Chapter 69
Chapter Sixty-Nine
THE HEATHEN
Carter and Knox sit in the back while Killian drives.
I have a feeling they think I’m on the verge of a mental breakdown.
I’m fine. It was just a moment. Seeing those pictures fucked with my head, but I won’t allow it to be more than that.
It can’t be. I will not break down because of Jedediah.
I wouldn’t allow it when he was alive there is no way it’s happening now that he’s dead.
“I’m okay. Would you stop the damn triplet eye thing?”
Killian glances back at me in the rearview mirror, his lips lifting in amusement, and I wonder if he’s trying to annoy me.
“Triplet eye thing?”
Folding my arms over my chest, I glare at him in the mirror.
“Yes, the thing where you’re so connected that you just look at each other and have a conversation nobody else can hear. It’s annoying.”
He keeps staring at me and I lose it.
“Eyes on the road Killian. Stop trying to piss me off.”
He chuckles as he turns onto an isolated street.
“I wasn’t trying to piss you off, wife. I was thinking to myself how perfect you are and how much I love you.”
He watches the road for a few minutes before returning his gaze to the mirror. I make a snipping motion with my fingers, mimicking scissors as I pretend to threaten him.
“Your scissors don’t scare me, baby. Blood play with you—fuuuck wife, it makes my cock hard thinking about it. Don’t threaten me with a good time.”
He winks at me in the mirror and I have to stop myself from throwing something at him even though I know he’s trying to distract me from what happened this morning with the photos.
Kill waits for the guard to open the black gates and then drives to the back of the property where I spot Psycho waiting outside with Hadley.
“Where’s Bones?” Killian asks as we all get out of the vehicle. It’s funny cause Kill really didn’t like him when they first met but now he does. It’s a bromance I never saw coming.
“He’s inside threatening to break a priest’s bones.”
He rolls his eyes and adds, “All two hundred six of them. He’s a mouthy motherfucker.”
I give Hadley a hug and she smiles warmly.
“I’ll be in the house. I just wanted to say hello.”
I glance at Psycho before returning my gaze to her.
“You aren’t coming to the basement?”
Hadley shakes her head and giggles uncomfortably.
“Oh no, I’m not like you or Bella. I know what goes on down there, and that they deserve what they get, but I don’t want to be there for it.”
Psycho pulls her in for a kiss and whispers something in her ear as she blushes.
She touches my arm.
“When you’re done I have paperwork for you dismissing everything.”
After Hadley walks away, we step inside the building that leads to a long hallway. We stop at an elevator and Psycho presses his palm to some kind of sensor and the doors slide open. I’ve never seen anything like it.
“Biometrics.” He says as he notices me staring at him with surprise. We all get into the elevator and ride it one floor to the basement.
Right before the doors open Psycho says, “This is your show. Anything in the basement is available to you. My only rule is if you use my blades, clean off the blood.”
The doors slide open and we follow Psycho into the basement. There’s a large cage in the corner and I immediately spot the priest and the nun cowering as Bones glares at them.
“Our father who art in heaven,” Father Murphy is praying and it annoys me but it sets Bones off.
He shoves his hand against the side of the cage.
“I told you if you don't shut up I’ll start breaking bones. And maybe cut your fucking tongue out. Pray silently.”
He turns to us and nods at my men and then me.
“Pipsqueak.”
I burst out laughing because I don’t know why he calls me that, but it seems very out of character for him.
“Rough day?”
He runs a hand through his hair.
“The only reason I didn’t kill him to shut him up was because I promised you. I honor my word, but this fucker is annoying.”
I glance at Killian and ask for his help.
“Can you help me get her out?”
Bones opens the cage and Killian reaches in and pulls on her rosary breaking it and the beads fly in all directions. Then he grabs the material of her habit and yanks her out while she cries about her jewelry.
“Oh shut up. You can’t take it with you to hell anyway.”
They all turn to me with raised eyebrows when I say, “Take off your habit. Down to your under garments.”
I walk over to the metal table and tap the top.
“After you get undressed you can lay down here.”
Psycho drags the tip of his knife over his beard.
“Oh this is going to be fun.”
I shake my head at him. While I don’t know the story of how he got his nickname, I think I understand the basics. He’s definitely psychotic. What I appreciate about him is that he doesn’t hide it or even try.
Sister Agatha drops her clothing and gets on the table as she was told to. I’m surprised she didn’t argue, but I grab the straps hanging from the sides and fasten her in place when something under her slip catches my eye.
I lower the slip and stare at the mark on her skin just below her belly button.
It’s a branding but not just any branding.
It’s an upside down cross. And I know who she is because there has only ever been one person in the cult who had a mistake in their branding.
Jedediah was furious and everyone was punished for it because it was a stain against our Lord.
According to him it was as if we had spit in God’s face.
The only reason he didn’t kill her was because she was not only obedient but she held us down for him.
In the event that he wanted her to violate children for his pleasure she’d do that too.
“I knew you were familiar, Aunt Sophie. You look much older. Other than the branding, you aren’t even recognizable.”
She stares at me with hatred as if I’m the one who abused her. Eyes that look like mine glare at me as she hisses, “ungodly.”
There was a time when that word bothered me so much. I desperately wanted to be a good girl and earn the favor of God. Now I know that word means nothing. It was a tool to control me.
“Yeah? You think I’m ungodly? More so than a child molester? More than a woman that helped men perpetrate violent brutal rapes of little girls? Children. How could you, Sophie?”
She lies strapped to the table, but stays strong in her beliefs and shakes her head.
“It’s not ungodly when you are following his word. Everything was ordered by the Lord. Even going to the asylum to make you pay for your sins. We followed his word. You can kill me, but I will live in the kingdom of heaven for eternity while you burn in hell.”
Carter groans audibly expressing his disgust.
“It’s almost worse when they believe the shit they spew.”
I pull a cross from my pocket and hold it upside down above her throat, her unblinking eyes widen as her body shakes uncontrollably.
“God is dead. And so are you.”
I plunge the cross into her flesh, the blood from the wound spraying when I intentionally hit her artery, wanting it to be quick because I want this over.
She is the final member of the cult. I said I would end it, and I did.
I smile to myself as she gurgles her last breath.
It’s satisfying. I let out a long sigh of contentment.
“The cult is no more.”
I turn to Psycho with a small smile.
“You enjoy torture?”
He nods as his lips pull up into a sadistic grin.
“Do you want to take care of the priest for me? I’m done with all of this. I’m ready to start living.”
He glances at Bones and then returns his gaze to mine.
“It would be my pleasure.”
Walking over to the cage he kicks it, and Murphy trembles in fear cowering in the corner.
“Have you heard the good news, Father? We are going to have so much fun together. After we cut your tongue out because my brother is right. You’re fucking annoying.”
Bones points to the back around a half wall.
“There’s a bathroom back there if you want to wash your hands.”
I walk to the bathroom and Carter follows me. It doesn’t surprise me or bother me. If I asked him not to, he'd be respectful and honor my request.
“How do you feel, Little Heathen?” He asks as I enter the room and he turns the water on for me. I stare at his reflection in the mirror as I wash my hands and Sophie’s blood moves down the drain.
“Good. Relieved. The cult is gone. The Servants of Christ are no more. No more pain for the innocent. No more abuse in the name of God.”
Once my hands are clean I turn to him and he holds out a towel for me.
“Now what, Little Heathen?”
I finish drying my hands and place the towel on the counter and step closer to him.
Holding my hand to his chest, my gaze meets his, as I sigh softly.
“I’m ready to live my best fucking life. With my husbands. I’ve lived so long in the dark. Now I want to soak up the sun.”
He wraps his arms around my waist and kisses me on the forehead.
“Back to California then?”
I shrug my shoulders because I don’t care where we are. Not now.
“I do want to stand in the sun, let it warm my body with light. More than that, I want my men to be with me. I can weather the worst storm with you three by my side.”
He rubs his thumb over my bottom lip and stares at me, his eyes slightly darker.
“Perfect fucking girl.”
He kisses me, his tongue wrapping around mine, as his hands travel from my arms to the sides of my face. We don’t pull apart until the sound of a clearing throat.
I look at Bones as he stands in the doorway.
“I’m taking off. Athena wants to go shopping.”
I can’t help but giggle trying to picture him doing something as mundane as shopping.
“You shop, huh?”
He flashes me a serious expression.
“I do whatever my wife wants and your husbands will too.”
I look down suddenly feeling weird.
“Thank you for everything, Bones.”
He brushes it off like it’s no big deal but it’s a very big deal. All of it.
“You’re family. Bonetti’s stick together. Always.”
I wipe the tear falling down my cheek.
Family.
A real one that loves and treats you right. Something I’ve craved but honestly didn’t believe was possible. Now I have a big family that does exactly that. I’m proud to call them mine.
I take Carter's hand and we walk to the elevator together with Knox and Kill behind us. When we step outside the sun shines brightly, all the dark clouds are gone. Tilting my head back I smile at the sky as my men surround me. “This is not the end of our story. It’s the beginning of the most beautiful love story ever told. Because it’s ours. ”
The End.
Stay tuned for After the Ending content available in the paperback and on audio only!