Chapter 41

It's been a few days since everything came to light and, despite the mess, I feel a weight lifting off my shoulders. Hell knowing the truth has quieted my loud mind significantly. My meds seem to be working, and I feel calmer. Yet, beneath all the reassurance Hell gives me, and the numbness of the pills, a nagging feeling persists that so much more is to come. The guilt gnaws at me, making me feel responsible for all the chaos.

Sometimes, I have the urge to run again. It's an impulse, a natural instinct born from the fear of Kyro knowing where I am. The thought terrifies me when I dwell on it for too long, but I trust Hell. I know he won't let anything happen to me. I'm beginning to see him for who he truly is. He isn't just some guy working at Oddity Carnival; he is a ruthless killer with some authority in the underworld, even over Kyro, which I never expected.

When he said he chose me, I almost dissolved into the bed. He chose me, little old me, over his family and maybe even his morals. He understands that I must have lost my sanity when I did what I did, and he gets it. He is exactly what I've needed. He has set my soul free in ways he might never fully understand.

The night I left is still hazy. I'm trying to piece it all together and figure out if Kyro might still have Arabella. I don't want to burden Hell with too much, so I haven't mentioned it yet, but it's something I need to think about soon.

To find out Kyro has not only taken revenge on me, but his own nephew as well is insane, but in a strange way, I am grateful for the answers. They are answers I have needed since the day he first put his hands on me and took my innocence. He gave me no time to grieve my mother's death; it was so constant that I never truly mourned her. When Hell told me that his father had an affair with my mom, I was shocked, but it made sense to me. It also made sense to me that she would do that. Kyro is an evil fucking bastard, and if he treated my mom like that behind closed doors, then I don't blame her for falling for someone better. If Hell's father is like him, then I know that pull would have been irresistible, and that's the truth.

It's just a shame it has all gone this way. My mom is dead as a result of possibly falling in love. I knew her, and I know she must have felt trapped, just as I did, and in her desperation, she found solace in Hell's father. It's a tragic irony that the very thing that brought her a small moment of happiness also led to her demise.

Knowing all of this doesn't ease the pain, it probably never will, that's down to me, but it does provide some understanding.

My mother's death and the suffering I went through were both orchestrated by Kyro's spite. But in Hell, I've finally found my dark guardian, someone who wants me to regain my strength that was once stolen from me and although the past is filled with darkness, maybe, just maybe, the future holds a glimmer of light after all.

As I stroll across the trailer park in the early morning, I am holding my mini dolly tight to my chest, eager to get out of the Hollow's trailer for a while to hopefully see Blush. It's been a few days and I need some breathing space, some girl time. When I am at the front door, I knock, but I don't get the answer I was hoping for. I let out a heavy sigh and look around briefly.

I start to think about going to my old trailer to pick up the rest of my things that I left behind. When I have made the decision, I finally head in that direction until I am there. Fuck, I haven't got the key. I'm sure Madame said Eli dropped it off to her. Out of curiosity, I press the handle down and to my surprise it is unlocked after all. He must have not locked up before leaving.

After swinging the door open, I enter and glance around, noticing how cold it is in here now. Everything is exactly how I left it, and I make my way straight to the bedroom, so I don't have to be here long. Walking past the bed, I gently place mini dolly down on it, then go toward the wardrobe where I grab a bag and start to stuff my clothes inside. Suddenly, I hear a noise behind me, and I freeze, my gut dropping. I spin around to see Eli standing there, giving me an evil look.

My jaw sets tight as I turn to face him fully. The sight of him disgusts me. "I suggest you get out of here before I kill you," I bite out, rage filling every inch of me, making my body shake.

A grin twitches across his lips. "Not without you, Noir. Someone wants to see you."

I remain expressionless as he takes a calm step forward, and I point at him. "Stay. The. Fuck. Away."

"No can do. You're coming with me. You're my lifeline to get out of this."

"Get out of what? Abusing kids?" I snap back, tears blurring my vision. He stops, his eyes wide, and I continue. "I fucking knew you were a dirty fucking paedo. I should have killed you as soon as I sensed it."

"Yet you didn't. You trusted me like a silly little girl," he says calmly.

"Get the fuck out of here, Eli, before I scream. Me and Hell will gladly chop you into tiny little pieces and feed you to the pigs. This is your last fucking warning!"

Anger flashes through his eyes, and he suddenly darts toward my mini dolly, snatching her off the bed and I instinctively take a step forward in panic.

"He made this for you? This shit little thing? How sweet."

"Give me her, E, or I swear to fuck."

"You'll do what? Kill me? Do it."

He grabs dolly's head and rips it off.

"NO!" My breath hitches, tears streaming down my cheeks, and I feel my sanity slip entirely. When he goes to tear off one of her arms, I lose it, storming toward him, anger searing inside me.

I swing at him, my punches landing as he moves backwards, blocking them with his forearms. He suddenly grabs the side of my hair, yanking it, but I am so used to pain and roughness, that I am unbothered. I lift my arm, striking him in the balls and he groans, releasing me. As he clutches them, knees bowed, I spit in his eyes and then run toward the door. Hearing him get to his feet, I try to push the handle down on the front door, but it's somehow locked.

"You're not escaping him again, Noir!" he shouts before darting toward me.

I dash to the kitchen, desperate for a weapon of some kind. As I open a kitchen drawer, he snatches my hair, dragging me back before I can reach for a knife. I lift my hand without warning, poking his eyes and then stamping hard on his foot, causing him to release me again. I reach for the nearest weapon, and as soon as I have a huge, sharp knife, I swing my arm while turning my body rapidly. It connects with his stomach, a huge slice slashed across his abdomen.

His eyes widen as his intestines almost spill out and he grasps them, but I don't stop there. I raise the knife again with a scream, anger seeping out of me like an inferno, and I slash him across the throat, blood spraying across my face and body before he hits the ground with a loud thump. I breathe heavily with gritted teeth, my eyes pouring with tears.

As he gasps for air, trying to stop the blood squirting from his neck, gushing all over the floor, I become insane. Reaching down, I stand over him and shove my hands into his stomach, grabbing handfuls of his guts. I start to pull and pull, ripping his intestines out like I'm tugging on a fucking rope.

I watch as his life gradually leaves his convulsing body. "Dirty fucking cunt!" I scream before sobbing, "You will NEVER touch a child again!"

Suddenly, the front door crashes open, a jumbled blur in my peripheral vision, but I keep pulling, lost in my frenzy. Hell rounds the corner with Wrath right behind him, but I don't look at them. I just cry and yank until Eli's body finally goes limp, his eyes glazing over in death. I slip on the blood and collapse on my ass, leaning against the counter, my knees pulled up to my chest as I stare at Eli's lifeless form.

"Dolly?" Hell's voice is serene, a total opposite of my delirium. He steps toward me before crouching to block my view of Eli. My blurred gaze meets his as he reaches out, stroking my hair away from my eyes.

"What happened?"

"He tore mini dolly's head off, and I lost it," I weep.

His eyes ease. "Don't worry, I'll fix her," he calms me.

"He was trying to take me to Kyro."

Hell's eyes flash with irritation before he looks back at Wrath over his shoulder. "Lock this place the fuck down," he orders.

I hear Wrath walk away, then Hell turns back to me. "Come on, let's get you home," he says, gesturing with a small nod.

He takes my hands, helping me stand on wobbly legs. As we pass Eli's body, I glance down one last time, a shiver running through me.

After having a shower, I feel like I've calmed down a lot, becoming used to the insanity that my life now brings. I stroll into Hell's bedroom, wrapping a black towel around my damp body. I spot him shirtless, resting against the headboard, stitching mini dolly's head back on. In awe, I crawl onto the bed before climbing over him and straddling him crotch. His dark gaze wanders down me briefly before he continues to stitch, and I watch in fascination.

"How did you learn to do this?" I ask, curiosity in my tone.

"In training I learned all kinds of things, including crafts." He answers, his eyes flashing to mine. "Mainly stitching corpses."

My gaze expands, and a grin twitches on Hell's lips before he looks down again. "How can you be shocked, my pretty girl? You just tore a man's intestines out of his fucking body."

I stay silent, knowing he is right.

"You surprised me you know?" he says, his eyes meeting mine, "You're a little fucking savage."

I lift a brow, "Well, he deserved it." I assert firmly.

He gives a slight nod, "Yeah, he fucking did."

When he finishes, he passes me my mini dolly. I gently take her with a small smile, gazing down at her and she is as good as new. Hell reaches over to the bedside, placing his sewing kit aside. As his focus returns to me, he observes me, sliding his warm hands up my bare thighs, under the towel, until he's gripping my hips bruisingly. I can't help but buck my hips and gasp, my eyes darting to his.

"I'm going to see the society tomorrow," he says, and I lift my head fully.

"Can I come?"

He shakes his head once, and I whisper, "Why?"

"Because I said so, Dolly."

"But wouldn't it be better if they didn't see me as some scared little girl on the run?" I protest.

He sighs, looking aside. "I can't risk it."

"Please." I plead.

"Dolly…" He gives me a warning tone.

"Please, Hell. Just take me, and if they want to speak to me, they can hear it all from me. They will respect me more for walking in there and facing what I've done."

He searches my eyes, thinking carefully with reluctance until finally, he gives the faintest of nods. He knows that in this system, they will prefer to hear this from me instead of hiding and not facing them.

"I am going to ask for mercy on you, but they will undoubtedly want me to give them something in return."

"Like what?" I question, tilting my head to the side.

He shrugs his shoulders, unbothered. "It could be absolutely anything that the cards draw."

"Cards?"

He nods. "Yes, the cards of skulls. You'll see tomorrow."

While scanning his painted face, I become lost in my thoughts for a while until I speak again.

"When are you ever going to let me see you without the paint? I ask, but he doesn't answer.

Leaning in close, I reach up and delicately slide two fingers down his cheek, smudging the black paints that conceal his handsome features.

"I want to see the real you, Hell."

As I gaze at him curiously, studying his reaction, he stays motionless, his whirling contacts peering deep into my eyes. Softly swiping my thumb over his bottom lip, I smear more paint, feeling the oily texture cling to my fingertips.

"Beneath the fa?ade and the persona you play for everyone else. Give me a part of you that nobody else has seen."

He stays mute until finally, he gestures toward the bedside table. With confusion, I reach over, pull the drawer open and find some makeup wipes. A smile creeps on my lips as I lift them out.

Settling back, I tug a couple free and look at him. I raise the wipe to his face, gently removing the blackness that always masks him.

As I finish wiping away the last of the paint, he lowers his head, pinching his contacts and removing them one by one. I wait in breathless anticipation, my heart thumping in my chest. Finally, he lifts his eyes to mine, and I suck in a sharp breath involuntarily.

I stare at him, my gaze widening as I take in every detail. His sharp, chiselled features. Tanned skin with a shade of stubble. The way his loose curled, black hair cascades over his forehead. His dark, thick eyebrows. His ice-blue eyes, almost grey, piercing, and beautiful, framed by black lashes. His bottom right lip piercing is more noticeable and his soft lips. When he smirks ever so slightly, a small dimple appears at the corner of his mouth, making him look both dangerous and undeniably captivating.

"You look so different," I manage to murmur.

He lifts a brow, clearly unsure of what my words mean, and I quickly reassure him. "In a good way, of course. I just didn't expect…" I shudder, trailing off before continuing, my tone edged with awe and desire. "Fuck, you're so hot. I didn't expect your eyes to be that colour."

Now his face is bare, I can clearly see his jaw flex as he grinds his teeth, his enigmatic eyes sweeping down my front, igniting a burning need to spread through my core.

"God, you have to ruin me like this, without your paints and contacts. Take it all. I don't care. Screw my ass until it's nothing if you want and do it deep."

His gaze lifts to mine swiftly, stunned by my filthy mouth, but I'm serious. I need to feel this man all over me, I am fucking feral for it.

Without warning, he grabs my throat harshly before slamming me down onto the soft mattress. With him between my legs, his hips grind against mine, his hard length sliding vertically against my bare pussy as he steals my lips, devouring my mouth with an animalistic hunger. I writhe beneath him, dragging my nails down his back, feeling the tension in his muscles. He rips the towel away from my body with a growl of frustration and we both become lost in the intensity of the moment.