28. Madison
Madison
Adrian Valtores . The one man who had once brought me to my knees, only to rip my heart out and leave me bleeding on the floor. I despised every inch of him, and seeing him now standing before me, with his smug appearance that he wears so well, made me want to slit his throat.
I spent months reeling over the loss of him, but that was only because he had groomed me to be that way.
His obedient little slut who would do anything to please him.
I was wrapped around his finger and loved every second of it, but not anymore.
That version of Madison was long gone. She was dead and buried, along with the rest of her dark and twisty past.
It wasn’t until Chyler stepped in between us that everything changed, and our relationship fractured.
I was so angry at what had happened between Adrian and me, but it wasn’t because of her.
I let her believe that was the reason, but it was all because I was stupid enough to allow myself to become so enthralled by someone like him that I lost my sense of self and self-worth.
It was embarrassing, so taking my anger out on Chyler and letting her carry the entire weight of the blame was the easiest way to protect whatever single shred of dignity I had left after he ruined me.
No matter how much dick I got in the aftermath, nothing left me as satisfied as when I was with him.
Pushing Dean aside and stepping in front of him, I crossed my arms over my chest and sneered at Adrian.
“What on this fucked up earth could you possibly want with me, Adrian?” I spat his name with malice.
“We have unfinished business.” He confessed with a nonchalant shrug.
“ Unfini —Do you not remember how everything ended between us? You left me , Adrian. Not the other way around.” I gestured between us and scoffed at the audacity of his words.
I couldn’t believe he would make it seem like I wanted what we had to end.
Looking back on the event, I would never go back to him now, but at the time, I didn’t ask him to abandon me—us.
“I gave you a choice, and you picked that whore of a friend over me. Over us,” Adrian gestured towards Chyler, and she balled her hands into fists, sending him a fuck you glare.
“Let’s not turn this conversation casual.
There was never an ‘us’; it was always you and your fucked up games.
” I hissed. “You aren’t the innocent one in this mess that you alone created.
It may have taken me months to understand the extent of the damage you caused to me, but that was nothing compared to where I would’ve been if I stayed with you. ” I admitted.
I owed Chyler for saving me after everything that had happened.
I hated her for leaving me for Atlas, but I owed her that for pulling me out of Adrian’s grasp when she had the chance—before it was too late.
I wish I could take back all those years of holding our break-up over her head.
It was wrong of me, and I am realizing that now more than ever.
“You wound me, sweetheart.” Adrian dramatically placed a hand over his chest. “Tell me more about how you hated my fucked up games. Because if I recall, they had you coming so hard you couldn’t even dream when I was through with you.
” He smirked, running a thumb over his lip, his eyes raking over my body as if he still owned it.
“You motherfu—” Dean attempted to shove past me to go after Adrian, and I wrapped my arms around his, pulling him into me.
“Don’t,” I whisper-hissed into his ear, clinging to his arm for dear life. “You don’t know what he is capable of.” My voice trembled at the thought of Adrian taking Dean from me.
“Ah, so you have moved on. And with him, it seems.” Adrian stepped closer toward us, and out of the corner of my eye, I could see more cloaked figures entering the room. We were surrounded.
Adrian feared nothing; he was always someone to fear. The devil incarnate. Few things intimidated me, and even fewer people. But Adrian was at the top of that list, and all this time, I believed he had left and forgotten about me, on to torture his next unsuspecting victim .
“He doesn’t matter; what do you want with me, Adrian?” I released Dean’s arm and stepped in front of him again. I would not let Adrian harm him, not if I could help it.
“I want you to come with me, marry me like you once agreed, and lead Anathema at my side.” He held out his hand, and I looked down at it, a sarcastic laugh bubbling up from my throat. He could promise me the world, and I’d still spit at his feet.
“You can’t be serious. What makes you think that after all this time, I would still want to marry you?” I scoffed, rolling my eyes. He had to be joking. There was no way he believed I would even remotely consider returning to him.
“How about the safety of those you love most?” Adrian snapped his fingers, and the large room was plunged into darkness.
I could hear screaming and yelling, complete chaos in the darkness that blinded me. I gasped as a strong hand covered my mouth while another wrapped around my body tightly, pinning my arms at my sides.
“It seems I need to retrain my girl to behave again.” Adrian’s voice crept into my ear, and my heart sank as I swallowed the bile that burned in the back of my throat.
“Madison!” I heard Dean calling for me, and I whimpered.
What I wouldn’t give to be wrapped up in the safety of his arms right this second.
“What’s it going to be, sweetheart? Him or me?” His voice was poison in my ear, sharp fangs sinking deep into my skin, ready for the kill .
I sucked in a sharp breath before shifting my weight and driving my knife, which I had grabbed when the lights went out, wherever I could, hoping it would land somewhere painful enough for him to let me go.
“You fucking cunt!” He shouted, releasing me, and I fell to the floor, scrambling away as fast as my arms and legs could carry me. I couldn’t see where I was going, but anywhere was better than being near him for a second longer.
“You want to play hard to get… I’ll play.” Adrian panted his malicious words as they echoed throughout the darkness.
The torches on the walls were re-lit in a flash, and as my eyes adjusted to the contrast of light, they went wide. Adrian’s followers had separated Chyler and Alexis from Atlas and Derek, restraining them on the opposite end of the room.
Derek, Dean, and Atlas had been roughly beaten, kneeling on the raised dais with their hands secured behind their backs. All of this over seconds. I looked up to see Adrian towering over me as I lay on the floor. Vulnerable. The knife sticking out from the side of his thigh.
“You know how much I love to teach.” He growled, gripping my hair at the nape of my neck and pulling me aggressively to stand. Adrian dragged me to where the guys were kneeling and threw me to the ground before them.
“You have a choice, Madison. Him or your sisters.” Adrian grunted, pulling the knife from his thigh, and gestured over to Chyler and Alexis before dropping it on the floor in front of me. I looked from the knife to Dean and whimpered like a fucking coward.
“And if you don’t choose within the next five minutes, I’ll just kill them all.” He added, sliding his hands into his pockets, ignoring the blood soaking through his slacks.
What I wouldn’t give to have the ability to save them all. Tears began streaming down the sides of my face. I couldn’t breathe. I had an impossible decision to make, and I didn’t agree with any of the outcomes.