Shackled (The Lord Series) by Carlos
236. Rueben - Blood Eagle

The fucking Senator from Purgatory keeps singing the song of death-that's how I'll refer to this song from now on-while pointing at us with his bat. "Eeny," he says as the tip of the bat points first at Tyson, who looks around with unfocused eyes.

In other circumstances, I would worry for Tyson since I hit him pretty hard in the head, but my fucking back feels like it's on fire. Blood is dripping on the snow around me, turning it red. My shirt clings to me like skin. Mose probably made a kebab out of it. Blood drips on the snow around me. I summon my demon to me, urging him to take control, to shift, to do whatever is necessary to save everyone, even if he has to consume my soul to do so, but the effects of the gas bomb are still affecting him. It's like a wall separates us.

The Senator keeps singing, his bat now pointing at Rin. Goddam, if I don't come up with something, and fast, we will all die.

One of the Senator's men is next to me. I eye the weapon in his holster, calculating how fast I have to move to grab it. Adrenaline fuels me.

While the others are paying attention to the Senator, Mose watches me closely, and I jerk my eyes in the direction of the gun. He blinks twice, telling me not to do something stupid, but at this point, not doing something is stupid. What the hell are we supposed to do, wait until Ansel and Olivia return so they can take her and allow her to bring raped day and night? Possibly in front of us? Now that Tyson wants her again, he will probably die trying to save her and fuck if I'll let that happen.

Senator Deymar reaches the end of the song. "It."

"Who?" Tyson whispers close to my ear.

I don't get to reply as Steven roars, "No!"

The first blow leaves Isak dazed, blood running down his face.

Jason chuckles. "Don't be so salty, 1there's two of you."

Senator Deymar hits Isak on the side of his head. The impact is so hard his ear splits in two.

"Suck my cock," Isak grunts.

I lunge for the gun and grab it before I can be stopped. I land on my back, and start shooting, hoping I'll finish the Senator before I'm overpowered, but one of his men takes the bullet for him. Three men jump on me and kick me in the stomach and chest with their boots until I stop moving. Pretty sure they broke some of my ribs. I cough blood. Now I know how Olivia felt.

The Senator hits Isak's head again and again, his skul craking open. Steven is in shock as he watches his twin being killed. When the bat is caked in blood, brains, and pieces of bone, the Senator says to his men, "Bring him here," referring to

me.

I'm dragged all the way to the Senator and forced to stand. Ignoring the pain in my ribs and back, I focus only on Olivia's father and I spit on his face. "I fucking swear I'll kill you."

Jason steps in to punch me, but the Senator from Purgatory stops him. After cleaning his face, he asks me. "Have you ever heard of Blood Eagle?"

I narrow my eyes. "The Viking execution method?"

"You are not as stupid as you seem." The Senator snaps his fingers, and someone hands him a hunting knife. "Since it seems you lot don't want to learn your lesson, I'm forced to take more drastic measures. It would be too easy to kill you all quickly but where's the fun in that?" He gives the knife to me. "Your friend who is slowly bleeding to death. Send him to Valhalla."

Rin suddenly stands. "Kill my blood-brother, and I'll fucking make you kill your son the same way!"

The Senator laughs. "He will die anyway. All of you. Unless my daughter is returned to me."

Why the obsession with Olivia? It can't only be about whoring her around. Is this about what she stole? What in God's name did she stole that had Senator Deymar come all the way here? I swear, she need a good spanking for keeping shit hidden away from us.

The knife falls next to me. I won't kill Levi. No Duke will force me to kill one of my own.

"You made me do this," the Senator says before hitting Mose in the head so hard his eyes pop out.

"Stop!" Jasper yells.

Suddenly, time slows. We are going to die for what we did to Olivia. Karma is a fucking bitch. But Mose never hurt her. Why does he have to suffer? Gavin and Isak didn't had to die.

"There's only one way for me to stop," the Senator says. My eyes lock with those of Levi. He is pale and obviously in pain. He mutters 'Camila' and nods. I pick up the knife. My vision tunnels. My ears ring. "Atta boy."

My feet move on their own accord, and I kneel behind Levi. He lays on his stomach, and I lift up his shirt, exposing his back. Rin will never forgive me for doing this. And Olivia...she might kill me on the spot. "Come on pussy," someone laughs.

I put the tip of the knife on Levi's lower back. Knowing that I can't fucking kill him, I suddenly turn the blade on me and stab myself in the chest. Fuck this shit. I'm no one's puppet.

The knife gets inside my chest, but I don't die, as I have already lost blood and I'm too weak to get the blade all the way to my heart, so I only injure myself. Fuck! Can this day get any worse? At least adrenaline keeps fueling me and I don't pass out.

One of Jason's friends pushes me to the side. "Let me show you how it's done, moron," he says as he grabs the knife from me.

If Levi screams while the blade is driven into his tailbone, I can't tell as my ears keep ringing. Rin tries to stop Levi's brutal murder, but he is knocked unconscious by the Senator before he smashes Tyson's other hand with the bat.

I don't know what the fuck to do. How do I stop this? I try to get the knife back and Jason and two other men hold me back and...I give up. There's no chance of winning. Not tonight, at least.

When Levi's back is cut open, Mose is thrown into a car. I try to get to him, but my vision gets blurry. Now is not the time to pass out.

Levi is quiet or maybe he is already dead-as his ribs are cut from the spine, and together with skin, they are pulled outward like wings before his lungs are yanked from the chest cavity.... Blood Eagle.

As the Vikings called it. The most gruesome way to die.

There is so much blood on the snow, no matter where I look, it's red.

Rin comes to his senses, and when he sees Levi's broken body, he goes to him and strokes his hair while curing and promising to avenge him. I've never lost a blood-brother, and I can't imagine the pain he is going through. I might not have liked Levi, but damn, he was one of the good guys.

Steven holds his dead twin's hand between his own, his face wet with tears.

All this to get Olivia back.

Why the fuck did she have to steal shit from her family?

The one who has Alma's unconscious body over his shoulder gets her in the same car as Mose before he drives away.

I don't even have the energy to try to stop the Dukes from taking my blood-brother away. But Jasper forces himself to stand and runs after Mose and Alma. He doesn't get too far, as his knee gives out, and he howls in pain as he falls to the ground.

Jason squats in front of me. "If you don't want me to kill the Chinese dude, you'd better bring my sister back to me. You have one week." "Mose is Korean," I snarl.

Jason snorts. "I don't give a shit what he is. One week, Carr. Tick, tock, time is ticking." To his father, he says, "Our job here is done."

In less than a minute, the Senator and his men drive away, leaving us in the dark.

Someone crawls to me. "Rueben, is that you?"

Tyson.

"Yeah," I grunt.

"I can't see anymore."

Shit.

I left him blind.

"I swear on my fucking life that what happened here will not be forgotten." I don't know how I have the willpower to get up, but somehow, I do, even if every part of my body hurts. Maybe my demon is no longer numbed. "We need to get ready for war." My phone is still in my pocket, and I take it out. I dial a number, and he quickly picks up. "Reyes, it's time for you and your blood-brothers to return home."