35. Chapter 34
Chapter 34
Declan
S avannah has finally fallen asleep. She refused pain medicine, concerned that it could hurt the baby, but the doctor promised to give her something that was nontoxic if the tests show she is pregnant. I can’t stop staring at her face. He beat her so badly that she’s almost unrecognizable. How can someone do this to a person they are supposed to love? Someone who gave birth to his child? I don’t understand it. If there were a way, I’d wrap my girls up in bubble wrap to keep them safe.
Derek fucking Anderson is going to pay for everything he’s put Savannah and Kenzi through. We can’t move on with our lives until I know he’s gone and no longer a threat to them.
There’s a knock on the door before Dr. Owens walks in. Savannah stirs at the sound of him knocking.
“Mr. and Mrs. Walker, congratulations, the bloodwork is back, and you are definitely pregnant. We’ll treat you with pregnancy safe medications while you’re here. I want to get an ultrasound to make sure that the pregnancy is healthy, especially after you told me you took a fall. Just to be sure everything is alright. I think you should stay another day or two for observation, and then we can send you home.”
“Thank you, Dr.,” Savannah replies.
Looking over at my beautiful girl, my eyes tear up. “A baby,” I say, astounded.
“Declan, you sound surprised.” She giggles.
“I knew, but it’s still surprising for some reason.”
“A good surprise or a bad one?” she asks.
I know why she’s worried about my reaction, and so, to put her out of her misery, I bend down and place a kiss on her stomach. “An amazing one. I’ve never been happier.”
Climbing into the hospital bed with Savannah, I hold her, cherishing the feeling of her being in my arms. I almost lost her again, and I can’t imagine being without her.
Soon, she dozes off, and as I watch her sleep, I have to stop every few seconds and administer small gentle kisses on her head. Placing my hand on her flat stomach, I can’t help feeling pride that she’s pregnant with my baby. This was no accident. I meant it every time I told her I was going to fuck a baby into her and keep filling her with my cum until it happened.
My phone rings and I hurry to answer before it wakes my baby girl. “Hello.”
“Dec, I got your boy and I’m itching to bleed him dry. Maybe I’ll save his eyeballs and tongue in a mason jar for you.”
“Cello, don’t you dare kill that fuck! I’m going to get Mason to come and sit with Savannah, and then I’ll meet you to take care of him once and for all.”
After hanging up with Marcello, I place a call to my brother to have him come and sit at the hospital with Savannah. I can’t bear to leave her unguarded this soon, even though we have the threat contained. After the close call with Chet and Lisa, and then Derek attacking her, I can’t leave her without security. And I know Mason will defend her with his life.
Kissing my girl, I try to stir her enough so that she knows I’m leaving. I don’t want her to wake up frightened. “Vannah, Mason is going to sit with you while I run out and finish up business.”
Savannah’s eyes shoot open. Petting her hair, I attempt to calm her. “It’s okay, baby girl. He won’t ever be able to hurt you or our daughter again. You hear me?” Savannah nods her head up and down. “I promise you I will make you and Kenzi safe.”
Savannah’s face is still in shock, and I feel horrible about leaving her this way, but Mason will help reassure her. It’s odd to think he used to be a source of her anxiety, but now she trusts him implicitly. Over the last few months, she’s learned that not all men are abusers, but she still flinches and has nightmares. It’s gotten better and her panic attacks come less often, but I’ve talked to Savannah about getting her and Kenzi someone professional to talk to. We are going to get someone Marcello knows that will keep everything she tells them private. That way, she can speak freely. I’m going to make sure she goes in without me, so that she doesn’t feel the need to hide anything. She needs the freedom to heal without worrying about what anyone else thinks.
Reaching over, I hold both sides of her face in my hand. “I love you, baby girl. It’s all going to be okay. Do you trust me?”
“I do, Declan, you know I do. He’s not worth losing you over. Please don’t do anything that’s going to put you in jail.”
That’s the moment Mason makes his presence known as he walks over to Savannah’s bedside. “Savannah, we are being careful. Declan is not going anywhere. I will take the rap before he leaves you and Kenzi.”
Mason, offering his freedom up to protect mine, makes Savannah’s eyes fill with tears. She also now understands that Mason will bend the law to protect his family. My brother is a good person, but he knows the law isn’t always fair. As much as he tries to uphold the law, this circumstance is one that calls for him to turn a blind eye. To protect an innocent woman and child, he’s willing to lose evidence and look the other way.
“I’ll be back soon, Vannah. Love you.”
“Mason, no one comes in this room except Mom and Kenzi until I return.”
“You got it, brother. I’ll protect her with my life.”
Marcello wants to meet at the cave that Derek was holding Savannah in. When I arrive, it’s like a movie set. There are bright lights, and a silver capsule-type vat located front and center.
Cello is a calculated serial killer. Instead of shooting someone and letting them die quickly, he tortures and kills them in ways I’ve never thought of before. I’ve learned not to ask questions. He’s creative and always comes up with the strangest ways to get the job done. Nowadays, he sticks to killing people who deserve it, but he’s still a twisted fucker. I wouldn’t want to piss him off for anything in the world. And his charming and funny personality certainly doesn’t fool me.
Derek is cuffed to a heavy chain that is anchored to the cave wall. He’s even more disgusting than I imagined he would be from Marcello and Savannah’s description. I knew he was going through withdrawal from substance abuse and that he appeared unclean and messy, but this exceeds my expectations .
His foul odor permeates the air and makes my stomach turn. As I approach Derek, I can see his pale, trembling hands desperately trying to break free from the shackles. His bloodshot eyes dart around the dimly lit cave, filled with a mix of fear and desperation. As he twists and turns, the clinking sounds of the heavy chain echo through the cavern.
Filled with revulsion, I observe Derek’s deteriorating state. Covered with dirt and grime, his hair is matted and overgrown. His clothes, once vibrant, are now tattered and stained, a testament to his crumbling mental capacity. His body trembles from withdrawal, his movements erratic and unsteady.
As I inch closer, my own stomach churns even harder in response to the overwhelming odor. The putrid smell seems to seep into my pores, leaving a lingering discomfort. I can’t help but wonder how long Derek has been hiding out in this desolate cave, enduring the torment of withdrawal from the substances he’s addicted to. To go from being a decorated police officer and a husband and father, to this is astounding. How any man could throw all that away is beyond me.
Despite the repulsion, a sense of determination washes over me. I refuse to let Derek’s current state earn him a drop of sympathy from me. There is no redemption for this piece of shit who tried to destroy my world and take Savannah away from me. This man, who tortured her for years, degraded and defiled her, will suffer, and I have no qualms about doling out the consequences. The thought of my beloved Kenzi and Savannah being in danger terrifies me beyond words.
Standing in front of his trembling body, I glare at him. “Do you know who I am, Derek?”
“You are the Paul Bunyon-looking motherfucker who is fucking my wife.” He cackles.
“You are in no position to talk shit to me, Anderson. Be mindful of your tone and remember, your fate rests in my hands.”
“Take her, in fact, keep them both. Just let me walk away and you’ll never see me again.”
This is the moment Cello walks up and holds out an ax for me to take. When Derek sees this, he cries. Snot runs down his face into his mouth, mixed with the water coming from his bloodshot eyes. The smell of ammonia fills the air as a wet spot appears on Derek’s crotch.
“Fuck, why do they always start pissing and snotting on everything? You would think they could die with some dignity.” Marcello huffs while rolling his eyes in annoyance.
Ignoring Marcello’s dramatics, I return my attention to Anderson.
“Derek, you had it all. A beautiful woman, a precious daughter, a respectable job. Why’d you waste it all on whores and drugs? Was it worth it? ”
“It was worth it because that whore was never good at anything. Couldn’t even give a proper blowjob. She let herself get fat after that fucking kid came out. That’s not what I married her for.”
The things he’s saying about Savannah make me want to snap his goddamn neck, but I won’t lose control. The whole crying jag earlier was clearly a ploy to get sympathy and obviously not real. Looking into this man’s eyes, I see pure evil. Even worse than a serial killer like Cello. This guy isn’t morally gray. He’s black and has no morals at all. He’s the Devil. It’s creepy to think that he had Savannah in his hands. This piece of shit can’t walk free, no chance. To protect Savannah and Kenzi, I will cross any line.
“Derek, you will never be able to hurt my girls again.” Pulling two documents from my waistband and a pen from my shirt pocket, I bend down to his level. “You’re going to sign your parental rights away to Kenzi. I’m going to adopt her and give her the life you should have given her. Then, you’re going to sign the divorce papers so that I can marry Savannah. I’m not waiting years for your dumbass to be declared dead to marry the love of my life.”
“I’m not signing shit,” Derek spits out. “Those whores are mine to do as I please.”
Drawing my fist back, I land a blow on his jaw. The force sends his head backwards into the cave wall .
Blood drips from his split lip. He jerks and tries to fight back but is tethered to the rock wall. His anger fuels him as his struggles get him nowhere, but my determination fuels me more. With a swift kick to his gut, I knock the wind out of him, and he crumples up against the wall, gasping for breath.
While he’s down, I seize the opportunity, and grab him by the collar, before slamming him against the rocky surface. His eyes widen when jagged edges tear into his back. All sense of his earlier arrogance disappears in an instance.
“You think you can control them?” I growl, my voice dripping with venom. “You are not worthy of them.” Tightening my grip on his collar, I force him harder into the wall, the impact leaving him struggling for air. His feeble attempts at resistance are futile. I hold him there, his life hanging by a thread.
The air crackles with tension as our gazes lock. Hatred burns in his eyes, but beneath it, there’s a flicker of doubt. The realization dawns on him he is never walking out of this cave alive. I release my grip, watching Derek crumple, defeated. Although victory is sweet, there’s no room for celebration. The mission remains to make sure my girls can live a life without looking over their shoulder.
“Sign the papers, Derek, or your death is going to be slow and torturous. Do it and I will let you die quickly,” Marcello demands from beside me.
I’ve never taken a life before, so I’m grateful my friend is here by my side. He’s done this many times and doesn’t even flinch at taking a life. In fact, he relishes it.
Derek looks at both of us and then behind us at the five men lined up in black tactical gear holding machine guns and rifles. He knows there’s no way out of this.
I hold the pen out, and he snatches it. Despite being chained to the wall, he manages to sign each paper quickly as I hold them up to the pen.
“Tell my wife that she’s going to rot in hell for this. She’s always been nothing but trash and a waste of my time.”
“Motherfucker, you just signed off on a no-contest divorce. She’s not your wife, but she never really was yours anyway. She’s always been mine.”
“I’m going to miss fucking my wife, especially after I let all my friends inside of her. You can have her used-up pussy. She’s nothing but a whore,” Derek goads. It’s obvious what he’s trying to do. He’s hoping it will speed up the process if he makes me lose my temper. I might have promised if he signed those papers he would go quickly, but I said nothing about him going painlessly.
My fists are clenched as shudders run through my body. I’m trying to hold back my rage and not let this creep know how much his words infuriate me. Turning around, I hand the important papers to one of Marcello’s soldiers, out of the reach of any blood splatter. Then, I grab the ax, raise it above me, and with one swift motion, sever Derek’s hand.
Blood sprays out of his arm like a faucet. His screams echo through the cavern as his eyes go wide with shock and he stares at the stub and then at the missing limb laying on the floor.
“You are no man. Allowing men to violate your wife like that says more about you than it does about her. She’s too good for a piece of shit like you.”
Taking another swing, I cut off Derek’s remaining hand, which means he’s now completely detached from the chains that tethered him to the wall. Doesn’t matter though, he’s in too much pain and distress to escape. Blood sprays out of both arms, and Derek quickly passes out from the pain or blood loss. I’m not sure which.
“May you rot in hell, fucker.” Bending over his body, I spit on him. He’s scum and I don’t feel any remorse for chopping off his hands and letting him bleed out on this cave floor.
Throwing the ax down in the corner, I back away from the bleeding body of Derek Anderson. Blood is still spraying heavily, so I know his heart is still pumping. Looking to Marcello to determine what comes next, I notice he has a grin on his face. The twisted fucker.
“Declan, have you decided what you want to do with the body?”
After thinking about it for a few seconds, I decide to ask Marcello what he thinks I should do with it. Giving me a sinister grin, his white teeth almost glow in the dim light of the cave.
“I’m so glad you asked. We’ve set up this vat of liquid nitrogen.” He points to the silver metal capsule. “I’ll have my guys place the body inside and after the body is frozen solid, we’ll take it out to your woodchipper.”
“Freeze it?”
“Liquid nitrogen is minus 320 degrees Fahrenheit. We cryogenically freeze the body because if we put it in your woodchipper without freezing it first, the veins and intestines will clog up the machine. Even as big as your commercial woodchipper is. Bodies are stringy as fuck and it’s just a mess. Take my advice. Let’s freeze it first. It doesn’t take long for the body to become solid,” Marcello speaks like we are talking about the weather.
“We’ll follow your lead. No questions asked about your sources.”
The crazy fucker chuckles as he walks over to his men and gives them instructions.
I don’t relish murdering anyone, but Derek was a threat to my girls, and for them, I’m willing to do anything. There was no option we could have chosen that would have kept them safe from him for the rest of their lives. Looking over at his body, lying in a puddle of blood, I notice the blood spray has come to a slow drip, so I imagine Derek Anderson’s dead. I’m happy about that. I don’t feel remorseful that he’s died at my hands. In fact, I’m relieved. Does that make me as evil as he was? I don’t know, but I’m willing to spend eternity in hell for Savannah and Kenzi.
After the guys clean up the blood and place Derek inside the vat of liquid nitrogen, sealing it closed with a tight lid, they load the capsule up on a truck and in convoy, we drive out to my land. I keep a huge commercial woodchipper out there. We transport both to a cliff that overlooks the falls.
Magnolia Falls is breathtakingly beautiful, but I will never see it the same way after tonight. Backing the woodchipper into place, so that the chute will shoot the pieces into the waterfall, the men suit up with protective gloves and aprons. They place the body inside the chute. Turning the machine on, I watch as the woodchipper shaves off frozen chunks of Derek Anderson’s body and shoots them into the falls. These small pieces will become fish food and there won’t be a body to find.
Having my brother as the sheriff only gets me so far. Mason will do everything he can to cover up my crime because he knows I’m protecting my family, but I still can’t be careless. I would never put him at risk of being arrested and prosecuted for aiding and abetting or an accessory to the crime.
Standing on the cliff, I gaze down at Magnolia Falls as Marcello has a blast playing with the woodchipper, even standing beside me, drinking a beer and eating potato chips from a bag. He offers me some, but I’m unable to stomach food at a time like this. Marcello really isn’t right in the head.
I remember the old myths about the area. It’s said that the Falls have a paranormal aspect to them. Magic is drawn to the area, making it the perfect home for shifters, witches, and other mythical creatures but I wonder if the magic had something to do with bringing Savannah to me? I don’t believe the tales are real, but it’s fun to imagine. I’ve never seen a man shapeshift into an animal, but we have enormous wolves, bears, and other wildlife in these mountains. There are even old folktales about the Falls being a portal into magical realms.
Of course, none of it’s true, but it’s a hell of a lot better to think about than the red chunks of human flesh being shot into the Falls to become fish food. As the clumps of Derek Anderson splash when they hit the water, tinges of red fill the surface, until the waves and torrents of water come off the falls and stir them into the river.
Ending someone’s life is not something I take lightly, but Derek was a threat to what I hold dear, and any threat to them is going to be wiped off the face of the earth. He would have never stopped coming for them, so this was my only option.
Kenzi and Savannah are my world and there’s nothing I won’t do to keep them safe and happy.