Page 66 of Anathema
“Its called lying, Lex.” He admitted. “Monika was nothing to me, but I needed you to believe she was. You are my everything.” Eli answered, grounding out the last part as if it hurt him to admit it. His words sent a chill down my spine. Eli must have been more obsessed with me than I thought he was.
“Let me clarify further for Eli.” Adrian cut in. “He traded Monika for your protection. I didn’t have to keep you alive to get what I wanted. But Eli here was against that part of my plan. Said he would gladly give up Monika’s life to protect yours.” He smirked. “Seems like it didn’t pay off in his favor in the end, though.”
Eli just shrugged, disregarding the blood on his hands. “There are always other ways of getting what I want.” He added.
I sucked in a breath, looking up at Derek, my hands fisting his shirt tightly. He couldn’t be suggesting what I thought he was. He wouldn’t kill Derek just to get to me. Would he?
“All of this for me?” I gasped, glaring at Eli and Adrian.
Adrian let out a dark chuckle, stepping closer to us and sucking on his teeth.
“For you? No. You were nothing more than bait to me.” Adrian stopped roughly ten feet away from our group.
“You said that earlier. Bait for what?” I lashed out at him as Derek pulled me tighter against his chest.
“Madison, of course.” Adrian gestured his hand to where she stood behind Dean, “Don’t tell me you’ve moved on already, sweetheart.” His smug expression caused my stomach to twist. I was hurting, but not by the admission that I was nothing but bait to him; I was hurt because I had unknowingly and unintentionally handed him Madison on a silver fucking platter.
This was all a setup… for Madison.
Chapter 28
Madison
AdrianValtores.Theoneman who had once brought me to my knees, only to rip my heart out and leave me bleeding on the floor. I despised every inch of him, and seeing him now standing before me, with his smug appearance that he wears so well, made me want to slit his throat.
I spent months reeling over the loss of him, but that was only because he had groomed me to be that way. His obedient little slut who would do anything to please him. I was wrapped around his finger and loved every second of it, but not anymore. That version of Madison was long gone. She was dead and buried, along with the rest of her dark and twisty past.
It wasn’t until Chyler stepped in between us that everything changed, and our relationship fractured. I was so angry at what had happened between Adrian and me, but it wasn’t because of her. I let her believe that was the reason, but it was all because I wasstupid enough to allow myself to become so enthralled by someone like him that I lost my sense of self and self-worth.
It was embarrassing, so taking my anger out on Chyler and letting her carry the entire weight of the blame was the easiest way to protect whatever single shred of dignity I had left after he ruined me. No matter how much dick I got in the aftermath, nothing left me as satisfied as when I was with him.
Pushing Dean aside and stepping in front of him, I crossed my arms over my chest and sneered at Adrian.
“What on this fucked up earth could you possibly want with me, Adrian?” I spat his name with malice.
“We have unfinished business.” He confessed with a nonchalant shrug.
“Unfini—Do you not remember how everything ended between us?Youleftme, Adrian. Not the other way around.” I gestured between us and scoffed at the audacity of his words. I couldn’t believe he would make it seem like I wanted what we had to end. Looking back on the event, I would never go back to him now, but at the time, I didn’t ask him to abandon me—us.
“I gave you a choice, and you picked that whore of a friend over me. Over us,” Adrian gestured towards Chyler, and she balled her hands into fists, sending him a fuck you glare.
“Let’s not turn this conversation casual. There was never an ‘us’; it was always you and your fucked up games.” I hissed. “You aren’t the innocent one in this mess that you alone created. It may have taken me months to understand the extent of the damage youcaused to me, but that was nothing compared to where I would’ve been if I stayed with you.” I admitted.
I owed Chyler for saving me after everything that had happened. I hated her for leaving me for Atlas, but I owed her that for pulling me out of Adrian’s grasp when she had the chance—before it was too late. I wish I could take back all those years of holding our break-up over her head. It was wrong of me, and I am realizing that now more than ever.
“You wound me, sweetheart.” Adrian dramatically placed a hand over his chest. “Tell me more about how you hated my fucked up games. Because if I recall, they had you coming so hard you couldn’t even dream when I was through with you.” He smirked, running a thumb over his lip, his eyes raking over my body as if he still owned it.
“You motherfu—” Dean attempted to shove past me to go after Adrian, and I wrapped my arms around his, pulling him into me.
“Don’t,” I whisper-hissed into his ear, clinging to his arm for dear life. “You don’t know what he is capable of.” My voice trembled at the thought of Adrian taking Dean from me.
“Ah, so you have moved on. And with him, it seems.” Adrian stepped closer toward us, and out of the corner of my eye, I could see more cloaked figures entering the room. We were surrounded.
Adrian feared nothing; he was always someone to fear. The devil incarnate. Few things intimidated me, and even fewer people. But Adrian was at the top of that list, and all this time, I believed he had left and forgotten about me, on to torture his next unsuspecting victim.
“He doesn’t matter; what do you want with me, Adrian?” I released Dean’s arm and stepped in front of him again. I would not let Adrian harm him, not if I could help it.
“I want you to come with me, marry me like you once agreed, and lead Anathema at my side.” He held out his hand, and I looked down at it, a sarcastic laugh bubbling up from my throat. He could promise me the world, and I’d still spit at his feet.
