Page 74 of Wicked Riddles & Bitter Heartbeats

“Torture isn’t usually my thing,” I say.

“It’s my favorite.”

Perhaps it’s because I don’t have personal reasons for killing the people I kill. I just… feed my darkness. It’s only until I’ve met Lilah that I started killing people who deserve it. It seems Jameshas been doing that all along. He picks his people purposefully. There is meaning behind his kills.

We take turns putting nails into Frank’s hands. Through his palms, his fingers, and even his wrist. James works his way up his arm, but at some point, they’re too thick to reach the chair. But we’re bonding here, so we continue to hammer nails through his biceps.

“I want a turn.”

James and I both whirl around. I’d forgotten she was here. He had no idea. His hand is on his gun. I hold my arm out.

“She’s with me.”

Looking from me to James, fear and determination in her eyes, she moves closer.

I offer her the bloody hammer, and James relaxes.. She takes it, and James and I move out of the way to give her room. Instead of taking the nail that is offered to her by James, she rears the hammer back and slams it down on Frank’s balls. I cringe. So does James. Frank cries out, so many tears pouring down his face that it’s loosening the duct tape. All his yelling isn’t helping either. When he stops shouting and goes limp, Lilah keeps going. She destroys his dick the same way I destroyed her ex’s throat.

Fuck, I really love this girl.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Lilah

One month later…

My father walks into the room with a tired smile on his face and I run to him the second he’s out of the cuffs. We hug, and it’s too soon before the guard is yelling at us. I wish I could make him small, shove him in my pocket, and run out of this place. I want to take him with us. Atticus would love him. Which is why I offered for him to come see my father, but funny enough, he was worried that it would raise some eyebrows.

“Lilah, you look beautiful,” my father says.

I smile brightly. “Thanks, Daddy.”

“But I wish you wouldn’t visit me. I hate for you to see me like this.”

I sigh, still smiling at him. “I know, but I had to see you one last time.”

“One last time?” he raises a brow, concern in his eyes.

“Atticus and I are moving.”

“Moving?” he questions. And though he’s made it very clear that he doesn’t want me to visit him, he doesn’t seem happy that I’m leaving.

“It’s what we want. This area is… scary. I don’t want to live around here anymore. I hate having to leave you, but—”

“No, Lils. You go. Live your life. Be happy,” he pleads, putting his hands flat on the table. “I need you to do everything that makes you happy. It’s the only thing that keeps me going.”

“I will,” I say, tears burning in my eyes. “I promise, I will.”

I stay as long as they allow me too, and I tell him about the stuff we plan to do and where we plan on going. I wish I could tell him everything. About all the fun stuff I did with Atticus and how we killed Uncle Frank and managed to get away with it because James is smart as hell.

Him and Atticus together is a dangerous mix. They stay up all hours of the night, plotting and planning and perfecting their “hobby” as they call it.

He’s even coming with us to Europe.

Violet said she was going to Ireland, and we got a postcard from her a few weeks ago, postmarked from there. Her plan was to move around, find a place that makes her happy, and it’s exactly what we’re going to do too. Atticus has already been to so many amazing places in his life, and now he wants to show them to me. His brother, too.

I hear them talking late into the night about their lives and how they grew up differently. They’re working on tracking their father down, but so far haven’t been able to find anything on him. I don’t think it’ll be a good outcome, so it’s probably best they don’t find him at all.

After we left the warehouse, it was a full week before we heard from James. He visited for a few days, then one day he came by and never left. I don’t hate him being there. I never had a sibling, and Atticus is happy with him around. I think he finally feels like he belongs somewhere.

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