Page 67 of Taint My Soul

“You’re not the only monster.” He sighs, voice barely above a whisper. Telling him everything means I have to reveal the truth about my family, and I’m not prepared for the consequences of sharing that information. Not when I’m aware that loving me would get him brutally executed by my father. It would kill me if I have to take away the life of someone else just because I can’t control my sickness.

“What’s your story?”

“Me? I don’t have a story.” He shifts uncomfortably.

“Hmm.” I shake my head. “I find that very hard to believe.”

“Well, my parents died when I was really young, and I lived with my uncle until I was twenty. It wasn’t fun.”

“He put his hands on you?” I demand for an answer, face sharpening lethally.

“Will you kill him?” His eyes meet my cold, steel gaze.

“Depends. If you want me to.” My words are impassive. Too cold for him, perhaps.

“Are you okay? I mean, you’re claustrophobic?”

“It’s easier to handle it when someone else is with me,” I murmur. “When I’m with you, I don’t feel trapped.” I admit, eyes gilded with emotion as I glance at him. My words puncture his lungs, and a gravelly breath escapes him.

“How did it happen to you?”

“My father put me in the Red Vault,” I states, and his brows arch with curiosity. An ominous feeling settles in the pit of my stomach. “He built it for prisoners who defied him, but unfortunately for me, kissing a guy was part of that defiance.”

“A prison? What kind of man could do that to his child?”

"My father, apparently." I sigh. Disgust appears on his features briefly as his jaw hardens. Who wouldn't hate Tobias King when they learn what he subjects his own blood to?

He exhales sharply. “Can we talk about something else?” He asks quietly, eyes shining with pain. “Like how we can escape here.”

“If you have a plan, then please by all means do tell.” I shrug.

“Whatever, jackass.” He rolls his eyes, and I scoff with a slight chuckle.

“Don’t worry. We’ll be out of here.” I promise, hoping it’s enough to keep him calm. I got him into this mess because I couldn’t control myself. I’ll make sure he makes it out of here alive.

Boots thunder through the crooked hallway. My gaze snaps to the exit, heart jumping into my throat. I swallow hard, jaw setting as I prepare for my move. Three men in all black outfits appear at the entrance. Hands firmly held around their guns. The metal bars of the cell creaks as a soldier opens the door and floods in. One moves beside Mason with the keys, and the other two stand beside me.

My pulse rampages, quick breaths sawing out of my lungs. My eyes track the room unevenly as the soldier unchains Mason.

“What are you doing?” I choke out, a sudden panic shattering my voice.

“Cyrus wants him. What Cyrus wants, Cyrus gets.” The soldier beside me smirk.

“No, don’t take him.” I snap at them, and the chains rattle against the weight of my struggle. A red haze settles over my vision. My jaw clench so hard my bones crack. I’ll fucking kill them all if they laid a hand on him. “Don’t take him!” My voice thunders with terror.

As the chains slips free around Mason’s arms, he dives the soldier. They get into a brawl, rolling around the concrete floor. Mason manages to snatch his pistol and hold it to his head. The soldier panics and puts his hands up in surrender.

Color me fucking surprised.

Before I can revel in my pride for him, the grip of the gun slams into my temple. Pain explodes at the side of my head. My vision blurs with red as my head snaps to the side.

“Put the gun down, or I’ll kill him.” The soldier says and slams his gun into my head again. My cloudy gaze drops to Mason. He points the gun from one soldier to another, panic flashing in his brown eyes.

The soldier he tackled earlier takes advantage of the distraction and snatches the gun around, knocking him out with a punch. With my head hanging low, I look up through bruised and unfocused eyes, I watch as the soldiers drag Mason out of the cell, hand wrapped around his ankle.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

MASON