Chapter 11 #2
“Do you have any idea what that does to a man like me? To see you kill for me?” His eyes were blown wide, dark with a feral, obsessive hunger.
“You’re not just in my bed anymore, Daphne.
You’re in the blood. You’re mine in a way Zeno can never touch, because now we’re both monsters.
And I’m going to keep you in the dark with me forever. ”
I didn't argue. I didn't need to. I could see my darkness reflected in his eyes, and I’d never felt more alive.
I couldn't breathe. He wasn't just my lover but the priest at my dark confession, and he’d just claimed every sin I would ever commit.
The sound of a loud shout caught our attention, and we looked up to see one of the men near James get shot in the arm. He grabbed it, blood spilling over his fingers. James covered him as he ran to the corner, falling behind a large box.
“Fuck!” Thal growled, his body tense and coiled like a snake ready to strike.
I reloaded my gun, shaking my head. “We need to help them.”
“I knew you shouldn’t have come, Daphne! This is too fucking dangerous!” His eyes were wild with fear and fury, a toxic cocktail that would put him in even more danger if he didn’t get a handle on it.
“We’re here now. We can handle everything else later, but unless you’re eager for some lead in your veins, I’d suggest we help these guys out. Or do you prefer to stay here and argue about our options?”
“Goddammit! Stay here, for fuck’s sake!” he growled, running out from our hiding spot and joining James, with both of them rushing forward and unloading the entire contents of their clips at our attackers.
Rhea’s men retreated behind a door to find cover, disappearing into a back room, giving us a brief moment to breathe.
“Let’s fucking get out of here!” James shouted. “Now!”
He broke into a run, and Thal reached out, grasping my hand.
Together, we pursued him, our men close behind, their eyes watchful as we moved. As we burst into the cool night air, an eerie silence welcomed us, as if nothing had just occurred.
The atmosphere was heavy and unsettling, and adrenaline surged through my veins like a thick, constricting serpent threatening to choke me.
My breath came rapid and shallow, overwhelmed by a mixture of terror and frantic anticipation that at any moment a bullet could slice through the darkness and find its mark.
Thal’s hand clutched mine with desperate strength as we streaked across the parking lot, heading toward our vehicles. Behind us, the first streaks of dawn crept over the horizon, casting a faint glow on the scene.
We had made it.
The words echoed in my mind, unwavering as we reached Thal’s car. An overwhelming wave of pride washed over me.
I had saved Thal’s life. In the chaos, I had taken a life myself, yet not once did guilt touch me.
Thal was alive.
That was all that truly mattered.
I shuddered to think of what could have happened if I hadn’t seen the man approaching him from behind. James and his men were busy fighting the others. Had this man meant to execute Thal in cold blood, without even giving him a chance to fight for his life?
Rhea’s ruthlessness wasn’t just a myth. I had no doubt she had ordered that exact scenario, hoping like hell she could eliminate Thal tonight. Had she planted the information that brought us here tonight? Time would tell, and if I knew Thal, he wouldn’t stop until he discovered the truth.
“Let’s meet back at my office,” Thal told James, and we all hurried into our cars and sped away before any more bullets could be fired in our direction.
In the silence of the car, Thal drove with a terrifying intensity along the back roads of Las Vegas.
His fury was palpable, speaking volumes, evident in the clenched jaw and hard, cold eyes.
I sat still, letting him simmer, watching as his anger showed in the reckless way he handled the steering wheel. I wasn’t truly afraid, not after everything we had just endured.
At that moment, his fury didn't scare me. It sang to me. It was raw, honest, and terrifyingly beautiful. I didn't want a gentleman. I wanted the man who was white knuckling the steering wheel, as if he were holding onto the only thing that kept him sane.
I gave him the space he needed, lost in my spiraling thoughts and swirling emotions.
I had no idea what lay ahead or where tonight’s events would take me, but I knew I was in over my head. Soon, Zeno would learn I’d been here tonight, and the questions would come, endless and relentless. And so would the anger.
Was I prepared for that? I glanced at Thal, noting the fierce set of his jaw, the determination etched into his expression, his eyes cold and hard with unyielding rage. A strange, conflicting surge of pride washed over me.
I’d saved him.
I didn't feel like a good person, and that was the most intoxicating part. I felt like a god of the desert, forged in gunpowder and secrets. For ten years, I’d been a piece of collateral, moved across Zeno’s board, waiting for my value to be spent.
Tonight, I realized I wasn't the pawn. I was the hand that flipped the table and set the whole room on fire. It was fucking exhilarating. As I looked at the blood drying on my hands, I realized I never wanted to be clean again.
Deep in my bones, I felt a thrill. I felt alive. Zeno never would have allowed me to be involved in what happened tonight. He would have literally locked me in a cage to keep me from being there.
But Thal had set me free. Thal had given me what I always longed for: a life.
I was grateful, but there was a small nagging voice in the back of my mind that questioned whether I caused the whole thing just by being there.
If I hadn’t been there, would Thal have seen the man approaching behind him? Had Thal been so distracted trying to protect me that he risked his life?
I pushed the voice away, shaking it off. I’d never know the answer to that. All I knew was that we were both alive, and that was everything.
“Are you okay?” I asked, hoping to break through the rage consuming him.
“This isn’t over,” he stated. “They’ll pay for this, every last one of them.”
My heart skipped a beat when I realized Thal and I had crossed a line that could never be uncrossed.