Page 3 of Love in the Dark

“Oh, thank you, daddy.” Cherrie squeals, rushing to Azazel for a quick hug before she turns to their victim, cowering in the corner. “I promise it won’t hurt… Long.” She smiles, and it’s cold and deadly, causing the victim to whimper before she makes good on her promise.

“No, please… Don-” His begging is cut short as Cherrie picks up the knife and plunges it deep into his chest, piercing his heart in one swift move.

“There, all done. Can we go now, daddy?” She asks in a small, cute voice like she didn’t just murder someone mere seconds ago.

“Yes, my love, now we can go.” Azazel says with a whole lot of promise behind that single phrase.

Chapter One

Twisted Love

The night is dark, thick with silence and filled with dread.

The air is cold as it whips across Azazel’s face as he is deep in thought, thinking about his next target.

People are locked up tight inside their homes, completely oblivious to the man that is currently walking down their cozy street.

Azazel is quite tall and very handsome. One would not think twice about this handsome devil should they know the true nature of this beast for he isn’t an ordinary man.

Just as he comes to a two-story home with a white picket fence surrounding it, he sees a little boy, scared for his life, run out the front door. The little guy swings open the gate, looks left to right before he takes off and comes face to face with Azazel.

Azazel knows he should keep moving, for his target is only a couple of houses down, but as soon as the boy pushed past the gate, Azazel could tell something was wrong.

Stopping in front of Azazel, the little boy wastes no time wrapping his tiny hands and arms around Azazel’s legs.

Whimpering and shaking, he silently cries into Azazel’s leg.

A deep, throaty groan leaves Azazel's mouth as he glances down to see the child clinging onto him for dear life. He doesn’t see anything else he can do besides ask, “What seems to be the problem?” The little boy pulls back, looks up into Azazel’s face and points in the direction of house he just ran from. The first thing Azazel notices is the darkening bruise on the side of the little boy’s face. Anger blurs his vision and clouds his judgement at the thought of someone hitting the timid little guy. It brings him back to his childhood and the pain that was inflicted on him, and something inside takes hold of him. “Show me where he is.” Azazel barks, when the boy suddenly slips his hand into Azazel’s and guides him to the house.

Following alongside the child, his mind runs rampant, excitement settling in as he thinks about killing someone. When they pushed past the gate, Azazel immediately heard shouting right before an ear piercing scream, followed by a shot ringing out into the dead of night. “Get back!” Azazel yelled, pushing the child to the ground before pulling out his gun.

Azazel ran to the front door, kicked it open and entered the house. The putrid stench of blood and hate rolled off by the waves and he didn’t know what had just transpired. Then he hears voices. “You’re a piece of shit, Henry. If you thought you’d make a punching bag out of my son like you do to me, you were sadly mistaken.” A woman’s voice slices through the air, her words cutting deep into the assailants flesh, just like that bullet did. “I’m going to make sure you never hurt us again.”

“You don’t have the balls to do it, Evelyn. You or that piece of shit mute for a son could never kill me.I’mthe sole provider for this family. It’smymoney that puts food on the table and keeps these bills paid, and if you think I’m going to let you or that good for nothing son of yours come in here and not do as I say… You’re one crazy, bitch.” The man sneers. “Now put that fuckinggun down, tell that no good son of yours to come in here and help me up.”

“Fuck you!” The woman yells. “I should pull-” she begins, but I hear shuffling and someone falling over. “Let me go, Henry.”

“You should have pulled the fucking trigger, bitch, because I won’t fucking hesitate and once I’ve done you in… Your mute son is next.”

Azazel couldn’t listen to a second more of this man threatening to kill the child. “It’s because of pieces of shit like you, I kill for a living.” Azazel murmurs, stepping out of the shadows, aiming the gun at the man’s surprised head before pulling the trigger. “See you in hell.” The gun goes off as blood splatters across the woman’s face, but she doesn’t scream like Azazel thought she would.

“Thank God he’s dead.” She whispers, looking around. “Where’s my son? Jax! Where are you?” The woman calls out, standing up and walking over the dead body of the man who caused her years of pain.

“He’s outside, ma’am, he’s unharmed.” Azazel answers in a soothing tone, because the woman is bound to be in shock.

“Thank you, thank you. I-I thought I could do it, but when his leg shot out and connected with mine, it took me by surprise. Never again. Never again will I be someone’s doormat.” The woman mutters to herself as she heads outside in search of her son.

Azazel couldn’t do anything but watch her go.

Moments later, as Azazel was thinking about how he should handle this situation, someone stepped out of the shadows. “Well done.” A man dressed in all black says, piquing Azazel’s interest. The figure steps under the dim, yellow light surrounding the room and stares into Azazel’s eyes. “You will do nicely.”

Azazael stares into the man’s cold and menacing eyes. Something flashes within his gaze that Azazel recognizes all too well.

The man was a cold-hearted killer, much like himself.

Squaring his shoulders, Azazel watches the man, standing there, assessing the scene before him. “I’ve been doing nicely on my own for quit some time. Nothing you say or do will make me take up whatever offer you’re about to toss my way. I work alone.”

“Do you? Why? Do you kill for fun or money?” The man asks, choosing his words wisely because he doesn’t want to scare Azazel off, if that were even possible. “Why not join us, The Obsidian Order. We will pay you handsomely to rid the world of scum that do not belong here. Just like him.” The man says, looking over at the man Azazel shot dead. “People like him do not deserve to life.”

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