“No problem. Always a pleasure to work with you, Nick,” I say.

It has been a week since Chelsea’s grandmother’s funeral, and it’s time to put my plan into action. I haven’t told Chelsea what I’m going to do, and I won’t until I get the results I want.

“Always,” Nick says and hangs up.

My goal is to ensure her grandfather goes away for a long time; somewhere where he can’t hurt anybody else. I’d love to take her mother down as well, but Chelsea still seems to need her mother’s love. It’s some kind of twisted sense of loyalty and love. I am reluctant to test that bond. Let it be. One day, with time and help, she will grow out of it.

I will respect Chelsea’s wishes. For now, she is off limits. I will be content that she has already spent some time in jail, and she has the rest of her life to think about what she did to her own daughter, the man she loved, and how she aided in her father’s sickness.

She is not my problem. I have no time for anyone else but my Chelsea. Yesterday, I finally managed to find the grave of Uncle Dave. It was a hell of a search, but I spared no expense. We went together, Chelsea clutching a bunch of flowers. I stood back while she went to fall by the grave. I had to stop myself from going to her. She had reverted back to a child. She spoke to him for some time, but when she began to cry I could no longer bear it. I went to her and took her away.

It took her all day to get back to some semblance of normality, but while we were in the bath, she suddenly put her mouth close to my mine and whispered, “I want to go and see Uncle Dave once a month. I owe him that much.”

I sigh.

“Where are you?” a soft voice coos.

I turn my head and watch Chelsea walk towards me. She is in a better mood, or so it seems. She has been wearing a mask for most of her life, and I keep reminding her she doesn’t need to do that with me.

“Right here,” I laugh even though I know it’s a terrible joke.

“I know. I just meant that I’ve been watching you for a few minutes, and you seem so far away,” she says. She plops down on a chair that is near to me.

“Just been doing some thinking.”

“So what are you up to?” she asks. There is curiosity in her voice.

“I’m actually waiting on a phone call.” I don’t want to lie to her, but if she asks for more details I will come clean.

“Right. Business stuff,” she says standing and comes over to me to give me a soft kiss. When she pulls away, it feels as if her warm mouth is still on my lips. She is so beautiful, and I’m so in love with her. I want for her to have peace. Soon, I hope, she will have it.

“Definitely something that needs to be taken care of.”

* * *

The three days that it takes for me to hear back from Nick feel like the three longest days of my life. He calls me just as I’m about to doze off. Chelsea is fast asleep already. I like to watch her before I fall asleep myself. There is a strange comfort and pleasure in this. In knowing she is mine. Mine to look at whenever I want to.

I quickly pick up my cellphone vibrating on the bedside table near me. It’s after two in the morning, so I know it cannot be anyone but Nick. I told him that he can call me at any time with news.

I pick up the phone and quickly step into the bathroom so as to not disturb Chelsea while she’s sleeping.

“Mr. Blackmore, I have good news,” Nick says.

That makes me smile. A weight I didn’t even realize I’ve been carrying lifts from my shoulders.

“I got into Simon Gregory’s home and put keystroke loggers into his computer. I didn’t have to monitor him for long before he slipped onto the dark net. There is a special site he frequents. After that it was open and shut. We alerted the police who were only to happy to set up the sting. One of the officers took on a fake persona and communicated with him on another site he frequents. She basically lured him into a trap. He’s just as sick as you said he was. The way he was talking to what he thought was a little girl of ten made me sick. I’ll spare you the details. He agreed to meet with our decoy. He got there a few hours ago and he was immediately apprehended. Officers are searching his home and combing his computer as we speak. We’ve got him. I’ve seen some of the stuff on his history and it’s not pretty, but he could get out pretty quick considering his age. Even so, he will now be on the sex offenders list and that is something,” Nick said.

“Thank you. I really mean it. You’ve been the biggest help.” I’m so relieved my fingers are shaking.

“No worries. One less piece of shit to worry about in this shitty world?” Nick says.

I thank him again and hang up. I’m grateful he left out the gruesome details of Chelsea’s granddad’s conversations with the officer. I don’t want to know, or I will imagine him doing those things to Chelsea.

Fuck. I fucking hate that pervert.

A gentle tap on the door startles me. I try to forget the ugly thoughts in my head and open the door. She is wearing nothing but one of my shirts. Of course, it is too large for her. She looks so fucking innocent I want to cry.

“What’s going on?” she asks with a yawn.

“They got him, baby,” I say.

“Who?” she asks, but she knows. She is searching my eyes to see if it is really true.

“Your granddad.”

“They got him?” she repeats. Her voice is dazed.

“They’ve got him in custody. He’s going away for a very long time. A very long time.”

She steps into my open arms and embraces me. “Thank you,” she whispers over and over. She isn’t crying. She is too overcome with relief.

“I promised I would protect you. You don’t ever have to be afraid again,” I say.

“Thank you for keeping your promise, my love.” Chelsea draws away and looks into my eyes. Her eyes are such a mystical blue I get lost in them whenever she looks at me this deeply.

“I will always keep my promises to you, Chelsea. I love you.” I kiss her soft lips and pull her close to me. Our kiss is tender and without lust. Then it changes. As it always does. We consume one another. Every fucking time.

“I love you too, Thorne. I love you. I love you so much.”

I don’t tell her the most important thing of all. That I have already arranged and paid for a terrible ending in prison for her granddad.

Yes, that would make me a criminal.

A beast.