Page 69 of Pose for Me

The loud crack of the gunshot echoes through the small room, reverberating off the concrete walls. The acrid scent of gunpowder fills the air, mingling with the musty odor of the basement. My father's scream of agony follows a split second later as he crumples to the ground, clutching his shattered kneecap. Blood seeps between his fingers, a vivid crimson against his pale skin.

The sight of him writhing on the dirty floor, his face contorted in pain, sends a rush of dark satisfaction through me. This man, this monster who had tormented me for so long, reduced to a pathetic, mewling wreck by my hand. It's intoxicating.

Lacy's shriek of outrage cuts through my father's pained groans. "You bitch!" she screams, her face twisted into a mask of fury and disbelief. "I'll fucking kill you!"

As her shrill threat pierces the air, I pivot smoothly, the gun an extension of my arm. Her eyes widen in shock, mouth still open mid-scream as I squeeze the trigger. I watch the bullet's impact. It strikes Lacy square in the chest, the force of it jerking her body back against the chair. A small, perfect circle appears in her silk blouse, rapidly blooming into a crimson flower. Her eyes, wide with disbelief and pain, lock onto mine for a brief moment before the light in them begins to fade.

As Lacy's final breath rattles from her lungs, I calmly switch on the gun's safety. Without looking, I hold it out to River, butt first. "Is she still a sufficient scapegoat?" I ask, my voice eerily calm in the aftermath of violence.

I can practically feel the grins spreading across Knox and River's faces. There's a beat of silence, then River's low chuckle breaks the tension. "Oh, little Rayne," he purrs, taking the gun from my hand, his fingers lingering on mine for a moment longer than necessary. "She'll work just nicely."

Knox nods, his eyes gleaming with a mix of pride and dark desire. "Agreed," he rumbles, holstering his own weapon. "This works out perfectly."

"Good," I say, a wicked smile curving my lips. I gesture to the chairs along the wall. "Then grab a seat and watch, boys. I have something truly beautiful in mind for dear old dad."

River passes me his knife as he and Knox exchange heated looks before moving to do as I've instructed. The scrape of chair legs against concrete echoes in the small space as they settle in, eyes locked on me with rapt attention.

I turn back to my father, still writhing on the floor in agony. Taking my time, I circle him slowly, savoring each pained gasp and whimper. When I speak, my voice is low and dangerous. "You know, I've thought about this moment for years. Dreamed of all the ways I could make you suffer."

My heel comes down hard on his shattered kneecap, grinding the shards of bone together. His scream is music to my ears. "And now that I have you here, I find myself feeling... creative."

I take my time, savoring every moment as I inflict pain upon the monster who tormented me for so long. My hands are steady as I work, methodically carving my rage into his flesh. Blood flows freely, staining the concrete floor crimson.

As I carve into my father's flesh, I pause momentarily and look up, catching sight of Knox and River watching me intently from their seats. Their expressions send a thrill through me unlike anything I've ever experienced.

Knox's eyes are dark with desire, pupils blown wide as he drinks in every detail of my bloody work. His jaw is clenched, the muscles twitching with barely restrained lust. One large hand grips the arm of his chair so tightly his knuckles have gone white, while the other is wrapped firmly around River's cock, stroking in time with my movements.

River looks utterly entranced, his eyes gleaming with a mix of awe and carnal hunger. His lips are parted slightly, chest heaving with each ragged breath. He leans into Knox's touch even as his own hand works Knox's length. The sight of them pleasuring each other while watching me is intoxicating.

But it's more than just physical desire I see reflected in their eyes. There's reverence there, a look of absolute worship that makes my heart soar. They're seeing me—truly seeing me—perhaps for the first time. Not as a victim to be protected or a delicate flower to be shielded from the darkness, but as their equal.

They look at me like I'm a goddess made flesh, terrible and beautiful. A being to be feared and adored in equal measure.

In this moment, covered in my father's blood with a knife in my hand, I've never felt more powerful or more alive. Every experience that led me to this point–the pain, the fear, the loneliness—it all crystallizes into perfect clarity. Every step of my journey, every dark impulse I've nurtured in secret, has led me to this exquisite moment. It was all worth it. River was right. I wouldn't trade my past for anything, because it forged me into who I am now.

A killer.

Their queen.

I return my attention to my father, relishing his agonized whimpers as I continue my bloody work. I lose myself in the rhythm of it–the slice of the blade, the screams of agony, the wet sounds of tearing flesh. Time seems to stretch and blur, measured only by my father's weakening cries and rasping breaths.

When I finally step back, my arms are coated in gore up to the elbows. My father lies motionless, barely recognizable as human. A sense of peace washes over me, years of fear and anger releasing their hold on my soul.

Epilogue

River

6 Months Later

Tonight,Rayneishavingdrinks with her friend Kahlee, giving me the perfect opportunity to have Knox all to myself. Well, with the exception of Luna, who is currently sprawled in one of the beds of a brand new cat tree with a small pouch of catnip Knox snuck her.

It's been six months since we wrapped up the serial killer investigation, and while we couldn't use Lacy as a scapegoat like we planned, we managed to cover our tracks well enough. The case was closed as unsolved, but we all knew the truth.

As amazing and awe inspiring as it was watching Rayne torture and kill her father, it meant a good hour had passed since she had shot Lacy. It’s a little hard to get away with waiting that long to call it in. So we simply disposed of them and since then have been on our best behavior.

We did manage to convince Rayne to move in with us with the promise of her own reading room and a new studio space on another floor of our building. She initially hesitated until Kahlee told her she needed to move again, stating someone she thinks works for her ex was sniffing around. So Rayne told Kahlee to move into her place and transfer her studio into a family photography space.

We got Zeke to set up some security and keep an eye out just in case. But there hasn’t been anything suspicious since then so the girls decided to have a night out to let off some steam.

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