Page 22 of Claiming Charlotte

He flinched. “I–I guess.”

With a sigh, I stood up straight digging for my wallet. That was irresponsible to just leave him rotting like that and if I would have known, it would have been the first thing I did after waking up. He deserved better. Fishing out some cash, I slapped it in the kid’s hand.

“Cremate him, and he gets the best urn, if you need more let me know, and I’ll talk to Char–Miss Bennett.”

Turning my attention back toward Walker, I headed for the stairs and rolled my eyes when he called for me again.

I turned around. “Kid what! I'm busy.”

He held something in his hand and gestured to me, “Sorry, you dropped this.”

He held out a picture. It was Lottie and me. It stayed in front of my mother’s note. Nikki had taken it at my house, her head rested on?my lap, and her eyes closed as she softly snored. I had placed my hat over her eyes to block out the setting sun and I couldn't help but thread my fingers through her soft hair. I was high when this picture was taken, but I remembered that day, and sadness radiated through my chest as I looked at it. She would never be that person again. Walker took the last bit of innocence she had.

“Thank you.”

The halls echoed as my heavy steps strutted through the corridor, Richard would be in the same place I was kept, and I?couldn't help but think history would be repeating itself.

With a deep breath, I pushed the heavy door open and my eyes fell upon Richard's form, it looked like he was sleeping and that just wouldn't do.

There was a small tap near the corner and I filled up the bucket pouring it on his head “Wake up!”

“I thought you would be the one to come down here,” he said, spitting the water at my feet with a grimace.

I didn't say a word, he didn't deserve them. What I did do was drag one of the tables out, preparing to live up to my promise to him.

“Do you know what my favorite part was Rowan? How the bitch couldn’t even handle four of my fingers down that slutty throat, threw up all over herself,” He chuckled. “That cunt though, I couldn't get enough.”

My tongue poked the inside of my cheek and I bit my lip holding back a laugh of my own. “Four fingers, you say?”

He was too busy stroking his disgusting ego to notice the sharpened blade I grabbed from the table. Placing his hand on the smooth wood, flattening it; I patted the back of his hand a few times. “Well, that's on me, I should have trained her better then.”

He grunted in surprise and his eyes narrowed. “I’m glad you see the error of your wa?—-”

He didn’t finish the sentence, because I brought down the knife cleanly slicing through all four fingers, muscle and tendon severed as I surgically removed them to the second knuckle; just as mine was.

“Was it something like this, Richard?” I growled before I grabbed them, shoving only two into his own mouth.

“How does that taste, Richard!” I yelled holding up the other veiny lifeless fingers. “These” I chided. “Will be going to your only son, do you know why?”

His chest rose and fell as he expelled the contents of his stomach and onto the floor. I threw the knife down?sticking it to the table before bracing myself on either side of the chair that was holding him captive. “Because I killed your daughter, I watched the light leave her eyes. I left her blue on the floor of this very room.”

When I picked up the mask, flashes crossed my mind, and I had to blink them away before fitting it to his face.

He wouldn’t just pay for what he did to Lottie. This was for me, and Mr. Bennett as well, and every fucking person that he tainted, broke, and sold into slavery.

“We're going to play a little game, Richard.” I mocked the same words said to me, chuckling sinisterly as I flicked the lights off leaving us in complete darkness.

Charlotte

Rowan hadn’t come back in a while and I was silently thankful for it, though I felt extremely guilty for having that feeling at all. What I did need to do was talk to Richard Walker, I just had to wait for the chance. Maybe this was it.

I couldn’t even be bothered to get dressed as I grabbed my robe from the small armchair and threw it on before heading for the door. I felt self-conscious walking down the halls and swallowed thickly, opting only to nod at those who stared at me like I was a scared animal; so fragile, the wrong look would cause me to crumble. Footsteps sounded behind me and I went on high alert, whipping around.

“Where are you going?” Thomas asked.

“I…am looking for Rowan,” I lied. Hopefully he believed it and just let me tend to what I needed to do, before Roe did show up.

“He’s busy, in the basement,” he replied nonchalantly, making no attempt to stop me. He just gave me a wink before moving around me slowly; tracking off down the hall.

---