Chapter 33
Chapter Thirty-Three
Joey
Elaina blew out a soft breath, her hand resting on the doorknob that would open up the basement.
I stood patiently beside her, my shoulder propped against the wall, just watching her and letting her do this on her own time and at her own pace.
I was sure knowing she was going to see the man who’d tortured her for years, even if he was incapacitated, couldn’t be easy for her to stomach, even while she knew she would be the one to kill him.
She was strong, and she never showed fear in the face of men like her father, but I knew how she truly felt. Her panic attacks and her flashbacks and nightmares were proof of her true emotions.
Alejandro rested a hand on her lower back. “We don’t have to do this today, pequena luchadora. We can do this some other time. And you don’t even have to do this yourself if you truly don’t want to.”
She shook her head. “I’m doing this. I deserve to do this after everything he did to me and everything he allowed other men to do to me.” She blew out a soft breath, then straightened her shoulders and tilted her chin up.
A pleased rumble sounded from my chest, and pride for her warmed my soul. “That’s my girl,” I murmured.
She pushed the door open, and Alejandro went down first. Elaina looked at me, and I dipped my chin in a silent order for her to go ahead.
She followed him down, and I headed down after.
The stairs were a strain on my side, but I didn’t say a word, though when I got to the concrete floor of the basement, I had to lean against the wall and catch my breath. Sweat was beading on my forehead.
Alejandro shook his head at me, a frown pulling at his lips. “You should have taken the medication like I told you to.”
I waved him off. I didn’t like how tired and out of it the pain medicine made me, and I wanted—and needed—to be alert for this.
Alejandro sighed and turned his attention to Elaina. I grabbed a folding chair and sat down in it, sighing in relief when the discomfort of my gunshot wound eased some now that I wasn’t putting strain on it.
“You ready, pequena luchadora?” Alejandro asked her as he pulled a small, white packet from his pocket. I knew from experience it would have Yeller jerking awake a few seconds after it was waved under his nose.
She nodded. “Take your pick,” I told her, pointing to the wall where I had various torture devices. My personal favorite was the crowbar. Nothing made me feel better like beating someone to a bloody pulp did.
I watched as she made her way to the wall, and after perusing the choices—everything from saw blades to pliers to baseball bats—she chose a Louisville slugger.
Alejandro’s lips tipped up, pride gleaming in his eyes.
“Ready?” When she nodded, he ripped open the packet, then waved it under Yeller’s nose.
He jerked awake, his eyes wide and frantic.
Alejandro pressed a kiss to Elaina’s temple. “Have fun, Elaina.”
“You,” her father snarled when he finally noticed her.
Elaina smirked. “Miss me?” she taunted. And damn, hearing her take control of the situation so easily made my dick throb.
He sneered at her. “Let me go, Elaina. If I go missing, they’ll come for you.”
“There is no one left to look for you,” Alejandro spoke up as he came to stand beside me. His hand rested on the back of my neck, and he massaged the tense muscles there, making me groan. “Joey made sure of it. You’re the only one left, and Elaina wants your soul for her own.”
He glared at his daughter. “You don’t have it in you.”
She laughed, the sound cold and heartless, and I grinned. Elaina had no fucking idea how damn strong she was. She was perfect for me and Alejandro. A true fucking match.
“I don’t?” she asked, lifting the bat like she was getting ready to swing it at a softball game. The lean muscles in her arms flexed as she adjusted her grip. “You really don’t think so?”
“You’re nothing but a hole for—” The rest of his sentence was cut off by a pained shout when she slammed the bat over his midsection.
And she didn’t stop there. I watched as every bit of pain and fury she’d held and dealt with for years finally bled out of her and through that bat.
She beat the absolute shit out of him, and when she’d finally had enough…
She caved his skull in.
The bloody bat clattered loudly to the cement floor, and her chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath.
Blood splattered her skin and dotted her face.
And she’d never looked more beautiful than she did at that moment with the blood of the man who’d violated her sprinkled along her porcelain-like skin.
“Sweet girl,” I rumbled, drawing her pretty eyes to me, “you okay?”
She smiled then, looking freer than she ever had before. Alejandro’s fingers tightened around my neck, obviously experiencing the same awed feeling I was.
“I’ve never been better,” she breathed. And then, she burst into tears all while laughing, and that stunning smile remained on her face.