Page 34 of Wrathful King

Did I do that?

The doctor.I thought he was here earlier. Was he?

His hand reached my way and I scrambled backward. I jolted violently, falling and landing painfully on my tailbone. A horrible sound rumbled from his chest, and suddenly, I no longer saw him. Instead, I saw visions of my soon-to-be death.

I’d die alone and forgotten in this nightmare that nobody could penetrate.

Panic wrapped its cold and cruel fingers around my throat, slowly taking over me and stealing my breath.

I plastered myself to the wall, my chest heaving and heart racing. My nails dug into my skin, forcing me to remain alert. The dying man kept moving his mouth, but no words came out. The glistening of his blood reminded me of the horror movies I never wanted to watch.

Sucking in a deep breath, I held it, waiting for him to die.

Then, out of nowhere, a dark shadow came forward and a scream tore from my throat.

Perez Cortes, with his evil grin and calculating eyes.

My whole body trembled. He reached out and pricked my neck, sending warmth surging through my veins. I hated and loved how good it felt.

Goosebumps broke over my skin and I gritted my teeth, shifting uncomfortably as my tremors intensified.

If I ever got out of this hell, this man would haunt my nightmares. I knew it as well as I knew my own name. He’d left an ugly mark on my soul and no amount of bleach or holy water would ever erase it.

He took another step and I leaned back, desperate for as much space between us as I could manage.

“You killed my doctor,” he purred, and my eyes found the body sprawled in the corner just as his last breath left him.

“He d-deserved it.” My voice shook as violently as my body. “And i-if you get c-close to me, I’ll k-kill you too.”

Fuck, he liked challenges. By now, I should know better than to engage with him. I bit my lip, my eyes dropping along with my heart.

Why didn’t I just ignore him? Then he’d be gone already.

“You’re just like your father.” He watched me with such a disgusting thrill in his eyes, sending all kinds of images into my mind of the ways he could defile me. “He should have stuck with me. But no matter, his betrayal will be yours to repay.”

I had no fucking idea what he was saying, but that wasn’t much of a surprise. Nothing made sense anymore.

“You’ll d-die, just like h-him.” I hadn’t taken pleasure in killing Angelo Leone, but I suspected I’d enjoy it tremendously with this man. His screams would make the most satisfying sounds that not even Phoenix’s gentle fingers playing Beethoven could match.

“Oh,princesa. We both know I won’t. It’ll be you and me until—”

Until I was dead. Thousands of scenarios raced through my mind, but one screamed the loudest.

Death.

For reasons unknown, it refused to claim me. Blood stained my hands, my clothes, and my hair. Probably my face too. Yet death was too good for me.

“Fuck. You.”

“What did you say?” Perez drawled, his voice dripping with venom.

My mouth filled with sand while nausea tilted my stomach. My skin itched so fucking bad it felt like I was being overrun by insects, their little legs scurrying across my limbs.

“Fuck you,” I repeated, trying to sound brave, but my voice was too small. This attitude would undoubtedly result in my death. With that in mind, I added, “Get close to me again and I’ll end your miserable life.”

“End my life and you’ll be at my men’s mercy.”

Out of nowhere, he produced a switchblade and closed the distance between us. His cologne assaulted my nostrils and my empty stomach, making my nausea unbearable. He opened and closed the switchblade before he pressed the sharp tip of it to my neck.