Chapter 2 - The Taste of Retribution
When I slowly opened my heavy eyes,
the first thing I noticed was the overpowering smell of expensive cologne,
mixed faintly with the metallic scent of fresh blood.
I was no longer lying on the cold,
hard tiles of my miserable apartment bathroom,
but rather resting gently against something incredibly warm,
incredibly solid.
I blinked rapidly,
my blurred vision slowly coming into sharp focus,
realizing with a sudden jolt of panic that I was being carried.
Vincent held me effortlessly against his broad chest,
his strong arms wrapped securely around my trembling frame,
being incredibly careful not to touch my painfully twisted left arm.
"Stay still,"
his deep voice rumbled directly against my ear,
sending an unexpected,
strange shiver straight down my aching spine.
I turned my head slightly,
peering nervously over his broad shoulder,
desperate to see what was happening inside my living room.
My husband was no longer kneeling on the floor,
but was now being held violently against the living room wall by two of Vincent's silent,
terrifying guards.
His face was a ruined,
bloody mess,
his nose clearly shattered,
his arrogant eyes now wide with a pure,
unadulterated terror that mirrored the fear I had felt for five long years.
"Please,"
my husband begged,
his voice high-pitched,
pathetic,
choking on his own blood,
"I didn't know she belonged to you,
I swear to God,
I didn't know."
Vincent stopped walking,
his grip tightening slightly around my waist,
his broad shoulders going completely rigid.
He did not turn around to face the bleeding man,
but the sudden drop in the room's temperature was impossible to ignore,
a suffocating,
deadly tension filling the quiet air.
"She does not belong to me,"
Vincent stated coldly,
his voice echoing smoothly through the ruined apartment,
cutting through the tension like a freshly sharpened blade.
"But you made the fatal mistake of breaking something that I promised to protect,"
he continued,
tilting his head slightly toward the shadows.
"Break every single bone in his right hand,"
Vincent commanded calmly,
as if he were simply ordering another cup of coffee at the downtown diner.
"Then,
break his left hand,
just to ensure the lesson is thoroughly understood."
I buried my face instantly into Vincent's warm chest,
squeezing my eyes tightly shut,
desperately trying to block out the horrifying sounds that immediately followed.
The wet,
crunching snaps of breaking bones echoed loudly in the small room,
followed by the most agonizing,
blood-curdling screams I had ever heard in my entire life.
It was a brutal,
merciless punishment,
but as I listened to the man who had tormented me for years scream in pure agony,
I realized something truly terrifying.
I did not feel sorry for him,
I did not want to stop them,
I only felt a deep,
hollow sense of absolute relief.
Vincent began walking again,
carrying me smoothly out of the nightmare-filled apartment,
stepping confidently down the narrow,
flickering hallway of the cheap apartment building.
No neighbors opened their locked doors,
no one dared to look out into the hallway,
everyone clearly understanding that death itself was currently walking past their cheap wooden doors.
"Don't look back,"
Vincent whispered gently,
his chin resting softly against the top of my tangled hair,
his stride long,
purposeful,
and completely confident.
We emerged into the cool,
crisp night air,
the dark streets completely empty except for three massive,
bulletproof black SUVs idling silently by the broken sidewalk.
A heavily armed driver immediately stepped out of the lead vehicle,
opening the heavy back door with a sharp,
respectful nod.
Vincent slid easily into the spacious,
leather-scented backseat,
never once letting go of me,
pulling me gently onto his lap as the door slammed heavily shut behind us.
"Where are we going,"
I asked softly,
my voice trembling slightly as the powerful engine roared to life,
pulling us rapidly away from the only miserable life I had ever known.
"Somewhere safe,"
he replied smoothly,
his dark,
piercing eyes scanning my bruised,
exhausted face with an intensity that made my heart race uncontrollably.
"Your old life is officially over,
Lena,
tonight,
you step into a completely different world."
I looked down at my broken arm,
then up at the terrifying,
May you like
beautiful monster sitting beside me,
knowing with absolute certainty that there was no turning back now.
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