Chapter 18
MOIRA
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous. After tonight, we’d all know if I was capable of living this life or not.
I knew I was. My nervousness wasn’t about what my choice would be, it was that I had to prove to Butcher and his family that I was.
And that’s what he was tonight; Tonight, he was Butcher.
He wasn’t my loving, kind, gentle Andy. I knew the man I’d be seeing tonight was the man that nightmares were made of if you were on the wrong side of him.
But I also knew he was the man that made sure that those that survived never had to face their tormentor again, and those that died got their revenge in the afterlife.
I was arriving later than I’d intended to. I’d got a little lost and travelled miles out of my way after the crew Sean had sent with me dropped away and I’d continued alone. It had been a while before I’d realised there were two roads with similar names, and I’d taken the wrong one.
Once I realised that I’d made a mistake, I’d turned around and now I was parking alongside a car I didn’t recognise. There was only one light on in the house. I assumed that’s where they would be.
I stopped to make sure my gloves were on nice and tight, and that my hat covered all my hair. Getting out of the car, I gently closed the door, not wanting to make too much noise.
It was a clear night with the stars bright in the sky. Any other night, I’d have enjoyed taking a minute to enjoy it and breathe the clean air, but not tonight.
Tonight, I had business to take care of.
I climbed the stairs to the small porch and noted the disposable shoe covers left there. Taking a pair, I slipped them over my shoes before grasping the handle of the door in my hand and turning it. It opened easily under my hand.
Taking a deep breath, I murmur, “It’s now or never Moira. Pull up those big girl pants and show your man you’re made for this life.”
Pushing open the door, I continue with my pep talk. “Well, here goes nothing.”
Closing the door, I stand still, listening. I can hear him, and I know which room he’s in as there is only one light on in the whole house. I’m assuming he’s armed, and I don’t want to get shot, so I call his name. “Butcher!”
Surprisingly, I hear another voice in the room with him. I’d assumed he worked alone. Maybe I was wrong. I can hear the resignation in his voice when he calls out.
“In here, sunshine.”
Walking towards the room he called from, I stop in the doorway and look around the room.
My eyes bounce around the walls, taking in every photo of the atrocities the fucker they have bent over a chair had done.
Along with the photos are newspaper articles and words cataloguing all his sins, and there were many.
When I’m done with them, I look at the two men covered head to toe in overalls that are covered in blood, disposable glasses covering their eyes. There isn’t an inch of skin showing, but I’d know my man anywhere.
My gaze darts to the man they’ve got bent over a chair. I can only assume they’re going to do to him what he’s done to so many and never been punished for.
Strangely enough, the sight of his blood doesn’t bother me. Not with all his transgressions lined up on the walls for me to see. The little girls and boys interspersed with a few women and young men.
Yeah, I have no problem with the punishment they’re meting out on the fecker. I hope they make it hurt.
Turning my eyes to my man I casually say, “Rapist huh?”
Butcher lets out a breath of relief when he replies, “Yeah, milseán. Why are you here? I never wanted you to see this side of me.”
“I know,” I reply. “And that’s why I had to come, to show you that the work you do doesn’t bother me.
This was a test. I think Aunt Jess and Uncle Sean wanted to know if I was strong enough for you,” I reply with a shrug and casually lean up against the doorjamb.
“I’d come kiss you, but I’d rather not be covered in that fecker’s filth. ”
Butcher shakes his head at me, but I can see the pride in his eyes when he looks at me. “How did you get here, milseán, and who is with our girl?” Butcher asks.
“Drove,” I reply casually. The man with him growls, and I wave my hand. “Relax stranger, I’d never put my man or our family at risk. Uncle Sean and Aunt Jess made sure everything is covered. They’re with our girl waiting for me. Like I said, this was a test. I hope I passed.”
Butcher chuckles and shakes his head, “I’d say you passed, mo anam cara. I need you to go home now though, so we can finish up.”
Relief fills me when he calls me his soul mate, and I give him a soft smile, “I’m going. I’ll have breakfast ready when you get home.”
“Thank you, mo anam cara. I’ll be home in a few hours. Make sure you do everything that Uncle Sean says when it comes to disposing of your clothes. I don’t want anything to come back to you.”
“I will,” I reassure him, blowing him a kiss and giving him a wave. “Not sure who your friend is but make sure he knows I’m not a threat. Love you, mo ghrá.”
“Fecking hell,” the stranger mutters.
Turning on my heel to leave, I suddenly stop, calling out. “Butcher.”
He looks at me and even though I can’t see them, I know his eyebrows are raised in question by the way his head-covering moves.
I nod towards the fecker they’ve got tied up who until now hadn’t made a sound. “Make sure that when you rape that gobshite’s arsehole you rip it to shreds. Make it hurt and hurt good for every one of those babies he touched.” He certainly starts thrashing at my words.
Butcher and the stranger with him both nod their agreement. Turning away, this time I leave for real. Removing my shoe coverings, I put them in my pocket and get in the car for the hour's drive home.
Uncle Sean is waiting for me when I park in Butcher’s driveway.
“Ye good, lass?” he asks as I get out and walk towards him. Gripping my chin in his hand, he angles my face up to him and stares into my eyes. He grins, let’s go of my chin and pats my shoulder. “You’ll do, lass. Told Jess our boy wouldn’t have chosen a weak woman.”
“He didn’t,” I agree. “I understand the test, doesn’t mean I liked it, but I understand it. Now, I promised Andy to do whatever you tell me to do when it comes to disposing of my clothes.”
“Good lass, I’ve got the burn barrel ready in the garden.
Let’s get you into Andy’s bathroom. Strip, give me your clothes, everything lass, including underwear.
Jess has put spare clothes in there for you to change into.
We’ll wait for Andy to come home; we’ll have breakfast together, then we’ll leave you both to chat.
We’ll take Mikayla to nursery, and you can pick her up. No work for you today.”
The man was certainly used to issuing orders with the way he fired them at me. But I’d promised to listen, so I did as he asked and went into Andy’s bathroom, stripping down. I handed all my clothes including my shoes through a crack in the door, then I showered. Washing the night away.
The images of blood, the pain I’d seen etched on all those faces on the walls flashed through my mind. I imagined washing all the bad down the drain, just like I’d done more than once in my lifetime.
When I got out of the shower, my mind was clear and my heart was full of love for the man who did what most couldn’t stomach.
Killing didn’t make him a bad man.
At least not in my book, not when it came to those that he disposed of.