Page 60 of The Afterthought

Greyson watches me carefully, not saying a word, as I step in front of David and tilt my head to the side. I take a moment to absorb how pathetic he looks right now. This man, who I allowed to make me feel so weak and vulnerable for so long. I don't bother taking the tape off of his mouth. There's nothing he can say to me that would take back everything I've felt since he attacked me.

"Grey, do you have scissors?" I ask, without taking my eyes off of David. I want him to be afraid of what I'm going to do and know I'm not going to back down.

"Anything for you, baby," he calls out. Moments later, scissors are placed in my hand.

I take a step forward and cut off David's shirt, leaving him bare from the waist up. His hands are conveniently tied behind the back of the chair, so I have full range to do to him exactly what he did to me.

The first cut I make is down the center of his chest. I trail the knife along his skin, watching as a faint red trail of blood is left in its wake. He screams something from behind the tape, and I look up to see his eyes widen. He's afraid now. Good. He tries to shake and pull himself free, but there’s no point. I take a step back and keep my eyes on him.

"How about rope? Is there rope around here?" I call out to Greyson.

A moment later, a rope is dangling in front of my face. I finally pull my eyes from David to glance at my boyfriend, who is beaming down at me. I take the rope from him and lean up on my tiptoes to give him a peck on the lips before pulling back.

"Do you mind if I get to work on Officer Grant while you handle him?" he asks sweetly.

"Not one bit." I smile and turn away, bringing my attention back to David.

Quickly, I make a slip knot on one end of the rope and step forward to slip it over David's head. I keep the other end in my hand and pull roughly. His eyes practically bulge out of his skull when the rope tightens around his neck, cutting off his airflow. I keep it tight enough for him to struggle to breathe but not too tight to where he would pass out. I want him to be awake for this part.

I hear a scream from Officer Grant and look over to see that Greyson has cut off several of his toes and is using a hot iron to cauterize the wounds. I shudder, focusing back on my own tasks.

One by one, I go to work cutting lines onto David's stomach and chest. I shut out everything around me and hone in on the exact spots where my scars stain my skin. I want to make sure I match exactly what he did to me. One line across the abdomen, another across the chest. I don't even realize how much time has passed. I just let the rage take over.

When I finally take a step back, he is covered in blood. Deep red lines drip from each of the cuts. My chest is heaving. I didn't realize I was breathing so hard, but the satisfaction I felt from inflicting each one of those cuts caused a massive surge in dopamine.

It's hard to explain how free I feel right now. The best way to describe it is similar to being buried in the sand and having someone dig you out one scoop at a time. Each cut was a scoop of sand, freeing me from the weight of being buried for so long.

David stopped fighting at some point. His head now hangs down at his chest. I'm fairly certain he's passed out. Pathetic. He can dole it out, but he can't take it. I stayed awake the entire time he assaulted me.

I will grant him one reprieve. I won't kill him. I also won't stop Greyson from doing it if he wants to. I know he wants to. He made it pretty clear that neither of them will be leaving here.

Another loud scream tears me from my thoughts, and I look over at Officer Grant. Grey has his lighter out and is burning a patch on the guy's arm. I should be focused on the fact that Grey is burning him, but all I can focus on is the lighter.

I walk over to Grey and grip the hand that holds the lighter. His blue eyes shoot up at me, and I see pure rage in them for a brief moment before they soften. Almost as if seeing me instantly calms something in him.

"You kept that all this time?" I whisper.

His brow furrowed in confusion. "Kept what?"

"That lighter?"

A soft smile crosses his face, and he steps away from Officer Grant to step into me. He raises his hand to gently caress my cheek, and I lean into it. A moment later, his lips meet mine with the most gentle kiss he's ever given me. I melt into the vulnerability oozing from his every move.

He pulls back too soon and whispers, "It came from you. There’s no way I would ever get rid of it."

“Grey,” I whisper.

His hand reaches around my waist, and he pulls my pelvis into him, the hard outline of his erect cock pressing into my lower stomach.

"I've carried you with me every single day. Here." He points to his chest. “And Here.” He holds up the lighter. "This lighter was my comfort for a long time. I like to fiddle with it, flipping it on and off. Most people assume it's the fire that calms me, but they are only partially correct. You've been my calming fire since the day I met you, Avalynn Blake."

"I wish you hadn’t pushed me away before.” I sigh. “Everything could have been so different. Would you ever walk away?” My heart races in my chest in anticipation of his answer.

“From what?”

“The Crimson Rose.”

"It's complicated. They're family, and I'm not a good man. I enjoy burning people alive, lighting fires, and watching the way the flames reduce things to nothing but ash. The Crimson Rose is how I've been able to manage that side of me," he admits, but when his eyes meet mine, I see nothing but determination. "But, if you think I would ever let you leave again, you're mistaken. We are going to figure this out together."

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