Page 21 of Fall of Hellfire (Hellfire Society #3)

seventeen

RIOT

I don’t think I say it enough, but God damn, my wife is sexy as fuck when she gets all stabby.

I mean, I have to readjust my dick to make sure he doesn’t explode through my pants like the Kool-Aid man through a brick wall.

Unfortunately, my thoughts escape as I blurt out just, that, but I’m rewarded with the sweetest little giggle.

God damn she is perfect. Cash steps forward and runs his finger across the small cut on her upper arm, smearing the blood before nodding to himself that it’s minor.

"Where did you have in mind?" Arsen asks, glaring down at the sack of shit by my feet. I kick out my foot, hitting him in the stomach for good measure.

"His place. It's where our history started.

Plus, I bet the basement is still set up to hold someone.

" I grind my teeth at that thought. Something is twisting in my stomach because I know she is referring to where he tortured her not that long ago.

Could going back there make her flashbacks worse?

I mean, she's been doing better, but what if this sets her back some?

I glance up at Cash and Arsen, trying to read their reaction, but Cash simply nods.

Arsen doesn't look as thrilled but shrugs, holding out his hand to Cash.

"I'll go grab the truck." Cash passes the keys over before A turns and heads out.

I look down at the bloody mess across the floor.

We have four bodies in here and two in the kitchen.

We let the waitress go because it was clear she had no idea what was going on, but the two cooks knew something was up.

Cash does the same before letting out a long-annoyed sigh. "I'll call a clean-up crew." He nods to Ethan still lying unconscious on the floor. "Get him ready for transport." I give him a two-finger salute as he turns to make his call.

Once he is a few steps away, I turn to Ali.

"So, how good did that feel?" I nod to the now dead Miranda Black.

Her eyes stare sightlessly ahead, a void of nothingness.

Blood slowly drips to the floor from the edge of the seat, but is cooling fast. I stare at it like it was a piece of artwork before Ali lets out another beautiful laugh, pulling my attention to her smiling face.

Her green eyes shine with something lighter, something more.

"Honestly, I've dreamt of doing that for a long time.

I would feel terrible after thinking about it, but after I ran away, I knew it was going to happen one way or another if we ever crossed paths again.

I wasn't lying when I told her she only had herself to blame.

The Blacks made me who I am. Made me have to fight for every last breath I took in this world.

If I have to become a monster to show them what happens when you push too hard, then so be it.

" She turns to look down at Ethan. "Now the only ghost from my past is him, and I have something special planned for him.

" The gleam that enters her eye as she says "special", combined with the feral grin painting her lips, has me thinking of doing wicked things to her.

Things that we currently don't have time for here.

Arsen enters the front door at that moment whistling a tune as he swings the keys around his finger.

The ring of the bell is loud as it sounds out, bringing me back to the here and now.

Rolling my shoulders, I lean down, grabbing Ethan's dead weight, and tossing him up and over my shoulder in one quick move.

His head hits one of the stools as I let out a grunt at his added weight.

"The fucker weighs a fuck ton." Arsen has the SUV pulled right to the front with the trunk door already open.

I toss him in unceremoniously, not bothering to even tie his hands and feet.

I gave him a good beating before I knocked him out, and with the extra hit to the head while moving him, I doubt he will be waking up anytime soon.

"Alright, cleaning crew is on the way. Load up and let's head out," Cash calls out as he heads for the driver’s seat, followed by a grinning Ali.

I'm not sure what is going through our girl's head right now, but this is the most I've seen her act like herself in the last two weeks, and I’m glad.

I was starting to miss my little psycho wife.

C ash keeps to the speed limit, taking more back roads than usual.

Which makes sense since we still don't know where our fathers are or what resources they have at the moment. On the drive over I texted Marco, confirming our meeting in a few hours. When we finally pull up to the Black estate I’m a little shocked.

The place looks only a little smaller than one of our places.

With clean-cut landscaping, the place is a picture-perfect image of higher class suburbia.

"Well, I wasn't expecting this," I tell the small space as Cash parks.

Ali lets out a snort before leaning over and staring at the place with disdain.

"All the pretty things in life often hide the ugliest secrets.

" Her tone turns dark, like she’d rather not even be here.

I'm about to say we can find a different place, but she is already reaching for the door handle and climbing out.

Arsen turns in his seat from the front and frowns as his eyes follow Ali heading for the front door. "Ri, let her work through this. She needs this. We just need to be here for her." I roll my eyes at how reasonable he sounds but don't respond, hopping out and jogging to catch up to my wife.

"Wait, you don't know if they have guards or something inside," I tell her, reaching for her arm to stop her, but she once again snorts at my words and shoulders her way in.

I follow a step behind her, ready to take out any additional threats, but the place is empty.

As quiet as the dead, not even an alarm.

I frown, but before I can ask about my confusion she holds up a phone and waves it at me.

"Ethan mentioned he updated the security to be more high-tech, I figured he would want to manage everything from one device.

He also has the camera app on his phone.

No one is home." She throws me a wink before heading down a hall.

I follow like the lost puppy dog I am as she leads us to the garage and opens it to allow Cash to pull in.

Once he's parked, he and Arsen climb out.

"The basement is this way." They quickly move to the back to grab Ethan before we all follow Ali to the door she indicated.

She pauses, her hand on the handle before taking a long, deep breath, closing her eyes and opening the door.

The familiar smell of copper assaults my nose first as we begin to descend.

I already know what I’m going to see before we even hit the bottom, the sight making Ali tense before she forces herself to move further into the open space.

There is a single chair in the center of the room, blood covering it as well as splattering the floor.

I dig my nails into my palm, needing the pain to center myself before I turn around and kill Ethan for the fun of it.

Taking a slow breath in, I fill my lungs before releasing it fully and taking in the rest of the room.

A small bedroom-like area sits across the way near a small window.

On the opposite side, a table with blood instruments lines the wall next to a pile of old boxes.

The floor that is not covered with blood is covered in dirt and grime.

It suddenly hits me; this is where they made her live.

The place she called home until she ran away.

If Richard and Miranda weren't already dead, I would make sure they were.

"Let's tie up the asshole for now. If he wakes up, let him wait.

We need to prepare for our meetings anyways.

" Cash and Arsen shove Ethan down and into the chair before tying his legs and arms down. Ali watches them with a blank look on her face and I’m worried this might be getting too much, but she once again surprises me as she turns away from the fucker and heads for the stairs.

"Let me make you all a quick lunch before you go." And then she's gone and I’m reminding myself if it gets too much, she will tell us, or maybe she will snap and kill him herself.

A fter we ate the sandwiches Ali made us, she gave us all a quick tour of the house. We figured we could stay here a few days until we decided how to finally end this all. We've been playing with an idea but are not sure if the plan will go as smoothly as we wish it would.

Now the three of us are standing at the front door staring down at Ali as she tells us once again she will be fine here alone.

None of us want to leave her, not after what happened last time, but all three of us have checked the restraints holding Ethan.

The fucker is so pathetic that he is still passed out, even hours later.

I was half tempted to take a piss on him when it was my turn to check on him, but I didn't want to have to smell it later so I held that urge at bay.

"Seriously, you guys. I'm fine! Go run off to your little meetings.

I plan to go through more of Richard's office and see if I can find anything else useful.

I'll have my phone on me as well, just in case.

" When we all continue to just stand there, she rolls her eyes, pops her hips, and glares.

"Go! Or no sex for a month," she threatens, and I gasp in outrage.

With a hand over my heart, I narrow my eyes on her.

"You wouldn't dare." I call her bluff, but she just cocks her brow in a "try me" manner.

I throw my hands up in defeat. "Okay, okay.

I'm going, but you call the moment that fucker gets up or something happens.

" The stern look on her face softens as she nods.

"I will, I promise. Now go so you can come back faster."