Broken (The Captive #5.5)(91)

Atticus released a harsh bark of laughter. "Are you going to pretend you cared for them?"

Merle's eyes flashed red; Atticus could hear his teeth grinding together. "It was one night Atticus, it was a mistake."

"Those were Anna's words too."

"Because they are true!" Merle cried in frustration. "We both regretted it after, but she was lonely and you know my weakness for beautiful women."

"I do," he agreed.

"We are not as close as we once were but you are still my family. You are still the one that saved my life all those years ago; you are still the one that was more like a brother than a cousin to me when we were younger. I know that somewhere inside there is still a piece of you that remembers all of that. A part of you that wasn't destroyed when Genny was. I regretted what occurred with Anna as soon as it was over and so did she."

Atticus studied him before nodding. "You're wrong you know; there is nothing of me that exists from that time when I was with Genny. It was all destroyed the day she died." Merle bristled; his shoulders went back as he widened his stance defensively. "But I actually believe you when you talk about Anna. For all of her faults she wasn't a loose woman and you never could turn down a beautiful face."

Merle laughed and visibly relaxed as he ran a hand through his hair. "No, I couldn't."

"That's why I am going to make something extremely clear here. I don't care that you slept with my wife. Let's face facts, I care more for the dogs in the alleys than I ever did for that woman and the two of us aren't close anymore. I once told Camille that I would walk over your body to burn the world, and how many years ago was that?" Atticus could feel the fire growing in his eyes, the power throbbing through his veins as excitement for what was about to happen thrummed through him. "No, I hope you enjoyed Anna, I certainly never did. What is about to occur is because of the fact that you voted against me for this war."

The color drained from Merle's face. "Atticus…"

"I can take many things, but family doesn't go against family. My father learned that the hard way when I killed him." A strangled sound escaped Merle's throat as he took another step away. "He had Genny killed you know. He was the reason the humans razed that village. He set her up to die and I made him pay for it."

Atticus tapped a finger against his chin as he stared at his cousin's horrified face. "I guess I learned my scheming, undermining ways from him but I'm much better at it than he was. He ended up being my dinner the night that I killed him and now, you will be too."

With those words, Merle turned and spun on his heel. Atticus laughed as he watched his cousin bolt across the swirling gray marble floor toward the double wooden doors. Even if Merle managed to get to those doors and unlock them, Atticus knew he would never escape him. Merle had to know the same thing but he was still determined to try.

Atticus ran ten steps forward before leaping into the air and lunging himself across the rest of the room as Merle made it to the doors. Merle had just flung the first lock free when Atticus landed on his back and brought him down beneath him. The force of his body crashing onto the solid floor caused Merle to grunt loudly. Blood exploded from his nose, but he managed to get his hands underneath him as he attempted to try and dislodge Atticus.

A bubble of laughter swirled within Atticus's chest at his cousin's useless attempts. He wrapped his arm around Merle's neck and squeezed with the force of a steel vice. Merle clawed at his hands as he bucked and kicked beneath him but Atticus kept him pressed against the floor with his weight and superior strength.

He was still laughing when he sank his fangs into Merle's neck. A howl of pain escaped Merle, his hands slapped backwards behind his head as he desperately fought for his life. Merle didn't have the bloodline that he did, but he was still old and powerful and putting up a fight. One that Atticus relished in. It was so rare that he found any competition with his prey anymore, so rare when he found any joy in anything, but he relished in Merle's potent blood and the life force filling him. Relished in finally ending the last man who had known him with Genny, who had known the man he had been and should have always been if life hadn't been so cruel. Who knew what a disappointment and twisted freak he'd become. He relished in severing his last bond to his shattered life and broken dreams.

Shoving upward with his hands, Merle managed to flip him and Atticus over. Atticus's arms wrapped around his chest keeping Merle pinned against him while Merle kicked and squirmed across the floor. Merle's fingers tore at his skin, spilling his blood, but Atticus continued to laugh as he drained his cousin's blood in greedy, gulping pulls that filled him with even more power. So much power and it was his.

Merle's movements became sluggish but he continued to try and beat at Atticus's arms. The flow of blood filling his mouth began to ease, Merle's arms fell at his sides as his struggles finally ceased. Atticus continued to drain him until he was near death. There wasn't enough strength within Merle to put up a fight anymore but he wouldn't die, not as long as he was occasionally given at least a little bit of blood. That was something Atticus fully intended to do, his father had gone too fast, but the vampires and humans that would one day fill this room wouldn't know such a merciful death.

Releasing Merle, he shoved his cousin off of him and rose to his feet. He straightened his rumpled shirt and pants before bending to grab Merle beneath his armpits. With the ease it would have taken for one to pick up a plate, he lifted Merle from the ground and propped him up in a chair. Gleeful laughter escaped him when Merle's blue eyes rolled toward him but he remained too weak to move in the chair. Merle's cheekbones stood out sharply against his sagging skin. His flesh had taken on a sickly yellowish hue from the lack of blood in his system.