Page 27 of Revenge

“You know what—”

“Just climb the fucking tree, Ax, or I’ll tie your ass up instead.”

We pulled deep into the forest a good ways off the road and parked in a spot next to the river that I mapped out earlier, so I’m not worried about any noise. Good thing or I’d be wringing my brothers’ necks.

“Fine.” He sighs and begins to climb to one of the thicker branches to throw the rope over.

Zane and I drag Luis over by his ankles, not giving one shit if dirt scrapes against him. We tie up his feet and nod for Axel to pull the rope. Luis is suspended by his feet until he’s about six feet off the ground and at my eye level. Perfect. Now, it’s time to wake his ass up.

“Here. It’s river water and cold as fuck. Should wake him up pretty quick.” Zane hands me a small metal bucket.

I grab it by the sides and chuck it in Luis’ face. He wakes up gasping and shakes his head. It takes a minute for him to get his bearings before he begins struggling to reach up and untie his feet. He never even gets close to reaching the rope. It’s a pathetic sight to watch.

“You can try all you want. You ain’t getting out of those. Axel can tie one hell of a knot.”

“Fuck you,Puto!” A vein throbs on the side of his temple as the blood rushes to his face. It’s only a matter of time before the ache of pressure hits him.

“The Chattahoochee is pretty cold this time of year. Can you swim, Luis?”

“You’re fucking loco, asshole!” His breath comes out in a small cloud of smoke. The mixture of cold water and freezing temperatures is probably getting to him, but I don’t give two shits.

“He looks like a damn piñata. Think if we hit him hard enough candy will fall out?” Axel taunts as he drops the rope causing his head to sink closer to the ground. Just when he’s about to eat a face full of dirt, Axel stops and yanks him back. He does this a few more times to fuck with him, and I let him have a little fun at Luis’ expense.

“Enough, Ax.” Zane puts a hand up to stop him from getting carried away.

“You sure? Because I could do this all day.” Axel smiles as he pulls Luis back up by his ankles until he’s eye level once again.

I ignore Axel, pull my knife out of its holster and stare Luis down. A glint of gold hanging from his neck catches my attention. My fingers pinch the ends of the medallion as my eyes narrow. “Saint Christopher.” The tip of my thumb runs over the small engraving a couple of times before I rip the chain off the bastard and clench it in my fist. “You know how we found you?”

He stays silent, so I give him some motivation to speak.

“Your boy, Benny, gave you up.” I press the tip of the blade against his throat and he laughs.

“Fuck him.” He hocks a loogie and spits near my feet. “He’s a pussy. You did us a favor getting rid of his ass.” His piss poor attitude grates on my last nerve.

“Hold him,” I tell Zane as I take the blade and carve into his chest in hard, slow strokes, each letter a stain on his fucked up soul.

It’s as if I’m a painter and his body is my canvas. I can see why Charlee enjoys drawing so much. Creating things by hand takes a special finesse. With every move of my wrist, I slice away into his flesh. Blood drips down his front, toward his neck, as his screams fill my ears, but I don’t stop. Not until every letter of Lauren’s name is engraved across his chest. He pulled the trigger and took her from me. This is his cross to bear and bear it he will.

“Scream all you want. Ain’t nobody gonna hear you this far out.” I made sure of that.

When I’m finished carving him up like a turkey, I wipe the blood off my knife with my jeans and step back to admire my handiwork.

His body shivers as beads of sweat drip down the sides of his face. No doubt the cold is making the pain unbearable. Good. Every minute he suffers is one I feel alive.

“You’re a religious man, right, Luis?” I toss his Saint Christopher medallion on the ground at my feet. “Welcome to your Garden of Eden.” I tilt my head in Zane’s direction. He brings the grain sack out of the back of the van and sets it near the base of Luis’ head, but hesitates to open it for a second. I almost feel bad for him, but we all have to conquer our demons sooner or later.

“Just find your balls and open it, you pussy!” Axel taunts from his spot in the tree.

“Fuck off, Ax.” Zane extends his middle finger in the direction of the tree, but pulls the cloth apart. The second the opening widens we jump back a safe distance. The treats inside slither around, rippling against the fabric. They’re angry from being jostled and that’s perfect for what I want them to do.

Zane and I are far enough away to avoid getting bitten, but still close enough to enjoy the show. Axel braces against the tree, keeping a firm grip on the rope, and waits for me to give him the go ahead. “Copperheads normally don’t attack humans, but let’s see if we can prove them wrong.”

I flick my eyes to Axel, and he lowers Luis, head first, into the sack. Instead of staying still, the dip shit flays his arms out like a dying fish and draws attention to himself, only succeeding in antagonizing the pit of vipers.

“The more you hit at them the angrier they become, Luis. You might want to remember that.”

“Fuck you,Cabron!” He ignores my warnings and continues to writhe around the inside of the sack.

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