Page 80 of Embracing the Dark Side

The condescending tone only pissed Vincent off. "Fuck you."

Adrik smirked. He enjoyed the man's rage. So many hours Adrik had been forced to feel just as helpless and now it was evening out. It made suffering worth it.

Adrik brought the edge of the knife to Vincent’s cheek. He looked down at Jolie’s scar, and with the right angel, dug it into the man’s skin, copying the same design. Jolie groaned, trying to turn her eyes away but Vincent was looking at her, finding solace in her. She wanted to scream at him. Had any of this been worth it? Why hadn’t he just left it alone?

Adrik dragged the bloody tip down to Vincent’s lips. “What about here?”

The memory was vivid, the moment Vincent kissed her. The horror had amplified when Jolie realized what he was capable of. Every moment after she had sat in her bed, clutching a knife, terrified he would come to rape her. He had woken a side of her that she didn’t know she possessed. Vincent brought out the survival part of her that would set the world on fire to keep herself and Helina safe.

At the time, she had thought of hurting him.

Now, the thoughts clashed. Jolie wanted to give back all the fear Vincent caused and simultaneously forgive him.

Adrik took her hesitation for what it was. He twisted the knife between their fingers and dug between Vincent’s lips, then pulled. The skin tugged, and he forced it through, tearing it like a rubber band. Vincent screamed as it ripped apart. Blood poured out of his mouth and formed a river down his chin.

Jolie had never seen such a thing. His pain was so different from her dreams. In her mind, violent movies were the only images she had. But to see it, to feel it, to hear the tear and the scream—it was beyond all horror.

Jolie closed her eyes and laid her head back on Adrik’s shoulder. Tears kept dripping down her face. Did she lethis words sink into her, or did she excuse this horrible moment, justify Adrik’s actions, and tell herself he’s not the monster he’s trying to be?

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Please, Adrik. Please.”

“Anywhere else?”

“No.” She rapidly shook her head, desperate for this to end.

“Are you satisfied with his punishment?”

She nodded, her whole body shaking with it.

“I’m not.” Adrik took the knife out of her hand and slammed it into Vincent’s shoulder. A sharp yell echoed through the cold torture room, and Jolie flinched, falling out of Adrik’s arms. She fell to the ground and landed on the frozen floor. Beneath her hands was a dirty, nearly black mark on the ground, like spray paint. Her fingers shifted away from it when she realized it was dried blood.

She looked all around. The darkness was creeping in. The shadows were moving toward her, reaching out with bony fingers. Hell was coming for her. This was a hole in the world where demons lived.

Jolie jumped to her feet and ran.

Chapter thirty-nine

Downfall

Jolie stumbled through the house, unsure where she was or how to get out. There were so many rooms and so many hallways, like a labyrinth. It was the seven layers of Hell, and there was no escape. But she knew he’d be coming, the king of this dark world, and she forced herself onward. A light from a stairway gave her hope, and she ran up, latching onto the knob, thanking God for saving her.

But it was locked.

Jolie’s eyes widened. She was being denied heaven. God was turning his back. She had sunk too far to be forgiven. She was too stained to be cleaned. Jolie banged on it, begging, screaming, crying.

And then it fell open, and she fell into the light.

Tatianna stared down at her. “Sweetheart? Are you okay?” She reached for the girl, helping Jolie to her feet. Tatianna held her face, the look of pure terror etched on the poor girl’s features. “What were you doing down there? You shouldn’t explore this place.”

Jolie felt warmth after so much coldness, and it would have broken her if she wasn’t sure Adrik was coming. She pushed Tatianna and staggered down the hall. She was exhausted from the level of fear. Her limbs were numb,her mind in pieces. But she got to her room and slammed her back against the door. The betrayal was more than she could bear. Adrik took her innocence in his tattooed hands and squashed her. Her stomach ached. Her heart broke.

Tae-Tae meowed at her feet. It snapped her into survival mode. She had to get out and get as far from here as possible. She grabbed a box from the closet, dumping its random contents and snatching her shirts from the hangers. She darted all around the room, gathering the most important items to her. The frame of her parents and her at Disney, her graduation stuffed dog, and her toiletries. But in the middle of it, she stopped. None of it meant anything.

Tatianna poked her head in. “Honey, are you alright?”

Jolie’s voice wasn’t broken anymore. In survival mode, anger took over. “Ask your son,” she bit, putting the box on the bed. It was there she noticed a splash of blood had gotten on her skin. Panic made her dive for the bathroom, and she grabbed a washcloth, stuck her hands under the faucet, and scrubbed. Vincent’s face was in front of her, the blood pouring down from the cut she had inflicted.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Adrik’s voice boomed into the room.

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