God of Strength (Light of Obsession #1)

Chapter 31

Vaughn

    Dominik lay before my feet, in a pool of his own blood. His body scarred and face unrecognizable. Dead.

     Aiden kicks Dominik's dead body. "I'll just throw him in the ocean. Bastard doesn't deserve to be buried."

     I nod, turning away and washing up my hands of the filthy blood adorning them. Serves him right.

     Aiden places his hand on my shoulder and looks down at me. "I didn't like you when we first met, in fact. It was the opposite. I hated you."

      "I never would've guessed." I deadpan.

      "But you saved Alicia. I know you'd lay down your life to protect her. I believe she is in good hands with you." He sighs as if not believing he's saying these words. "And as much as I hate to say it, I trust you with my daughter."

      My mouth gapes slightly, eyes wide. Who would've thought the day Aiden King willingly lets me be with his daughter would come? "She is in good hands. I'd do anything for her."

     "Good." He replies. "Hurt her and I'll do to you what I did to Dominik."

      "If I hurt her, I'd let you." I reply. A reluctant smile graces his face and he nods, leaving the warehouse.

As the heavy door thudded shut behind Aiden, the warehouse fell into an eerie quiet, the silence broken only by the distant sound of water lapping against the creaking dock. I turned my back to Dominik's lifeless form, a chill settling in my gut. I had never meant for things to go this way, but in the world we lived in, there was no room for hesitation.

     Approaching the flickering light of the workbench, I wiped my hands with a cloth, each stroke of the fabric pulling away the lingering satisfaction. I glanced at the tools littered across the table—each one a reminder of the finality that came with my choices. What had led me here? To this moment, to Aiden's unexpected trust?

       "That was a dangerous game," I muttered to myself. The stakes had been raised, and I couldn't afford to lose. Alicia deserved better than the chaos that constantly surrounded her.

     Just as I began to gather my thoughts, imagery of Alicia's smile filled my mind. It lit up the dim darkness like a beacon, pulling me back to reality and away from the violence that often consumed me. I took a deep breath, forcing myself to focus.

     I couldn't let her see me as I had been just now; violent, cruel, downright sadistic. I had to be the protector—strong, unyielding. And right now, that meant leaving the remnants of the past behind. Dominik was dead, yes, but there were still so many pieces left to pick up.

     My phone buzzed against the table, startling me from my reverie. I reached for it, glancing down at Alicia's name glowing back at me.

      "Hey," I answere.

       "Is everything okay?" Her voice was a soothing balm, but I could hear the underlying concern. "You've been gone a while. I was starting to worry."

       "Yeah, just... had to take care of some stuff," I replied, keeping my tone light, but sensing the weight of my words hanging between us.

       There was a brief silence on her end before she spoke again, softer now. "Is it about... Dominik?"

      The mention of his name made my guts twist. "No. Not anymore. It's over. He..." Make up a lie, Alicia doesn't need the burden of this. "He's dead Kukolka, killed himself after the cops found him."

       "Oh. I see..." Of course, leave it to My Alicia to not be happy about her kidnapper dying. What a saint. "I just want you to be safe."

       The way she said it—the vulnerability in her voice—stirred something fierce within me. "I will be," I promised, my grip tightening around the phone. "I'll always protect you, Kukolka. Nothing will hurt you, not while I'm here."

       "I trust you," she said, the sincerity in those words reassuring me that, despite everything, I was still holding on to the one thing that mattered—her trust.

     Before I could say another word, she continued, "Can you come to the hospital? Are you free?"

     "Of course, I'll even stop by and get you Oreos." I reply.

       Her voice lights up. "Ooh! My favorites!"

       "I know," I answer.

        "Okay, see you soon. I love you, bye." She answers. Oh, I can never get tired of hearing her say those three magic words. I love you. So fucking perfect.

        "I love you too." I reply before she hangs up, leaving me in the silence without her calming presence.

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A/N:
Omggg I can't believe the next chapter will be the last one before the epilogues 😭😭😭 I'm gonna miss Vaughn and Alicia sm dude
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