Page 50 of The Library

He leans in, his grin growing wider. “Well, shit, I hope you left something of her. You’ve got that look in your eye. Ya know, the one that says you probably made her cry and loved every fucking second of it.”

I shake my head, walking past him toward the warehouse. “Focus, Ty,” I mutter, but there’s no heat in my voice. It’s just how he is. He jokes around, fucks off most of the time.

Ty follows, still grinning. “Man, if this is the mood you’re in after a good fuck, I might just keep you supplied with women for the rest of your damn life. Shit, maybe I should check on her, make sure she’s still breathing after you’re done with her.”

I give him a sideways glance, the smirk still playing on my lips. “You wouldn’t survive her.”

He lets out a bark of laughter, “Oh, I don’t doubt that. You’ve got a way of breaking people, brother. And I like to partially leave ‘em in one piece.”

Ty’s never serious unless he has to be, but that’s part of why I love him. Even in killing, he’s got that same fucked-up sense of humor. But no matter how much he jokes, he always gets the job done. He’s the only one I’d want by my side in this life, especially tonight. Hell, in some ways, Ty’s even more fucked up than I am. He loves to draw out the torture, to really make the bastards feel it. There’s this sick satisfaction in him, a twisted joy as he smiles and talks shit while he’s ripping someone apart, making their suffering even worse with his words, like he’s getting off on their pain.

I’ve watched him work before, dragging it out, making sure every second feels like a lifetime for the poor fucker tied up in front of him. Sometimes, I think he enjoys the build-up more than the actual kill itself, loves watching them break piece by piece, terror seeping into their bones while he smiles, laughs, and mocks them.

It’s dark, darker than most people can handle, but Ty? He thrives in it. It’s what makes him perfect for this life.

We step inside, and all humor fades from Ty’s face as he eyes the poor bastard tied up in the middle of the room. He cracks his knuckles, his eyes lighting up with that glint of sadistic glee.“Looks like we’ve got work to do,” he says, voice low, almost a growl.

“Yeah,” I mutter, pulling out my blade. “Let’s get to it.”

But even as I step forward to handle business, my mind flickers back to Lilith. Ty’s right, of course. I wrecked her, and I’ll do it again.

The thought of her, the way her body bends to my will, makes me pause. I pull out my cell phone, unable to stop myself from sending her a quick text before we deal with tonight’s business.

Two days. Be ready.

I hit send, pocketing the phone as I turn back to Ty. I can already picture her staring at the screen, that mix of excitement and dread flooding her system. It’s the same feeling I get when I think about her—an addictive pull that’s impossible to shake. But right now, there’s work to do, and as much as I want her, this bastard has to be taken care of first.

I gave her two days for a reason. I know how long this is going to take—how Ty likes to stretch it out, play with his food before finally finishing them off. It’s always the same. He enjoys the slow burn of it, loves dragging out the suffering until the poor fuck is begging for death. I know I’ll be here for a while, stuck in this blood-soaked room with Ty’s fucked-up grin, so two days was a safe bet.

“Better get comfortable,” I mutter, glancing over at the guy strapped to the chair, his eyes wide with fear. “This is gonna take some time.”

Ty flashes me a grin, cracking his knuckles. “Oh, we’re just getting started.”

One more job. Then I’ll have her all to myself.

It’s simple. Direct. She’ll understand. I’ve been away, and now it’s time to finish what we started.

As I collapse into bed, I think about her—about the way her body trembles under my touch, the way she moans my name likeI’m the only god she’ll ever worship. It’s intoxicating, the power I have over her. And soon, she’ll understand just how deep that power runs.

The Society, the blood, the bodies—it’s all part of who I am. And now, it’s part of her too.

It took a day and a half of Ty torturing that poor bastard before I finally pulled the trigger, putting a fucking bullet through his head. Putting him out of his misery. And if I’m honest, putting myself out of it too. Ty, as usual, was dragging it out, loving every second of it. The sick fuck could go on forever with that shit, smiling while he ripped the guy apart, making it as drawn-out as possible.

As I holster my gun, Ty wipes the blood off his hands, grinning like a kid in a candy store. “What the fuck, man? We were just starting to have some fun,” he says, looking at me like I’ve ruined his day.

I shake my head, smirking. “You’re a sick fuck,” I tell him, already half thinking about getting back to Lilith.

Ty just laughs, slapping me on the back. “Yeah, well, you love me for it.”

He’s not wrong. But right now, my mind’s already with her, back in my bed. We ride out of the warehouse, the roar of our bikes tearing through the night as we head our separate ways, my thoughts consumed by her.

Lilith. Soon, she’ll know everything. And when she does, she won’t be able to escape.

Lilith

Iglance at my phone again, hoping for something, anything, to explain the silence. It’s been two days since I sent that message, the one where I told him we seriously needed to talk. No games, no teasing—just answers. But nothing. Nothing except fortwo days. Be ready, which he sent a few hours later, like it was all part of some twisted plan I’m still too blind to see.

My mind keeps running wild, jumping to conclusions that make me anxious, angry, and desperate all at once. I’m tired of this. Tired of the way he can control me even when he’s not here. It’s like he enjoys watching me unravel from a distance, keeping me on edge, giving me just enough to keep me wanting more.

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