Page 75 of Vengeful Devotion
All it takes is one look at him in the mirror and I dissolve into a puddle of tears. Declan’s face twists into worry. He spins me around, caging me between his arms. Declan wipes my tears with his thumb.
“Why are you sad?”
“I’m not sad,” I say. The words are sobs in my throat. “I’m angry. I’m tired of being afraid all the fucking time.”
Declan steps back but keeps his gaze on me. He searches my face, looking for something in my tear-stained eyes.
He holds out a hand. “Come with me.”
I place my hand in his without asking questions. After everything, I’m too exhausted to pretend like I wouldn’t follow him into the depths of hell if he asked. Declan guides us out of the house and into the backyard.
The dewy grass crunches beneath our shoes. It’s night, but the porch lights are bright enough for me to see everything. The backyard is more of an open field. It looks like it goes for miles. There’s no fencing besides what surrounds the perimeter of the estate.
Declan comes to a stop in front of a shed. The door creaks as he opens it to reveal a room full of tools. Ones that I can’t imagine Declan using. Declan pushing a lawn mower? I can’t see that happening. Unless it was to run someone over.
He moves to the far side of the wall, where he pushes a code into a hidden keypad. I hear a door latch release before the middle of the floor opens to reveal stairs.
Declan walks down a couple of steps before turning towards me. “Coming?”
“What’s down there?”
“The cure for your fear.”
I furrow my eyebrows, looking around him. The stairs lead into darkness. I can’t see anything down there. I’m nervous as I take his hand and step down. But I can’t stay in the world of fear any longer. And Declan says he knows how to help. So I’m going to trust him. He keeps me close as we descend into a cellar. I nearly jolt off the stairs when a blood-curdling scream rings out around us. The concrete walls echoing it back like a never-ending song.
“What was that?”
“Your uncle.”
I blink at Declan. He brought me here to see the one man I’m afraid of? How the fuck is that going to help me?
I come to a stop at the bottom of the stairs. My head is dizzy with questions.
“Why would you bring me here to see him?”
Declan looks at me, his green eyes burning into my soul. It’s dim here, but I can feel his gaze.
“I never wanted to, Gemma. I wanted to be the one to slay all your fears. But the fear you have of him isn’t something I can fix. The only way to conquer it is to face it, Gemma. But you have a choice. We don’t have to do this. Say the word and I’ll handle the motherfucker myself.”
His logic hits me square in the chest. I hate that he’s right, but I can’t deny it. Running from my fear will only make it chase me. Choosing to trust Declan again, I follow him deeper into the dungeon-like cellar.
There’s a circle of bright lights with my uncle at the center. He’s been stripped naked. I can see every single thing Declan and his men have inflicted on him. And for once, I’m not afraid. Seeing him bloody and beaten doesn’t make me want to run. No. It makes me crave my pound of flesh.
Declan pauses behind the lights. Keeping the two of us hidden in the shadows. Balor stands behind my uncle. I can’t tell what he’s doing. But every move he makes causes my uncle to scream. A sound that I’m enjoying.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Declan asks.
I can see the war in Declan’s eyes as he looks down at me. He wants me to take my power back. That’s why he brought me here. But he hates letting me get so close to a man who hurt me. I think, more than anything, he hates that I need to come here at all.
Taking a deep breath, I ready my mind and body to do what I need to break free of these chains. I nod at Declan. He clears his throat, grabbing Balor’s attention. Balor and Declan share a silent conversation between them before Balor leaves the room.
Declan and I step into the light side by side. My uncle looks up for a moment before his head falls forward.
“Gemma,” Lonny whispers, his voice weak and gravelly.
I circle my uncle. His arms are tied to a chair. Parts of each of his fingers are missing. Some are gone completely, others only down to the first knuckle. Lonny is covered in the same bleach-induced chemical burns as I am, only his are red and angrier looking than mine ever were. There’s fresh blood running down his back, seeping from thin but deep cuts. Guess I know what Balor has been up to.
When I come back around to stand in front of him, I see him for who he really is. All my life, he’s been the monster in my closet. He thrived on my suffering and made sure to leave scars. But now? Now he’s nothing more than a bloody sack of fear. Just a scared little boy with no one in the world to help him.
