AllFreeNovel
Share Us
But tonight, these men are meeting those aspects— torturer and executioner.
†††
~Dresden~
As soon as Lily dragged the captives here and tied them to the training posts, I forced Shannon, Sorina, and Teresa to go in the house. Blake refused, as usual. That guy really is a glutton for punishment. He and Dr. Saladinya stand together watching Lily like hawks.
They aren’t going to like what they see.
I’ve only seen her like this once, three years ago, and everything in me prayed I never would again. But it’s here tonight. The moment she looked over her shoulder, locking eyes with me, it was there. The moonlight hit her sapphire irises just right, and they glowed, a carnal, malevolent smile on her lips— more snarl than a smile, really.
The tension radiating off the team is so thick it’s suffocating. Shaking my head, I move to Blake’s side, my hands shaking in my pockets. Trying to stop Lily right now would be a death sentence. All rationalization and humanity leave her in these moments. The anger in my veins is white-hot and makes me want to find Jax and rip his throat out. He did this to her. Not the ring, not her parents, not her emotions . . . Jax.
I should’ve questioned his training of her earlier. Looking back, the warning signs were so obvious. It’s too late now, though. This mode, this version of Lily, is a true beast. Calling her a woman is out of the question . . . human is even far-fetched.
She twirls her hunting knife in her hands, watching the light bounce off it. Her body is relaxed, fluid, as she moves around the Taurus hitman. The lump in my throat sticks as she slowly and methodically cuts his clothes away, leaving him in nothing but a pair of boxer briefs. She even kneels down to remove his shoes and socks.
“Here we go,” I whisper.
Blake’s eyes widen, following her every move as she presses her body flush against the captive in front of her. “Li—”
I grab his arm, effectively shutting him up. “That ain’t Lily anymore, Blake. Keep your mouth shut for now. Trust me.”
“Then who is she if not my Lily?”
“That . . . creature is The Viper. The heartless, unfeeling, inhuman assassin Jax created. If you even get near her right now, she’ll slit your throat, not realizing you’re the man she loves.”
There’s only one other person on this team that can let themselves go like she can and do the things she’s about to do. It must be a Romanian thing. He’s also the only one she seems capable of having near her and communicating with, without snapping and killing him by accident.
“Rattlesnake,” she calls.
Vlad doesn’t hesitate. He strolls to her side, stopping an inch from her body, his eyes hard and blank. I hate seeing them like this. Once was enough. If I thought for one second I could stop her and keep my life, this wouldn’t even be happening.
“Viper?”
“Second bag, a bottle of alcohol.”
He retrieves the bottle, opening it before handing it to her. Rubbing alcohol assaults my nostrils. My stomach heaves. She only does this for one reason. The Viper gets a high off causing people pain. The more pain, the greater the high. We’ve tried to save her from herself, from this aspect of herself a lot. Vlad won’t defy her now, though. It’s too late.
“Who sent you after us?”
The Taurus hitman stares straight ahead as Lily pours the clear liquid over his body and trails the tip of her hunting knife down his arm. His shivers are visible and the only thing giving away his fear.
“I’m going to ask one more time and then I’m going to get pissed. You won’t like me when I’m angry. Who sent you?”
His head doesn’t move, but his eyes dart to her face. She grins and leans close, whispering something in his ear. The color drains from his face. The nod to Vlad is unnoticeable, almost, as she moves to the Nigerian man on the left.
The Taurus man screams as Vlad’s fist connects with the side of his face, blood pouring from the man’s nose as a sickening crunch reverberates through the space. Without hesitation, Lily shoves her knife into the hollow at the base of the Nigerian captive’s neck and twists— blood sprays on her clothes looking black in the moonlight.
I look away, her grunts filling the night air. She’s going to open that corpse up like a pig on a butcher’s block and that’s the last thing I need in my nightmares again. It took me a year to get over it the first time. The blood isn’t what bothers me. Watching Lily do it is what haunts me. It’s worse now. Knowing how gentle and loving she can be.
I don’t regret making love to her. Never will. She needed it, I needed it, and I’d fantasized about her too many times in the past. It’d never happen again, but once was enough. Glancing up, Shannon and Sorina stare at Lily, horror in their eyes. Quietly, I jog to the window and Shannon opens it.
“Dres . . . what the fuck?”
“Please don’t watch. Go inside. Shut the blinds. Please.”
This is going to get worse, a lot worse. Lily’s daughter doesn’t need to see this side of her.
