Chapter 32

Leaning against the headboard of my bed, I stare down at Dolly as she sleeps on my chest, her breathing soft and steady. As I become lost in my thoughts, I stroke her hair, the silky strands slipping through my tattooed fingers. The quiet is shattered when the door suddenly swings open and my eyes dart to Wrath as he stands at the threshold, not even fucking knocking. His gaze momentarily lingers on Noir before he looks at me, giving a silent head gesture for me to follow him.

As he leaves, I inhale deeply and when I sit forward, Dolly stirs, her eyes fluttering open. I lean down, giving her a kiss on her lips. "I'll be back," I murmur. Her eyes are barely open, but she nods before snuggling deeper into my pillow.

I close my bedroom door behind me, heading down the stairs until I spot Soul and Wrath in the kitchen. I look between them both suspiciously as I stride forward, pulling a chair out to sit opposite Wrath.

"I found out what's wrong with that fucking guy she was here with. I got this emailed to me last night," Soul says, his tone full of irritation. He sighs deeply, grabbing a file from the counter and tossing it onto the table in front of me.

"Eli Simmons, thirty-four from Florida," Soul continues. Opening the file, it reveals his mugshot, his eyes staring up at me from the page. As I read through the details, Soul's voice cuts through the silence once more.

"Nonce," he spits out the word with disgust, and my jaw tightens in response, sharply looking up at him.

"What?"

"He's a fucking paedophile, Hell. Got bailed out on a bond, but he absconded. Now he's on the run," Soul explains, his words fuelling the rage building inside me. I stand abruptly, the file slipping from my fingers and hitting the table with a thud.

"I'll fucking kill him," I growl through gritted teeth, my hands balling into fists at my sides.

"Kill who?" Dolly's gentle, sleepy voice interrupts the tension and my eyes close briefly as I lower my head. She approaches from behind and walks around my tense frame before stopping in front of me, her eyes drawn to the paperwork spread across the table.

My gaze can't help but linger on the black sheet that is wrapped around her, held tightly with one hand concealing her naked body beneath, before tracing all the scars on her body. When my eyes flicker to her side profile, she reaches out for the file, but I quickly snatch her wrist, stopping her and her blue gaze meets mine with a questioning look.

"Nobody," I tell the lie, my eyes boring into hers, worried about how she might take this. She pulls her wrist from my hand, confusion etched on her face.

"If it's nobody, then why can't I know?" she asks, raising an eyebrow, suspicion creeping into her voice. "It's not like we're not all murderers now, right?"

My teeth grind together, and I face aside. "Wrath, Soul, can you..." I trail off, but without needing to finish my sentence, they leave me and Dolly alone.

She stares down at the files, her fingers trembling slightly as she gently lifts a piece of paper. I examine her facial expressions as she reads, searching for any sign of recognition or shock.

When there is no shift, I speak. "It's Eli. Soul looked into him." Her eyes dart to mine, a flicker of confusion and concern in their depths. "I had a hunch he was strange from the get-go. I mean, who the fuck wouldn't get hard for a woman as beautiful as you?"

She tilts her head to the side before I continue, "He is currently on the run for a crime, Noir. A very bad crime."

"What?" she gasps, her eyes flashing back to the paperwork in front of her.

"He's a fucking paedophile."

As soon as I say the word, her face drains of all color, her eyes widening in horror. Her hand flies to her mouth, and she suddenly turns, bolting to the sink. She starts heaving violently into it, the sound echoing in the quiet room.

My brows knit together, concern washing over me, and I take slow steps forward. I gather her blonde hair as she throws up, sweat beading across her skin, her body quivering with each retch. I wait for her to finish, and when she does, she breathes heavily, wiping her mouth with the back of her shaking hand.

"That disgusting piece of…" she sobs quietly, her head lowered.

I reach for the back of her neck, my touch gentle but firm. "Come here."

When she stands, she crashes her face into my chest, her cries uncontrollable and I cradle my arms around her, placing my lips on her head, allowing her to let it all out.

Her reaction confuses me. Yeah, it's sick, but anger was my first emotion, not throwing up and crying, but then again, she was fucking him, so maybe that's it. My mind is a mess as I try to figure her out. Noir is like a puzzle piece, and some of those pieces are hard to fit together. The end picture is never clear as you cut corners to try to slot them in.

"It's okay," I murmur.

She pulls back slightly, her eyes red and swollen, her face a mask of distress.

"How could I not see it?" she whispers, her voice breaking. "How could I be so blind?"

"This is not your fucking fault," I say firmly, lowering myself to her height, eyes locking.

She nods, but the guilt and shame in her gaze remains. I can see the weight of it bearing down on her, crushing her spirit. "I just... I feel so dirty," she admits.

"There is absolutely nothing dirty about you, Noir. You are fucking perfect," I assert sternly. "Don't ever turn this around on yourself. He is the fucking dirty one. How the fuck was you supposed to know?"

"I had a hunch when he was flirting with a young girl at the carnival, Hell. I should have listened to my fucking gut. I should of…" Tears streak down her cheeks as a sob builds in her throat again before she presses her face against my chest.

I sigh, drawing her closer to me, now knowing more than ever that I need to find and kill that dirty cunt while enjoying every second of it. It seems my own personal hit list is growing day by day.