Page 98 of In The Dark
There’s nowhere for him to move. Nowhere for him to go, and it’s nice to see someone who thinks they’re invincible struggle.
“You’re a monster,” he spits out. Blood spills from his mouth and splatters across the floor, and now I’m mad about the extra clean up I’m going to have to do. I fucking hate the smell of bleach. “Fuck you.”
“That’s pretty rich coming from the guy who stalked, drugged, and harassed someone important to me. And we can’t forget about all this shit you’ve done in the past.”
Connor regained consciousness about thirty minutes ago, howling in pain when I cuffed his wrists and ankles. He’s been dangling in the air ever since, and I wonder how I want to torture him first.
A knife to the throat?
Too quick. The pain would be brief, and I told Max I would make him suffer.
Slicing out one of his organs?
His kidney was my first thought. If he wouldn’t go into shock from the pain and being unmedicated, I’d do it, but I want him fully lucid. Aware of every way I’m going to mutilate and maim him, laughing when he begs me for death.
“Those bitches in my past asked for it. I didn’t do anything wrong.” Connor glares at me, and it’s cute he thinks he’s getting out of here alive.
“Tsk, tsk, Connor. We don’t talk about women like that.” I bring my knife to his stomach, slicing a small sliver of skin where his appendix is. His flesh hits the plastic tarp covering the ground while his screams echo in the soundproof room around us. “You’re such a fucking baby. Why don’t you learn to take it like a man. That’s what you said to those women you hurt, isn’t it?Just take it.”
“That’s not who I am today.” Connor yanks on the chains, wailing when I dig my knife further into his flesh. I’m toying with him now, but it’s sofunto watch him start to cry. “I’m different. I’ve changed.”
“If following Max, shoving her into a dark room and keeping her there for hours is youchanged, I don’t want to know how sick and twisted you were before.” I turn the blade, smirking when the blood trickles out from his stomach. “Do you think anyone is going to miss you, Con? If there was a funeral, who would come?”
“I only wanted to scare her. To get her to pay attention to me again.”
“Now you havemyattention, and that doesn’t bode well for you, my friend.” I sigh and spin the knife. “I stopped having sympathy for you the second you put your hands on her. No. The second you breathed the same air as her. Like you think you’reworthy.” I stop in my tracks, an idea coming to me. “Ah. An eye for an eye. That’s what we’ll do.”
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry! I’ll apologize! I’ll make it up to you.”
“Tome? You don’t need to say shit to me. It’sheryou need to get on your knees for to beg for mercy, but you’re never going to get that chance.”
“Just put me out of my misery.” Connor hangs his head, and I wonder what he would look like with this knife between his eyes. Maybe I’ll use a hammer instead. “Please.”
“I don’t think so, pal.” I pat his cheek and walk toward the door. “I need to run some tea up to my girl. I’ll be back in a few, then the games will really start.”
Connor tries to say something else but I flick off the light, plunging the room into darkness. I climb the stairs out of the basement two at a time and stretch my arms. I lock the door behind me, finding Leo in the kitchen.
“She wanted tea,” he says, and I smile.
“I was just coming up to make some for her.”
“Here.” He sets down a mug and gestures to it. “I don’t want to overstep.”
“You’re not. My hands are messy. I’d be grateful if you could finish it for me.”
Leo hums and checks the kettle, leaning against the counter. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”
“That’s her ex. He hurt her.” I turn on the sink and wash the flecks of blood off my hands. “He… lured her to his home. Roofied her. Tied her to the bed and tried to—” Bile creeps up my throat, and I grip the porcelain to steady myself. “Tried to touch her.”
“You’re fucking joking.”
“No.” I blow out a breath and look out the window at the woods behind the house. I’ll bury him out there, in a spot no one will ever find. “He slapped her too.”
“That piece of fucking shit. I’m going to go down there?—”
“No. Your heart is too good, Leo. Don’t tarnish it. I’m handling it, okay? Can you just… keep an eye on my girl, will you? I want to be up there with her, but I need?—”
“I’ve got it. I promise.” Leo clasps my shoulder. “And with no ulterior motive than caring about her because you care about her.”
