Chapter 185 185
She sat in silence as he steered the car along the uneven path that cut deep into the forest.
They were far from his town now, and darkness had begun to swallow everything around them. The sky stretched above like spilled ink, thick and endless, while the faint glow of the moon struggled to offer even the smallest trace of light through the towering trees. The road beneath the tires was harsh and jagged, every bump rattling through the vehicle.
She had asked him countless times where he was taking her.
Each time, he had answered with nothing.
At first, the silence had been irritating. Now, it was beginning to terrify her.
A cold thought crept into her mind. Was he planning to force the truth out of her? Was he bringing her somewhere dark on purpose, knowing full well how much darkness frightened her? He had seen it himself that night in the elevator, when the shadows had nearly broken her.
Surely he wouldn’t be that cruel.
Surely he wouldn’t use that fear against her.
The car suddenly veered to the side of the road before coming to a stop.
He didn’t ask her to step out, but she was already pushing the door open. Her palms were damp with sweat as she wiped them nervously against her sweatpants. She was dressed casually a loose shirt and soft sweats but he didn’t even spare her appearance a glance.
Moving around the car, she came to stand behind him.
Her eyes lifted slowly toward the structure looming ahead.
A warehouse.
Old. Abandoned. And undeniably unsettling.
“Let’s go,” he said shortly.
His voice was clipped, and the anger simmering beneath it did not escape her notice.
Was he here to kill her?
But why would he do that?
She remained frozen in place, unable to force her feet forward.
When she didn’t move, he turned around to face her. The expression on his face was cold enough to send her heartbeat racing wildly in her chest. Maybe her decision to avoid him for the past few days had finally pushed him over the edge. Maybe he was angry enough to do something reckless.
But this…
This was not the kind of place where two people should come to talk.
“W-why are we here?” she asked.
Her voice trembled at first, but she forced herself to steady it.
He didn’t answer.
Instead, just as he had done before, he stepped forward and grabbed her hand. His fingers threaded through hers, locking their hands together as he pulled her along.
Fear churned violently inside her chest.
She was terrified.
Truly terrified.
Yet somewhere deep down, beneath all the panic and uncertainty, she knew one thing with absolute certainty.
Damien would never hurt her.
He wouldn’t.
Holding onto that fragile belief, she allowed him to lead her into the ominous building.
The moment they stepped inside, two familiar figures came into view.
Alexandre.
Dominique.
Both of them wore the same grim expression Damien had been carrying all night, and the sight instantly filled her with unease.
Seeing familiar faces should have reassured her.
Instead, it only made her more afraid.
“Thanks,” Dominique muttered to his brother.
Alexandre simply nodded in response, and the two of them walked past, leaving Damien and Jacqueline alone inside the cavernous space.
Damien continued walking deeper into the warehouse, Jacqueline trailing closely behind him.
Then her eyes fell on the figure in the center of the room.
Her heart nearly leapt out of her throat.
A man was tied to a chair.
Blood covered him.
But the moment recognition struck her, her entire body went numb.
Julien.
The world seemed to stop.
Damien halted beside her and gave her hand a firm squeeze, but she barely felt it. Her ears rang loudly, and fear swallowed every other sensation.
Damien, however, was entirely focused on the sight before him.
Dominique had asked for permission earlier to have some fun with Julien before Damien dealt with him. Damien had allowed it, though only to a point.
Among all of them, Dominique had always been known for his disturbingly creative ways of torturing enemies. Among rogues, he had earned the nickname The Butcher for the brutal ways he broke people both physically and mentally.
Judging by Julien’s condition, Dominique had clearly done more than enough.
The man’s entire body trembled uncontrollably, yet his eyes remained open.
Fully conscious.
Damien stepped forward.
Julien recognized him instantly.
Without hesitation, Damien’s fist slammed into his face.
The crack echoed through the room as Julien’s skin split open, blood spraying while a pained cry tore from his throat. Julien blinked rapidly, shaking his head in an attempt to clear the darkness flooding his vision.
Then his gaze shifted.
And landed on Jacqueline.
The dim warehouse was lit only by a single bulb hanging loosely from the high ceiling, casting a dull glow across the large room.
Despite the agony coursing through him, Julien’s eyes lit up when he saw her.
“S… slut?” he croaked hoarsely.
Jacqueline stumbled backward, her entire body shaking.
Her heart pounded violently in her chest, panic tightening around her throat. The twisted smile stretching across his bloodied face made her stomach twist with dread.
Another punch landed against his jaw.
Julien cried out again.
But Damien didn’t stop.
His fists came down again and again, each blow harsher than the last.
“She’s “punch”not a “punch” slut!” Damien snarled viciously.
Julien’s head lolled weakly to the side as he struggled to drag air into his lungs.
Damien hissed under his breath and stepped back abruptly. If he continued, he might kill the bastard too quickly with the strength of his wolf still simmering beneath his skin.
Turning around, Damien looked at Jacqueline.
His jaw tightened when he saw her.
She looked utterly petrified.
Her skin had drained of all color, her expression resembling someone who had just stared death in the face.
He moved toward her slowly.
Tonight, he would finally free her from this nightmare.
Stopping in front of her, he positioned himself so her view of Julien was completely blocked. Her frightened eyes lifted to meet his olive ones.
Gently, he cupped her cheeks in his large hands. Her face looked so small within his palms as he guided her to focus only on him.
“Take deep breaths, baby,” he murmured softly. “I’m right here. I won’t let him touch you.”
She blinked rapidly, forcing her attention onto him.
The moment she inhaled the familiar scent of his cologne, her breathing gradually began to steady. She clutched his wrists tightly, as if anchoring herself to him.
Her large brown eyes shimmered with unshed tears. Her lower lip trembled, her chin quivering as she looked up at him.
And in those eyes, Damien saw nothing but pain.
Agony.
Every drop of suffering that bastard had caused her.
Rage burned through Damien’s veins. He wanted Julien to feel every ounce of pain he had inflicted on her and worse.
And he intended to make it happen.
“I need you to stay strong,” he whispered. “We’re ending this tonight.”
She blinked again, and large tears finally spilled down her cheeks.
For every tear that fell from her precious eyes, Damien wanted Julien to die a slower, more painful death.
A raspy burst of laughter suddenly echoed behind them.
Jacqueline tensed instantly.
“So… my whore found herself a new boy toy?” Julien sneered cruelly, coughing up blood between words.
Damien’s hands tightened slightly around her cheeks, forcing her attention back to him.
His voice dropped into a low, dangerous rasp.
“I want you to watch me kill this bastard.”