Page 130 of Ramsay

Crush knows that Frank is dead. How? Fuck. Why can’t I remember anything beyond his sightless eyes and a sea of red?

Does Crush know about my part in the sordid story? If so, why wait so long to come looking? Whatever. It doesn’t matter. Clearly, I’m not leaving here alive, either way.

Yates backs away and I look up as Crush turns to me, effectively dismissing him. Great.

He pauses before me and although I closed my eyes, hoping to feign sleep, I can feel his disgusting aura from here. Dude must bathe in the blood of babies or some shit.

“Wake up,” he says, nudging me with his shoe and I blink dramatically as I move to a seated position while he continues. “You did a bad thing.”

Since I have no good response…I’ve done a lot of bad fucking things, I don’t waste my breath. Apparently, that is not the reaction he was looking for though and he crouches down, his fetid breath puffing against my cheek as he eyes me.

My instinct is to mouth off which I would have done to Jagger with no qualms, despite Jagger’s propensity for smacking me around. But with this one, I have to be very careful.

“Hm?” he says.

Licking my lips, I glance around, my gaze catching on the headstone before me.

Rest In Peace.Jesus. Why Carmen’s grave?

“What are we doing here?” I ask. Did Crush kill my sister? What about Dixie?

“Here?” Chuckling, he taps my forehead and I flinch away from his icy fingers. Everything about him makes my skin crawl. Everything. I can’t begin to describe the things I’ve seen…This, this is why I’m totally fucked.

With a wicked smile, he sneers, “What? You don’t want to say goodbye to Carmen?”

His cruel eyes dance with amusement and I can’t help it when I grab his coat and rasp, “Did you do it? Did you kill her?”

I need to know, before I die. I can’t describe it but the unknown claws at my throat and rakes along my skin like stinging bees. Who killed my sister? Who?

Leaving this earth, such as it is, without my parents ever knowing what truly happened to either of us, hurts my dark soul, but I can’t think about them now. There’s nothing I can do anyway.

He cocks his head, his eyes burning and says, “Your sister was a good little bitch. But just like her sweet little sister, she couldn’t resist.”

“Resist what?”

“Sticking her nose where it don’t belong. I didn’t kill the bitch, but she got what was coming to her.”

Frustration forms a lump in my throat, and I can’t help my snark when I say, “What does that mean?”

Unfortunately, I’m riling the beast and when his brows slam over his eyes, I barely have time to brace myself before he pops me in the face and says, “Watch your mouth, hm?”

With a stinging cheek, I bite the inside of my lip and avert my gaze because I’m pretty sure nothing but pure hate shines from my eyes. Behind Crush, Stephen shifts and when I meet his stare, he looks away with a frown.

Strange because he’s done far worse with zero qualms in the past. Why would this make him uncomfortable?

“The thing is Cherry, you think you’re so smart, but you’re nothing but a dumb cunt and Carmen was no better. Did you think I wouldn’t know? Bitch.”

He shakes his head once more but I’m not tracking his disappointment, ridiculous as it is, I mean come on, like I wasn’t going to try and find a way free from the fuckers? Still, I can’t help but consider his careless words.

Was Carmen ready to be free? Maybe she was trying to come home. Fuck.

“…there’s no bringing this down. Bitch. We’re too big. We own everything! It’s not possible—“ Crush says as I force my thoughts from my sister with a painful burn in my chest.

Poor Carmen.

“Hey,” Yates protests and Crush swings his head around. Uh-oh. Apparently, Yates didn’t learn his lesson.

“What?” Crush barks.

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