Page 9 of Broken By The Devil

EMILIA

I’m in the basement, my reading nook in sight. The familiar bookcase filled with my favourite novels, my favourite escapes from reality. The small rocking chair in the corner of the basement is my sanctuary, I’m curled up in the chair with my book perched on my knees when I hear the door hinges creak.

“What are you doing here?” I demand.

“Now, now, my pet. Is that any way to speak to your master?” he drawls.

“I am not your pet and you are not my master, get out now!” I leap from my seat as I demand he leave but he doesn’t budge. His eyes are like a predator’s; they’re alert, calculating like they’ve identified their prey. He stalks towards me, pushes me hard, I fall on the floor and am about to get up as he straddles me and pins both my arms above my head. I can’t move. I can’t breathe. I’m completely frozen. I don’t know what to do.

“Now you’re going to lay still…or not. I kind of like it when they fight, I especially liked it when your sister fought me. She couldn’t win in the end though, I’m too strong, too powerful and I will have what I want.”

My sister, Thea. He’s talking about Thea. The panic is rising, I’m kicking out but I can’t make contact with anything important. His grip is tightening on my wrists. I can’t pull them free. He’s ripping at my shirt, exposing my breasts. I’m not going to be able to stop this. There is nobody in the house, nobody to hear my screams or pleas.

“At least your body is better than your sisters, shame she had to go and kill herself, I did enjoy her…thoroughly.” His laugh is satanic, cruel, cunning. I stop fighting in that moment, trying to retreat to a place of safety in my head, but it’s not working. I have to fight, I can’t give up. I kick out, I try and get my arms free, I even try and use my head, but he dodges my strike at the last minute. He uses one hand to grip both of my wrists and uses his other hand to wrap around my throat and squeezes. “Oh we’re going to have so much fun my submissive little pet.”

I gasp awake, sweat dripping from the entirety of my body, the sheets of my bed soaked and clinging to every curve. Instinct drives me to grab the knife under my pillow and unlock it, ready to slit a throat. I inhale mouthfuls of air, but it seems like none of it reaches my lungs. I sprint for the bathroom and heave, once I know I’m alone. The nightmares have never been as vivid before. They’re getting worse, so much worse. I can’t escape my reality, it bleeds into my subconscious. Not even a minute of reprieve or delusion to think I might be free.

My phone isn’t where I left it. I always leave it on my bedside table so I can reach it when my alarm goes off, but it isn’t there. I locate it on my dresser across the room. My lamp has also been moved and my underwear drawer is open. The slimy bastard has gone through my underwear. I have changed the locks on my apartment door but he always manages to get inside. I’ve stopped bothering. Sometimes I wake to him on top of me and others I wake up to find a few things have moved. I have not felt safe since my sister died. I don’t think I’ll ever feel that way again. I have nowhere to call my home. Home is meant to be a sanctuary. He’s ruined both of my safe places, no escape, no peace and no safety.

I used to feel sad about it, but now only pure unrestricted rage. He took everything from me. Everything I once was. I make a declaration here and now, he can have my past but he will not have my life or my future.

KADE

Iget into the office early every morning to work off some steam in the gym. Helps me mentally set up for the day, dealing with things I don’t want to be dealing with. I have an early morning meeting with the chief about budgets that I need to be ready for.

Someone is in the gym already this morning, normally it’s empty, I can hear massive blows to the boxing bag. Whoever it is, they’re working off some rage, you can hear it in the sounds echoing from each blow. I contemplate leaving them to it, but I could really use a workout this morning so I enter the gym slowly.

Emilia is pulling blow after blow towards the bag, she’s not holding back. She punches the bag with such force it’s swaying roughly at the anchor point in the ceiling. She doesn’t even notice I’ve walked in, she’s kicking the bag now, spinning, planting her stance and she strikes. Her fists must be red raw by now, strike after strike, her teeth are bared, her breathing shallow and sharp. I can hear the anchor squeaking, the budget has been scrapped for the gym so the equipment is old and rusty. I wouldn’t be surprised if the bag breaks from the anchor by the force she’s putting into those punches… and then it does. The bag falls to the floor in a thump.

“Shit,” she breathes.

“Shit indeed, what am I going to use now?” I joke. She darts her gaze towards me “Suppose you could always find another gym to go to instead of this one.” She is snappy this morning, good, it shows she cares about something at least. I like it when she’s fiery.

“Looks like you’re working something off, want to spar and really challenge yourself?” I lace my tone with the cocky arrogance I know gets on her nerves.

“You’re no challenge, Sergeant,” she purrs. I’m sure she knows what that does to me, the way she purrs my rank like that, it makes my cock twitch.

“It’s ok, I wouldn’t want my ass handed to me either.” I tease. Her jaw sets in stone, her teeth grinding I can hear the sound it makes. “Fine, let’s go.” She wastes no time, I get no warning.

She strikes, I pivot and dodge. That is how it goes for the first few minutes. I let her get out the anger, she needs the release, otherwise it’ll end up consuming her mind. She strikes, I defend. She is getting tired and sloppy. She leaves her side wide open. I punch and a grunt escapes her mouth. I can’t wait to hear what other sounds I can get her to emit. Kade, keep your head, you idiot!

“What is it that’s gotten you so angry, little Viper?” I tease.

“Stop calling me that!” She shouts.

“More anger, god, that bag never stood a chance.” I know she likes my nickname for her; she blushes every time I say it.

“That bag is ancient, all the equipment here is” she snaps and lands a blow to my left side.

“It’s not my fault your father scrapped the budget for the gym, maybe you should direct your anger at him, or better yet, get him to give us more money to finance a better gym.” I know this is going to rile her up even more, but I can’t help myself. She strikes me in the stomach. I tumble over and she’s on me in less than a second, but what she underestimates is…I’m fast. I use sheer force to tackle her to the floor and pin her down. Her face seems to change in that instant, a slight glimmer of panic before she puts her mask back on.

“If you wanted to be on top, Sergeant, you just had to ask.” She winks at me. Fuck, she needs to stop doing that.

“I hate you Viper, don’t forget that. You’re off your game, you’re sloppy and you let emotion dictate your actions.” I don’t have a second to process what she’s doing, she manages to get an arm free, how I don’t know, hit me in the face, and twists her body so she is straddling me now. Shit, I’m in trouble here.

“My game is just fine.” She grinds herself against my hard length. I need to get out of this gym, away from her before I end up doing something I’ll regret later. “As for hating me, it certainly doesn’t feel like hate to me.” She glances down at my cock bulging underneath my pants. “Thanks for the workout, Sergeant.” She smirks like the little vixen she is and leaves the gym. I lay there for a few minutes with my hands over my face.

“Fuck.” That’s what I am, completely and utterly fucked.