Shadowed desires- Adrian thorn

Chapter 26: Beneath the Crimson Veil

The dimly lit chamber of the abandoned cathedral smelled of dust and decay, with broken pews scattered across the stone floor like fallen soldiers. Moonlight streamed through the shattered stained-glass windows, casting fractured patterns of blood-red and cobalt blue across the cold stone. Adrian Thorn stood tall and composed in the center, his dark eyes gleaming with a predatory edge. Beside him, Eva Winters remained silent, her heartbeat pounding like a war drum in her chest. The air was heavy with tension and something darker—a promise of blood.

Adrian had grown more ruthless since Victor King made his move. His patience, once a well-crafted facade, had withered, revealing a core made of iron and ice. Now, he moved with a sharpened, lethal purpose. Tonight, he had invited Eva into his world, stripped of pretense, fully immersed in the shadows.

"Are you afraid, Eva?" Adrian's voice cut through the silence like a blade, low and taunting, his eyes never leaving hers.

Eva met his gaze, her chin lifting defiantly despite the fluttering in her stomach. "Of what? You or the monsters you fight?"

A dark, almost amused smile tugged at Adrian's lips. "I am the monster they fear, Eva. And tonight, you'll see why."

Before she could respond, a muffled cry broke through the cathedral's stillness. Adrian's men dragged in three men, their faces bloodied and bruised, their eyes wide with terror. The sight of them made Eva's skin prickle; she recognized their faces from the photos she'd seen—human traffickers, notorious for abducting women and children and selling them to the highest bidder.

Adrian's eyes never left Eva as he walked toward the trembling criminals, his steps deliberate, his presence overpowering. "These are the ones you wanted to save," he said, his tone mockingly soft. "Tell me, Eva—do they look like they deserve saving?"

The criminals begged and whimpered, sputtering apologies and promises of repentance. Eva felt her stomach twist, but she refused to look away. She wanted to believe in redemption, to hold on to a shred of morality, but as she glanced at Adrian's dark, amused gaze, she knew that line was about to be crossed.

With a flick of his wrist, Adrian gestured for his men to silence the criminals. The room went quiet except for their muted whimpers. He looked back at Eva, his gaze dark and magnetic. "What do you think, love? Should we spare them? Or should we send a message?"

His question wasn't really a question. It was a test, a challenge, an invitation into his darkness. Eva felt a shiver of both fear and something else—a thrill. She took a deep breath, her voice steady. "A message. A very clear one."

Adrian's smile widened, a dark, dangerous curve. "Good girl." His words were like velvet wrapped around a blade, making Eva's pulse quicken in a way that was both alarming and intoxicating.

Without another word, Adrian turned to the first man. He drew a sleek, silver knife from his belt, the blade catching the moonlight. The man's eyes bulged, and he screamed through his gag, his muffled pleas for mercy echoing off the cathedral walls. Adrian's expression remained cold and detached as he approached, his movements slow, deliberate, like a predator savoring its prey.

Eva watched, a strange mix of horror and fascination gripping her. She had seen death before—she was no stranger to violence—but this was something else. This was Adrian Thorn, stripped of all humanity, the ruthless king of shadows.

Adrian glanced back at her, his eyes burning with a sadistic gleam. "You might want to look away, darling," he teased, his voice dark and silky. "Wouldn't want to ruin that pretty little mind of yours."

"I'll decide what I can handle," Eva shot back, her voice stronger than she felt.

Adrian chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound that sent a shiver down her spine. "As you wish."

And then he moved. The knife sliced through the air with a lethal grace, burying itself deep into the man's throat. Blood spurted out, and the man's body convulsed, his eyes wide with terror until they dulled into nothingness. Adrian withdrew the blade slowly, almost tenderly, his eyes never leaving Eva's.

"One down," he said softly, his lips curling into a dark smile. "Two more to go."

Eva felt her breath hitch, her heart hammering in her chest. She knew she should feel disgusted, horrified, repulsed by what she had just witnessed—but instead, she felt a rush of adrenaline, a heat building low in her belly. Adrian was a monster, but he was her monster, and there was something terrifyingly seductive about that.

He turned to the next man, his gaze still locked on hers. "Tell me, Eva," he purred, his voice darkly teasing, "does this make you wet? Watching me clean up the world in my own way?"

Eva's face flushed, her body betraying her with a spark of desire she couldn't deny. "You're insane," she managed to breathe out, her voice shaky.

Adrian's grin widened, his eyes gleaming with dark amusement. "Perhaps. But you love it. You crave it. The darkness calls to you, and you know it." His words were a whisper, a taunt, and a promise all in one.

Before she could respond, Adrian plunged the knife into the second man, the blade slicing through flesh with a sickening sound. He didn't flinch, didn't pause, just moved with a precision that was almost artful. Blood pooled at his feet, and he looked back at Eva, his eyes blazing with dark triumph.

"Two," he murmured, his voice low and dangerous. "Only one left. Care to do the honors?"

Eva's eyes widened, her breath catching in her throat. "You can't be serious."

Adrian stepped closer to her, the knife held out, the handle glistening with blood. His voice dropped to a sultry whisper, his breath hot against her ear. "Oh, but I am, love. Show me that fire inside you. Or are you afraid of what you might unleash?"

His proximity, his scent—something raw and masculine, mixed with a hint of blood—overwhelmed her senses. Eva's heart pounded, her body trembling with a mix of fear and forbidden desire. She could feel his breath against her neck, could see the challenge in his eyes. A part of her wanted to recoil, to scream, to run. But another part—a darker, hidden part—wanted to accept.

She reached out, her hand wrapping around the knife's hilt. Adrian's fingers brushed against hers, his touch sending a jolt of electricity through her. "That's it," he murmured, his lips just inches from hers. "Show me what you're made of, Eva."

Eva's breath hitched. For a moment, she was caught in his gaze, lost in the depths of his darkness. Then, she turned toward the last man, his eyes wide with terror, his body shaking with fear. She tightened her grip on the knife, her knuckles whitening.

"Remember, love," Adrian whispered behind her, his voice a dark caress. "A clean cut. Make it quick."

The man whimpered, his eyes begging for mercy. Eva hesitated, the weight of the blade heavy in her hand. Then, she felt Adrian's hand on her shoulder, his voice like a serpent's hiss in her ear. "Do it, or I will. And trust me, darling, you don't want to see my version of mercy."

With a deep breath, Eva stepped forward, her mind screaming at her to stop, to pull back—but she didn't. She moved swiftly, the blade cutting through flesh and bone. The man gurgled, his body jerking once before going still.

The room fell silent, save for the sound of her ragged breathing. She dropped the knife, her hands trembling, her body shaking with adrenaline and shock. Adrian's hand slid around her waist, pulling her back against him, his breath hot on her neck.

"Welcome to the dark side, Eva," he whispered, his voice filled with dark amusement and something deeper, more possessive. "You're mine now. In every way that matters."

Eva's heart thundered in her chest, her body alive with a mixture of fear, exhilaration, and an undeniable, dark attraction. She turned to face him, her eyes meeting his, and for a moment, they were both lost in the depths of their twisted connection.

And then, without warning, Adrian's lips crashed against hers, a fierce, hungry kiss that left no room for doubt. She kissed him back, her body pressed against his, her mind spinning with the realization that she had crossed a line—a line she could never uncross.

But in that moment, she didn't care. In that moment, she was lost in the darkness, and Adrian was the only light she needed.