Page 45 of Their Offering

I became hyper-aware of my shadows surrounding me. I was so angry, I’d almost lost control. My knuckles were white, and my jaw was sore. I was enraged. For her.

The faces and names I’d gathered from her memories flashed through my mind, and I knew what I had to do. I would make them pay for the sins they’d committed. I couldn’t be with her, but I could avenge her, protect her from further harm.

The woman at the police station was more than helpful, especially since I had the power of mind alteration in my toolbox. She gave me the addresses of twelve of the thirteen men I’d asked for. I thanked her profusely before extracting the memory of me from her head.

Maybe it would be easier if I did more than plant thoughts in Lilly’s head, I thought to myself. I could never do that, though. I could never take her freedom, only help persuade her. I’d never take her choices away from her like my father had my mother.

The first several men were easy to find and even easier to handle. They were all confused about my presence, claiming to have no idea who Lilly was, and threatened my life if I didn’t leave. By the time my shadows came out to play, they were crying and pissing themselves, begging for mercy. Luckily, I had stashed a few blades, hidden from plain sight, so I could make things quick. I had a lot of names to get through.

The last man was a little harder to find. He wasn’t home, but a blonde, half-dressed woman answered the door. Thankfully, her personal areas were covered, but everything else was not. I didn’t have to use my mind tricks to get what I needed.

“What do you want?” Her words had a twang.

“I’m looking for Francis Vane,” I said as I looked past her into the house.

“Franny?” I nearly snorted at her nickname for him. “He ain’t here. He left me drugged outta my mind to go hook up with an old girlfriend.”

“Where’d he go?” I said impatiently. It was getting dark, and I wanted to get this done with so I could move on to other things.

She twirled a piece of hair around her finger. “What’s it to ya?” She pursed her lips, waiting for my response.

“He hurt someone, someone who means a lot to me, and she was too young and weak to defend herself. I’m here for revenge.” It felt good to admit it to someone, even if it wasn’t the someone who mattered.

She nodded slowly, looking me up and down. I had my shadows put away; she wasn’t who I was after, but I was sure she knew I meant business,painfulbusiness, for ‘Franny’.

“He’s not far. A few blocks over. 304 Tung Drive. You’ll find him there.” She dropped her hair and her face turned to stone. “Make him suffer, sweetie, got it? I’m tired of him using me, hurting me. I don’t want to see him again. Make him pay for both of us.”

“You won’t see him again. I promise,” I assured her.

I don’t know if she knew how sincere I was being, but she gave me a small, appreciative smile.

It took me ten minutes to find Francis. I didn’t even knock. When I stormed in, he was on the couch with a woman beneath him, squirming and moaning like pigs. She screamed once she saw me standing in her living room, pushing him off her.

Startled, he fell to the floor, naked and sweaty. The woman ran into a room down her short hallway and slammed the door, and I heard the lock click.Good. One less person to get in the way. He was the one I was after, not her.

“What the fuck, man?” He stood, looking for his clothes, his softened dick swinging around as he tried to get away from me.

“Don’t bother. You won’t need them,” I sneered. “You won’t need clothes ever again, actually.”

“Are you threatening me?” He puffed out his chest, trying to intimidate me. “Do you know who I am?”

I tilted my head, a wicked grin spreading across my face. “Iamthreatening you, andyes, I know exactly who you are.” I loosely shrugged my shoulders around, letting my shadows out to play.

His eyes widened. “Wha…what is that?” He backed up into a wall, trapping himself. “What do you want? I’ll give you anything. Drugs? Money? Women? I can get you whatever you want; just please, don’t hurt me.” He put his hands up to protect himself.

I laughed, amused with his feeble attempts to bribe me. “I want one thing: vengeance. For Lillian.”

His eyebrows furrowed. “Who?” He relaxed. “Look, I don’t know what you’re talking about, man, but you have the wrong guy. You can lea––”

“I know for a fact that I donothave the wrong guy. You have more wrinkles, but you look just like you did the day you hurt her, a little girl you accepted as payment for drugs. You fucking touched her. You hurt her. Youusedher.” I was in his face, spit flying. “You are going to die today, and you willsufferin Hell. I will make sure of that.”

My shadows wrapped around his throat and tightened, making his eyes bug out and his hands scratch at his neck. He was terrified, but I wasn’t done.

“You like touching little girls,Franny?” I mocked him. “Those fingers touched my woman.” The words came so naturally.Mywoman.

My shadows stayed tight around his throat as they curled down around his arms, bringing his hands out and spreading his fingers in front of him. I grabbed a dagger from the shadows.

“You won’t be needing these anymore.” I swung my dagger across the fingers of one of his outstretched hands, slicing them all off in one go.

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