Chapter 50
Dante
Rachel promised she had things under control with the bullies at school. There was a minor meeting this morning, and some threats were thrown around, but Rachel had us convinced that she would get it sorted. And, if she couldn’t, we were free to exact revenge Devil’s style.
It did little to placate the rest of the men who were already sharpening their knives.
Tools had given a very powerful, emotive speech about slicing the parents' faces off, wearing them as masks, and scaring the children whilst they were asleep.
Even I could recognise that as maybe being a step too far.
Rachel had patted him on the cheek and told him it was nice to know we had options, but she was taking charge for now.
So whilst she was busy with school, I decided to deal with the other headache in my life.
After checking that her dad was busy at the police station, I got on my bike and rode over to Vicky’s house. Her door was unlocked, as it always was—the woman had no fucking idea about safety—so I let myself in and headed to her bedroom to wait for her.
It didn’t take long for me to hear her voice, and so I quietly pulled the door shut and listened.
“Yeah, I’m going to see him later on today… I know,” she said with a laugh. “I know! … I dunno. When it stops being fun, I suppose.”
Her little pauses let me know she was on the phone. Which meant she was alone. Just like I wanted.
“She didn’t say a word to me… Nah, honestly, not a word. In fact, she was all but begging to be friends with me… Oh, believe me. If I wanted him back, it wouldn’t be too difficult. But that’s not my goal here.”
I chuckled to myself as I imagined Rachel begging her for anything. The woman was deluded if she imagined that’s how their interaction had gone.
“I’m just going to play with him for a while. And then when he’s back in love with me, I’m going to rip his heart out and stomp all over it, just like he did to me.”
She walked towards the wardrobe that I was hiding inside and ripped open one of the doors. She didn’t look inside as she flung her hand in to search for something. I took that as my opportunity to seize her wrist and yank her towards me.
She screamed, and I clamped my hand down on her mouth to silence her, shaking my head in a silent warning to shut up.
When she nodded, I released my hand and took a step out of the wardrobe, forcing her to walk backwards.
“What? Yeah, I’m okay…. No, don’t be silly. It was just a spider. You know what I’m like with spiders! Look, let me call you back soon, I just need to finish up here… Yeah. Love you too. Bye.”
As she disconnected the call, I jutted my chin to the side, letting her know I wanted her to throw it. She did it, narrowing her eyes as she did so.
“What are you doing here, Dante?” She breathed. “Aren’t you a little too old to be hiding in women’s wardrobes?”
“When the woman in question is a conniving, scheming, little cunt like you, I think the means justify the gains. Tell me, Vicky, just how is it you were planning on ripping my heart out and stomping all over it?” I grinned as her eyes widened. “That’s right, sweetheart. I heard everything.”
“You don’t scare me,” she hissed, but the tremor in her voice betrayed her bravado.
“No?”
“You wouldn’t hurt the mother of your child.”
“I have no intention of harming a single hair on Rachel’s head.”
“The other mother.”
“She’s already dead. There’s no need to harm her.”
Wow, Dante. Three baby mamas and not one of them can stand to be near you. What a catch you are!
I didn’t know when Rachel became the voice in my head, but I wished she’d get the fuck out of my mind.
“You can deny it all you want but—”
Her words were cut off as I seized her throat and squeezed until her eyes widened with fear.
“Let’s clear a few things up,” I ground out, walking her backwards until she was pinned against the wall by her throat. “I don’t give a fuck what delusions you’ve told yourself, but if you think I’d let you carry my baby to term, you’ve lost what tiny little mind you had to start with.”
“It’s… not… up… to… you…” she breathed, clawing at my hands in a desperate attempt to get me off her. I pulled back slightly, only to slam her against the wall once more, this time with even more force.
“No? Because the way I see it, I could put an end to this entire charade, right here, right now. But luckily for you, I’ve grown soft since the love of my life is back where she belongs.
So I’m going to give you the opportunity to get rid of it yourself.
Because if you make me come back here and finish the job, I’ll make sure you can never pull this shit on any other guy. ”
“It… takes… two… to… tango… Dante…”
“And you told me you were on the fucking pill!” I yelled at her, tightening my grip on her throat. I waited until her eyes were rolling into the back of her head and her legs began to give out before I let go of her, dropping her to the floor.
Her hands instantly came up to her throat as she pulled in heaving gasps of breath, looking up at me with pitiful eyes.
“You were a quick fuck, Vicky. Nothing more, nothing less. I used you to get information on the police. If you’ve deluded yourself into thinking it was something more, then that’s on fucking you.
I never once lied to you. I never once offered you false promises.
I told you we had no future, and I told you that you would never be anything more to me.
You lied, and now you can face the consequences.
Get rid of the bastard you’re carrying, final warning. ”
“I’ll ask my dad to put me in protective custody. You can’t force me to get rid of my baby . Your baby!” she wheezed.
“Do it. And by the time you’ve given birth, there won’t be a single member of your family left alive.
And believe me when I say I’ll be at the hospital ready to snuff out the life that never should have begun.
Look at the state of you,” I spat at her.
“You’re off your head on coke most days.
You can’t go a morning without having a drink.
And you sure as hell can’t take care of yourself, never mind anyone else.
If you want to call yourself a mother, then be fucking selfless.
Get rid of it before your poison infects it.
I assure you, neither you nor that thing will leave the hospital if you call my bluff. ”
“Is that the man you’ve become? A baby murderer?” she screamed at me as I walked the length of the room, heading to the door. I turned around and grinned at her. She took one look at my face and shrank back.
“It’s who I’ve always been, Vicky.”
“Rachel won’t let you do this.”
I laughed out loud at that one.
“Rachel will skin you alive and claim that baby as her own. Either way, you’re still not going to be its mother. The decision is yours, I’ve given you the options.”
I pulled the door open and gave her one last smirk before I slammed it shut behind me.