Page 40 of Dead to Sin
“What the fuck?” we said in unison.
Mark’s hand trembled as he gripped the handle of a knife, his knuckles turning white. In the other hand, a thick rope dangled loosely. His eyes darted between us maniacally, and he seemedalmost just as confused as we were as to why he was there. He looked… unhinged.
My heart hammered in my chest.
Before I could even process what was happening, Kiernan sprang into action, his movements quick and fluid as he disarmed Mark with a swift punch square in the face. He crumpled to the ground, unconscious, and I stared in disbelief wondering what in the literal fuck had just happened.
KIERNAN
I’d left for Indie’s after returning her call three times and having each one go to voicemail.
Mere days ago, I hadn’t much questioned why she was so avoidant of this piece of shit, but now it all made sense.
He was fuckinginsane.
As he lay unconscious, I quickly snatched the rope he had brought with him and tied his hands to his feet. He wouldn’t be able to free himself from his restraints anytime soon. The thick cord dug into his skin, leaving angry red marks I hoped would be a reminder of his moronic decision to think he could touch what belonged to me.
Indie’s fingers trembled as she reached for her phone, still trying to process what was happening. She struggled to enter her password; her hands were shaking too much. I walked over and gently slipped it from her hand. “I’ll take care of it, pretty girl.”
I knew we probably only had a few minutes before the dumbass woke, but my brain had already formulated a plan for what I would do with him, and it had nothing to do with calling the police.
Her eyes were wide, unblinking as she stared blankly at me. Her mouth hung open slightly, her breathing shallowand erratic. She nodded slowly, unable to form words in the aftermath of realizing what a vulnerable state she’d just been in.
What the fuck would have happened if I hadn’t shown up when I did?
I reached out and grabbed her hand, tugging her up from the couch. We walked at a slow, deliberate pace to her bedroom, my eyes scanning every corner of the apartment for any potential danger. I wanted to make sure she felt protected and secure before I left.
“Listen to me, baby.” I tilted her face toward mine, placing a kiss on her quivering lips. My heart cracked seeing her like this, but she’d never be made to feel like this again if I had anything to do with it. “I am going to call Amelia to come sit with you, okay? And I am going to take care of this as quickly as possible. I won’t be gone long. I promise.”
She nodded her understanding.
“Good girl. I want you to sit down here.” I nudged her onto the bed. “Take some deep breaths for me. I am going to close this door, and I’m going to remove Mark from your living room. I will be right back, and I will not leave again until Amelia is here with you, okay?”
“Okay,” she breathed.
I kissed the top of her head and eased her bedroom door shut behind me.
Moving as quickly as possible then, I picked up his knife, closed it, and pocketed it before dragging his sorry ass across the carpet and out the door into the hallway.
I grabbed Indie’s keys as I left, locking her door behind me. I took my phone out and dialed Amelia, explaining to her what had happened and that I needed her to come quickly.
Leaving out the bigger details, I hoped she wouldn’t question the thudding and grunting sounds coming from the background as I dragged Mark roughly over to the stairwell.
I hung up the phone, knowing this next part would wake him for sure. With a tight grip on the rope, I yanked him down each step forcefully. His body slammed against the hard edges of the concrete stairs, causing bruises to form and blood to trickle from various spots of his exposed skin. Completely out of character for me, Ienjoyedthe pain I was inflicting upon him as we reached the bottom.
“Fucking bastard,” he spat, making as much noise as he possibly could. I assumed it was his attempt to draw attention, but I didn’t care who the fuck heard or saw us. There wouldn’t be anything anyone could do to save this piece of shit now.
I dragged him across the gravel and popped the trunk of my car before I delivered a swift kick to his face, silencing his moaning and knocking him out cold again. My back ached from the exertion, but I forced myself to straighten up and take a deep breath before slamming the trunk closed and darting back upstairs to Indie.
She was exactly where I’d left her, and seemed to be coming back around as the shock finally wore off.
“What the fuck just happened?” she asked.
I sat down on the bed next to her, wrapping my arm around her and pulling her close. “Babe, I don’t have a fucking clue. But it’s not something that will ever happen again, I can promise you that.”
She sighed shakily, resting her head on my shoulder.
Amelia arrived quicklyand thankfully didn’t ask many questions, which had me questioning what her job was like while Sammy was still around.
