Page 63 of Tarnished Vow

I held my gun tighter, stopping myself from wiping his blood off her face.

“Vincent,”

What the fuck now? I dragged my eyes off Madeline. To look at Damius.

I hadn’t seen that look since I was a teenager. The look he used to get when he had power over me.

“In honor of your cousin's first son. Marco shall be reminded of his responsibility to control his family.”

Marco knew exactly what Damius meant, rolling up his sleeve.

First, I executed her favorite cousin. Now I’m to remove her fathers hand.

This night would only end with her hating me.

I might as well get it the fuck over with. I reached for the blade off the table.

“A full removal, Vincent,” Damius stopped me, gesturing to the electric saw beside it. I should have known by the lineup.

He wanted her to be traumatized when she looked at me.

Cutting through the bones always took longer. I picked up the power saw. Nikolai moved to my side. He could hide it from her view, but she wasn’t deaf.

“Unfortunate circumstances to meet my soon to be granddaughter.”

My blood ran cold. All these years, I had kept him away from her. If he thought, I would let him rape and hurt her.

He had underestimated me.

That same sickening feeling runs through me, remembering his promise. What is mine. Would always be his.

For the first time in years that night and what he did to that woman replayed through my mind. Him ordering me to execute her was painless compared to what he did.

“Madeline, come here.” Damius tapped the table. “Let me see you.”

I cracked my neck.

Of all the ways I could die. Not once had I considered it to be at the hands of my cousins.

“What a beautiful little pet for my strongest crow.” He wiped the blood from her cheek, smearing it in her hair. “Oh, she is stunning. I can see why Vincent made such an effort to get you for his own.” he slowly turned to look at me, only then to drag a look at my cousins.

“Nikolai, step aside. Madeline will hold her father’s arm.” He took her hand, kissing the back of her palm. “Go to your fiancé’s side. Remind your father whose family you belong to.”

She would never look at me the same after this. His natural reaction would be to fight. She wouldn’t have the strength to hold him.

She stood beside me, her hand shaking as she held his wrist. Gently taking her hand, I moved it further up his arm, only to then cover her hand with mine.

A clean cut would heal better if he got the right care. As I cut through his flesh. She flinched, physically shaking, as he fought to get out of our grip.

Her hand was trapped under mine as I stopped him. The blood spraying across us, I tried to block it from her, but between the saw, him fighting and her shaking. I couldn’t stop the blood from getting her.

His screaming only stopped when he passed out. Sadly, for him, it wouldn’t be permanent. The pain would still be there in the morning.

Zeke and Felix carried Marco to the car.

Due to the disrespect. Damius ordered for the body to be tied to the back of their car and dragged home.

She stood beside me, watching Marcel tie the rope around her cousin’s neck, before securing his body to their car.

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