Page 137 of Darling Wildfire
“See, you still have that look,” Vetticus said, waving his knife in the air. “So angry. You just don’t get it. I can do whatever I want to you.”
Lashing out, Vetticus slammed his fist into North’s jaw, sending him crashing into the dirt. He struggled to get to his knees but Vetticus came and kicked him down, landing several kicks to his ribs and legs. When he stepped back, North tried to rise again.
“You don’t know when to stay down,” Vetticus scoffed. “Like a stupid animal who continues to bite the hand that feeds him.”
Vetticus grabbed North’s hair and shoved him face down into the dirt, kneeling near his face.
“How does it feel knowing you still can’t save your daughter?” He jeered.
Emersyn was sobbing now, her small shoulders shaking. She looked barely a teenager—twelve or thirteen—but it was hard to tell with all the dirt and grime on her.
North submitted. I watched his body go limp and the defiance sputtered and died. Vetticus felt it too and stood up. He went back over to Emersyn and taking her by the arm, threw her towards North.
North didn’t hesitate but launched himself towards her. They collided, scrambling into each other’s arms, both shaking. My heart lodged in my throat and my cheeks were wet. This was torture in itself—brutal and cruel.
North was murmuring to Emersyn who’d buried her face in North’s shoulder, her arms tightly wrapped around his neck. He was clutching her to him, frantically trying to hug her and make sure she was okay all at the same time.
Vetticus let it go on for a moment before he walked over and threw his knife in the dirt near North. The sound of a gun being drawn brought North’s attention back to Vetticus. There wasn’t rage and defiance in his eyes anymore. They were dark, vacant and despondent.
“Pick up the knife,” Vetticus said.
When North didn’t move, he grabbed Emersyn by the hair.
She shrieked as he pulled her away from North who tried to keep a hold of her. Vetticus shoved her to her knees and pressed his gun to her head.
“Pick up the knife!” Vetticus barked again.
North picked up the knife, his hand visibly shaking.
“I knew hurting you wouldn’t work—hurting your team might work fora bit but in the end, that didn’tquitedo the trick either. You need to really learn who’s in charge,” Vetticus said. “You are going to cut her…right here—” Vetticus drew a line from above Emersyn’s eyebrow, down crossing her eye, down her cheek to her jaw, just missing the corner of her mouth. “—on the face—withthatknife.”
North’s face warped into a look of horror, then violence. “No, no—don’t look at me like that or I’ll make you cut off her hand.”
North trembled, his jaw clenching and unclenching in an effort to neutralize his features.
“What are you waiting for?” Vetticus said. “If you don’t do it, I’ll kill all your men before doing something even worse to your daughter…then I’ll kill her too.”
Vetticus shoved Emersyn back to North. He brushed her hair behind her ear, searching her face and trying to keep his emotions at bay. His eyes were full of tears that hadn’t fallen yet as he fought to keep his composure. Vetticus stepped to the side, gun pressed against Emersyn’s head.
“Do you need a countdown?” Vetticus mocked.
I couldn’t breathe, muttering curses with what little breath I could manage. I felt so damn helpless. I couldn’t save anyone. Atlas was in bad shape, Preacher was passed out from the pain of losing his eye and I still couldn’t wrap my mind around the fact I was one less finger than before. My mind balked at the thought but focusing on reality was not any better.
67
THERON
I looked up at Vetticus. “Please…” I whispered brokenly. I was so far gone, I didn’t even care about the look of triumph that crossed his face or the smug lift of his lips.
“I love it when you beg,” he chuckled.
My hand trembled. I didn’t know what to do. For once I was lost. My team lay broken and bleeding around me. My daughter was in danger by my own hand with a gun to her head and the only way I could save her was by hurting her.
“Three…” Vetticus’ voice broke through my thoughts and panic gripped me as he started the countdown.
“No…” I protested.
My hand curled around the back of Emersyn’s neck, pulling us closer.
