Chapter 23
CHURCH IS IN SESSION
J.D. Stevens
Rebel was involved in this way more than I’d like her to be because she was looking through all this shit for me. I didn’t need her being on the radar of the local police too. She had been investigating two of the most corrupt police officers on the Charlotte police force. Two cops who wouldn’t hesitate to kill her if she found anything incriminating. I was sure they were behind the deaths of Earl and the coroner just to make sure they were covered for Dani’s death.
“Call, Tiny,” I told Caesar, wiping the blood from my hands then tossing the bloody towel on the table. “He should be back in town from the run. Have him watch Rebel’s place.”
He pulled out his phone and walked away.
Both detectives were dirty as hell. They had been dirty cops long before I started this chapter of Demons United in North Carolina. They even tried to extort money from me in the early days of the club. To say that shit didn’t go over well for them was an understatement which gave them good reason to go after me.
The chapter still bumped heads with the police force every so often. Despite all the good shit we did for the city they still targeted us whenever they could. The brothers were far from choir boys but most of the police force were criminals just like us including those two detectives. So, it didn’t surprise me they were involved in all this shit. They could have done all this to get back at me.
Did they target me this time? It sure as hell looks like it.
Caesar walked back to me, sliding his phone in his back pocket. “He’ll be there in ten minutes. You gonna tell her you got him watching her?”
“Nah. Not until we get answers from Lewis and Abrams. And make sure no backlash comes back on her or us.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “She’s gonna be pissed when she finds out. She fucking hates being kept in the dark.”
I chuckled. “I know it. But I’ll handle it when the time comes. If it comes.”
“Oh, it’s going to come,” Caesar said, laughing. “Rebel’s got eyes in the back of her head. Tiny’s a big motherfucker. He’s not going to be able to hide from her.”
I laughed, looking down at my watch. I could only imagine how shit would go if Rebel confronted Tiny. He was such a teddy bear when it came to beautiful women, I wasn’t sure how he’d react if she did. Probably stutter and blush.
Muffled screams echoed from the basement of the clubhouse. It was like music to my ears. Within minutes, the piercing screams would get louder, leaving nothing but an eerie silence once it was all over. There wasn’t any way he could save his ass. Today he would give me all the answers I needed and then he would die for what he had done to my family.
“How do you want to handle this?” Caesar asked.
Before I could answer, Demon, Rev, and three men I didn’t recognize walked through the door of the clubhouse. We hadn’t been able to get him to talk, but I knew Rev could. I hated to rely on him but that was the best thing to do at this point. That was why I told Demon to bring him.
“Demon.” I greeted by brother-in-law, grasping his outstretched hand. Then turned my attention to my father-in-law ignoring the hate in his eyes.
“Rev.”
I didn’t bother reaching out to shake the man’s hand, and he didn’t return my greeting. His coldness and anger, I expected. But his ass was lucky I even greeted him at all. I didn’t hate him like he hated me, but I didn’t like him. I never liked him, and he knew it.
The scowl on Rev’s face told me all I needed to know about where we still stood with each other. The hate went deep with him when it came to me. It always had even before Dani and Luca’s death.
I remembered like it was yesterday when we met for the first time. According to him, I didn’t measure up to his standards for someone who should be involved with his princess as he used to call her. He wasn’t a good man either and an even shittier father. No matter how much his kids loved him, he didn’t measure up either.
Rev thought I was responsible for their deaths, and I couldn’t dispute the shit he believed. The more we dug into all of this, it looked like he was right. All this had to do with me, I just didn’t know why.
Why not just kill me and get me out of the way?
My eyes shifted from Rev to the men standing behind him. They looked like they didn’t want to be here but had no other choice.
Another scream pierced the air, then pleas for mercy.
“And you three are?” I asked, ignoring the sounds. It was only going to get worse.
“They’re with Rev,” Demon said. “Sean, Danny, and Ray.”
I didn’t trust Rev but if they were cool with Demon, then I wouldn’t say anything about them being here. Another scream from the basement sounded through the door.
“I guess we should get started,” I said, smiling and opening the basement door.
Demon chuckled from behind me. “Sounds like you’ve already started.”
I looked over my shoulder. “We hadn’t been at it long, but he’s tight- lipped,” I said as we all descended the stairs. “He knows something. We know that for a fact.”
“I’ll get him to talk,” Rev said. “They always talk.”
I looked at him, but he said nothing else. I guess I finally get to see his crazy ass in action.
This should be damn interesting.
“Have you found the other detective yet?” Demon asked as we hit the bottom of the stairs.
The smell of piss, blood, and ammonia hit my nostrils. I’d gotten so use to the smell, but it reminded me of what we were down here to do. It reminded me what this motherfucker tied to a chair had done to my wife and child.
“Nah,” Caesar chimed in. “Rebel’s on it though.”
“I like her.” Demon clapped me on the shoulder. “Don’t fuck it up.”
He walked around me, and I couldn’t stop the smile from crossing my face. I had no plans on fucking it up with Rebel.
“So, who do we have here?” Rev asked as he stopped in front of Detective Monty Lewis, crossing his arms over his chest.
Hannibal looked at Rev before he stepped aside, then propped himself against the basement wall and lit a cigarette.
Detective Lewis’s pale skin was now covered in purple and black bruises along with fresh and dried blood. We did everything we could think of to get him to tell us what he knew about Dani, but he just wouldn’t budge.
“Fuck you!” Detective Lewis yelled, his glob of bloody spit landing at Rev’s feet.
“Looks like the Detective needs to learn the hard way, Rev,” Demon said, chuckling. “It’s about to get fucking interesting.”
Rev’s gaze moved down to the stained concrete floor where the spit had landed, then it drifted back to Detective Lewis. He took in a deep breath and released it. Then the most disturbing smile I’d ever seen on a person moved across his face.
“We’re going to have us a little church until you confess your sins. What do ya say, Detective?”
You could see the excitement on Rev’s face but the confusion on Detective Lewis’s.
“What...” Detective Lewis stammered. “Confess my sins? Fuck you. I have no fucking sins!”
“We all have sinned and have falling short of God’s grace, Detective,” Rev said.
The men with Rev laughed.
“What the hell are you talking about!” The Detective yanked against his restraints. “Do you know who I am!”
“Do you think I give a fuck who you are?” Rev chuckled. “I only want to hear you confess.”
“Y’all might as well get comfortable,” Demon whispered to me and Caesar. “There ain’t no telling how long this is going to take.”
Demon walked towards one of the walls and leaned against it looking so uninterested in what his father was doing. I assumed because he’d witnessed this many times before.
“What the fuck is happening?” Caesar asked me with confusion on his face.
I shrugged. “I’ve never seen it before, but he calls it preaching,” I said. “He’s fucking crazy so there’s no telling what the hell we’re about to watch.”
We stood beside Hannibal, and the sound of the three men’s footsteps echoed ominously as they closed in on Detective Lewis. He thrashed around in the chair harder, but it was no use—he wasn’t going anywhere.
“The Bible says, repent!” Rev shouted. “Turn away from all your offenses then sin will not be your downfall.”
“Is that really a fucking verse from the Bible?” Caesar asked, doing the sign of the cross over his chest.
“Fuck if I know,” I said. “You’re the damn Catholic.”
Rev squatted in front of Detective Lewis and one of the men circled him. “Confess.”
“Confess,” the other two said in unison.
I didn’t know what the hell was going on, but it was fucking fascinating to watch. You could tell they had done this many times before. Detective Lewis eyes were wide as saucers as he looked at the men. And I couldn’t blame him. This was some weird shit.
“I... don’t know... I don’t know! I don’t know anything!”
Rev shook his head and believe it or not, he looked truly disappointed in the detective’s answer. Rev jumped to his feet then gripped Detective Lewis by the throat and squeezed.
“Have I not blessed you with the opportunity to confess your sins to me?” Rev asked.
“Does this motherfucker think he’s God or something?” Caesar whispered.
No one answered because no one had any fucking answers to what the hell was happening.
“Have I not blessed you with the opportunity to lay your burdens down,” Rev continued. “Have I not blessed you with the opportunity to redeem yourself, Detective?”
Rev loosened his grip from around Lewis’s neck and he started coughing and gasping for air. “I don’t know anything!” he shouted when he could finally speak. “Please... please. I don’t know anything.”
“I’ve given you every opportunity to tell me the role you played in the death of my daughter and my grandson,” Rev said. “I’ve given you a chance that most people don’t have to confess what they’ve done. To save themselves. And you remain silent, so now you will reap what you have sown. And then I’ll take your soul.”
“Oh fuck,” Caesar whispered with fascination in his voice. “He’s done fucked up now.”
I didn’t blame him for his reaction. This shit looked like a movie, and it had everyone’s attention.
“Hold him down, Sean and Ray. Danny hand me my box.”
The guys immediately moved. Danny handed Rev a box I didn’t even see him carrying while the other two grabbed the detective, holding him in place.
“Do you know what’s in the box?” Caesar asked with pure interest in the show Rev was putting on.
I shook my head. I had no fucking clue and there was no telling what was in there. At this point anything was possible from the Bible quoting psycho.
“The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice,” Rev said, opening the wooden box. “One last chance Detective. Be the wise man and not the fool. Confess.”
“Confess,” Rev’s men said in unison.
Them reciting confess in unison was some of the weirdest shit to hear.
“I’m not telling you shit,” Detective Lewis said through clenched teeth.
“Then have it your way,” Rev said, pulling out a small knife from the ornate wooden box. “Normally, I use my knives to do what the Chinese call lingchi. Have you heard of it?” Rev asked although I didn’t think he was expecting an answer. “It’s also known as the death of a thousand cuts. It causes you to bleed out slowly. But I have something more special in store for you, Detective. There are a variety of knives in this box, and each is labeled with a body part. How about we start with your thigh? What do you think Danny?”
“I think it’s a good choice, Rev,” Danny said. “Maybe he’ll do the right thing and confess.”
Rev took the knife and sliced through the detective’s blue jeans, then pulled them open where his thigh was exposed. Rev carefully placed the small knife against his thigh and delicately removed a thin layer of skin. The detective screamed and thrashed around but he couldn’t get out of the men’s hold.
Rev held up the piece of skin, examining it in the light, before flipping it over to inspect the other side. Then, he took a step closer to Detective Lewis. “Hold his mouth open, Danny.”
“Oh, my fucking God!” Caesar said. “I know he’s not doing what I think he’s doing.”
Rev shoved the piece of flesh inside Lewis’s mouth and Danny forcibly closed it.
“Chew it, then swallow it,” Rev ordered.
Lewis shook his head and tears shrieked down his bruised face while he gagged.
“Swallow it or the next thing to go is your dick,” Rev said. “And I’ll shove that down your throat too.”
We all watched as Lewis did as Rev said and swallowed his own skin. It was so fucking gross, but something shifted in Lewis’s eyes.
“I’ll tell you what I know if you let me go,” he said after swallowing.
Rev’s deep laughter reverberated through the cold, concrete room. “You’ll tell me, anyway.”
Rev dragged the knife down the side of Lewis’s face, leaving a deep, jagged gash. His skin split open, revealing raw flesh, like a butchered piece of meat. In a state of sheer panic, the detective’s only response was to unleash a desperate scream. Then Rev took the knife and cut another piece of flesh from his thigh and placed it near the detective’s mouth.
“Confess,” Rev sneered. “Tell me what I want to know, or I’ll slice you until there’s nothing left.”
Lewis’s breathing was heavy and strained, a clear sign he was reaching his limits. I wanted this to end. I wanted to know everything he knew.
“It was Abrams. He was looking to get back at Demons United. He said he was approached by someone who wanted him to do a hit on some pregnant woman.”
I rushed him and got in his face. “Who was it? Who approached him?”
“I have no fucking idea! I swear!”
“You’re lying!”
I punched him in his jaw where Rev had just sliced it open. He howled in pain, but I didn’t give a fuck. He helped kill my wife and son.
“Who killed my wife?”
“It was Earl! Earl ran her off the road. But Abrams paid him to do it and the coroner to cover it up. I just helped him cover up Earl and the coroner’s deaths. Please... please... don’t kill me.”
“Why did someone pay him to kill my daughter and grandson?” Rev asked, anger vibrating in his voice.
“I swear. I don’t know. Please... I confessed... I told you everything I know.”
“Where’s Abrams?” Demon asked.
It was the first time he had spoken since Rev started his shit, but I knew my brother-in-law. He was livid that this bastard knew what would happen to Dani and didn’t do anything to stop it.
“I don’t know. Haven’t heard from him since that bitch started digging around.”
“Who?” I asked.
“He said her name was Rebel Pierce. That’s all I know.”
I looked at Caesar. “Call Tiny, now!”
Caesar rushed up the steps of the basement and out the door. I redirected my gaze towards the detective. I summoned all the hate I could for the piece of shit in front of me.
“Here,” Rev said, handing me the small knife he had without me even asking.
I grabbed it and turned my attention back to the bastard.
“This is for my son.”
I forcefully plunged the blade into the side of his neck, feeling resistance before finally pulling it free. His body jerked and spasmed as blood spurted from the wound. He looked at me in shock, his eyes wide, and his mouth gaping open, blood trickling down his chin. A grin spread across my face, impossible to contain.
“And this is for my wife, motherfucker.”
I drove the blade under his chin, and the sickening sound of flesh being pierced filled the air.
“Now it’s time to find the other motherfucker,” Rev said.
And for the first time in my life, I actually agreed with my father-in-law.
“I’m on it. Trust me. His days are numbered.”