Page 98 of Scars Run Deep

“You did.”

“It was horrific. Disgusting. Fucking sick.”

“Aurora,” he said, reaching out and sliding his hands down to my hips.

I sucked in a breath and confessed, “Those few moments that I had to wait before I made my move were excruciating. Not being able to stop it sooner.”

“I understand.”

I grasped his arm, pulling him tighter to me, needing his warmth, and that natural surety of his.

“Is that what they all go through? Or was that… extreme?”

He tensed.

I looked up at him, the tightening of his jaw.

“It wasn’t extreme at all by dollhouse standards, was it?”

“No, sweetheart. It was tame for them.”

I sank into him for a few moments and he tightened his hold around me, just holding me.

“Do you want to sit the next takedowns out? I can bring in Bryce and—”

“No. I’m useful to you in combat, aren’t I?”

“You wouldn’t be here if you weren’t, but—”

“I’ll handle it. This was just the first time I’ve seen it up close, the dollhouse side of things. Plus, it triggered what I’d heard of my dad’s torture on those recordings. I’ll be prepared for the emotional and mental side of things next time.” I eased back, urgency bleeding from me as I said, “I want this entire network dismantled.”

“Well, that’s the goal.”

“I know, but even if when we’re halfway through it draws my dad out, I won’t stop. I won’t sit it out, even if he tries to push for it. This is about much more than it was when I first started out on this road. I want this sadistic and depraved thing burning in the fires of hell.”

His eyes flamed and he grasped my jaw. “There’s my little beast.”

He leaned down, clearly intending to kiss me.

But then he pulled back and released me, blinking hard to get a hold of himself, before he told me, “Let’s finish off with this site.”

He pulled the remote detonator out of a secure pocket in his tactical jacket.

And then he set off the explosives.

Thunder rolled, flames erupting and licking higher and higher as the building exploded, glass spraying out several feet, structural elements tearing away as each consecutive explosion added to the damage over and over.

“Burning in the fires of hell indeed,” Asher commented as he wrapped his arm around me.

And then we both just watched it burn.

14

~Killian~

I couldn’t believe it.

Here I was walking through campus with my arm draped over the shoulders of my woman—our woman—being openly close and intimate with the person I’d chosen, the person I wanted and cared about so fucking much.

---