Heart of Stone - Stone and Fire #1 [17+] (REWRITING)

Chapter 17

TW: Sexual assault, graphic violence

Again, very dark and triggering so skip if you'd like

Six Months Ago (Flashback)

Adriana's POV

Pain exploded through my abdomen as a third punch hit me, a blinding white-hot agony that stole my breath. Burly shadows surrounded me, flanking Petrov as he ordered the guard to throw hits, over and over.

They hadn't stripped me down, so the gun protruded from under my red dress's waist. It was dark, and even Petrov couldn't see it. Not when the man in front of me carried muscles three times my weight and fists of fucking steel.

A rogue voice said, "Hit her down low, Orlov. Boss won't be able to have her kids, then."

Fucking sick.

I could only swallow down the metallic taste of blood as he -Orlov- pushed my head against the wet bricks and slammed a firm fist across my face. The darkness around me buzzed in my ears, deep laughter raging through the hell I was in the middle of.

The tears rolled down my face while I took it. 

The next punch was right into my chest, making me gasp for the first time since it started. I clamped my lips shut and prayed it wasn't enough for them to be provoked. For Petrov, however, my presence was enough. 

Orlov backed off, and the ringleader stepped forward, grabbing my face and forcing my eyes to blurrily meet his own. "Interesting," He said, twisting my jaw so he could get a good look. "One rough fuck and you're all feisty now, huh?"

I gritted my teeth and tried my best to stay standing while two men stretched my arms out of their sockets. Then, with a blood-coated tongue, I tried my best to speak with all the malice in my body. 

"Fuck. You."

Not even the two slurred words could attempt to impersonate a fraction of the resentment I held. Not after this. 

Crimson dripped down my chin. His eyes lingered just above my neckline. No alcohol on his breath, no bags under his eyes. This was Petrov, no side effects. His true self, among the silver watch untouched at his wrist, the black of his beady eyes and the snake barely visible at his white collar. 

I sputtered out a breath as the men let go and let me fall to the floor. My knees scraped the slimy alley floor, barely holding enough pain to combat the one pulsating everywhere else. 

"Get up, you worthless slut." One of his men snarled, kicking my side. I finally cried out, the sound echoing off the narrow alley walls. Every breath was a struggle, each inhale like shards of glass scraping against my insides. I tried to push myself up, my palms scraping against the rough concrete, but another kick sent me sprawling back down. My vision blurred with tears and pain, the world around me a swirl of shadows and fucked-up laughter.

The world around me faded, the pain and humiliation merging into a distant roar. But deep within, a fire still burned. I clung to that flicker of resolve, even as my body screamed for mercy. I waited for the light. It was there, at the end of the tunnel, barely a white blur. But I ached for it. I used every bone in my body to get there.