Dark (Beautiful Ashes #1) Read Free Page A

with them. Every battle instinct went to high alert. When blood began to seep from where she was bound, he released her.
    Something was wrong, soooo wrong.
    For reasons Mitch could not explain, he carefully picked Keeley up and removed her from that room. He raced into Tar’s bedroom where lo and behold his advice was taken. He laid the tiny beauty next to her protector, knowing that was where she was meant to be. A squawk on his radio told him he was needed elsewhere. As Mitch was about to wake Tar to let him know he had company, his arm instinctively went around Keeley. The sight was both amazing and eerie. Another loud, “Sir, you’re needed. Stat!” put Mitch into action.
    Life sure as hell wasn’t boring after leaving that godforsaken war .
     
    *****
     
    He was here! But she couldn’t locate him, just felt his presence. Somehow he was gaining strength. Before he’d only haunted her dreams—nightmares would be more accurate—but recently, he demanded more and more of her attention. Her mind. Her emotions. Everything that kept her sane, he was slowly draining from her drop by precious drop. Couldn’t they hear her screams? Didn’t they understand she wouldn’t survive this? Darkness tilted his head and grinned sinisterly. Keeley fought with all that she had. “ Please, no ,” she begged in vain as his cold hand cupped between her legs. He’d already taken so much from her.
    What more could he possibly want?
    The demon locked his steely gaze to hers. “All,” he hissed, yanking the ring through her clit.
    The pain was delicious. Fuck! She shouldn’t want that. Though she knew it was a lie to say she didn’t yearn for it. And lying to herself was futile. The masochist demanded she continued such torment, devouring any source of agony possible. Someone should put her down for good , she thought, yet continued to fight.
    Another familiar demon began to sweet talk her. “Yes, Keeley, you need me. Life cannot be lived without me flowing through your veins.”
    Weeeell wasn’t this special, for all intents and purposes, she was queen of the damned.
    Her old pal Morphine pumped his fist proudly.
    Keeley knew what would happen if opiates hit her system again. God, she simply couldn’t win. Might as well just let the demons fuck her every which way possible and take what they sought after—her soul. She wouldn’t win this war. Why fight it? Yet there was the case in point, struggle, pain of any kind was becoming as necessary as the air she breathed. Her body demanded she only give it more to consume. Her fear kicked into overdrive. She couldn’t let this happen. Surely some part of her wasn’t locked into this inky embrace of torture for pleasure. There had to be a tiny spark of something else, anything else.
    The arm that encased her, firmly but gently, was warm. She inhaled deeply…Tar was holding her, protecting her. Yes, maybe he offered some sort of hope. Perhaps if she let herself love him, her world would be gunmetal gray instead of obsidian.
    Hell, she’d take whatever he was willing to give.
     
    *****
    The demons recoiled from the brightness that now surrounded her. They knew in order to have her that light had to go out, quickly and thoroughly. They studied their nemesis, scheming. For certain they could win him over, encompass Tar within the pit as well. After all, Keeley was his weakness and they knew just how to torment him. What nearly brought him to them once before, could be used again. Battle lines were being drawn as the beautiful, wounded couple slept. When all was said and done, they would have both. Light wouldn’t stand a chance. An easy win, they thought, cackling as they slithered away.
     
    *****
    She woke up with a start, surveying her surroundings. What had she heard that brought sheer terror racing through her veins? Her breathing was ragged, and a cold she couldn’t warm up from seeped into her muscles.
    Tar sat up scrubbing the sleep from his face. “Keeley?” Her wide