Chapter 57 #2
“She probably dyed it to hide her identity when she ran away from home on a trip to the tropics.” Michelle’s snide voice invades the somber atmosphere as she emerges from the hallway.
Oh, fuck, this bitch is good. Placing the blame on two adults who can legally come and go as they please.
Since there’s no body, there’s no proof a crime has been committed.
So, I bet they filed a missing person’s report, and that’s where the investigation died.
Especially with no evidence of foul play.
Turning to her, I take in Rose’s step-monster, the memory of all she divulged to me reawakening that drive to do the unspeakable. Clearing my throat, I ask, “You think they ran away? Why is that?”
“Those two were hell on wheels together. Always scheming against me. They most likely took off together to cause shit without any prying eyes.”
I look to Patrick. “Is this true? Would they do all this for shits and giggles?”
The battle raging inside Rose’s father is apparent. He doesn’t believe they’d run away, or doesn’t want to believe it. But he doesn’t want to stand against his wife, especially in front of a stranger.
Fine.
Let’s light this candle.
“If you think they left of their own free will, then I wouldn’t have found Rose deep within a sex trafficking ring, would I? Beaten and bloody, almost beyond recognition.”
“What?” Her parents say in unison.
“You’re sure it was her?” Patrick asks, and I nod. “Can you get her out?”
“May—”
“Who’s to say they didn’t willingly take up sex work as a way to pay for their new freedom?” Michelle pipes up, clearly racing to save her ass. “Maybe the whore stepped out of line, and was paying for it?”
“Yeah,” a voice calls out from the top of the stairs, “Rose had a new guy blowing up her phone every week. Maybe she met someone online before the cruise.” Two young men descend the staircase, moving to stand on either side of Michelle, guarding her.
I refuse to believe Rose was as promiscuous as they’re implying, but even if she was, it doesn’t matter now. She’s mine, she’ll live and die on my cock.
The second guy pipes up. “I saw her getting double stuffed at a frat party once, when she went to visit her sister at school.”
This information makes my eye twitch involuntarily. The thought of anyone moving inside my girl makes me near insane. But I’ll promise death to the ones whose tongues are stupid enough to speak ill of her.
“Regardless of her past,” I grind out, “I know she wasn’t willingly in the situation where I found her.” Looking to Patrick, he’s borderline shell-shocked on the couch. Absorbing this information about his daughter that’s being tossed around with no fucking tact.
“How could you possibly know that? The fucked up ones like all sorts of crazy shit.” The one I’m assuming is Tyler speaks up, enjoying the way he can drag his stepsister’s name through the mud.
“They were talking about getting some fat dick while onboard.” The other idiot must be Liam, Tyler’s friend who may as well be his shadow.
“See, Patrick, you raised a couple of whores. Even Chelsea was cheating on poor, sweet Connor.”
“They were only children when you killed their mother,” I snarl. “Seems to me if they liked to cock-hop it has more to do with your parenting than his.” I gesture to Patrick, not taking my eyes off Michelle or the dogs at her side.
“How do you know that?” Patrick whispers.
Oops. Seems I’ve let the cat out of the bag.
“I told you, Patrick. I’ve seen Rose.”
“Yes, seen her. Not talked to her. Not shared life stories. That’s a theory Chelsea has. You would’ve had to talk to Rose…bond with her…for her to tell you that!”
“Patrick, you’re going to want to stop yelling at me, or this meeting is over.”
“He fucked her,” Michelle says coolly. “Didn’t you, Mr. Keller?”
Patrick’s eyes snap between his wife and I. A smug look blooms across my face because I can’t hide the euphoria Rose brings me. It’s impossible to mask the fire that rips across my skin at the mere thought of her pussy sliding down my shaft.
I shrug, neither confirming nor denying the accusation.
“Did you fuck them both?” Tyler asks.
“Get a two for one deal?” Liam spits.
“I told you, Patrick. A couple of sluts, your daughters are.”
“Shut up,” the crumbling father whimpers, unable to process this storm circling around him.
“Is that why you sold them?” I growl.
“Yes,” Michelle deadpans, glaring me down. “Loose cunts like that would fit right in at a whorehouse. Why shouldn’t I make some money from it?”
A smile stretches across my face. Rose wasn’t lying to me. She wasn’t trying to manipulate me with some sob story about a mean family. These people really are the scum of the earth, and I can’t wait to praise the shit out of her for being honest.
“You did what?” Patrick exclaims, finally clueing into the conversation, his brain firing back to life after filtering through all the information swirling around him.
“Oh, don’t act like you didn’t suspect it. None of us got along, and after years of hell, I wanted payback.”
“Why?” Patrick chokes, holding back the lump in his throat. “Chelsea was away at fucking med school, and Rose was moving out.”
“I know. I had to do something before it was too late.”
Patrick looks to me. For guidance or support, I’m not sure. But I know he won’t find solidarity with me. Not this time.
“Now my boys can finally do what they’ve always wanted with those girls.
Constantly parading around here in slutty little outfits, just asking to be fucked, teasing and taunting them.
They’re lucky they made it this far without being raped.
” Michelle’s head turns from side to side, observing each piece of shit flanking her.
“Such good boys,” she coos. “Such gentlemen.”
This bitch is a fucking wacko. She’s unearthing my past without even realizing it, awakening the darkness I’ve been disconnected from.
Her sights linger on Tyler so long it’s uncomfortable, I half expect them to start swapping spit.
Looking to Patrick, she says, “I sure hope you can move past this, sweetheart. Or I’ll take you for all your worth thanks to our prenup.”
The widening of his eyes is the only response to her threat, and I can’t imagine he’d agree to this.
Shallowly, he nods.
I wouldn’t believe it if I wasn’t witnessing it with my own two eyes. What a spineless motherfucker.
“Marvellous,” she drawls. “Now, Mr. Keller…” Michelle’s gaze shifts to me. “I think you’ve stirred up more than enough trouble by being here. Please see yourself out, and give my best wishes to your whore.”
Before I even register my own actions, I’ve fired off three shots.
Tyler, his mother, and Liam drop to lifeless heaps.
Their warm blood leaks out, pooling to colour the light oak floor, as the cast-off spray peppered across the light blue walls streams down in crimson trails.
Energy explodes beneath my skin, the high from killing spiking my heart rate.
But at the same time, there’s a loosening, the tension in my chest slowly dissipating the longer I soak in the sight before me.
“What have you done?”
His voice almost startles me. Patrick’s so insignificant, I forgot he was here.
Rose’s father chokes back a sob as he slides from the couch, crawling across the floor to cradle his cooling wife’s body in his arms.
“What did you do?” he screams, spit flying from his mouth as tears curl around his lips. They pour unrestrained from his red-rimmed eyes, and disgust swirls in my gut.
“Are you serious? You’re crying over that bitch?”
“She was my wife!” he snaps. “My boys!” Patrick wails, flicking his sights between the bodies, and I know the silencer on my pistol was pointless because he’s about to rouse all the neighbours.
“They sold your daughters into slavery,” I growl, the burning in my core returning, coiling tighter than ever before.
“But you know where they are. You can save them, bring them home. I could’ve fixed this!” He whirls on me, tear-heavy eyes full of far too much emotion for someone so shallow.
“Yes, I could have,” I gently reply, “but I won’t.”
“What? No. Stop.” Patrick pleads as I raise my gun on him, narrowing my sights. “Just…wait. Is she safe? Rose. Do you have her? Tell me you can fix this. Please, tell me you’ll save them. If I have to die, let me die knowing.“
“No.”
“Let me have peace,” he begs.
“You don’t deserve peace.”
Then I pull the fucking trigger.