The Shadows We Dance With

Ch32: Return of an Angel

Spencer Reid sat in the cold, dark room, his body aching from hours of being tied to the unforgiving chair. The only sounds were the faint, rhythmic dripping of water somewhere in the distance and the occasional creak of old wood. Valentino had left him alone, the door closing with a heavy thud hours ago, leaving Spencer to grapple with the pain and fear that gnawed at him like a relentless predator.

He had taken the time to assess his condition, forcing himself to stay calm, to think logically despite the terror threatening to overwhelm him. His head pounded with a relentless ache, the result of whatever had struck him when he had been taken. The blow had left him with a concussion—he was sure of that, the dizziness and nausea a constant reminder of the injury. His wrists and ankles were raw, the rope burn growing worse with every slight movement, the rough fibers biting into his skin with each shift. He could feel bruises forming around his throat, the tender skin throbbing from the pressure Valentino had applied earlier.

Spencer knew this knot—Valentino had used it on him many times before. He had spent countless hours struggling against it, trying to find a way out, only to learn that it was impossible to escape without someone untying him. The knot was designed to be inescapable, a physical manifestation of the control Valentino had once held over him. He had known, even then, that he was trapped. And now, years later, he was trapped once more.

The chafing of the ropes, the pounding in his head, the bruises on his throat—each sensation was a reminder of the past, a past he had fought so hard to escape, to bury deep within himself. But now, that past was clawing its way back to the surface, chipping away at the walls he had built around Angel, the persona Valentino had crafted for him.

Spencer could feel Angel stirring, pushing against the barriers he had erected to keep him at bay. With every passing minute, with every pulse of pain, Angel grew stronger, his presence more insistent. Spencer was terrified, knowing that it wouldn't take much for those walls to come crashing down.

He had held Angel at bay for years, had forced him into the darkest corners of his mind, where he couldn't influence or control him. But here, in this room, with Valentino's presence looming over him like a dark cloud, Spencer felt those walls begin to crumble. The fear and pain were too familiar, too potent, and he was losing the strength to keep Angel locked away.

Just as the last vestiges of light from the world outside began to fade, the door creaked open, and Valentino stepped back into the room. Spencer's heart leaped in his chest, a mixture of fear and dread washing over him as Valentino's silhouette filled the doorway.

Valentino didn't speak at first. He stood there, silent, his eyes fixed on Spencer with an intensity that made his skin crawl. There was something predatory in that gaze, something that told Spencer that Valentino was calculating, thinking, deciding what he would do next. His silence was more terrifying than any words could have been.

As Valentino stepped closer, Spencer instinctively tried to pull away, but the back of the chair kept him in place. There was nowhere to go, no escape from the man who had once held complete power over him. Spencer's eyes fluttered closed as Valentino's hand reached out, his touch soft at first, but Spencer knew better than to trust it. Valentino's touch had never remained gentle for long, and this time was no different.

Valentino's fingers brushed lightly against Spencer's cheek, trailing down to his jawline, then to his neck, where they lingered on the bruises he had left earlier. Spencer flinched at the contact, his body tense with anticipation, knowing that this was only the beginning.

"You have no idea how much I've missed you, Angel," Valentino murmured, his voice low and smooth, like a dark lullaby. "I've waited so long to have you back where you belong."

Spencer kept his eyes closed, willing himself to stay strong, to resist the pull of Valentino's words. But it was difficult—so difficult—when every touch, every whispered word was a reminder of the control Valentino had once wielded over him.

Valentino's hands moved with a slow, deliberate precision, tracing over Spencer's arms, his chest, his shoulders. It was as if he were reacquainting himself with a possession he had lost, savoring the return of something he believed was rightfully his.

And then, suddenly, the touches stopped.

Spencer's eyes flew open, his heart pounding in his chest as Valentino walked behind him. He could hear the soft rustle of fabric, the quiet click of a buckle being undone, and then Valentino's hands were on him again, this time trailing down his arms, reaching his bound wrists.

For a moment, Spencer felt a surge of hope as he realized Valentino was untying his hands from the chair. But that hope was short-lived, as Valentino quickly tied Spencer's wrists back together behind his back, leaving him still bound, still trapped.

With his hands freed from the chair, Spencer made a desperate attempt to run, his body lurching forward in a frantic bid for freedom. But Valentino was faster, stronger. He grabbed Spencer with ease, his grip like iron as he yanked him back and threw him onto the hard cot in the corner of the room.

The impact knocked the wind out of Spencer, his vision blurring for a moment as he struggled to catch his breath. He looked up, dazed, as Valentino loomed over him, his expression one of satisfaction, of triumph.

And in that moment, something inside Spencer broke.

He could feel Angel slipping through the cracks, pushing forward with a strength that Spencer had forgotten he possessed. It was like a floodgate had been opened, the persona that Valentino had crafted so carefully rushing back to the surface, overpowering the fragile defenses Spencer had built to keep him locked away.

"No," Spencer whispered, his voice barely audible as he fought to hold on to himself, to keep Angel at bay. "No, no, no..."

But it was too late. Angel was here, fully awakened, fully present.

Valentino's smile widened as he saw the change in Spencer's eyes, the moment when Spencer was no longer the man he had become, but the boy Valentino had shaped and molded into his perfect creation.

"There you are," Valentino purred, his voice filled with dark satisfaction. "My Angel. I knew you hadn't gone far."

Spencer felt himself fading, slipping into the background as Angel took control. It was as if he were watching from a distance, powerless to stop what was happening. Angel was everything Spencer had fought so hard to escape—obedient, submissive, willing to do whatever Valentino asked of him.

And Valentino knew it.

Angel looked up at Valentino, his eyes wide and compliant, a small, shy smile playing on his lips. It was a smile that had once charmed so many, a smile that promised obedience, that promised to be everything Valentino wanted.

Valentino reached down, brushing a strand of hair away from Angel's face. "Welcome back, my dear," he whispered. "I've missed you."

Angel said nothing, just looked up at Valentino with those wide, trusting eyes, the ones that had once hidden so much fear, so much pain. But now, they were blank, devoid of the fight that had once burned so brightly in Spencer's soul.

Spencer, the real Spencer, was trapped inside, watching helplessly as Angel reemerged, as Valentino took back what he believed was his. He wanted to scream, to fight, to claw his way back to the surface, but the walls had crumbled, and Angel was too strong, too ingrained in him to be pushed away again.

Valentino's hand moved down to Angel's cheek, his touch gentle, almost reverent. "You're home now," he said softly. "And this time, I won't let you go."

Angel nodded, the motion slow and deliberate, a gesture of acceptance, of submission.

And as Valentino crawled fully on top of him, his breath warm against Angel's skin, Spencer felt himself slipping further and further away, his consciousness dimming, his spirit fading into the darkness that had once consumed him.

Valentino had won.

Angel was back.

And Spencer was gone