Page 79 of Tear Me Down (Descent to Darkness Trilogy #2)

Chapter thirty-five

Damien

‘The Offering’ – Sleep Token

My chest heaves painfully, constricting and threatening to fail as I watch the heart wrenching scene play on the screen.

My heart thunders against my ribcage and the waves of guilt roll over me fiercely.

The moment his hand moved between her legs, I knew what would happen next—an agony I’m not sure she’ll survive a third time.

Actual tears prick my eyes, and I can’t conjure up the willpower to look away.

If she has to endure this, then I will carry that burden with her—so when the time comes for her to heal, I can sustain it for her entirely.

“Go on, dear. Call out for him,” he taunts, striking my heart with a painful blow.

“No…” she weakly refuses and the loyal defiance in her voice tears me apart.

“I said, call out for him!” his voice cracks through the speaker.

“NO!” She starts to fight back, unwillingly crying out as she fights against him, and now a second man runs behind her.

A tortured shriek flies out of her mouth, making the breath leaving my lungs come to a painful halt.

Then Hugo grabs her legs and doesn’t waste a moment before defiling her.

A single tear spills over my lids, and I stumble backward, feeling the weight of my failure crash down upon me.

The enclosed space around me starts to tilt as I focus on her face.

Her dissociated gaze weakens me, so much so that Zeke has to catch me before I topple over.

Just go to sleep, baby… Please don’t stay awake for this…

The moment his arms make contact and wrap around my chest, something inside me changes, and I dive into it—choosing to fall into it like dead weight and allow the sensation to take over completely.

The cold wave of sorrow morphs into an icy wrath—one that is inescapable.

Something malign, sinister, and baleful, an evil that would secure my place on a dark throne.

My soul now lays itself in front of her altar as an offering, a sacrifice in exchange for her freedom.

“HOW MUCH FUCKING LONGER?!” I shove Zeke away and scream at Crewe.

“Five minutes! Suit up!” Everyone stands and starts to load our suits.

Knives in all five sleeves, extra gun clips, fucking grenades, anything that I could possibly use to tear through whatever defense he has.

I can practically taste his blood on my tongue, and I’m so desperate to feel his pulse pound against the palm of my hand that I’m imagining the harsh beat against the tough skin.

My call for vengeance won’t be forgotten, and it will be carried out in a way that will etch itself into the deepest fibers of time .

I'm coming for you, motherfucker .

We all stand together by the door, surrounding each other in determination and rage, ready to tear everything down.

Though this will be the last battle in my war against Hugo, it certainly won’t be the longest. I may be injured, but I've never felt so strong—so determined to get back what’s mine, and the torture he’ll endure after I have him in my grasp will be all too sweet.

A countdown calls from the front of the truck, and I close my eyes, allowing the darkness to fully take over, encasing me in a hollowness that needs to prevail.

My little wolf’s whimpers and sobs play against the concentrated quiet, and it’s all the fuel I need, along with the images that are now burnt into my very essence.

The moment this truck comes to a stop, Hell’s gate will open, and my depravity will flood the property with such attrition that Hugo will be a withering mess by the time I reach him.

Pounds of metal hang from my suit, and yet it feels as light as if I were wearing nothing at all.

The only thing I feel is the emptiness in my heart and the cool, smooth synthetic casing of the grenade in my hand.

My finger is hooked around the pin, and the moment Crewe’s countdown reaches one, I pull it, signaling the beginning of my massacre.

As the back of the van doors open, we’re immediately met with oncoming gunfire. The smell of sulfur and charcoal permeate through the air as it rushes to greet me, but it will be nothing compared to the putrid stench that will haunt this building once I’m through.

The moment my boot hits the concrete, I release the grenade—throwing it outward and hitting the main doors with skilled precision.

A symphony of screams rings out, but it’s not enough to feed the monster inside me.

I immediately draw my military-grade machine gun and aim true, tapping the trigger ever so lightly and firing out in short bursts, making my first few kills in rapid succession.

My father and Zeke are sure to take out the men on the roof before engaging the men on the ground, knowing we don’t need any surprises to hold us up.

She’s here. I can feel her as if we were in the same room.

Our ethereal connection calls to me like a compulsion, and her warm, vanilla aura creates a trail that only I am meant to follow.

One that I won’t lose track of. I’m desperate to feel her again, to see those amber eyes and watch as the light returns to her face the moment we meet each other’s gazes.

More men pour out of the now blown front doors, aiming and ready to fight back, but my feet continue with resolute strides.

There’s no amount of men or artillery that can keep me from getting inside of that building, and their harsh assault shows that they know what’s to come.

We quickly mow them down, practically ignoring the incoming fight as we push forward.

I’m jolted by a small pain in my left side but remain unfazed as another threat reveals itself.

Two men run up to me, and I don’t hesitate.

Withdrawing a knife, I plunge it into one’s arm as he swings, and I barely catch how the blade makes a clean entry and exit, gleaming red as it pokes through the other side.

I twist his limb and draw it under, pulling him in front of me to shield me from the incoming bullets.

Using my left hand and allowing my gun to hang by the strap, I withdraw a pistol instead, quickly switching to a closer ranged weapon.

My captive’s shoulder serves as a mount for my outstretched arm, providing some stability as I pull the trigger and shoot the second man between the eyes.

I then turn the gun to the man in my grasp and blow his head off without flinching.

The blood that spatters across my face only serves as a coolant, something to keep my focus in check while I feel the desperation climbing to new extremes.

An opening presents itself, leaving the exposed doorway unguarded, and I take off in a sprint, not wasting a moment or allowing my body to feel the strain it’s under.

My physical form will have to suffer along with my mind, but not until the mission is done and my Queen is safely returned.

Then I can feel it, and I’ll add her turmoil on as repercussion for my negligence.

I’m not two steps inside before I'm greeted by a sharp stabbing in my stomach, caused by a man almost as large as I am.

He pushes me into the wall, shoving his blade in deep as my head bounces against the hard surface.

His head is tucked and his shoulder pushes against my chest, knocking the breath from me for only a moment.

I inhale my karma and allow the pain to seep in like I deserve before I retaliate.

Once the momentum reaches a motion I can manipulate, I wrap my arm around and under his neck, and pull up as I twist, feeling the pleasure ripple down my spine as the snapping sound practically echoes through the enclosed space.

He drops to the floor, and as my gaze follows him down, I see his knife protruding from my abdomen.

It sticks out like a sore thumb, but as of right now, it’s nothing but an aggravation—a bump in my crusade that I can’t dwell on.

So I yank it out, ensuring it can’t be used against me again, and continue on my way—ignoring the feeling of my quickly dampening clothing and pushing forward.

The moment I turn the corner into the main area, I see two bright lights shining from the window of what looks to be an office on the exposed second floor.

There’s nothing but walkways and balconies that overlook the working floor, so I won’t have any coverage as I make my way up, but I won’t be needing it.

I immediately pull the pin and throw another grenade, aiming right in the middle to clear a path.

The moment it goes off and more screams echo between the walls, I bolt, not wasting any time.

The smoke and dust sting my eyes, but I don’t bother trying to blink it away.

I stay focused, taking the steps three at a time until I turn on the walkway and cover the distance in only a few strides.

The doors have no friction as I burst through them, but I freeze the moment my eyes find her.

She’s bloodied, bruised, and barely conscious—seemingly in much more agony than the video portrayed, and the thought of that rips my heart out.

Blood-mixed tears stain her face, and even though her features are covered in red, I can see the exhaustion.

The fear and pain that’s buried their way inside her body.

Her head is being held up by his hand that’s entangled in her hair, and even though he has a gun pointed at her head, I can still see the relief in her eyes the moment she sees me, making me melt in the most condemnatory way—making me hate myself even more .

“Damien…” she weakly calls out, and the pleading in her voice hits me like a freight train. So relieved, yet so meek, like she feels she didn’t deserve to say it out loud. It’s me who doesn’t deserve to lay my eyes upon her, an unworthy pest who doesn’t merit the crumbs he’s begging for.

“I'm right here, baby girl. I'm going to take you home.” I reach out for her and go to take a step, but Hugo tightens the grip in her strands and flinches, pushing the gun further into her temple.

His eyes are wide, and his jaw is clenched so harshly that his teeth clearly grind together.

Sweat shines on his forehead, and the mess that covers his clothing is clearly adding to his jitters.

He looks like a mad man, someone willing to do anything and everything to prevail.

Just like me.

“PUT DOWN YOUR FUCKING WEAPONS OR I'LL BLOW HER HEAD OFF!” he demands, and I don’t hesitate, immediately dropping my knife and pulling out my other weapons before tossing them to the side.

He’s lost everything now, and either he’ll take her with him, or he’ll try to scramble something up.

Either way, it doesn’t end well for her.

To solidify my surrender, I raise my hands to show I yield…

I can’t lose them...

“Call them off and remove the com!” he screams.

“Damien, don’t…” her sweet, weak voice squeaks out.

“SHUT UP!” He pushes the gun into her head more, and I move my hand to my earpiece, never moving my gaze from her.

“Everyone, stand down,” I command, and chuck the earpiece across the room, hearing as it clatters just before the chaos around us stops, plummeting us into an eerie silence.

“Now get on your fucking knees,” he seethes and yanks her head back a little more, showing the seriousness in his actions, and hinting at the implications if I don’t follow his orders.

I fall to my knees without hesitation, and even as the bite of the concrete shoots up my legs, I don’t avert my gaze. My devotion to her has never reached any bounds, and it won’t now. I was willing to fall at her feet for the promise of her love, and I’ll certainly do it for her safety.

“Do. Not. Hurt. Her.” I choke out, surprising even myself with the misery and despair that coats my words.

“All I wanted was your cooperation, Damien. It didn’t have to be this way, but you've caused some huge problems! There’s no going back from here!

” he yells, shaking his head back and forth to conceal the trembling in his bones.

He’s afraid of something, and it’s not just me.

There’s no doubt in his mind that he won’t be leaving here a free man, but the question flying through his head is if he wants to die by my hand, Avery’s hand…

Or his own .

“Let her go, and we can discuss how to change that. Perhaps there’s a way we can help each other.” The words that come out of my mouth taste like ash and sacrifice, but I’ll do anything to get her back, and in this moment, that includes bargaining with a demon in devil’s clothing.

“DON’T YOU GET IT?!” He shakes more, and I can’t help but sink my gaze onto her face.

She’s struggling to stay awake, and her bottom lip quivers either in fear or chill.

Each a sign that she’s barely holding on to consciousness, and my devastation grows even more.

“EVERYTHING I HAVE BUILT IS LAID TO WASTE! IT’S NOT JUST YOU I'LL BE RUNNING FROM!”

“TAKE ME THEN!” I shout at him as I notice his grip on the gun tighten.

I’ll die right here and now if he’ll let her go…

“Take me. Let her go, hand her over to my men, and take me in her place. Offer me to Avery as a promise, use me to do his work. KILL ME! I don’t care anymore, just let her go!

” I beg and plead, knowing that it won’t do any good.

The failure in his eyes is apparent, and there’s only one way he’s going out.

By doing as much damage as possible.

“There’s nothing to give anymore! No chances!

YOU TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME!” He lets go of her head and steps aside, letting her head fall forward to hang feebly…

The gun is pointed where he wants it, right at her temple…

And he’s sure to look me in the eyes as his hand tenses. “Now I'll take everything from you.”

I jump to my feet and sprint to the sound of a single gunshot…