Page 50 of Monstrous Grave

It’s tragically beautiful in its own macabre way, with two men hanging from the ceiling, their muffled cries slicing through the air like haunting music. I never imagined finding pleasure in their agony, nor did I foresee stepping foot inside the García mansion. Now, it’s my stage for revenge.

Despite my attempts to fit into the Valenti organization, I never truly was one of them, was I?

A deep sigh of irritation follows as I suppress the feeling of self-pity, allowing a festering rage to take its hold, burning and brimming with the need for an outlet.

With my wounds throbbing and days of torture weighing on me, I press on, fueled by determination. Viper promised me a gift, and this is where he brought me after we left the Grimaldi mansion.

“They’re my gift to you, devil.”

Viper was right. As soon as I descended into the basement, the stench of urine, sweat, and blood assaulted me—fear and suffering. Now, with the knife in hand and Viper pressed taut against my back, I stand ready to exact the revenge that’s rightfully mine.

With icy resolve, I step forward, confronting Benjamin Valenti. Seeing him vulnerable is oddly refreshing, a testament to Viper’s effort to ensure his and his son’s capture, gifting me their lives.

Viper is shirtless behind me, his mouth peppering kisses along my neck, nibbling my lobe.

“Do whatever you wish with them,” he whispers, his words laden with sensuality.

As his hands skate lower, from my shoulder to my breasts, playing with the straps of my bra underneath the T-shirt, I attempt to resist the intoxicating touch, but in truth, I’m nervous to face the Valentis after what has transpired.

I let Viper’s hands glide off my body and strike Benjamin’s cheek, leaving a red mark. He stirs awake with swollen eyes—courtesy of Viper—and directs a sneer of disdain toward me. I tear away the fabric gagging both him and Alec, meant to silence them.

“Fuck you,” he spits out, snot running down his nose.

Rage surges through me at his audacity to insult me, when I hold the upper hand for once.

“That wasn’t very nice,” I remark with a smile, taunting him, just before plunging the blade into Benjamin’s thigh.

It sinks into his flesh with a sickening squelch, causing him to scream out in agony, louder this time with the gag gone. Oh, it feels euphoric to inflict pain, remembering all the times he looked down on me.

“You’re pathetic,” I sneer at him, noticing the sweat clinging to his forehead, his face dirty and swollen.

Viper’s touch traces over my figure from behind, sending shivers cascading across my fragile skin. I lean into his touch. His roughened fingertips explore my chest, grazing beneath the T-shirt he loaned me, then finding my nipples with purpose.

I can’t help but enjoy it, allowing it to become my anchor of safety while reveling in the comfort.

“They can look all they want, but as long as they so much as see you, they’re as good as dead.” Viper whispers the words like a teasing caress.

The two Valentis won’t live to see another day. Their fate was sealed the moment they laid eyes on me while Viper’s touch lingered on me.

“A-Arcane, please don’t do this. We’re f-family,” Alec stutters, eyes wide and face pale. He looks far from the composed man I’ve known him to be.

“Alec, shut the fuck up,” his father snaps, and I tsk at them both.

“Family?” I scoff. “Apparently, we never were family. You betrayed me. Why?”

The question isn’t one from a place of emotion or sorrow, it’s fueled purely by curiosity and the need to understand why it was so important to ruin our friendship.

A look of regret flashes across his eyes, yet I remain unaffected. He betrayed me. He knew about all the anxiety I felt growing up because I confided in him. We were supposed to be best friends, but he never once stood up for me when the men around us disregarded me for simply being a woman.

As Viper kneads my nipples, a gasp escapes my throat. His hand trails lower, the feeling intoxicating and unforgettable. It descends until his finger skims the edge of my underwear.

“You’re right. You never were a part of our family.” Benjamin Valenti spits on the floor before me. I turn to him, fists clenched, annoyance etched across my face. “It was so easy to trick you into believing you were one of us.”

I twist the knife still lodged in his thigh, relishing the agony flickering in his face, though he tries to conceal it. Even though I have demanded answers for their betrayal, I already know the truth from Peter Grimaldi. “It’s the Grimaldis, isn’t it?”

An amused glint replaces the agony, and Benjamin flashes a crooked grin. “Yes. And soon our allies will be here, ruining everything you think you’ve accomplished.”

He casts an unreadable expression toward Viper, and I follow his gaze, seeing Viper before me with a predatory gleam in his eyes. Satisfaction is palpable in the air when his touch slips underneath my panties. I can’t help but clench my thighs, all the while maintaining eye contact with Benjamin.

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