Chapter 76
The smooth way my knife moves through the skin and muscles of his neck makes me shiver in delight. I lower the guard’s body to the ground and step over him, not making a sound. It’s as though I’m operating on automatic, urged on by the knowledge that I have to get to her. I can feel her.
I’m going to destroy every last one, especially him.
He’s somewhere in this house. The low static of Riggs’s voice comes through the earpiece in my ear.
“There are two women in the first room moving freely. Same for doors two and three. Found her.” My body holds still.
He’s using two thermal drones that can detect heat signatures.
“There is movement in the largest room. Only one body, horizontal on the bed. From the intel. He keeps new women separate. It’s Camryn. Last door.”
My heart beats faster. I’m going to enjoy killing this bastard.
I wait for Riggs’s signal that he looped the camera feed and turned off the alarms, buying me time before they realize I’m inside.
“You have six minutes. Go.” I open the unoccupied door, and I slip inside.
The uproar will start soon, and I need to use the six minutes I’m given.
I ease inside, and I survey the two guards sitting in the luxurious living room.
Their backs are turned to me, and they don’t notice me climbing the stairs.
It feels too easy, like a trap, but I don’t care.
I have to get to her. I count each door, not bothering to stop until I reach the last door.
It’s a double door, and it gives me some coverage.
A door opens, and a woman walks out. Her eyes widen, and I raise a finger to my lips and motion for her to go back inside.
She nods and closes the door.
Hopefully, they will stay away from the doors and hide. I check my time. Four minutes. Panic sets in as I clutch my gun. The scream that comes from down the hall makes me move faster, as a slapping sound follows and everything in my rebels. Another scream erupts. Her.
When I kick open the door, my blood runs cold.
The bastard is holding Camryn in front of him, and there is a mad gleam in his eyes.
He’s naked, and the night gown she’s wearing is ripped to shreds, her nude body exposed.
She’s bleeding from the neck and her breast, and every part of her is covered in blood.
I can see the wounds on her neck pulsing with blood.
Her face is unrecognizable; one of her eyes is swollen shut, and her cheek is puffy.
His hand is so tight around her mouth that I know her jaw will bruise.
The man I’ve hunted most of my adult life is not what I was expecting. I expected him to be more intimidating, taller, and more fit. He looks like a child even though I know him to be in his late forties, but it doesn’t matter. I am going to kill him.
“I knew you’d come.”
I point my gun, my voice utterly calm. “Get your hands off her.”
“I don’t think I will.” He trails his knife down her naked body, and when he draws the knife around her nipples, she sobs, her open eye locked on me. She looks both angry and terrified. “I could cut off these pretty nipples. I doubt you would want her then.”
“I’d want her no matter what,” I correct him, knowing it’s true. She’s mine, whole or broken. Always.
Camryn’s eyes widen. She looks at me and something flashes in her eyes.
“I’m not asking again.”
“I don’t take orders from you, bastardo.
I wonder if your woman is as brave as you.
What do you think, Ms. Park? How would you feel if I cut off your nipples?
” He pushes the tip of the knife deeper, and Camryn sucks in a breath, her chest heaving.
But what I see more than anything is the way her single eye narrows.
I can feel her brattiness. “Oh. I guess that won’t bother you, but what about your genitals?
” The knife moves down to the right above her vagina, which is already covered in blood.
Whose, I don’t know. My hand shakes slightly, praying he won’t do what I know he’s capable of.
“Fuck you,” Camryn mutters, slurring her words, clearly in pain, but not letting it show. Love blooms inside me. Her jaw is so swollen. It could be broken.
Shithead bites her ear, and I try to prevent myself from reacting, and leaping across the room and ripping his face open. She screams, arching her back, and tears threaten my eyes. Just a little more time, baby. Please hold on.
When he lifts his head and spits her blood on the bed, I promise myself I’m going to bleed him out. Drain every fucking drop until he’s an empty husk.
“Your taste in women is to be admired, even if this one is very mouthy. Ms. Park is not like the last whore who thought herself in love with you. Now she was fun to play with. Very submissive. Did you enjoy the gifts I left inside her?
Denise. I knew he was involved, but not directly. Now it all makes sense. Hatred flows through me for his callous cruelty to Denise. She was innocent in all this.
“I thought you would appreciate my efforts. You seem to enjoy the same form of beautiful mutilation.”
I see the admiration in his eyes, and it sickens me. I don’t want his respect. I want his death. “Then they disappeared. Poof. Gone. Where did you take the bodies, Dr. Stefan Hayes?”
That he knows my legal name is not surprising.
“Your lovely Denise had no idea that by giving me access to your club she was already dead. Stupid bitch fucked me minutes after she met me.”
That Denise was helping him, allowing him access to the club, is a shock. I would have never thought she would do it, not after all the years with the Legion. The betrayal stings, but I’ll never know her motives.
“She was so eager to please me, and my men certainly enjoyed her when I was done. Her screams were so lovely. You see, Stefan, they have no loyalty. She gave you up while my cock was in her ass.” He yanks Camryn’s hair back.
“Just like this one will.” He licks the side of Camryn’s face, dragging his tongue along her cheek, leaving a trail of saliva in his wake.
His eyes don’t leave mine when he nuzzles her temple, breathing in her hair.
Before I bled him, I’m going to tear his hair out by the handfuls while he screams, use the strands to gag him.
I try to communicate with Camryn using my eyes.
“Look, Ms. Park, your man wants to kill me. He hates that you will die with my touch being the last you ever feel, and I’m going to enjoy cutting open her belly and spilling her guts.
Payback because you keep taking what’s mine, El Búho.
You think you can take what’s mine without repercussions? ”
“An eight year girl doesn’t belong to you. She’s a child. They are all children and they are not yours to sell.”
“Their bodies are mine! I paid for every last one of them!” He screams, fury twisting his once calm features into something monstrous. Spittle flies out of his mouth, and his grip on Camryn gets tighter. Come on, Onyx. I need you, brother.
A shot rings through the window that hits El Jefe in the shoulder.
Onyx. Even as he cries out in pain, slumping forward slightly, he still has a hand around Camryn’s neck.
Surprisingly, she elbows him in the stomach and snatches the knife from his hand, and pushes him back, wildly stabbing into his body.
I rush forward as she screams, puncturing him over and over.
Blood splatters with each arc of her hands.
He jerks to the side and stumbles off the bed.
I go to Camryn and take the knife from her, tossing it away. “Camryn—”
She ignores me and scrambles off the bed, sobbing as she falls to the floor, crawling away.
She curls her body into a ball, and I can’t help her now.
It’s killing me not to know if she is injured.
There’s too much blood to know. I pull my eyes away from her and focus on the bastard slowly pulling himself up El Jefe stands, swaying slightly.
He’s covered in his blood, her blood. He laughs, blood staining the inside of his mouth.
The gunshot in his shoulder is spurting blood.
“You can’t save all the rats, Stefan. Millions are born every, and there’s always someone there to hunt them. It keeps the balance.” He pants, stepping forward.
“Move another inch and I’ll put a bullet between your eyes,” I growl.
“Go ahead.” He sways, and I can see the blood loss is affecting him.
“Someone will just take my place, ready to buy and sell. You think you stopped me?” He laughs cruelly.
“While you’re here with me, thousands of children are arriving at their next stop.
Money exchanged. Pedophiles, rapists, generals, soldiers, doctors, lawyers, priests, professors, and politicians are all waiting to claim their prizes.
There are so many people with money who enjoy sadistic things you can’t imagine.
Just another day in a capitalistic world. I give those children purpose.”
Before he can continue, I shoot him in both kneecaps, not blinking.
I can’t hear anymore. He screams again, falling to the floor.
He doesn’t know it, but he hit his mark.
Between Camryn and his words, my stomach roils with acid.
Every fucking word he said is accurate. There will always be someone like him exploiting children and women, and killing them all feels impossible.
But right now I can kill him. Make him feel more pain.
I head over to him using my ties to bind his feet and hands.
His groans of pain give me immense satisfaction.
His breathing is choppy and his eyes are closed, but he’s still alive. Good. I have plans for him later.