Page 93 of Monster
Vincent
Present
“Vincent!”
My name being screamed has my eyes snapping open. I’m disoriented as I take in my surroundings and what I see only makes the feeling worse.
What the…
“Vincent!” My eyes dart toward the sound of my name and I manage to pull myself up. My legs are wobbly as I stand, and I catch myself on the trunk of a tree near me. The tree is wet underneath my palm and the chill seeps deep inside of me, making me shiver. I attempt to stand as my legs shake, but I manage to keep myself upright.
Why does everything feel so unusual?
I have never been so fucking confused in my entire life, and it’s frustrating the hell out of me. The last thing I remember was being with Essa and my baby. Being fuckinghappyand now I’m stuck in this cold, wet place?
“Vincent fucking Anthony!” I hear a voice shout again, albeit closer this time and my head snaps towards the sound. The very familiar sound.
Why does it sound so familiar?
“Fuck, Vincent, there you are!” My gaze lands on Leo as he comes from somewhere behind me and right as I go to ask him what the hell is going on, he stops dead in his tracks. His gaze shifts from me to somewhere on the left and I find myself following his eyes.
My own land on my tree, the one I always use for my kills, but what I see has me even more fucking confused than I was thirty seconds ago. There are chains wrapped around the tree and hanging from the tree is a body.
That’s weird. I always dispose of the bodies before I do anything else.
“Vincent. What the fuck did you do?!” Leo shouts hysterically as he runs toward the tree. He moves the person around as he tries to free them, and I cock my head to the side as I watch him fret over this person. Why the hell would he do that whenhe’sthe one who always gives me the jobs?
“Give me the fucking keys!” he screams, and I mindlessly obey his command. I reach my hand in my front pocket on instinct and fish out the keys. I toss them over to him as I stare as he shoves the key in the padlock and twists.
A flash of long, black hair catches my attention, and I drop my eyes from Leo to the person he’s holding. He brings the person to the ground, and I wonder if he is freaking out so much because it’s a woman.
I don’t have to kill them often, but sometimes it’s part of the job and I gotta do what I gotta do. Clearly he’s fucked up over it being a woman, but what’s done is done. The flash of black catches my eye again and I narrow them as I stare at the woman, mostly blocked by Leo’s big ass frame.
Why the hell do I keep looking at her?
I find myself moving closer as Leo begins to work over her body. I watch as his biceps bunch and flex as he moves over her small frame. He brings his mouth to her lips while pinching her nose and breathes into her. I grow angry at his lips on hers.
Another step closer and I see another small part of her. Her ripped, tattered jeans look even dirtier compared to the ground she is lying on.
Another step and a black sleeve comes into view over Leo’s massive shoulder. He’s moving and shifting as he continues to work over her. He’s clearly trying to bring her back to life, but I hate to break it to him—I have never left a job unfinished.
“Come on, Essa. Fuckingbreathe.”
Essa? My limbs lock as I continue to watch Leo move over the woman.
Clearly he is mistaken. I was just with Essa and our baby, and they were both fine. Everything is perfect. She wouldn’t be lying on the ground dead right now—not when I was just with her.
“Come on. Comeon!” Leo shouts and the desperation in his tone makes me take another step forward. Long, black hair comes into view and with it, a pale face. A pale face which looks eerily familiar.
Essa.
What—
“Damnit, Essa! Breathe!”
Essa…
What the fuck did I do?!
