The Billionaire’s Baby(44)

Suddenly, out of his pocket he yanked a small syringe, jamming quickly into the side of Nia's arm.

Ellis went silent again instantly, gripping the bars so hard that his nails left tiny crescent moons engravings that glinted gently against the metal.

Remmy patted Nia's head, like a tiny child or a dog, letting her slowly go limp in his arms before dropping her against the ground.

"You all behave now, ok?" He announced with a sigh, quickly leaving the prison, the door closing with a heavy, groaning thud behind him, leaving all three captives enclosed in suffocating darkness.

Ellis smacked his head against the bars, muttering curses to George and Remmy and the sun. Unexpectedly, his head was gripped in a gruff, bear claw of a hand, forcing his face up. When Ellis looked up he realized that it was the old man who'd stopped him from his self-torture.

The man glared at Ellis for a moment, "That's not going to help your friend at all. We need to focus on getting you out of here."

"And how do you suppose we do that, old man?" Ellis snarled, crossing his arms and pouting, "They've got me on so much of that stupid medicine that I can hardly even bend the bars, and obviously you're not strong enough to do it, you've been here for years."

Ellis demonstrated with a halfhearted yank on the metal bars, not even succeeding in making them move a centimeter. He gave a low whine, beating his head again shortly, "You have no idea how emasculating it is for a vampire to have no strength!"

When he finally looked up again the old man was already on the other side of the cell, leaning against the bars with his eyes closed.

Ellis angrily whirled around walked into the furthest corner, sinking down and curling into a corner, quietly pitying himself for the lack of attention and strength.

It was a while later when the old man stood and lumbered back to Ellis, thoughtfulness distorting his deep brow, "I planned the whole thing out, you'll escape in the morning."

"Morning? Uh…I can't exactly, you know, go out in the sun." The vampire pointed towards his pale, undead face.

"Don't worry, I've got that covered. It has to be in the morning, by then the medicine will have started wearing off. You'll be at least strong enough to break out of your cell. They won't be expecting you to try and escape till evening, and they won't come and get you till afternoon – when the sun is brightest." The man tapped a foot on the ground, as though he were explaining all of this a dolt.

Ellis raised his eyebrows thoughtfully, "Oh. That is a good plan. I guess. But will you just tell me how I'm supposed to avoid the sun issue?"

The old man smiled, and for a moment his worry creased face eased just the smallest bit, "Nah."

"I don't feel so good," Nia suddenly whispered, arms wrapped tight around her stomach. She groaned, curling up into a fetal position near the bars of her cell.

Ellis blinked in surprise, tilting his head, "How long have you been up?"

He was ignored however, the man walking over quickly and kneeling by the bars, pressing his face to them to look at her better, "They probably gave you too much of that stuff. It makes some people sick."

Nia grimaced then nodded, still curled tight in a ball.

Ellis pressed himself up against his own bars, watching quietly at his pained partner. "Is Nia going to be alright?"

"Nia?" The man asked quietly, and when Ellis nodded, he glanced back at her, "She'll be fine if we get her out of here soon."

Ellis nodded once more, slumping down slowly against the bars. Again, he was helpless when Nia was in pain. He was useless, completely and totally useless. He could hardly be considered worthy of the title of a vampire with how weak he'd been lately – hardly even considered worthy of being a man.

He lowered his head silently, not looking at his jail mate, even as he opened his mouth to speak to him, "Hey, old man…will you hold her hand for me." He asked in a quiet, almost monotonous tone, but the man obliged without a question, slowly slipping his thick arm through the bars to grasp Nia's hand.

Nia finally fell asleep, lying limp and pale as a ghost, one arm still wrapped around her stomach. Neither the man nor Ellis slept that night however, both too on edge for the plan in the morning.

Hours later, the old man suddenly turned to face Ellis, his and Nia's hands still entwined, "It's time." His voice, typically booming and gruff, was a sullen quiet.

Ellis nodded, standing up and grabbing the bars. He was worried, quite honestly, that he would fail. That seemed to be all that he was doing lately, dragging Nia into trouble and getting her hurt. Fortunately though, as he pulled on the bars, they willingly moved smoothly under his hands, bending apart and allowing him to climb through into the man's cell. The man grinned at him, watching silently as Ellis moved to the bars separating Nia from them and yanked the bars apart to hers as well.