10 - It's Kill or be killed!

SOFIA

One hour earlier

Jake stood near my table. I couldn’t decipher what was going on in that meaty head of his. Since Celeste was paired up with the Dragon when she signed the Prison Protection, he preferred to keep to himself. I’d seen him look at her longingly but that was all he did.

“What do you want?” I asked.

“May I sit?”

It was something in his eyes that told me this was really important. He needed to do this, whatever it was.

“Okay.”

He sat down opposite me with a large tray filled with food that looked not so edible. Mistaking my curiosity for hunger, he pushed a giant piece of chicken towards me. “For you.”

I pushed it back to him. “Thanks, I don’t eat human food.” Or giant food in his case.

“How have you been holding up?” He asked casually.

“There’s no need for small talk, Jake. Get to the point.”

He seemed relieved to hear me say that. He wasn’t the type to do small talk either.

He indicated towards the group of werewolves at the corner, “I heard the Alpha’s staking a claim on you.”

I halted drinking the bag to give him a look, “He did what?”

“He’s been telling the other inmates that you belong to him. I thought maybe you two had some deal.”

“No, we do not! He’s just a self-centered asshole.”

“I think he doesn’t mean you any harm.”

“Did he pay you to say good things about him?”

“No. I just noticed that he seems like a better man than the rest of them here .” He said, “anyway, that’s not the reason I came here to talk to you.”

I was curious to hear what Jake had in store for me.

“I was wondering if you’re going to sign the Prison Protection papers. If your answer is yes then would you be interested in putting my name on the form as your protector?”

“Why?”

“Don’t get me wrong. It’s not for anything sexual, I promise. You looked like you could use a friend and maybe I can help you in return to survive here and keep other predators away.”

“What do you gain from it?”

“Nothing. I thought we should watch our backs, help each other out.”

“Thanks, Jakey!” I teased him.

He made a face, “don’t call me that.”

“Thanks for the offer. I truly appreciate it but I’m not signing those papers.”

“That’s your call, Sofia. I just wanted you to have a choice if you decide to sign the program, a person you could trust.”

“Are you still hung up over the fairy?”

His jaw tightened over her name. I guess I hit a soft spot there. I didn’t want to get him angry. Giants were known to have explosive tempers.

“It doesn’t matter what I want. She made her choice.” He knew who I was talking about.

“I think you should talk to her.”

“I did but she’s okay with staying with the dragon and I’m not going to challenge him for a duel or anything like that.”

I felt bad for Jake. He seemed to have taken a liking to the fairy. He kept sneaking glances towards the far end of the table where Celeste was seated with her cellmate. She looked back at him and they held each other’s gazes for a long minute.

It made sense now.

He wanted to be my protector to spite her. It was just for revenge so that he could make the Fae jealous.

I didn’t want to be part of this drama. I preferred staying away. Even though Celeste clearly had another macho male to protect her, she was throwing daggers at me.

Did she want to build a harem or something?

Because clearly, she had the dragon and the giant wrapped around her little finger.

She could collect the boys for all I cared and maybe build her own sports team but if she tried to drag me into this, she was going to be sorry. Don’t get me wrong, Jake was hot with a capital ‘H’ with dark hair and a body built like a bull but somehow, he didn’t manage to spark any interest inside me.

He would make an amazing male protector though.

“I’ll see you soon, Sofia. My offer to you stands if you change your mind.”

“I’ll think about it.”

* * *

I went to my cleaning duties with my head still reeling from the offer. I had three male creatures who were interested in being my cellmate. I had never realized that I would need someone in the prison but Jake was right.

It didn’t have to be anything sexual. All I needed was a friend, someone who could fight by my side and have my back while I helped him in return.

I could consider Brax too, but I did not trust demons. They were all about the sweet-talk until they got what they wanted. I wasn’t sure what Brax really wanted, but I had a feeling that apart from the vampire years, there was something else he wanted. There was a catch there somewhere that he hadn’t told me about.

I was almost done with the work here. I threw the mop in the bucket filled with dirty water, pushed it in the utility closet, and started walking out of the bathroom when two male creatures strutted inside and blocked my path.

It was Talon and his vampire minion.

I froze in place, looking between the two. “Let me pass through.”

Talon sniggered, looking at his friend. “Close the door, Ren. We’re going to teach the bitch a lesson.”

“Stay the fuck away from me! I’m warning you!”

“Hold her down,” Talon commanded, an ugly sneer spreading across his lips.

You could see the evil living inside him. There wasn’t an ounce of remorse or sympathy in his eyes and I didn’t think he could find it in himself to let me go. He seemed hell-bent on extracting a petty revenge.

Sweat broke over my forehead as I backed away slowly. This place had diminished my powers considerably so I didn’t have any tricks up my sleeves. Unless a guard walked in here, things were about to get nasty.

Ren charged towards me and knocked me off my feet. I landed on the floor; pain shot through my body at once. “Don’t come near me!”

I could see Talon’s fangs were razor-sharp as he bared them to me.

“I will tell the warden!” I screeched when Talon stuffed a ball of cloth into my mouth.

“Aw, what’s wrong? You can’t talk now?”

“She’s a high-maintenance whore, isn’t she?” Ren teased.

“What’s all that attitude for? You’re nothing special.” Talon kicked me hard sending me crumbling against the tiled wall. “Don’t feel brave anymore?”

Ren was the first to attack, he went around me and put me in a chokehold. Talon on the other hand went down on his knees and started tearing off my skirt.

I spat out the cloth, “You bastards! You’ll pay for this.”

I would prefer dying than begging these bunch of motherfuckers. I tried to kick them but they continued to assault me with punches.

“What if someone sees us?” Ren asked, his fingers reached to my top and he started tearing it off.

“No one comes here at this time. Let’s be quick. I’ll go first.”

“I’m your boss! I get the first chance.” Talon argued.

The fabric gave away easily and tore from the center. I stared at my sliced bra in horror, my skin was in display, breasts hanging in the open and these monsters couldn’t stop ogling. I could almost sense their disgusting plans for me.

“Why isn’t she screaming or begging for us to stop?”

“BEG!” Talon screamed in my face; digging his fingers into my skin, his sour breath fanned over my face. He caught fistfuls of my hair, “Beg and maybe I’ll let you go.”

I spit in his face, and a spurt of blood spewed out, “Never!”

Talon’s smacked me hard across my face, nose flared in anger. He grabbed my knees and pulled them apart.

I knew exactly what was about to happen.

Then I remembered the knife.

The knife that Maverick had given me.

Which one of you fuckers wants to die first?

I reached into my pocket and slipped it out.

It happened very quickly. I tightened my fingers around the blade and when they were too busy planning their predatory moves, I stabbed the knife into the back, aiming for Ren.

By the loud sounds of retching, I knew I’d hit the spot.

The vampire screamed and tried to wrestle the knife out of my hands but I stabbed him again with it.

Talon was already on his feet, backing away.

Then I sensed it, the scent gave them away. The werewolves.

“Sofia!” Maverick barged into the bathroom.

I continued to stab Ren until his neck was separated from the body. It was the only way to kill vampires apart from sunlight. Blood covered the tiles, the puddle spreading until it touched the man’s boot at the entrance.

The guard stood a few feet away from me, not making a move to cover the distance. From the way they were looking at me with scared looks on their faces, I knew they had seen the real me.