Page 15 of Severance

I smile down at her as I take the chains from her hands. “Tell me what you want me to do,bambolina.”

She deserves the control that she’s fought so hard for over the years.I’ve surrendered and gave her control, every part of me is hers.

Now it’s her time to shine as she feels the power coursing through her veins.

Turning around, I find Stan’s fingers moving. He’s slowly coming to and we still haven’t tied him up. Crouching down, I grab his hands and pull them behind him. Glancing up at Dahlia, I catch her watching me and I wait for her approval as I hold up the chains. With a small smile, she nods and grabs the revolver, holding it by her side.

I wrap the chain around Stan’s arms, looping it through the railing and secure it with a padlock. Pulling on the chain, there’s barely any slack and no chance of him getting out of it.

As I stand up, Stan lifts his head and his beady bloodshot eyes find mine. His brow furrows in confusion as he jerks on his arms.

“What the motherfuck?” He groans and winces as he pulls again. “God fucking dammit.”

“You shouldn’t take the Lord’s name in vain,” Dahlia chimes in as she steps in front of him.

Stan coughs as he laughs loudly at her. “What are you, whore turned nun now?”

Moving away from him, I step beside Dahlia as she fires a shot into Stan’s kneecap. The gunshot echoes in the barn, bouncing off the wooden beams and envelopes us. Stan cries out as his body writhes from the unexpected pain coupled with the trauma his body has already been through.

I glance at Dahlia and catch her watching him with a wicked look in her eye. The satisfaction is evident in the vengeful grin that lights up her face.

She glances over at me as I smile back at her.

I’m proud… so fucking proud.

She’s stronger than ever, feeling the power in the palms of her hands and me by her side.

“Just fucking end this shit already,” Stan groans. “Luca is just going to kill you himself anyway. Let’s get this shit over with.”

Dahlia tilts her head back as she laughs lightly. Shaking her head, she looks back down at Stan. “Is this you begging for mercy?”

Stan glares at her. “Just fucking do it.”

Dahlia quickly fires a shot into Stan’s other thigh. He yells out again as his face contorts from the pain.

“I’m not here to grant you any kind of mercy,” she bites. “You don’t deserve a fucking ounce of mercy.”

Stan’s reply is a pained moan as his head hangs in front of him. With every strained breath he takes, his chest rubs against his chin. Blood pools around his body on the floor as it spills from his multiple wounds.

A small squeak comes from the corner of the room as scratching sounds follow it. Old hay and dirt rustles as more squeaks are added to the first one.

Dahlia looks back at me with her demons dancing in her eyes and a sinister grin on her face as the sounds grow louder.

Rats.

I smile back as I realize where she’s going with this. She’s fucked up, deranged even, but it’s all because of them and that makes it okay. I love every broken piece of her even more.

“We’re done here,” Dahlia tells me, reaching for my hand.

Lacing my fingers with hers, I squeeze her hand and wink. Dahlia glances at Stan once more before leading me from the barn. We aren’t far from the barn when Stan starts screaming. It didn’t take long for the rats to follow the scent of his blood and begin feasting on his flesh.

A carefree laugh escapes Dahlia’s lips as she twirls around in the darkness of the night. She dances in the euphoria from her revenge—the one thing she’s been craving for years.

Her honey tinged curls shine under the moonlight as she lets her newfound power drive her.

Like a true queen.

My queen.

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