Page 5

TAINTED LUST

“ I said no,” I say, crossing my arms, already making the same decision I made an hour ago when Jessie nearly broke down my door at seven in the morning.

It was still dark outside. The sun hadn’t even set, and for someone who could stay in bed and never leave again, he sure is punctual.

Seriously, who needs to be up that early?

I sure as hell didn't need to be.

For a single second, I was sure a soul needed to be released to the pits of hell, or I was in fear for my life, but no, of course, nothing like that.

He wants me to complete a job to find a victim, or I should say an abuser, because the man he wants me to find and bring back here is far from a victim. He’s a monster who deserves to be rotting six feet under and in hell for the rest of his life for what he did.

The same type of job I was made to do a few weeks ago by him. Give me someone to kill, and as long as it’s not a kid, then I'm up for it. I tend to stray away from killing women unless I really feel I want to.

Only I can break my own rules. Sometimes the voices in my head tell me to; sometimes they say stuff like, “You see that woman over there? Wouldn't it be nice to see her struggle or see her bleed out?” When this does happen, my control is taken from me. The voices tell me what to do, and even if I think I can push them away, I can’t, unless I'm with them.

When I'm alone with them, it's silent and peaceful, and I feel safe.

They always overrule me.

“You’re missing the point. I wasn’t asking, I was telling you.” He scowls, telling me the same thing he’s been saying to me since he came around. Is it that hard for him to understand I do the killing and that’s it? I don’t want to do it.

“You’re missing my point that I’m not doing it, end of story.

Why are you suddenly so interested in me catching them?

It’s never been my job, and I have been in this job for years.

” Jessie stands, looking at me. I think he may have grasped that he can shout at me and demand that I do stuff, but I won’t. I make my own choices.

“I told you I wanted to help out, and you wouldn't let me, and now you want me to. Funny how it’s only when it suits you,” I sneer.

“Okay, let me show you something, and if you still feel this way, I won’t bring it up again. Deal?” he asks, and it seems fair enough, but I’m sure whatever he shows me won’t change my mind.

“Fine.” I sigh, walking over to the car. We sit in silence the whole way, not even looking at each other. There’s something off about Jessie. I just haven’t quite put it together yet, and I’m not sure I ever will.

I’m not convinced he’s like the others. Something about how I got here and am still living and breathing doesn't sit right with me. I just never acted on it because I had nowhere to go.

They are my family. I have no say in it even if I don't stay. I'm all alone and in danger of them finding me and taking me this time; they might take my soul, and I won't get it back, not like I did last time.

We pull up outside of a hotel or what looks to be one. I’m confused but say nothing as we walk in, and it’s filled with dozens of women, kids, and teenagers.

“What is this?” I ask, my eyebrows raised, and sweat beads off my lip as my pulse rises. This place is beautiful, it’s full of kids running wild. A group of them play tag with each other while I see three mums sitting and chatting.

Everyone here looks so happy. I can’t help but reach for my arm, picking at a piece of skin, pinching until I flinch at the pain, but continue making myself bleed.

Jessie’s eyes land on me. The sleeve of my top is being pulled down to hide the redness and the new scar I have added to the dozen I still have.

“You think you don’t help any of the victims of the men. You’re wrong. When possible, we give them a place to stay. Look at this.” He gestures as he points to a woman and a child. The woman runs free, the other children happy and laughing, while the mum laughs, watching their kids have fun.

“Over there with the dirty blonde hair. That’s Lucy and her little one, Sarah.

She was in an abusive relationship with her late husband.

He would beat her up, rape her, leaving her walking around with piles of makeup to cover it up.

I got information from the guys at the station.

They helped me find her. I took her and her kid in.

They have been here for several months, living with freedom.

No one is trapped here, but they are given jobs and helped back on their feet.

We try to keep it as normal as possible and let them be as independent as they wish.

You helped save them by riding the world of one more evil man,” he tells me, tears falling from my eyes, coating my face as my nose runs.

I didn’t know victims were taken to safety. He put this much into it.

“Don’t do that, Ash. I can’t take any credit; this isn’t my doing.

Sean and Tobias put their money into this.

All I do is use my past with the police to help now and then.

” I can’t stop crying. Every night, I would fall asleep wishing I had done more.

But now I can see that I had done enough; we all had, but no one will ever see it like this.

“Hey, Angel. Don’t cry, this place is some people’s heaven.” The softness of his voice is like nothing I've heard before from him and I like it a lot. He takes his thumb, wiping it over my face, wiping the tears away.

“I know you wanted to show me this place so that I would do this job for you. I will as long as you promise me we’ll get him, and I get first dibs on him.” I chuckle. I’m not sure how tonight will go, but if it means we rid this earth of one more evil spirit, I’m happy to help.

“Okay, I won’t lie to you. This is dangerous and you could end up hurt.

I need you to understand I will do what I have to, to keep you safe.

” Chills travel down my spine. I have to do this.

I’m also aware I’m putting myself at risk for killing people for a living, but that doesn’t mean a man’s touch can’t be far more dangerous than mine.

“I’m in.” He walks us both back to the car.

“I will send you all the details later, but it won’t be until next week and you have a lot of work until then.” He smirks as the car engine turns on and we drive back to my place in silence.

The excitement of knowing I have a body to kill or torture fills me, giving me the feeling I love. Rage. Excitement.

I open the door slightly with too much force. My eyes lay on the man tied to the chair, duct tape on his mouth. His pleading eyes shoot to mine, muffled screams seeping through the tape.

His name is Damian. He is twenty-seven. I’m not much older than him; he has a slim face, and his chestnut brown hair seeps over it as he moves his head up. He has a black eye, a bloody nose, and has taken a few punches to the face.

Whoever the person bringing them to me is, they had their bit of fun. As long as I still get to kill him, I don’t mind.

“I’m going to take off the duct tape, but for the love of God, if you scream, it goes back on. You are here and you won’t leave, not until your heart stops. That’s a promise.” I laugh at how creepy I sound. The man’s eyes look like they could pop out of their sockets.

I walk over toward the man above him. I have a metal pipe that goes around the room.

I don’t use it much, but I have a surprisingly innovative idea of what I’m going to do, and I’m going to enjoy every bit.

I attach handcuffs to both wrists. Jessie, being an ex-cop, means having a supply of handcuffs is actually quite common for us.

The man hangs his feet off the ground as he struggles to get free.

That won’t happen.

The guys stand there admiring my work. There’s nothing I love more than showing them how dangerous I can be.

I rip the duct tape off him. His mouth is red from the harshness of the rip.

“Fuck you, stupid bitch.” He spits in my face, causing rage to filter through my body.

“That’s not very nice. What’s wrong? You’re no longer in control, or is it the fact that a woman has all the power and you’re nothing but weak under my touch?” I torment him as I pick up my knife, tossing it in the air.

“You don’t know what I’m about to do to you.” I bring the knife down, cutting the man’s shirt and letting it fall open. Next, I take the knife, cutting the pants down the middle of his crotch. I pull his pants down, removing his shoes first, and throwing them onto the floor.

I bring the knife to his left, slashing him over and over as blood seeps out, his screams falling from his mouth and filling the room.

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

His dick is soft, and I bring my knife, scraping it down his body straight to it. He flinches. I run the blade of the knife over his flesh, causing horrifying pain. He yells and spits at me multiple times, only encouraging me to run the blade over him more, deepening each slice.

Drip.

Red.

Drip.

Red.

“Run, run as fast as you can.” I snicker, as I know there isn’t any form of escaping me.

“Oh, that’s right, you can’t run.” I smirk as I go over, ripping another piece of duct tape off and placing it over his mouth, muting him like he did to the women.

“I warned you what would happen if you didn’t behave and now look at what you have done.” My finger rests on my lips as I pull my bottom lip down, looking at the man screaming into the tape. Pathetic.

“You know, I have killed many people. I have shot people, stabbed, cut out eyes and organs, but what will I do with you? Maybe I will do all of it until your body is nothing but ash. Maybe I will cut your heart out and save it for a meal later.”

The man’s eyes are bloodshot with trepidation. He knows he won’t get out alive. I have this execution all planned out, and I plan to take my sweet time with him. After all, I’m here to offer a service.