12. Grimm
12
GRIMM
The doorbell rings and I rush down the stairs to answer it. Eli was already heading toward the door, but I barrel past him, knocking him in the shoulder.
“Hey fucker! Watch where you’re going, you ass,” Eli yells, but I don’t pay him any mind as I whip the door open and scan our porch.
Nothing but a black envelope sits on our doorstep. Fuck. This wasn’t what I was hoping for.
My vision was more along the lines of Verena standing on my doorstep, eager to hop into my bed and release all of our sexual frustrations on each other. But, nope. Just a fucking letter explaining our next assignment.
If it’s not Verena, at least it’s an opportunity to take out my pent-up exasperations on someone who deserves it.
Usually, Eli takes care of the planning. Emmett and Jaden initiate our takedowns and I come in for the execution. Picking up the envelope, I shut the door and walk down the hall to Eli's room and bang my fist against the wood. “Yo! Send me the details for the assignment we have tonight.”
Slipping the letter under the door, I head upstairs to get ready and ponder what lengths of barbarity I’m willing to go to tonight.
I’m downstairs in the kitchen, pouring myself a glass of whiskey, thinking about none other than V. I wonder if she’s okay, if Leo has tried something again.
But mostly, and I know it’s selfish and fucked up, I can’t stop wondering if she’s stopped to think about me.
The rest of the guys trickle into the kitchen and sit at the island, pulling me from my thoughts. Emmett is the first to speak. “Grimm, you’re going to fucking love this.”
My eyes shoot up and a grin spreads on my face. “Yeah, I better. The monster wants to come out and play. Who’s the prick we’re knocking off the hit list?” I ask, turning to Eli.
“Tonight’s mission is a bit different from our normal feat. A woman. A powerful one at that. Her name is Mallorie Mavros,” he responds. He flips it open and pulls out a small portrait along with a piece of plain white paper. Holding up the picture, Eli begins to explain our assignment for the night.
“Mallorie has ties with the black market. A lady who likes lethal weapons. She started dealing with smaller blades like daggers and trench knives. More recently, she’s been dipping her toes in the deep sea waters of firearms. The Brotherhood was looking to purchase some of these exclusive weapons from her inventory. Long story short, she fucked us over. She asked for a fifty-thousand dollar advance for the weapons and went radio silent for almost four months. Ms. Mavros resurfaced again at a motel near Ramsey about two weeks ago. She hasn’t tried to contact us once. We’ve got eyes on her, but it’s on us to either get the money or take her out.”
I let out an unexpected laugh. “Ramsey? Why would she choose a hiding spot twenty minutes away from us? Is she trying to be slick, moving right under our noses, or is she really back to fix things?”
Eli shrugs, “I haven’t read her journal, dude. I don’t fucking know. Simply telling you what I do know. I tried to do some digging and found that her parents bought a house in Ramsey, secluded from the rest of the suburbs. Those that spotted her at the motel, followed her to the house. Jaden and I cross-checked the address with the eyes we have on her and it’s a match. Looks like she’s there alone, so we’ll leave in a couple of hours.” He states, tapping the island and walking out of the kitchen.
I lock eyes with Jaden, his typically charming grin has disappeared from his face. “I don’t kill women. Those are against my rules of morality,” he says, shaking his head.
Chuckling, I sip on my whiskey, “You don’t have any rules of morality, moron.”
As he walks by, Jaden clunks the back of my head with his hand. “Yeah, I do. Women. Children. They don’t die.”
Nodding, Emmett joins in. “Then you better hope she’s got the money to save her ass. Not like you’d be the one to off her, anyway. We all know Grimm wouldn’t be generous to give one of us his kill. Don’t sweat it.” Jaden sucks his teeth and retreats to his room, slamming the door behind him.
Sighing, I down the rest of my drink and immediately pour another one, repeating the process. Emmett rests his hand on my shoulder and pats. “Whoa, just a few weeks ago we were in this very spot and you were telling me to chill out with my drinking. You good?” He asks, his brows furrowing.
I nod. “Yeah I’m alright. Family stuff. It’s complicated.”
Giving me another pat on the back, he walks out of the kitchen, leaving me alone.
I don’t know what’s worse. The silence around me or the voices that fill my head when I’m alone telling me to reach out to Verena and make sure she’s okay. I don’t care about the weapons or the killing. The Brotherhood and these dumb assignments. They used to give me such an adrenaline rush. But there’s nothing like the rush I get from being in the same vicinity as V. I’d much rather be in her company instead of doing dirty work for The Elders.
A sinking feeling settles in my stomach. Maybe I shouldn’t go. It would be good for me to stay back in case Verena came by and needed me, I mean, a place to stay.
Even though I know it’s really not possible, I can’t help but wish my plans for the night were different.
I feel it. I feel it with every pump of my heart.
Something isn’t right.
A few hours later, we’re parked outside of an enormous white brick house, onyx lining every trim. There’s a light on upstairs, but the rest of the house is blanketed in complete darkness.
We get out of the car and the guys start walking to the house. I pop the trunk, removing my bag and throwing it over my shoulder. Gently, I close the trunk, then jog to catch up with the guys.
As we come up to the residence, I let my intentions be known. “Alright. In and out. I don’t want to be here all night.” I look around and their faces are twisted and confused.
“Since when don’t you enjoy this stuff? What the fuck is going on with you?” Jaden asks.
“Nothing. I’m just tired. Let’s go,” I answer, pushing past them and stopping at the door. I stand in silence while patiently waiting for Eli to work his handy magic. Within ten seconds, the front lock is picked. The less time this takes, the better.
Reaching in my waistband, I pull out my gun and step into the foyer. I tiptoe into the house with Jaden behind me and together we scan the sitting room and bathrooms, while Eli and Emmett scope out the kitchen and dining room.
We meet again in the foyer in front of a massive staircase, and Emmett flashes a grin and a smile. “All good!” he whispers excitedly.
I nod and Emmett points up, letting everyone know where to go from here. Slowly, we file up the stairs and around the banister. At the end of the hall, a door is open and light pours out of the room. A laugh breaks out and Emmett’s hand goes up, signaling us to freeze.
It wasn’t a feminine laugh. That was a man. Irritated, I turn to Eli and whisper, “You said she was alone. Who is that?”
He side-eyes me, not up for my attitude. “I said it looked like she was alone, dipshit. It was an assumption. Or is that too big of a word for you to comprehend?”
Emmett turns, giving his gun to Jaden and flicks us both on the nose. “Both of you stop it. Right now. It doesn’t matter who is here. There’s enough of us to take care of it.” Focusing on me, he speaks again. “In and out, right?”
“Yeah,” I agree, lifting up my gun and heading towards the room.
Faintly, I hear someone behind me ask, “Grimm, what the hell are you doing?”
Unfortunately, I’ve got tunnel vision; the only thing I see is the dim light of the room. So I’m going in and ending this shit.
I walk into the room and Mallorie has some Johnny Bravo knockoff underneath her. Raising my gun, I squeeze the trigger, letting a bullet fly through the ceiling and alert them of my presence. They jolt and scramble to cover themselves.
“Who the fuck are you?!” Johnny shouts at me; his blonde coiffed hair puts a grimace on my face and it is too hard to contain my composure.
I laugh. “I could be your friend and give you some pointers. Or I could be your worst fucking nightmare and make the remainder of your life absolute hell. The choice is yours.”
Mallorie cuts in. “This is my house and I have a right to know what the fuck you think you’re doing in it!”
Slowly nodding my head, I answer. “You’re right. Ms. Marvos is it? Mallorie?”
“Well…who’s asking?” she responds cautiously. Her porcelain skin turns paler than before and I see her icy eyes dilate from where I’m standing.
I fire another round, the bullet just grazing her arm. She yelps in pain, blood trickling down her arm. It isn’t until then that Johnny finally decides to be useful, and jumps in front of Mallorie.
“Answer me!” I yell, irritated that this is already taking longer than I wanted it to. My mind flickers back to Verena; images of her snuggled in my blanket flash through my mind and I want nothing more than to go home to her.
“You are in debt to The Red Skull Brotherhood. Whether it’s money, weapons, or your lives, we’re taking it. Hell, I’d be fine with snagging all three.” I’m met with silence. Mallorie glances at the man, telling him something with her eyes.
He doesn’t spare her a look, so she spits out a confession. “It wasn’t me. I didn’t take the money; it was him. It was Zachary! Please, don’t hurt me. He works for my father, I was only doing what was asked of m-”
She’s cut off mid sentence because of the bullet I put through her head. Mallorie lays motionless at the foot of the bed, crimson pouring out, turning her platinum hair into a bright red.
Zach starts screaming his head off, and I really do not have time for this.
Bang!
Bang!
Two more shots are fired, blaring throughout the room. Mr. Zachary screams out in pain, dropping to his knees.
Looking behind me, I see Emmett with his gun pointed at Zach’s feet. Giving him an acknowledging nod, I return the gun to my waistband and walk over to our guy.
We got him.
I grab his neck and rear my fist back. Driving it forward, it connects with his nose and there’s a satisfying crunch. Blood sprays out, covering my fist and his face, and it looks fucking beautiful. He falls to the floor cradling his face.
Grabbing his arms, I drag him up and over to a chair. I signal the guys to tie him up, but only Eli and Emmett step forward. Jaden shakes his head and leaves the room.
Pussy .
Letting my bag slip off my arm and drop at my feet, I flash my newest victim a big, toothy grin. Excitement pumps through my veins and my cock twitches at the prospect of getting to bust this motherfucker up. It’s about damn time!
“Anyone else need to excuse themselves?” I ask the guys and they both flip me off. I return the gesture before they turn and leave the room.
“Hurry up, we’ll be downstairs,” Eli says.
Reaching into my bag, I pull out the photo I printed before heading here. Leo's ugly ass face greets me and I clench my jaw to refrain from squeezing and crumpling the photo in my fists.
“You see, Zachary, I don’t care why The Brotherhood wants you dead. All I care about is being the executioner. That big guy that just fucked up your feet? That was Emmett. Looks like a sweetie-pie, but is a fucking psychopath. I’ve been learning a lot from him lately about tapping into my inner demons and letting my monster come out to play. It’s fun, I’ll show you.”
Grabbing the strap of my backpack, I drag it across the floor to where he’s tied up in the chair. I crouch down in front of him and shove my hand inside to grab a cloth and the container of pins I had brought with me.
I wrap the cloth around his mouth and shove it between his teeth for good measure. He screams behind his gag and I look up and smile at him. “What was that? You think I should play some music?” I ask. Slapping his cheek twice, I dig around in my bag for a speaker.
“That was such a great idea, Zach,” I say, while pulling my phone from my pocket and opening up my music app. My playlist, Grimm’s Greatest Hits , begins to play, and I set the device down as Two Dope Boyz (In a Cadillac) by Outkast fills the room.
Lifting the photo up to Zach’s face, I can’t fight the smile that splits my cheeks. Without tearing my eyes away from the sight in front of me, I reach down and snatch a pin from the container. The pins prick my fingers with the sharp points but I don't care. I’m so fucking excited right now.
Zachary attempts to scream once more, the gag doing its job to silence him. With the picture of Leo’s face pressed against him, I take the first pin and push it through the paper at the top of his forehead. The sound of the paper being punctured before the skin breaks around the sharp point fills my ears. With a single pin at the top of his forehead holding the photo of Leo, I let go and it hangs beautifully.
“Much better.” I smile. A small amount of crimson begins to leak from where the pin is, turning the white paper red. I hum along to the song while reaching for more pins. Continuing to push them through the paper and into his skin, I insert pins all along the perimeter of the paper.
Blood leaks from each tack hole through the black-and-white photo and satisfaction skirts down my spine. It looks perfect.
I just wish it was the real fucking thing.
With Zach’s face covered by Leo’s photograph, I grab some scissors and cut down the center of his shirt.
I rummage in my bag once more for the right tool. When my fingers graze the thin knife, I smile. The skinny, long knife is perfect for what I have planned.
I pull out the tool and turn it, letting the blade reflect the light. The clean surface shows my reflection and the big smile that fills my face.
Walking back over to my latest victim, I twirl the knife in my hand. “I've taken an interest in darts recently, you know? I’ve found that it’s pretty satisfying watching that sharp point burrow into the target.” He whimpers at my words, the tears that pour from his eyes wet the paper I have pinned to his face.
I press the tip of the knife between his collarbones and create my very own dartboard on Zachary’s chest. Blood drips down his skin in a beautiful pattern.
I’m crouched down to ensure I create the perfect bullseye and my eyes lift up to his. “Perfect.” I smile while standing back to my full height. I tilt my head and look over my handy work.
My hands twitch by my sides and my cock aches for blood. I grab my darts and give myself enough room to let them soar.
Just as I’m getting ready to throw the first dart, the song changes and the melody of my favorite song fills the room, drowning out Zach’s cries.
“Zachary-y-y-y!” I singsong. “This is my favorite song! It’s like the torture gods knew the fun was about to start.” I can’t dance for fucking shit, but I don’t care. I shimmy and shake my ass while singing along to Everywhere I Go by Hollywood Undead.
Getting lost in the haze of the bloodlust. Forgetting about everything that threatens to fall apart. Distracting my mind from the girl that I want so fucking bad but can’t seem to catch. No matter if I try to help her, save her, I won’t be enough for her. After Leo, she needs a prince charming, and that is just not me.
I’m a monster. But I know she is too.
Bringing my attention back to the dance party, I throw my ass in a circle. “Hey Zachy, do you like my dance moves?” I toss over my shoulder. When he doesn’t respond, I straighten back to my full height, and without hesitation, fling the dart right at his chest. The sharp front disappears into his skin.
That gets me a response. His muffled scream behind the gag and paper echoes around the room and my lips split into a grin. I know he can’t really see me, but if he can whimper he can say a simple, “Yes, Grimm, you dance beautifully. Teach me your ways.”
“What was that?” I cup my hand over my ear. “I didn't hear you. Was that a no?” I grab a dart from the ground and toss it hard at the carved target in his chest.
His screams turn into grunts as he loses more blood. Soon his grunts turn to silence, but I’m not done with him just yet.
My heart pumps harder as every dart impales itself into his skin.
“How about a little game of she loves me, she loves me not?” I ask. Knowing I’m not going to get a response, I throw the dart and watch as it plants into the skin.
“She loves me.”
I throw another one.
“She loves me not.”
And another one.
“She loves me.”
And another one.
“She loves me not.”
My lips spread, showcasing all of my teeth as I smile at my latest victim. Looking at the last dart sticking out of the center of the makeshift dart board, I pump my fist up.
“Bullseye. She fucking loves me.”
I’ll happily take my delusions and let them burrow inside my heart. Wiping my bloody hands down on my pants, I reach into my pocket to pull out my phone. I’m pulling up my messaging app to notify The Brotherhood’s cleaning crew that their presence is needed, when my fingers pause on the screen.
My blood turns to ice and I feel my heart stop as I stare down at the message on the screen.
Verena
*Drops Location*
Verena
I'M HERE. HELP.