chapter 7

Liam's POV

I've tried to keep myself busy in sorting out the dilemma we are in. I can't believe Patricia would doubt my feeling for her but then again she has all the reasons known to mankind to not believe me. She was sending me all kinds of mixed signals. For someone who lived for centuries, this girl puzzles me. I can see the way she was looking at me and soon enough I know that she won't be able to hold the grudge against me. 

I pretended to keep myself busy with my phone and laptop while watching over her. I made sure that she ate her meals on time and tried not to get into her nerves. I'm really bothered that I told her she wouldn't have to see me again once everything is okay. Can I really keep my word? Can I really survive not being able to touch her and just watch her from afar. Well, I have to be true to my word. How I wish that we don't get to solve this situation soon. Hendrick returned with Sam and we immediately discussed the updates.

"What the hell did you find out?" Natasha stated anxiously. "Why couldn't you just tell us over the phone? Is Steven, okay? Where is he?"

"It's nice to see you too, Natasha." Hendrick replied. "We're fine. We were attacked by some vampires on our way back here but as you can see we're still alive."

"Stop with all the bullshits. Where is Steven?" Natasha stated annoyed at Hendrick. "Samuel, you have five seconds to tell me or I'll kill you."

"Benedict has him." Sam handed us the pictures. 

"What the hell?!" Natasha sat down at the sofa. "We have to save him. Why did you even return here? We should go and try to track where he is,"

"Do you think I haven't done that?" Hendrick stated. "Benedict has eyes on us. He wants Patricia in exchange of Steven." He handed me a note from Benedict with his demands.

"I'll kill this psycho before he could even lay a hand on Patricia." I stated and look over at Patricia who was just staring at me. 

"I should've been the one who went to New York. I wouldn't just return here empty handed. I would've turn the entire city upside down trying to find Steven." Natasha said angrily.

"Oh come on, Natasha. Don't you dare act like I didn't do anything. You think you can do better than me. Go ahead and try to find him." Hendrick punched the wall angrily.

"I asked Hendrick to come back." I butted in. "He called and told me that they were attacked so I requested for him to return since we have no clue where Benedict is. We can't afford to have Benedict have his hands on Hendrick as well."

"So you knew that Steven is being captivated and you just kept quiet. You didn't even inform me." Natasha glared at me totally pissed.

"No, I didn't tell him anything. I just told him that we were attacked so he asked me to return here. Also I wanted to inform you guys about Steven. You know how I hate keeping secrets." Hendrick replied.

"So, what's the plan?" I stated. "We can't just wait for Benedict to show up here at our doorstep."

"We can lure him out." Natasha stated.

"Are you thinking of what I'm thinking?" Hendrick stated.

"What is it?" I asked worriedly. "I don't trust you two." 

"You might not like it." Natasha stated. "But I think we should show Patricia to Benedict so we can get Steven back."

"Are you out if you're mind. No way." I stated seriously.

"We wont give her to Benedict. We just need to lure him out so we can take him down." Hendrick reasoned. "We can't find him and the only way we can make him come out is if we agree to trade in Patricia for Steven. We can't just abandon Steven. He is family. He is one of us."

"So basically, you want to use Patricia as a bait. You want to put the life of the woman I love at risk. I know Steven is family but as you've mentioned he's one of us. He won't fucking die being in a coffin for decades." I screamed at Natasha and Hendrick.

"I know you love her but we can't abandon Steven. We can end this easily if we all work together. We wont risk Patricia's life we are going to be her. And we wont hand her over to Benedict." Natasha stated.

"Come on, Liam. The four of us always had each others back. Steven is our family. Patricia wont be in any form or danger. We are stronger and better than Benedict." Hendrick reasoned.

"There is no way. I'm agreeing to use Patricia as a bait." Iyelled loudly.

"What?! I'm sorry?" Patricia finally spoke after just staring at me during the entire argument.

"There is no way that I'm putting the life of the woman I love in jeopardy. Are you people insane?" I stated angrily. "I wouldn't have put up with all this hiding to make sure she is safe and just hand her over to Benedict. Over my dead body."

"We can't just let Steven rot somewhere, Liam" Natasha exclaimed.

"No, of course not. But you guys suggesting we bring Patricia in exchange for Steven is risky." I reasoned. "Would any of you risk the life of the person you love?"

"Why don't we just let Patricia decide herself?" Hendrick stated.

"Wait, hold up. What's going on?" Patricia butted in. "Can someone please, explain."

"See, she doesn't even have a clue what the hell is going on. What you're suggesting is like sending a sheep into a hoard of wolves. She is not going anywhere near Benedict. End of discussion." I stated.

"We have to save Steven." Natasha stated. "And I'd fucking stake you myself if you try to stop me. Don't forget that we are equals, Liam. I can take you down." Natasha pushed me to the ground.

"Hold it. Stop!" Patricia yelled at us. "Why are threatening to kill each other? I thought we are here to fix the problem."

"Love, go back to our room." I stated seriously as I get up from the floor. "I don't want you see this."

"No, I have enough." She glared at me. "So you guys want to hand me over to Benedict to save this, Steven?" She looked at Natasha and Hendrick.

"No, the plan is to lure Benedict out of his hiding." Hendrick stated. "He wanted you in exchange of Steven. And we can't just abandon Steven." He handed Patricia some pictures.

"What the hell?" She looked at the picture in horror. "Is he still alive?"

"Yes." I replied. "As an original vampire, a stake in the heart just simply put us into a state of comma. So he is safe. He is not dead. And if something happens to you with their crazy plan you will be dead. Do you understand? Love, I can't lose you because of this."

"And I'm giving you my word." Natasha butted in frustratedly. "I will not let anything bad happen to Patricia. We will make sure that Benedict wont be able to lay a finger on her."

"Okay." I stated. "I'll do it. I'll help you guys save Steven."

"No, you are not." I picked her up and walked back to our room.

"Don't you want to save him?" Patricia asked.

"I've put a stake on Steven's heart years ago and he survived it. We can come up with something else than put you at risk. He can be in that state for years and he'll be fine." I reasoned.

"But we can't just hide here. I mean, you guys can survive forever but I'm human Liam. I can't be lock up here all my life. I had so many things that I want to do and if this plan would help me kill the monster who is trying to hunt me down, I'll do it. I'd rather do something than sit here and relax." 

"You just can't wait to get rid of me, can you?" I stated sadly.

"No! I just want things to get back to normal. And Hendrick, Natasha, Sam, Mikel and the others also have to move on with their lives."

"I'll think about it. Stay here. I'll talk with Natasha and Hendrick."

I honestly had no idea what to do. I can't just put Patricia at risk. Or I'm just scared that this would be our chance to take down Benedict and a chance for Patricia to walk away from me. I did gave her my word and she badly wants to go back to her normal life. She's still very young and she has the whole world ahead of her. Instead of talking to Natasha and Hendrick, I decided to drink with Sam. 

"I don't think that we can't take down Benedict. I just don't want to lose Patricia."

"I don't think Benedict would have a chance with the three of you working together. I mean it still puzzles me how he was able to take down Steven. Steven could've easily killed him."

"Maybe Steven was taken by surprise." I stated. "I wish vampires can be drunk. We've had several bottles of whiskey and we are both still sober."

"Liam, why are you saying that you would lose Patricia? I mean, she's still young and you can spend time with you until she is ready to be just like us. You can turn her and spend the eternity with her." Sam reasoned.

"She doesn't want to be one of us. Once this whole situation is over, she'd be gone. She wants a normal life. She doesn't want a life in the dark with creatures like us."

"She told you that?" Sam stated surprised. "And you would just let her gp. I know you. You wouldn't just let her go. You always get what you want. It's always been you who gets the last say about things. You don't just give up without a fight."

"I know. But she's different. I love her and I would want her to be happy. I don't want her to feel trap when she's with me. I want her to want to be with me. Do I even make sense?"    

"You're screwed." Sam stated shaking his head. "By the way, Mikel wanted me to turn him."

"Are you telling me or asking my permission?"

"Both. I'm honestly torn. I want to ask Patricia's opinion as well. I mean, they're best friends."

"Do whatever you want. Just make sure you don't regret it and you'd be able to live with the consequences of your actions." I stated.

"So this is where you have been hiding." Natasha stated as she sat next to me.

"I know you and Hendrick have been eavesdropping." I stated. "I sensed your presence looming in the background." 

"Well, we have to discus our plan." Hendrick stated. "Samuel, you may go now. And just an advice don't turn your boy toy yet. Wait for things to be fixed and make sure that's it what he really wants." Sam left and the three of us stayed quiet.

"I'm scared to lose her." I admitted after several minutes of silence. "Once, Benedict dies she wouldn't have a reason to stay with me."

"You love her and I'm 100% certain that she feels the same way." Natasha replied. "You wont lose her. She'd be crazy to walk out on a guy like you. I mean, look at you. You're handsome, you're rich and you can give her anything that she wants."

"And all she wants is to live a normal life away from our kind." I replied.

"So you want us to delay meeting Benedict so you make her want to stay?" Hendrick asserted.

"I don't know. Steven hates being captured and helpless. We can't abandon him. Bros before hoes. On the contrary, I love Patricia and just thinking of losing her makes me want to die." I admitted

"Fine, one week." Natasha replied. "You can take you're time to think for a different plan. If not we are going to push through with our plan. And you can't do anything about it, Liam. Don't forget that I am capable of driving a stake in your heart."

"Wow, you're too nice, Natasha, I would have given him a day." Hendrick teased.

"I'm not as heartless like you." Natasha replied. "I'll try to find Benedict. I'd be leaving the island tomorrow." 

"The hell you are?!" Hendrick stated. "No one is leaving this island until we have a concrete plan. We have no idea what Benedict have up on his sleeves."

"I'm a grown woman and I can do whatever I want." Natasha stated.

"No, Natasha. No one is leaving." I butted in. "Why don't you two just go fuck each other to release all this tension. It's been so long and you two still wont admit that you're attracted to each other." 

"I'd rather die than fuck him. I hope all of this would be over soon so I wouldn't have to deal with the two of you." Natasha stated before she stormed out the room.

"You know she likes you." I stated.

"And you know that we are never going to workout. We're both too stubborn and strong willed." Hendrick stated. "I mean the moment she chose to be with you I lost interest in her. She's not looking for something permanent. She just want to flirt and fuck around."

"And you want something permanent?"

"Perhaps, I do. We have an eternity to live. I would love to spend my forever with someone. I'm sick and tried of just having random woman in my life. I want to meet someone that would be willing to have me in her life forever. You're lucky, you found yours."

"Patricia? I want her so much but I don't think that she would want to spend her eternity with me. She wants a normal life away from all of this." 

Hendrick told me about the plan, he and Natasha came up with. It was perfect and would definitely work. We need to execute it during the day so Benedict won't have his hoard of vampires as back. They don't have daylight rings so they would be able to help him. We have to make sure that he agrees to our terms. Benedict doesn't have any idea that I was in love with Patricia and he knows how much we care for Steven. Everything would turn out well. I went back to our room and found Patricia still wide awake.

"Why are you still up? You should be resting." I stated as I sat on the bed next to her.

"I was waiting for you." She replied seriously. "I want you to know that I'm willing to help you get you're brother back. I'd do whatever it takes."

"I don't want you to think that Steven is more important that you. Because right now, you're the most important person in my life. I'd let Steven rot for several years and spend those time with you." I admitted and lay down in bed next to her. "But that would be selfish of me and the others would do anything to make sure they rescue Steven as soon as possible."

"I understand where they are coming from, Liam. I'd also think of my family first than just some random person." She embraced me and smiled at me sweetly.

"But you're not just some random person. You're the woman that I love." I replied as I run my thumb in her lips. "I love Steven but I love you more than life itself."

"Don't worry. I'm a big girl. I can take it. I don't want you choosing. I already made a choice."