Page 89 of Stutter

It doesn’t take us long.

When I open the door to my old room, I’m surprised to see a familiar woman sitting on my bed. She smiles a small, sad smile that makes my chest ache and when Brina bursts into tears, I run to her, my leg be damned. My arms go around her new-to-me plush body and her head immediately goes into the crook of my neck.

She’s sobbing so hard her entire body shakes. I make a motion with my hands at Jonas so he can give us some time.

After a few more minutes, she pulls away – face red and blotchy, mascara ruined – but still, so stunning. She catches her breath but more tears well in her eyes. “Can I please,pleasejust talk to my best friend?”

I keep her gloved hands in mine and nod.

Even if I can’t talk to her yet, I can still listen.

Chapter Twenty-One

Simon Hoover.

Sixteen Weeks Prior

Ty: Chase just confirmed that Raven is back on campus.

Me: WTF is she doing there?

Ty: She re-enrolled.

Thadd: There’s no way my father allowed that. I’ll go talk to him.

Me: Keep us updated. The last thing we need is for her to stick her nose where it doesn’t belong.

I set my phone on the nightstand, in my seedy Brazilian hotel, wiping the sweat off my brow, and go back to the girl tied up and in the fetal position on the laid-out tarp now at my feet. I kick her, lightly in the ribs. She whimpers and the sound makes my heart beat out of my chest. I squat down and brush her dark hair away from her face. Fresh tears roll down the sides of the bridge of her nose and drip to the tarp I have laid out on the grimycarpet. She’s a bit younger than I prefer, being seventeen, but she’s the right size.

I like them a little pudgy. They get so pink and bruise even prettier.

The fatter ones don’t break as easily. I mean I would know, Raven survived, didn’t she?

“Tudo bem. Tudo acabará em breve.” I shush.It’s okay, it’ll be over soon.

“Porfavore-“

I like that. When they beg.

She just made it so easy; you know? Walking the streets of Rio. Just trying to make a living by spreading her thighs. I don’t usually go for the locals, but she reminded me so much of my first kill, the one I used for my initiation after Raven survived… really, I could blame Raven for this affliction of mine. What we did to her that night. God, the delicious crunch of her leg breaking under my boot and her scream… fuck it did things to me. It made me feel… powerful.Strong.

Then the next girl, Amber, my initiation, was a dream. It’s when I realized this wasn’t sexual for me. Just a stress release I was really,reallygood at. Besides, I had my little wife at home.

Another reason I’m doing this.

All that negotiating my father did with someone of her caliber, all the wedding planning, all the money spent on said wedding… and I got a fucking dud of a woman. We’ve been married just over a full year, and we just found out she can’t have children. Not even IVF. Her eggs are dry at age twenty-one.

And I’m not allowed to divorce her because my idiot father forgot to put it in the clause that should this happen; we’re allowed to divorce.

So it’s either murder her and spend my life in jail… or take it out on someone else.

The girl at my fingertips gives a shuddering sigh, but it’s no good. She’s seen my face. She has to go.

I grab my Polaroid and snap a picture to add to my collection, then set it to the side and begin.

Twelve Weeks Prior…

Ty: Chase is dead. He was found on the RMU campus, OD.

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