Page 27 of Be My Sacrifice

“I understand, Dinah. I can only imagine the pain that must fill your heart, at knowing the three of them are still prisoners of the Brotherhood.” I take a step closer to her, schooling my features. “It must be devastating to know that they are being beaten and tortured, and may be close to death.”Steady now, Sarah, don’t push her too hard, we are so close now.

Dinah drags her hands down her face. I can see the pain that my words have caused her, the images that must be playing out inside of her head. “Do you have any news, Sarah? Is your contact, who is close to the Holy Father, still refusing to meet with me?”

“I’m sorry, Dinah. He says that he must be careful and that you have not proven yourself yet. I understand the frustration and pain that causes you. I, however, cannot break his confidence, not even for you, my shared daughter.” I use the nickname from her childhood, knowing that it makes her feel special, and she is. Not only as a daughter I once wanted, but as the beacon of hope that she has become to me and our distraught world.

I sigh deeply, reaching forward and grasping her shoulder tightly before pulling her into my arms. I hold her tight, giving her what she needs most right now, a mother’s touch to soothe her, before pulling away and staring into her deep gray eyes with those blue chips of ice in their depths. The same eyes her mother Maria had, the ones that I watched slowly diminish of light at the hands of her power-hungry husband, and the Order that he served before repenting.

“You must be strong, Dinah. I… I have had news from the capital. It seems that Noah is getting ready to… force Ezekiel into another marriage, the minute the mourning period has ended. That will mean… that Sammy will not live long, Dinah. Too many eyes are on them now, and with the Holy Father already suspicious, Noah is trying to grasp as much power as possible, to dethrone him as supreme leader of the Brotherhood.”

“Jesus fucking Christ! That man is a menace. He will never stop, will he? He will never stop trying to amass power regardless of the cost.” She rips out of my hold, agitation and fury across her features as she begins to pace back and forth in front of me.

“I’m so sorry, Dinah! He truly is a villain who must be stopped. He is a threat to all of their lives and ours.” I force a tear to slide down my cheek, letting her see the pain that, too, resides in my weary soul. The scars which have hardened over the years to become a thick skin that I now wear like battle armor to protect myself. I will never allow myself to be a victim again. The rebels have given me the ability to fight back against my oppressors, and this girl will be my weapon.

“What are we going to do, Sarah? I need to stop him. I need to protect them from Noah and the Brotherhood. How do I do that? How do I save them?” Her trusting eyes meet mine, and the guilt rises once again within me, but I push it aside. This has to be done, and I can grieve later for the remainder of my lost soul.

“The only way to stop them, or at least give them pause, is if a high-ranking Brotherhood member was to be murdered. It would have to be someone close to Noah Rothesay. Someone who would cause him to pause before murdering Ezekiel and Sammy.” I take a deep breath, knowing there is no turning back now.God forgive me for what I am about to do.

“You would need someone who causes him to truly fear for his own safety. Someone protected behind the walls of the Order, who still manages to end up dead. Dinah, you would need to kill Peter Mercier, my husband, in his own home, and leave a message letting them know you are coming for them.”

Her eyes widen dramatically at my words. Whatever she thought I was going to say, she never anticipated those would be the words I would utter, and yet there are no lies amongst them. If she genuinely wants to save her men, she must kill more than just Peter. TheUnholy Ghostwill have to go on another killing spree, except this time, it will have help from the rebels. I will make damn sure of it. A cleansing is coming to the Brotherhood in the form of fire and blood.

“Sarah… I… are you sure?” I can see the concern in her eyes and the pity she feels for me. If I was a better person, I would take back my words. I would tell her that we will find another way forward to save the men she obviously cares for, but I’m not. All the goodness in me has been bled out, and this is what is left. A woman with nothing left to lose, whose soul she has already promised to the devil in order to receive her vengeance.

“His death will not hurt me or Abraham, Dinah. We are long past being the two people who once loved each other. The years have not been kind. Peter is as much a monster as Noah is, and always will be. This is the only way that you will save your men, while also keeping Abraham safe from the Order. You must kill Peter Mercier, and make it known that you will continue to kill high-ranking Brotherhood men until they release Sammy and Ezekiel, and give you back your nephew.”

“You will have to remind them that you are the boogeyman of the Order, and that none of them are truly safe, regardless of if they hide behind their thick walls.”

“You just signed Peter’s death certificate, Sarah.”

“I know.”

Chapter eighteen

The Sinner

Dinah

Aswarmofnervesassails me as I leave the hidden passage in Sarah and Peter’s lavish home. The large wooden bookcase opens without a sound as I fearfully hold my breath. I can hear the soft footsteps of Abe and two of the rebels behind me, and I pray that the remainder of the rebel soldiers that came with us are now in place, being led by Sarah herself, to gain control of the house quickly and quietly, without anyone being able to raise the alarm.Here goes fucking nothing. I hope we are all alive at the end of the night.

From the shadows, I watch as Peter forces a young, naked, trembling maid down to her knees in the middle of his extravagant, masculine den. Tears pour down her battered and bloody face while he cackles like a psychopath, as he shoves his cock deep into her mouth and chokes her airway. His demanding and brutal grasp on her neck and hair force her to have to accept his punishing thrusts, while she tries desperately to dislodge his hold with no success.

Expensive liquor bottles sprawl along the floor, spilling their contents on the opulent wool area rugs. Next to them, a silver tray is upended with half-consumed food, and a white powder substance covers the ornate wood coffee table, with a clear tube discarded and forgotten. Disgust fills me at the state of the room, but rage scorches through me as I glare at the male inhabitants—abusers. Vile creatures.

Another man sits in one of the plush hunter-green wing chairs, watching the exchange between Peter and the woman. He has a crystal glass of amber liquid in his hand, and his eyes are trained on the woman’s heaving chest. He’s younger than Peter, closer to Abe and Zeke’s age, perhaps another member’s son but no less cruel, as he uses his booted foot to kick the maid in the middle of her back, forcing her to stumble forward and impale herself on Peter’s cock.Motherfucker.

I grip the gun with its silencer tight in my hand. These two assholes are going to die, but before they do, that young woman is going to get to watch them plead for mercy and her forgiveness, I fucking swear it.

At a small touch from Abe, signaling that the rest of the house is now under our control, I move forward and out of the shadows, stalking silently behind the sofa as I come upon the other male and place the suppressor firmly against the back of his scalp. He freezes, his foot still in midair, about to attempt another kick in the maid’s direction.

“If you finish that motion, I will shoot off your kneecaps one by one, fucker,” I breathe through my mask, lowering my head to whisper in his ear.

A hitched breath meets my warning, as his body becomes rigid and perfectly still, but the other two room inhabitants are still oblivious to my presence. That’s good. It will make it so much sweeter when I see the fear in Peter’s eyes when he glances at me.

“Fucking Christ,” I hear Abe mumble behind me as he gets his first look at the room and his father’s actions. There is no presence of God here; if there were, he would have smited these two fuckers, and dragged them off to hell long ago for their sins.

No, this world has been long abandoned by any holy being who could help. No angels are about to descend and save the faithful, or those who suffer. The only one here to provide justice is me, and I intend to be the angel of death amongst them.

Peter finally looks up from his horrific actions and stops mid-motion, his mouth opening wide but no words escaping, as shock crosses his features. I know what he sees: four bodies completely covered from head to toe in black clothing, except for our devil masks, which are painted in blood red. What a frightening sight we must be. He stumbles back, trying desperately to dislodge his hold on the woman, as her scream of pain rips through the air as he tears more strands of her hair out.

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