Page 20 of Mistress Mayhem

I pull back to look around the room, Sage’s hands falling from my face. I realize nothing but the area the three of them were sitting in escaped my warpath. “I didn’t mean to destroy your things.”

She waves her hand dismissively. “They’re just things. They can be replaced. You’re what I’m worried about. Are you okay?”

“How can you ask me that?” I scoff. “Are you okay? How could you be? After the hell they put you through. I’ll kill them. I’ll kill them all for what they did to you. For what they did to Charlotte.”

“That’s sweet, big guy, but they’ll die by my hands. This is my vengeance, but that doesn’t mean the three of you can’t help me with it.”

I perk up at that. “Yeah?”

“Yeah... Come on. Let’s go sit, and we can talk some more.” She offers me her hand and all I can do is stare at it for a moment. She wants me to touch her. Hell, she already touched me, and I’d still been too out of it to enjoy the sensation.

I push to my feet before grabbing her hand in mine. Her smile is soft as she leads me back over to the others. Fox has moved to the armchair Sage vacated when she came over to me, leaving the two of us to sit on the couch. Not that I’m complaining. I want to be as close to her as she’ll let me. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.

Sage tries to release my hand once we’re seated, but I hold on tighter. I don’t want to let her go. She side eyes me for a moment before patting my hand with her free one and settling back into the couch. “William is in the basement so that’s one man down. There’s still three more to snag and sneak down there before the real fun begins.”

“The real fun?” Fox asks excitedly.

“Yes. I’ll chase them through the maze before killing them. I won’t make these fast kills. They need to suffer like they made me suffer. Like they made all of those girls suffer.” She sits up straight, eyes flashing between us. “Speaking of the other girls. I know they fought back when we were escaping. I don’t know who all was there, but there were twenty of us. The only name I got was Abby Nightingale. Did she make it?”

I sit up straighter when she says there were twenty of them. No one else came forward to say that they’d been kidnapped. I recognize the name she’s given us, but I don’t know from where.

“No.” Cooper shakes his head. “She was found dead the morning after Mayhem. She’d been tortured.”

“Fuck,” she hisses as she slumps back into the couch once more. “I’d hoped that at least a few of them could’ve gotten away.”

I clear my throat, hoping it won’t sound as hoarse now. “But if they had, wouldn’t we have heard about it? Even you?”

“You’re right. We would’ve. Fuck these assholes. And who knows how many times they did it before and after I escaped.” She shakes her head. “I wanted to come back sooner, but I wasn’t ready.”

“Hey,” I tell her, turning so I can cup her cheek with my free hand. It’s so big compared to her, I’m almost afraid I’ll hurt her. “No one can blame you for what they did or didn’t do after you escaped. What they did shouldn’t have been allowed. The only people to blame are the four of them, and anyone else who participated or helped them hide it.”

She nods slowly. “I know that, but it doesn’t make it any easier to stomach.”

Now,thatI completely understand.

“You said something about us being able to help?” Fox prompts her, and I shoot him a grateful smile.

Sage just nods and fills us in on her plan and how we might be able to help her.

These assholes signed their death warrants ten years ago. I just didn’t know it until right now. It’s kind of perfect that Sage will be the one to kill them. But I’ll be damned if I don’t help her in any way possible. Fox hadn’t lied earlier when he said we would’ve razed the earth for her.

But it’s not just in the past. I’ll still raze the earth for her. Since that’s not what she wants or needs, I’ll do whatever she asks of me instead. I’ll help make these bastards pay for what they did to her and Charlotte—to all of those women.

Chapter Twelve

Sage

Surprisingly,Ifeelbetterafter telling the guys what happened to me and Charlotte. Well, not immediately. First, I had to deal with Austin’s reaction to the story.

I’d been surprised when Austin went insane and destroyed my beloved library. It’s just so out of character for him.

At least I think it is.

As much as I’d love to pretend that I know these men before me, I don’t. Not anymore. Just like they don’t know me anymore. It’s a thought that breaks my heart.

I really can’t think about that right now, though. What I need to focus on are the three other men that we need to get to the basement so I can play with them. Yes, I do enjoy playing with my food; thank you very much.

“Alright, we’ve all been gone for too long,” I tell them as I stand.

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