41 | Awakening Of The Devil
He found me.
I was going to die.
"I'll take that." Rafael snatched the gun from my hand, his agonizing hold still unmoved over me.
"Rafael." I breathed out in a shaky breath.
I was beyond terrified. His cold eyes did nothing to hide the hatred rested in them and his stony face conveyed me my calamitous ending. I tried pushing his hands away but it was futile.
"Don't you dare hurt her." Caleb warned.
"Haw! I'm so cared." Rafael mocked.
He roughly turned me back and pressed his arm on my throat. Outside sound gradually decreased. I felt like I was drowning with so much pressure on my windpipe. I struggled for air. It only caused the pressure to rise.
"Stop! She'll die." Caleb yelled.
"Put down all your weapons. I won't repeat it." Rafael commanded. Caleb obeyed, petrified.
"Let her go." He pleaded.
A series of vile laughter took over the air around us. He sounded pure evil. The perfect villain.
"What were you thinking, Vittoria? That you'll betray me, run away and then live your happily ever after with this loser? Sorry baby, that's not happening."
The pressure on my throat increased yet again and just when I thought this was all I could take, he released his arm. A huge load of oxygen blasted into me. I savored it wholeheartedly.
"So the thing is," He traced the gun over my face, moving it downward to my neck until it was pressed painfully on my chest. "My brother could've died tonight because of you."
No no no! He was getting this all wrong.
"I didn't know about Luca's plan to blow the place. I swear I didn't." I clarified, desperately trying to make him believe I was saying the truth.
"Oh you didn't?" The strange calm in his voice increased the tremors in my body.
"Trust me, I didn't. I would never put any of you in such danger. He said he just wanted the gold as a revenge for his drug deal going wrong. Please believe me, Rafael."
"I'm sorry did I hear that right? Believe you? You?" He roared, his enraged voice reverberating in the deserted alleyway.
He hurled me away, his strong blow pitching me into the opposite end. A sharp pain lanced through my body as my hands fell over the broken glass pieces scattered next to the empty dumpster.
"You bastard." Caleb howled. He took the opportunity to charge at Rafael who welcomed his intentions with equal fervor.
The two men broke into a brutal fight, none of them willing to back off. I'd seen Rafael fight before but Caleb surprised me with his skills. He was giving Rafael a very hard time. To endure a battle with Rafael for this long was in itself an impressive task. But then again he's a spy. He's extensively trained in this field.
"Run, Vittoria!" He screamed, dodging Rafael's attacks.
I didn't. I can't leave him alone here. He was fighting for me. I couldn't be so selfish.
"There's nothing you can do being here anyway. Just go."
Rafael used the distraction to his advantage. My eyes trailed his movements as he grabbed a discarded wooden stick and raised it up in the air.
"Watch out Caleb!" I screamed as loudly as I could as if my voice had the power to save him from Rafael's blow.
It was too late.
The wooden stick plummeted down on his back, sending him toppling down. A harrowing groan departed from him as he made a failed attempt to get back up.
"Oh my god! Caleb!" Crying, I ran towards him but Rafael's rough hands gripped my arm, keeping me from helping my friend.
"Where are you going, love?"
"Please don't do this to him." I begged.
"Do what?" He creased his brows innocently.
I know what he was doing. He was torturing him just to hurt me. He would have shot him already or hit him on the head. But he wanted him to feel the pain. He wanted me to feel the pain.
"Stop hurting him Rafael, please. What's his fault?"
"What's his fault?" He chuckled darkly. Sadistic grey eyes swung back to his fallen victim. "He dared to take away what's mine." He bellowed. His leg jabbed harshly into Caleb's gut and blood spurted out of his mouth.
A petrified scream left from me. I shut my eyes, too weak to witness something so gruesome happening to him. He was extremely injured, in no position to defend himself.
"You." He turned back to me with a look of unblended detestation. I visibly shuddered being at the receiving end of his hate filled glare. "What were you thinking, Vittoria? That you'll do anything and get away with it? That I'll let you go because I love you?"
A wheezing noise interrupted him. It was Caleb. Laughing at him.
"You call this love? No Rafael. This is obsession. Someone like you would never know what love means." He spat with utter disgust.
I saw it again. The darkness flood in Rafael's eyes. Blood pounded to my ears and my face turned ashen.
"N-No Rafael please don't. I'm sorry. I apologize on his behalf." I quivered.
"She's just a possession for you, Rafael. You would've tried to win her heart instead of holding her captive. You can keep fooling yourself all that you like. But we all know that ain't true."
"Shut up, Caleb. Be quiet." I yelled.
"You bastard." Rafael bent down to his fallen form and repeatedly bashed his fists into Caleb's face.
"Rafael stop. Please."
His madness was beyond anyone's control today. I helplessly prayed for a miracle. That was the only way we'd get out alive from here.
"So you love her." He cocked his head to the side. An evil smirk creeped up his hardened face as his cold eyes snapped back at me.
"Watch the girl you love get fucked right before your eyes." He declared.
The erratic beating of my heart stopped. My breaths came out as scarce puffs of air. The shock was so powerful that it dried up all the tears streaming from my eyes.
He would never.
He can hurt me physically but he'd never do this to me. Never.
Motionless, I stood there blankly staring at the man I once loved. I saw him sulking my way, my unmoving belief in him crippling with every inch of the distance he closed between us. I should run. But I could barely blink.
Suddenly two strong arms violently heaved me into the craggy wall. The bone breaking blow jolted an acute pain through my entire body. The unknown entity barring my emotions broke and I let out a piercing groan.
Rafael leaped up to me and in one swift motion my hoodie was ripped off my body. The black shirt was still on but I felt exposed more than I ever had in my life.
"Rafael?" That's all my feeble voice could call out.
My tears had blurred my vision. Maybe that's the reason why I couldn't see any hint of remorse in his emotionless eyes. Or maybe it wasn't there at all.
"You can't do this. This isn't you." I whispered, desperately trying to find the person I'd known all this time. Maybe, just maybe he's hidden somewhere behind this monster.
"Let me surprise you." His nasty hands held my waist in an iron grip which I struggled to break free from like an entrapped wild animal.
"No no no! D-Don't do this please." Caleb pleaded, grunting in pain as he tried to get up and rescue me. He couldn't.
Rafael forced his mouth on mine, roughly parting my lips with his thumb and assaulting my lips until they drew blood. I put in all my strength to hurl him away with my bloody hands but he was too strong for me to overpower.
The shards of glass piercing my palms found a way to my heart which was bleeding more than my hands. It was dying bit by bit.
"Please stop. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." I said over and over again. My unheard beseeching cries vanished into thin air.
"Why? You were totally enjoying my tongue down your throat just a few hours before."
He trailed his mouth down to my neck. His sharp teeth mercilessly tore apart the soft skin there and his hands traveled down between my legs. I quickly pushed him away but he caught me again the very next second.
"Look here." He pushed me in front of Caleb, clutching a fistful of my hair. "You see these bite marks on her neck, you fucking asshole? "
Tears rolled uncontrollably on his blood covered face. He shut his eyes immediately.
"No, don't you dare close your eyes. Look right at it." He wrenched my head back causing me to break a scream. Caleb opened his eyes in a flash.
"Who owns you, señorita?" He demanded, biting the other side of my neck whilst keeping his gaze locked on Caleb.
"You. You own me." I cried. I was hoping he'd let go if I gave him the answer he wanted to hear. I'd forgotten how hope had always let me down.
"Damn yes. You're mine. I fucking own you. Next time you feel like running away from me, just remember these bruises on your body. They'll remind you who you belong to." He said against my lips.
"I hate you." I managed.
"No baby, you love me." He chuckled. "Why don't you tell this piece of shit about the time when I finger fucked you on my desk?"
"Stop! Please stop humiliating me."
"Oh yes baby, you love to beg, don't you. Come on beg me to fuck you right here against the wall." He commanded.
The thought alone made me sick. His hands roamed all over my body. I felt like throwing up. This was not how I imagined him to touch me. Looks like our first time could be any moment now. When he rapes me.
"Say it or else your friend here gets another round of torture." He threatened.
"Fuck me. Please fuck me." I cried, hoping I had died that day. That cursed day.
"Shut up. Shut up Vittoria." Caleb wailed, holding his hands over his hands.
"Music to his ears, isn't it." Rafael laughed maniacally before clutching my jaw and crashing his lips onto mine once again.
"I gave you everything Vittoria, everything you asked for. I treated you like a queen. But you wanted to be treated like a whore and now I'm fucking giving it to you." He snarled.
"She won't be able to endure it, Rafael. You know nothing about her." Caleb cried.
"And you do?" Rafael challenged.
"Fine. You win. Just don't hurt her." He said, defeated.
"There never was a competition Caleb. She was mine right from the moment I laid my eyes on her. Bold of you to assume you could compete against me."
That's it. That's all I was for him. An object.
"I loved you, Rafael." I doubt if I was even audible. He had no idea how difficult it was for me to fall in love again.
He was right.
I'm not worth being loved.
I just deserve to be abused and assaulted. That's all I'm worth for.
"I loved you too, Vittoria. But you betrayed me. You chose him over me." He pointed an accusing finger at a dying Caleb.
"It always was you, Rafael." I whispered, no longer able to speak.
"Liar!" He yelled, stepping back from me. "I don't believe a single word you say."
I remained silent. All the strength in me had long ago left my body. I should've seen the signs before. In fact I saw them. But I ignored them. That irrational part of me always said that he'd change, that I had the power to do so. What a joke!
I watched Rafael as he circled back to Caleb. Left hand balled into a fist and right hand carrying a dagger, he forced Caleb up into a kneeling position.
"No! Rafael please don't. I'm your culprit. I'm ready to bear the consequences. I'll do anything you want me to. Please let him go. Please!" I fell down to my knees, joining my hands as I begged him.
He ignored my pleas and clutched Caleb's collar, placing the sharp blade on his throat. "Is there anything you want to say to her?"
His eyes, struggling to be kept open held mine as if he was taking me in. "I'm sorry, Vittoria. I couldn't keep you safe."
"No. I'm sorry. It's all because of me."
A satisfying smile formed on his face. "I'd die a million times for you, darling."
My heart ached like it was being wrenched ruthlessly. I wish I could love him back. He was right. I never know what's good for me.
"Thank you Caleb, for everything. I'll never forget you."
"Alright that's enough now." Rafael spat, annoyed.
I quickly wiped my tears and cleared my vision. I didn't want to miss the last few seconds I had with my friend. I readied myself to watch him die.
Then all of a sudden, he said something. That very something shook the world around me. I fell back at the strong impact of his words, my eyes widening in horror.
"T-the best way to..to hide something..."
"...is to not hide it at all." I gasped.
That's what Mason used to say.
It was a clue. He knows something.
Caleb saying this just a few seconds before his death was too much of a coincidence. Why would he say this out of all the things?
He smiled weakly, giving me a curt nod. It was an indication that I was on the right track.
But I couldn't care less. Right now all I could focus on was the glimmer of the blade against his throat.
"Vittoria, I love-"
He never got a chance to complete. The blade mercilessly slashed his throat and just like that, he was gone. Forever.
I wanted to scream but my voice couldn't find a way out. I kept staring at Caleb like he will miraculously come back to life and tell me it wasn't my fault. The death like quietude howled in my ears. The occasional rustle of cold air whispered to me things I couldn't fathom.
The best way to hide something is to not hide it at all.
Esztar is falling.
I loved you Rafael.
I loved you too Vittoria.
I hate you.
I could understand the words, but not the concealed meaning behind them. Then suddenly a sound more powerful than these tormenting whispers overpowered the stillness around me. It was Rafael's footsteps echoing in the silence as he creeped up closer to me.
Terrified, I scampered back, dragging my frail body away from this monster only to realize the wall behind me won't allow me to go any further. I looked up at him. His triumphant grin grew wider as he crouched down before me, placing his hands on either side of the wall.
His face inched closer to me and the metallic stench of blood perfused in my nostrils. He looked pure evil with cold charcoal eyes and his victim's blood splattered over his face. His nasty fingers trailed my jaw. The physical contact caused tremors to rise in my body.
"Do I scare you, señorita?" He smirked.
Wrapping my hands around my body, I nodded weakly.
"Use your words." He whispered darkly.
"Y-Yes." I shuddered.
"Damn right baby, you should be afraid of me."
"Please kill me." I begged for the umpteenth time.
"Where's the fun in that?"
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