Page 61 of In The Dark
When he’s on the cusp of mortality, toeing the thin, fine line where lucidity starts to fade away and the body shuts down, I wrangle the knife out of his hand. I clean the blade with the hem of my shirt, scowling at the mess he made on the handle.
Lack of respect for other people’s things always pisses me off.
“I’m going to tell you a secret, Darren,” I whisper, crouching low so I’m the last thing he sees before his heart stops beating. “I was very mad at you for what you did before, but taking your sweet ass time to die after we both know your fate inevitable means it’s going to take longer to get to my girl than I wanted it to. Because of that—and because you’re the foulest, ugliest, most disgusting specimen I’ve had the horror of being around—I think I should leave you with a parting gift. It’s the least I can do.”
Blimka’s pupils dilate. He’s less unalert, the lack of recognition of his surroundings causing a blank, unfocused stare. I grab his wrist and the hand holding his penis, directing it to his face. I pry apart his jaw and shove the bloody, severed extremity to his mouth, wedging it between his lips.
“There.” I pat his cheek and take my knife, stabbing his stomach. The lack of reaction to the blade sinking into his body tells me everything I need to know, and I turn the knife clockwise as his chest lifts one time, a final breath exhaled before he goes completely still. “Now everyone in hell will know howto welcome you when you arrive. I hope your soul stays stuck in purgatory until the end of time.”
I wait, counting to two hundred before I carve the knife out of his flesh and stand, satisfied with another job done.
No one will miss this man. No one is going to come looking for him, but if they do, they won’t tell anyone what they find. Disposing his body will be easy and so will the cleanup, the murky waters of a Florida pond on the other side of a little trafficked road the perfect dumping ground for the evidence law enforcement won’t care to search for.
I don’tlikekilling people. Is there a rush when you stab someone who deserves to feel insurmountable pain? Fuck, yeah. Is it fun to watch a predator plead for mercy when they had none of their own to give to their victims? Undoubtedly. But I hate that any of this exists in the first place. I hate that there are humans out there who are so cruel, extreme measures must be taken to prevent them from ever hurting someone again. For as fucking cliché as it is, if it were up to me, my one wish would be world peace. A timeline where no one suffered, where everyone could exist without worry of feeling safe and protected.
I won’t be able to get rid of every terrible shitbag like Darren Blimka, but tonight, the world can go to sleep knowing one less demon walks among them.
Stretching my back, I zip my jacket up to my neck. I slide my arms under Blimka’s body, groaning at his heavy weight. I sway on my feet, grinding my teeth together as I cross the road and heave his body into the alligator-infested water with the tiniest splash known to man.
A quick pour of bleach and scrub of the stained asphalt later, I hum on the walk to my car. I fire off a quick text to my boss to let him know the job is complete and he wires me the other half of my payment, an excited smirk pulling at the corners of mymouth as I think about what gift I’m going to buy Max with the large deposit.
There’s a message from her waiting in my inbox, and I grin when I read her text.
Max the Angel
See you tonight. I’ll bring over dinner!
Me
Can’t wait, angel. Missed your cute face.
The drive home is quick, and I wave to hello sitting in the kitchen.
“Thought you might’ve had someone fight back a little too aggressively,” he says, holding a glass of wine. He lifts the bottle my way and I shake my head. “That one took you longer than usual.”
“He needed some extra attention.” I wash my hands, watching Blimka’s blood disappear down the drain. “What are you doing tonight?”
“Some of the people from the house are going to the bar.” Leo yawns and jumps off his barstool. “I’d invite you to come, but I know you’re busy with someone more important than me.”
“So much more important than you. Call me if you need a DD?”
“Aye, aye, captain.”
“And let Max in when she gets here? I’m going to rinse off really quick.”
“I live to serve you.” He bows and I throw the dish towel at his head, hustling down the hall.
I don’t like running late for things. When my mom was alive, she was a ten-minutes-early kind of woman. I hated it as a kid, the first in the parking lot for sports and school, but the older I’ve gotten, the more I’ve appreciated her dedication topunctuality. Time is precious, especially when you spend it with people you care about, and I’m pissed Blimka put me behind schedule.
In my room, I play music from my phone, bopping along to an artist Max sent me to listen to. She’s some popstar I haven’t heard of before, but her music is good. A fun beat, and I’m too busy dancing and taking my knife from its holster to hear my door open behind me.
“Hi,” Max sings out, and I spin, smiling at her. She freezes in the threshold of my bedroom, gaze darting to the weapon in my hand. Her eyes widen at the blood on the tip and she steps forward, grabs a paperback off my nightstand—one of hers, she’d be happy to know—and holds it above her head. “Why the fuck are you holding your knife? And why is it covered in blood?” She inhales sharply, dropping the bag of food she’s holding. “Who the fuck are you, Hunter?”
“This thing? Whoops.” I flash her a grin. “Let’s calm down for a second, Maxxy baby. Angel, I’m?—”
The book hits me square in the forehead. I grin at her perfect shot.
“DonotMaxxy baby me. I validated you breaking into my home.Repeatedly. I validated you watching me from cameras you installed. But a bloody knife? You’re a psychopath.”
