I rolled my eyes and sighed as Xyla continued panicking in her seat. She ranted like a maniac about what I was planning, and I drove around, heading in no particular direction until she calmed down.

Her reaction to my words was completely unnecessary in my opinion. I made it clear to her that she wouldn't have to hurt anyone, yet she was struggling to breathe and sobbing for the past fifteen minutes. I turned on the radio to drown out the sound of her cries, but it was useless. She shrieked on beat to the songs in the background and began frying my brain.

After a few more minutes of her outburst, and no help with directions, I began getting irritated and pulled over to the side of the road, receiving angry honks from the cars I cut off. I shut off the car and turned to Xyla. Noticing the car had stopped, her hands dropped from her face and she looked up at me with red eyes, her face stained with streaks of mascara.

I knew when I met her she was a square but I didn't know it was this horrible. Her eyes became wide when she looked at the gun that was now in my hand and I shook my head. This girl is so weak. Marrying her would be the most boring occasion of my life.

I tapped the gun on my leg impatiently, keeping my eyes on Xyla. "Get it the fuck together and tell me where the man lives," I sneered, trying my best to contain my anger.

Xyla sniffled, wiping her tears and sitting up. "He lives off Geneva road. A couple of streets before the Juva intersection. I'll tell you the rest once we get there." I followed the instructions she pointed out, not bothering to fill the silence in the car. "Why are you doing this?""

"Truthfully?" She nodded, wiping her nose with her sleeve. "Because I can." My answer didn't seem to stop the curiosity in her eyes, but it kept her silent. Most likely a reminder to her that I was in fact the man in the stories.

As Xyla said, Justin's residence was hours away from the palace. When I pulled into the gravel driveway of the colonial mansion, the sun was already setting even though we left in the morning. I parked my car in front of the golden gates imitating that of Heaven's and I rolled my eyes.

"Syn, don't do this. You could get into serious trouble," Xyla begged. I ignored her pleas and got out of the car.

"Let's go."

Xyla got out of the car and ran behind me. I walked up to the two guards that were posted at the gates of the mansion and before they could draw their weapons I extended my fangs and sunk my teeth into their necks, tearing out their jugulars.

I ignored the gut-wrenching scream that came out of Xyla's mouth and rolled my eyes as I grabbed the head of the lifeless guard and dragged him to the sensor at the door. I placed his face in front of the small cube and waited as the green light scanned his face. After hearing a clicking noise from the lock, I dropped the man and pushed the door open.

Six more guards were standing in front of the mansion and I killed them all with the snap of a finger before turning to Xyla who was frozen in her spot and trembling. I took a step towards her, and she stepped back, her legs wobbling as she tried to stay standing. She was petrified. Good.

Blood ran down my face and stained my clothes and Xyla stared at me in shock. "Xyla. Walk. Now," I ordered. She scurried behind me at my order, yet kept a safe distance from me.

I kicked down the door to the mansion and my eyes landed on a family eating dinner. They started screaming as soon as they saw me, and they ran towards the back of the house. I beat them there, clasping my hands together as I looked down at them. I didn't realize they were vampires until I was standing in front of them and heard no heartbeats except the booming one from Xyla.

I looked at the two children and then up at the woman as I shook my head. "Nobody will hurt you if you do exactly as I say."

The older woman nodded and held the little girl in her arms. "Mommy, I'm scared," she whispered with tears running down her face. The boy who I assumed was her son glanced at me before stepping away from the table and walking towards the couch in the living room. With as little knowledge as I had, I'd think a mother would comfort both of her children, but that wasn't the case.

I looked to my left and saw a picture frame of a family sitting on the mantle beside the kitchen. I picked it up, inspecting it before looking at the woman holding her daughter. "Is this man your husband?" I pointed at Justin's face with the gun.

"We're separated," she whispered, avoiding my eyes. "Whatever he owes you or has done had nothing to do with us."

"Hmm," I set the frame down. "Are you aware that he's getting married?"

"He's mentioned it."

"Does he still live here?"

Y-yes, on most days."

"Great. Him and I have things to talk about."

"Are you going to kill us?" She cried.

"Not if you follow my instructions."

"I'll do anything. Just don't hurt my daughter." What about your son?

"Call him. Call him now and tell him if he is not home in one hour I will be killing you all."

She nodded and I slid the house phone on the table towards her with the barrel of the gun, but before she picked up the phone I grabbed her hand. "Do you know who I am?" I asked. She nodded, tears streaming down her freckled cheeks. "So you know that I will not hesitate to kill you." She nodded again and I proceeded. "Tell your husband my name and tell him to come immediately."

She dialed his number and I pressed the speaker button on the phone. "Hello." A man's voice echoed through the room.

"Hi...d-dear, Syn SinClaire- is...in our home..."She stuttered and burst into tears, she looked up at me and I pointed my gun at the phone for her to continue.

"What are you talking about?!" He screamed. She cried as he threw questions at her and I plucked the phone from her hands, rolling my eyes as I spoke into the phone.

"You have exactly one hour to get to your home or I will kill them all. Tick tock." I slammed the phone down, ending the call and looking back at the woman."Was that so difficult?"

She kept crying and holding on to her daughter and I rolled my eyes, pointing towards the kitchen. "Sit at the table. If you so much as move an inch I'll snap your neck." The woman and daughter nodded, shuffling to the table and sitting.

"Why are you doing this to us?" She sobbed.

"Because your husband hurt someone that I..." I paused as I tried to think of the word to use and I couldn't come up with one. "Someone that I know. He deserves the pain that I am about to cause him." I looked around the room and saw Xyla sitting at the foot of the stairs and hugging her knees, crying. I ignored her and turned my attention to the peculiar little boy sitting alone in the living room.

I walked toward him and sat down beside him on the couch, looking down at the puzzle in front of him. "What are you doing?"

"A puzzle," he said as he picked up a piece and connected it to another one. The boy had no reaction to his family crying behind him and he didn't seem to fear a man that just broke into his house and threatened to kill his family.

"What kind of puzzle?"

He picked up the box next to him and passed it to me. I set my gun down beside me and lifted the box. The cover showed a puzzle of a lion in a jungle, similar to the one he was working on and I nodded. "What's your name?"

"James."

"You don't talk much, do you?" I wasn't much of a talker myself, but this was the first time I found myself talking more than someone else. Especially a child. They tended to rant more than the average person.

The boy shook his head and returned to his puzzle. I sat in silence, getting the hint that he didn't want to speak, and helped him with his puzzle. A few minutes later he spoke up. "Why do you want to hurt my dad?"

"He hurt someone close to me," I said.

"Okay," he replied, his voice hardly a whisper.

"How old are you?" I questioned, changing the subject. "I'm twenty-six."

"Eight." I nodded as we fell back into the previous silence, and I continued the puzzle. I passed him the pieces I believed would fit the side he was working on, and he did the same with me. We worked quietly until I glanced towards him and my eye caught sight of a purple bruise on his cheek.

"James," I called. He turned to face me when he heard his name and I saw another bruise on his collarbone.

"Who gave you those?" I asked, pointing at the marks.

He pointed at the scars on my hand and asked me the same question. "Who gave you those?"

"My step-father," I answered. Julius had spent years giving me random scars when I was younger, but I had grown indifferent to them. They were nothing more than one of the many marks staining the skin I didn't care for anyway.

"Oh."

"I told you my secret. So now you tell me yours." I said. "It's only fair."

He craned his neck over his shoulder, fear making his way onto his face and I looked behind me to see his mother glaring at him. The way she was looking at him, how she didn't care to check on him, his reclusiveness, the bruises...

"Tell me," I urged in a calm voice, holding back my festering anger for his sake. "I promise no one will hurt you, okay? I'll make sure of that." His eyes moved away from his mother, and he looked down at his small hands.

"My mommy and daddy," he finally whispered.

"Okay. You go to your room and cover your ears. No matter what you hear, don't come down until I come to get you. Understand?"

He nodded in understanding and picked up his teddy bear, running to the steps. Xyla moved on the stairs to let him go up and when she met my eyes she cried harder and shook her head. What's her problem? I stood up from the couch and picked up my gun, walking back to the mother and daughter at the table.

"Call somebody to pick up your daughter," I suggested. "Someone you trust to take care of her."

She held on to her daughter tighter and shook her head. "No...I-"

I slammed my hand on the table making them both jump and screamed at her. "Now!"

The mother broke out into a sob and picked up the phone, calling her mother to pick up the girl. After twenty minutes, the grandmother arrived at the door and when she walked in and saw me, a scream came out of her mouth.

"Shhh," I said as I pointed my gun at her. "Take the girl and leave. If you call the police, I'll know. And I'll be at your house next." She nodded frantically, her hands over her mouth as she held back a cry.

The mother at the table wiped her tears and held her daughter in front of her, giving her a kiss on the top of her head. "Be strong, baby. I love you so much. Never forget that." I rolled my eyes at the dramatic display and gestured for the grandmother to get her.

"Mommy! No!" The girl kicked and screamed, but her grandmother carried her out and the girl's mother dropped to her knees on the floor.

"Tsk tsk tsk," I said as I reached down and wrapped her hair around my hand, pulling her up to her feet. "What do I do with you?"

"Please have mercy," she begged, sobs wracking her body.

"Why would I do that?" I scoffed as I shoved her towards the seat. "Sit." Her shoulders trembled as she sat down, and I walked behind her. I grabbed a bottle of wine from the kitchen counter and two glasses. Sitting on the chair across from her, I poured us each a glass and set my gun down between us.

Her eyes drifted between me and the gun as I picked up a wine glass, and I raised a brow, daring her to make a move.

"Cheers," I said as I took a sip of the wine. When she made no effort to reach for her glass I leaned forward and brought my tone to a dangerously low level. "Drink."

She took a shaky sip of the glass and gave me a small crooked smile. I was pleased to see her sitting across me shivering in fear, she deserved the same thing she put her son through.

"We are going to sit here and chat while we wait for your husband. Understand?" She nodded and sucked in a breath. "I asked you a question."

"I-...I understand."

"Good. Take comfort in the fact that I will not kill you until he arrives." Her bottom lip quivered as tears spilled down her cheeks and I looked around in boredom, my eyes landing on the knives hanging on the hooks above the kitchen island.

I stood up from the table, walked towards them, and picked one out, flipping it in my hand as I walked back to the seat. "Don't move!" She screamed, holding the gun up at me. "I'll shoot you, bastard!" I ran my finger along the blade of the knife, not paying mind to her request and glancing at Xyla who was still watching us from the steps.

"No, don't shoot me. Please," I said in a flat tone, making her take a step back.

"Get on your knees," she ordered.

"Wha-"

"I said get on your fucking knees!" She screamed, her hold on the gun becoming steady. "I won't ask again."

I took a step towards her, finally having enough of the theatrics and she pulled the trigger. Three times. Each bullet firmly lodged itself into my chest, making me groan and look down at my now blood-soaked white shirt. "You fucked up my shirt."

I stepped towards her once again and she looked between the gun and my chest in shock. As if she'd come up with the best plan in the world, she threw the gun at my face and bolted. I wiped the blood from the wound now on my lips and looked down at my red fingers before glaring in her direction.

She ran to the door, and I snapped my fingers, arriving in front of her at the door and she screamed, making a full one-eighty and running back to the kitchen. "Syn, let's just leave," Xyla yelled. "We can just pray for the boy and-"

"Prayers don't stop bad people from doing bad things, Xyla," I sighed, striding towards the kitchen where the woman was grabbing a knife. "Action does."

"No...please! Just leave me alone!" she screamed as I approached her. She held the knife up between us, ready to attack and I looked down at her in disappointment.

"If a gun didn't hurt me, why do you believe a knife will?" I sighed, grabbing her wrist and twisting the knife out of her hold, making her scream out in pain. "Let's go and sit back down like civilized people." I led her back to the chair, making her sit down before crouching down to her level and holding the knife against her throat. "I'm not in the mood for this anymore. Any sudden moves and you're dead, got it?"

She nodded. "Please," she whispered again.

I stood up, grabbing the gun from the floor and setting it on my lap as I sat across from her. I tapped the knife in my hand against the table and she cried and shook her head as she looked at it. "Please don't-"

"Shh. You do not even know what I am going to do." I began. "Now. Lay your hands flat on the table for me."