Their Thief: Redemption

Chapter 15 (Part 2)

My breaths stopped along with Alec's, getting caught in my throat. I stumbled back, reaching for my throat as though it was the one with Jace's hands wrapped around it. I sucked in a sharp breath when glass cut into the sole of my foot, but the pain was nothing compared to the one that sliced into my chest at the sight before me.

Keeping one hand around his neck, Jace pulled an arm back and balled his hand into a fist. Clenching his jaw, he brought it back down with all his strength. Alec's head snapped to the slide as his knuckles landed at his temple. His brow slipped to release a rivet of blood. Just as he blinked it out of his eyes and began to recover, another hit had his head snapping the other way. This time, the blow landed on his cheek and had him spitting out blood that painted his teeth red

As disturbing as the scene before me was, making my heart clench painfully with each strike, it was made worse by Alec's response to the attack. Or, his lack of one. As Jace cocked his hand back to deliver another hit that would have had my neck breaking easily, Alec's arms remained at his sides, motionless. He didn't lift a finger to stop his attack.

"Stop!" I screamed, my voice cracking as the pitch of my desperate plea had pain tearing through my throat on its way out.

The sound of Alec's skull cracking against the floor followed it, making me regret making the sound that had Alec's head straining towards me enough for it to rebound with a sickening crack. It had the next scream that was preparing to tear its way free shrivel up in my throat as hot tears tracked their way down my cheeks. There was nothing I could do but scream for them to stop, but even that was useless. I was useless.

Trying to keep a reign on the destructive thoughts circling in my head, I frantically searched the ground around me with tear-blurred eyes for the phone I had dropped. I was useless, but Luca wasn't. After a few seconds of frantic searching, I finally found it where it had slid its way partially under the bed. The screen was on and facing up, showing the call was still connected.

Pain sliced through my foot as I shot towards the device. Each step I took dug the glass shard in deeper, leaving a smeared trail behind me. Pulling the phone to my ears, I didn't pause to take a breath.

"Luca!" I rushed out through the pain. No response. "Luca?" Past the sound of my harsh breaths, all that responded from the other end was silence.

The panic and fear in my chest bubbled to a new level at the lack of response. There was no help, I realized in horror, watching Alec finally move. Not from Luca, or Alec. All he did was raise his hands to loosely grab at Jace's wrist that held him in place, making no move to remove him. He didn't even want to help himself.

But the harsh beats in my chest that I knew were synced with his did. Even if he didn't want it- which his lack of action was getting across.

I was the only help around.

And I was useless.

My fingers curled to dig my nails into my palms, distracting me from the sinking defeat that had my body beginning to tremble. Nausea swirled in my stomach as the sight of blood before me continued to grow. 

No, I wasn't useless, I told myself. Trying to drown out the thoughts convincing me otherwise. Thinking that way would only convince me that I was. So instead, I choose to go with motivation. If I stop Jace from killing Alec, I could kill them both with my own two hands.

I could take out all my pent-up anger and hate on them later. Right now, I needed to ensure there would be two of them there to face the wrath they deserved. Alive.

If anyone earned the right to end their lives, it was me.

They were mine.

My hand tightened on the phone as I lowered it from my ear. Setting it down on the bedside table, the lamp I placed it beside caught my eye. The neck widened towards the base into a sturdy, heavy, ceramic vase while the shade that sat atop was the opposite, thin and flimsy.