The Silence | ✔️

Bonus Chapter

"Arian," I said, walking in calmly, a stark contrast to the fire inside of me.

Her shoulders tensed but she didn't turn around. If that filth in the corner was surprised, I didn't know, nor care. I didn't spare him a glance. I had a feeling it would shatter the control I was fighting so hard to hold onto.

"Ari, don't do this," I said.

"What?" She asked, almost laughing in disbelief. In the time I'd known her, I'd never heard her sound so deranged and it broke my heart to know that bastard was responsible for it. "Don't do this? This is what you do, right? You take care of lowlifes. Well this one, this is the lowest one of all."

"I know you want justice," I said, taking slow steps toward her, never taking my eyes off her. The gun in her hand trembled. "But taking a life has its price, Arian. No matter how much that person deserves it, you can't kill someone without baring the weight of that choice for the rest of your life."

"He needs to die."

I couldn't have agreed with her more. Maybe she felt like she needed to do this right now. Perhaps she saw it as retribution and it needed to be at her hands. But If I could save her from bearing that cross, I would, because it was too damn heavy and I knew that more than anyone.

Desmond spat, from the corner of my eye I could see him shaking with hatred. It was clear he was used to being in control and the lack of it, was causing him to spiral. "You're both fucking dead," he seethed with sincere threat. "Dead. I'm going to put a fucking bullet in your throat bitch."

She calmed me, when I looked at her, it was easier to ignore that rancid voice, threatening further harm on the woman I was falling in love with.

"Baby," I said, so close that I could smell the blood on her skin as I stood behind her. My heart pounded at an agonizing speed. "Don't do it. You're too pure to tarnish that sweet soul."

"There's nothing pure about this whore," Desmond spat. "She's been screwing you after I've held her down and fucked her so hard that she cries. Trash. She's trash."

My fists clenched at my side, ripping out his tongue was becoming harder and harder to abstain from. I whispered in Arian's ear, letting her draw all of my focus. "Don't let him take this piece of yourself."

I wouldn't scar her. She would leave this room with as little damage as possible.

My arm stretched the length of hers, I wrapped my hand around the weapon and as I took it from her relenting grip, I held her head, tucked her face into my chest so she couldn't see and looked dead on at Desmond with a smug smile.

The last thing he would know, was that Arian was safe with someone who would terminate anyone who fucking hurt her.

I pulled the trigger and while I couldn't drag it out, I did ensure the first few shots weren't fatal. There were moments, brief, but still moments that he was in pain before I put the last bullet in his forehead.

The main thing was that he could no longer hurt her. It was a fucking relief. He couldn't hurt her.

I dropped the gun to the floor and then held her, pressing soft kisses against her head because I was so damn grateful she was here, alive, safe. "It's over Ari. It's over. You're safe."

Arian tried to lean back and look over at where Desmond was on the floor in a pool of his own blood. Red mist covered the walls and bed, it'd even showered both of us. It wasn't something to bask in. The sight was graphic and people had nightmares over lesser horror.

"Don't," I whispered. "Don't look, Ari."

"He's— He's dead?"

"He's gone. You don't have to be scared."