Funeral in the Sunlight

On a bright June day, Mina, still recovering from her injuries, attends her mother's funeral. She is surrounded by her stepfather James, stepbrother Shay, and the men of the Celtic Beasts motorcycle club. The violence that took her mother's life haunts her, and she blames the club for the tragedy. Shay, her protector since childhood, is at her side, offering comfort and promising she'll never be alone. Yet, Mina feels the weight of loss and the suffocating reality of her new life—her mother gone, her body broken, and her future uncertain. The funeral cements her isolation, but also the fierce, possessive love Shay has for her, a love that will soon become her only anchor in a world spiraling out of control.

Broken Bodies, Broken Trust

Returning home from the hospital, Mina is physically and emotionally shattered. Her knee is ruined, her dreams of dancing are slipping away, and her mother's violent death leaves her with nightmares. Shay, once her guardian, is now her constant companion, but his protectiveness is laced with possessiveness and a simmering darkness. Mina clings to him for safety, but the boundaries between comfort and control blur. The club's world of violence and secrets closes in, and Mina's trust in those around her begins to erode. She senses that the people meant to protect her are also the source of her deepest pain, and the line between love and torment grows dangerously thin.

The Shoebox Secret

Mina's only solace is a shoebox hidden beneath her floorboards, filled with letters, a necklace, and a burner phone—her secret link to Keenan, a boy from a rival club who once promised her escape. When Shay discovers the existence of a secret phone, his rage explodes, tearing apart Mina's room and nearly exposing her lifeline. The shoebox becomes a symbol of hope and betrayal, representing both the possibility of freedom and the danger of loving someone outside Shay's control. Mina's desperate need to protect Keenan from Shay's wrath forces her to make an impossible choice: sever her last connection to hope or risk the lives of those she cares about.

Rain, Mud, and Escape

After Shay's violent outburst, Mina escapes into the night, barefoot and soaked, clutching the shoebox to her chest. She calls Keenan, who begs her to let him help, but Mina refuses, terrified that Shay will kill him if he finds out. In the woods, she buries the shoebox—her memories, her love, her last chance at escape—sacrificing her own happiness to keep Keenan safe. The act is both an ending and a beginning: Mina chooses survival over freedom, submitting to Shay's control to protect others. The storm outside mirrors the turmoil within, as Mina's world narrows to a single, suffocating point—Shay's possessive embrace.

The Ultimatum's Price

Returning home, Mina faces Shay's silent, simmering fury. He punishes her with cold intimacy, demanding her complete obedience and marking her as his. Mina's body becomes both battleground and bargaining chip; she submits to Shay's desires, believing it's the only way to keep Keenan and others safe. The lines between love, coercion, and survival blur as Shay's need for control intensifies. Mina's sense of self erodes, replaced by the role Shay carves out for her—his girl, his property, his possession. The price of the ultimatum is her autonomy, and the cost is paid in silence, pain, and the slow death of hope.

Burying Hope, Burying Love

Haunted by guilt and longing, Mina buries the shoebox and with it, her love for Keenan. She calls him one last time, ending their connection to protect him from Shay's violence. The act is an emotional burial, a surrender to the reality that her choices are no longer her own. Mina's grief is compounded by isolation at school, where rumors and bullying make her an outcast. Her only refuge is Shay, whose love is both a shield and a prison. Mina's world contracts, her dreams and desires buried alongside the shoebox, leaving her with nothing but the cold comfort of survival.

The Cage Tightens

As the school year begins, Shay's possessiveness escalates. He dictates what Mina wears, monitors her every move, and uses violence to enforce his rules. Mina is ostracized by her peers, labeled and shamed, while Shay's threats keep potential friends and suitors at bay. The property jacket and, later, a tattoo mark her as his, both a warning and a brand. Mina's attempts to assert herself are met with punishment or manipulation, and her world shrinks to the confines of Shay's control. The cage is both physical and psychological, and Mina's identity is subsumed by the role Shay demands she play.

Schoolyard Wolves

At school, Mina becomes the target of relentless bullying and gossip. Former friends turn on her, and the rumor of her relationship with Shay—her stepbrother—makes her a pariah. A violent fight with a former friend, Becca, is both a breaking point and a moment of defiance. The school's administration is powerless, and Shay's intervention only deepens Mina's isolation. The violence of the outside world mirrors the violence at home, and Mina learns that survival means embracing the darkness around her. The wolves are everywhere—at school, at home, in her own mind—and Mina must become one to endure.

The Property Mark

Shay's need to possess Mina culminates in a forced tattoo—a Celtic dragon with the words "Property of Manic" inked on her wrist. The act is both a violation and a declaration, marking Mina as Shay's in the eyes of the club and the world. The tattoo is a permanent reminder of her captivity, a symbol of love twisted into ownership. Mina's resistance is crushed, her submission complete. The property mark is both a scar and a shield, protecting her from others but binding her to Shay's will. The line between love and possession is erased, and Mina's body becomes the canvas for Shay's obsession.

The Fight and the Fallout

A confrontation at school leads to a brutal fight and the death of Cody, one of Shay's closest friends. The violence is both accidental and inevitable, the result of a world where power is enforced through fear and pain. Mina is caught in the crossfire, traumatized and blamed, while the club reels from the loss. The fallout exposes the fractures within the Beasts, the growing threat of the Faceless, and the limits of Shay's ability to protect those he loves. The cycle of violence tightens its grip, and Mina is forced to confront the reality that survival may require more than submission—it may demand sacrifice.

The Faceless Threat

The Faceless, a powerful crime syndicate, tighten their hold on the Beasts and the town. Shay's involvement with them becomes a noose around his neck, as past crimes and betrayals come to light. The threat is existential: the Faceless are ruthless, and their enforcer, Jeremy, is a specter of death. Shay's desperation grows as he realizes he cannot protect Mina from the consequences of his actions. The club fractures under the pressure, and Mina is caught between loyalty, love, and the need to escape. The Faceless are the darkness at the edge of the world, and their shadow falls over everything.

The Truth About Monsters

In a devastating confrontation, Shay confesses the truth: he orchestrated the attack that killed Mina's mother, intending only to scare her into staying, but lost control of the violence. The revelation shatters Mina, who realizes that the man she loves is also the monster who destroyed her family. Shay's remorse is real, but it cannot undo the harm. Mina's world collapses, her trust and love poisoned by betrayal. The truth is both liberation and damnation, forcing Mina to choose between vengeance and mercy, escape and surrender. The monsters are not just outside—they are the people she loves most.

The Last Goodbye

With the Faceless closing in, Shay makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Mina. He arranges for her to escape with Gavin and Keenan, severing their bond to protect her from the violence he brought into her life. Their goodbye is raw and heartbreaking, a moment of love and loss that redeems Shay in Mina's eyes. Left alone, Shay faces the consequences of his actions, choosing death over the risk of Mina's suffering. His suicide is both an act of love and an admission of guilt, a final attempt to break the cycle of violence and give Mina a chance at freedom.

Redemption in the Dark

Alone in the park where he first met Mina, Shay reflects on his life, his love, and his failures. Haunted by memories and the voices in his head, he realizes that the only way to truly protect Mina is to remove himself from the world. In a moment of clarity, he ends his life, finding peace in the knowledge that Mina is safe. His death is both tragic and redemptive, a final act of love that frees Mina from his darkness. The cycle of violence is broken, and Shay's soul is finally at rest.

A Daisy for the Dead

In the aftermath, Mina visits Shay's grave, leaving a single daisy as a symbol of forgiveness and love. She is accompanied by Keenan and a child, the future she once thought lost. The cemetery is a place of both grief and hope, a reminder of all that was lost and all that remains. Mina's journey is not over, but she has survived the darkness and emerged with a new sense of self. The daisy is both a farewell and a promise—a commitment to remember, to heal, and to live.

New Beginnings, Old Ghosts

Mina's story ends not with a happily ever after, but with the possibility of one. She is scarred but stronger, carrying the weight of her past and the hope of a new beginning. The ghosts of those she loved and lost remain with her, shaping her choices and her future. Mina's journey is a testament to resilience, the power of love and forgiveness, and the courage to break free from cycles of violence and pain. The story closes with the sense that, though the past can never be erased, the future is still hers to claim.

Characters

Mina Westberg

Mina is a young woman marked by trauma, loss, and resilience. Orphaned by violence, physically broken, and emotionally isolated, she is thrust into the care of her stepbrother Shay and the Celtic Beasts. Mina's psyche is a battleground: she craves love and safety, but is ensnared by Shay's possessive obsession. Her relationship with Shay is fraught—he is both protector and tormentor, her only comfort and her greatest threat. Mina's journey is one of survival, forced submission, and the gradual reclamation of her agency. Her love for Shay is real but complicated, shaped by dependency, guilt, and the desperate need to protect others. Mina's development is a painful evolution from victim to survivor, her choices defined by sacrifice and the hope for freedom.

Shay O'Hare (Manic)

Shay is Mina's stepbrother, guardian, and eventual captor. Scarred by childhood trauma and mental illness, Shay's love for Mina warps into obsession and control. He is fiercely protective, but his methods are violent and possessive, blurring the line between love and violence. Shay's psyche is fractured, haunted by inner demons and the legacy of the club's violence. His need for Mina is both salvation and damnation, driving him to orchestrate the very tragedy that destroys her family. Shay's arc is one of self-destruction and redemption: in the end, he sacrifices himself to save Mina, finding peace only in death. His character is a study in the duality of love and monstrosity, a man who becomes the thing he fears most.

Keenan Mathers (Dodger)

Keenan is Mina's secret friend and would-be savior, a member of the rival Black Spades. Unlike Shay, Keenan is gentle, supportive, and offers Mina the hope of escape. His own childhood is marked by loss and entrapment in a life he never wanted. Keenan's love for Mina is selfless, rooted in empathy and the desire to save her from the fate he could not escape. He is a mirror to Shay—what Mina's life could have been in a different world. Keenan's role is both catalyst and comfort, the embodiment of a future Mina must ultimately sacrifice to protect him. His presence is a reminder that love can be redemptive, even when it cannot triumph.

James (Sheik)

James is Mina's stepfather and Shay's biological father, a leader in the Celtic Beasts. He is torn between loyalty to his son, love for Mina, and the demands of the club. James's choices are driven by fear and regret; he enables Shay's darkness in the hope of saving him, but ultimately fails both children. His complicity in the club's alliance with the Faceless and his inability to protect Mina or Emily (Mina's mother) haunt him. James's arc is one of confession and remorse, seeking forgiveness from Mina and acknowledging the consequences of his failures. He is a tragic figure, emblematic of the generational cycles of violence and the cost of misplaced loyalty.

Gavin (Storm)

Gavin is Shay's closest friend and a member of the Beasts, known for his quiet strength and loyalty. He is often the voice of reason, questioning Shay's actions and advocating for Mina's well-being. Gavin's own affections are complicated by his feelings for another woman, Lindsey, and his desire to protect those he loves. He becomes Mina's unlikely ally, helping her escape when Shay's world collapses. Gavin's development is marked by the tension between loyalty to the club and the need to do what is right, ultimately choosing to break the cycle of violence by aiding Mina's flight.

Cody (Cobalt)

Cody is a volatile member of the Beasts, fiercely loyal to Shay but increasingly unstable. His relationship with Mina is marked by aggression and resentment, culminating in a fatal confrontation with Keenan. Cody's death is both a symptom and a catalyst—the inevitable result of a world where violence is the only language. His character embodies the dangers of blind loyalty and the collateral damage of the club's code. Cody's end is a turning point, exposing the limits of Shay's power and the fragility of the brotherhood.

Emily (Mina's Mother)

Emily is Mina's mother, whose descent into addiction and eventual murder set the story in motion. Her relationship with James and Shay is fraught, marked by love, resentment, and fear. Emily's inability to escape the club's world mirrors Mina's own struggle, and her death is both a warning and a wound that never heals. She is a symbol of innocence destroyed by violence, her memory haunting Mina and shaping her choices.

The Faceless (Elias, Jeremy)

The Faceless are a shadowy crime syndicate, led by Elias and enforced by the terrifying Jeremy. They represent the ultimate danger—the force that even the Beasts fear. Their influence is pervasive, corrupting the club and ensnaring Shay in a web of violence and betrayal. The Faceless are the embodiment of the world's darkness, the inescapable consequence of choices made in desperation. Their presence drives the final act, forcing Shay to sacrifice everything to protect Mina.

Becca and School Peers

Becca and Mina's former friends become her tormentors, embodying the cruelty of adolescence and the ease with which society ostracizes the vulnerable. Their bullying is both a reflection of Mina's isolation and a catalyst for her transformation. The violence at school mirrors the violence at home, reinforcing the theme that survival requires strength, cunning, and the willingness to fight back.

Lindsey and Jenny

Lindsey and her daughter Jenny are minor but significant characters, representing the possibility of escape and the cost of involvement with the club. Gavin's efforts to protect them highlight the moral choices faced by those trapped in cycles of violence. Their survival is a small victory, a reminder that not all stories end in tragedy.

Plot Devices

Duality of Love and Violence

The narrative is structured around the tension between love and violence, with relationships defined by both tenderness and brutality. Shay's love for Mina is both her salvation and her undoing, and the club's brotherhood is built on loyalty enforced through fear. The story uses this duality to explore the psychological impact of trauma, the ways in which victims become complicit in their own captivity, and the difficulty of breaking free from cycles of abuse. The property jacket, tattoo, and shoebox are recurring symbols of possession, hope, and loss.

Unreliable Narration and Psychological Realism

The story is told primarily through Mina's eyes, with her psychological state coloring every event. Flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, and dissociation are used to convey her trauma and the unreliability of her perceptions. The narrative structure mirrors her descent into submission and her struggle to reclaim agency. The use of internal voices—her own and those of her abusers—creates a sense of claustrophobia and emotional intensity.

Foreshadowing and Cyclical Structure

The story is rich in foreshadowing, with early events and symbols (the funeral, the shoebox, the daisy) echoing throughout the narrative. The cyclical nature of trauma is emphasized: Mina's mother's fate becomes her own, and the choices of one generation shape the next. The ending mirrors the beginning, with Mina at a grave, saying goodbye, and seeking hope in the aftermath of loss.

The Outsider as Catalyst

Keenan's role as an outsider and potential savior is a classic plot device, offering Mina the possibility of escape and a different kind of love. His presence forces Mina to confront the reality of her captivity and the limits of her agency. The tension between staying and leaving, between loyalty and freedom, drives the emotional arc of the story.

Sacrifice and Redemption

The climax of the story is defined by acts of sacrifice: Mina gives up her hope of escape to protect Keenan; Shay gives up his life to save Mina from the consequences of his actions. Redemption is not found in victory, but in the willingness to put another's needs above one's own. The story subverts the traditional romance arc, offering a bittersweet resolution that values survival and healing over happily ever after.

Analysis

Torment: Part Two is a harrowing exploration of trauma, love, and the inescapable cycles of violence that define a life lived on the margins. Dylan Page crafts a narrative that is both intimate and brutal, refusing to shy away from the psychological complexities of abuse, codependency, and survival. The story's power lies in its refusal to offer easy answers or tidy resolutions: Mina's journey is not one of triumph, but of endurance, her victories measured in small acts of defiance and the hard-won reclamation of self. The novel interrogates the nature of love—how it can heal, but also how it can destroy when twisted by fear, obsession, and the need for control. The use of plot devices such as the property tattoo, the shoebox, and the recurring motif of burial and rebirth reinforce the central themes of possession, loss, and the possibility of redemption. In the end, Torment: Part Two is a story about the cost of survival, the courage required to break free from the past, and the hope that, even in the darkest of worlds, new beginnings are possible. It is a modern tragedy that refuses to flinch, challenging readers to confront the realities of trauma and the resilience of the human spirit.

Last updated: January 21, 2026