“Do you believe in Adam?” he asks.
“Yes.”
He nods once. “Then you’ve already chosen your path. Just remember that every path leads somewhere. Are you ready to face the ending?”
Calm and fucking quiet. That’s the part of me no one ever expects.
They think anger means screaming, throwing shit, putting your fist through the nearest wall like that somehow proves a point. But that’s not freaking anger. That’s impatience. That’s weakness blowing its load too early.
I, on the other hand, smile. I take my time, drag it out, fuck with the edges just to see how far I can push before something breaks. I could end it fast. Snap a neck, spill some guts, call it a day. But where’s the fun in that?
I like knowing I could end it fast and choosing not to. I like the look people get when they realize I’m not in a rush to stop hurting them.
He has that stupid delusion he’s the villain in this story. He thinks he’s the big bad, the shadow in the doorway, the fucker everyone’s supposed to piss themselves over.
He doesn’t know a fucking thing about me. If he did, he wouldn’t have opened his door. He wouldn’t have let me inside.
Cain showed me a hidden room in the mansion where Father had stockpiled weapons for every taste. He’d kept it without a second thought and pushed it further, filling the space with even more tools meant to ruin someone’s day. Quite the kinky little funfair, I won’t lie.
Now, all that’s left is the final touch before I go and fuck that bastard up.
I head straight for the office where I left Grayson to stitch her up and find her outside instead, talking to Judas.
“Adam?” she breathes.
I don’t say a word. I just nod for her to follow and turn away, heading straight for her room.
“Is everything okay?”she asks, closing the door behind her.
I stride up to her, grip her face, and crash my mouth onto hers. She doesn’t pull away. She meets me with the same force, her arms locking around me like she was waiting for it. I grab her thighs, and she jumps on instinct, her legs tightening around my waist.
Fuck.
I’m hooked on her, and it’s starting to feel dangerous.
I push her back onto the bed, careful in a way that doesn’t match the storm in my head. She melts under my hands, trustingme with all of it, and that kind of blind surrender only makes it worse. I’m losing grip.
My lips drop to her shoulder as I pull it toward me, needing to see what I did to her.
“Grayson did a great job,” she says with a smile.
“It will leave a bigger mark,” I say, tracing my fingers gently on the scar.
“I don’t care,” she says, shaking her head.
I reach for her, take the loose strand of hair that’s fallen across her face, and push it back. My fingers graze her skin. Her eyes close slowly, leaning into my touch.
“There’s nothing in this world I wouldn’t do for you,” I say, with a low voice. “I’d burn cities for you. I’d burn this entire fucking planet down if you asked.”
She doesn’t look away. She knows exactly what I am.
There’s a war in my chest, something clawing to get out.
“I’d drag my soul to the pit, chain it to the devil’s throne, and smile as it burned, if it meant keeping you.”
I press my forehead to hers, breathing her in.
“I don’t want salvation. I don’t want peace. I want you. Only you.”
