by V. F. Mason
No, I speed up even more as the wind slaps me and birds squawk loudly above me.
The last time I ran so fast was when I escaped Edward’s mansion, chasing my freedom with two boys who wanted to live as much as I did.
As if on cue from both my sides, the same two boys who are now men appear, matching my speed and running alongside me toward my woman who my life depends on now.
If she dies, my darkness will swallow me whole, and no one will ever be able to bring me back.
Just a little more and we reach it, Callum shooting the guards, and I see the coffin already covered a little by the sand.
Grabbing the ropes they lowered it with from one side and with Arson holding the other, we pull at it, groaning at the weight.
Callum quickly stands by my side, pulling with all his strength as we slowly, too fucking slowly as every second is gold, get it out and shift it to the side where it drops roughly.
The fucking coffin has a lock on it. Gripping a shovel, I hit it several times before it breaks, and we flip the lid open.
“Briseis,” I whisper, finding her lifeless, and drag her body outside, lowering her to the ground. “Briseis.”
Arson pushes me away, telling Callum, “Hold him,” before he kneels over Briseis.
Callum wraps his arms around me as I try to get away, but he doesn’t let me, keeping me in place where all I can do is watch my friend trying to save her.
Arson places his hand on her throat, and not feeling the pulse, he starts to do CPR on her. I shake my head, lunging toward her, but Callum’s arms are strong. “Let me go.” All my pleas are unheard though. The pounding in my chest is so rapid I hear my heartbeat in my ears and wish to share it with her so she will finally wake up, alive.
He continues to perform compressions on her, but she has no reaction, and I’m ready to roar at the injustice of it all.
How could life be this cruel again after giving me her?
So I do something for the first time in two decades, something I thought I’d never be able to do again, because I didn’t believe in it, and they all fell on deaf ears anyway.
I pray.
I pray and hope this time around God hears me.
Chapter Twenty
“Bring love to my darkness, and I promise I will never make you regret it…”
Santiago
Briseis
The beeping sound irritates my ears, surrounding my head and pressing on it so hard I wince, only to groan when pain travels all over my scalp as if thousands of goose bumps rush through me, over and over.
My eyes snap open, closing again when the blinding light streaming through the window cascades down on me and burns them.
Lifting my arm to block some of it, I try to peel open my eyelids again, and finally, slowly, my vision adjusts. I gasp in surprise when I see a heart monitor attached to me showing my accelerated heartbeat and an IV stuck inside my other hand that is asleep because of the person lying on my arm.
My insides warm as I study Santiago, exhaustion written all over his features, and he’s wearing a rumpled sweater that has so much dirt on it I’m surprised they allowed him inside the hospital room.
A smile curves my mouth, and I frown when breathing becomes difficult, only now noticing the oxygen mask attached to me. I quickly remove it, gulping for a deep breath, and swallow past the saliva gathered in my mouth, only to groan when it brings pain to my dry throat.
A whimper slips past my lips, the tears forming in my eyes and sliding down my cheeks while massive relief washes over me, letting the horror I’ve experienced slowly fade away like a bad dream that should have never happened.
“Shhh… Don’t cry, mi amor,” Santiago’s whispers, sitting up and leaning toward me, his knuckles wiping away my tears one by one as his other hand cups my cheek, his thumb gently rubbing my skin while his intense gaze focuses on me. “You’re safe. He won’t hurt you anymore.”
My fingers clutch his sweater, bringing him closer to me so our mouths are a breath away from each other, and he rests his forehead against mine. “Did you kill him?” Andreas might be my father by blood, but I don't feel any emotions toward him besides disgust for ruining Santiago’s life the way he did. My suffering at Howard’s mercy doesn't even compare to what my husband was subjected to.
And for my mother who was naïve enough to fall in love with the wrong man, and because of it, the evil one inflicted his revenge through her. I could never blame her, but I’m grateful to her for giving me a chance to live, despite hating my father’s guts.
He waits a beat before answering. “No, I think my father did.” My eyes widen in surprise at this, and his mouth tips in a smile. “Long story, mi amor. I’ll tell you later. The only thing that matters to me—” He lifts his head and removes a lock falling across my nose and places a soft kiss on my forehead, whispering over my skin. “—is that you’re alive and well in my arms right now.”
What? He doesn't care if his vengeance is complete?
“Santiago—”
He puts his index finger on my lips, shutting me up, and then our eyes meet again. This time, I recognize the emotion flashing in there, an emotion he probably sees in mine too.
Love.
“Nothing and no one in this world is more important to me than you.” A raspy breath leaves me followed by the tears dripping on my cheeks again, and he scoops them up with his lips, trailing after them and leaving butterfly kisses in his wake. “Do you want to hear a story?”
“Always,” I murmur, and he rises again, my tears momentarily stopping as he slides his hand to my neck, his thumb pressing now on my pulse as if he needs to feel my heartbeat to make sure I’m alive.
“Once upon a time, there was a boy named Santiago Cortez, who ended up in a nightmare.” The breath hitches in my throat, and I open my mouth to tell him to stop, not now, not when the pain from Andreas is so raw in us, but he shakes his head. “Every single day, he wondered why the God his parents had such fondness for allowed all the dark shit to happen to him. He never got an explanation, only more monsters to feast on his flesh.” He exhales a breath. “The pain within his heart grew so much he had to block it away in order to survive.”
My fingers shift to his collarbone, placing my splayed palm there and feeling the heat of his skin under it.
“Until one day he found an angel who didn't fit in his hell, but he was adamant on keeping her.” His gaze roams over me. “An angel who soothed the pain, making him believe that, despite his past, he was capable of experiencing something besides hate, rage, and pain covered by indifference.” He catches my palm and moves it to his heart where it beats rapidly. “Te quiero, Briseis.”
He squeezes my hand, his voice becoming rougher while tears once again continue to spill from my eyes. My body trembles slightly at the emotions washing over me, filling me with such happiness I’m afraid I might burst.
“I don't care what blood runs through your veins, because you’re mine and only mine. Nothing else matters. I finally accept this dark fate of mine, because it led me to you.”
Although my showing up in his life hardly makes up for all the shit done to him, I’m so touched by his words. Words I hear for the first time in my life. “I love you too,” I say quickly when a vulnerable expression from my prolonged silence settles on his face. “No one ever loved me before. Thank you.” Taking a deep breath, I say, “I love you without reservations and with all your darkness. I’m not waiting for a prince to show up. I’m happy with my beast.”
This darkness that he turned to is permanently attached to him, a second skin that digs its claws into him and will never let him go.
I accept this darkness and will learn to coexist with it, as long as it knows its boundaries and doesn't drag him farther into hell.
Loving him will never be easy, but I don’t mind.
A beat passes as we stare at one another, and then he captures my mouth, delving his tongue inside and entwining it with mine as he gives me a soft, deep kis
s as if cementing our confession, and despite my body aching, pleasure travels through me.
A loud knock on the door tears into our moment, and the kiss ends too soon to my groan of displeasure. Santiago chuckles, running his hand over my hair, and then shifts a little to the side as we see the door open and people burst inside.
Rebecca stands next to Jimena, who holds a heavy bouquet of red roses, as they grin widely and wave at me. Lucian is behind them, his brown eyes softening slightly when they land on us.
“Can we come in, hermano?” Jimena asks, sauntering inside and walking to me, not really caring about her brother’s reply. “Hola, girl. Please don't scare us like that in the future.” She leans closer, gives me a soft peck on the cheek, and the roses’ scent twitches my nostrils, tickling them lightly. “Fresh from Mom’s garden. I’m gonna put them in a vase.”
She dances off to the table where there is indeed a vase—this room must cost a fortune—making room for Rebecca, who gently pats me on the head, her motherly gaze scanning my features before she exhales heavily.
“I was so worried, but thank God you’re all right.” She hugs me close—well, as much as it’s possible in my situation, practically being swallowed by the soft pillows. “Hopefully, the rest of your married life will be boring, so I won’t get more gray hair.”
I laugh at this, and she pats my cheek before stepping aside, and Lucian just leans closer to give me a kiss on the forehead without any words, yet the gesture itself means so much. He accepts me into his family and sees me and not Andreas’s bad seed who he should hate.
The clearing of a throat coming from the door makes me look there again, where the rest of the dark four are leaning on the doorjamb, each having a different reaction.
Florian winks at me, and then his gaze slightly lingers on Jimena, who ignores his ass. Octavius salutes me, already seeming bored with the whole thing. Remi’s chest though is bare, as he has a bandage over it and wears scrubs. Oh no, he must have been hurt during this!
But he only slightly nods at me, and I understand the gesture at once.
Pick your alliances and loyalties well, Briseis.
As I look around the family that Santiago gifted me with when he married me, from his parents and sister to his best friends, I know these are the people who will stand by me through anything.
Who will protect me no matter what.
Their love and loyalty are not based on some thing; they love you, because one of their own chose you, and as such, you become part of the family.
I chose my loyalties right.
They all live on the dark side… but their dark side has so much love in it.
And that’s all that matters to me.
Santiago
As my family showers Briseis with love and attention, I walk outside and close the door behind me.
My three best friends stand around me, and Florian updates me on the latest news, since I’ve been stuck in the hospital for the last twenty-four hours. Although the doctors said they didn't know what kind of damage was done to Briseis’s body or brain, they kept her overnight and ran different tests while placing an oxygen mask on her, as her lungs might not have worked properly.
During this time, the zookeeper informed me Leo made it through surgery, and now we just have to wait to see if he can get better. I believe in my lion though; he’s a survivor.
Arson and Callum stayed by my side, waiting until the doctor cleared her and told me she just needs rest. They might never consider me a friend, but I’m so thankful they showed up when it mattered the most.
And that’s our relationship, right?
Be there when shit hits the fan, because our memories will always be the glue keeping our loyalty intact.
“We destroyed the place after finding the paperwork with his business partners’ names. We sent it to the cops from an unrecognizable server, so they should drag down the rest.”
“Any kids?” I ask, hating only one thing about finding Andreas just now. Kids still suffered because of his madness.
Octavius shakes his head. “Not here, but in the warehouse he has in New York, there were kids. Lachlan took care of that.”
I sigh, relief slamming into me finally that this situation is over, and I put my hand on Remi’s shoulder, watching his expression and not finding any pain. “Are you all right?”
He grins. “Si. No major arteries touched. They had to get the bullet out and yelled about not walking, but I’m fine.” Although he says these words, I see a light sweat on his forehead and his heavy breathing.
Carefully, I give him a man hug, slapping his back, and whisper, “Thank you for taking a bullet for me.” Even though I don't say more, I tighten my hold on him, because I’m thankful for so many things when it comes to him.
If he had given up on me all those years ago, I would have been all alone in this world and never knew what it’s like to be secure in the knowledge that your best friend will follow you to the ends of time.
“Always.” He leans back and then announces, “Octavius, take me to my room, because I’m going to swoon at Florian’s feet, and people might think I have a crush on him.” He grabs his chin, squeezing it. “After all, he’s so pretty.”
Florian flips him the bird while Octavius and I share a laugh before he drags Remi to the other end of corridor.
“I’m gonna go too. Need to finish the hospital paperwork on Remi and then pay the bills.” Florian slaps my arm and heads to the elevators, leaving me standing alone where I can hear Briseis laughing in her hospital room, which, in turn, produces my own smile.
My wife.
It’s short-lived though when the door opens and my eyes meet my father’s, who addresses me as he’s always done over the last sixteen years. I’ve never, ever willingly started a conversation with him. “Your mother would like some coffee. I’m going to grab it downstairs. It’ll probably take me a while, so you can go back inside. I won’t be there to bother you.” He moves in the same direction as Florian.
Is this what he thinks? That I left the room because he was in it?
What else could he think though?
I’ve given nothing but grief to my own father, who I’ve punished for something that was out of his control.
I blamed the victim, when instead, I should have tried to understand him, talk to him about my fears, listen to what happened in those years I was gone, and see my pain through his eyes.
He even taught me how to be a serial killer to kill Andreas, shared all his knowledge incognito, putting my needs and safety above the desire to establish a connection with me.
Countless memories of me being a dick to my dad play in my mind.
Refusing to acknowledge him.
Turning everything into an argument.
Never hiding my hate toward him and essentially shutting him out.
Just to name a few.
By accepting my mother and sister, even my friends, I made it clear to my dad he was to blame for everything that happened to me and I regretted being his son. I wanted him to experience pain every single day, so he wouldn’t find peace.
And why?
Because I was too afraid he might reject me, so I rejected him first.
My childhood hero, who I transformed into a villain in my head.
“Dad,” I call him before I lose the courage.
He stops in his tracks, spinning around to face me, surprise evident on his face. I clear my throat, trying to push the words out that I should have said sixteen years ago.
And God, I feel like that fifteen-year-old boy now.
Scared to death to look at his father, tears forming in my eyes for the first time in twenty years, and I find the courage to finally face my greatest fear head-on.
“I survived until I could beat them.” My words are barely audible in the empty hallway, my lungs burning along with my heart that beats so rapidly I hear the drumming in my ears. I desperately want to gulp for breath, but I’m too afraid to make the slightest move.<
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My body trembles; the stupid tears scatter down my cheeks and drip on the floor as we watch each other.
I wipe them away, despising myself for this weakness, but I’m no longer a monster standing in front of Lucian Cortez, am I?
No, I’m his son who craves his acceptance so much.
My father’s eyes glisten, and it takes me a second to realize he has his own tears, and I’m not sure who makes the first move, but I end up in his arms, hugging him close while his massive arms wrap me so tightly, taking me back to my childhood when this man had the power to make everything right in this world.
A sob threatens to escape me, but I hold it back, silently crying, finally allowing myself to do it, because my father is here to catch me, and he killed the demon who destroyed my life.
He squeezes me even harsher and, wiping away any other voices in my head, he says, “Of course you did. Tú eres mi hijo.”
You’re my son.
I scrunch my eyes when the meaning of his words settle in me, slipping into every broken crack of my soul and soothing the pain weighing on me for decades.
Because that’s the truth, right?
No matter what happened to me… I will always be his son.
Always be worthy of his love.
And finally, the boy inside me who still bleeds to this day finds peace.
Lullabied by his father who rocks him in his arms.
Lucian
My shoes thump loudly on the concrete as I go down the stairs, the rusty walls greeting me while popping memories in my head of how, once upon a time, these walls knew nothing but my victims’ cries of despair.
Several even hold scratch marks of those who thought they could claw their way out of here just because I didn't strap them to the chair or table.
Sometimes, the hunter likes the prey to believe it can escape, only to trap it once again, watching agony flash on its face.
I let the familiar excitement rush through my blood, pumping adrenaline in my veins and awakening desires I’ve kept at bay for a long time.
Ever since I met my wife, who agreed to become mine, but only if I stopped killing as frequently as I’d done before meeting her.