Chapter 39
M
The footsteps were steady. No pause. No hesitation like Detective Casey’s. Boston led the way down with Anna following closely behind. When they got to the middle of the stairs, Boston stopped, glaring as he took each following step with more purpose. But it didn’t last. The smallest sweep of his eyes had them landing on Davis. The surprise on both his and Anna’s face was enough to send satisfaction surging through my veins.
“Took you both long enough. Sorry for poor Davis,” I said, pinching his cheek as I stood, “but I’m afraid I got rather bored waiting. The temptation was just too much.”
“You…did that?”
“Of course.”
Anna stepped around Boston, coming closer as she took in the man’s missing skull, and the teasing glimpse of his exposed brain. Davis’s eyes kept rolling, but I knew he’d stay conscious with what I had given him.
“I assure you it won’t take from what you plan to do. He won’t die until you’re ready for him to.”
All she did was bring her shocked stare to me. She didn’t talk. Didn’t argue or even comment on my work. Boston was another story.
“Have you been here the entire time?”
“I went into town for an hour or so, but yes. Why?”
Nothing. All he did was continue to project his sudden hatred. It ate through my love, sending me to mirror his suspicious stare. When movement registered in my peripheral, Boston and I turned to look. Anna was taking off the gag, hissing as blood trickled over Davis’s lips.
“Sorry about that.” I threw Boston one more look before moving closer to Anna. “I like quiet. I told him that, but he didn’t seem to care. I gave him a chance. When he didn’t listen, I just went ahead and cut out his tongue. Again, it won’t interfere with your payback.”
“Payback? You call this entire situation payback? What you’ve done…”
Like a flip switching, I saw the transition in Anna. The top part of her body leaned toward me, her gaze meeting mine with a challenge her killer prayed to face.
“What I did was for the best. I’m the doctor. You weren’t ready.”
I am not your patient! You know nothing about me or who I am. He was mine. Davis was mine, and if I fucked that up, that falls on me. I don’t want this.”
“Wrong. You do.”
“I don’t. It’s over. You started this. Now finish it. Finish it for good, because once I leave this room, I better never see you again.”
“You’re just upset. And it’s not even over what I’ve done. I think guilt is getting to you. I think you’re worried about what will happen if you kill this man. Will your precious detective notice a difference in your behavior? Will he think badly of you if he finds out?” I reached over, handing Anna the same knife I’d used on Braden. When she finally took it, I dipped my finger in Davis’s blood, smearing the crimson over her lips. She jerked away, but I could see the madness stirring with every pant she took. “When I said you weren’t ready, I meant it. No real killer, especially a mother, would pass up revenge on the person who helped kill her child. You just did. What does that say about you…Mommy? Do you love your child or not? Show him, show us all.”
A scream tore through the basement as the blade slashed in my direction, but I jumped back, having no reason to continue self-defense. Anna drove the blade through the center of Davis’s bare stomach, jerking upwards. Blood waterfalled out as he twitched and gargled through what appeared to be some sort of scream. But it was hard to hear through Anna’s as her arm sawed through the muscle and skin. She cut up until she hit his sternum, ignoring the intestinal tract that began slipping out to dangle at her feet. When she hit bone, she withdrew the blade and thrust it over his pec. My cock begged for me to slam her down. To fuck her right there over Davis as she tried to turn her aggression on me.
“Anna…stop screaming. Anna! God, don’t cry. You have to stop.”
Boston’s hands slammed into my shoulder, knocking me off balance. Before I could catch myself, weight crashed hard into my side. I hit the concrete like I’d been plowed over by a freight train.
“Is this what you wanted! To hurt her? To hurt me? Lucy!”
Pain exploded in the side of my face. The impact snapped my face to the side in time to see Anna tearing into Davis’s chest with both hands. Blood coated up past her wrists, and she was digging, clawing into him as if she were trying to unbury some sort of truth. Truth from life. Truth from pain.
Another hit connected, but I couldn’t break away from the horrifically beautiful scene. Not even to give Lucy’s name much thought. Blonde hair swayed at her savagery, and time slowed as both her hands disappeared behind a chunk of flapping skin. My mind was on overdrive, mentally snapshotting every move of her shoulders…every bloodthirsty expression, from her crinkled nose to her clenched, exposed teeth. With a jerk, she pulled his heart free and fell to her knees. More animalistic sounds. More rage as she squeezed and ripped at the muscle.
Pressure squeezed against my neck, holding me in place as Boston continued yelling. Whatever he said had Anna freezing. Her face rose, and she swiped her hair back, staining her cheek with blood. She was looking at something. Something…
Hearing came back tunneled. Echoing as Boston’s yelled at me.
“I fucking knew it. Where did you get this? Answer me!”
An explosion of pain webbed through my mouth and jaw. It intensified through the multiple hits, leaving darkness flickering in and out. Blood washed over my tongue, unleashing my monster—feeding him as my brain tried to reel in my control. At the sight of Lucy’s necklace, I laughed. And laughed. For some reason, I couldn’t stop. Me…make a mistake? I had by forgetting I’d put it in my pocket the day I took her.
“It was you.” His voice cracked, and lights blinded me as his hit connected with my eye. “Say it! You killed her, didn’t you?”
“You’re…confused.”
“No! You did it. I know you did.”
Still, I laughed, and I suddenly realized it had nothing to do my fuck-up. Perhaps it was my lack of remorse, or the thrill of the entire situation. Maybe it was a mixture of both combined with the fact that I knew they couldn’t prove it. Even finding the necklace, it was easy to explain away. I had an answer for everything. I was brilliant. Fucking unstoppable. No one else had come close to killing or having people killed more than me. I wasn’t just a messiah to murderers, I was the mastermind behind them all.
Anna kneeled at my side, posed, statuesque. She looked toward me, but she wasn’t seeing clearly. She was so far away, in such a state of bliss, she was all I wanted to focus on. I licked over my bloody lips, forcing myself to address Boston.
“I found it in my car last night. Why do you think I had it on me? I was going to give it back to you. You had it. Not me.”
A pause. “That’s a lie.”
“Is it? Maybe it fell out of your own pocket when you changed out of your suit. Think, Boston. You never think. You know you had it at some point. Try to remember the last time you saw it.”
Confusion.
Moments passed, and I shoved his arm off me. Before I could lift my shoulders off the floor, I was flipped to my stomach. Excruciating agony crushed into my spine sending my limbs outstretching through reflex. Oxygen left in a big gush, fading with the cracking in my spine. My mouth flew open, but nothing would come.
“You did take her. You son of bitch.” Stomp! “She had it on the day she disappeared. I saw it. I touched it!” Stomp! Stomp! Stomp!
A deep groan came at the new kick, and air cramped in my lungs as I tried to roll onto my side. Nothing was working right. I couldn’t move my legs like I wanted. I couldn’t catch my breath. Pain. So much pain.
“Anna, get me that knife. Anna.”
When she didn’t move, he kicked me with such force, it sent me spinning to my back. The crunching wouldn’t stop as he continued to assault my ribs with his boots. Coughing shook my body, but oxygen was all but non-existent.
“What did you do to her? Look at her!”
I didn’t have to turn. I was already facing Anna, seeing the way her hollowed eyes barely blinked. Euphoric. Yes. She was on a level many rarely reached. A level I only prayed would take me over after my own kills.
“Stop,” I managed. “You’re…wrong. Lucy—”
“Is dead. You killed her. And now, I’m going to kill you.”
“N-No. No!” My head shook as my mind became scrambled with disbelief. He couldn’t kill me…would he? Trying to draw my legs up was impossible. It hurt to move. To breathe. I used my arms, pushing my palms into the floor so I could attempt to sit. The excruciating agony only added to an odd fluttering fear. “Boston…you’re like a…son to me. Why would I hurt Lucy? No…you can’t believe that…I’d never do anything to hurt you. I love you. I’ve helped raise you.”
Enraged eyes peered from over his shoulder. Light reflected from the knife Anna had used as he turned and pointed it toward me. “Yes, you did. You taught me everything I know. Including eliminating threats. You’re a threat.”
“But I didn’t…do anything.”
“Liar!” He lunged toward me, grabbing my hand. Before I could draw in my fingers, the blade slid through the last three. My mouth shot open, and thoughts disappeared completely.
“Since you won’t tell me the truth, I’m just going to assume that’s the hand you hit her with. Beat her with. Did you hate her so much!”
I gasped, losing air just as fast as he chopped right through my index finger and thumb. I jerked against the weight moving from my wrist to my forearm, but it didn’t matter. He was too strong without use of my legs.
“Boston! I didn’t! I—”
“Am a liar. Admit it! You killed Lucy!”
Whack!
A yell ripped its way free as the knife cut through the bones in my wrist. The blade embedded deep, only causing him to yank it free and hack through my flesh again. Before I could deny his claims, ringing echoed through the room. The ring wasn’t a normal one, but a collection of higher pitched tones. Anna’s head snapped over the smallest amount, and she struggled to her feet. Her mouth was parted, and her eyes blinked slowly.
“Anna.” Panic had me scrambling to get my body to work. To fight against Boston before he could do anymore damaged. I raked against the ground with my free hand, crying out when the pain made it impossible to move.
“What is that?” Boston asked lowly.
“Braden?” Her eyes scanned the room. “Braden?”
“Don’t,” I mumbled. “D-Don’t.”
She rushed for the stairs, only to double back and spin in a circle as it continued to ring. My pulse pounded into my chest, and I knew I wasn’t getting out of here alive. Not if they discovered the detective.
“Braden? Braden!”
Anna ducked under the back of the stairs, lowering to crawl. When she emerged with a cell phone, I was sure I was going to pass out. How had I not seen it? I searched his pockets before dumping his body in the SUV, but all he had on him was his wallet. One thing after another. My mistakes were adding up, and they were killing me.
“Anna.” Boston rushed over, helping her stand as she crawled back out. Mad eyes tore across the room, lost, yet found, when they stopped on me.
“Where’s Braden? Braden! Braden!” She was spinning again. Beginning to rake down her face as she trembled through adrenaline-overload.
My mouth opened as I searched for a lie…an excuse. Nothing would come at Boston’s glare. His hand reached for her arm, and it was seconds before he turned away from me to look at her. She was fighting against his hold, but he didn’t budge.
“Look at me, Anna. Shhh. Look at me. Go upstairs and search the area. Outside, everywhere you can think to look. I’m going to take care of this, okay? I’m going to make everything better now.”
“Boston?”
“No,” he continued soothingly. “Go find your detective. Go find Braden.”
Fingers pushed back the hair stuck to the blood on her face. Jittery, she nodded, spinning from his arms as she struggled up the stairs. Even now, so gone from her kill, the cloudiness was thickening into shock. When she disappeared through the door, Boston dropped the knife, and reached over, grabbing a hatchet.
“Did you kill him too?”
“You don’t…understand. He came here. He was figuring…us out. Anna, she didn’t love him anyway. She’s confused. She’s better this…way.”
“You fucking killed him. God. Anna.”
“Boston.” A cry left me as tremors seized my body. I tried to lift my arm, but that only gave me view of the hand dangling against my forearm. The room spun while I tried to hold on. “Please. Everything I’ve done…I’ve done for you. For…both of you. You and Anna. Lucy…you’re better now. You’ll see. You’re…better.”
Disgust drew in his features as tears raced down his face. “Wrong. Everything you’ve done, you’ve done for yourself. Now, where is he?”
Nothing would come. Boston reared back, and I screamed as a piercing fire ignited across my other wrist. My arm drew up against my chest for safety in reflex, but the sight of my other hand missing offered no comfort. Warmth oozed free, soaking into my shirt as I stared up, lost. I was trapped. Unable to escape. The end was closing in around me, and for the first time, I couldn’t think of anything to say to make this right. The man I had devoted myself to was turning on me. The killer I had groomed since youth was about to kill me.
“Where. Is. He. I’d like to get there before she does. The next swing is going into your neck. I do believe Anna mentioned something about wanting your head. For the pain you’ve caused her, I’m going to give it to her.”
“Please. I love you. I can…make this right. I…swear.”
“She’s out there hurting right now. She needs me. Last chance. And you know I mean that.”
The hatchet lifted, and the air grew still. The room spun, feeling offset as I watched him zero in on my throat. I knew he’d keep his word, and there was a finality as I stared into cold, hazel eyes. It came with fleeting fear, a tinge of disappointment, and despite those, acceptance. Maybe I had done a better job at teaching him than I’d realized. Maybe…I hadn’t failed in my mission. The monster that lurked in his glare was present more than ever. And if anything, meeting Anna was a blessing in disguise. I hadn’t just created one ruthless killer…I had created two.
“Garage. Out back.”
“WHACK!”