Page 62 of Lay Me Down
I slash out with the knife, and as I feel it tear through skin, I know I’ve hit something. He yells so loudly that my eardrum almost explodes. The last few minutes have been so quiet that his yelp was an even bigger shock than it should have been. As if on autopilot, I slice again and manage to swipe along his side. His hand instinctively goes to cover it, leaving him vulnerable.
So, I don’t hesitate.
I raise the knife high and drive it into his chest, soaking in the moment the blade slides through his skin. He screams and flops down against the mattress, and I follow as I continue to mutilate him. Over and over, I raise the knife and bring it back down for another harsh blow. There can't be any chances that I'm stopped. He can't fight me while I try to warn my men.
Zeke will protect her. They all will, but Zeke's methods match mine, and if I trust her with anyone, it's definitely him. I just need to let him know. They all have to know to keep her at the Attic until I can make it home.
They can't get her there. They can't get her there.
If he would stop flailing, this would be over a lot sooner. The blood continues to splatter everywhere, and the iron smell doesn’t feel as good as it used to. It’s tainted now. As far as I know, this man doesn’t deserve this kind of death. He could be just an innocent man that DeLuca wanted to dig her talons into, but I’ll never know. This death will be lost amongst all the others, and even if it refuses and tries to resurface in my memories, I'll force it back down.
Once he finally stops moving, I pocket the knife and turn to pick up the phone from the ground, but a harsh blow to my ribs pushes me back. The backs of my knees hit the bed, and I’m forced to lie down beside my target. His blood seeps into my hair, and I can feel the stickiness on the back of my neck. I can’t help but cringe at the sensation before I snap back to the moment.
As I force myself back up, shock slithers up my spine. Cinque and Quattro are standing above me like two prison guards excited to take me to solitary confinement. Quattro has the target’s phone in his gloved hand, and he shakes his head as he waves the phone in a teasing motion.
“That was quite stupid, Hartley. Also, you’re three minutes late. TheDirettriceis going to have so much fun with your punishment,” Quattro says before Cinque lifts his rifle and brings it down on my face. Pain radiates from my forehead, and before I can register anything else, the world fades out instantly.
Chapter 26
Damien
‘Cure My Tragedy’ - Cold
Screams fill the room. The stones are merging together, and all that I can hear is buzzing and shouting. Flashes of light dart across my gaze. My body tenses and seizes. The convulsions are excruciating, and I feel like I might slip into the void. I’m floating. It’s like I’m lying under a light mist of rain, and my body tingles under the tiny drops of water. I’m at the lake. I escaped somehow, and now I’m exactly where I should be.
I can almost feel her in my arms, and her faint vanilla scent barely hits my nose. The cool breeze wisps over my face, and I can scarcely feel the brush of her nose along my jaw. The sounds of the water gently play in the background, and her relaxed sighs mingle with the wind.
“Can we stay like this forever?” Ashia asks me softly, almost hauntingly, and the burning throughout my body subtly fades. Hearing her voice is all it took to stop the pain. I knew it would.She is the cure for every sickness, and I cling to her presence like hope.
“Of course, baby. I’d spend eternity anywhere if you were there with me,” I reassure her. The tips of her fingers barely brush over my chest, and as they graze over my new tattoo, it stings just a little. Under normal circumstances, this would have mostly healed a week ago, but it only reminds me of what’s happening. It starts to pull me back from her heaven. Her fingertips brush over the bumps and flakes of my skin in a ghostly caress. I try to sink back into the moment with her, but it’s like there’s a wall of truth that I can’t get past.
I didn’t have this at the lake…
“I thought you promised to never lie to me?” she says so quietly that it’s like she’s barely speaking. Her words shake, and I can faintly make out a little hiccup, almost like she’s silently sobbing.
“I wouldneverlie to you, little wolf,” I reassure her as my heart breaks.
“You just did. You’re not here right now.” Her voice cracks, and I try to tighten my arms around her, but something is keeping them in place. There’s a dark force tightening its grip on my limbs, and I can’t break free. I use every bit of my strength to fight back. Every muscle screams and stretches to the point of excruciating pain, but somehow, I don’t even budge, and my chest tightens as I start to panic. “We don’t get our forever...”
My breathing picks up, and it hurts. The muscles throughout my torso clench and cramp, and my throat constricts as I feel her pull away.No, no, no, baby. Please. Just wait!I try to scream, but nothing comes out, even as I feel the last faint wisp of her touch.
“They’re going to kill me…” she whispers.
Freezing water then drowns my face, and I gasp at the contact. The chemically-treated liquid makes its way in, and I cough andgag, trying to expel it from my lungs. It burns in my throat and up my nostrils.
I’m swimming again.
“Don’t tell me I’ve made you this weak,feccia. Your punishment is just beginning,” DeLuca’s voice echoes against the walls. Talons dig into my scalp as my head is yanked upward, and a sharp slap is delivered to my cheek. The sting pulses and then radiates through my temple and neck. “Wake up. It’s time for the best part.”
My eyes tremble open, and I’m no longer at the lake, but the chill makes sense. They’ve removed the suit, and I’m left completely exposed. I’m back in this God-forsaken room. It’s only illuminated by the monitor in the corner, and my eyes are instantly drawn to it. Through the scope’s view, I can see Ashia, my father, my mother, Zeke, Alex, Carter, and Serena. They look like they’re walking out of the main hospital entrance.
Fuck, is she okay?! Is something wrong?! What was the date I saw on that fridge again? Did she have an appointment?
“The only question I can’t seem to answer, is which way is best to punish you. Your wife, or your father?” DeLuca points to the screen, and I shake my head, willing to beg her not to harm them. “Let’s think this through, shall we? Your father taught you everything you know. Your abilities, your smarts, your cunning and quick reactions. Your mother would be devastated without him, and that would kill two birds with one stone…” She tilts her head from side to side, and then she stares at the screen like it's going to give her the answer. “God, I hate your father,” she says with a sadistic curl to her lip.
“Please…” I try to plead, but somehow, that's the only word that makes it through my barren throat. She holds her chin between her fingers like she’s seriously contemplating other options.
“Then, there’s your wife. She would be the ultimate blow for you. Your child obviously isn’t developed enough to survive, and that’s another feathered comparison. Their deaths would certainly impact you more…”
