.
“No, Nathan would never harm you,” Declansaid to her. “At least not physically.”
Chills skittered like ghosts in a graveyardacross her spine. Her twitching fingers became fascinating to heras she found she couldn’t look at Declan when he continuedspeaking.
“But then, sometimes, physical hurt can bepreferred to the damage others can inflict on our hearts,” Declancontinued.
Vicky chanced a glance at him from under herlashes. The understanding in his eyes was almost more than shecould stand. He rested his palm on her shoulder and squeezed itbefore releasing her. It was the smallest of gestures, but shestopped feeling so alone.
Nathan opened the door to the prison and ledthem down the wooden stairs. He didn’t dare look back at Vicky andDeclan together; he might go after the vampire if he did.
He would marry another, and Vicky would moveon to other men, maybe one of those men would be Declan. The ideaof her with another man pushed him toward a boiling point thatwould make what Vesuvius did to Pompeii look like a hiccup. He tooka deep breath as he tried to control the riot of emotions batteringhim.
When he stepped off the final stair, hediscovered Jordan awake and glaring at him.
“Jordan!” Asher shouted.
Nathan snagged Asher’s arm, holding him backwhen he lunged toward the cell. “There’s a reason Jordan’s inthere,” he said to Asher.
Asher stared at him in confusion, his mouthhanging open before he relaxed in Nathan’s grasp and stepped awayfrom the cell. Nathan waited until everyone was inside before hefinished telling them everything.
CHAPTER 29
“What do you plan to do with him?” Ronanasked.
Nathan leaned against the rock wall of theprison and folded his arms over his chest while he stared atJordan. The hunter remained defiant with his chin lifted. They’dspent the past couple of hours questioning him, but Jordan insistedhe’d acted alone. After listening to him, Declan stated he wastelling the truth, and Nathan agreed.
“I plan to let him out of there and dealwith him,” Nathan replied and smiled at Jordan. “Amongst thehunters, the elders hand down the sentences. I can overturn theirchoice or pardon someone if I feel they’re wrong, but in all ourhistory, and in all our strongholds, that has never happened.”
“So you plan to take him back to yourstronghold?”
Nathan smiled at the incredulous tone ofRonan’s voice. “No.”
“He attacked a vampire, by our agreement,vampires and hunters are to deal with him.”
“Iwill deal with him,” Nathan said.“In a one on one battle to the death. It was me he came after whenhe attacked Vicky, and I’ll be the one to punish him for it.”
“I see,” Ronan murmured.
“He believes I’m a traitor; I believe he’sone. If I take him back to the stronghold, they might put me ontrial too if he convinces the hunters that I’m putting myrelationship with the vampires above them.”
“And you’ll lose that trial,” Jordansaid.
“That is a possibility,” Nathan agreed. “Andif I lose, the hunters will pull out of the alliance. If they goback to fighting you, as well as Joseph and the Savages, it's onlya matter of time before Joseph destroys them. I won’t let thathappen.”
“And if Jordan beats you?” Ronaninquired.
