Claimed by Shadows (Kissed by Shadows Series, Book 3)
Page 24
A noise beside me makes me jump slightly. Until she cleared her throat, I had almost forgotten she was there.
“Look, I did what you asked me. I drugged her and got you in. Now it’s time for my payment,” she says.
She holds her hand out. I smirk and hand her the tiny bottle.
“Pleasure doing business with you,” I say.
“I wish I could say the same,” she says as she leaves the room, pulling the door shut behind her.
She is pathetic. She came to Quinn before she became Keysu and asked for her help to end her addiction for good. Quinn agreed to help her as a favor to Saudia. After she became Keysu, Tracey couldn’t do it without Quinn’s mixture. She was only three doses away from being drug-free forever, so she told her she would help her—in exchange for what she needed. I remember Quinn asking her what Saudia would think if she knew Tracey was betraying the team.
Tracey told Quinn that Saudia would never find out. And that really, she was doing this for her so that she could be truly free of the drugs.
It started out simple. Quinn told her she wanted a hair from Regal’s head. Tracey delivered it, expecting the mixture, but Quinn was far from done with her. She had big plans to use Tracey. Of course, Tracey told her the deal was off, but Quinn showed her the video she had of their earlier conversation. Tracey knew Saudia could never see that video.
So, Quinn played with her, using her more and more. I suppose I could have done the same, but the truth is she disgusts me. How she betrayed Saudia like that—it reminds me too much of how Kane betrayed me. So, I used her for this one last thing and gave her what she wanted. I still have the video, so I can always get her back if I do need her for anything.
I’m thinking of Kane again. I push his betrayal to the back of my mind. I need to break Atlas. She’s the only thing that is coming between us, and once she’s gone, I know Kane will come back to me. Back to himself.
I look down at the girl in the bed again—Atlas; who else would it be?—and I reach out and push her hair back from her face. She mutters in her sleep, but she doesn’t wake up. Obviously.
The York mixture I gave Tracey to use on Atlas will keep her unconscious and strip away her powers, but it won’t harm her in any other way. The harm will come later.
I smile and whisper softly to Atlas.
“No, Atlas, this won’t harm you. And it won’t kill you, although you might end up wishing it did. See, death is too easy for you. I need you to feel what I felt. To know real pain. And to know that you took away the one thing I had that made that pain bearable the day you took my brother from me.
“Do you know what they did to us at the Meat Market? You might think you know from the bits Kane has told you, but he only told you the bits that he could bear to talk about. He didn’t tell you what it was really like. He didn’t tell you about the dirty old men who tore into our flesh, who made us do things no one should be forced to do. He didn’t tell you about the way they smelled, so close to us, or the look of glee in their eyes as we gagged.
“He didn’t tell you the half of it. And as bad as it was, I had Kane, and he had me. Brothers, friends. We raged together, plotted together. We would have our revenge and watch the world burn together. And knowing that Kane had my back, that we were in this thing together—it made it bearable. And you took that from me. And now you will pay. Dearly.”
I can feel my temper rising, and my voice is no longer soft. I have to get out of here before one of the others wakes up and comes to Atlas’s rescue. I haven’t come this far to be stopped now.
I reach down and pick up Atlas’s unconscious body and sling her over my shoulder. She doesn’t even stir. I fly us out through the window and head for the alley. The alley where I know the delivery van will be almost loaded up and ready to go now.
I hang back in the shadows, waiting a few moments until the men loading the van go back inside the warehouse. I creep forward and throw Atlas down roughly amongst the supplies. I look down at her prone body and grin.
“You see, Atlas, I realized something. It doesn’t matter how much Kane tells you about what went on in the Meat Market. You will never fully understand it—the pain, the fear, wanting to die—unless you have lived it. And I very much want you to understand what Kane and I endured. I want you to live the hell we lived.
“I want you to quake in fear, and I want you to feel every bit as worthless and as helpless as we did then. Why? Because you think it’s so easy to be good. Well, let’s see how your soul and your morals hold up after you endure what we did.”
I turn and walk away, leaving her in the van.
“Atlas Morgan, welcome to the Meat Market.”
END OF BOOK 3!
Note:
For the readers who are uneasy about possible rape scenes in book 4, rest assured, book 4 will not focus on rape or assault. It will focus on what Kane is willing to do to save the girl he loves. And how Atlas finds inner strength.
BOOK 4 “Scorned By Shadows” is out June 28th 2018
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