Page 122 of Slaughter

“Fucking bastard …” He drops his drink to the hardwood floor, and it shatters, scotch going everywhere, and then he punches me. I taste blood, and I smile. This is what my brother and I do. We make each other hurt. Bleed.

He goes to punch me again, but I duck, then as I stand straight, I clock him in the jaw. He runs toward me and picks me up at the waist, letting out a scream. We both go barreling into my desk. It turns over, and he lands on top of me.

He rolls off me and onto the floor. We’re both breathing heavily, staring up at my ceiling.

“I know you’re mad, Avery,” he says softly. “I know you want Victor and Vaughn dead.” I look over at him as he licks the blood that runs down the side of his lip. “And I stand by you a hundred percent.” His head turns to look at me as well. “I will do whatever you need me to do. But you’re taking your anger out on the wrong people.”

I sit up and flinch from the pain in my back from hitting my desk.

“Presleigh didn’t do anything wrong.”

“She should have told me!” I say through gritted teeth.

He hangs his head and runs a hand through his hair. “I don’t pretend to know everything because of Chloe, but I know that sometimes the victims feel they have no choice. No voice. And it’s not like you crawled after her on hands and knees begging her to take you back when you thought she left.” He sighs heavily. “There is no telling what Victor told her in order for her to keep her mouth shut. She was seventeen and had no one. Her parents dead. Her fiancé gone. And her brother … no girl wants to explain to their brother that they were raped and beaten. They never were really that close to begin with. All she had back then was you.”

“She still has me.”

He nods. “There’s a man down in your cellar who is there for you to take your anger out on. I mean, I’m more than willing to let you knock me around, but I’ll fight back.” He gives me a smile. “Lance deserves your anger. Because you love her.”

I stand and turn to face him, then hold out my hand. He takes it, and I pull him up. He follows me out of my study and to my cellar. I open the door and walk in to find Lance on his stomach. He’s asleep. Passed out from blood loss. I grip the chains in my hand and roll him onto his back. I wrap them around his wrists and then drag him over to the center of the room. I slap his face.

“Wake up!” He moans. I slap him again. “Get the fuck up!” He stirs and then his eyes open slowly. “Stand up,” I order, and he closes them again.

I sigh, not having the time for this. I’ve waited long enough. I need answers.

I yank on the chain wrapped around his wrists and drag him to his feet. He slumps forward, and I lift the chain, placing it over the hook that hangs down. He sags, and his head falls forward.

“We’re gonna play a little game.”

He whimpers.

“I’m gonna ask you a question, and every time you don’t answer, I’m gonna throw a knife at you. And I won’t miss.”

He lifts his head slowly. His eyes narrowed. “Just kill me.”

“We’ll get there.”

He spits out blood onto the concrete floor, and I smile. Grabbing the knife I got from my study, I feel the weight in my right hand. I toss it into the air and catch it. “Where are my brother and father?”

“I don’t kn—”

The knife lands in his right upper arm. Right where I wanted it to. He throws his head back, howling out like a wolf.

I walk up to him, and he’s panting. I yank it out, and he grinds his teeth. Blood starts running down his arm.

Walking back to where I stood before I flip it once again in my hand. Blood now covers the blade. “How about an easier question. Don’t want to kill you too soon. What happened while you guys kept her in that house?”

I don’t want to know but need to find out. I need to know what Bunny went through. What kind of horrors she had to suffer at the hand of the devil. With my father and brother, the thoughts are endless. I know firsthand how cruel they can be. Just because he didn’t rape her didn’t mean he didn’t touch her.

He coughs. “Your dad and Vaughn got in a fight.”

That’s interesting and not what I expected him to say. “About?”

His head bobs up and down for a second. “Vaughn planned the entire attack with Darrell’s help, but he wasn’t helping get her for your father. He wanted her for himself.”

I tap the blood-stained knife against my thigh. “Vaughn wanted her?”

He nods quickly and sucks in a breath. “The second day, he went down there with every intention to rape her.” My jaw tightens. “He took a pair of handcuffs.” He pauses taking a breath. “Your father and I were up in the office. We heard her scream, and we ran down there. He was on top of her.” My hand tightens on the knife. “Had her across the room, the collar around her neck pulled tight and choking her. Her hands already cuffed … your father ripped him off, and your brother started throwing a fit like a little child.” He shakes his head. “Said your father had promised he could have her. And he told him he would get what he gives him and then slapped him. Vaughn stormed off.” Deep breath. “Telling me he’d be back later.” His eyes start to fall shut as blood continues to run down his arm.

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