Page 23 of Adored By Them
I shove down my revulsion—the blade slashes against his neck, catching on his skin.Blood sprays over his neck, his shirt, my arm and dress.
Uriel’s face registers an actual emotion—surprise.
But he isn’t dead.I need to cut him again—I can’t leave this to chance.
I pull back the knife to prepare for another attack, but he throws out his hand, knocking my arm aside.I lose my grip on the knife.It clatters to the concrete floor and bounces somewhere under the desk.
Uriel moans, falling to his knees.He grips the side of his neck, covering the wound.Blood spills out from between his fingers.His blank, blue eyes are wide in horror as he gasps and gargles for help.
No time to find the knife and stab him again.There’s so much blood—he can’t survive this.
It takes me too long, but finally, I pull my gaze from his and run from the room.
9
Danica
The space beyond the office is shrouded in shadows.To my immediate right is the tiny bathroom Uriel had me use.Beyond is the great, big warehouse.Small windows very high on the walls allow in a tiny bit of light.I can make out large shapes—trucks or machinery, maybe some crates.Nobody rushes out to stop me, so I hurry forward.The floor is cool against my bare feet, chilling me all the way through.
I wish I had the utility knife, but no going back for it now.
Except—Kellen.Shit.I should’ve checked his pulse.What if he’s alive in there, stuck with Uriel?
Except Uriel is dead—or nearly dead.He has to be.
But if he isn’t, and if Kellen is alive…I would be an absolute asshole to leave him behind.
Putting off the decision for now, I take another look at my surroundings.There are large, garage-style doors that probably need a button or lever to open.I have zero hope of finding that in this dark room.Next to one of them is a smaller door.I’ll try that.
But…Kellen.
He risked his life—maybe lost it—to help me escape.
I can’t leave without at least making sure.
Hesitating is stupid.I should leave, get out of here while I can.Iknowthis.But could I live with myself if I escape without checking?
No, I couldn’t.I would want Kellen to check on me.I kept telling him there’s always hope, he shouldn’t resign himself to death.And here I am, running away without even making sure?I can’t do this to him.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
I turn around.Keeping low and sticking to the shadows, I creep back toward the office.
The door is half-closed.Light spills from the room at a slant, making a trapezoid of dull yellow on the warehouse floor in front of it.
Slowly, with my head down, I peer around the doorframe.
A large figure grabs me by the shoulders before I even see him.Uriel.I scream as he swings me back into the office.I slam against the side of the desk.More of his stupid religious icons clatter as they fall over.A painted saint, a carved Egyptian god with a dog face, all those fucking candles.
Pain blooms over my hip where I hit the desk.
“Slicing my neck wasn’t very nice.”Uriel’s voice is a hiss.“But it wasn’t very effective, either.If you’re going to kill me, you’d best do it right the first time.”
He keeps me pinned, the weight of his torso holding me in place.Blood drips onto the desk past my head, falling from his neck.I jab back with my elbow.He grunts, but doesn’t budge.
The Egyptian god statue is just within my reach.I stretch out, grasp it, and swing it back over my head.I feel the impact all the way up my arm—I hit him hard.
Uriel groans and his grip loosens.But he doesn’t let me go.I elbow him again and swing the statue.I refuse to die here.I won’t let him put me in that chair again.No more ropes, no more being trapped.I’m fucking done.
