“It’s no wonder I could never bring myself to touch you. Some part of me must’ve seen past the bullshit into who you really are. As for my wife being a nobody, you’ll never be half the person she is. She’s got you beat in every way imaginable.”
That last one did the trick. She flew off the stool right at me, talons ready, teeth bared. When I drew my arm back and punched her in the throat I wasn’t thinking that she was a female. All I saw was the fucking box she’d kept my wife in for two years.
I only had a short window in which to do what came next. It was no hassle getting her into the trunk of my car before heading back inside to grab a few things.
Once I was through I took my time driving away from there. Again, keeping to the back streets I drove another half an hour out in the opposite direction from the beach house.
I’d found this place I was headed to while looking for my wife years ago. If I didn’t think the cabin would be one of the first places the cops would look it would’ve been perfect for what I have planned. But I wasn’t willing to risk it.
I’d taken a page from her book and bought this place with an assumed name using an account I’d set up just for this purpose in the last few days. It wasn’t as hard as I’d imagined to become someone else for the sole purpose of destroying a life.
With today’s advances in technology, all you needed was the know how to get shit done. That, and enough money to hide your tracks. As to the rest of it, my conscience is fucking clear.
From what Gavin had said so far I knew she was going to walk with a slap on the wrist. I knew she was going to play the nut. I can’t get to the couple; those two were going away for a long time no doubt because that’s the way of our nonworking system.
The dealer she’d given up was next on my list, but though I wanted them all to pay for their part in this ugliness, she’s the one I hold most responsible. If she hadn’t started this shit those three would never have touched my wife.
I hit the back roads once again, ever conscious of the time as it passed. Once at my destination I went into fast mode. She’d awakened in the trunk and I saw fear in her eyes for the first time when I opened it up to get her out.
I flung her over my shoulder, ignoring the grunting noises she made beneath the scarf I had stuffed and tied into her mouth. I bypassed the structure that was ten times better than the one she’d kept my wife in, and headed for the underground bunker behind it.
This is the reason I’d chosen this place. Only someone who knew this underground structure was here would be able to find it. The old guy who’d built it had passed away three years or so ago and his offspring had no interest in living off the grid.
So not only did I get this place for a steal, no one would think to link me with it, which is exactly what I want. Even if someone should happen upon the place, there’s no way they would easily find the underground rooms that had been built almost twenty years ago.
I dropped her on the too small, filthy mattress with her bound hands above her head. I chained her arms and legs to the bed in much the same way I expect they’d done to Zandi before removing the gag.
“Sorry, I couldn’t find anyone to babysit.” It was the only thing different from what she’d done to my wife. There will be no one here to watch over her, just these four walls with no windows, no light seeping in. I expect her to be completely insane in no time.
“What do you think you’re doing? You can’t keep me here.” She fought against her restraints to no avail. “I’m not going to drug you like you did her. I want you cognizant of what’s happening to you.”
“How long are you planning to keep me here?”
“As long as it takes.” I left the bottle of water and loaf of bread on the table within reach before heading out of the room.
I raced back to the beach house with the intent of getting there before my children woke up. My wife was still in bed when I snuck back into the house.
I stripped and climbed in with her, getting as close to her warmth as possible. I didn’t bring what I’d done tonight home with me. When I made up my mind to do that shit I knew I had to carry the burden alone. I also knew I wouldn’t have rested until I’d done something.