Page 157 of Taint My Soul

No, it’s not true.

My father sighs defeatedly. He turns on his heel and strides toward the exit with Virgil right beside him.

My fists clench, and the hollow ache spreads across my skin. If he’s not coming back, I might as well hand myself over to the mafia king of the Black Viper Syndicate. I can’t stay here anymore. Not when it’s ruining me in pieces.

“Wait.” The word sticks to my throat. Chains rattle as I crawl to my feet and stagger toward my father. My knees give out when I’m inches away from him. I collapse at his feet, hands trembling violently as I touch his foot with my bloodied fingers.

“Forgive me, Father.” My plea breaks apart. I can’t look at him. I can’t bear to. My voice wears thin and frayed from pain and betrayal. “I have sinned.” I bob my head repeatedly, eyes red from my tears. “I’m a sinner. I’m sick.” My chest heaves violently. “Please.” I rasp. “I’m a sinner,” I whisper consistently, pushing every memory I have had with Elio away. Stomping them beneath the sole of my feet until they’re completely lifeless and ineffective on me. “Please, Father. This desire has tainted my soul.” Another plea spills out, smaller than the last time. “I let it. I let it. I let the devil sow his seeds inside me. I let those seeds sprout, and I let them grow. I let him taint my soul.” My throat burns raw as I stab my finger into my chest. I keep begging even as my voice turns hoarse. Pain wraps around my body like a python constricting its prey. “Please, show me your mercy. Even if it’s just a drop of it.” I finally look up at him, lips trembling, vision unsteady.

He stands there, watching me plead. Then he squats down, rough hands holding my face. He doesn’t utter a word. He doesn’t believe me. Beside him, Virgil wears a neutral expression on his face even as he watches our father strip me of every form of dignity.

“My poor son.” His face contorts with concern, but it goes cold seconds later. “You’re lying to me.” He stands up and turns on his heel.

“Please.” I yell at him. The soldier behind me pulls me back with the chains, then he leaves me in the darkness.

CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE

ELIO

We’ve been waiting on the island closest to the Red Vault for an hour. Bernard spoke with a soldier on the inside. He got intel on Tobias’s location tonight. He was here to visit Saint. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to save Saint. And we are getting Saint out of the Red Vault, whether Spencer and Ali get us what we need to access the building.

Tobias King himself.

I massage the gun in the waist holster of my combat uniform. Blessing and Cyrus stand beside me with other soldiers waiting behind us.

My heart hammers in my chest as I look at the watch fastened around my wrist.

One hour. Ten minutes. I tap my feet on the gravel relentlessly. Then the idling of the rigid-hulled inflatable boat cracks the silence surrounding us. Spencer and Ali approach the beach on the island. They both get off the boat and haul their disarmed and cuffed prisoner toward us.

I move toward them first, snatching the black hood over his face. Blood makes a mark across his features, and his expression hardens with anger. He surges forward, but I slam my fist into his jaw, knocking him into the sand.

Cyrus appears before the man lying at my feet. The Tobias King. The King of the Black Viper. He smirks, watching the horror in his eyes. “Traitor.” Tobias spews. Cyrus tuts and regards Spencer and Ali.

“Casualties?” he asks.

“Just two. He really wasn’t expecting us to pull a move like this.”

“Hmm.” Cyrus hums.

“You shot my son.” Tobias barks, teeth grinding against each other.

“You killed mine twenty years ago. Besides, you still have two sons.” Cyrus answers without care.

“Do we really need him? We could cut his hand off.”

“The only part of the vault accessible through his biometrics are three out of four prisons. Each one made for his children.” Cyrus answers as Spencer, and Ali lifts Tobias to his feet and drags him across the beach sand.

We form a circle together and go over our attack plan again. We were splitting into three groups. Team one attacks through the entrance. The other through the back, and the last team through our escape route.

Blessing leads her group. So does Spencer, while Cyrus and I stick to the team attacking through the entrance. Bernard waits at the city closest to the island in case we need another means of escape, while Ali waits here with a boat. As we prepare to leave, Bernard and Ali kiss each other goodbye.

We make sure everybody’s carried along before we dispatch in our various boat rides.

I nod sternly as I hoist Tobias to his feet. “You really think your plan will work.” Tobias looks at me.

“It’s already in motion.” I drag him toward the boat and shove him in.

“All of this for him. To what end?” He questions, expression contorted with hatred.