Chapter 29
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
EMMETT
Oddly enough, the house was empty beyond the two guards I had taken care of in the basement. Looking around at the decaying walls as the musty smell fills my nostrils, I know I'm in the middle of nowhere. This house, if you can even call it that, has most certainly been abandoned. It’s old and run down.
Strange though, the decaying house has a whole basement that is equipped to hold someone captive. You never would have guessed by looking at it from the outside.
Walking out the decrepit front door, I lean against a post holding up the rotting house, while I wait for Grimm to show up. Looking at my surroundings, I take in the vast open field. The trees in the distance line the property, making it seem as if I'm in the middle of a forest.
My head whips to the winding path as the sound of gravel crunching under the wheels of his blacked-out McLaren fills the silence. The engine revs its way towards me, dirt and dust flying up behind the car as he gets closer.
He pulls up and breaks directly in front of where I'm standing and I jog down the rickety steps, whipping the door open and climbing inside. I look straight out of the windshield once I’m settled in the passenger seat. “ Let's go.” I bite, not wanting to waste any time.
Grimm’s piercing gaze almost burns a hole through my skull. I know he’s expecting answers, but my mind is consumed with saving Blair .
“ Are you going to-” I cut him off before he can get any further.
“ My dad has been behind all of the disappearances.” I clear my throat and look over at him. “ He’s been fucking selling them. He’s part of a human trafficking organization. He must have always planned on taking Blair and selling her but he made me fucking watch, man. He tied me to a chair with a fucking gun to my head and made me watch as they bid on her. Someone purchased her. They paid twenty million dollars for her.” I let out a sound filled with rage and fear.
A low whistle comes from Grimm , and I keep talking. “ She was pregnant. With my fucking kid, Grimm . They killed my fucking child. They beat her, sold her, and took her away.” I choke on the last word and clear my throat. “ I know you're feeling stab happy and good thing because we have some people to kill.” I finish.
For the first time in his life, Grimm Griswold is utterly speechless. His fists are balled in his lap, his knuckles turning white. He finally speaks after what feels like an eternity. The sound is low and filled with anger. “ I'm sorry Emmett . About Blai r and your child. We’ll end them. All of them.” He pauses for a moment before continuing, “ Your dad’s a little bitch. Don't worry, we’ll get your girl back.” He concludes.
He shifts his gaze forward and begins driving away. There's nothing else that needs to be said. Dirt and rocks fly up as he slams on the gas, heading to the first person on our hitlist.
My father.
Coming up to my childhood home, I’m hit with the unwelcoming memories that linger on these grounds. During my time at Blackwood , I haven’t made a single visit back home, besides my recent trip to James’s home office. I refused to step foot inside and greet the demons that have patiently waited for my return.
We speed down the driveway that leads to the back of the house. Grimm brakes and immediately hops out. I follow him to the shed that sits behind the mansion, vines and untrimmed bushes almost mask the small structure completely. As I approach the door, my blood boils and the heat radiates off of my body. I shove the door open and find the tied-up big bad wolf, resembling more of a scared little mouse.
This shed used to belong to my mother. We would retreat here during our days together and spend hours painting. She would display all of my artwork and some still desperately cling to the wall. I used to come in here after her death and dedicate my free time to creating. Once I started my education at Bl ackwood , I made the choice to not visit the house or the shed.
My plan was to cut ties after graduating from the university. Being back here is unsettling and the reason for my return pisses me off that much more. Thankfully , I’d be making a beautiful final memory. Something to carry with me for the rest of my days and hold close to my heart, similarly to the memories I have with my mother.
The walls are practically crumbling down and the unfinished canvases lay scattered through the back of the shed. Cans of dried paint are shoved into a corner and the smell of art supplies makes my heart boom even more so than the absolute hell coming my father’s way.
Looking at the man who ruined my life long before he ruined Blair’s , crushing my soul in the process, I feel more fury than I ever have. He’s tied to a chair that's bolted to the ground, similar to how he had me tied up when my heart was being ripped from my chest. Blair’s screams ring through my ears and my body is practically vibrating trying to contain the violence buzzing through my veins.
The only difference between our captures is his ropes are much tighter and his ankles are not left untied. It was one thing to ruin me, one thing to allow my life to be a mere mirage, but to hurt Blair and use her for his own financial gain and satisfaction will cost him his life.
You don’t take what belongs to others. It was a golden rule everyone learned as a child.
Maybe James missed the memo or he truly doesn’t give a fuck. The one good trait he passed down? I don’t give a fuck either. Blair is the only thing keeping my soul intact. The only thing that k eeps the blood pumping through my body and has defrosted the organ within my chest cavity. For this, he’ll pay. He’ll pay with blood, tears, and his worthless soul.
By the time I’m done putting everyone in the ground, I’ll be the new fucking Grim Reaper . Collecting the souls from those who took what’s fucking mine.
Years of pain and torment kept stored away under lock and key, crawl their way to the surface. If a single hair on her head has been hurt, I'll personally pull him back from the depths of the hell I'm going to send him to and repeat the process. The devil himself will be frightened of the untamed bloodshed I'm going to inflict on anyone who has hurt my little obsession.
They may believe they have power because they have wealth and connections, but these bastards are in for the rudest awakening. They haven't seen the power behind a man who lost the one thing keeping the darkness tucked away and his soul at peace. Hell will look like a vacation compared to what I’ll unleash on every. Fucking . Person . Who dared to take away what belongs to me .
By taking away my purpose in this life, I am left with nothing but the deepest need to inflict pain. Inflict violence. Inflict torture. Inflict death. I will, and I won't stop until my splintered soul is rejoined with hers. My mind is shouting at me, and it's desperate to be heard.
Kill . Kill . KILL .
With the image of my sweet little obsession floating around in my mind and the voices shouting, I stalk over to the piece of shit that made a very, very, stupid decision. A war wages inside me of whether I should be taking my time with him or making it quick so I can go find my girl .
Grimm walks in and turns the bag in his hand upside down, the various tools clinking and falling to the ground. He drops a larger duffle bag down next to the scattered tools, landing with a thud. I don't recognize myself or the feeling of bloodlust pumping through my body. But I guess that’s what happens when you give a caged monster something to hold on to. Something to love, to cherish, and then take it away. He breaks out, and he breaks out with vengeance.
Looking down at his tied up body, a smile spreads across my face. “ Karma is such a sweet concept. Don’t you think, James ?” I ask while peering down at him. He tries shouting behind the gag in his mouth. The sound muffled as he jerks on the ropes binding him.
“ Not too long ago, you had me tied up just like this, didn’t you? While you made me watch as you sold my. Fucking . Girl .” I bark, my blood seems to pump harder and the demon inside is itching to come out and play. Turning away from him and his useless screaming, I head over to the bag Grimm dropped on the floor.
I unzip the duffel bag and peer inside. I'm met with various useful devices and large liquid items. The labels read, “poison,” “chloroform,” “acid," and "wax." Looking down at the pile of knives, bludgers, and other tools, I raise a questioning eyebrow at Grimm . “ I wasn’t sure what you needed, man. Don’t look at me like that.” He laughs.
“ Fair enough,” I say with a nod, not recognizing the deadly tone lacing my voice. Looking back down at the pile of destructive weapons, a long thin knife with a sharp point catches my eye, as well as the bottle of acid. I slide on some thick gloves to protect my skin. Picking up the filet knife, used for skinning fish, I grab the acid and turn back to daddy dearest.
“ Listen to me very closely. I am going to ask you questions, and you are going to answer. Truthfully . That's it. Got it?” I grip his face and shake it in an up and down motion. “ Good . I know telling the truth is a little challenging for you, but I’m pretty sure Grimm has brought plenty of items to help encourage you.” Giving his cheek a quick pat, I pry open his mouth and take out the gag.
With his mouth empty, he speaks. “ I’m not fucking telling you anything, Emmett . Untie me and let me go, immediately.”
“ I don't think you’re understanding me, James .” I spit, “ I’m the one with the power now. I’m in control.” I begin to list my demands, vaguely hoping he isn’t feeling cooperative because now, I’m the one feeling stabby. “ I want the names of every fucker involved. I need the name of the man who announced her sale like cattle. I need the name of the man who beat her and killed my unborn child. I need the name of the idiot who transported her like a fucking piece of luggage. I need the name of the person who believes she belongs to them.” I growl, my anger rising. “ For every name I need, and don't get, I'll take a patch of skin from you.” I let a manic smile slowly spread across my face.
“ I'll make sure it's close to the surface. I’ll skin you deep enough that the raw skin is visible, but not deep enough to cause you to bleed out and die. Because death is too simple, too kind for you. I'll skin you until there isn't an inch of your skin left for me to take off.” I pause, tilt my head, and then continue.
“ You know what I'll do after that?” I ask. “ I'll take this acid, and I'll pour it over your freshly skinned body. I'll do that until there isn't a drop left in the bottle. Maybe I'll even fill a bath with it and plop you right inside. And after that, if your pathetic body is still breathing, I'll cut out your heart and shove it down your throat.”
His response is a clenched jaw and narrowed eyes. He wants to play this way? Fine .
Let’s fucking play.
Staying true to my word, I skin him. Taking his cuffed hand, I start at the tip of his pinky finger, slicing my way through the top layer of skin. I peel back the thin sheet as I go, ignoring his pleas and groans. It isn't until I've reached the base of the finger that he starts sputtering names like his life depends on it. Funny enough it does, but he won't be leaving alive either way.
“ It was Harold . Harold Clark . That's who beat her. They needed to remove the fetus and Blair was combative. You should be fucking thanking me, anyways. You wouldn’t want to pass your genes on, you pathetic fucking spawn.” He sputters out. His words piss me off and I don’t feel like hearing them.
I take the knife and remove the upper part of his pinky’s skin. A child I will never get to meet because of him. He doesn’t get to speak on it, his words mean nothing. The only syllables that hold value are the names of those who chose to partake in this business, only seeing Blair as a walking dollar sign.
As I go to throw it to the side, an idea forms in my head. I hold up the skin in front of his face. A sinister smile spreads on my face as I speak. “ Very good, James . Would you like a reward? Here . A treat for your troubles.” I forcefully shove the skin into his mouth and down his throat. His natural instincts kick in and force him to swallow his own flesh to keep from dying.
“ You’re fucking sick. You’re not my son. No bastard as vile as you could ever be my son.” He spits. I can’t help but chuckle at that. “ I learned from the best, but I stopped being your son a long time ago. It’s a shame it took you this long to notice.” I shrug.
I restart the process of slicing off his skin. “ I want the name of the doctor, who examined her. You’ll tell me, James . Even if I have to remove and feed you every inch of your skin.” I've removed the outer layer of his whole left hand before he finally gives in and speaks again.
“ Victor Fitzgerald . The doctor is Victor Fitzgerald . FUCK ! Stop this Emmett . God DAMMIT ,” he wheezes while a sharp wail sounds out, the pain finally getting to him. Sweat lines his forehead and I wonder if I’m close to killing him.
I move to his chest and grab a handful of his shirt. I strenuously yank his shirt down, sending buttons flying through the air. With his chest bared to me, I kneel down and start taking off the skin right above where his heart would be, if he had one. With every piece removed, he sputters another name.
My hit list grows with every new name that leaves his tongue. I flinch when the familiar names of men who frequented our home leave his lips. They sound like nails on a chalkboard. Moving down to his thigh, I cut through his pants and grab the meaty flesh, beginning to cut. “ You’re doing great, Dad . And the announcer? What’s his name?” I growl.
“ You are truly fucking ignorant. You have no idea what you’re doi ng. This is bigger than you, Emmett .” He wheezes in between breaths. Taking a piece of his skin that's been dropped to the side, I push into his mouth and down his throat again. The slippery skin, due to the blood coating it, easily slides down his esophagus. At least, I think it does. If there was any restraint, I wasn't aware due to the force in which I shoved the flesh down.
“ Unless you are opening that mouth of yours to tell me a name, don’t fucking speak.” I snarl. My voice sounds more beast than man. I only stop skinning when he starts speaking again.
“ Okay ! Fucking hell. The announcer was Albert Wagner . He’s well known, you won't get away with whatever it is you’re planning.” He says through gritted teeth.
I give his shoulder a light pat, leaving my bloody handprints on the not-so-pristine white dress shirt. “ Good . That's really good James .” I falsely encourage him. “ But unfortunately, it's not enough. I need more.” I growl. I have to give it to him though, I didn’t think he could hold on this long. I assumed he would have caved in already. Time is ticking and Blair’s safety is on the line.
Getting impatient, I decide it's time to change where I skin him. I've read that one of the most susceptible body parts to pain is your forehead. Taking the knife, I pinch the wrinkled skin at the start of his hairline and start to slice downward towards his eyebrows.
“ F -f-fuck, it’s O -oscar P -pittman. He was in charge of moving Stirling from the auction to the buyer’s h-home.” James stutters, clearly the lack of skin is taking a toll on his body .
I turn to Grimm and spit, “ I hope you’re writing this down instead of getting off on all the blood. You’ll have time for that later.” He throws up his hand to his forehead, saluting me, and whips out his phone. His thumbs fly across the screen as he types out the names my father has mentioned so far. I’ll kill every one of them. Like a shark drawn to blood, I'm hungry for revenge. Hungry for violence.
KILL .
“ You have ruined my life in more ways than I could count, James ,” I growl.
This makes him chuckle. The sound, although weak, causes me to grind my teeth. “ I knew what they did to you, boy. Y -you think I didn’t? No . I just didn’t f-fucking care.” It feels as if time stops when those words leave his mouth. I see Grimm stiffen out of the corner of my eye. The words are too cryptic for him to understand, at least I hope they are, yet I know when this is all over he’ll have questions for me.
“ Those names you wanted? The other buyers? I know they sparked recognition. I left one out, though. Roy Logan . That’s the last name. I have nothing more for you.” I'm rendered speechless as his confession washes over me. In order to save Blair , I have to look my very own demons in their eyes. I can’t save her from hers until I've slayed my own.
The last bit of my sanity crawls into hiding as the evil tucked away seeps out. It purrs and comforts me, letting me know it's here, it'll keep me company. Blocking out his malicious laugh, I keep slicing.
I continue the same pattern of slicing the outermost layer of his skin from the rest of his face. I think he passed out from the pain because he hasn't made a sound in a few minutes. I have all th e names needed, but I can't stop. The need to inflict absolute agony onto him grows ferociously inside of me.
After he's skinned and all that’s left is his pink, raw flesh, I grab the bottle of acid. I tilt my head and look at the bloodstained pile of skin lying next to him. Pulling on a new set of gloves, I grab a piece of his skin and tip the acid over the top of his face.
The sizzling sounds of his skin burning hit my ears at the same time his screams do. Huh , he was just knocked out after all. The shrieking noise irritates me, so I shove the rest of his skinned flesh into his open mouth. The raw skin bubbles and melts as I continue to pour acid over his entire body.
A large wheeze, followed by sputtering coughs and gurgles hits my ears. I hold the bottle upside down until it's empty and he’s long past living. The skin is melted to his bones in some places. It’s a beautiful sight. I’m tempted to have Grimm take a picture so I can blow it up and frame it next to one of mom’s paintings at my place.
I drop the bottle of acid and glide my tongue against the knife, licking it clean of James’s blood. The taste of vengeance is fucking delicious.
I feel nothing. Absolutely nothing. There is no sadness, no remorse, no feelings of loss as I walk out of the shed. If anything, I feel relieved. Relief that I no longer have to deal with James , relief that he's out of my life and can’t harm me or my obsession.
With fresh energy to kill and one step closer to finding my little obsession, I turn to Grimm and say, “ Let’s go.” Leaving his shredded body behind, we head back to the house so I can rest and clean up while we wait for Eli to dig up more informa tion about the first asshole we’ll be paying a visit to.
Entering the garage, I get on my bike and pull my helmet on, while Grimm does the same. Our helmets have intercoms inside that allow us to talk to each other while we ride. I turn it on, making certain I can hear Grimm , and hit the switch to open the garage door.
“ You ready?” I ask Grimm , revving my bike.
“ You know it, let’s tear some motherfuckers up and save your princess.” He says, then speeds out of the garage and into the darkness of the night.
It's been forty-eight hours since my little obsession was taken from me. The ache I feel is like my essence has been split into two. It’s harder to breathe and I haven’t even attempted to sleep. I won’t be able to relax until Blair is in my arms, once again.
Please , Blair . Hold on for me. Hold on for us. I’m coming for you, baby.
We sent Eli the list of the names we got from James . It took him some time but he retrieved all of the information I needed. He asked no questions and I wonder if that is because he already knows and Grimm has filled the others in, or if it's because he’s loyal to a fault and will just get it done.
Eli sent back any information he was able to dig up on each individual. Along with their addresses and contact information, he was also able to dig up the schedules for each asshole, letting me craft a carefully laid out plan on how they’ll me et their executioner. Grimm and I quickly exit the university grounds and start heading toward the first person on my list.
Pulling up at the lavish house my blood boils thinking about the money that was used to pay for this ugly fucking mansion. The money made off of missing students provided a luxurious lifestyle to those who thought they were above the law. Time for a reality check.
The gate guarding his home gives the illusion of safety. Unfortunately , he could never be safe from the darkness that awaits him on the other side of his front door. The kill list in my head is about to get its second name crossed off.
Hello , Dr . Fitzgerald .