“Fuck you! You guys are convinced that vampires are these dead zombies existing purely on blood. If Varik is a vampire, then he breaks every one of your goddamn rules. I’m not entirely convinced he even is a vampire. You guys are going to fucking rush in and kill an innocent human being! That’s not what this is about. I joined you to get justice for my family. If you’re killing humans, you’re just a bunch of deranged murderers.”
Ethan wanted to say that they were a bunch of fucking murderers for even wanting to kill vampires. If there were more vamps out there like the Variks, then Ethan was sure they were innocent of murdering anyone. He wanted to kick himself for ever getting involved with these people. He should have fucking known better.
He got so wrapped up in his dark thoughts that it took him a moment to notice that Carl had gone completely silent. Ethan looked up at the man who was staring at him from across the room, his face pale and lips parted.
“They got to you,” Carl whispered.
“What?” He couldn’t begin to fathom what he was muttering about now. This whole endeavor had been a giant mistake. The only good thing that came out of it was that he was able to meet Marcus. Sure, he was going to be fired and lose Marcus forever when he confessed everything, but at least he’d have the happy memories of Marcus’s smile and the sound of his laughter.
“They got to you,” Carl repeated. “They got in your head and made you one of their little minions. You’ve probably been reporting back to them what we’ve been doing.”
“You’ve fucking lost your mind!” Ethan shouted. Panic slammed into him, speeding up his heart and making it hard to draw in a deep breath. He didn’t doubt that Carl was armed in some way. He always bragged about having some wicked blade or gun hidden on his person. “There’s no getting to me. I’m just an employee. I pack up shit in his house.”
“And you share a meal with him almost every damn day. He’s gotten in your head!”
“Carl, you’re being an idiot. No one is in my head. I just came to my senses that you and all those idiots at the League have watched too many damn vampire movies. My family was attacked and murdered. I let you get in my head. I let you convince me that I could get justice, but I’ve realized that all you’re talking about is fucking murder of innocent people.”
“We’re protecting people!”
“You’re lying to yourselves, and you know it.”
Carl charged Ethan before he could move. Balling up his hand, Ethan swung his right fist. Carl ducked and Ethan managed to only clip the edge of his jaw. It didn’t even slow Carl down. The older man slammed his fist into Ethan’s face. Pain exploded across his cheek and the world exploded in a wall of white before he was hit again. He staggered, crumpling to his knees as he tried to suck in a jagged breath. But it was knocked out again as Carl kicked him in the stomach.
Ethan was thrown backward. He rolled on the ground in the fetal position, trying to protect his soft organs while fighting to get air in his lungs. Pain radiated through his gut and across his face. He hadn’t been in a damn fight since he was in middle school, but apparently he was more than a little rusty when it came to protecting himself.
Fingers grabbed his hair and twisted before pulling so that he was forced to lift his head. Carl leaned down close so that Ethan could see his face mottled red with rage.
“Stay the fuck away from us and Varik. If you warn him that we’re coming, we’ll kill you along with his entire family,” Carl snarled at him, sending spittle across Ethan’s cheek. He shoved Ethan’s head down to hammer against the wood floor before he stalked out of the apartment. Ethan managed a shuddering breath when the door slammed behind him.
Moaning softly, Ethan curled up on his side, pressing his uninjured cheek to the cold floor. Everything fucking hurt. It hurt to breathe, to even think. He knew he needed to get up, grab some ice and painkillers, but he didn’t want to move.
For the past couple of weeks, he’d been afraid of telling Carl that he thought the League was a group of nutjobs. He knew the man wasn’t going to just let him quietly walk away. Ethan might know some things about the organization, but he was sure none of it was particularly important or vital. But he didn’t doubt that Carl or some of the other lunatics would hunt him down if they were convinced that he warned Marcus or his family.