Page 141 of The Truths We Burn

“Now that we’ve answered all those questions—” I tear the tape from his mouth harshly. “—let’s get to work.”

As I excepted, he starts to scream, so high and nasally it makes my ears ring.

“So we’re screaming, huh?” I open my mouth, expanding my lungs and releasing a thundering shout. Mine is full of rage and hunger, while his drips with fear. The mixture together in the air makes me grin.

“You grew up here, Cain—don’t die stupid. You know that it doesn’t matter how loud it gets at The Graveyard. No one is coming for you.”

It takes a moment for him to stop yelling, but I’m in the mood to be patient tonight. I look down at the badge on his chest, the one attached to a silver chain, and I lift it up, tugging the necklace until it snaps from his neck.

“You don’t take a man’s badge, you fucking punk,” he hisses, voice cracked from using it too much.

“You’re not a goddamn man. You’re a disgusting pig who preys on little girls,” I spit. “So I’ll take whatever the fuck I want.”

I pocket it into my hoodie, leaving it there along with an idea of what I’m going to do with it after this is over.

“Is that what she told you?” He laughs shakily. “She has done just about everything to get more attention than Rose. Including lie. That’s what she does, she lies. Puts on a big show so she can have the world eating at her feet. You’re just another pawn in her game.”

I grind my teeth, drawing the line at talking badly about a victim he’d abused. I’m not going to allow him to talk about her like that.

He will never be able to even mutter her name again.

“What did I say about lying, Cain?” I slam my palm into his forehead, banging his head against the asphalt.

“They will come for her. It doesn’t matter if you kill me or not. They know she is involved. They will not let any of you out of this alive.”

I use the pliers to snatch his tongue, pressing down on the grip so it squeezes the wet sponge before I pull it from his mouth.

“Let them. They will meet the same fate,” I hiss. “And I hope they send more than just you next time.”

Flipping my Zippo again, I drag the flame to his tongue. Naturally, he starts to struggle, trying to run away from the heat, but I drop my knee onto his chest, digging my kneecap into his body so hard that I know it’s difficult for him to breathe.

The Zippo burns his saliva quickly, drying up the tissue before the scorching process kicks in. The direct flame to the pink muscle makes it fester up, shifting the color to a flaccid white color. He howls in excruciating misery.

“There are thousands of nerve endings I’m roasting off right now, and that’s not even a fraction of what you caused her,” I add insult to injury, my body staying steady while I sear his flesh.

The smell is rancid, but I love it.

Pus pockets start to boil up, their yellow fluid beginning to leak from too much heat too fast. It leaks down his throat, choking him on his own infection. Tears leak from his eyes as he kicks his legs, still fighting against me.

But there is nothing he can do.

I’m the flame that never goes out, and I will not stop until he is nothing but ash.

Once the muscle starts to turn black, I pull the lighter back, feeling how hot the metal is against my own palm, but I use that short burst of pain to fuel my pursuit for revenge.

Pieces of his tongue drop onto his chin, literal pieces of melted tissue dripping onto his neck.

I stand up, tossing the pliers and placing my lighter back into my jeans. Leaving him to suffer while I take my time walking towards the chains and single padlock, I whistle lowly as I grab them from the ground.

They clink and jangle as I drag them across the track behind me.

Cain whines and tries to roll away, battling against fate, still not grasping how this is going to end. I suppose I can understand; when you’re staring death in the face, it’s only natural to look away.

I just can’t believe this town and the people they put up on thrones. Crowning the crooked and evil.

Meanwhile, they had vilified me as a child.

Hiding away a rapist. Covering up sex traffickers, for fuck’s sake.