Broken, p.32
Broken, page 32
“Of course,” I say sarcastically. “My God, I really am living a soap opera life.”
Adrian merely laughs, but at least it explains Ray’s lack of contact. I doubt he was told about Adrian’s temporary release in the first place. Ray no longer handles drug cases, switching out to delve into the world of murder, and although I don’t remember if my uncle told me much about life on the force, I have watched a crime show or two in my time, and I could imagine communication between departments isn’t always open. That, and Adrian’s corrupt buddies probably made sure Ray was kept in the dark.
“I’ve had a lot of time to prepare for this day, Daniella,” Adrian says. “I’m a man of my word. I told you I’d be back.”
“Yes, you did.” I nod, before tilting my head to one side. “You never heard of moving on?”
Adrian scowls, clearly unimpressed by my cockiness. The old Dani didn’t talk back.
“What can I say?” Adrian shrugs. “I’m a passionate guy. When I want something, I stop at nothing to get it, and when I do, I never let it go.”
“You got issues, mate.”
“My, my,” he says, uncrossing his legs and leaning forward in his chair. “You’ve gained a cocky mouth in my absence.”
“I’ve gained a lot since you’ve been gone.”
“I can see that.” His eyes trail to a still-unconscious Damien. “It appears I’m not the only one willing to follow you to the end of the earth.”
I let out a weak laugh. “I bet you knew who Damien was before I did.”
“The Belfast-based Army soldier fiancé,” Adrian states. “I’m assuming you regained your memories.” I nod. “Well, that explains the swift re-engagement.”
His words hit me like an avalanche, and I force myself to meet his piercing gaze. “How do you…” I gasp. “You never lost me, did you?”
Adrian sneers. “Of course not,” he declares, as if I’ve just suggested something highly outrageous. “I’ve had eyes on you the entire time, Daniella.”
“Wh –” My face drops to the floor. The needle-wielding lacky. I shake my head in disgust. I’m about to spit out my loathing when my breath hitches, another blatant realisation sinking in. His face. I briefly saw his face when he jabbed the needle into my neck, but I put his familiarity down to a drug-induced delirium. It’s the same face I caught a glimpse of before my head slammed against the bonnet. Oh, for fuck’s sake. “The car accident wasn’t an accident, was it?” Adrian shakes his head. “But why? It nearly killed me.”
“It wasn’t meant for you,” Adrian states, and for a second, I don’t understand, until…
“Amy,” I whisper, and Adrian nods. “Why?”
“It’s petty, really,” he admits. “Damien took something from me. He took what was mine, and in return, I wanted to take something from him, other than you, of course.”
Is he having a laugh? “Hurting an innocent woman for the sake of getting one up on Damien.” I scoff. “That’s a new low, even for you.”
Adrian’s lips curl into a conceited smirk. “Amy wasn’t my only victim, Daniella.”
My eyes widen. “What?” Adrian glances towards Damien, and the light bulbs just keep on coming. “The mugging.” Oh, how could I be so blind? “That’s why Damien’s wallet was left behind.” I let out a groan, pissed off that my paranoid side decided to take a rare day off and overlook that precious little detail.
“I knew I’d be needing to contact you,” Adrian explains. “Orchestrating the theft of Damien’s phone was the simplest method of obtaining your number, and of course, the opportunity to hurt Damien was far too good to miss.”
“You sick son of a bitch,” I spit, my anger soaring to levels I never knew existed.
“You came very close to ruining my reunion plans,” he says icily, reminding me of the hit I took on Amy’s behalf.
“Not close enough.”
Adrian merely laughs, but I turn my gaze away with a heavy sigh. It doesn’t matter where I am, I’ll never be free. That’s what I told Damien, and boy, was I right. I was never free.
“Don’t look so defeated, Daniella,” Adrian says cockily. “I’m sure it was fun while it lasted.”
I turn to glare at him defiantly. “Yes, it was,” I state. “It was worth every second, and Damien…” My eyes find my fiancé. “He gave me a happiness most spend their entire lives dreaming about.” Adrian scoffs, and I chuckle at his evident jealousy. “Sorry to disappoint, Adrian, but Damien is a thousand times the man you’ll ever be, and it really doesn’t matter what you to do me because my heart will always belong to him. Not even death will stop me from loving him.”
The flash of anger that creeps across Adrian’s face doesn’t go unnoticed, yet for the first time, I don’t flinch. Not even when he kneels in front of me, running a hand through my loose hair. It’s a desire not to gag on the nauseating smell of his aftershave that has me turning my face away.
“Careful, Daniella,” Adrian warns. “Or I might just test that theory.”
My eyes meet his again, and my heart stops. Shit, that’s what I get for mentioning death. My love for Damien has made him just another tool hanging from Adrian’s belt, and I’m perfectly aware of the lengths Adrian is prepared to go to. He killed my family after all, albeit not with his bare hands, and I give myself a sharp mental slap. I’m supposed to be sacrificing myself to save Damien, not to let my mouth get him killed. If Damien dies, his blood will be on my hands. Unfortunately, my anger is refusing to be dampened, and it’s making me act irrationally.
“You’re wanted, you idiot,” I state. “You think it’s gonna help your case if Damien shows up dead?”
Adrian shrugs. “I don’t plan on getting caught.”
“You can’t run forever.”
“We’ll see about that.” Adrian sniggers. “But just in case, I’d better make the most of our time together.”
It’s a threat hidden amongst a poor attempt at wit. Unfortunately, I have an inkling into how Adrian’s brain works, and something tells me when Adrian’s clock finally stops ticking, he won’t be leaving in handcuffs. He’ll end it this time, and he’ll take me down with him. That’s fine. My own death I can handle, but I won’t let him take Damien too.
“You kill him,” I warn, “I’ll kill myself.”
Adrian laughs. “Sorry, Daniella,” he says, rising to his feet. “There’ll be no coward’s way out this time.”
It’s my turn to laugh. “Oh, Adrian,” I taunt. “It wouldn’t be the coward’s way out. Not this time. It’d be revenge.”
“Revenge?”
“If Damien lives, he suffers, right? That’s what you said?” Adrian remains silent, but I can see the intrigue in his eyes. “Because he loves me, right?” Adrian tenses. “Well, in your sick head, you love me too, more than anything else in the world, and that makes me your only weakness. You need me. I’m like a drug to you. Hell, you escaped prison especially for me. So, what do you think losing me a second time will do to you?” Silence. “Give me an excuse, Adrian. I will take great pleasure in knowing you will be the one in pain, and me, I’ll finally be free.”
That gains me a smack across the face, and I’m forced to spit blood onto the floor.
“I promise you,” I say, “if he dies, I will find a way to end my life, even if it’s the last thing I ever do.”
I stare at him, my eyes burning with rage and determination, and I can only hope it’s enough to keep Damien alive.
“I look forward to beating that new-found confidence out of you, Daniella.” That, I don’t doubt for a second. “I’ll remind you who you really are.”
I let my curiosity get the better of me again. “And who’s that?”
“The willing submissive.” I choke on air. Is he for real?
“Willing?” I scoff.
“You can’t deny our connection, Daniella,” he continues anyway. “You can play the victim to the outside world, but I know the real you. The beautiful, compliant little damsel who underneath the presence of fear, secretly begs and yearns for a thrill that can only be achieved through force and pain. You and I are made for each other.”
I burst out laughing. “Wow, I always knew you were delusional, but now you’re just taking the piss.” New-found confidence indeed. “If you honestly believe…” A sudden realisation descends, and my eyes widen. “Oh, my God, you actually think I love you, don’t you?”
Adrian says nothing, showing a rare weak moment, and it’s all answer I need. If I didn’t already know Adrian needs psychological help, I do now. I think I’m borderline delirious, teetering on the edge of suicidal because all I do is laugh harder.
“I don’t love you,” I spit. “I could never love you. There’s no feeling…” That’s a lie. “No, I do have feelings for you, Adrian. They’re called hate and disgust. You repulse me. Rationalise your sick, twisted impulses all you want, but I’m telling you now, I will never, ever love you.”
I watch as the darkness in Adrian’s eyes takes over, and despite my apparent bravado, I involuntarily start to shiver. Pulling a key from his pocket, he unties the handcuffs and drags me across the floor. He kicks me hard in the chest, and I’m quickly reminded that my ribs are already battered. The searing pain is excruciating, yet I make no sound. He drags me to my feet, slamming my back against the wall.
I should be afraid, but I’m not. I’m serenely calm, which I’ll admit is a little disturbing. Maybe it’s because I’ve been here before. Or maybe it’s because, with every minute that passes, I’m forcing myself to become numb, determined to block out the memories and the darkness I’m being dragged back into. Or maybe it’s because I know the only reason why I’m giving in to him now, why I gave into him then, is because there’s nothing else I can do.
Light bulb bursting, shattered glass everywhere… Maybe there is something I can do. Upon pissing Adrian off, I’ve granted myself a golden opportunity – I’m not cuffed anymore. Holy shit. I need to find a way out of this, and if not for me, for Damien. If nothing else, he didn’t go down without a fight, clawing his way back to me despite the obstacles in his way, and he deserves the same effort in return.
That’s the difference between now and then. As Daniella Thompson, as far as I knew, I had no one. I was alone with nothing to live for, but I’m not her anymore. I’m Daniella Blake, and I have everything to live for.
I lift my knee and ram it into Adrian’s groin. He stumbles backwards, releasing his grip. Knowing I can’t leave without Damien, I go to grab the key Adrian resigned to the floor, but Adrian recovers fast. He yanks me by the hair and throws me to the ground. I desperately try to regain my feet, but he’s raining kicks to my chest again, and it’s taking all my strength not to scream in agony. I kick out, but it’s fruitless.
“Keep resisting,” he begs. “You know how much it turns me on.”
He climbs on top of me, pinning my hands to the ground with his knees. An arm rests heavily across my chest. A knife I had no idea he had presses against my throat. I’m forced to push back the mind-numbing fear seeping in.
“Do it,” I spit. “Put me out of my misery.”
Adrian laughs. Pressing down harder on my hands with his legs, he uses the knife to slice open my top in one swift motion. He trails a finger down my middle, and I cringe at the feel of his cold touch. He brings the knife down to my chest. A whimper escapes as I bite down on my lip to stop my screams.
The blade slices through my skin. Once… Twice… I catch Adrian’s gaze, and the nausea burns the back of my throat. The release pouring through his breath is toe-curling. I watch as his tension dissolves into sheer bliss, his eyes glazed over, and his lips parted. Tearing into my flesh is Adrian’s high, but all the blood and tears in the world will never be enough to quench his thirst for pain.
“I’ve waited so long for this,” he says, and when his hands trail to his trousers, my heart stops.
No, no, no. I thrash with all my might, but his overwhelming strength, the pain from his weight pressing on my not-yet-healed wrist, and the dwindling sting from my wounds are stirring an unavoidable dizziness. It’s the sound of groaning that distracts us both, and I turn my head to see Damien waking up.
“Perfect timing,” Adrian says with a highly amused tone laced with arrogance, and I lie there watching as the man I love widens his eyes.
Damien’s fury takes over. He yanks hard on the cuffs keeping him in place with so much force that, for a second, I think he might rip the radiator right off the wall. Adrian merely laughs, and when his hand finds the button of my jeans, I let out a frustrated scream. I can’t, I won’t let that monster rape me. I refuse to let him break me again, but the more I fight, the more powerless I feel. Damn it. For fuck’s sake, universe, give me something. Anything!
And that’s when I see it – a plank of wood lying on the floor within arm’s reach. I can use that. Now, all I have to do is find a way to free my hands. I need to loosen his iron-cast weight, but… I look to Damien fighting tooth and nail to free himself to no avail, and when his eyes meet mine, the anguish I see is intolerable. I’m only going to make it worse, but what I’m about to do is all I can think of.
Pinned, desperate, and out of options, I mouth I’m sorry in Damien’s direction before leaning up and pressing my lips to Adrian’s. Fighting the urge to gag, I feel Adrian’s entire body freeze, but when he deepens the kiss, clearly getting lost in the moment, his newly relaxed state allows me to free my hands from under his legs. I run a hand through his hair to keep him distracted, and he moans appreciatively. The nausea hits me, but I swallow it down. I need Adrian to think I want this. I need his entire focus on my kiss.
Slowly, I use my free hand to reach for the wood, and the second my fingers grasp it, I slam it into the side of his head as hard as I can. It’s enough to disorientate him, and the knife crashes to the floor. Bucking underneath him, I scramble for the blade, but Adrian clocks my movement far too quickly. Grabbing my uninjured wrist, he snaps it like a twig, and an ear-piercing scream escapes my mouth.
“Oh, how I love to hear you scream,” Adrian says, beaming, and the sound of Damien’s desperate tape-covered protests is deafening.
Keeping a tight hold of my newly broken wrist, Adrian drags me towards the radiator. Oh, hell no. He gets me back in those cuffs and I’m screwed. With all the strength I can muster, biting my lip to brace myself for the searing pain, I yank my wrist hard, taking Adrian by surprise. I slam my foot into the back of his leg. He buckles and drops down to a knee, his grip on my wrist evaporating. I crawl for the knife, but it’s almost as if the universe is with me one minute then against me the next. Adrian grabs my ankle before my fingers can clamp around the only weapon in sight.
I look around the floor, searching for something, anything else I can use. I fight the urge to scream in delight when I spot a nail. I grab it, thankful it’s long enough for my grip not to be hindered by my cast and plunge it into his thigh. He screams in pain, and it’s all the distraction I need to clamber to my feet.
Damien’s protests only get louder. One look into his eyes tells me he wants me to run without looking back, but there’s a fat chance of that happening. There’s no way I’m leaving Damien behind to die. I finally grasp the knife, but Adrian grabs my cast-free broken wrist and twists it. I let out another ear-piercing yelp, and the throbbing pain has me falling to my knees. Adrian crouches down in front of me, continuing to twist my wrist back and forth to keep me doubled over in mind-numbing agony.
“Did you honestly think you could escape me?” he yells, his free hand finding my neck. “You are mine! You will always be mine!”
I can hear Damien’s muffled protests, but all I can see is the darkness in Adrian’s eyes. His breath is ragged, his teeth clenched. His grip around my throat tightens, and I gasp for air. He’s losing control.
“If I can’t have you…” he roars, and for the first time, I honestly believe Adrian wants to kill me.
Unfortunately for him but lucky for me, his arrogance has led him to forget one vital detail that could potentially save my life – I didn’t drop the knife. I plunge the cold steel into Adrian’s neck and watch as something I never thought I’d see materialises in those cold, dead eyes of his, something I am all too familiar with: pure, unmistakable fear.
“You always did talk too fucking much,” I spit before yanking the knife back out and letting the blood flow free.
Stumbling backwards, Adrian releases my wrist. His hands close around the seeping, bloody hole in his neck as I climb to my feet. Fighting the dizziness threatening to drag me back down, I stagger over to Damien and rip the tape from his mouth. He gasps for air whilst I hunt down the key, and once uncuffed, Damien wastes no time in wrapping his arms around me, pulling me close, the relief pouring from him in waves.
“We need to go,” he says. Probably best not to wait for Adrian’s lacky to resurface.
“Daniella,” Adrian rasps, and I don’t know why, but I force myself to look at him.
He’s lying on the floor, the blood oozing through his fingers to form a pool beneath him. I should feel…I don’t even know. Remorse? Guilt? Adrian’s going to die. He’s bleeding out, but even if I wanted to help, I have no clue where we are, and by the time I figure it out and the paramedics get here, he’ll already be dead. I’ve killed him. I’ve taken a life, and the humanity inside me should be wrecked, yet all I feel is relief.
Damien pulls me to my feet, and I stare down at the pathetic man who instilled fear into my very soul for so long, feeling lighter than I have in years. I took on the most dangerous, vicious monster I have even known and won. I fought for my freedom, and I survived. An epic way to say “Fuck you, Adrian” if ever there was one.
Carefully bending down and ignoring Damien’s loud protests, I pick up the knife – you never know when the universe will turn on you – and take a few tentative steps closer to Adrian. I squat down in front of him, his drooping eyes finding mine. The desperation as what little life he has left drains away is palpable. I never thought I’d care about giving Adrian a taste of his own medicine, but watching him now, vulnerable and defeated, his silent pleas falling upon deaf ears, I can’t lie and say it doesn’t bring me a semblance of comfort, as sick as that may sound.
