Page 12 of Darkness Falls

A tear slips down my cheek as my mother’s screams begin to fill the room. He wasn't gentle with her. The image of her on the screen shows bandages around her chest in the first clip. This must be right after she was shot. He brings the hot metal down onto her skin over and over, not caring that her body is still healing from trauma. It's sickening, and my stomach twists in disgust.

"Keep your eyes on the screen, Callie."

"How could you do this to her? She's your wife."

"I told you there are consequences to those who go against me. You should remember that. You will marry Damien this time, and there will be no further issues, or things will get much worse for you."

My mother’s screams fill the room again, and the tears flow down my face.

"Your emotions will give your enemies power over you. I'm doing this for your benefit," my father tells me, and I know the sick bastard really thinks that making me watch this will benefit me.

"I won't marry him," I grind out.

"You will do what you'retold, Callie." He steps in front of the screen so that my gaze is focused on him.

"That’s what you always wanted from me, wasn't it? To do as I'm told with no question?"

"So many lives have been unnecessarily altered because of you." He presses a button, and the screen changes to a picture of Maxton.

He's not going to pin his death on me. I meet his stare in defiance. "Their lives were altered because of YOU, not me."

"You set all of this in motion, you stupid girl. All you had to do was be good and marry Damien when you turned eighteen like I asked you to, but you've fought me every step of the way."

"You could have just let me be happy with Maxton."

Loud laughter fills the room, and a smile spreads across his face. "That boy was destined to die the moment you tied yourself to him. You knew then, just as you know now, what is expected of you. How many more people need to die in order for you to serve your purpose? You should be thanking me for the life I’ve offered you."

I'm disgusted by his words and refuse to give him the satisfaction of any further response from me. My jaw snaps shut, and I stare up at him for a few minutes before he steps out of the way and starts the video again. I'm not sure how long I sit here listening and watching my mother cry out in pain.

By the time he clicks the screen off, I have the entirety of it seared into my brain. The way her body lifted off the chair when the hot metal pierced her skin, she must have been hurting so much. The furrow between hereyes as she cried out made my heart ache for her. The tears that slid down her face when she begged him to stop made me wish I could take her place.

He frees my hands, head, and feet before instructing me to go back upstairs to my room and get ready for dinner. I'm numb, and even though all I want to do is crawl back into the tub and dissociate from the world, I have to get dressed and ready. When I'm late for dinner, he takes it out on my mother, and after seeing what I was forced to watch, it's clear she's already suffered enough at my expense.

I'm only in my room for a few minutes before the door bursts open, and I hear Damien yelling again. Everyone is always yelling at me.

"Callie, is there a reason you're not dressed and sitting on this bed waiting for me to take you downstairs? Your father was kind enough to throw us a small get-together. Let's go."

I say nothing as I continue putting on my makeup. I have to be sure to paint the perfect face.

"I said, let's go!" Damien yells from the doorway.

When I still don't respond, he stomps into the bathroom and grabs me violently by my shoulders, digging his fingers into my skin.

"You will answer me when I speak to you." He shakes me, and I narrow my eyes at him.

SLAP.A calloused hand meets the side of my face, causing instant pain. This motherfucker has the audacity to put his hands on me. I'm pissed.

"Fucking hit me again, Damien, and see what happens!" I push against his chest to try and get some much-needed distance from him, but he grabs my wrists and pulls me closer.

"I love it when you fight me," he whispers in my ear, and my stomach turns. "Your father's training is making you so much more docile. While I do enjoy an obedient bitch, I would much rather break you myself. Now, finish up so we can go."

When he leaves me in the bathroom, I turn and stare at myself in the mirror, wondering how I will ever survive this life. I have to find a way out or die trying.

Chapter 6

Barrett

Two months. It's been two fucking months since Kyler got shot. Two months of Callie being stuck with her father, thinking we've abandoned her. To top it off, we've had to listen to Kyler bitch nonstop about the fact that she still isn't home yet. Like we don’t already know.

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