“She needs to be,” Daphne says, her face pale.
“What’s wrong?”
“She held your hand,” Millie says quietly.
“You could see?” I ask.
Daphne nods and swallows hard. “It’s something out of a horror movie.”
“It’s worse than that because it’s real,” I reply and reach out to give her a hug. “You didn’t have to go with me. I wish you hadn’t.”
“We had to know if you needed help,” Daphne replies. “But you’re getting stronger.”
“I’m getting madder,” I say, barking a short laugh.
“That will fuel the strength,” Millie says, taking each of our hands.
“I still don’t know how to find him.”
“In your dreams,” Cash says. “And if that’s what it takes to find him, we keep doing it.”
“I need a break. But I can try again later.”
“You deserve the break,” Cash replies and kisses my forehead.
“We’re not leaving here until this is over,” Millie says. “Daphne and I will sleep here. We need to stick together. It’s going to get more dangerous now. I don’t know how I know that; I just do.”
“Agreed.” I nod and take a deep breath. “It’s going to be dangerous. And fast.”
Cash links his fingers with mine. “We’re ready.”Chapter Fifteen“I always seemed to enjoy everything that hurt.”- Albert Fish, AKA The Brooklyn VampireHis balls feel heavy and swollen. They throb. That dumb bitch thinks she can hurt him, kick him, and then run away from him?
Fuck that. He’ll teach her a lesson.
He’ll teach them all a fucking lesson. She’s losing her manners. Her respect for him. And he will not stand for that. No, he’ll remind her just how important he is, how much she loves him.
Maybe she’s forgotten how she used to look at him. How she played coy and hard to get. But he knew that was her way of flirting with him. He’s stayed in the background for too long, given her too much independence.
It’s time for that to change. Soon.
He paces his little house, back and forth, with throbbing balls and a bruised jaw. He showed her, didn’t he? He took two women after she tried to hurt him, and he’ll hurt them far more before he’s done with them.
The anger fuels him. He stomps back to his room of pleasure and marches through the door, startling all five of his toys.
He knows it’s not their fault. And taking her indiscretions out on them doesn’t seem entirely fair, but he has energy to burn, and this is his favorite way to do that.
And…someone has to pay.
Someone will pay.
Dearly.
“Come here, Brielle.”
He passes by the one that’s been feisty. He doesn’t have it in him to engage in a cat and mouse game tonight, and when he decides it’s her time, he’ll need more energy.
No, instead, he walks to one that he’s only had a day or two and smiles into her sweet, precious face.
“You made me real mad tonight, Brielle.”
Her face crumples, and she starts to cry, spit dripping down her chin as she begs and pleads with him to let her go.
“Oh, do you honestly think I will do that? That I will let you go? Tsk tsk.” He unties her from her restraints. “I won’t let you go yet. You’re still alive, silly girl.”
She hiccups and keeps crying. She soils herself, which brings him great joy.
Yes, great joy, indeed.
“I don’t think we’ll play at the bench today.” He kisses her cheek as he pulls her across the uneven wood floor to the chair. He saves the chair for special occasions.
Revenge feels like the perfect occasion.
He gets her situated, her hands and legs secured in the leather straps. Her mouth gapes soundlessly now, her despair palpable.
“You have to breathe, Brielle. It won’t do to have you pass out on me now. That will only anger me. You don’t want to anger me any more than you already have, do you?”
She shakes her head, but still, no sound emerges.
He grips her throat in his hand, squeezing slightly.
“I said breathe.”
She takes a deep breath, her blue eyes pinned to his.
“Please don’t kill me.”
“I’m sorry, I’m going to have to disappoint you there.”
He reaches for his favorite knife, but it’s gone. Just one more thing to displease him today.
One more disappointment.
He chooses another blade, one not quite as sharp, and then turns back to her. Without a word, he slices her flesh from hip to knee.
She keens in pain as the blood runs down the side of the chair.
“That will teach you not to run from me.”Chapter SixteenCash“It’s good that I came,” Felicia says into my ear. She arrived in Savannah this morning to check on my mom.
“What’s going on?”
“Well, she hasn’t been out of the house in a while,” she says, speaking low. “And she’s clearly not able to get around like she used to. The house hasn’t been cleaned. Honestly, she needs help.”
“We’ll get her anything she needs. A housekeeper, a home nurse. Whatever she needs.”