Page 25 of Darkness Falls

I nod, offering Soren a soft smile, keeping up the pretense of a casual and friendly conversation, but on the inside, I want to panic. "Okay, I'll be ready for you to get me out tomorrow then."

Soren gives me onelast glance before shaking my hand and walking away. He pushes through the crowd to find someone else to talk to. My eyes fall to the floor in front of me. This better not go wrong. Damien was never supposed to have a chance to be alone with me. It's bad enough that he is technically my husband.

I lift my head to see him walking over to me, and I try to keep a blank face. He doesn't get to know I'm struggling. It's killing me inside, but I have to act like everything is fine.

"Ah, my beautiful wife. It's time for us to retire for the evening, don't you think?"

I look up to see his hand extended. When I don't take it, he grabs my wrist anyway. With a smile, he pulls me out of my seat and into him. Pain shoots through my stomach in the burned area. The skin has started to heal nicely, but the area is still sore when pressure is applied to it. I try to pull back from him, but his fingers dig into the soft flesh of my wrist.

"Damien, that hurts."

"This is going to be the least painful part of the rest of your night." He winks like it's some sort of fucking joke. I have to resist throwing up the bile churning in my stomach.

I don’t get the chance to say anything else. The next thing I know, I’m thrown over his shoulder as he walks out of the building. Once outside, he sets me down and grabs my wrist again to take me toward the house. I don’t even put up a fight. He pushes me inside, and I take a moment to glance around. Thesetup appears similar to my father’s house. The only difference is there isn’t much decor. It feels old and lonely.

Before I can register what's happening, Damien spins me around and shoves my chest up against the front door. He rips open the entire back of my dress, and I feel the cool air hit my skin.

He closes in on me, pressing his stomach to my back as he leans down to whisper. "Go upstairs to the first door on the left and get naked. I want you on your knees waiting for me when I get up there."

"I won't." I push back and spin around to face him. I don’t like him being this close to me.

"You will. You told me before that you wanted me to be rough with you, didn't you? That’s what you wanted when I was playing the part of Julian. You wanted me to take control of you, tie you up, and use you. You asked for this." He narrows his eyes.

"I thought you were someone else. That was before I learned who you really are. I don't want you like that anymore. I don't even want you touching me."

He grips my hair, pulling my head to the side. "You will do what I tell you to, or I’ll make you do it."

"I'm not doing a fucking thing." I try to push against his chest to get free of him, but I'm not strong enough.

"You will do it willingly, or there will be consequences. What do you think Avery is up to tonight? Does your father know you told her about Rogue?" My eyes go wide. He knows he struck a nerve by bringing her upagain. "I know you told her, and you know what happens to non-members who find out about Rogue's existence?"

He smirks knowing he has complete control of me. I shouldn’t have put Avery's life at risk like that by telling her about Rogue. My head hangs low, and I give him a defeated nod. I won't say the words, but he knows I’ll do whatever he demands. I won't let anyone else get hurt because of me.

"Good, go upstairs and do what I told you to do."

I take the steps one at a time, trying to figure out if there's any way I can get out of what's about to happen. If I do anything, it could end badly for Avery. I know Damien will follow through with his threat. The only reason he hasn't done so already is because he knows it’s the perfect leverage over me.

I think of Barrett and Kyler when I walk into the bedroom and strip, tossing my wedding dress over my shoulder. This is a day so many people dream of, and here I am, living a nightmare.

I sink to my knees and place my hands on top of my thighs, letting a tear fall down my cheek before it drips onto my bare chest. The cold, hard floor feels foreign on my knees, and I'm sure I'll have bruises on them in the morning; not like Damien will care.

My heart slams in my chest with every passing moment as I wait for him to bust through the door and take something that will never belong to him. Fear and apprehension have me wanting to curl into a ball in the corner. I remind myself. One night to protect someone I love. I can handle one night.

Evenif the guys don't come for me tomorrow like Soren said they would, I'm getting out of here. I'll escape or die trying. I’ll get my revenge on not only Damien but every single man in this society. They’re all evil.

I stay on the floor with my heart racing for what feels like hours, waiting for him to show up, even though I know it’s only been a few minutes. Finally, I hear the sound of someone coming up the rickety stairs. The rise and fall of my chest intensifies as a shadow appears in the doorway. I keep my gaze on the floor in the submissive position that he said he wanted me in.

"Well, that's disappointing." He sighs.

He steps into the room, stopping in front of me, and I see his boots only a few inches away from my knees. I don't make any effort to move or look up.

He kicks my knee with one of his boots. "Look at me".

Slowly, I lift my head until my eyes meet his. He leans down and tangles his fingers in my hair before wrenching my head back. "What happened to the feisty bitch from earlier, huh?"

My only response is to close my eyes and wait for his next move. He pulls me up and drags me toward the bed, throwing me on the ground beside it. I wince at the pain as my knees connect with the floor again but pull myself right back into the submissive position with my hands on my thighs and my head bowed.

I feel hands on me, but I take my mind somewhere else. I can’t be in this moment, so I focus on counting in my head, one number at a time until I reach two hundred and ninety-five. I focus solelyon the numbers, until I hear a sound that pulls me back to the moment.

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