Heaven, Hell, and Earth

Chapter 65

Alastor's heart raced as he recognized the malevolent figure before him. Valentino stood there, exuding a twisted confidence, his presence thickening the already oppressive air around them.

"Welcome, my little intruders." He drawled, his voice dripping with mockery. "Did you really think you could sneak in here uninvited? Underestimating me was a grave mistake."

Angel instinctively stepped closer to Alastor, his whip coiled tightly in his hand, ready for action.

"We know what you did to Vaggie." Angel retorted, struggling to keep his voice steady despite the tremor of anger simmering beneath the surface. "We know how you hurt her. How could you do it?"

Valentino chuckled darkly, his eyes gleaming with sadistic pleasure.

"Of course, lower-level heathens like you couldn't possibly understand."

"You're the only heathen down here!" Alastor declared, slowly reaching for his pistols. "Only pure vile scum spat up from the depths of hell would do what you did to Vaggie. You're disgusting!"

"That's hypocritical coming from you!" Valentino shot back. "Who secretly lusts after Lucifer's daughter. Tell me, when you two shared a bed, how often did you run your fingers down her chest?"

He was toying with him, trying to provoke a reaction. But Alastor recognized the game and chose to stand firm. Such taunts wouldn't get to him; he knew that what he felt for Charlie was entirely different from the abuse this boil on the face of life had inflicted on Vaggie.

"Did you kiss her skin? Did you lick it? How did it taste?"

Just hearing his voice made Alastor feel ill. In his mind, he could see Vaggie as a frightened little girl, crying and begging this creature to stop hurting her. It ignited a fury within him, a desire to fire shots into Valentino until he was dead. But he reminded himself that it was all part of Valentino's sick little game, and he refused to play.

"Were her cries as she begged you to stop music to your ears? Because Vaggie's were to mine. You know I never thought of her as a child. Not even when she was four years old. She always had such a womanly shape and soft skin."

Unfortunately, while Alastor could control himself, Angel couldn't stand it any longer. Suddenly, there was a scream, a loud crashing noise, and Angel's voice shouted, "You unimaginable bastard! I'll murder you!"

Before Alastor could react, Angel lashed out with his whip, striking Valentino to the ground. Then he was on top of him, whipping and beating him like a miserable dog. No, not a dog, dogs didn't deserve that, but Valentino certainly did. He hadn't been baiting Angel; that's why he was caught off guard by the spider's attack. He had been hiding a vial of venom from the serpents of Satan, intending to throw it at Alastor to knock him out. However, Angel's surprise assault caused him to drop the vial.

Quickly, Valentino pulled a hidden dagger from his side, ready to plunge it into Angel's chest. But then—BANG! Alastor fired a shot that knocked the blade from his hand. He seized Valentino, and the two younger men took turns pummeling him.

"You're a coward!" Alastor shouted. "You pretend to be some great, superior being. Superior? You prey on women and children!"

Alastor slammed the back of his pistol against Valentino's head, then felt another lash to his back from Angel's whip.

"How could you?!" Angel cried out furiously. "How could you?! She was your sister! She was just a child! You were supposed to protect her, but you just hurt her! You made her feel dirty, ugly, self-loathing! I'll never forgive you for that! I'll make sure you spend the rest of your misbegotten life feeling exactly how you made her feel!"