36. Tate
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
TATE
T he look in her eyes is why I hadn’t wanted to tell her he’s still alive.
“You’re upset,” I say quietly. “I promise, there is no reason I’m keeping him alive other than to make him suffer for what he’s done to both of us.”
“I understand you’ve got unfinished business with him, but the thought of him ever hurting me again...”
“Daniel will never hurt you again, Sian.” I take a step towards her but stop when the next words fall from her lips.
“Are you going to… torture him?” she asks quietly with a little hesitation.
I don’t want her to see me as a monster, but I promised I wouldn’t lie. “Yes.”
Sian looks away and nods, but she doesn’t say anything. I go to her and take her hand. “Don’t think of him,” I say. “Think of your future.”
“A future with you?” She looks up at me with such wide eyes that I can’t help but smirk. Imogen’s words come back to me. I want Sian to be happy, and if being with me makes her happy, then I’ll do everything to prove I’m worthy of her.
“If that’s what you want,” I say. “I’m not going to change. I am who I am, and I do what I do.”
“I know,” she says softly. “But I think I’m okay with that now. You must know the dark to appreciate the light.”
Her words shock me. I look down at her, reaching up and stroking her face gently. “I promise to protect you from everything. You keep the darkness at bay for me.”
“I don’t need to know about what you do, do I?” she asks.
“No. Never. You don’t have to know anything. You’re the only pure thing I have in my life, and I won’t let anything turn your heart or soul black. I’m a sinner, and I know I’ll pay for it, but never you, Sian. Never.” I lean down and press my lips against hers softly. I can’t resist her.
She responds to my kiss by pressing back, her hands going to my chest. I wrap my arms around her protectively, mindful of her back that still needs time to heal. She melts into the kiss and moans softly.
I pull away. “Did I hurt you?” I ask.
“No, I’m fine.” She smiles and strokes my chest.
“Shall we take this upstairs?” I murmur, stroking her side softly.
She nods. “I’d like that.”
I link my hand with hers and lead her up to my bedroom. Once we’re inside, I turn to her and unbutton my shirt.
She’s wearing a simple loose shirt and pantyhose, and she kicks her pumps off before she pulls her shirt off and drops it. She’s braless because of her back wounds.
I shrug my shirt off and toss my tie on the floor as I take her in. She still has bruises; they look ugly and painful, and I look at her sadly. “We don’t have to... You’re hurt.”
“I’m fine.” She walks over to me, taking my face in her hands. “I’m fine because of you.” She kisses me deeply, and I wrap my arms around her. I kick off my shoes and walk her backwards to the bed, then I spin her around. I kiss along her jawline, where there are bruises.
“I can make it better,” I whisper.
“I know you can,” she whispers back.
I smile and kiss her neck, making sure to cover all the bruises lingering on her skin where they don’t belong. She runs her hands through my hair as I kiss her collarbones. “No one will ever hurt you again.”
“Promise?”
“I promise,” I say as I kiss the supple flesh of her breasts. One hand slides to her left breast while my mouth covers the other. She moans softly, and I switch.
I let her go and kiss down her stomach, careful around her ribs. I want her to forget for a moment about all the pain she’s been through.
I reach her pantyhose, and I hook them and her panties with my fingers and pull them down and off before I sit on the bed and settle between her legs. I slide a leg over my shoulder and lower my face to take a slow, long lick between her folds.
I feel her relax against me, and I smirk as I lick again and again. I dip my tongue in and out of her a few times, eliciting a few groans of pleasure. I tease her clit with my tongue, moving it rapidly before I suck on it.
“I need you,” she moans softly. “Please, Tate.”
I’m already rock hard. I slip from between her legs and stand, undoing my pants and letting them drop. I push my boxers off and reach down, I pick her up and move on the bed, sitting her comfortably on top of my legs before I line myself up and gently push into her. I know she’s struggling with her back, and because of that, I’m doing something I’ve never done before. I’m giving her full control.
“Ride me, Sian. Take control. Take what you need.” I lean back against the headboard.
“You’re letting me take the reins?” she questions with a giddy smile.
“Full control. Do you’re worst,” I tease.
She claims my lips, kissing me to quell her moans as she starts to move. She squeezes her thighs against mine, and her arms go around my neck as she moves steadily.
I move with her, the two of us becoming one as her fingers dig into my back as she moans my name into my mouth.
I reach down to touch her. She breathes hard against me, but we don’t break our lips apart. I can feel her tensing with pleasure, and I fight my own need to come. I move with her, making sure she reaches maximum pleasure. When I feel her clench around my cock, I know it’s time, and she moves a little quicker. Her legs tremble, and she’s struggling to keep the momentum going, so I take over.
She breaks the kiss, crying out, and I bury my head into her neck as I push into her, roaring as I fill her with my cum.
I roll her off onto the bed, mindful of her back, and pull her into my arms. She breathes hard against me, and for a moment, we catch our breath. I stroke the top of her shoulders, tracing lazy circles.
We lie there for ages, simply being in each other’s arms. I feel so content; I can’t explain it. She’s like the missing piece of the puzzle. Something I didn’t know I needed until I tasted it. Like fine wine, or excellent food. She’s awakened all my senses. She makes me feel so alive. I can never let her go.
It gets dark outside; I reach to pull a bed sheet over us, but she sits up. “I want to see him.” Her voice is quiet but strong. It’s my turn to tense, and I shift slightly. She puts a hand on my chest. “I need to see him, Tate. I need to find closure.”
I look at her for the longest moment and then sit up and kiss her shoulder. “Fine, but I don’t like it.”
We both get up and get dressed. I take her hand and lead her downstairs, stopping at the top of the basement stairs. “I need to warn you, he doesn’t look like Daniel. He’s in a mess.”
I’m not ashamed of what I’ve done, especially to someone like Daniel, but once Sian walks through that door, she’ll see just how much of a monster I can become when it’s necessary.
“I gathered you’ve tortured him this entire time,” she says. “I can only imagine the state he’s in.”
“I don’t... I don’t want you to think I’m a monster,” I admit. This is the only time in my life where I’ve questioned my lifestyle. But still, I don’t regret the things I’ve done to Daniel, and I never will.
“I could never think that.” She strokes my face. “In the short time I’ve known you, you’ve shown me nothing but kindness and protection. I’m glad I’m one of the few people who get to see that side of you.” She smiles softly.
I nod and lead her downstairs. The two guards standing outside the door move out of the way, one opening the door for us.
I lead her in and flip on the switch. Daniel is seated in the chair with only a small cloth covering his manhood. The weight has been removed, as it’s done its job. There’s dried blood all over him. His wounds have mostly scabbed over, though some still look a little raw.
Daniel lifts his head, one eye swollen shut.
He stares at Sian, who looks back at him. I step to the side and let her go forward.
“You’re done for,” she says. “Your reign of terror is at an end.”
“You’re brave now I’m shackled,” Daniel mutters.
“I was brave when you took me. I wasn’t afraid of you no matter how much you beat me or degrade me. Every time you hit me, I was less afraid. You tried to strip me of all my dignity and make me feel shameful. But you didn’t break me, Daniel. You failed. You’re not a man. You’re weak, sick, and a pathetic human being.” Sian takes another step forward. “I’m moving on, and I’m going to lead a full and glorious life just to spite you. I’ll never think about you again.”
Daniel smirks. “You’ll never forget about me.”
“In time I will, but that’s the least of your concerns. Goodbye, Daniel.”
I know what her intentions are. I can see it playing out before it happens. She moves so swiftly, but I’m faster. I grab my gun from the tray and put a bullet in Daniel’s head, just as the knife she grabbed pierced his chest.
“Why’d you do that?” Sian asks.
I look down at her. “Because I didn’t want you to live with the guilt of ending someone’s life. That isn’t you, and thinking you did that eats away at you. Trust me, you don’t want that. You’re the only light in my darkness, and I need to keep it that way. I killed Daniel, not you.”
Sian’s eyes soften, and she looks at Daniel. “He’s an animal. Worse than an animal. He didn’t deserve to live, and I would have been fine knowing I was the one who took his last breath.”
“Still, I don’t what his death on your hands. A constant reminder of why you did it, and what he did to you. The last thing you want is for him to win. If he died knowing he’d blackened your heart, he’d go out smiling. I took that away from him. It was me who ended him, with you by my side. Now... he’ll be going to hell with that image on repeat.” I pull her into my chest and kiss the top of her head, feeling her heart beating against mine.
“When you put it like that, I can’t be angry with you. Thank you, and not just for this, for everything. You came into my life when I needed you most. You’ve protected me without knowing a single thing about me, when I know you have trust issues. I’ll always be thankful that I found you, Tate. I know you don’t think I belong in your world, and that you’re some monster who doesn’t deserve to be happy, but I don’t see you that way.” She tilts her head back slightly and looks up at me. “I’m falling hard and heavy for someone who will do anything to protect what’s his. I want to be yours, Tate. Let me be your light in the darkness. Let me love you even when you think you’re incapable of it.” A single tear slips free. I gently wipe it away with my thumb.
“I don’t know why you were in my club that night, but I’m glad you chose to throw champagne over my suit and no one else’s.” I smirk before slamming my lips against hers, forgetting all about the corpse a few inches away from us.
“Let’s go,” I say, taking her hand and leading her back upstairs, not once looking back. There’s no reason for us to be down here any longer. I watched the soul leave my tormenter’s eyes with a smile. Daniel can rot in hell with his dark, malicious thoughts. He lost the war through the sin of envy, and once I’ve found and ended the rest of his small, pathetic crew and burnt down what’s left of his dispersed empire, I’ll truly be free from what he did to me and Rick, but there’s still some work to be done. I know Rick wanted in on ending Daniel’s life, but I never anticipated Sian acting the way she did. I know Rick will understand. Daniel tortured Sian in more ways than one, and for years too.
Daniel is dead, and we can all move on, knowing he can no longer harm anyone again.