Page 112 of Tear Me Down
Daisy sniffs around the room, inching closer and closer to Hugo. Once she gets in front of him, she starts using that expert sense on his body, moving up his legs and towards his pelvis. In an instant, it’s like it clicks for her—noticing Ashia's smell, but paired with another that isn't me. What he did…and the moment her hackles start to rise, I feel more connected to this dog than I ever have before. A part of me is wanting to let her loose to do with him as she pleases, but then the torture would be over quicker than it should, and she would kill him. Darnell steps forward, and she immediately senses his approach.
“Heel.” He pulls her back and she complies, but growls to show her reluctance. I walk up to her and gently scratch behind her ears, noticing how she isn’t peeling her eyes away from Hugo’s disgusting form.
“I know, sweet girl. I feel the same way,” I whisper to her.
“You still know the commands, D?” he asks me, and looks at Hugo like he's the most repulsive being on the planet.
“Sure do. Does she have limits?”
“If she has one, I’m sure she’ll let you know. From the looks of her?” He directs his gaze down at her and tilts his head, noticing the murderous look in her eyes. “Have fun.” He hands me the leash and walks out of the room, leaving Daisy and I alone with her afternoon snack.
“Set,” I command her, and she immediately obeys, sitting down and staying completely still. Her eyes are still trained on him, as if she knew he would be her target long before the command. Turning back to Hugo, I lock my gaze on him. “Hugo, meet Daisy.”
I watch as he runs his line of sight down to the dog, and confusion mixes in with the pain on his face. It appears as if there’s some fear mixed in as well, but it’s masked by the curiosity. Moving back over to the counter of instruments, I switch on the heating element and place the burger press on the source so it’s ready in the next few minutes.
“Have you ever experienced a K9 officer?” I ask, though I know he either can’t or won't answer through the pain in his jaw. “Well, you see, Daisy is a special K9.” I turn the heating element up a few clicks, letting each tick echo menacingly. “She specializes in lethal tactical assaults.” I turn back to face him, watching as his swollen eyes force themselves wider, and it hits me. He might actually have a fear of dogs, and my body tingles with the revelation. This is about to get a whole lot sweeter. “Aw, do you have a problem with dogs? Are you scared of a little bark?” I smirk, probably looking like a psychopath as I look down at Daisy. “Speak.”
A deep, barreling bark rushes out of her mouth, causing Hugo to flinch and sending a shock of excitement through my spine. Either his breathing is shaking at a concerning level, or his teeth are actually chattering like some shit from Scooby-Doo.
“Now we’re getting somewhere.” I decide to sit down in the chair as I reach over to the table and grab the laser pointer.
Memories of his attack on Ashia flash through my mind. The whimpers that escaped her mouth just before her screams, the lost look in her eyes as he restrained and raped her, and his taunts echo in the space around me—the ones where he tried to force her to call out for me. He compared his assaults to Cooper’s and promised that his marks would leave a bigger impression. The words he chose were meticulous, and every time he told her that she would disgust or revolt me when he was through cut her deeply. Our very own room in Hell was displayed on a small screen, broadcasted to humiliate us. She could never repulse me, and I can only pray that I’ve proven that to her.
“Lock.” I command Daisy, and she raises up to all fours, hunching her back and snarling. Her hackles are fully raised, spiking up and darkening her already shadowy fur. I point the laser to his right foot and grin as Daisy’s growls grow louder, signaling that her need for his agony matches my own. Hugo startsto tremble even harder, and he starts to pull against the ropes, hoping that they’ll falter at any moment. I let the suspense build for a moment, allowing the sweet taste of revenge to settle on my tongue. His breaths come out shallower and faster, clearly on the verge of hyperventilating, but I wait for the perfect moment. The instant his gaze locks on mine again, I command.
“Engage.” Daisy lunges in a ravenous frenzy, snarling and practically foaming at the mouth—reaching out with her jaws and locking onto his foot as she thrashes around with the intent of ripping the limb off. As her head shakes back and forth, blood flies in all directions. I don’t bother trying to cover my face, needing to fully absorb the glory from his pain. His blood-curdling screams completely take over the space, satiating me further, and it isn’t until I see actual tears leave his eyes that I consider stopping her. As much as I’d love to watch her rip the foot clean off, he might bleed out, and there are a lot of other places to cover. So, with an annoyed huff, I stand and call her off.
“Heel.” She immediately obeys, leaving nothing but the blood and drool hanging from her mouth as she lets go and backs away. “Good girl, Daisy.” I walk over to the heating element and lift the press by the handle, tightening my grip on it as I walk over to Hugo, knowing I’ll need the leverage when he undoubtedly thrashes again. He’s sobbing now, letting his fears and the overwhelming pain consume him. I feel light, almost completely carefree, as if his screams alone could heal all of our pain.
Though, that’s not true, is it? It’s fake. A façade, nothing but a thought to lead me into false hope. Nothing other than his suffering and death is going to heal my little wolf. As long as this man is pain free, her torment will never stop. The thought has enraged me all over again, tossing my emotions around like a common phrase, and that pulls me to finish the round.
I grasp his calf in my hand and pull his leg up, not wasting another moment to press the glowing burger press to the shreds that are left of his foot—cauterizing the wound. He screams again, so harshly that his vocal cords are clearly strained, and the muscles in his leg tense and flutter under my hand. The sounds reverberate through my body and straight to my soul, once again calming the raging fluctuation of my thoughts. It’s only once he starts to go limp in my hold that I peel the burger press away and immediately return it to the heat source.
The smell of burning flesh covers the space, mixing in with the other scents of iron, urine, and other soiled elements. His screams have turned to distant whimpers, and as I turn to witness the agony, I see that he’s losing consciousness. It’s almost cute how he thinks he’ll find that solace, how I would allow him to escape any moment of this revenge. Maybe I should let him for a moment, allow him to slip into a peaceful rest, only to pull him out of it just before he can feel it.
As his eyes flutter closed, I grab the smelling salts from the table and storm back over. His sweaty strands tangle in my fingers as I fist his hair and hold his limp head, and as I press the salts to his nose, he awakens with a start. A rush of air is sucked in through a gasp, and eventhatsounds raspy.
“You fucking thought, huh?” I taunt and slap his cheek three times in a ‘tsk, tsk’ motion. The suffering in his gaze is a sight to behold, and now that he’s quiet, I’m already itching for more screams. I need to hear the pain he’s in, witness it like I’ll never see something as mesmerizing again, and commit it to my memory. When I tell my love of the pain he endured, I want to be able to give her every detail and prove that I have indeed avenged her.
“P-please…” he begs, the sound coming out as nothing but a tortured whisper. “I can tell you things… About Avery…”
“Do you think I give a fuck about Avery?”
“You should… If you think this will end things… You’re wrong…”
I purse my lips and tilt my head, releasing a cooing noise from my lips.
“I don’t think anything. I’ll handle Avery, as well as Saccone and DeLuca.”
“You’ll never find them, until they find you… If you thought I was a challenge, you haven’t seen anything yet. I’ll help you… Please… Just stop this…” More tears cascade over his lids, and he shakes his head as he begs. Perhaps if I were anyone else, if I were a better man, this would affect me somehow. In another life, maybe this would have convinced me to hear him out, but as I’ve said before…
I’m not a good man.
“You want me to stop?”
He nods weakly.
“Did you stop touching my wife after she told you not to?” I don’t even recognize my voice anymore. Something darker has taken hold, and it’s presenting itself, showcasing its emotionless bravado from behind a curtain. “Did you stop cutting my wife after she cried out and her tears started to fall?”
