Page 38 of Dust to Dust

I glanced at the now black screens that worked as a giant Livestream when Titan met with his brotherhood. A long metal shelf in front of the screens acted as a desk where the keyboards were neatly placed. Three sleek black chrome chairs were tucked under the desk. Titan would need to add a forth chair now. A new head bitch was about to break up this band of brothers.

Along the opposite wall was a thick glass case filled with weapons. My feet started to lead me to it, like women attracted to a sparkly diamond. It was stocked with enough ammo to defend the house for weeks. Besides the guns were beautiful hand-crafted knives. My eyes caught onto a stunning Japanese tanto in black metal. I placed my hands against the glass and eyed it like a kid in a candy shop. Knives weren't my style, but I might change my tune with a weapon like that.

"Start talking," Titan ordered.

I'll be back for you later, baby. Ipromised the tanto blade.

One of the three chairs now had Anton strapped down to it. His wrist and ankles were secured with a zip tie on each limb. Anton's shoulders were rolled back at a painful angle. The right side of his face already showed signs of bruising, and a small lump was forming just above his temple.

"Remind you of anything, Kukla?" Anton taunted, but then he addressed Titan, "Has she broke? Confessed what they did to her in that prison?"

Anton looked at me, "It wasn't my doing. I break my dolls differently, but—" Titan punched him in the jaw. One, two, three times. He swung back for a fourth hit, but Dash grabbed his arm,

"He wants you to kill him, so he doesn't have to talk." Dash hissed as he shoved Titan back, "Get it the fuck together." He ordered his cousin. Titan's shoulders heaved with heavy exhales of anguish and fury.

"You're going to be so wonderful, Kukla, now that you have found your match." Anton continued. Dash stepped between Anton and me. For the first time, Dash was not only blocking me but trying to protect me.

I was good at pushing my emotions away. I had dug a trench so deep in my mind that I shoved them all into it and slipped on my mask.

We can talk about it later,Ghost added with sympathy.

I don't want to talk about it.I sneered.

I didn't want to relive my past. I needed to forge forward with my future.

Anton cursed and spat a mouth full of blood onto the concrete floor. "Your father would be proud to know you mourn him." Anton laughed as he twisted his head to look at Titan. "He thought you'd be happy, but I can see he was wrong."

Dash interjected now. He pulled out a knife I didn't notice was hidden under the belt of his cargo pants and stabbed Anton in the right leg.

"You see," Dash laughed, then he nudged the knife to the right, keeping the blade buried inside Anton's thigh, "Two inches to the right, and I'd cut your artery. It would be over far too fast." Dash dragged the knife painfully down, cutting deep. Anton couldn't hide the pain then as he thrashed and yelled.

"I'm on your fucking side!" Anton growled when Dash stopped his cutting.

I stepped closer till the tip of my Prada boots nudged his shoe, which was now coated in blood. I watched as the dark red blood started to cover his right leg, and then well…I slipped into an old nightmare.

"Is it warm or cold?" I asked as I fought too hard to wrangle the demons I casted down in the trenches of my mind. I ran my finger along his fresh cut. The blood ran hot under my fingers. "It was always so cold there." I pushed my finger into his wound. "Until it wasn't." Until the water boiled and blistered my skin for the guard's amusement.

"I didn't know about that, Kukla," Anton whispered. Knowing where my demons tried to take me.

"But you didn't stop it." I dug my finger deeper into his stab wound.

"Nova," Titan said, his voice gentle. It was clear I was not here. A demon fought to possess me. This is what Titan wanted, wasn't it? To see behind my mask. Would it be too dark even for him? "A lot of the guards in prison had particular desires they acted out."

"No one was meant to touch you unless I approved it," Anton confessed.

I tipped my head back and laughed. "Not everything was under your control."

"What is she talking about?" Titan asked. His voice is full of concern.

"I took care of him myself," Anton grunted as I pulled my finger out from his stab wound.

I cocked my head to the side, "Where's the fun in that for me?"

"You're stronger because of it."

That wasn't true. I still don't take hot showers to this day. Unlike the other girls, who this guard could touch, I was off limits but not in every way. He found a different way to torture me.

Fight it, Nova, Ghost urged.

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