Page 37

37

DEATH

“In the end, every lamb is lost—some just discover it sooner than others.” ~ Anonymous

“I knew you were a weak son of a bitch,” I said as I stood in the shower. I’d won. I’d pushed Sebastian aside and had taken over. Soon, I would be in control and finally end his relationship with my little lamb. I refused to share her with anyone. Ever.

Turning off the water, I opened the door and grabbed the towel off the toilet. It was damn good to be back and in control. The first thing I needed to do was find my little lamb and promise her that she would never be alone. I would always be by her side as she would mine. Leaving had never been an option. The second Sebastian had considered the idea, I realized I had to do something and fast.

My attention landed on a few specks of blood on my arm, and a dark laugh filled the small room. Sebastian had nearly puked all over the fucking corpse when I’d finished ripping out John’s throat. Hopefully, I could keep the weak bastard at bay while I dealt with Xavier. Now that Ella was here, I would offer him to her to do as she wished. I wanted to see how dark and twisted my queen had become. This would encourage her to release her darkness and take her place with me once again.

Once I dried off, I quickly dressed in clean jeans and a black T-shirt. I hurried out of the bathroom, eager to visit Xavier. I wanted a word with him before I brought Ella into his room.

Silently, I headed down the hallway and halted as I reached the area where I slept when necessary. From my duffle bag, I retrieved a small offering for Xavier, then made my way to where I was keeping him. Kip had been instructed to keep him nourished and hydrated. It was crucial that Xavier remained lucid as I slowly inflicted torture upon him over the next week, possibly even longer if he refused to cooperate.

I pushed open the door and flicked on the overhead light. Xavier had been forced to sit in darkness for the past twenty-four hours. I hoped the isolation had driven home the gravity of his situation, but we would find out soon enough.

“Hello, Xavier. How nice of you to stop by.” I sneered as I approached the emaciated man huddled in the corner. “How are your knees holding up?” From my pocket I produced a tiny white pill and dangled it in front of his face. “If you tell me what I need to know, this painkiller is yours.”

He attempted to snatch it out of my hand, but he was too slow. I tsked as I stood and towered over him.

“Your friend John said to tell you goodbye.”

Xavier peered up at me, squinting. “You let him go?”

“No. I carved him up like a fucking turkey on Thanksgiving Day, then ripped out his larynx.”

Xavier trembled in his little corner as he stared at me, speechless.

“You kept my Ella in a goddamn cage.” I paced back and forth in front of him. “Do you know how that made me feel when she told me how you planned on marrying her and keeping her in that glass cage? It fucking pissed me off. Bad. And, if you haven’t guessed this about me, I have a nasty temper. Plus, I like to kill people slowly. It makes my heart happy.” I laughed. “So, is there any reason that I should show any mercy and kill you quickly?”

“Y-yes.” His pitch was high and his eyes wild.

“And what would that be? Go ahead and state your case. If it’s a good enough reason, then I’ll consider it.” I folded my arms across my chest, enjoying watching the little piss ant squirm.

“I … I can tell you everything. I’ll spill every last detail about my plans for Ella and the trap my boss set for you.” He gulped, looking as though he was genuinely terrified of what was to come. “Please, don’t kill me. I could be very valuable to you.”

I narrowed my gaze at him. “You really expect me to believe that? After everything you’ve done?” Skepticism dripped from each word.

Xavier trembled more, his hands twitching nervously. “I swear it,” he said, almost begging. “I’ll even give you the names of people connected to this mess. I know that you won’t find peace until they pay for their part in this.”

I hesitated, considering my options. Xavier was a coward and a liar, but he wasn’t wrong about one thing. There were others involved in this twisted game. If I could bring them down, too … Then perhaps there might still be some semblance of justice served for what they did to Ella.

“All right,” I conceded, stepping closer to him and kneeling so we were almost nose-to-nose. “Tell me everything.”

His tongue darted over his lower lip in a nervous gesture. “Do you know who your parents are?”

I arched my brow at his question. “Of course I do.”

“Who then?”

“Martin and Emma Jo Fletcher. If you know so much about me and my childhood house, you should know that already.” Maybe this fucker was crazier than I initially thought. “I would think very carefully before you continue.”

His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. “My boss knows your real family. He said you were stolen when you were a baby, then placed with Martin and Emma Jo.”

Without hesitation, I pulled out the knife from its hiding place, feeling its weight and sharpness reassuringly in my palm. “You’re lying,” I hissed as I pressed the tip of the blade against his throat. “Why are you lying?”

He whimpered and urine soaked his pants, but it only stoked my anger more. The mention of Martin and Emma Jo’s names sent a surge of memories flooding through my mind—memories of the horrors I endured in that childhood home. And this man seemed to know more.

He stuttered and trembled, but I refused to back down. “Tell me everything,” I demanded, pressing the blade harder against his skin.

But he remained silent, his eyes bulging with terror. It made me more determined to get the truth out of him.

I stared at him, repulsed by his cowardice. “I have a confession,” I began. “I don’t really need you alive. I’ll find the answers one way or the other. The biggest reason I have you here is for Ella. I thought she might enjoy ending your pathetic life. I just came here to watch.” I stood, slowly.

Suddenly, the door to the room flew open and Ella burst inside.

“Don’t hurt him,” she yelled, waving her arms.

I turned, shocked with her demand.

“What is this about, little lamb?”

She hurried over to me. “Before we kill him there’s something you need to know.”

I cupped the back of her head and my lips crashed against hers with an urgent hunger, my tongue plunging into her mouth, desperate to feed my addiction—Ella. I ravaged her, tasting the sweetness of her breath and feeling her body tremble beneath me. As my desire threatened to consume me, I tore myself away from her, leaving her gasping for air. But she wouldn’t let me go, clutching at my shirt with fierce determination as she pulled me closer. Our bodies pressed together, and our gazes locked. “Tell me so we can be finished with him.”

Her attention darted over to Xavier, and she took my hand in hers. “Hello, Xavier. I’m not here to spare your life, but when I drugged you, you told me something I don’t think you planned to.”

His eyes glazed over as a silly smile eased across his features. “Ella? I thought I would never see my beautiful bride again.” He clapped like a little kid. His behavior with her caught me off guard. It was as if he were five years old. Then, his expression grew serious. “You left me.”

“Of course I did. Keeping a human being hostage in a cage isn’t love. Plus, I belong to someone else. But do you remember what you told me?”

He gave a half shrug. “Don’t know.”

This motherfucker was playing games all the way to the end.

“Tell me.” Ella approached him and then crouched down. She reached up to his cheek and dragged her knuckles down his face. “Please. We had some good times together, didn’t we?”

I watched in awe as she played him. It appeared my little lamb had learned a few things while in captivity. Her manipulation skills had certainly grown. Pride burst in my chest.

He nodded, excited. “My first kiss.” Xavier sighed like a lovesick puppy, and I forced myself to stand back and not fucking rip out his heart then and there. I hadn’t had time to interrogate Ella over what that son of a bitch had done to her. But I bet that sniveling coward Sebastian knew everything. Even that this sick fuck had kissed her against her will. That was another point in favor of getting rid of both Xavier and Sebastian.

“And we had a date night planned. Remember the movie?”

“Yes!” His features grew grim. “I was really looking forward to that, Ella, but you left me.”

“I did, but I’m here now. Talk to me. Tell me what you said right after you fell and hurt your knees.”

His body trembled with fear as he slumped against the wall, struggling to catch his breath. “I didn’t mean to let it slip, but you drugged me,” he gasped, his voice hoarse and desperate.

She took his hand in hers, and I wondered how she didn’t vomit with his proximity after what he’d done to her. But she was resilient, my little lamb, and she would see this through to the end.

“You’re not supposed to know,” he whispered, darting a fearful glance in my direction. “If my boss finds out …” His sentence trailed off as if his boss had magical ability and could reach through the wall and kill him right there.

“I’ll make a deal with you. If you tell me what you said and how you know, then I promise Death won’t kill you.”

His face lit up like a fucking Christmas tree, but I hadn’t missed what she said. I guessed he had, though.

A heavy silence hung in the air around us. Finally, keeping his attention on Ella, he said …