Page 46 of Tears of Revenge

He unlocked the three deadbolts and stepped inside, clenching his teeth against the burn of the silver. The high purity metal was aggravating. Troy’s head shot up and he thrashed against the chains, though he was trapped in place.

“Good. You’re still alive,” he purred, dropping Troy’s food rations just out of reach. “It’d be a shame if I found you dead.”

“They’ll find me,” Troy said in a weak attempt at a snarl.

Varos couldn’t help but laugh. He crouched down and grabbed the chain, yanking the bastard closer to him. “No one will ever find you. They will find nothing but remnants of your truck and a path of burned storage units. You see, yours is not the first body we’ve ever hidden.”

Troy’s eyes widened and he bucked against the chains once more, only succeeding in drawing blood as the collar cut into his skin.

“I wish I could torture you the way you did her. Avalon is the only one who has the right to make you pay.”

“She’s dead.”

Varos stood up and smirked down at the pesky, worthless worm. “So, you thought.”

On his way out, he kicked the food rations towards his victim, then secured the deadbolts and went back to the car.

While he’d focused on saving Avalon, Marcus had taken control of Troy, ensuring that their paths were destroyed. After all, Marcus had always enjoyed destruction. Blowing up a few gas tanks and the storage units had come easy to him. At first, they’d both wanted Troy dead for what he’d done but as their minds had cleared, they’d realised that Avalon needed to be the one to take revenge.

Traffic was a nightmare but once he made it to Avalon’s apartment, picking the lock was easy. She had a small living space with a kitchen and breakfast nook to the right of the door. The flowers they’d given her were on the breakfast table in a plastic cup, already drying out. Though it warmed his heart that she’d displayed them, he shook his head and made a mental note to buy a multitude of vases.

He took out his phone, and dialled Marcus’s number.

He must have handed over his phone, because it was Avalon’s voice that drifted through the speaker. “Hi.”

“I’m in. Have you thought about what I should pack?”

“There are some sweaters and leggings in my closet.”

He bypassed her bed and reading nook, finding exactly what he needed in her small closet. It wasn’t as full as he’d expected. Her whole apartment was fairly modest, actually. The only thing that stood out were a tidy bookshelf in one corner and her paintings in another.

“I see them.” He put her on speaker and looked around, searching for a bag to pack her things in. “I can add your underwear too if you like.”

“Only if you don’t judge me.”

“Never.”

After he’d made sure to pack all her clothes, he reached into the drawer that he suspected housed her underwear.

“I think I’ve got everything now.” Though Avalon wasn’t finished, listing off a few more items that he added to the duffel. “I see I should have thought this through better and brought more bags.”

Avalon giggled, and Marcus laughed in the background. “There should still be a few moving boxes under the bed.”

He found the boxes exactly where she said they’d be. “Perfect.”

“Can you grab my e-book reader and laptop? They should be next to my bed on the nightstand.”

Varos added the devices to the bag, then searched in the drawer for the chargers. As he pulled them out, a small satin bag fell to the floor. Curiosity getting the better of him, he opened it and peeked inside—then grew lightheaded from the rush of blood flowing south. It was one of those vibrators women used to fuck themselves. If he could blush, he would have. He quickly closed the bag and returned it to its home.

“Got it. Would you like me to pack your books too?”

“If you can.”

“A few books are nothing compared to the mountains I would move for you.”

Keeping her on the phone, he emptied her bookshelf, then collected the random books scattered about the apartment. He could tell that her giant beanbag was especially loved, so he ordered one on rush delivery to be there by that evening. He stuffed the blankets in the boxes, then his attention fell on the paintings.

“I would like to take your paintings too, but only if you allow it.”

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