Cutthroat Carmine (Book 1)(COMPLETE) (Wattpad Featured Novel)

43: [wawr-uh nt]

    It doesn't take long before sirens to start blaring outside the Redoza residence. The small cul-de-sac on Totem Drive is surrounded by at least 15 police cars and a bright red fire truck.

    Carmine pushes back the curtain and sees Bill Swanson step out of his car wearing a bulletproof vest and a medieval looking silver helmet. He looks like a mashup between a medieval knight and an FBI agent. His cruiser is leading the brigade.

    Holding up his loudspeaker, Bill shouts, "Come out and surrender willingly or we will be forced to take action. We have warrants for the arrest of Carmine and Blake Redoza for the murder of Michael Cannes. Come out now and there will be no further problems."

    Carmine turns to her family. "What should we do? There's at least 30 cops out there, maybe more, waiting for us. They might all be vampire hunters. They might all have guns with silver bullets. They could kill us as soon as we open the front door. It would be suicide to try and fight them. We're surrounded."

    The Redozas stare back her nervously, uncertain of what to do.

    "Carmine, I have someone who wants to talk to you," Bill calls out again.

    A few seconds later, Carmine hears Sebastian's quavering voice through the loudspeaker. "C-Carmine? Is it true? Did you really kill a man? And drink his blood? Are you r-really a vampire?"

    Sebastian's fearful voice makes Carmine's heart twist with pain. The betrayal in his tone stabs her and it feels as real as any physical weapon. He was never supposed to find out about her. She was supposed to resign and then disappear from his life forever. Goddamn Bill Swanson had to come and ruin everything. He needs to pay.

    Bill's voice takes the air once more. "You have five minutes to come out or we will break down the doors. Don't even think about going through the back, we have you surrounded on all sides. Give up now or we will use brute force."

    "Can we glamour them?" Blake asks, biting his nails.

    "No, there's too many of them. Glamour only works if it's one on one," Mason murmurs. "It looks like they want to fight."

    "They're not all vampire hunters. Most of them seem to be just regular cops listening to the one with the loudspeaker. We need to target the man wearing the silver helmet," Nyla says, pointing to Bill at the front of the house. "The rest should be easy to take out."

    "I don't want them murdered. I don't want a bloodbath on our hands," Red interrupts, clutching Mason's arms and shaking it. "Mason, you won't kill them will you? That's exactly what they want- for us to commit murder so they can condemn us all. We'll never be free again."

    "Red, can't you see? If we don't kill them, they'll kill us," Nyla explains, pacing back and forth. "Do or die. We're in a war right now."

    "Time's running out, father," Blake says, pointing to the clock. "What are we going to do?"

    Mason grips the banister tightly. "We'll leave tomorrow night, as planned. But first, we need to let them think we've surrendered."

    "What?!" Carmine hisses, "Are you insane?"

    "Hear me out," Mason says, "There's too many of them out there. We could probably kill ten or fifteen but not all of them. And we'd certainly get shot if we went on the offensive. Nothing would get accomplished anyway by maiming civilians. They're innocent. Our beef is with the main hunter, Bill."

    Nyla scoffs but doesn't disagree with him.

    "We will surrender Blake and Carmine. Let them take you two to jail. Bill won't dare kill you two in front of other humans unless he wants to face life in prison. He needs to at least pretend to follow the law, take you to trial in a week or so or risk he'll risk the entire operation and blow his cover. Once you're in jail, he won't be able to touch you. At least for a bit. The media will be all over the jail and he won't get the chance to do anything without exposing himself. You two will be safe there until we have all the arrangements finished. Nyla and I will break you out of jail in less than an hour and Red will be our outside eyes and ears."