Vincent grabbed one of the gasoline tanks off the table and started hosing him down. “Lake is mine, motherfucker. She was never yours, and she will never be yours.”
Setting down the tank, he looked at Nero and Amo. “Hose down the rest of the house while I get Lake and Maria.”
Nero and Amo nodded before they picked up the tanks and started to get to work.
Vincent went up the stairs, still feeling no remorse. The two had completely lost it since the last time he had been there. Those ‘people’ were no longer people. That was why he didn’t deal with them as people.
She’s a fucking retard like her father and a fucking whore.
He ran a calming hand through his hair, telling himself it wouldn’t be much longer.
That’s why you’re gonna burn, motherfucker.
* * *
Lake let Vincent lead her downstairs and out of the house after she had promised to keep her eyes shut. You would think it would be hard not to look, but it was rather easy from the deafening silence and the smell of gasoline. Once the chill, summer night air hit her face, she felt like she could breathe again.
Neither one of them said anything or looked at each other until he put her in the backseat of the car, telling her he would be right back.
By the time she began to smell it, the car doors were opened with Amo and Vincent jumping in, the burning smell entering with them. As the car started down the long driveway, she stared into the rearview mirror at the smoke and the flames, which grew with every inch down the road.
Seeing her house of tortures burned to the ground was something that was hard not to look at. She figured burning what took place that night in that house was for the best. At least when she turned on the news, read the front paper, or heard gossip in the city, she would never know how they had done it.
That was why it was easy for her not to look. I don’t ever want to know how they died.
Chapter Fifty-Eight
Touch Me and There Will Be No Running Until I Am Done With You
Lake walked down the hallway behind Vincent. The whole way back home, they hadn’t said a word to each other. Vincent didn’t once come close to touching her or even looking at her. She found herself aching to be touched, aching to be looked at the more and more she stared at him, but she knew she shouldn’t. Not after what he did.
When he opened the door, she followed right behind him then closed it behind her. Vincent walked to the couch, sitting down and placing his hands on his thighs, silently sitting and staring at nothing.
She stood still by the door, watching him take his place. The dark Vincent sitting there like that looked frightening, yet she wasn’t scared of him like she usually was. There was no fear in her anymore when it concerned Vincent. There is no reason to be. He had changed his whole life around for her, taken endless care of her, saved her over and over, and lastly, he had given her chance after chance.
Lake knew she shouldn’t have walked out that door without telling him. If I had, today would have gone a lot different.
Lake walked until she stood by the stairs without moving her eyes off him. When he still didn’t move, she continued to walk into the living room. She stood in front of him then went to her knees so she could face him at eye level. Looking into his eyes, it was as if he looked straight past her, like she wasn’t even there.
Biting her lip, she reached her hand out, going to the top button of his shirt.
Vincent snatched her hand, holding it tight. “You do not want to do that right now,” he warned her in a low growl.
She moved her other hand to his shirt, only for it to be grabbed, too.
“I am trying to be fucking nice to you right now,” he ground out, putting her hands back to her sides. “Go. To. Bed.”
Looking into his eyes, she saw they were glowing a fierce blue. She had never seen them glow like that before, and it only added to his frightful appearance.
You don’t scare me anymore.
Her eyes trailed down to his chest. He had never let her touch him, explore his body, or even fuck him back. She knew it was because he couldn’t take it, too afraid the darkness would come out. She had given up touching him, too afraid to meet it, as well, no matter how badly she had wanted it. But at that point, she sat on her knees in front of that darkness while he gave her a chance to run because of what he had done. Even the sickest part of him didn’t want to touch her with the blood he had on his hands. She could see the torment of that written all over him, and she wanted it gone, forever.
She scooted closer to him, going between his legs, careful not to touch him although her hands were itching to do so.
“Please, Vincent. Let me touch you.”
Vincent gave her one final, cold warning, “Touch me and there will be no running until I am done with you.”
Lake licked her bottom lip in anticipation, her hands reaching out again. That time, she was able to touch his top button, sealing her fate. There was no turning back.
She undid the first one and then the next, each button revealing more and more of him. Wanting a better view, she spread open his shirt and her gaze roamed over his hard, toned body. Her mouth began to water when her hands were finally able to lie on his chest.
He is so fucking perfect it hurts.
Leaning down, her lips lightly kissed over his skin, and then she moved closer to one of his nipples. Looking up through her lashes at him, her tongue flicked out. When he didn’t move and only the slightest hint of desire showed in his eyes, she moved lower, kissing and licking down his abs. Her hands moved down his body to the tops of his pants, undoing the button.