7. His Sinner
Chapter seven
His Sinner
I sit in the dark, clutching Dominic’s hoodie around me like it’s the only thing anchoring me to this reality. The fabric still smells faintly of him—oil and metal, like his garage, like the life he told me about.
I don’t know him, not really, but somehow, the pain in my chest feels too real, like I’m losing something I can’t replace.
My fingers dig into the worn fabric, my shoulders shaking with sobs that feel endless. I don’t know how much time has passed since they took him. It could’ve been minutes, or hours. The cell is silent, and all I can think about is his face, bruised and broken but still managing to smile; still making those promises I know he had no way of keeping.
They took him.
My tears have long since dried on my cheeks, but the ache lingers, a hollow pain in my chest that refuses to fade. I barely know him, but losing Dominic feels like I’ve lost the only solid thing left in this hell.
I wonder if he’s even still alive.
Somewhere in the distance, a sound cuts through the quiet—a muffled shout, followed by another. I sit up, my heart pounding, ears straining as the noise grows louder, closer.
Gunfire echoes down the hall, a few scattered shots that make my blood run cold. The heavy thud of footsteps draws nearer, and I press myself back, fear latching onto every cell in my body.
The lock clicks.
The door flies open.
And there, covered in blood, wild-eyed and breathing hard, is Dominic. He stumbles into the cell, one hand gripping a ring of keys, the other pressing against his ribs, blood seeping through his shirt.
“Hey,” he says, flashing me a lopsided, blood-smeared grin. “Miss me?”
“Dominic?” I sob as disbelief and relief crashes over me.
“No time for tears, Little Sinner,” he rasps, as he tries different keys in the lock of my cell. “We’re getting out of here.”
He shoves the right key into the lock, twisting it with a grunt. “You can tell me how heroic I am later. Right now, we need to move. Let’s go.”
The door swings open, and he reaches out, grabbing my arm and pulling me up. Then he thrusts a butcher’s knife into my hand—where he got it, I have no idea—and I stare at it, wide-eyed.
“A knife?” I manage to whisper, my voice shaky. “Where did you—?”
“Turns out, these guys aren’t exactly hard to surprise,” he says, pressing a hand to a bloody gash on his shoulder. He holds up a gun, the grip firm in his hand. “Come on. Let’s go before they realize I’m not dead.”
He gives me a quick, serious look. “Just… stick close, and if anyone comes at you, use it. Don’t think. Just swing.”
I nod, my heart pounding as he leads me out of the cell, his hand gripping mine as he pulls me down the hallway. Bodies lie scattered on the floor, the neon mask of one guard crushed beneath his limp arm. Blood pools across the concrete, a sickening, dark trail marking the path Dominic carved to get here.
“Dominic… what did you…” I start to ask, but he cuts me off, a grim smirk on his face.
“Let’s just say I had a little chat with our captors,” he says, his tone sarcastic even as he winces, clutching his injured shoulder. “They’re not great at handling conversations.”
“Remind me to never cross you,” I mutter, half in awe, half terrified as we pass another bloodied figure slumped against the wall.
He glances over his shoulder, grinning through the pain. “Hey, I aim to impress.”
I feel bile rise in my throat, but Dominic’s hand tugs me forward, his voice low and steady.
“Eyes on me, Aria,” he says. “Just keep looking at me. Don’t think about them.”
I nod and we move quickly, his steps unsteady, but he pushes forward, guiding me through the maze of corridors. I hear voices echoing down the halls, sharp commands and frantic shouting, but Dominic doesn’t stop. He keeps going, practically dragging me along with him.
We stumble out, blinking as the sky stretches above us, endless and dark. A dense forest surrounds what looks like a warehouse.
“We’re… we’re in the middle of nowhere,” I breathe, glancing around, the sheer isolation of it hitting me like a punch to the gut. There’s nothing—no buildings, no lights, just trees and darkness as far as I can see.
“Perfect for running,” Dominic mutters, already pulling me forward. “Come on. We don’t have much time.”
We start running, our feet pounding against the forest floor, branches scratching at our skin as we weave through the trees. I can hear Dominic’s labored breathing beside me, each step making him wince, but he doesn’t slow down.
“Where are we even going?” I ask, breathless, adrenaline surging through my veins.
“Anywhere but here,” he replies, his voice strained but determined. “Just keep moving.”
I struggle to keep up with him, my mind spinning, every instinct screaming at me to run, to keep going. But the sound of footsteps behind us are relentless, closing in like shadows. I can hear voices, angry and urgent, and I know they’re coming for us.
We’re almost to a clearing when a loud crack echoes through the trees, and Dominic lets out a strangled gasp. I whirl around just as he stumbles, clutching his leg. Blood stains his jeans, pooling beneath his hand, and he sinks to one knee, his face twisted with pain.
“Dominic!” I drop to his side, reaching out to steady him, my heart pounding. “Oh my God, you’re shot!”
He grits his teeth, looking up at me with a mixture of frustration and resignation. “Using God’s name in vain, Little Sinner? Tsk, tsk,” he says, his voice laced with humor even as pain twists his features. “Fuck, I… didn’t exactly plan on this part.”
I glance back, the sounds of voices echoing through the trees, the faint glimmer of flashlights weaving through the darkness as our captors close in. Dominic grabs my hand, his grip firm despite the pain in his eyes.
“Aria, listen to me,” he says, his voice soft but urgent. “You need to go. Now.”
“What? No!” I say, shaking my head. “I’m not leaving you. I can’t—”
“Yes, you can,” he insists, his tone hardening. “You have to. If you stay, they’ll take us both, and everything I did to get you out of there will mean nothing.”
I shake my head, my throat tightening. “I’m not leaving you.”
“Damn it, Aria,” he grits out, as he pushes himself upright. He’s swaying, leaning against a tree for support, but he reaches out, his hand cupping the back of my head as he pulls me closer. “I need you to survive this. I’ll fight them off, buy you some time, but you need to go, okay?”
I choke back a sob. “Please… I can’t leave you.”
He takes a shaky breath; his thumb brushing away a tear I didn’t even realize had fallen. Then he leans his forehead against mine.
“You wanted to see the beach, remember?” he murmurs. “To lie in the sand, listen to the waves… That’s waiting for you. But you have to go.”
I shake my head, tears blurring my vision as I press my forehead against his. “Not without you. I can’t—”
“Until you break, right? Isn’t that what you promised me? Well, Aria, I’m broken enough for the both of us. So go. Go before they find you.”
I can’t stop the sob that escapes me, the pain of it tearing through my chest as I cling to him. “Dominic, please don’t make me do this…”
He pulls back, his gaze meeting mine, raw and full of an ache that mirrors my own. Then he cups my face with both of his hands and I can see a fire smolder in his eyes.
“If you ever cared about me… even just a little, you’ll go and you’ll live that life. Just… let me go out knowing I did one good thing. Okay, Little Sinner? Promise me you’ll live.”
I bite my lip, struggling to hold back the flood of emotions. Every instinct tells me to stay, to fight with him, but I know he’s right. I know that if I don’t go now, we’ll both be lost.
I nod, even though it feels like my heart is shattering. “I… I promise.”
His hands slip from my cheeks, and he gives me one last, broken smile before he wraps his finger around my cross pendant and pulls it off. “Good girl. Now go. Run. ”
I take a shaky breath, forcing myself to let go, to rise to my feet. I look at him one last time, memorizing every detail—his bruised face, his defiant smile, the way he’s still holding on, even now.
Then I turn, my heart shattering with each step as I run into the forest, leaving him behind.
“Fuck,” I hear him mutter and my heart breaks.
I don’t look back, not even as I hear him groan in pain behind me, not as I hear the sounds of footsteps approaching in the distance. I run, the weight of each step tearing me apart, but I run.
Behind me, I hear him shout, hear the muffled sounds of more footsteps, more voices. But I don’t stop. I push forward, ignoring the ache in my chest, the tears streaming down my face as I leave him behind.
I know I’ll never forget him, never forget the man who walked through hell and back just to keep his promise, to give me a chance at freedom.