Page 38 of Bound to a Killer
His license is the last thing I toss into the firepit before I stomp out the controlled flames. It’s nearly after dark by the time I’ve finished dismembering his body into small, manageable chunks to burn.
I would’ve also doused his car in gasoline, but the thick torrent of smoke it would emit would either draw attention or cause a larger forest fire. So for now, I leave it alone. Nobody’s in a hurry to come out here this time of year, anyway. Disposing of the body is the most crucial step. Everything else is a secondary concern that can wait until Tanner comes out here for backup.
We’ve tackled plenty of hurdles together, him and I. There’s nothing we haven’t been through this far into our lives. This rift between us has caused some heightened tension, sure, but it’ll soon all be behind us. I’ve got it all figured out. It’s hard to imagine a life away from The Ringer when it’s all you’ve ever known, and he’s been part of it longer than I have. But things are changing, and despite his doubts, he’ll feel equally relieved once he sees that it’s possible to outsmart them. We don’t haveto stay stuck underneath Antonio’s thumb forever. His priorities extend far beyond funneling a worldwide search for two of his men. Even with all the resources in the world, it’d be tricky to find us once we make the move.
Swinging the gas tank in my hand, I stomp on the remaining embers until nothing but a faint glow remains that will soon fizzle out with the breeze before heading up the hill.
Once I’m back in the cabin, thoughts of tomorrow continue to churn in my head as I attempt another go at scrubbing the last of the blood on the wooden floors with whatever clothes I could scrounge up from the black duffle bag while Aria watches from the bed.
She’s spaced out, floating somewhere else in her own head.
My knuckles blanch as I unscrew one of the water bottles beside me and take a quick swig before pouring the rest inside of the expired bottle of bleach I found earlier underneath the kitchen cabinet, and shake it up. I’m back on the floor, scrubbing rigorously until the sweater in my hand is soaked through with more blood, then toss it aside, still unsatisfied with the state of the wood. I don’t care much about the stains personally, but I also don’t want a visual reminder of what happened to stare her in the face all night.
Never mind that we won’t be staying here for much longer.
The food packets are piled onto the tabletop, and I shove the bloodied clothes inside of the empty plastic bag they came in before taking it out to my trunk. The blood’s caked thick under my nails and needs a thorough scrubbing of its own. We both need a good shower once we’re out of here.
She avoids glancing my way when I step back inside, still fidgeting with the unopened wrapper of graham crackers I left her with before I hauled the lifeless body out of sight. I knew she’d be too shaken up after that to set foot out of the cabin. It was the one small mercy that came out of this whole thing.
Although the thought of her seeing me as an even biggermonster after what happened sparks a flicker of rage in me, it doesn’t matter. That image of me will be burned inside her mind now. No one can witness that kind of brute savagery and remain the same. It’s a far cry from the staged assault on Evalyn, which was neater, carefully made to look self-inflicted. Everything, from the drugs in her system to the precise noose marks and clean cuts on her wrist, had been calculated. Professional. Untraceable.
But I don’t regret the way I dealt with that vermin masquerading as a man. If anything, if I could get a do-over, I’d take my sweet fucking time, skin him alive, make him beg me to just kill him already, because that would have been a bigger mercy. Real men don’t prey on the innocent when nobody’s watching.
She has no idea just how far I would go to keep her as mine. She wouldn’t want to know.
Reducing her to a shell would make her easier to control. It’s what I want, but at the same time, I can’t help my fists from balling at my sides as I watch her distant expression while she fiddles with the packet in her hands. The urge to rip it open myself and force-feed her every tiny crumb picks at me. I’ve been trying to fucking save her, but instead, I’ve broken her even more.
Her forehead wrinkles as she lifts her gaze to meet mine for the first time since I’ve been back, her voice a painful rasp. “Aren’t you scared of his body being found?”
Her question sears into my chest.
“No.”
If she was hoping that was going to lead anybody to her, she was sorely misguided. Silence stretches between. Finally, when I’ve had enough, I turn on my heels to tend to the fire before she calls out to me.
“Wait.”
I halt in my tracks, slowly twisting my neck to look over myshoulder at her. My eyes are drawn to the flick of her tongue as she licks the small cut on her lip. She winces, just barely.
“Thank you for…you know.” She holds my gaze for a beat before turning to look at her lap.
That’s not something I expected from her.
I’m not someone she should be thanking. It won’t be long before the teeth I’ve buried in her bleeds a poison strong enough to dissolve her completely. It’s the signature effect that always seems to follow me.
Soft whimpers wakeme shortly after I drift off on the couch. Another one of her nightmares.
I should leave it alone. I’ve already done enough.
But the sound of her restless breaths and the constant thrashing tug at something in my chest, pulling on emotional strings I thought were long gone, or maybe never even there to begin with.
Breathing out a long sigh, I push myself off the couch to check on the fireplace. That’s what I tell myself, anyway. I’m definitely not planning on climbing back into bed with her, not after last time. I barely had the restraint to hold myself together then, and I’m not sure if my reserve is strong enough to be tested again.
But her breaths quicken, her whimpers growing louder, and I make the mistake of glancing back at her. Nose scrunched, eyebrows knit closely together.Fuck, she’s adorable. Even while she’s being tormented in her sleep.
She won’t want me in her bed again, but maybe I can calm her cries before going back to my own spot. She’ll never know I was even there.
We all need proper rest for what’s ahead.
