Bear laughed. “Oh, believe me, I want to fucking hurt you. You knocked up my daughter, and you know what’s worse, I didn’t even realize anything was wrong. Rebecca did.”
“She did?”
“Yeah, a couple of weeks ago. We were having breakfast, rare for us, but she started talking about worrying about Robin, how withdrawn she’d been. She noticed she lost a little weight and wasn’t eating much, and she hadn’t seen Bishop. I figured she was causing drama for the sake of it.” He shook his head. “It’s all fucked up if you ask me. I can’t believe I … fuck!” Bear yelled the last word. “That’s my little girl.”
Preacher stared at his friend.
He didn’t have many friends in his life. Mostly associates and people who feared him. He’d never been big on trying to make friends because he never allowed himself the ability to trust anyone or anything.
People were always out to use you for what they could get, and that was something he’d never been able to forgive.
Looking at Bear now, Preacher knew deep in his heart he’d been the one to fuck up big time because he was the adult in the situation. He shouldn’t have drunk so much, and he also didn’t doubt that Milly had put something in his drink. Why else had she gotten him those beers?
There was no getting away from what he’d done.
“Where is she?” he asked.
“She’s downstairs.”
He walked downstairs to find Milly completely naked, chained up.
Most of the time, he’d used the basement to torture men. The door slammed shut, and he heard the footsteps of Bear. Staring at Milly, he saw the fear in her eyes.
“She lied,” Milly said.
“She didn’t lie. I know Robin. I’ve known her a long time. She and my son used to share cribs. You think I don’t see you? The conniving bitch. The slut. The whore. I know what it is you want, and you thought Bishop would be an easy target. My guess is, on one of his many days of taking you, you said some shit about Robin and my son defended her.” From the shock on her face, he knew he was right. “You see, you can’t pull anything over my eyes.” He shook his head. He wrapped his fingers around her throat. “You made the biggest fucking mistake putting her in my bed. You see, I can’t kill myself, but I know she wouldn’t have been there if it hadn’t been for you.” He tightened some more, watching her face go red before he let her go.
He listened to the sounds as she tried to drag in as much oxygen as possible.
“You can’t do this. I’m a woman. Men love me.”
“The men in my club will not touch your rancid pussy. Not after this. You went after the wrong woman, Milly. You really should have left her alone.”
“I can help you with the cop. He’s been sniffing around here, asking all kinds of questions. I can get him off your back. I mean it.”
He stared at her and shook his head. “I want nothing from you.”
He walked across the basement, moving a set of shelves out of the way, and running his hand across the wall. Pressing the button, it opened up, and he removed his equipment.
“You know, it has been a long time since I tortured someone. A couple of years, especially down here. When I have to be quick about something I go to the warehouse, but in the basement, I can take my sweet time.”
“I’ve got a date with the cop.”
“No, you haven’t.”
“You must have enjoyed her virgin pussy,” Milly said, spitting the words out.
Bear, where he was sitting on the step, suddenly stood. “What the fuck did you say?”
“To torture me, to hurt me. I heard you asking around about the woman in your bed.” Milly laughed. “I saw the blood on the sheets. She must have been a real tight cunt. No man had ever touched her, and now you will live with knowing you were her first.”
Bear moved up into her face. “That’s my little girl you’re talking about.”
Preacher didn’t stop him from hitting her.
He did so twice, shattering her nose.
Milly screamed, and Bear shook his head.
“You’re dead,” Bear said. “You’re going to pray for death long before he grants it to you. I’ve seen what he does when he gets started. There is going to be nothing left of you, and you’re going to pray for mercy. He’ll never grant it to you.” Bear turned to look at him, and Preacher nodded.
Within seconds they were alone. The only sounds in the room were Milly’s sobs.
“I only wanted to be important. Everyone cares about Robin, but she’s still a woman, like me.”
“Robin is nothing like you.”
He opened the pouch containing his most prized tools, running his fingers across each handle, smiling. He’d missed this.