Last night was a complete shit show. After sharing the details of her brother’s death I couldn’t sleep. This was something I thought would stay buried forever. I never in a million years thought that I would be having this conversation with anyone. Let alone, Paul’s sister.
After finding out that Shane was fucking with my girl, it sent me into a murderous rage and I wanted to kill him last night. I have a lot of connections and no one would hesitate to help me if I had to look for him.
But Ari stopped me. Her cute little eyes bleeding for me to stay with her instead. The sight weakened me and I changed my mind. But it wouldn’t stop me from searching for him. I made plans with Zeke, to find out if we could track him down in any way possible. He has connections with people in military intelligence and if I wasn’t mistaken, he was trained to do that job as well. His level of expertise didn’t stop just at being a special operator. If he wanted, he could track down anyone he wanted to.
I got called into work this morning. The higher-ups just got word of other missions that need my team. My short vacation would be short-lived. I didn’t want to tell Ari this. I didn’t want her to feel disappointed when I gave her the news. After last night’s confessions from both of us, I felt like this was going to be a fresh start to our relationship. No more secrets. Just our bright future with our little one.
I don’t know if I’ll ever truly let go of drinking. They call it an addiction for a reason. Ari came into my life at the worst time. She only heightened all of my demons and yet, her love was starting to become my newest addiction. The only thing I was beginning to care about was making sure she was always safe. If anyone was going to come after her or cause her any harm it would be me.
I decide to surprise Ari with gifts after work. Some flowers for her and her mother.
Tulips and tickets to the Bloomings Author’s event.
When I got home, I made some calls to some friends that had connections with the authors that were to be in attendance. I got us both tickets and I wanted to go with her before I had to leave.
I never did stuff like this for anyone. This was extremely new to me. A different side of me that Ari has unlocked and she held the key.
I ran to a baby store after that… a baby store. I still can’t believe this will be my new life. My mother will finally get what she wants. To be a grandmother. I can’t help but feel excited that she’s going to be around a small baby again after her infertility struggles.
Still, I can’t help but feel protective around Ari even if it’s from my parents. I don’t know how my parents would take the news. I needed to protect her from their judgments so I would make sure to have a conversation with them before I even introduce the mother of my child.
Kane decided to tag along and get a baby a gift as well. I bought a newborn-sized onesie for a boy and Kane bought some newborn shoes.
We’re getting closer to Ari’s house and I’m already mentally preparing for her mother to bombard us with questions.
‘Thanks for letting me tag along. I wanted to check on Paul’s mother. See how she’s doing. The last time I was here she wanted me to help her fix the garbage disposal. I want to see if there’s anything else I can help her with.’
‘Of course, man.’
I turn onto Ari’s street, and I notice Kane leans forward, removing his sunglasses from his face and squinting ahead.
‘What is it?’
‘Nothing it’s just, uh, isn’t that the chick’s car you used to hang with? What’s her name again? Nora?” He points to a white sedan with a pink teddy bear sticker on the side of it. It does look just like Nora’s. It’s parked a few houses down from Ari’s house.
I grow suspicious. My eyebrows furrow as I park my truck and I’m on high alert. An eerie feeling slithers through my chest and I know something’s wrong. Kane looks at me confused.
I rush out of the driver’s seat, opening the door. I walk towards Ari’s door and I hear someone screaming and it sounds like Ari.
My heart begins to pound in my chest and I’m panting hard like a bull through my nostrils. I swing open the door to Ari’s place and Kane follows behind.
The sight sends me into a different version of myself I’m extremely familiar with. Death, itself. This version of myself stays trapped inside and only comes out when I’m behind enemy lines but this. This is another level of darkness that comes over me and I don’t recognize myself anymore.
I drop the flowers, tickets, and baby gifts from my hand as the terrifying sight makes my blackened heart bleed into nothing.
Seeing Shane over Ari I know I’m going to send his soul to the fucking ground. He’s dead. The piece of shit thinks he can touch her, rape her?
I charge towards him and I pull him off so easily not giving him a chance to unclothe my girl. I throw him to the side and start giving him the excruciating suffering he deserves, my bones collide with his nose first and it breaks underneath my knuckles.
He cries out from the pain and he tries to defend himself but it’s too late. He tries to pull out a thick knife but I don’t let him, I’m burning with rage. This evil motherfucker hurt my little Angel with this?
‘Danny! Baby! We had to do it. She’s come in between us. I did this for us!’ Nora’s in the corner squealing while Kane checks on Ari. He hovers over her body and dials 911. He relays what’s happening to the 911 operator, gives them our address, and hangs up.
I don’t stop myself from trying to kill Shane with my bare hands. He will feel the wrath that’s seething in my blood along with Paul’s. I’m torturing him with my hands. Each blow sends his bones shattering.
‘Don’t you fucking move!’ Kane growls in Nora’s direction, his voice is so loud it makes the whole house shake from his anger.
Nora freezes throwing her hands up.
The distraction from Nora and Kane gives Shane his last window to reclaim himself. He plunges the knife inside my chest. The pain is dull and my adrenaline doesn’t let me feel the extent of it. I laugh at his weak attempt to stop me. Nothing in this fucking world could ever stop me from reaping Shane out of this world, straight to the pits of hell. As I laugh, Shane’s whole demeanor drops. He doesn’t understand how I’m not dead and neither am I. I grab his wrist and twist it until I feel all of his bones break and he cries out in pain. His wrist is completely useless. I promised him this would happen if he ever touched her again. I take out the knife from my chest. Motherfucker managed to hit straight through my sand clock tattoo.
I grip the knife by the blade, tight in my hand. It pierces through my skin, causing me to bleed as I jab it straight down on Miss Alvarez’s wooden floors, hard causing it to stick out.
‘You don’t get to die a quick death. I won’t grant you that luxury.’ I tell Shane as I continue to torment him with my bare hands.
‘What the fuck are you?’ Shane’s last words weakly come out through his broken jaw.
‘Danny, she’s dying. She’s losing too much blood. Her pulse is weak!“ Kane panics as he puts his hand on her belly. His words make my heart sink all the way down to hell and it stops me from moving. Shane’s unconscious from all the blows and I know he’s dead. My anger screams at me. I don’t want to stop torturing him even though his soul is long gone and his heart has stopped.
I freeze, my breathing heavy and chest tight. My lungs feel like they’re constricted and I’m breaking. Shane and Nora just might have killed her. I feel sick as I feel warm bile rise in my throat.
I grip Shane by the collar of his shirt tight, then I let go.
I rush over to Ari and I see blood spewing out of her side and back. They fucking stabbed her way deep. Ari’s eyes look empty like she’s no longer there in her body. Her brown eyes have lost the sparkle I love so much. They’re vacant. I’ve seen the most disgusting evil horror that lives in this world but nothing could ever prepare me for seeing this. Nothing comes close to the way I’m feeling. Kane has his hand pushed into her wound and I look down to discover there’s a puddle of blood that has surrounded us three.
Her mother lies a few feet away and she’s starting to come back into consciousness.
‘What, what happened?’ Miss Alvarez groans, rubbing her head, and sitting up.
My knees are drenched with blood. The dark crimson blood starts to seep through my jeans and I’m losing my mind. I grab her petite body and hold her close to my chest, her head falls back, and she’s lifeless. I start to shake. I’m broken. I’m angry. I’m in denial. If only Shane could revive so I can kill him all over again.
Ari, my perfect little Angel, taken away from me.
She’s the one person in my entire life that has made me feel like I’m capability to love and be loved. I’ve fallen so madly for her and because of that, I can’t accept this. I won’t accept it.
‘Fuck!“ I growl loud and my throat constricts. Kane watches me and Miss Alvarez is screaming incoherently. I hear sirens from the ambulance approaching the house and I’m internally grateful.
This pain is unbearable. This pain is unforgiving. This pain is unknown to me. I’ve never felt anything like this. I feel as though my soul has been taken from me and it’s because Ari has it. And if she leaves me, I refuse to live without her. I refuse to live in this world without her. I won’t breathe if she doesn’t. My heart won’t beat if hers doesn’t.
I won’t let her go. I know what I have to do. I have to unravel who I truly am, the monster that I am. I meant it when I told her that her soul was mine, forever.
‘Ari, baby, don’t fall asleep. Don’t fall asleep.’ I whisper. I kiss her forehead and cheeks over and over again, aggressively. I don’t stop kissing her as my hands caress her black hair repeatedly.
Kane backs away from me, consoling Miss Alvarez.
I lay Ari back down on the floor gently, and get to work. I’m performing harsh compressions on her chest, my hands pushing down hard, determined to get her heart beating again.
‘Don’t fall asleep.’
