Page 28 of Bound By Blood
They were gone,these monsters had brutalized them, but this wasnotwho herparents would want her to be. It was tempting, but she couldn’t lether rage and heartbreak turn her into a monster… like them.
Then Saber’s wordspierced through her horror. This thing’s friends would comesoon.
Turning away, shewalked to the back door and rearmed the system before focusing onthe monitor. It remained empty.
There was nocamera for the front door. Her father hadn’t considered itnecessary since cameras were inside the store and they could seeanyone who entered, but she wished there was one out there now.
At least shehadn’t heard the chimes, indicating someone had entered, go off, sothat meant no one was out front in the store.But they’recoming.
The hair on hernape rose. Saber was right; they were coming. They would be heresoon.
CHAPTER 21
“What did you comehere looking for from Charles?” Saber asked the Savage.
Saber kept his eyeon Caro as she stared at the screen. The boiling fury that turnedher eyes red as she unleashed her anger on the Savage was gone. Nowshe looked devastated and disgusted.
The loss of herfamily had broken her. That was something he understood all toowell, but whereas he gladly gave himself over to the bloodlustaccompanying his grief, it bothered her to be cruel. What was thatlike?
Saber meant itwhen he said he’d allow her to kill this monster, but she wouldn’t;he already knew that.
“The demons wantedhim,” the Savage said.
When Caro’s eyesreturned to them, Saber saw the questions in them. He gave a smallnod to let her know this monster was telling the truth. The Savagewas too broken to lie; Saber should know as he’d broken many vampsand people over the years.
Caro’s mouthparted.Why would the demons want mydad?
“What did theywant him for?” Saber inquired.
“To makeweapons.”
Saber tapped hisfingers on the man’s chest. “How did they know what Charles coulddo? The weapons on the wall of this store are definitelynothis best work.”
They were goodquality but simple and something most any bladesmith could make.They were nowhere near the quality of his haladie knife and hadn’ttaken anywhere near the same amount of time to create.
“They… they… theydiscovered one of his weapons,” the Savage stammered.
“How?” Carodemanded. “My father didn’t make weapons for others and rarely gavethem away.” Saber was a rare exception. “Howdid theydiscover it?”
“I’m guessing theyeither turned one of the vamps your father trusted with his weaponinto a Savage, or they murdered them,” Saber said. “They’ve beenworking on doing both of those things a lot lately. If they’dsucceeded in taking your father from here, they would’ve done thesame to him.”
“They would havemade him a Savage?” Caro squeaked.
“Yes.”
“He never wouldhave let that happen.”
“He didn’t. That’swhy he’s dead.”
The truth of thosewords was a knife to Caro’s heart. No, her father hadn’t let themturn him into a monster.
She turned away asunexpected tears flooded her eyes. She wouldnotcry infront of either of these men.
“Is that whathappened?” Saber asked the Savage. “Did you happen to stumbleacross someone who possessed a weapon Charles forged and turn theminto one of you?”
“Yes,” the Savagehissed through his teeth. “They’re one ofusnow.”
“Then that means,like you, they’ll be dead soon.”
