Chapter 26

<Gavin Forrester>

I hear Victoria before I see her. As the guards clomp up the stairs in their heavy boots, I hear Victoria's mangled cries, soft and broken as if she somehow believes this to be her end. I shove my hands deeply into my pockets and breath just to give myself something to focus on other than the impending doom Talon is going to bring about the minute Victoria arrives. When I hear footsteps on the marble floor in the foyer behind me, my breathing speeds up considerably and I'm on the brink of hyperventilating. Talon taps the tips of his long, bony fingers together and smiles calmly.

"There she is. It's about time you get to see something other than the basement, isn't it?" He chuckles as if he's talking to a dinner guest rather than his kidnapping victim.

I hear the shuffling of footsteps coming closer and then Victoria, along with two menacing guards, are standing in front of me. Her eyes fill with tears when they land on me, causing my throat to tighten. Her features relax a little as if to say I knew you'd come. The guards let go of her and she collapses on the ground, her arms clutching her ribs painfully. Her faces contorts and she yelps in pain, trying her hardest to catch her breath. I make a move to go near her but Talon stops me in my tracks.

"One move and she's dead." Talon pulls out a gun and points it directly at her. "You listen to me now, Gavin. You don't have the advantage anymore."

My nostrils flare as I back up a few steps. I look down helplessly as Victoria continues to writhe in pain for a few more minutes. She's on her back, all of her bruises and cuts now on display. Tears pool around her face and she twitches every once in a while when the pain becomes particularly excruciating. The screams and cries of agony that used to escape her lips have died down by now.

Her arms are lying motionless at her side, no longer wrapped around her most likely broken ribs and her face is void of any emotion. Even though her breathing is shallow, her chest is still moving slowly, up and down. This tells me that she's alive, despite the fact that that simple action causes her to convulse. He's made just trying to stay alive hard for her. How can he live with himself?

"Are you done yet?" Talon sighs as if he's tired of watching her self-destruct.

"You'd do what you want to her whether she was done or not; wouldn't you?" My fingernails dig into my palms as I glower at Talon, fury radiating from my every pore.

"It was just a courtesy. Gavin, I will let you do the honors since I've deprived you of your lover for so long." He tosses me a roll of duct tape and tilts his head towards Victoria. "Mount my prize on the wall."

"She's a human being unlike you." I mutter and twirl the duct tape roll around my wrist with no intention of bringing that duct tape anywhere near Victoria.

"I thought you were going to behave yourself and listen to me..." Talon says, fake disappointment etched into his tone.

"I thought you were going to contract some fatal disease and die; I guess we're both disappointed aren't we?" I stick out my bottom lip and try my best to look sad.

"Duct tape her to the wall or I will kill the both of you..." Talon snarls.

You thought you could control me; that's adorable.

"Is that an option?" I ask with a look of amusement.

"I'll let my men assault her while you watch." Talon crosses his arms, obviously annoyed that I'm not responding with fear as he desires.

"Then I'll snap their necks in half, since, you know, I'm not restrained anymore." I give him a furious glare, eyes narrowing as I tilt my head to the side. "Your move, Talon."

He doesn't say anything but instead pulls back on the trigger, sending a bullet flying straight at Victoria. I dive towards her crumpled figure before my mind can even process what's going on. My body lands harshly on top of hers, causing her to wince in pain but I ignore the sound and make sure I'm covering every inch of her. The bullet grazes right over top of us and embeds itself in the wall. I use my elbows to push myself off of her but I don't get all the way up just yet, my eyes locked with hers.

"You came back." She mouths, her eyes brimming once again with tears.

"I should've come sooner." I whisper quietly in her ear as I prop myself up a little farther.

"You're here now." Victoria murmurs and delicately brushes some overgrown hair out of my eyes. "That's what counts. If I die, I'm glad I got to see you one last time."

"I won't let you die." I breathe, my body tensing with determination.

"I know. I'm safe with you." A small smile crosses over her lips as she lies back down on the floor. "Gavin, tape me to the wall. I can survive whatever this is."

"I'm not going to give in." I cry out softly, my heart aching.

"I have you, Gavin, nothing bad can happen to me now." She assures confidently.

"Victoria," I croak but the look in her eye stops me from continuing any farther.

"If Talon makes someone else do it than they'll hurt me. I know you won't hurt me. Please," She pleads, her voice only loud enough for me to hear.

"Get a move on, will you?" Talon drawls from behind us and snaps me back to reality.

I cast one final look at Victoria and she nods, giving me permission to pick her up. I place my arm underneath her armpit and wrap my other around her waist. She grips my neck in the crook of her elbow and allows her other arm to hang limply at her side. I squat and lift up her considerably lighter body with one swift, gentle movement.

She muffles her slight cry of pain in my neck as I carry her slowly over to the wall, each step growing heavier with the heartbreak of holding her frail body. We reach the wall sooner than I would've liked and I set her down on her wobbly feet. She leans against the wall for support and waits for me to tape her there. I unwillingly detach some tape, the sickening sound of it leaving the roll still ringing in my ears.

Victoria flattens her body against the wall as if she's been through this same drill before. I blink back tears as I smooth the duct tape against her wrist. She smiles half-heartedly at me as I continue to restrain her. My heart crumbles as my shaking hands attach the last piece of tape to her and in that moment the entirety of what've just don't hits me. I brush her hair from her shoulders, my fingers lingering on her warm skin. Our eyes meet and there's no resentment or anger in hers, just pure understanding.

"I won't let anything bad happen to you." I run my thumb over her shoulder and play it off as if I'm checking the tightness of her restraints.

"I know." She mouths as I lean in closer to her neck.

My lips place a gentle kiss behind her ear and in my peripheral vision I see her eyes close.

"I won't let any other guy touch you like this ..." I murmur and then turn back around to walk towards Talon.

"I'm thrilled you finally got it done." Talon snarls, a gleam in his ever-soulless black eyes.

"I'm not going to be thrilled by anything until your head is detached from your body." My arms hang down at my sides, fists clenched and knuckles white.

"Gavin, please, you and I both know you'll be dead long before then." Talon waves his hand dismissively as he walks over to his desk.

He sits down at his over-sized leather chair and begins to search through the desk drawers for something, I'd ask what but I really don't want to know. Talon continues his search as a pair of light footsteps glide into the room. The quiet pattering comes to a stop right in front of Victoria and the person, a woman in fact, smiles evilly.

"Look what the cat dragged in," Mrs. Grayson, scratch that, Tenebris, smirks.

"Actually it was two idiot excuses for guards that dragged her in." Ainsley mumbles sarcastically from behind me.

The next thing I know, she's on the floor clutching her arm which appears to be broken. I walk cautiously towards her and kneel on the ground.

"Hey, don't move you'll only make it worse." I whisper, my hand reaching out for her arm.

"I'm in pain, Gavin." She shouts quietly, her voice hoarse with anxiety.

"I know. I want you to do something." I mouth so only Ainsley can see what I'm saying.

"What?" She mouths back.

"Get yourself out of here." My eyes lock with hers but she looks highly confused.

"How?" She squirms under the pain of her arm as she tries to comprehend what I'm saying.

"You know what to do." I whisper as I stand up.

My feet carry me back over to my rightful place in front of Victoria. Her mom is standing there, still taunting her. Hold yourself back, Mrs. Tenebris is the last person you want to kill cause if you do than Talon will definitely kill you...Instead, I clench my fists and expel air from my nose as Talon continues to look for whatever it is that he needs so badly. Somehow I feel like he's taking this long just so Mrs. Tenebris can torture Victoria more.

"You worthless, ugly piece of crap. How dare you let him beat me up like that?" Mrs. Tenebris fumes, her hand coming up to slap Victoria.

"I was chained to the wall; there was nothing I could do. I didn't even know he was going to do that." Victoria cries out, tears wetting her cheeks.

"But you liked that Carter did that to me, didn't you?" Mrs. Tenebris yells, her hand making a sickening sound against Victoria's cheek.

"Who wouldn't after being chained to a wall for fourteen days? I'm only sorry he didn't stick around long enough to beat up Talon too." Victoria brings her head up and stares defiantly at her mother.

Please don't kill Victoria, please don't kill her...

"You're so lucky you're alive. You don't deserve to be alive, Victoria Lilian Tenebris." A nasty smile curves over Mrs. Tenebris lips, her eyes gleaming because she knows she's hit a nerve.

"That's not my name. I will never let the foul, damned name of Tenebris anywhere near me. My name is Victoria Grayson, whether you like it or not." Victoria's jaw locks and for the first time in a long time, she resembles the old, stubborn Victoria of a few months ago.

"You don't deserve everything we've given you." Her mother growls in a low, dangerous voice.

"You're right, she doesn't!" Carter shouts from behind me and then a knife goes whizzing right past my ear.

It embeds itself deeply in Mrs. Tenebris' shoulder within a few seconds. She howls with pain and drops down to her knees, crimson blood pooling on the back of her white t-shirt. She falls forward and Victoria looks horrified at her injured mother lying in front of her, sobbing in agony.

"I back-stabbed you just like what you've been doing to her for years. She may not be getting what she deserves but at least you are, selfish, disgusting miscreant." Carter spits on the ground and then I hear a fight breaking out.

I turn around and Carter has both of the guards in headlocks, their faces slowly turning purple. He bangs their skulls together and they drop simultaneously to the ground. Apparently Carter saw my memo to Ainsley about getting himself out... Talon stands up from behind the desk, surprise written in his features. He holds up the gun, looking like he's about to shoot and then, for the first time in his life, he lowers it.

"There are more important things to do than worry about these petty, spineless cretins. Let Gavin's little militia go; in the end, this is between me and him." Talon grips the gun tightly and motions for my army to leave.

At least no one else is going to die tonight, hopefully...

Surprised by their luck, Blaze, Carter and Ainsley walk gratefully out of the living room and towards the front door. Blaze gives me one final, parting look filled with sorrow that seems to say I'll see you again. I nod in his direction and then turn my attention back to Victoria and Mrs. Tenebris who is bleeding out on the floor.

~~~~~

"This is how our little game will be played." Talon says fifteen minutes after my friends left.

Mrs. Tenebris has been bandaged up and is now sitting in the desk chair cattycorner to Victoria and next to Talon. There's an insipid grin on her face and a sick gleam in her eye as if she's enjoying seeing her only child suffer. My body tenses a little as I try to focus on the crap Talon is spewing from his mouth.

"I'm sorry, what is the name of this game?" I mutter through tight lips.

"Russian Roulette." Talon speaks slowly, as if he's talking to a child instead of a gown man.

Damn it.

"You do know how that's played don't you?" Talon drawls in a condescending tone.

Of course I do...Your biggest mistake is underestimating me, Talon.

"Who doesn't know how to?" I scowl and cross my arms, apprehension shaking in my hands.

"I'm glad. Let's begin." Talon chuckles as he polishes his gun on his untucked dress shirt. "I'll even let you take the first shot since you're my guest."

"How kind of you." I give him a sarcastic smile and take the gun.

"Now line up your shot and pray the bullet isn't in that chamber." Talon's eyes shine with amusement as he turns towards the trembling figure of Victoria.

I bring the gun up, my finger resting lightly on the trigger. My eyes lock with Victoria's, hers brimming with tears and mine fighting to stay dry. She moves her head slowly, up and down, like she knows I can't do anything about what's to come.

"Just do it," Victoria mouths, tears falling on her cheeks.

"You'll never know how much I love you." I whisper, hoping she heard me.

I close my eyes and pull my finger back hard on the trigger. There's a bang but no screams, no sounds of agony, just nothing...

My eyes open and I find Victoria in front of me, still very much alive. I breathe a sigh of relief and then slam the gun harshly into Talon's chest, signaling him that it's his turn. The old man leans on the desk and wheezes to catch his breath. Oh how I wish I could break your ribs right here and now.

Talon aims the gun at Victoria's heart and I find myself holding in my breath, my heart hammering painfully against my chest. The shot rings out but again, there is no bullet. Victoria begins to sob softly, knowing full-well that one of these times the bullet is going to pierce and it'll really be over. I can almost hear my heart crack as Talon hands me the gun. Things continue on like this for a few more shots and then somehow, we end up on the last chamber, the one that will seal Victoria's fate. Ironically, the shot is mine.

"I believe we've been in this position once before." Talon smirks next to me. "But this time you have no choice, it will be done. You are at my mercy, Gavin Forrester."

"I don't have to be at anyone's mercy. I'm the one with the gun, remember?" I turn towards Talon, the gun down by my side.

"You won't shoot me though. See, Gavin, you don't know whether I actually put a bullet in this gun and if you try to shoot me than I'll have my guards kill you. This is a guessing game and it's one you aren't going to win. Either you take the chance and shoot her or I shoot you." His menacing glare bores into my skin as he forces my arms up.

"I know how to aim a gun, Mr. Tenebris." I bite my tongue and look straight towards Victoria.

"Be a man and shoot her; be the man you weren't last time." Talon breathes in my ear as he walks back towards the desk.

"Killing doesn't make you a man; killing makes you a spineless dog and killing a prisoner makes you sub-human." I mutter, my eyes locked with Victoria's.

"Just get on with it." Talon waves his hand dismissively as if he does this all the time. "This is no time for nobility."

I escaped having to do this once and I sure as hell can do it again.

In my peripheral vision, I see Talon turn and I take that as my chance to move the gun slightly to the left, away from Victoria's head. She saw what I did and gives me a grateful half-smile. I acknowledge it but pretend like nothing happened. Talon is now staring at me once again, waiting for me to finally fulfill his wish.

Sorry but I'm not going to give in, Talon, not today, not ever.

The gun goes off and sure enough a bullet goes flying towards Victoria. She turns her head away from it and I pray silently that my aim wasn't off. Luckily, it misses her and drives a hole through the wall right next to her neck.

"You missed," Talon shouts incredulously.

"Like how your parents missed the memo about using protection?" I smirk, completely pleased with myself.

How is it that Talon never learns? I always have an escape plan...I don't kill for sport or for him anymore.

Talon marches over to me, his hollow cheeks flaming red with anger he's failing to conceal.

"How dare you defy me again?" He roars and slams his fist into my chest.

Rage burns in my veins as I swing back at him, much harder than he did to me. His broken nose begins to bleed but that doesn't stop him from trying to fight me. Talon, do you not remember that you trained me to kill? This will not end well for you... I punch him in the jaw and suddenly all my pent-up fury from the last seven years working for him spills over as I beat him up.

I slap him across the face and while he's disorientated, I use all my force to slam him into the wall. He crumples beneath me and I begin to kick him everywhere my feet can reach. My breath is heavy but the adrenaline I get from giving him a taste of his own medicine fuels me to keep fighting.

"This is for every person you forced me to kill." I punch him as hard as I can in the side of the head, tears of guilt running down my face.

I let him turn me into a monster.I let him do this to me and now I'm just a machine, possessed by the power I shouldn't have. That's what I'm being right now actually, I'm being exactly what he wants me to be...

I immediately stop punching him, coming back to my feet. The rage I felt before has drained me and now I'm a shell of my former self. My mind begins to realize exactly what I've become and it's a scary thought. I'm a devil, a devil that was given a shotgun. I was given the power to do something that no one should be allowed to do.

I took lives, I underestimated my own power and now I'm going to pay for what I've done. I wish I could just take it all back...I wish I didn't let myself go as far as I did. Before, it was easier to pretend that the people I was killing were just pawns in my game but now I'm realizing that that's what he wanted me to do, all these years I've just been giving into him, but for what? What did I actually gain besides an almighty pain in my ass known more formally as Talon Tenebris?

I was the pawn, it wasn't the other way around. Talon controlled me and everything I did. This whole game was never mine to begin with, I was always just a player. My face contorts bitterly, regret filling my soul. All these years, I've let him turn me into a monster, I've just sat around and never once tried to stop what I was being forced into. I just took it as part of a cycle, I became indifferent to the whole situation; it was just what I had to do.

I wish I could apologize to all the families of the people I've killed and just tell them how deeply sorry I am, how I never meant to go as far as I did. I wish I could give them a reason as to why I did this, some valid reason but really, there is none. There is no excuse for what I've done and I'll spend the rest of my life regretting it.

God, if you're listening, I'm so completely sorry for all the evil I've done. There is no excuse and I deserve to be punished for it but please forgive me. Please give me another chance, even though I don't deserve one. I really want to be a better person, I want to move on from here. I don't want the rest of my life to be defined by this, by these stupid mistakes. I hope there's some way you can forgive me, Amen.

I let out a deep breath and turn around, coming face to face with a black-eyed, bloody-nosed Talon Tenebris. He snaps and his guards lunge forward, locking my neck in their beefy arms. I make no sudden moves for fear that they'll break my neck.

"I'm going to make you suffer." He snarls but I just smile serenely back at him.

"I know but I don't care." My eyes linger on him for a second before moving onto Victoria who is crying in a broken, muffled sort of way.

"Look at me," Talon yells and forces my tightly restrained face towards him.

"Happy now?" I glare at him, my eyes fighting to get one last glimpse at Victoria.

"Very much," With those final parting words, Talon strikes me on top of the head with the butt of his gun.

The guards drop me and I hear Victoria scream. My body hits the ground with a thud, a sickeningly audible thud. I begin to black out, my mind slowly slipping from consciousness. I'm not scared though because this isn't what death feels like. Don't ask me how but in my heart I know I'm not dying; dying is just, different. Dying is leaving forever; what I'm feeling right now is only temporary.