Page 38 of Unhallowed

“And if you’re in charge, both of you, then who isn’t?”

“The Vipers do our dirty work.” He grabs my wrist, not pushing me away but also looking nervous. “But we’re in charge of the operations…present too. We oversee everything they do. Approve it. Make it happen.”

“So why weren’t they part of the ritual?”

“Only the highest ranking Vipers are part of the inner circle. Yeah, they get some of the benefits we do, but not all of them. As far as the outer circle goes, well they do our dirty work. They take lead in the human trafficking,” Draven’s face is pained. His eyes glisten and he looks away momentarily before focusing them back on me. “They kidnap. They even kill for us in the most brutal ways.”

I gasp and he grimaces.

“Every sick and fucked up thing you can imagine from gutting a man or raping an innocent.” He continues, “I’m not proud of any of it, Angel, but I couldn’t say no. I was initiated and thrown into the fire. If I were to defy The Fellowship…they would slice my stomach open and force feed me my own insides while laughing. There is no choice. Unless you pick death.”

My head spins, making me dizzy. I’m part of this corrupt organization now, with no way out. Maybe I could run, hide somewhere they’ll never find me. But where? How? I have no cash, no connections, no car. No knowledge of my surroundings. Not that it matters. I’ll drive aimlessly if needed.

“Don’t even get ideas to escape, Angel. I know you. I see it in your face, baby,” he murmurs. “There’s nowhere you can go thatThe Familywon’t find you, and I’ll be at the head of the scavenger hunt. You’ll never ever be away from me again.Ever.”

My heart stops in my chest for a brief moment, only one. But he sees it and pushes the knife away. I push it into his stomach instead, then ask him, “What did you do for your initiation, Drav?” I think I’m going to throw up. I can’t imagine him doing what I saw the other day. I can’t think of him like that, with disgust. “What did youdo?”

“I don’t want to talk about that, Angel,” he replies sadly. “But I’ll tell you the ritual from the other day…that’s not the worst thing we’ve done.”

I tense and my hands begin to shake, but I asked for this right? I asked for his truths. Now I’m fucked because I’ll never be able to unlearn this, and the more he talks, the more I don’t want to be here. What kind of shit are they going to force me to do?

“You don’t have to participate.” It’s as if he’s reading my mind. “It’s men only.”

My body relaxes slightly, as if that makes anything better. It really doesn’t but maybe I’ll get to live in peace, in my own little bubble, and not have to think about all the shit he and Killian get into. I let the bloody knife down by my side and watch as the cut in his neck bleeds even more. It’s not deep, but just deep enough that I know it will leave a scar.Myscar.Mine.

I set the knife on the counter and lick his chest, feeling the blood coating my lips, then grab his face and bring it to mine. “I told you I’d lick you all better, baby.” I purr, kissing him sweetly, chastely, just a peck. So unlike the way he fucked me, or even how I just had a knife to his throat. “Thank you for being honest.” I tell him and mean it. “I don’t want you to hide things from me.”

“I will always hide something, Firefly.” Tears well up in my eyes, because I don’t know if I can deal with that. “There are things that make me a monster, a monster that isn’t even worth you but will keep you all the same. There’s situations…things that happen in our operations, the rituals, the dark shit we do…that I don’t want you to know about. You’ll never look me in the eye again if you know them, and I already told you—you’re never leaving me again. I’m not a good guy anymore, my sins rule my life. The Fellowship and Killian ruleme.As long as I live, I’ll have to do their bidding. And I’ll do what they say, but I won’t give them an inch when it comes to us.”

I think on that for a moment, wondering if Killian will fuck us over again and tear us apart. He will definitely try, I can sense that much, and I’m scared. I don’t ever want to be without Drav.

“Just don’t let him take me, Drav.” I beg him. “Don’t.”

“Never.” He promises. “You’re my light in the darkness, Firefly.” I breathe in deeply. “Without you, there’s no light, remember?”

“I love you.” I whisper.

He doesn’t say it back, instead he kisses me like his life depends on it, stealing my breath and making my stomach swoop. I hope we’re always like this.

Together.

But the moment is quickly over when there’s a knock at the door, and Draven goes to open it. I follow closely behind and when he opens the door, there stands a man with a bouquet of black roses.

“For the lady.” He says, and Drav takes it.

Slamming the door, he hands them to me and walks away, clearly pissed off. The moment is over.Gotit.

I set them on the counter and look at them. No one’s ever gotten me flowers, and Killian knows I was trapped in a basement for freaking ever. I know they’re from him before I even look at the note. I turn the card attached to the flowers, my stomach dropping. He’s doing this on purpose, to piss Draven off. I shouldn’t like it, but it feels…sweet.

I’m coming for you, little demon.

-K.

A shiver runs down my spine and I walk away from the roses. Dreading the note, what it says. Now I know I won’t be able to sleep at night, waiting for his arrival. Because he means it, and he will deliver on his word.

Until death do us part.

That’s how long I’ll be his, and now I know there’s no escaping him. He probably will tear me and Draven apart with his bare hands.

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