Page 68 of Like An Animal

“Where’s my daughter?” I thought she would be here, but his whole mention of a schedule has thrown me off.

He yanks me to him hard, his eyes narrowing. “Shut. Up.” Then, the fucker practically drags me toward the door.

It’s a simple question. If she was here, he could’ve said “inside”. Just one fucking word.

“I want to know where my daughter is right fucking now, Jeremy! I’ll do whatever you fucking want me to. Just tell me where she is.” I try my hardest to yank my arm out of his hold, but he just sneers at me.

What the fuck happened to him? Sure, Jeremy never really liked talking, but he was never this obtuse. If I asked him a question and he had an answer, he would answer it. Not anymore though.

“Please.” I try a softer approach. “I just want to know she’s okay.” Maybe that will work on him.

His eyes narrow even further before he pushes the front door open.

I should’ve known it wouldn’t do shit. He was never fooled by my soft, sweet facade.

He tugs me inside and I nearly trip over my shoes before I hear it.

“Mommy!”

My head snaps up as Lottie dashes across the room before Xavi grabs her. “Woah. Not so fast, kiddo.”

I try to pull out of Jeremy’s hold to get to her, but he yanks me back. “Lottie! It’s okay, baby.” I don’t even know if that’s the truth. I don’t know what Jeremy has planned for us.

“Satisfied?” Jeremy rasps in my ear.

“She’s upset. Can’t you see that? Just let me comfort her,” I practically screech from my frustration. I’m used to being the one to take care of her. This is the longest we’ve been apart. By now, I would’ve gotten her dressed and ready for school. We would’ve eaten breakfast together.

“No. You can see her later. Come on.” He drags me toward the hall as Lottie cries for me.

“It’s okay, baby. I’ll be back!”

“Stop coddling her. She’ll be fine,” Jeremy groans and I scowl at him.

“I’m not coddling her! She’s in a new place surrounded by people she doesn’t know. She’s confused, not that you would know anything about dealing with a child that is genuinely upset. And another thing…go fuck yourself.”

He rolls his eyes at me. “Get moving and stop fighting me or you’ll end up with a nasty bruise.”

Why the fuck does he care if I have a bruise? He’s given me worse than the bruise he could cause.

“I swear, I’m going to slit your throat in your sleep.”

“Sure, you will.”

“Don’t think for a second that I’m not capable of it. You didn’t see what I did to David and Kathy.” I may not have had much of a choice in killing them, but I did have a choice in how they went. I did everything I had imagined doing to them for years and before I was halfway done, they were begging for me to end their suffering. They wished for a quick death which I didn’t grant them. Kathy deserved to die for every last torment she put Jeremy through–the death of his parents, all of the assaults, and making him think anyone who knew would die too. David, my father, died for every last sin he committed against me and also for the hand I know he played in the death of my mother.

He wanted to have me to himself so he could violate me, but he didn’t count on Jeremy coming into the picture and keeping me protected.

No one did.

Jeremy came in like a wrecking ball and shielded me to the best of his ability. I don’t blame him in any way for how things turned out. Not even I could see it coming to the head that it did. The only ones that could were the ones responsible.

Jeremy pushes open one of the doors which leads into an office with a man in a suit sitting in the corner, looking majorly uncomfortable.

“Are you ready, Mr. Borza?” the man asks as he stands up, adjusting his blazer.

“Let’s do this.”

“Do what?” I ask, confused. What the hell is the plan here?