Moth to a Flame

31. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Landon

In the movie The Ring , Samara kills her victims seven days after watching her tape.

Lucky them. They got to have seven days to live.

Me, on the other hand, I’ve been dying on the inside for a full week straight.

While I’ve been searching for Regan, my world has turned in on itself. My heart has been ripped to shreds. I could barely sleep or eat from worrying so much. My chest burns. My body is hollow.

I’ve lost a part of myself that I’m never getting back unless I have Regan here in my arms.

That’s what despair must feel like.

Have I let it stop me? Fuck no. And my dedication has paid off.

My obsession has brought me to her.

Regan.

The tenth and last black and bleeding nail is here. It’s waiting for me in a small town in Alaska.

Wind whips at my hair. A cold chill tries to seep beneath my black coat and into my bones.

Let it freeze me. Let it try to slow me down.

Nothing could come between me and Regan.

Satan can rise from the depths of hell and have a go at striking me down, and I’ll still be here, standing.

If it’s the last thing I do, I’ll save her.

I have to. Have to make it up to Regan for choosing the wrong path at the fork of the road seven days ago.

My instincts weren’t on point, and I’ve been hating myself ever since. Beverly enlightened me on that motherfucking bit when she saw them leaving in the other direction.

When it was too late.

After that, it’s been a struggle to catch up to them.

I’ve been trailing close behind them, always sniffing them out with the help of Beverly. With the help of my deep connection to Regan and the breadcrumbs she left strategically in the most abandoned shitholes.

She did so good that I was even able to make a quick pitstop, just so that my revenge will be extra sweet.

Throughout this entire time, I always heard her, loud and clear inside my head.

I’m here, Landon. He took me there, Landon.

Come save me. Come save me. Come save me.

I’m here. I’m coming for you.

Though it hasn’t been easy. Though it’s taken me way more time than I would’ve liked.

Over the past seven days, Lester has been a sneaky fucker. But wherever they went, one camera or another caught them.

Despite how he chose unpaved roads, deserted areas, and small towns where they hardly have any cameras.

I’ve found him.

No one knows where he is now but me, Beverly, and Vince. After Beverly got us a secure line, I told them everything about what happened. I also ordered Beverly to not share Regan’s whereabouts with the authorities anymore.

Once they couldn’t find her in New York, they were useless to me.

I’ll be the one to find her. I’ll be the one to slay her monster.

Regan’s family isn’t in the know either. I instructed Rosemary to stay put. They didn’t need to see the nails. Didn’t have to witness the multiple crimes I was going to commit later.

The murderous desires in me are like vines with thorns. Crawling inside of me. Latching onto every organ. Poisoning every blood cell.

The pain I’m feeling is unlike any other. Unmatched. Un-fucking-paralleled.

Regan is close. With her abuser.

My intuition whispers that he hasn’t violated her. He’s been too busy evading me and the authorities. The footage we had of him in convenient stores cemented that. He bought food and drinks instead of rope or zip ties. One minute there, then gone.

Removing her fingernails couldn’t have taken him more than a minute, tops. Especially when she was the one who initiated it.

I’m sure she did.

She won’t have to do any of it ever again.

The hunt is over.

There’s nowhere for him to hide.

Beverly confirmed that his van passed through the main street less than an hour ago. Regan’s breadcrumb is the final confirmation I needed to charge inside the cabin I see up ahead in the woods.

No guns blazing for me. No quick death for him.

I’ve had my duffel bag in the back of my car since a week ago. It’s slung over my shoulder now. Heavy with the shit I have inside. Laden with promises of violence.

Of slow, agonizing death.

Come save me. Come save me. Come save me.

“I’m coming, Regan,” I whisper to the cloudy skies.

No one’s here to see or hear me talking to myself.

I wouldn’t have given a shit either way. This barely contained anger makes it so I don’t care about any fucking thing.

I am not Landon anymore.

I am vengeance and wrath.

Before I crush Regan’s nail between my two thumbs, I shove it into the pocket of my coat. I won’t ruin any part of her.

Mine.

My boots crunch dried leaves beneath them as I stalk toward the small cabin. My heart beats furiously in its cage.

I’m not afraid of what I’ll find there.

I’m right on time. I’m right here and he hasn’t hurt her.

Come save me. Come save me. Come save me.

For once, I’m grateful for being my mother’s son. Obsessed. Possessed. Deranged and violent.

The shit I’m about to do to Lester…

A sane man wouldn’t have gone through with it. A man any less obsessed than me wouldn’t have had the stomach and conviction for it.

I am not sane. My obsession with Regan is so unhinged inside that it’s eating me alive.

Let it.

“Don’t come any closer.” Her voice. I don’t fall to my knees with relief. I break into a sprint, running for the door the fucker has left ajar.

“I’ve waited long enough,” he snarls. “You’ve been such a bitch on the way over here. Such a fucking cunt, mocking my situation . No, no, no. Stop dragging your ugly ass to the corner. Won’t do you any good.”

I’m there. Last two feet and I’m there.

Red. Red. Red. Everywhere and everything is red.

“You’re going to pay for this. It’s your fault.”

I burst through the door and make a quick assessment of the scene I’ve walked in on.

Lester, who’s had his back to me, quickly spins on his heel. He’s wearing a crumpled dress shirt and even more crumpled khaki Wranglers. Motherfucker has a hacksaw in his hand.

Which he hasn’t used yet. Regan—my Regan—is out of his reach.

She’s on the wood floor, her fingers splayed over the waistline of her leggings.

Her ankles are tied up. Her wrists are bound as well.

The blood on nine out of ten of her fingernails has dried. Her left pinky finger shines in crimson red. Her cheek is bruised. Lip swollen. I’ll kiss everything better later.

After I avenge every second of every day she’s had to suffer with him. The ten years before that. The decade of nightmares.

I’ll destroy him for what he did to her that night. That horrible night no one should have ever gone through, least of all her.

Another thing I notice in the split second I have is that her hands are shaking. Her chin, however, is held up high. Firm. She’s been staring down her abuser.

Had I not shown up, he would’ve hurt her. She’s trapped in this miniature kitchen of this tiny cabin.

The whole place is the size of my bedroom, and she’s here. Wedging herself into a corner with nowhere to run.

She couldn’t have escaped, yet look at her. Regal and doing her damnedest to show Lester he can’t scare her. Not even with a hacksaw. Not even when he has the upper hand.

Fuck, I admire her. So much so that I’m frozen in place for a moment.

“Oh, hell yeah. The white-haired bastard who took my dick.” He charges toward me. “Two for one.”

“Landon!”

Dumping my bag to the floor, I throw my body to the side in a diversion. Lester propels forward since his brain hasn’t caught up to the fact that I’m not there anymore.

I shove my leg forward at the same moment my fist finds his ear.

Bam .

He topples face down to the floor like a sack of potatoes.

His hacksaw goes flying to the corner of the room, away from Regan.

“Ow! Mother—”

I’m not here to let him talk or complete sentences or whatever the fuck. He’s had a week to talk to Regan. Seven days to poison her mind.

I charge at him, my boot slamming on the back of his neck. When I cut my gaze to Regan, I see her dragging herself forward to get the hacksaw.

With one foot still on top of Lester, I bend to her, pressing my lips to her temple.

“Landon.” She’s shaking, leaning into me.

I’ll spend hours inhaling her scent. Later.

I cut the zip ties off her wrists. I don’t lose my balance as I tell her to do the same for her ankles while I hold the motherfucker down.

“Good girl,” I praise as she frees herself on her own. “Such a good girl, love.”

It must hurt, having the nerves on her fingernails exposed. The slightest touch, the briefest breath of air, any of it would have pain shooting through her. She is in pain, right this minute, but she hides it so well.

“You’ll pay for this!” Lester wriggles and thrashes and screams beneath me. With his throat crushed beneath my weight, he’s not going anywhere. “For all of it! I’ll burn you too!”

“Highly unlikely.” My entire focus is on her. Only ever her. “How’s my good girl been?”

The zip tie snaps, and her round brown eyes shoot up to me.

She blinks, and I want to break Lester’s neck. Take Regan in my arms and love her so fucking hard that she forgets any of this ever happened.

That would be a huge disservice to her.

She won’t be getting her well-deserved revenge.

“You’re really here,” she says, holding her breath and gripping the handle of the hacksaw. “You’re here. I’m not imagining this.”

“I should’ve found you sooner.” It takes everything in me not to annihilate Lester with my boot as soft emotions like love rise to the surface. I bury them. “I’ve failed you. I am so sorry, Regan. I am so sorry.”

“No.” Her chin wobbles and I feel sick to my stomach. She’s letting her guard down. The pain and terror she must’ve kept inside her for days are breaking through the dam. “You’re right on time. You’ve always been right on time.”

I’m going to bludgeon him for this. Piece by piece.

She shouldn’t have been here to witness this. She isn’t squeamish or anything. The woman has been consuming gore and horror and monsters from the womb.

What I refused to allow was her being in the same room as him.

But since he had to go and fuck it all up, he’s getting the full package.

Regan and me.

“You’re going to help me.” Not a question. An order. She will not cower from him or break down. She’ll fight. “Use the saw to cut through his clothes.”

“That’s what he was about to do to me.” Her knees nearly buckle as she stands up. She catches herself at the last minute and wobbles over to me on bare feet.

My hand stretches out to her, and I grab her arm and yank her to my chest. Bring her close. I stare at her for the first time in the longest week of my life. Really stare at her.

“Baby.” I scan every inch of her face.

Her bottom lip is completely busted, more swollen than I initially thought and her face is blue. Fuck, she’s freezing.

“Fuck, I love you,” I tell her as I shrug my coat off, taking her hacksaw in one hand so I can help her into the coat. “I love you. I. Love. You.”

I’m being sweet and caring and kind as I cover her in my coat and rub her arms. As gentle as humanly possible. Only when the shivering subsides and her face isn’t as blue do I give her the hacksaw back.

That’s not to say I’m at peace. I’m anything but motherfucking calm.

Adrenaline pumps through my veins. Murderous intents surge through my blood.

The hate inside me is ever strong.

First things first. Hands on her cheeks. Telling her to her gorgeous, determined face what she means to me. How I almost died without her.

“To the ends of the fucking world, Regan. To hell and back. That’s how much I love you.” She opens her mouth to return the sentiment. No. This is about her. This is so she knows I never stopped searching. Never would’ve stopped. “God. Fuck. I’ve missed you. My lungs burned for you. My soul. I was dying.”

I put another ounce of my weight on Lester.

“Owwww!”

With one hand, I grab the back of her neck possessively, pressing her forehead to mine. I feel for her skin. Her hair. How alive she is. “What was he about to do? I have to know how much more hell I’m going to put him through. Tell me everything.”

“He…” The first tear drops.

My sanity is a thread ready to snap.

If I don’t have my mouth on hers, I’ll lose it altogether. I crash my lips to hers, kissing her like I’ve never kissed her before.

I groan into her mouth. Own her with my tongue. I suck on her bottom lip, swiping my tongue to taste her blood.

This kiss is an apology. It’s a vow.

No one will ever lay a hand on her again.

No one will get close enough to even look at her the wrong way.

Sounds crazy? Well, guess what? I don’t give a fuck. I let her out of my sight, and look what happened.

Look. What. Happened.

“He kissed me.” Her voice is half sob, half snarl. “He bit me. That’s all he had time for. I fought him so he couldn’t shove the pliers inside me. Now he—he—argh! Why can’t I stop crying? I can’t talk, Landon, I can’t—I’m sorry, I—”

I pull her to my side and kick Lester in the ribs. Seven times for every day he’s had her. It means there’s more of my weight on his neck so I can balance. Tough shit.

“Regan.” I turn to her, dragging her to exactly where she was. Where she will be for the rest of her life. In my line of sight. “Don’t you ever apologize to me. Don’t ever be sorry for crying or screaming or being who you are. Tell me you understand.”

“I understand.” She swipes at her tears, staring at me beneath her wet, dark lashes. I lean in to lick the rest of them. “He was about to shove the pliers and more things”— deep, shuddered breath —“into me.”

The sleepless nights. The hours without food. Of living off coffee and my sense of mission and rage.

Everything I’ve done has been worth it.

If I’d have gotten here a second later…

When I take her mouth again, I’m not promising her anything.

I’m being the man she loves. The one who’s here to save her.

The one who’ll ruin the man who touched her.

She’s been waiting for me to show up here. For me to rescue her.

That’s exactly what I’m giving her in this kiss. Myself.

My tongue lashes at hers. Teeth nibbling at her bottom lip. She doesn’t respond right away, but when she does, we’re explosive together. Regan moans into my mouth and clutches on my T-shirt.

“You ready?” I whisper to her mouth.

“I am.” The unhinged glint in her eyes matches what I feel. “So ready.”

Lester groans and screams and mumbles incoherent shit.

“Good girl.” I kiss her because, fuck, how can I not? “Always such a good girl.”