Page 120 of Make Me Scream

He frees a hand and punches Mundell in the gut. The older man groans, but doesn’t budge.

“You’re finished, Rush! Everyone’s going to know you’re psychotic!”

Mundell wedges a foot against Lane’s thigh and pushes off, forcing the men to separate. They recover quickly, rising to their feet. Lane brandishes the hard-won knife.

“You ever use one of those in a fight?” Mundell asks. “Because I have.”

“Come here and find out.”

“I should have crushed your career years ago. You had so much potential, artistically and academically. Somehow, you squandered it.”

Lane laughs.

“That’s not true. I’m one of the most famous artists in the world.”

Mundell sneers.

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

“Not as Lane Porter, of course. You might know me better as Alistair Rat.”

At first Mundell scoffs, but the grin slowly bleeds off his face. Then he roars, charging at Lane.

“Watch out!” I shout, running into the way, but Mundell dodges right past me.

Mundell backhands the knife away as he tackles Lane.

I run at him, but he pushes me over, onto my back. The chains dig into my body when I hit the ground; the pain knocks the wind out of me. All I can do is watch as Mundell pumps his fist into Lane’s stomach.

“I can’t believe I almost made you my heir!” Mundell swings again, this time square at Lane’s solar plexus. “You’re a fucking disgrace. You’re a hack.”

Coughing and wheezing, Lane tries to defend himself, but Mundell bristles with rage.

“I can’t believe… I called you my friend,” Lane rasps, straining to shield himself from one punch after another.

I cry out, trying to get up to help him, but paralyzing pain saps my strength. I’m still struggling when a pair of bare legs walk past me.

Mundell’s too focused on Lane to notice Chloe approaching — holding out her shock collar. Letting out a piercing scream that scares off the crows hiding in the trees, she pulls the collar around Mundell’s neck like a garrote. The device seals with a beep, then Mundell convulses.

Lane pushes him off and gets up. Chloe rains punches down on Mundell, catching her breath to keep screaming. Rory approaches, shock controls in hand, and tosses Lane the keys. He races to my side and begins unlocking my chains.

Chloe runs out of steam after a few more hits and backs away. Rory takes off his jacket and holds it out for her.

“What should we do with him?” Rory says, finally easing off the electricity.

With my hands and arms free, I can finish unlocking my legs and ankles, so Lane grabs Mundell and puts him in a headlock.

“Police will be here soon,” Lane says. “I should kill you myself. Life in prison is too good for you. But I leave it to Gwen. What do you think?”

They all turn to me. I don’t need more than a second to decide.

What Mundell almost did to me…

And what he’s done to so many others…

There is no punishment cruel enough for him, and I wouldn’t shed a tear if Lane ended this now.

But I want Mundell to see what happens to his reputation when everyone he’s ever known disavows him as a monster. I want him to know that every good thing he’s ever had in his life came from his name and his money — nothing more. If we’re lucky, he’ll feel one one-millionth the pain he’s caused before he dies, which is far more than Lane can inflict here.

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