Split - Coffin Nails MC (Contemporary New Adult Erotic Dark Romance) (Sex & Mayhem Book 7)

by Merikan, Miss

  “And to us,” Asty said quietly, looking into his eyes. She swallowed hard, knowing the odds were against them. She was very young, and they never had the time to adjust to being together as a couple, without a child in the equation. But she believed they could make it work. She desperately wanted that to happen, to always wake up next to Hunter and smell his hair, as she pulled closer. She had never felt like this before, and somewhere at the back of her mind, there was a fear she’d never be able to feel this strongly about anyone again.

  Hunter took a deep breath and leaned down to kiss her. The touch of his hands on her face sent a shiver down her body. Each of his words echoed between the empty walls. “How will we know if this ritual works? If the demon is real?”

  Asty choked on some air as she leaned against him, and her breasts brushed against his chest. “I will ask her for a sign, but maybe she will come. Maybe we’ll see her in the corners of our eyes, feel her touch...”

  “Can she hurt us if something goes wrong?” Hunter hugged Asty close and kissed her cheek.

  She slid her free arm around his neck and brushed their cheeks together. “No, but we will ask her to leave at the end. And you need to participate in that as well. It’s very important.”

  Hunter nodded with a serious expression, and even though this ritual was a test, something to prove or disprove her beliefs once and for all, having him so engaged in it, not mocking or annoyed, meant the world to her. “I will.”

  Asty brushed the cloth over his chest, tracing the black tattoos. “Are you scared?”

  Hunter laughed. “I’d lie if I said I’m not nervous. This isn’t a fight, it’s something else. Something a little creepy.”

  Asty nodded. She understood that no matter what Hunter’s logic was telling him, the fear of demons would be deeply ingrained in him. And if she was to say the truth, she was scared too. What they were about to do was much more advanced than any of her previous rituals had been. “Don’t worry. I’ll hold your hand,” she said and winked.

  Hunter shook his head. “Good. I’ll make sure yours don’t tremble.”

  They finished all the preparations, and then finally, Asty squeezed Hunter’s hand and led him to the middle of the circle of candles. Cool air teased her naked skin as she picked up the ceremonial dagger she inherited from her mother and took Hunter to the four candles that marked north. She could feel his palm sweat slightly as they both relaxed, taking deep breaths in the silence around them. Her skin was becoming slightly numb when she finally raised the dagger toward the ceiling high above and chanted the invocation of the elemental energy of earth by calling out to one of the relevant demons. The sound of Hunter’s voice, quiet yet powerful as it repeated her words, sent a shiver down her spine. It was almost as if her feet were bound to the floor for a moment, but the ritual had to go on, and she led Hunter farther around the circle.

  Now that they started, fear was slowly seeping out of her, replaced by hope and by the happiness of being here with her beloved. Hunter was always there for her, and never once tried to desert her, even when she hadn’t really been in her right mind. He followed her lead, chanting words she knew creeped him out and even held the dagger with her. And as their voices intertwined, as their eyes met, Asty felt a pang of heat caressing her skin from the inside, just after she called out to Astaroth herself. It almost seemed like the stained glass windows let in more light all of a sudden, and Asty swallowed hard, leading Hunter to the altar where there was a stone bowl prepared with three pieces of paper inside it. Each one held a name: hers, Hunter’s and their baby’s.

  She lit a match and put it under the one with his name and then passed the matches to Hunter, who in turn lit the piece of paper with her name. They looked into each other’s eyes, and once Hunter lit the last match, she put her hand over his and they held the fire under the name of their baby. Beelzebub.

  She tried to talk a few times, but as her throat choked up, she only started when Hunter’s name was almost gone in the bowl. “Please, protect this family,” she whispered and then repeated the words in Latin, slowly rolling into Hunter’s arms. He stepped back on the layers of blankets they prepared for the body of the ceremony, and she followed him without hesitation as her skin broke out in goose bumps. The light was so bright in Hunter’s hair, and the sense of being watched became so profound, she couldn’t help but smile. Astaroth was here, witnessing their union.

  She could swear she even heard footsteps somewhere in the church. But just as she glanced over her shoulder, a bang so loud that all the pigeons flew up from the windowsills burst through the air. Only half a second later, she realized she screamed out. Hunter fell to the ground just next to her bare feet with a dull sound, grabbing onto his arm.

  “Fuck. Fuck. Asty, get down to the ground!” he yelled, and she was still in shock as she looked to the specks of blood on the pale skin of her legs and then to the red seeping through Hunter’s fingers where he was holding his own arm.

  The world became a blur as Asty hid behind the altar, falling on all fours. She rushed to Hunter’s side, reaching out for him, and grabbing the blanket with her other hand as she leaned closer, thinking only of stopping the blood from leaving his body. Her mind was numb. She didn’t know what was happening.

  The steps on the other side of the altar got louder. “You thought I’d just give up? After my father was murdered? Priest won’t see me coming, and you didn’t either.”

  Asty forcefully pulled some air into her lungs and raised her gaze up to a pair of faded black jeans, all the way to the square, tense face she regretted knowing so well. It was Ray.

  Hunter was heaving when he looked up at her. “I’ll distract him. Run, okay?” he whispered.

  Asty clenched her hand on his, but the decision had been made. She had nothing to defend them with, and she needed to do something. The marble was hard on her knees as she rapidly crawled back behind the altar, and her eyes focused solely on the side nave where she left her bag. Her stomach weighed her down as she moved forward, stiff with fear that was like nothing she had experienced before. She didn’t even feel cold anymore.

  “I’m your cousin!” Hunter hissed and struggled to his feet. “I could have told Priest all about you, but I didn’t.”

  Asty hid behind the shorter side of the altar, struggling for breath as Ray’s heavy footsteps thudded against the floor. Her instinct was to just crawl forward, into safety, but another voice called out for her to wait for the right moment. She’d be exposed if Ray happened to be looking her way as she fled, and he did have a gun. He could just kill her with a shot in the back.

  “You have diluted blood in you,” hissed Ray, all too close for Asty’s liking. Something creaked beneath his boots, and he laughed. “You choose that bitch over your own uncle.”

  A sudden crack and a thud resounded through the air, and Asty was pretty sure Hunter and Ray were fighting. This was her moment. She didn’t want to run, but with Hunter shot, there was nothing she could do, especially naked. At least if she got to the phone, she could get help.

  The first two steps were stiff, but the moment she leapt off the first step, toward the wooden banister, it was as if some invisible power injected her muscles with new strength. Her feet barely touched the cold floor as she sped toward the open gate of the banister that was her key to safety.

  Even the click of a gun didn’t make her stop. If only she made it soon enough, lead would not catch her.

  “Come back here, you stupid slut, unless you want me to put a bullet through you lover boy’s head,” Ray yelled to her. “Or I could feed him rat poison, like I did to your goat.”

  Something stilled deep within Astaroth’s chest, and she grabbed the banister, abruptly stopping on her way. Relative safety was just a few yards away, but she couldn’t move anymore. She looked back, shaking away the hair that fell into her eyes, completely numb.

  Ray stood over Hunter, twisting back his bleeding arm, and holding a gun against his head. Every last night
mare Asty could remember was coming true, sucking her into the void of reality where no demon would come to save her. They were supposed to be protected. That was what this ritual had been all about in the first place.

  “Asty, go!” Hunter yelled, only to be hit over the head with the gun. With his body twisted back and hair sticking to his face, his eyes were still focused only on her.

  Ray growled. “I don’t have all day, bitch.”

  Asty reached out toward them, shaken. “No, don’t hurt him,” she pleaded, slowly stretching and taking a step toward the two men. Her muscles were so tight she could hardly move without stinging pain in her calves and arms. Ray killed an innocent animal, attacked her, and now he was ready to hurt his own cousin. She couldn’t let that happen. That man was unpredictable, but if he hadn’t shot them both yet, there was still a chance to get out of this alive. Seeing the blood drip down Hunter’s arm made Asty want to both cry and tear Ray to pieces.

  An unpleasant smile surfaced on Ray’s face. “Good. Now come over here, and cuff him to the banister.” He threw Asty a pair of steel handcuffs, and she caught them reflexively. The metal was warm, and just thinking it was because they’d been close to Ray’s body made her gag.

  “Why? Just ... leave ... no one will stop you,” she uttered, slowly stepping forward across the floor that felt cooler every time she touched it. Ray seemed like a giant, who could easily twist her neck if he wanted to, but with him holding Hunter’s life in his hands, she had to obey.

  “Oh, no.” Ray dragged Hunter toward the banister, and when Hunter tried to punch him, he kicked Hunter’s ribs so hard Asty heard a crack that made her shiver. “First, I’m dealing with you. Priest took something away from me, and I will do the same to him!”

  Asty stopped, shuddering, and hugged herself, suddenly conscious of her nakedness. “He will let you go, I promise. I will ask him.”

  “Cuff him, or I will just shoot him now.” Ray looked between them both and nudged Hunter’s bloodied forehead with the barrel of the gun.

  Asty gritted her teeth and moved forward, slowly getting to her knees next to Hunter. The hole in his naked shoulder was consistently seeping blood, so she chose that hand for the cuff, hoping that maybe it would bleed less if his arm were raised. Her lungs felt narrow and tight as she took shallow breaths, struggling with the simple lock she eventually secured around Hunter’s wrist. Ray’s presence right next to her burned her skin like sulfuric acid.

  “Please, run whenever you can,” Hunter whispered, staring at her wide-eyed and catching shallow breaths.

  “I heard that.” Ray smacked Hunter’s head again, but right after, he grabbed Asty’s arm and dragged her along toward the blankets on the floor. He kicked one of the candles on the way, and it spilled some wax on the marble before the flame went out. “Your dear Hunter is very stupid, you know that? I told him I’d give up avenging my father, and he actually believed me.” He pushed her to the floor and looked at Hunter. “I’ve been tracking your van, you idiot.” Hunter pulled forward, pale as a corpse and sweating. He screamed out when he put strain on his arm, and the old banister behind him creaked.

  “Then hurt me, you cunt! Hurt me, and let her go!”

  Asty fell on the blankets, rolling on her side in the last moment and curling her knees toward her belly. The world was a blur around her, but one thing stood out—a glimmer of gold on the edge of the altar above her. It was the ceremonial knife, sharp enough to easily cut into her skin. It wasn’t within reach yet, but she quickly crawled forward, listening to the furious beating of her own heart. The handle was sticking out just a bit, but if Asty could only reach it …

  “Oh, I will hurt you.” Ray laughed, and grabbed Asty’s arm, pulling her back down and getting on top of her before she could even blink. When she still struggled, he smacked her face so hard that for a moment she thought the dull pain in her nose meant it was broken. His words were coming to her with an echo. “I’m gonna make you watch how I remind your bitch how a real man fucks.” Ray grabbed Asty’s cheeks and dug his rough fingers into her flesh until he touched her teeth through it. “Remember, sweetheart, how you said I wasn’t any good? I think you need a do-over.”

  All of Asty’s blood seemed to drain out of her head, making her limbs heavy. She abruptly raised her knee, hoping to hit his nuts, but it was no use. He was so much larger than she was, and all of a sudden, she realized with painful clarity just how uneven this fight was. She tried to stick her fingers into his eyes, screaming at the top of her lungs, but he swatted them away like flies, only to push both her wrists against the floor with just one giant hand. She tried everything. She kicked and tried to roll and twist out from underneath him, getting even more frantic when the sharp sound of a zipper jarred in her ear. His big hand pushed her face to the side and pressed on, as if he intended to squash her head against the floor even before he violated her further.

  “Let go of her, you bastard!” Hunter screamed and struggled against the banister like a maniac, making the old wood squeak and the cuff rattle against it, but it was no use. “You fucking shit-eating bastard!”

  When Ray let go of her head, Asty caught a glimpse of Hunter from behind Ray’s thick forearm, and she saw tears streak down his now flushed, face. She opened her mouth, wanting to call out to him, but her voice was stuck in her throat, and she froze in horror when Ray’s hand squeezed around her naked breast. She tried to pull her hands out of his grip again as her whole body shuddered with terror. “Please ... I’m pregnant ... you can’t,” she uttered, barely catching air into her lungs, completely stiff under him. She was trapped, and now that he was holding her down, she felt like no matter what she did, she wouldn’t be able to overpower him. Cold fear climbed up her spine and spread through her brain. What if she made him lose his balance and he fell down on her, hurting her baby?

  “I can do whatever the fuck I want with a pathetic slut like you,” Ray hissed at her, and Asty cringed when she felt his fingers between her legs, touching her exposed labia as if he had the right to do so.

  Hunter screamed out, and with a sudden crack of wood, he broke one of the banister poles and charged right at Ray with his arm bleeding all over the marble floor and his hand at a strange angle. “Get off her, you scum!” he yelled and pushed Ray to the floor next to Asty, getting on top of him despite Ray grabbing the gun.

  Asty rolled to her side and crawled from between them as quickly as she could. Her breath was hitching loudly, but her joints were soft, making it hard for her to move. Ray’s touch felt like a sticky presence on her body, spots she wanted to get rid of. Everything felt slow, but even as Hunter and Ray struggled on the floor so close to her, the bright colorful light Asty mistook for a sign from her namesake was cast on both of them and on the deadly weapon in Ray’s hand that Hunter was struggling to keep away from himself. Asty gasped and brushed away the tears clouding her vision. The presence she felt earlier was not a demon, at least not the infernal being she invoked. It had been Ray, a demon of flesh and blood, who wasn’t here to protect her family. He came to destroy it, and all this during a ritual that was meant to shield her and Hunter from people like him. She was alone. No one came to her call. It had all been a lie, and the only person protecting her now was Hunter.

  A shot from the gun pulled her out of the stupor. The bullet hit the ceiling and sent a rain of dust and plaster down to the floor, making both Hunter and Ray cough.

  “You think you can just take everything away from me?” Ray yelled despite Hunter pushing the gun out of his grip. “My family took you in! You’re nobody, and you’re worth nothing without me!”

  Hunter pushed back, but with his one arm seriously hurt, he was visibly struggling more with each second. Asty exhaled so loudly it muted Ray’s next words from her ears, and she blindly reached up to the top of the altar. The cool handle of her ceremonial dagger filled her small palm just right, hard and steady in her grip as she rushed forward and stabbed the knife into a bit of flesh uncovered
by Ray’s shirt. The blade went in like it were soft butter, and for a moment, Asty was certain she missed her mark, but when Ray shrieked, arching over Hunter, red spots appeared on his grey top. He rolled off in panic, and Asty followed him, pushing the knife as hard as she could. For a brief moment, their eyes met, and he swung his fist at her without success. As Ray fell on his back, his weight added to Asty’s own strength, pulling the knife through flesh, across his stomach, opening him up for the world to see all of the ugliness inside of him.

  Ray swore and gasped for air, but as he was losing blood by the second, no attempts at crawling would help him. He grabbed at Asty’s hair, pulling on it with rage and panic painted on his face, all this with a huge gash in his body. He was like a cockroach that just wouldn’t die, no matter how hard you hit it.

  And so Asty kept hitting. Each stab sprayed her with dampness when she yanked the dagger out of his body, but she grabbed the handle with both hands and hit down harder and harder, screaming with disgust as Ray’s blood stuck to her naked skin. She wouldn’t let him hurt her family. He would die for trying to.

  In her rage, she almost slashed Hunter with the knife when he got to her on all fours and touched her arm. “Asty. He’s dead. I think he’s dead.” His voice was raspy and every other word had him heaving.

  She looked at him and then at Ray. The empty look in his eyes, bright in the background of bloodstained skin was what made her sit back on her heels, melting into Hunter’s arms. She sobbed, staring at the gore all over her naked body, and tried to uncurl her fingers from around the dagger, but it was as if her hand had become a separate being that refused to listen.

  “It’s all right,” Hunter whispered even though he only hugged her with one arm. “I’ve got you. It’s okay. He’s gone.” His body felt cool to the touch, and she sobbed because it only reminded her of the death on her hands.

  She eventually dropped her weapon and turned to Hunter, remembering his injured arm. “Are you ...” Her breath came in shallow gasps and made it hard for her to speak in complete sentences. “Your arm?”