That Emerald Vow (The Crimson Creed #2)

29. Chapter Twenty-Nine

“I have a surprise for you,” Damon sing-songs as we leave Adrian’s home after another dinner. It’s been a few days, and we’ve been keeping our eye on Lily and supporting her as best as we can, including lots of time there with both of them.

Clapping my hands, I squeal, “Oh! I love surprises. What is it?”

“Do you also happen to like blindfolds? ‘Cause you’ll have to wear one for this.” He gives me a mischievous grin as he pulls out a silky black one from his back pocket.

“Damon! Were you just waiting all night with that in your pocket?” I smirk at him before adding, “You kinky man. Well, it just so happens I’m into all kinds of restraints and fun times.” I grab the blindfold from him seductively.

“What if I was?” he says, pulling me closer with the blindfold. “I bet if I checked right now, you’re already getting wet for me. Isn’t that right, little gem?”

I clench my thighs together. “Nope,” I say, popping the “p.” But we both know I’m a lying sack of shit.

Damon smirks at me as pulls me closer, and his fingers graze my bare legs, traveling upwards to the opening in my minidress. “Mm-hmm. I can feel the heat radiating off of you and I haven’t even reached your entrance yet. ”

He pulls his hand away, making me instantly pout. “Hey!”

“Don’t worry, little gem. My surprise is gonna make you even wetter for me,” he assures me as he leans in and bites my earlobe. I shudder at his closeness and the anticipation for the surprise. “I promise.” I don’t think anything is going to make me feel as good as he does, but I’m excited to find out what he has in store for me.

My arms are covered in goosebumps as I just nod—words escaping me. We get into his truck, and he puts the blindfold on me, making me promise not to look.

We get there in what feels like thirty minutes, but I can’t be sure. “Are we on the outskirts of town?”

He laughs. “Good eye, babe.”

“I can’t see, silly,” I tease.

“Duh, I mean good catch,” Damon says.

“Lily and I try to hone all of our senses. ‘Cause you never know . . .” My voice hitches. “Walter got lucky with her. Drugging her disoriented her long enough that she couldn’t really tell where she was.”

I feel his hand touch mine in a squeeze before he shuts the engine. “Nothing like that will ever happen again. Not to her or you.”

“Damn right,” I say, with confidence. “Unless you’re planning to chop me up into pieces now and make me forever yours.”

“Charlotte Thatcher, you are already forever mine,” he says. People talk about butterflies in their stomach when they hear something romantic, but Damon makes a whole stampede of animals march within me . “There is one thing I’d like for you to do though before we embark on that forever.”

“You say the sweetest things to me. I’m so fucking lucky. Now kiss me before you give me whatever this one thing is. I will admit that all I need is you to make me happy . . .” I snort before adding. “And Lily, who’d kill me if I didn’t include her too. You know, since she’s my soulmate and all.”

I feel him lean over the middle console to get closer to me. He gives me a slow, gentle kiss before saying, “I would never dare get in the way of you and your soulmate.” He laughs. “As long as both of you know who’s planning to rock your world ten ways to Sunday every night while making all your dreams come true with love and laughter during the day.” Did he just say love?

“That’s a tall order, sir. I am a handful,” I say, trying to maintain my sass, but I’m breathless.

“Yeah, you are,” he flirts. “But I will spend every day making you feel like the precious gemstone I nicknamed you after.”

“In chaos we reign,” I say.

“In chaos we reign! Now come on. Your surprise has been waiting for you.”

He helps me out of the car, and I try to take in my surroundings with my other senses. The air is crisp with no noise pollution. With us being on the outskirts of town, my guess would be an abandoned building.

As the ground changes from gravel to solid concrete, I know my assessment is probably correct. We go pretty deep into the building before I hear that there’s someone else with us. There are muffled moans of someone trying to scream the closer we get to them.

A sinister smile grazes my lips as I ask with so much giddy enthusiasm, “Did you get me a toy to play with?” I turn my head in the direction of where he’s standing.

His voice turns into a raspy growl. “Not just any toy. One that you should have had a chance to torture a long time ago.” Damon pulls my blindfold off, and I take in his serious face before looking at my new victim.

My breath hitches in my throat as I see the naked man tied up in the chair. He seems to be doing well for the most part, except for an open wound on his head, mild ones on his chest, and one that’s healing on his left ear.

Uncle Demetri.

“How?” I mumble in disbelief.

Damon starts to walk away from me and closer to a rolling cart as he says, “If you remember, at the party, I told you he looked familiar, but I couldn’t place him. You wouldn’t guess where I put the pieces together . . .” I don’t dare blink as I look at him. “At Walter’s place, when we were there to save Lily, I found files confirming he’s a frequent flier at places like that. But today, you’re gonna be the one having fun.”

Rage fills my veins. The thought that he continued doing things to others . . . It’s easier to destroy boogeymen for others. Facing your own is a whole other beast.

I know I can handle it though because Damon, the man I care so fucking deeply for, is helping me face it.

“We didn’t do too much damage, as this is your kill to take,” he says as he rolls the cart back closer to me. “I brought all your favorites and some new toys to test out too.” I look down to see my throwing knives and darts, syringes with various vials, a dull switchblade, electric shock machine, and so much more.

“Thank you,” I say simply. Not that those two words are enough. I move towards Damon and kiss him on the cheek. Gabbing the switchblade, I turn towards my asshole Uncle. “You thought sneaking into my room those nights were you silencing me into a life of meekness—victimhood. But you were wrong. I became a fury, a goddess of vengeance. And it’s finally your time to repent for all you’ve done.”

I yank off the cloth gag from his mouth. “Charlotte, come on. I’m family. Please don’t do this.”

“ Please don’t do this, ” I mimic as I grab his face. “That’s what I said over and over again. But you would say to ‘ smile and take it like you want it, Charlotte, or this will go a lot harder for you’ and you kept that promise. Leaving me with scars no one but I could see.” I take the dull serrated blade and carve a permanent smile on his face as he squirms, trying to get away. “Now you can fucking smile and take it.”

“Do you want money? Anything. I’ll do anything,” my uncle begs. “Charlotte, I’m sorry,”

“No, you’re not. But you will be,” I promise. I squat down, and his dick dares to twitch seeing me this low. “Wow. You are a sick fuck.” I spread his legs wide open, and I stretch the skin next to his crotch—making sure not to touch his disgusting dick—and slice a huge section of the epidermis with clinical precision.

“No! No! No!” he screams out.

I give him a sinister smile. “Guess you didn’t find that as hot as you were expecting.”

“I sure did!” Damon chimes in. I turn to look at him. The sight of him along with the high of torturing my demon makes my core pool with need .

“I want you to join me.” I smirk at him as I offer him the blade.

“Are you sure, little gem? This is for you,” he asks as he walks towards me.

“Stop! I’ll do anyth—” I shove the piece of his flesh deep into his mouth. He starts to gag and attempts to spit it out with his tongue but can’t.

“Shut the fuck up. I’m speaking.” I glare at my uncle. “I’m sure. I’d much rather share this with the man who has done nothing but take care of me like my family should have.”

My uncle cries, having managed to finally spit out his skin. “Please.”

We both look at him, grinning. “Let’s enjoy this right now,” Damon says. “He deserves a slow and painful death. And later, I’ll be enjoying you,” he promises as he takes my lower lip between his teeth, biting down hard.

It makes me moan in pleasure, almost wishing I didn’t need to deal with my uncle right now. “Okay.” I pout, feeling my wants and needs at war. But this has been a long time coming, and I want to savor this moment before devouring every inch of Damon.

Damon squats down as he grazes his hand down my leg before grabbing a throwing knife hidden in my boot. He playfully nips my thigh before coming back up. Without even looking, he throws it at my uncle, landing it in his shoulder, forcing him to scream out.

I instantly feel myself get wet for Damon, but I try to stick to the task at hand. Turning to my uncle, I say, “So where were we? I think I want my pounds of flesh.”

Sauntering over, I grab part of the electric shock machine. “This one’s Ade’s favorite right? Let’s see.”

Damon helps me set it up, and I enjoy watching my uncle convulse over and over again as I bring the gauge up. I take a moment with each of the different toys. By the time I’m done, my uncle is missing a good chunk of his flesh and is bloody and bruised where he has any left. His stubborn ass held out through each part of the torture we inflicted for hours, but I can see the light slowly dwindling.

“Oh, Char, I forgot to tell you one of the best parts.”

I look up at Damon, curious at what else he could possibly have up his sleeve.

“You dear old uncle is so considerate.” He smirks as my uncle’s bloody face looks up at him, confused.

My mouth instantly contorts in disgust. “What do you mean?”

“What are you t-talking about?” Uncle Demetri asks.

Damon grabs him by the chin. “Well, Demetri, you were so considerate to change your will to donate the entire balance in your accounts and stocks to charity upon your death. Which should be happening very very soon.”

“No one would believe that!” he yells out, seeming to be more worried about his money and business than the torture he’s experiencing. What a douche.

“Actually, they would. We know some people in high places who were able to date it like it was changed a couple of years ago.”

I smirk at my man who thought of everything. “Aren’t you the kindest, Uncle.”

“You’ll never get away with this,” he scoffs triumphantly.

“What are you laughing at?” Charlie asks.

“Oh, nothing.”

“Oh, did I forget to say I also found all your offshore accounts? Now that is going to Charlie to help fund her and the Furies so they can continue to take down assholes like you.”

“Day! You’re perfect.”

“No!” my uncle yells as he starts to look faint.

“Oh no you don’t,” I say, slapping him. “I am the one who is going to make you leave this world.” I stab him in the gut, twist the knife, and pull it out, enjoying the pooling blood as he whimpers out.

I don’t stop there as I take the knife and castrate him. I grab his fucked-up face, forcing his mouth open, and shove his dick in there like the many times he forced it on me. He moans and grunts, trying to get it out, but it doesn’t work. I just move it as deep as it can go, making him choke on it to the point of convulsing. The movement makes the open wounds bleed further.

I’m not sure which injury kills him, but I feel vindicated as I see life leave his eyes.