Page 66 of Taunting Tarran
‘What I’m thinking...’ I pause, as I look at Sal, ‘is to gather the most vile, corrupt souls this planet has to offer – and have them here – all in one place. A convention, if you will. Let them compete for their owndepravity.’
‘What would be their prize?’ I mean,’ he clears his throat, ‘why would they come here?’
‘For fifty percent of the profits...’
Sal winces, but I press on, the idea sinking its teeth into me. ‘Think about it – it will clean up some of the filth, feeds The Trinity...’
‘Gross,’ Tarran adds.
‘And fattens my wallet. It’s a win-win,’ I shrug.
His eyes darken.
‘As for Tarran,’ I grip her hand, raising it to my lips to kiss. ‘I’ll take her home.’
‘Boss, see, you do have a heart,’ he smiles.
‘Yes, but often it’s cold and dead.’
‘Well, it might only beat once per minute, but it’s a beat nonetheless.’
A moment stretches. Tarran smiles, as Sal straightens his back, his mind kicking into gear. ‘The logistics of it will need to be ironed out, but it might be feasible,’ he nods.
A day in the life of Mr Lewis means pretending I’m not a monster. What made me the way I am left a void inside, so I’ve spent my life blending in, camouflaging myself among normal people. They make it look easy; forming emotional connection with others, and if I could have any other feeling than anger, I’d have it for Tarran. To be her boyfriend, her confidant...her husband, protector, and maybe we’d even have a family. If I play this role long enough, will it become reality?Canit become reality?
Maybe my father was right, maybe my role in life is just this, to be the head of the family, sacrificing what normal people have.
But right now, I’ve never wanted something so much in my life. The question is, what would become of me if I was normal?
Would my family be safe? AmIenough to keep them safe?
Tarran makes me feel something I’ve only ever dreamt of – what it is to be human. The need to hope, to want, to care. But is being human enough these days? Enough to stand against the monsters that lurk in the shadows, monsters far worse than anything I could ever be. Maybe humanity is meant to face them. Or maybe...it’s destined to fall.
I let Sal mull over his thoughts. The sooner I get Tarran home, the sooner she can piece her life back together. Her friends are gone, and there’s nothing I can do to change that. I can’t bring them back, no matter how much she wishes I could. But what I can do is make sure no one else dares to lay a finger on her – if they do, they’ll lose it, because, that privilege is reserved exclusively for me.
Oh, how I do love taunting Tarran.
So much so, it’s become an art form. Watching her grit her teeth, feeling the tension radiate off her – it’s the kind of game I could play all day long, and as long as her heart beats, it’ll never lose its thrill, for either of us.
I’m hard just thinking about it. Oh, little lamb, how I can’t wait to chase you again.
EPILOGUE
THE THERAPIST
The grandfather clock behind me ticks.
Five more minutes.
Just five more minutes, and I could be out of this chair, out of this room, and most importantly out of this conversation. I stare blankly at my client, my mind thinking of my sofa at home, my glass ofRioja –the mention of Spain bringing my thoughts to sun, sea, and sand. I sigh.
‘Are you listening,’ she asks.
‘Yes, of course!’ I reply.
I lie.
Emma sits across me; her skinny arse perched on the edge of the sofa likea teenager.
