Page 76 of Loving the Tormentor

But as I’m escaping the fire through Nyx’s bedroom window, her violin and other precious items with me, I see Chase running through the field behind the trailer park, and all of it lands on the ground as I go after him.

There's going to be another death on my conscience, and I already feel great about it.

I knocked him out in the trailer, so he's in worse shape than I am. And it just happens that I'm faster than him anyway.

I tackle him to the ground, and we roll in the yellow grass together.

"What the fuck!" he grunts as we fight to be the one on top. "Get off me!"

I end up on top, and I watch his face fall when he sees my demonic smile.

"You should’ve quietly disappeared from her life. But you couldn't take the humiliation, could you? A man's ego is his worst enemy, didn't you know?"

He tries to push me off, but I press both my hands around his neck.

"Don't say I didn't give you a chance to live. I did it for her. Because she's a good person. I know she cared about you."

I lean down, pressing my whole weight on his neck. "I'm not a good person. And I don't care about you."

His choking sounds are music to my ears, and this is definitely getting added to the concerto. The death of the boyfriend at the hands of the maniac who wants to possess the girl.

But then he pulls out a knife, and when I go to reach for mine, I realize I must have lost it in the whole chaos.

Fuck.

I jump off him to avoid being stabbed in the ribs, and instead of finishing the job, he stands up and sprints toward the forest.

"Big mistake," I taunt him as I get up again. "Should’ve killed me!"

I take off after him and catch him just as he disappears through the tree line. This time, I don't waste a second. I slam his head against the giant root of a tree and take his knife from him. When he tries to crawl away, I press my foot on his back until he's flat on the ground.

Leaning down, I pull his hair and place the knife under his throat.

"It's unfortunate you're learning this while you take your last breaths, Chase. But you should never compete with a crazy man. There's absolutely nothing we won't do to prove a point."

He whimpers at the sound of my voice.

"Don't kill me. Don't kill me. Don't kill me. Please…"

I shake my head when he pisses himself, and the humiliation gets to him.

"Motherfucker!" he cries out.

"It's the first time I’m killing for someone else," I tell him with fascination. "You hurt her, now I hurt you. Wow, look at me, I'm so selfless."

He shakes as he keeps crying. "You're fucked up!"

"I think this is the start of something great."

I slit his throat too quickly, watching blood pour out of him as he gargles beautifully. I don't stay to watch the whole show. Nyx needs me.

My index finger taps my knee to the rhythm of Nyx’s heartbeat as I recall what I did to Chase last night. Even when she sleeps, her breathing seems to be of someone who's on the run for their life. Sitting in a chair by my bed, ankle resting on my thigh, I tap while I watch the delicate skin of her neck thump.

Duh-dum. Duh-dum. Duh-dum.

I swallow the rage, grit my teeth, and keep tapping. What I need is to go out for a cigarette so I can take some of it away, but I can’t get myself to leave her side.

And then the rage comes back. Because her black eye and busted eyebrow with a stitch in it are omnipresent. And the cut on her swollen lip is calling out to the dangerous side of me.