Page 5 of Psycho

Nine, ten, scream for me again.

I keep my distance for now, so I can learn her routine, as I follow her to the District Attorney’s office. She hugs a woman outside, as they laugh about something I don’t hear, and walk through the revolving glass door. Pretty little Anastasia Crowne, clueless about what she has started.

I’m her stalker.

Her tormentor.

Her killer.

I stroke my fingers through my short beard, and take a deep sigh in contentment. This will be fun. The girl she is with presses the button for the elevator, as I move closer to her. Am I worried about her recognizing who I am?

Not at all. I’m not stalking her in the shadows, because I want her to know I’m coming for her. When she looks at my face, I want her to know that Massimo Bonetti, also known as Psycho, is coming for her. I step into the elevator, and both women quickly move to the side as they feel my presence, and Anastasia presses number four, never stopping her conversation. We stop on their floor and she glances at me, but there’s no recognition on her face. Maybe my aviators disguised me, but I’m disappointed.

She’s a few steps ahead of me when I nod to the receptionist. Anastasia stops in her tracks when she hears the words that come out of my mouth.

“Good morning. Mr. Bonetti to see District Attorney Easton.”

My eyes dart, from the secretary in front of me, to Anastasia, as the panic visibly sets in. She clenches her free hand into a fist, her muscles tightening as she stops moving, and takes a moment, before she walks down the hall to what I assume is her office. I bet her heart is pounding. Is she struggling to get a full breath? Fuck. I can hardly wait to see the effect my brutality will have on her.

“Is he expecting you?”

I flash her a grin and say, “No,” before I walk down the same hallway Anastasia did. As usual, his blinds are down, hiding all his despicable behavior. Without knocking, I open the door, step inside his office, and sit down in the chair across from his desk. He is busy reading something on his computer, and doesn’t even notice I’m here. Am I fucking invisible today?

Picking up the picture on his desk, I run my finger along the faces of his wife and daughter.

“I forgot how beautiful they are.”

That gets his attention. His gaze snaps to mine, his showing instant uneasiness.

“Mr. Bonetti. Did I miss a meeting? We usually meet outside of the office.”

I run my hand over my beard casually, with my eyes glued to the photograph, as I respond to him.

“No. If I want to come into your office, I will. Is there a problem with that?”

He shakes his head emphatically, as I lift my gaze to his.

“No, sir.”

Easton does not want me here. There’s a risk someone not in our pocket could see me, and cause him some headaches. Other than that, he’s fucking petrified of me, as he should be, and doesn’t enjoy surprise visits. Every Bonetti brother instills fear, but I like to think I’m more special than they are. I’m known for my psychotic tendencies.

“Tell me everything there is to know about Anastasia Crowne.”

He stares at me with a concerned expression, and he should be worried. I don’t appreciate questions when I’m asking for answers.

“Is there a problem?”

Sitting back in the black leather chair, I casually cross one leg over the other, and pull my aviators off.

“Nothing I can’t handle. I will give you a heads up out of courtesy. You’ll need to find a replacement for her. Soon she will disappear and, of course, you won’t notice. If her family contacts you, you will have no information for them. The Chief will be concerned enough to handle the investigation himself, but, of course, he won’t find anything either. Do we understand each other?”

He swallows hard and nods.

“Yes, sir.”

“Now, everything.”

I set the picture back on his desk, to let him know his family is safe if he answers my questions. I’ve never threatened them, because I haven’t had to, but the occasional reminder of what’s at stake doesn’t hurt.

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