Chapter 15
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Christmas Day
The door creaks as I pull it open, peeking through the tiny slit I left.
Gradually, I open it wider, holding my breath, waiting for the next shoe to drop.
When no one pops out, I pull the door fully open and stick my head out, looking side to side before heading to the top of the staircase.
I can see the front door from here, and it’s still bolted shut, silence filling the space from below.
I take a step, the wooden stair creaking beneath my weight.
Silence. Then another step. Silence. Then I hit the third step and freeze when the soft sound of Christmas music reaches my ears.
My heart begins pounding in my chest, but I push forward, taking each step just as slowly.
The living room comes into view, and the sight before me makes my stomach drop.
Liam sits in a chair bound in Christmas lights, his nose, mouth, and chest covered in dry blood.
His mouth is taped shut, and he has… WHAT THE FUCK?
! Two red ornaments hang from his nipples, pierced directly through the sensitive buds.
He’s wearing a Santa hat, and he’s covered in bows.
My eyes dart around the room until they come in contact with him.
“Merry Christmas, little dove,” Luke purrs from the kitchen, leaning up against the kitchen counter. “Do you like your gift?” He grins.
“What the absolute fuck, Luke? Why is Liam tied to a chair? And why does he have…”
“His own decor? Well, you see, I was making my way here when I heard you scream last night. When I ran inside, Liam here was banging on your door and sounding very threatening. No one gets to scare you but me, little dove.”
“So… so you did this?” I ask, waving my hand around Liam.
“Yes,” he responds bluntly, arms crossed over his chest.
I stare at him, dumbfounded. I look around the cabin again, trying to figure out what to say or do next, when I spot the tree.
“Did you get a tree for me?” I ask, eyebrows rising in shock.
“I did. Do you like it? The one you were trying to pull was still there when I went back, so I grabbed it, brought it here, and decorated it.” He smiles, almost as if he’s proud of himself. But then I realize what he just said.
“How did you know where I left my tree—WERE YOU STALKING ME?” I shout, throwing my hands in the air and giving him a death glare.
“You’re lucky I was; otherwise, you wouldn't be standing here, now would you?” he taunts.
“You’re a fucking creep!” I scream. “Get out, or I’m calling the cops again!”
“Sweetheart, don’t you think by now that’s a waste of time? You’ve seen how useless they are.”
My blood is literally boiling. This man is infuriating. “Untie him,” I seethe, pointing to Liam.
“No can do, little dove. Not only was he aggressive with you, but I have some information you may want to hear.”
“What kind of information?”
“Let’s ask Liam, shall we?” He grins, pushing off the counter and striding up to Liam. He grabs onto one corner of the tape and rips, pulling a rag out of his mouth after. Liam inhales like he’s not taken a breath in days, coughing and trying to gather any bit of moisture into his mouth he can.
“FUCK YOU,” he screams at Luke. Liam looks at me. “Ella, baby, please untie me. This is nuts. This guy is a fucking psychopath. Untie me, and we’ll go. I won’t say anything about what happened here, and I promise to never touch you aga—”
A resounding crack resonates in the room, and Liam’s head snaps to the right.
“What the fuck was that for?” I shout, glaring at Luke.
“What does he mean by ‘touch’ you?” Fire blazes in Luke’s eyes, and I’m not quite sure he’s all here right now. His hands are clenched at his sides, and the muscle in his jaw contracts as though he’s biting down hard. I’m almost scared to answer.
“B-before you came in and found him banging on the door, he…” I try, but notice Liam shaking his head no. Luke grabs me by the sides of my face, pulling me into him so we’re eye to eye, his hot breath dancing across my lips.
“Tell me,” he grinds out.
Without hesitation, I whisper, “He tried to rape me.”
Luke’s gaze seems to soften, his eyes not leaving mine, before he drops his hand and turns his attention to Liam.
It’s like Luke’s form physically gets bigger in this space, and the murderous glare he directs to Liam is enough to chill my bones.
It’s also kind of hot. I squeeze my legs together, the traitorous bitch between my legs beginning to ache at the reminder of his dominance.
Without words, Luke strides over to Liam.
“N-no, no, man. Look, I said I was sorry. I said I’d never touch her again,” Liam says frantically, and without words, Luke pulls one of the ornaments clean out of his nipple.
Liam screams, and the sound vibrates off the walls.
There’s nothing but a bloody mess left in the spot where his nipple used to be, blood pouring down his chest.
I am stunned silent, my attention darting back and forth between Liam and Luke.
Luke still holds a murderous gaze at Liam, his chest rising and falling in anger.
My pussy throbs again, and I silently curse at the bitch.
This is wrong. I’m not supposed to find this attractive.
But this man did that for me. A deep voice brings me out of my daze.
“Tell her, Liam. Tell her what you've done. Tell her about your time in high school,” Luke demands.
“I didn’t do anything!” he screams, spit flying from his mouth. Crack. Luke delivers another blow to Liam’s face.
“This will go a lot easier for you if you just tell the truth,” Luke grits out.
Liam stays quiet, refusing to answer until Luke goes to grab the one remaining ornament hanging from his nipple.
“No, no, no, wait! Okay! I raped a couple of girls and got away with it!” he screams, crying like a little bitch.
My head whips in his direction, my stomach coiling in disgust. “You WHAT?” I yell, my own fists beginning to clench.
“I was at a party, some bitches got drunk, and I fucked them. No big deal.”
“Ah, ah, ah, Liam. You’re missing some details. Tell her,” he demands, his eyes darkening even further.
Liam glares daggers before he looks down at the floor. “I drugged them. But they fucking deserved it. They were all over me all night, so I just gave them what they’d been asking fo—”
Suddenly, I’m holding the second red ornament in my hands, having ripped it clean off his body, silencing Liam’s words, which quickly turn into more screams. Blood rushes from the spot, creating an equal trail down the side of his stomach.
“You sick sonofabitch! I can’t believe I ever loved you!
I can’t believe I let you inside of me!” I scream, feeling the full weight of the mental spiral I’ve been suppressing barreling forward.
The thought makes me feel dirty. Gross. Like I’ve been tainted with every touch I allowed him to make.
Tears begin to well in my eyes, a few beginning their descent down my cheeks, but Luke walks over to me and grabs me by the throat, pulling me in close.
Then, he licks the tears that have fallen away, his tongue running up the side of my cheek.
“He does not deserve your tears, little dove. You will not break for him.” Then, his lips are on mine, the salty tang from my tears flooding my mouth. It’s a deep, passionate kiss, and I melt in his embrace.
“You’re such a fucking whore, taking whatever cock gives you attention. You’re pathetic,” Liam spits. Luke goes to move again, but I grab his arm, smirking. Instead of responding how I know he expects me to, a devilish idea pops into my mind.
Oh, this is gonna be fun.