CHAPTER 9 #2
I leaned forward and sat on my knees, peeking down the tear in the plastic, but not really seeing a damn thing. I poked his head a couple times, fascinated by the brutality of this whole thing and wondering what manner of psycho it takes to get me juicy. Turns out…not much.
Why is this hot? Ugghhh, I’m fucked up.
I cannot…have a crush on this obvious closet butcher that hangs out in the woods and chases unsuspecting women with his commendable stripper moves and sexy Batman voice. But, why do this for me? What’s he playing at?
“Hey, bub…you got a name?” No response.
Rude.
I reached a finger out to his temple again.
Poke. Poke. Poke.
I couldn’t stop myself. My hand went to his jaw, and I moved it up and down, dropping my voice to something absolutely stupid.
“Hel-looooo…my name is Larryyyy…” I snorted, giggling, and opening the jaw again. “I have—”
“What…the hell…are you doing?”
My whole fucking body racked when I startled, grabbing the flashlight and shining it towards the voice that obviously wasn’t Larry’s.
Of course, it’s motherfucking Batman. His smug ass stood, leaning back against a tree trunk, arms crossed and contacts nearly glowing under that hood while he looked at me, shaking his head.
“Nice of you to show up, asshole. You left me a gift. Am I not allowed to play with it?” I stood, brushing the leaves off my ass and pointed the light at him.
“How do you know it was a gift? How do you know it wasn’t just a good way to get you out here…all alone…to bury you with your dead?”
He makes a good point, I guess. But I was all alone out here two other times, and I’m not covered in dirt. I shrugged. “Guess I don’t. You said it was a peace offering. But it sure looks like you went through alotta trouble to make him suffer. So, who is it?”
He took a step forward…I took one back. “Maybe the ‘peace’ part was for me…when I have the peace of mind, knowing I don’t have to worry about you being alive anymore.
Why should I tell you who it is? My gift not good enough for ya, Red?
” Another heavy step…another reason for me to second guess myself and back away.
“You do seem like a brat. Brats usually need to be punished.”
“Try it. I wasn’t bullshittin’ last time you got too close. You fuck with me, it won’t end well for you.” I backed up another step and his eyes raised in the corners. He’s smiling. Mask or not, he’s not the least bit fucking worried…and it’s unsettling me. I’m not used to that. At all.
“They’ll have to find me first…and you.”
I’m nervous. My heart is pounding. Now, I’m starting to wonder if I was wrong and this is the guy from the parking lot.
“One more step, Batman, and I’ll have a weenie roast with that flaccid inchworm between your legs that makes you feel so brave.
” He chuckled and took another step towards me. I held my knife out in warning.
“Didn’t work out so well for you last time, did it? Brats have a hard time learning their lesson, too. Startin’ to see a bit of a pattern. It’s almost sad…how predictable you are.”
“So, you lured me here to kill me, then?”
He stopped and pulled a huge knife from the front of his hoodie. It flashed in the beam of my flashlight, and I felt my stomach flip. “I guess we’ll find out…” I braced myself, my breaths coming quicker and clouding in small puffs between us. “Run, Little Doe…”
Goddammit!
My legs reacted before I could, and I bolted, surprising myself when I had the good sense to switch off my flashlight.
I heard nothing behind me. Running faster, my face stung with low-hanging branches I couldn’t see, but my adrenaline fed me more and simultaneously stole my oxygen.
If I can get to my car, I swear this time I’ll run him over.
I’ll flatten the bitch to the point that he’s unrecognizable and curse myself for ever thinking this was sexy.
Lungs burning, I slowed, pressing my back against a large tree.
My chest is heaving. I looked around warily before pulling my phone from my back pocket and dimming the screen.
I’m in too deep. This is over…if nothing else, somebody needs to know where to find me.
Declan can find a stray hair on a gnat’s ass. Calling him just makes the most sense.
Fine…I also want him right now more than anything else in this world. There, I said it.
This has got me fucked up. I realized then that I was thinking about him earlier today when I tried to take home those cupcakes.
I thought about him first when that gun went off that was aimed right for my fucking face.
I’m thinking about him now, and it’s weighing on me that this could be my last few minutes alive.
…I do love you. I always have, and I’m so sorry…
Tears pricked my eyes…gross. I’ve fucked this whole thing up.
And I might never get the chance to fix it or tell him any of this.
I don’t think we’ve ever truly uttered the words since we started seeing each other.
Not even after living together this long.
So, this is what it feels like…to have your heart shatter.
I pressed call, and his face lit up my screen.
I stared at it until it started to get blurry and distorted.
I felt the hot tear race down my cheek when his voicemail picked up.
“You’ve reached the Godfather…say hello to my little phone—the mailbox is full and cannot accept messages…goodbye.”
I squeezed my eyes shut and bit down on my lip, more tears finding their way out and then…a twig snapped.
“Givin’ up already, Little Doe?”
He sounds like he’s a few feet away. He’s on the other side of this tree, and he’s likely known exactly where I was this entire time.
I never stood a chance. I should’ve known it.
I’m not going down without a fucking fight.
Maybe he’s got me, but he’s gonna feel the twisted wrath of the Byrnes…
and it’ll start with me. I pulled every thread I had inside me to the surface, trying to work up the balls to face this like the queen that I am—or the one I tried to be.
I wanna make him hurt. Let this be the last fucking thing I do.
I dropped my flashlight to the ground and slipped another knife from my boot, double-fisting them while I slung myself around the tree and screamed.
He had the nerve to giggle right before he took off, running the opposite direction while I charged for him with everything I had.
“Come and get me, Rambo!”
Oooo, he pisses me off. I’m gonna rip him apart, piece by piece, and feed him to Simon.
I’ve got nothing on this fucker’s stamina.
I tried my best to keep him in my sight, dodging trees and hurtling over limbs…
but I can’t do much about the fact that it’s just as pitch black out here as his god-forsaken stalker getup.
I growled, my boots skidding in the leaves as I stopped, and held my knives at the ready, listening for any movement.
I hear nothing but the sound of my unsteady breathing and the roaring of my pulse.
“Boo.”
Game over. I’m checked.
The cold steel of the knife at my throat froze my body while his own pressed against my back. My eyes slowly drifted shut. “That was cute. Drop the knives and I’ll make this quick. Fight me, and you’ll wish you hadn’t.”
“That’s like asking a wolf to hand over his teeth.
Go fuck yourself.” I flipped both knives backwards and swiped my arms back, the blade leaving my throat in an instant.
He knocked one knife out of my hand with his fist, and spun me around, holding me against him while he squeezed my wrist, turning it until the other knife dropped to the ground.
I kicked and fought, screaming until he lowered me to the ground, straddling me, and pinning my arms down with his full weight under his knees. “Bastard! I’ll fucking kill you!”
“You could have…several times. I think I made it clear enough, helping you out, that you’re a complete amateur. Fun to watch, though.”
“I hope you get syphilis. I hope your grimy cock rots off! I hope I get a front row seat in the darkest pit of Hell, when my brother ushers you in. You’re a fucking dead man!”
He leaned into my face, and I could feel the heat of his breath through his mask.
“Yeah? And where was all this violence when you were grindin’ your ass against that ‘grimy cock’, hm?
” My fingers inched towards the phone that had slid halfway out of my front pocket. I laid as still as I could manage.
“If you’re gonna kill me, I wanna look you in the face. Not the first time today that you tried. Stop being a pussy and take your mask off.”
His head slowly tilted to the side. “Wasn’t me, doll. That was the poor guy you made a puppet out of, earlier…what’d you call him? Larry?”
Everything is slowing down. I think time just hiccupped.
My face is tingling. He brought me the man that tried to blow my brains out, and he expects me to believe he’s gonna kill me?
My fingertips nudged my phone loose from my pocket and I double-tapped the screen.
I’m thanking God or whoever is listening that I dimmed it.
“Lying piece of shit,” I spat. He pressed the flat of his big ass knife to my lips.
“Shhh…let’s not get off callin’ names, Little Doe. Besides…you’re the liar…aren’t you?”
I guessed at what corner I was tapping, hoping it was my recent calls and slid my finger across Declan’s name. He was about to say something else, I think…until vibrating started and light peeked out from his front jacket pocket. I felt my eyes slowly widen and my throat dry out.
No…no fucking way.
His contacts glowed as they slid down to the phone under my hand. He picked it up and clicked his tongue at me while I struggled underneath his weight. My breath sawed in and out of my lungs and panic took over. Batman hung up the phone and teetered it between his fingers.
“You were right. As men go, he is a ‘sexy little nerd’.”
“What did you do?!” I jerked my body around, but his thighs only pressed tighter. There’s no way out of this. My mind is reeling. I can’t remember who I’d said that to…Lydia…I said that to Lydia while she was bleeding out in her own passenger seat. How the fuck? Where is Dec?
This is all my fault. Dec would’ve seen him coming if I’d just told him the truth.
I’ve put them in more danger by trying to keep them out of danger.
Did I just sign everybody’s death warrant?
My phone dropped to the ground, and he moved the knife from my face and raised it up, pointing the tip straight down at me.
I’m about to get acquainted with the Devil.
I thrashed around, screaming inaudible everything, leaves and hair scraping my face.
“Do it, Little Doe. Call out to him. Who do you really want? Who’s gonna save you?”
“Fuck you!”
“What’s his name?”
“Noooo!” I screamed through my teeth, putting up my best fight.
“Tell me, or I’ll fuck you into dog meat while you bleed out. Rough way to go, baby.” His elbow bent, and he leaned forward, setting himself up for my execution. “Last chance.”
“DECLAN!” I wailed, tears spearing towards my hairline. “DECLAAAANNNN!”
He moved quick and I squeezed my eyes shut, accepting my fate right before I heard the plunge of the knife into my chest…
…I…I don’t feel anything…
I peeled one eye open, looking up to see him sitting on top of me…
arms at his sides. I warily opened the other one, my entire body violently shaking, and turned my head to see the knife buried into the ground—right next to my face.
My harsh breaths clouded in front of me while I stared at the handle.
I felt movement and looked up to see him lowering his hood…
those neon eyes staring down at me while he started tugging up the bottom of his mask…
“You shoulda just told me…”
My breath caught in my throat as the material eased off his chiseled jawline and curls of his hair fell around the face I thought I’d never see again.