Page 83 of Obsession (Dark Revenge)
“What?” I inquired, bewildered.
“He... came on me and... down my throat.”
“But Finn...”
“You stopped him,” she interrupted. “Just before...”
Tears welled up in her eyes, and she began shaking her head. She was struggling to hold back the emotional breakdown. Alison might not have completely shattered, but seeing her covered in that man’s filth made me harbor a fierce desire to seek retribution. I wouldn’t settle for merely removing an earnext time. The punishment would be much harsher. However, the situation was complicated. Those fuckers were set to become “family” soon, and I couldn’t simply kill them or render them impotent. The best course of action was to get Alison as far away from here as possible.
“Let’s get you cleaned up.”
I placed my knife on the countertop before releasing Alison from her restraints. Then I began undressing. She didn’t resist or react much, except to gaze at the floor. I turned on the warm water before guiding her underneath it.
She allowed me to clean her and the collar, the cherished token that bound her to me now tarnished by Michael’s actions. If his face wasn’t completely ruined after what I had done, I was prepared to make another attempt. Those cousins had irreversibly damned themselves, and when I ascended to power, their lives would become a living hell.
As I tenderly attended to Alison, she gradually broke down in front of me, starting with tiny sobs that grew deeper, at times sounding as if she were almost choking on the air.
“Alison, hey, focus on me,” I whispered, gently attempting to lift her head, but she continued to stare at the ground, her breaths coming in rapid succession. I felt helpless, not knowing how to alleviate her distress, so I did the only thing I could think of—I pulled her close to me and held her tightly. It was this embrace that finally released her anguish, and she began to sob uncontrollably.
We didn’t exchange words. I simply held her close, the warm water cascading over us, filling the room with steam. Alison clung to me so tightly that it almost became difficult for me to breathe, but I didn’t ask her to let go. Instead, I continued to comfort her, one arm around her waist and my other hand gently stroking her back, reassuring her that she was safe now.She would never suffer such harm again. We were leaving this place for good.
When we eventually stepped out of the shower, the room had been tidied up. I wrapped her in one of my hoodies and retrieved her pants from earlier. As I helped her dress, she still avoided making eye contact, but her tears had ceased. I had donned some sweatpants myself, and as I glanced at the bed, considering that she needed rest, I wasn’t sure if I could bring her there.
“Do you want to leave tonight?” I inquired, and finally, her gaze slowly traveled up my body to focus on me.
“Can we?”
“Yes, of course,” I assured her.
She nodded in agreement. “I would like to leave.”
Her voice carried a profound sense of brokenness. I knew she was broken. She had admitted as much. But this time, I could see it. This time, I could hear it. Unable to resist, I drew her close again. Her arms found their way around my waist, and she buried her face in my chest, holding onto me tightly.
“This won’t happen again, Alison,” I vowed.
“Where were you?” she asked, her words causing a pang in my heart.
“I...” I hesitated, uncertain of how to explain my actions while she had been left vulnerable. It seemed foolish not to have considered that Astrid’s cousins might come searching for Alison. She was undeniably beautiful, and of course, her cousins would desire her. It was even more enticing because they knew it would infuriate me that they had touched her.
“I promise I won’t be far from you again. You’ll stay with me from now on,” I whispered, kissing her gently on the top of her head.
Alison nodded against me, and we remained locked in each other’s arms a while longer before I gently pushed her away.
“I’ll put on some more clothes and then pack the car. Come downstairs when you’re ready,” I told her, caressing her cheek before I left to gather warmer attire and my shoes.
Alison stood alone in the closet as I gathered the items I had taken from the other house. I easily carried the bags with me, granting her the privacy she needed. I knew she required a moment by herself, and so I provided her that space while I descended the stairs to prepare the car.
As I stood outside, Vince found me. I noticed him standing by the steps leading into the house while I was in the midst of packing. At first, he didn’t approach any closer. He just observed me. But soon, he descended the steps and made his way over to where I was.
“Leaving already?” he inquired.
“I did mention we’d be leaving soon,” I reminded him.
“Yes, but did it have to be tonight?”
“I have one more week with her,” I replied. “I don’t want any more interruptions.”
Vince nodded in understanding, but I could still detect worry in his eyes. I turned to face him and leaned against the car.
