Page 75 of Knight’s Dominion

No one answered when she knocked, and when she opened the door, the room was empty. Dread spiked through her belly, and she raced upstairs to his apartment. She knocked several times, but there was no answer. Racing to her place next door, she grabbed the spare set of keys she kept for him and let herself in.

The place was trashed. “Vince?”

A groan came from the bathroom. She rushed in. Vince lay on the floor, clutching his side. She pulled his hand away and lifted his shirt. There was a massive bruise, the mark was unmistakable. A boot print. He’d definitely broken some ribs. His face was a mess, broken nose, split lip. But he was alive. "Oden did this?"

“L-leave it, Grace,” he groaned.

She helped him up, basically dragging him off the floor, and felt her stitches pull painfully. “We need to get you to the hospital."

"No. I don't want anyone to know about this. I can't go to the hospital... Shit." He gasped in pain.

She helped him to the bedroom and onto the bed, making him as comfortable as she could. "I'll be back. I know someone who can help.” Well, sort of knew them—she'd seen his handiwork, anyway.

Striding back to the living room, she pulled out her phone. The doc who’d patched her up had left his number in case any problems arose. She had a problem all right, just not one he might be expecting.

He answered after two rings.

He didn't sound thrilled when she explained the situation, but seeing as she was Chaos's mate he'd be there in fifteen.

Vince was shivering when she walked back in, no doubt going into shock. She pulled the covers over him and brushed his hair away from his forehead. “You owe him something. Money?”

"Y-yes." He coughed, then cried out in pain.

“You sure it’s just money, Vince?”

He stared at her through bloodshot eyes. “Yes.”

“You’d tell me if there was more, wouldn’t you?”

“Of course,” he choked out.

She wanted to believe him, she really did. But as much as she loved Vince, he’d made some dumb decisions before. Especially when it came to powerful demi like Oden.

Vince grabbed her wrist hard enough to bruise. "Promise me you'll stay away from him, Grace."

"Vince..."

"Promise me. He's dangerous, into some serious shit. I'd rather hand over the club than..."

“Than what?”

He shook his head.

She grabbed his shoulders, suddenly feeling ill. “I know he’s involved in the war, Vince, on the wrong fucking side. He’s colluding with demons, isn’t he? Are you involved?”

He shook his head wildly. “No. I would never betray our people, never.”

“Is he trying to pressure you to join him?”

He closed his eyes, looking pained. “I won’t do it, Gracie, I won’t.”

“We’ll stop him, Vince. I promise you that.”

A gasp came from the door, and she spun around. Cate, a new dancer, stood there gaping. Shit. Grace jumped up to block her view. "You need to leave, and keep this to yourself, do you understand?"

She didn't move, frozen at the door. Grace reached out and grabbed her arm. Her power flared out of nowhere, shot to her sternum, then fired down her arm. Cate cried out, eyes wide with terror and pain.

The other female shrieked and slapped Grace’s hand away, stumbling back. "What did you just try to do to me?"