Page 31 of Fatally Yours

After we ensured the two of us were suitable to greet Mandy and that the graves were still undisturbed, August and I sat down against the stone. He was right—again. There was something liberating about taking my power back from this place. No longer did I feel such angst about being here.

Sure, the bodies that we created were unnerving enough, but I didn’t feel that suffocating horror like I did before.

I didn’t envision my mouth full of dirt and clawing through the soil like before.

We tamed that memory with an equally detestable act, only this time, it was out of passion and not out of hate or desperation.

Our conversation died down, and I began to ponder whether Mandy had bailed and was panicking at home, ready to flee the state and never see us again.

I was sure she knew how serious August was about this, and she would know better than to run.

He had all the time in the world to hunt her down, even if I protested.

Just as my doubts began to set in, the distinct sound of tires crunching against the ground filled my ears, and August stood up as a familiar car appeared. The headlights were off, of course, and Mandy’s vehicle came to a halt as the engine died down.

She stepped out and made her way over to us with a flashlight in hand.

The blade of the beam sliced through the darkness almost as well as August cut through Devin’s throat.

A shiver crawled down my spine, but I refused to let it bother me anymore.

There were more pertinent things to worry about—like where to find our next target.

As she approached, I noticed her face pale. She stopped in front of us, aiming at the stone and then scanning the ground for signs of disturbance. There were none, and she looked up at me with round eyes.

“Please, for the love of god, tell me I’m not standing on one of them,” she said. I nibbled my lip to stifle an unnatural giggle, thinking about how odd it was that she was so disturbed by this. August shook his head with the same suppressed joy.

“Nah, but if you’re not careful, you might trip on a piece of Officer Grabby,” he teased. Mandy gasped and lifted her foot like she stepped in something gross, set it down, and then lifted the other before glaring at him.

“You’re messing with me.”

“Only a little,” he said. “He really is in pieces.” She placed her hand over her mouth as her eyes darted to me, and I gave her a shrug. There was no straightforward explanation for cutting someone to bits.

“I-I hope he’s got a good dentist.” Her voice was shaking as she aimed the flashlight at the stone. The beam trembled in her grasp ever so slightly.

“Yeah. They’re gonna need his records to identify him.

” There was not a hint of emotion in his voice.

I eyed him, and right on command, he read my mind.

“ If they find him,” he added. Mandy clasped her hands around her arms and shivered, giving me a look.

Her top was full of holes, and her skirt was halfway above her knee, but the air was warm. At least, I thought it was.

“Can we please get the fuck out of here? I feel like I’m gonna be sick.”

“That’s funny coming from you, scream queen,” August grinned.

“Sorry, dead guy. I’m just not used to my best friends committing so many heinous crimes.”

“Your moral compass is seriously fucked, you know,” he replied. I placed my hand over my mouth to stop a giggle. It seemed I truly had taken my power back from this wretched place. Laughing where I was buried? I could never dream of it before.

“I guess I’ve found my people then.” She shrugged dramatically. The flashlight wandered for a moment before finally landing on Kelsey’s car.

“Where’d you get that?”

“Stole it.” I spoke with a bashful smile.

“You stole a car? You guys are really off the rails,” she said. “But you can’t leave it here, you know. Next to a body where you’re trying to conceal a crime. Only idiots who want to get caught do that.”

“I know,” August said.

“So, what are you gonna do with it?” she asked. He broke into a devilish smile as his mismatched eyes flicked to me momentarily.

“Maybe I’ll have Wes pick it up and get rid of it. I’m sure that’s a suitable punishment for burying your best friend.”

“Man, you really are gonna get revenge on everyone, aren’t you?” She cocked her head to the side as she gave him a sideways look.

“That’s the idea,” he affirmed. “You’re off my list, though, since you’re facing the reality now.

Maybe that’ll get you to leave that jailbird you like so much unless you want to end up like one of his victims.” Mandy rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms, and the flashlight illuminated her dissatisfied face.

“Yeah, maybe in another life.”

After the lengthy journey back to town, we finally pulled up to the auto body.

There was little conversation about our past sins as Mandy cranked up the radio so loud that it drowned out August and his lovely voice.

He turned it down only after we reached town, citing that we didn’t want to draw any more attention to ourselves than we already were.

That earned another snap from her and a sly remark from him that made her mouth clamp shut.

She didn’t even bother turning off the engine as she drove by the door, pausing to read a hastily scribbled-down sign taped to the door. Closed, it read. I was focused on August’s pinched face, curling fists, and his jaw clenched with rage.

“Must’ve skipped town when he realized they were closing in on him,” she said, not helping the situation.

Before he could do anything rash, I set my hand on him, hoping to bring him to a calm like I had so many times in the past. Unfortunately for me, his muscles still tensed beneath my touch, making my chest ache.

There was only one person who came to mind who might be familiar with the local auto body shops.

“We could go see Nick,” I suggested, weaving my hand in his. “He should be getting off work right about now. Maybe he knows where he’s at.”

“He knows I’m dead, Tash. I can’t just show up there.” My eyes connected with his, hoping he could sense how serious I was about this. I wanted revenge just as much as he did. Randy Clark ruined my life, too.

“I can talk to him. He doesn’t know about me, um, dying yet,” I said. His gaze flicked to mine as his arm relaxed, and all the tension washed away. Taking a breath, he set his hand atop mine, losing the pent-up expression he had previously held.

“Can you handle that? ”

I nodded. “I got it.” Mandy looked back at us, her eyes mischievous, almost like she was enjoying this just as much as we would be.

“So, Chappy’s it is, then?”

“Yeah.” August took my hand in his. Once more, my stomach fluttered to life at his touch, in addition to the growing worry that I might not lie as well as he could.

We should be fine if Nick didn’t ask any stupid questions or stick his nose where it didn’t belong.

I at least had that much confidence in myself.

“Far out,” Mandy said.

The three of us were waiting with bated breath, watching patiently for Nick to emerge from the restaurant and give us answers. The radio was off, the night was in full swing, and the silence was thick with unease. August’s hand was still in mine.

The squeal of the back door shattered the tranquility, and a joyful whistle echoed through the darkness.

Nick emerged from the rusty building, spinning his keys on his finger so carelessly that it almost made me jealous.

The only thing illuminating him was a handful of overhead lights in the lot.

I took this as my cue to bolt, and I gave August a squeeze before climbing out the door and closing it without a sound.

My feet hastily tapped against the pavement as Nick plunged the key into the lock, none the wiser to my presence, until I could see the whites of his eyes. He muttered an obscenity under his breath as he dropped the keys in panic with a gasp, turning towards me as I came into the light.

“Natasha?” His voice was laced with surprise as he knit his brow together .

“Hey,” I said, raising my hand weakly. He shook his head as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing was not a figment of his imagination. For good measure, he even rubbed his eyes before leaning over and picking up what he discarded.

“Where the hell have you been, girl? We miss you.” He inhaled as he eyed me, surely noticing the deathly white tint of my skin and the dark circles around my eyes. If I were lucky, he wouldn’t notice the scars on my neck. “Um, you don’t look so good. Are you okay?”

“I’m great, Nick.” Oh, how I wished I was as good at bullshitting as August was.

If he were to inquire further, I wouldn’t be able to devise a suitable excuse and would surely dig myself into a deeper hole, so I dismissed him.

Knowing him, he wouldn’t give me any trouble, but I could never be too sure.

My nerves were frayed from my experiences in the past few days, even if there was more excitement than worry growing in my gut.

“I need to talk to you about something,” I said. His head swiveled left and right like a prey animal, looking for an apparition ready to pounce on us. Like someone was watching, hunting. In a way, his inhibitions were right.

“You’re not in danger or anything, are you?”

“No, I’m not.”

His stance relaxed, and I was envious that I couldn’t experience the same feeling.

“That’s good, baby doll. What do you need?

” I thought I broke out in goosebumps hearing him call me that, only because I thought about what August would do if he heard him.

Of course, he often stopped by my place of work in life and knew Nick well enough to know he called every girl that, but I couldn’t be too sure with his new state of mind and his penchant for vengeance.

“I need to know where Randy Clark is. Your car guy.”

“Randy? Hell, I haven’t seen him in a month or two.

But last I heard, he was over in Pine Bluff.

Said he was runnin’ from some trouble, I guess,” Nick said, popping the keys into his pocket.

It seemed he had no idea about his crimes.

He was probably too focused on starting a family.

“It’s a damn shame, too. Some kids scratched up my paint job, and I can’t find anyone to beat his price.

” Any semblance of joy I thought I would feel from the revealing of his location was shattered by his response.

Pine Bluff was a fifteen-hour drive, states away, with time we didn’t want to spend.

I didn’t want to spend. All I wanted was to return to normal as soon as possible and get this revenge thing behind us.

Fifteen hours of anticipation was not going to help anything.

Yet, I faked a smile, recalling all the times August got us out of a situation with such a simple gesture.

“Well, I have to pay him a visit,” I said. “Do you think you can give him a call for me and see where he’s at?”

“I suppose I can.” He smiled, none the wiser about our sinister plot.

Of course, he wouldn’t catch on. As far as he knew, August was still in the ground decomposing, and I was just gone for a few days—I hoped.

“But aren’t you missing or something? Shouldn’t you go to the police and let them know you’re okay?

” My stomach flipped as I pinched my fingers along the seam of my pocket, hoping to distract myself from the discomfort.

“They already know I’m fine, Nicky.”

“Oh, that’s great. Maybe you’ll come back to work soon,” he chuckled.

“Maybe.” I returned his fake laugh, and he gave me a crooked expression but dismissed my awkward attempt. He was much too kind for this world and me. “Can you reach out to him soon? It’s a little urgent.”

“Well, if it’s that important, I can call him up first thing tomorrow morning, baby doll,” he said.

I nodded and gave him another smile, this time more genuine.

All we had to do was go to Pine Bluff, pray that the money August scavenged from Officer Wilson’s house would get us there, and hope everything went smoothly when we arrived.

Easier said than done.

That curdle of anger was ebbing in my core, and I balled my fists, ready to face whatever this world and this fiend were going to throw at us—after we got his address. In death, patience was no longer my strong suit.

“Thanks, Nick. I really appreciate it.” And I meant it, too. Without him, we would still be knocking heads and culling criminals for information. “But don’t tell him it was me, alright? It’s a surprise.”

“I didn’t know you two were so close,” he smirked.

“I’ll call you tomorrow, then.” He shoved his hand in his pocket and pulled the keys out, locking the familiar back door I had exited so many times back when I was working.

It seemed like forever ago. Once that click happened, he put them away and turned to me.

“Say, you sure you’re okay? You seem different.” My head bobbed. Different was a conservative way to put it.

“I’m fine,” I said. “I’ve never felt more alive.”