by Tara Lee
“Your second mistake, thinking you can steal her from me.”
“She is mine,” he bellows.
Jacob rips his head back by his hair forcing his neck to strain upright.
“Watch your tongue.” His sneer is clear.
“Gui, giacobbe- down, Jacob.”
“Si, capo- yes, boss.”
I raise my hand to settle him.
Jacob is like a wild beast, any quick movement can set him off.
I walk toward where Eric is strapped to the chair, and pick up a small knife from the table, looking over what other delightful objects my men placed there.
I swing it in my hand, secretly loving how it feels between my fingers. I would never harm anyone, not to the point of torture like my father.
But Eric deserves everything I’m about to give him.
Every. Fucking. Thing.
“You see, when you touched her and forced yourself on her...”
I grit my teeth and watch for his reaction, because I know what he did.
I know that while her parents had her locked away for those couple of days the first time, he raped her.
He forced himself on her and took from her without her permission.
Eric watches my every move as I walk around him, the knife swinging between my fingers. The nerves bounce off him.
The fucker should be nervous.
I come to a stop in front of him. I slam the knife into his thigh, and he lets out a blood-curdling scream.
“You pissed off the mostro- monster.” I growl, leaning in toward him.
Sweat beads down his face as blood drips down his leg.
I twist the knife slowly. He shakes and clenches his fists from the discomfort.
His garbled cries are music to my ears as the knife twists between his flesh. Eric’s breaths are heavy; he pants through the pain.
“If you had just walked away, well, we wouldn’t be here right now.”
It’s a lie, I probably would have still killed him. He’s worthless, after all.
“Please,” he cries in agony. Spit flies from his mouth, his cheeks wet with tears.
This sight right here. Makes my black soul fill with delight.
“Oh, we’re nowhere near done.” I chuckle.
I use every single tool on the table, cutting, slicing, and slowly torturing the man in front of me. The need to watch him bleed is more powerful than anything before.
Eric cries out as I slice off each and every one of his fingers. He's collapsed three times from the torture but nothing will stop me until he’s all but broken flesh.
My heart races. I watch his eyes roll to the back of his head. His garbled words make no sense, but the pure ecstasy I feel right now is a euphoria like no other.
For the next four hours, I slice and cut open Eric Callington until he bleeds out.
By the end, he’s a pathetic mess, dripping on my floor.
I lean into his ear, even though I know he’s seconds from death.
“You awoke the monster, Carrington. Aren’t you glad you got to meet him?
The last thing he feels before his life slowly drains from him is me slicing his dick off. I almost feed it to him, but even Jacob thinks he’s suffered enough.
Not that he could use his mouth after I yanked all his teeth out.
I leave him in a bloody mess while his heart finally stops beating.
I did this for her.
For my queen.
She never has to fear him again.
His blood coats my hands while I try to remove as much as I can with a cloth, waiting for Callie to wake.
The monster in me feels joy looking at it.
My mouth twists into a self-assured grin. Picking Eric apart piece by piece sated the monster inside me, but for how long?
I know it’s only a matter of time before he’ll want to come out and play again.
I should have showered before Callie wakes, but I want her to shower with me to see me, for who I really am now.
The monster she’ll grow to love again. Selfish? Perhaps, but I need her to see me like this.
I just hope it’s easier to convince her than Ethan. This side of me is something she’ll have to accept, even come to love, just like I have. It won’t be easy, but a part of me wants her to crave this side of me. Is that sick?
Does it make me a fucking psycho?
Callie is addictive. Knowing how she tastes, feels, even smells, there’s no way I will grow to care deeply for anyone else. Callie is it for me. She’s my everything, my light.
I have the power to ruin anyone, and given that I lost a month with Callie, the darkness crept in.
Nightmares plagued my dreams again. But instead of seeing my mother lying there frozen, helpless, unmoving, Callie’s face had replaced hers.
The urge to lock Callie away to protect her from the evil in this world is strong, but if I do that there’s no chance of her ever forgiving me.
I’m not about to be another man who locks her away for his own benefit. I need Callie like the air I breathe, but the thought of losing her again makes the pain too much.
The blankets move, and I watch as she sits up rubbing her eyes. She looks a lot more rested than she did earlier, and I’m pleased.
She blinks at me a few times before she takes me in.
“Bishop.” Her soft voice breaks.
She climbs from the bed, padding slowly toward me. I see the moment she takes every part of me in.
The way her face freezes, eyeing every inch of me.
I’m covered in blood. His blood drops cover my face and my hands, as much as I tried to clean it off. The blood has spread over them and they seem worse than they are.
Callie takes me in, her eyes never leaving my body.
Her breathing has accelerated, and the slight tremor doesn’t go unnoticed.
She’s frightened.
She doesn’t come closer. I guess it’s up to me.
Her eyes drift toward my face as I close the distance between us.
“Shower with me.” I kiss her lips softly, giving her some clarity.
“Bishop?” Her voice wavers a little, but I know she wants to know.
“Non ti farà più del male, bambina- he won’t hurt you ever again baby.”
I kiss her forehead with a small smile playing on my lips when I realize she didn’t understand a word I said.
I move her toward the bathroom. My hand rests on her lower back, guiding her in.
She’s still as I turn the nozzle, letting water cascade down. I start undressing her, not stopping to cherish how soft her skin feels or the goosebumps that form over her. Once she’s naked, I run my fingers down her spine.
Touching her again almost doesn’t seem real.
I nearly lost her.
I place a kiss on her shoulder as I remove my own clothes.
She doesn’t speak, and I pull her under the spray with me. Her head stays down, the bottom of the shower filling with red.
His blood washes away, the drain swallowing it up, like it was never here.
She bites her bottom lip and she ghosts her fingers over my chest. She traces over each tattoo, never looking into my eyes.
My fingers clench, rising to twist her hair between them. I force her to focus on me. Tears brim her eyelashes, and ever so slowly, my lips take her.
I kiss away her pain, kiss away the uncertainty, and I kiss away every memory of him.
She knows my deepest, darkest secrets, so to her I’m the villain. But if anyone tries to take her from me, I’ll kill them.
The shower is cold by the time her last tears have fallen.
I help her out by wrapping her in a soft towel. She watches as I sheathe one around myself.
I smile down at her and lead her back to bed.
She doesn’t refuse when I remove the towel and encase a fluffy gown around her.
Her eyes appear tired again, and I’m guessing all these tears are wearing her out.
I force her to
lie down then I pull on boxers. I crawl in behind her, tugging her to me. She doesn’t argue and doesn't even fight me.
What happened to the little spitfire who calls me on my shit?
Has Eric sucked that part of her out?
She turns in my arms, forcing her shoulder to slip from the gown. My fingers can’t help but find their way to cast soft circles back and forth as she just stares up at me.
“So it's true?” she asks
“What is?”
“The blood in your veins runs evil?”
I smirk, sliding my hand over the stubble on my chin.
“Evil? No. Not even close.”
Callie's eyes dart over me. I can see her mind trying to piece it all together. Right now, all she sees is the bad guy.
To her, because of my name, I'm evil.
She has every right to assume that I mean my last name is Demetrius after all.
I inject my venom into her veins, yet to her I’m the villain. Maybe I’m more than that? Perhaps my life is meant to end in darkness ultimately.
“I promise, brat, the only evil things I want to do to you are tangled between the sheets on my bed.”
I almost don't hear her soft gasp over the pounding in my chest. I move closer toward her. Goosebumps appear over her flushed skin, and her cheeks have a soft glow to them, tenting my boxers, because any smart man could tell how turned on Callie is right now.
“You know what I think piccolina?”
I can hear how gravelly my voice is.
She swallows, and it doesn't go unnoticed how her nipples pebble under her gown.
My hand makes a path over her hip, sliding under her gown, touching a softness so perfect my cock is straining.
I continue until I'm met with the hardest nipple.
I smirk. I love it when she’s bare. Even if it’s by my doing.
Big mistake, princess.
“I think if I was to taste you right now, it would take all of five seconds for you to detonate on my tongue.”
Her whimper sends me over the edge. My mouth crashes to hers in a heated kiss that makes me growl as her tongue meets mine. My hand wraps around her throat, and she moans at my fingers clamping down.
Fuck, this woman will be the death of me.
“Tell me to stop, baby? I should stop.” I bite down hard on her bottom lip, tasting blood. I massage my tongue with hers, savoring as much of her as I can.
My whole body rubs against hers. This is what we do best. This is us.
Taming the beast inside me, knowing she needs to rest. I instantly still over her, ripping my mouth away from hers, leaving her wanton and needy.
She takes deep breaths, calming the heat that is surely rippling through her.
I move off her and drop beside her to my back. I bring her to my chest, eager to keep her close.
“I’m no good for you, but fuck if I can stop what you do to me, piccolina.”
A loan tear slips down her cheek, and I wipe it away with my thumb. I lie silently while I let Callie sprawl over me.
Each time her fingers brush against my skin, I twitch. The need to take her again until she can’t walk burns deep, but I have to take it easy.
“I’m not sure what to feel anymore.”
Her voice breaks. Her mind is probably coming up with a thousand different scenarios.
“I promise I will protect you with everything I have, piccolina.”
She swallows, her eyes shining with a yearning for more.
“You’re my queen, Callie.
I bow only for you.”
I kiss the tip of her nose, and she settles into my chest again.
“Fight me all you want, brat, but you are mine, and I take care of what’s mine.”
I kiss the top of her head, letting her know this conversation is done.
After what feels like hours, Callie finally swallows and says,
“Was it him?”
I nod, knowing she means Eric.
“Thank you.” She nuzzles into my side and closes her eyes.
Her body relaxes. I can’t imagine what she’s been through this last month. I should have gone to her sooner.
I thought he had left. Turns out he had been hiding right here the whole time. Callie is stronger than she thinks, my little brat is a fighter.
I watch as she cuddles into me, sleep finally taking her.
Once I know she’s settled and I won't risk waking her, I slide out from under her, and head down to my office.
This house is one of the first things I bought. I know deep down I’ll never need this much space, but in the hopes Callie would accept me— accept us—. I’d wanted to spoil her.
She deserves to be shown what she means to me. Once she sees her closet and the small box that’s burning a hole in the back of my drawer, she will likely blow a gasket.
Callie hates the life her parents have, and being with me, she’ll be thrust back into that world.
Only difference between me and her parents is. I actually give a crap about her and her feelings. That being said, I’m a controlling bastard, and Callie would more than likely want to throttle me time and time again.
Jacob and Dexter are waiting in my office by the time I enter. Slowly, I take my place, tapping my fingers against the hard-wood desk.
“Final shipment comes in tonight.” Jacob hands me photos.
I casually look over them. I can see he has more to say.
“Sputalo e basta-just spit it out,” I grind.
“Okay.” He clears his throat side-eyeing Dexter. They’ve come to pick up bits and pieces of my Italian.
I’m glad because it comes out more often than not these days.
Dexter answers to me first and Jacob second. He knows his place and has been very loyal since I transitioned into my fathers role.
“Do you think this is wise?”
“Saggia-wise.” Crossing my hands together, I link my fingers, leaning my elbows on the desk.
“It’s just that your father has been in business with Boris since the dawn of the fucking dinosaurs, and getting out now may be a mistake, and to add, cost you millions.”
I wave him off like I hear the world ‘millions’ every day.
Even now, if I stopped doing every deal my father did, I could live comfortably off the money he set aside for me.
Yeah, shocker, right. I was surprised too when my father handed me the offshore account under my name with a larger than large amount of money that I will never spend in this lifetime.
How he did it, well, he didn't elaborate, and I didn’t want the details. As long as it wouldn’t bite me in the ass in the future— and I have my fathers word it wouldn’t—, but seeing how I never fully trust the old man, time will tell.
James knocks quietly, only coming in when I yell for him to. No words are needed. I know why he’s here.
By the time I’m done with my meeting, Callie is downstairs in the kitchen, sitting at the bar talking to Kat. Her back is to me, and she looks well-rested.
Casually, I stroll over to her caging her between my arms. My lips ghost her ear as my teeth scrape over her heated skin, and I leave soft kisses over her neck.
Callie hums, tilting her neck to give me better access.
My hands slide down over her hips, gripping her flesh, forcing her legs open with my palms. She doesn’t hesitate as my fingers glide over her clit.
Aching and hard as a fucking rock, I pull back before I take her over the bar.
Callie frowns as I leave a soft kiss on her nose.
“Dinner, I need to feed you.” Moving her hair behind her ear, I can see the temptation in her eyes, but I also see the hesitation.
Knowing she is split about me and doesn’t know how to feel hurts like a bitch, but I can persuade her to be with me.
Kat busies herself making pasta while I sit next to Callie, leaving only a small space between our thighs.
Callie wants me, there’s no denying that, I can fucking smell her.
&nbs
p; My gaze drops to her mouth, she bites on her lip, then I catch her fingers fiddling with a napkin in front of her.
She nibbles on her bottom lip, and seeing the pink flesh turn white for just a few fleeting moments has the monster in me craving to do the same.
