COSMO
Iwasshakingwhen Hunter opened the trunk of his wife’s car, lifted me out none-too-gently, and placed me on my feet. But my feet were still tied together, and with my hands bound behind me, I couldn’t maintain my balance, and I toppled over, hitting my shoulder hard on the ground. My cry of pain came out unarticulated from under the duct tape he had plastered over my mouth. When he dragged me out of bed, I’d cried and pleaded with him. Nothing had gotten through to him. Then he’d gagged me.
How the hell did he know? What did he plan to do with me?
Hunter crouched by my feet and pulled out a pocket knife. I stiffened. He cut through the duct tapes around my ankles.
I lashed out with my legs and struck him in the nose.
“Fuck.”
He clamped his hand over his bleeding nose. I rolled onto my side, but before I could scramble up on my knees, he placed his boot in the center of my back, pressing me to the ground.
I was in deep shit.
Hunter knew I’d lied to him again after promising him I wouldn’t. But had he really expected me to tell him that I was the one who had pulled the trigger and killed his wife and not Virgil like he’d assumed all this time?
“Don’t test my patience tonight, boy,” he growled and jerked me to my feet. “Where did you bury her?”
My answer was muffled, and he placed the cool blade of the knife against my cheek.
“You do anything stupid, and I’ll let you know what it feels like when you cut me open and ripped out my fucking heart tonight.”
I shook my head, and he yanked the duct tape from my mouth. I coughed and spit out saliva.
“Please let me explain.”
“I don’t need your lies, Cosmo. Show me where you buried her.”
“It was five years ago. She doesn’t—”
“Don’t make me ask again.”
I shuddered, the quiet violence in Hunter’s tone scaring me more than the blade. Drawing in a deep breath, I walked over to the post in the center of the yard. The same post where Virgil sometimes had stripped me naked and spanked me if I didn’t shoot the way he wanted. I counted out the paces, but he didn’t interrupt me. When I finally stood on the mound of earth that covered the body he’d been looking for all these years, I slowly turned to him.
“That’s where you buried her?”
I nodded. “She’s here.”
“Sit.”
“What?”
“I said sit.”
I dropped to the ground and sat. “What are you going to do? Hunter, please don’t do this.”
He stalked over to the car and opened the trunk. He slipped on a thick pair of yellow gloves. A shovel hit the ground. Shit. He was digging up his wife.
I shivered as much from the night air that was cold against my bare arms and legs as from what Hunter was about to do.
“It’s been five years,” I said, my lips trembling. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know what I was doing. I didn’t know who she was. Hunter, please. Daddy, don’t punish me for this. I was just fifteen, and I wanted to impress Virgil.”
He shoveled faster, digging like a madman, the car lights illuminating the spot where we were. I sniffled and glanced around at the farmhouse where it had all begun. It was only fitting that it ended here too. Maybe Virgil had been right, and the only way to stop me was to kill me. I shouldn’t have resisted that night. Shouldn’t have tried to live when it was clear I deserved to die.
Tears pooled in my eyes, and I hung my head. I’d had no idea of the consequences of taking someone’s life. None of it had felt real. I had been so far removed from people, living in my little bubble with Virgil and his wife, that nobody and nothing else had ever mattered. Until Hunter.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “You may not believe me, but I swear I love you. I just want you to know that. Whatever happens tonight, I’ll always love you.”