“Well, Gabriel, I guess we can find out together.”
The flame touches his skin and the blistering is immediate and then his flesh begins to break and we can see bone. As visually disturbing as some might find this, it’s nothing compared to the sounds coming from his throat. I’m sure he wishes he had died during the fight. It was a much easier way to go.
She turns to Carter and smiles at him, it’s not a genuine one, more pissed off and sadistic.
“I don’t think he deserves to look at me anymore. Do you agree?”
Knox and I exchange a glance because we both know what’s coming next.
Chapter Twenty
CARTER
Knox is worried about her, I see it in his eyes and hear it in his voice.
“Tesoro, don’t do anything you can’t come back from.”
She spins around to him, her gaze furious.
“Like what, Knox? Do you think he doesn’t deserve this?”
He’s quick to respond, attempting to diffuse her anger.
“No. He deserves worse than you could ever do to him. I’m just concerned for you. If you won’t regret it or it won’t further traumatize you, do what you need to do. I just want you to be okay. That’s all I care about.”
Tears stream down her cheeks and she shakes her head as if Knox doesn’t get it.
“Do you even know how many times he raped me? How many times he ordered other men to do the same to me? How many times he beat me black and blue? How about the time he fucked me with a curling iron? Or the number of times I was forced to watch him do the same thing to my younger sisters for punishment? My punishment.”
The torch slips from her hands to the ground as she hits her knees with an anguished cry. I go to her knowing the painshe’s experiencing because I’ve been there too. You’d think once you’re away from your abuser that you’ll feel better but that’s not the case. The torment continues and follows you through your life. It’s etched into your memory. You can run and hide but it’ll always find you. There’s no escape.
Kneeling in front of her, I take her into my arms. She sobs into my chest. My broken girl.
“You should do what you think is fitting. Knox isn’t judging you, he loves you and wants you to be okay, we all do. Only you know how far is too far.”
Tilting her head back, her blue eyes stare into mine, there’s so much pain and it guts me that I can’t fix it for her. I’m not sure if she has decided what she’s going to do, but then Grave makes the decision for her.
“Wicked little girl. You can’t do anything right, not even this.”
Climbing to her feet, she grabs the torch and moves it up and down his shin. Like the first leg, it burns quickly while he screams in agony.
I cough from the putrid stench of burning flesh. His legs buckle, leaving him nearly dangling from the tree.
When she presses the torch against his eyeball, I know his time is coming to an end.
“Where is Jedediah?”
“Hiding,” he hisses through a clenched jaw.
“This isn’t a threat, Gabriel. I’ll do it. Where is your Prophet?”
“I won’t betray him.”
Heather doesn’t respond, without another word, the fire from the torch burns his eyeball as he writhes in agony. She moves to the other side and repeats what she did with the first.
His head slumps down, and she quietly steps away from him. Glancing at Killian, she says, “Call Bones, please. Tell him the body is ready.”
Knox and I both follow her as she moves across the field quietly.