Page 274 of Heart So Hollow

Mason suddenly appears at her other shoulder, giving her a start, “Or hearing them scream.”

She looks to Bowen in desperation, but he’s all but forgotten about her.

Aiden, who’s been pacing leisurely in front of Bowen with his bat on his shoulder, turns to Bowen, making his rabbit ears bounce, “You ever seen his gun?” then he swivels back to Asher and I, “Don’t worry, he won’t shoot you with it…yet.”

I lean back down to her ear, “And when they can’t run away, he strips them down...”

Mason reaches beneath my bat and gives the string between her tits a snap, eliciting a tiny scream from her, “But maybe she’d like that,” he chuckles.

Aiden leaves Bowen and ambles across the dirt toward us, “You know where his favorite place is to keep his gun?” he asks as he slides the metal bat off his shoulder and drags the tip across the dirt.

He stops in front of Asher and sweeps the bat up to her ankle. Taking his time, he gently runs the cold metal up the inside of her leg. She fidgets like she’s trying to shake it off, but freezes when he reaches the apex of her thighs. Then he tilts his creepy rabbit face and just looks at her. A few seconds later, I see his shoulder begin to move as he slides the bat back and forth through the crotch of her shorts.

“You better pray you’re unconscious for that part,” Aiden gives her a tap between the legs, “but his is bigger,” he nods to Rory, “maybe you’d like to go with him instead.”

A chuckle ripples through the circle as Rory taps his rifle against his shoulder and gives her a nod.

Mason crouches down next to Aiden’s sneakers, his skull face gazing up at her, “Bo likes to get you all nice and bloody first—lube you up for when he takes his turn.”

Aiden jerks his head down to Mason, his voice hitching with excitement, “What about his knife?” he whips his rabbit ears back up to Asher, “Has he showed you his knife yet?”

“That’s how he tells his girls apart,” I whisper to her, “pretty girls get pretty tattoos.”

As soon as I say it, I see the subtle flare of Bowen’s nostrils and the vein in his neck pop for a split second. I never told the guys about the coroner’s report, I never told them what was meticulously carved across Evie’s stomach. I was too distraught to notice it at the time, but even as her body liquified like a macabre chrysalis, they could see it, clear as day.

I never told them about her butchered hair, or any of the other gruesome details the police warned us to keep under wraps in case it was ever brought to trial. The guys don’t know about any of it, except for Aiden connecting the dots after his sham interrogation. They’re just that creative. Or maybe just that angry.

Because anger brings out the worst in people, it brings out the darkness festering deep inside.

“You know why he marks you up?” Mason runs his fingers up and down the outside of Asher’s leg, “Because by the time he’s finished with you, no one will recognize your face.”

“Get the fuck off me!” she screams, kicking at him, which only makes him laugh.

Mason grabs her ankle roughly and jerks her leg down, holding it still, “I’m just trying to help you, babe, prepare you for why he brought you here,” he reaches up with his other hand and pops the button of her shorts in one motion, “make sure you know how to please him,” he hisses from behind his gaiter.

Aiden absently swings his bat in a circle at his hip, “He’ll cut off your hair, some fingers, maybe he’ll even dig your heart out of your chest,” he says it like he’s reciting a grocery list.

“Because he’s such a heartbreaker,” Alex snickers, drawing more than a few laughs.

“Yeah,” Josh gasps through his hockey mask, “but he’s so cute, though…”

“Bo,” Asher whimpers, eyes pleading with him to intervene.

But Bowen makes no effort to step in. He doesn’t move a muscle, or even acknowledge her presence, only gazes past her—at me—with disinterested, dead eyes.

“Aww…” Alex swaggers around from behind Bowen, “she thinks he’s going to help her.”

“Bo!”

“Bo!”

“BO!” Their squeaky taunts descend into fits of laughter.

With a swift jerk of his arm, Alex reels back and smashes Bowen in the nose with his elbow. Surprised shouts and groans fill the air, punctuated with curses from Bowen as he throws his head to the side and staggers backward. But he recovers quickly, about to come at Alex when Aiden extends his bat between them.

“You’d be wise to stand there and take it like a man,” Aiden growls through his fuzzy rabbit mouth as blood pours from Bowen’s nose.

Before Bowen can react further, Alex’s arm darts out and he swipes his hand across Bowen’s face. Then he turns and crosses the circle, reaching out and dragging his bloody hand across Asher’s cheek. She recoils in disgust, squirming against my chest.

---