“You need to think about this, Rella. It isn’t going to be pretty or quick. It’s going to be bloody and messy, and I plan to take my time.” I can already feel the adrenaline running through me at the prospect. “You have every right to be there, but you need to know what you’ll be walking into. The last thing I want to do is traumatize you.”
She’s already shaking her head, her eyes hard and her jaw set. “I want it to be bloody. I want that bastard to pay for every single thing he’s done to us. I want him to suffer in the cruelest of ways.”
I watch as she gives her spiel, and I know she means every word. It may be sick of me, but her wanting to be part of eliminating my father sends a huge amount of pleasure through me. I would never push her to take part if she chose not to, but I’m so fucking glad she did. It’ll give me more satisfaction knowing she’s there beside me. It’ll give his death more meaning.
I nod. “Then so be it.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
EMO
the Past
I STARE DOWN INTO A PAIR of green eyes filled with so much pain. Tears leak from the corners, soaking her hair. Her face is red from crying so much, but she doesn’t make a sound. She and I both know it won’t make a difference. There’s nothing either of us can do that will change our situation.
That doesn’t mean I won’t try though. I always try. I have to.
My father is by her head, petting his nasty hand all over her naked chest. He groans when he bends down and starts licking her. My stomach twists and turns, the food I ate earlier threatening to come back up.
Rella continues to cry, but she never moves her eyes away from me. I keep mine on her too, silently letting her know that even though I can’t stop what’s happening, I’m still here. She’s not alone in her nightmare.
My father continues walking around the small table, his fingers touching places no person should ever touch a girl. When he makes it around the table and is behind me, I try to spin around and push him away, kick him, punch him; anything to stop what I know is going to happen next. All I manage to do is shove him and deliver a weak punch to his chin before he has me spun back around with my back to his naked chest. His thick hand is around my throat and his hot breath fans against my ear as he cuts off my air. My head starts to throb with pressure and my face feels hot.
“You know what I want. Either get fucking to it,” he growls in my ear, “or I’ll shove my cock so far up inside her it’ll rip apart her insides. You or me, boy. The choice is yours.”
Violent shivers rack my body at the visual he just put in my head. I can’t ever let him touch her like that. He wouldn’t care if he killed her. And he would get away with it because of his status in the Council.
He lets me go and I fall to the table, my hands on either side of Rella’s waist holding me up. I drag air in through my bruised throat.
I don’t nod or say yes, but I don’t fight when he yanks my shorts down and starts touching me. Because of the pill I’m always given, my penis begins to grow. My stomach churns again and my mouth waters, but I force down the need to throw up. It’s a struggle I go through every Hell Night.
I hate myself for getting hard, even though I know it’s not my fault. It’s those stupid fucking pills. I’d cut my penis off so my father couldn’t force me to use it, but I know he’d just rape her himself.
I bite my tongue and swallow down blood when he puts me where he wants me. Rella’s bottom lip and chin tremble as I’m forced to hurt her. I try to pull away, but my father has his body pressed against my butt, keeping me in place.
He pulls away, but seconds later there’s a sharp pain in my backside. I grit my teeth and bite back my scream. My eyes turn watery, but I blink the tears away. There’s no way I’ll show my father just how much he’s hurting me.
“Fuck yeah, boy.” His disgusting groan meets my ear. “Goddamn, but that feels good. And I just bet you’re loving the tight feel of her cunt too.”
His words make me sick and have rage filling me. I grip the edge of the table until my knuckles hurt. My arms tense and I use all my strength against the table to shove myself backwards. He doesn’t move an inch. I regret my action immediately, knowing the consequences will be dire.
His hands appear in front of me and he grabs Rella’s thin legs. The next second, he pulls her to us at the same time he jams his hips forward. It feels like a huge tree trunk is being shoved up inside me. Rella screams so loud it pierces my ear.
Tears slide down my cheeks, and I’m uncaring if my father sees them. Not from my own pain, but for Rella’s. It’s my fault. I should have just stood there and let him say or do whatever he wanted to me. I should have known better. My father likes to try to get a reaction out of me. He thrives on it.
“Try that shit again, and I’ll be fucking another hole,” he grunts, out of breath.
I close my eyes and pray this night ends soon. It’s a stupid prayer. My father will keep us here all night long.
Opening my eyes again, I look down into Rella’s, hoping she can see how sorry I am. I do the only thing I can do; I give in to my father and try to make the rest of the night as painless as possible for her.
And hope tonight isn’t the night she starts hating me.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
RELLA
MY KNEES ARE PRACTICALLY knocking together, and I’m sure my scalp is soaked from sweat as I follow Aziah through the hunting lodge door. My hand clutches his so tightly I feel like my bones are going to snap in half. Good thing he’s a tough man, because if he weren’t, I know I’d be hurting him.