Chapter 56 #2
“Fucking end her before I do it myself, Ledge,” Varsha says. “She’s breathed long enough.”
Dorran sniffs and looks at Mom again, then clocks her in the face, making her groan. “Haven’t I told you before not to speak to Cignette with disrespect?” he says, then slaps her cheek. “Haven’t I?” Another slap. “Fucking answer me!”
She trembles, then gives him a weak nod. “I’m sorry.”
He laughs. “You’re sorry…” He shakes his head a little, then slaps Mom again – harder this time. “Too. Fucking. Late.” He grabs one of the pliers, then presses Mom’s left hand flat against the chair’s armrest.
She tries to push herself back, but it’s of no use.
Dorran opens the plier, then closes it around one of her long nails. Giving her a wink, he pushes the plier back, paying no heed to her screams, and pulls the nail right off her finger.
“You know why I’m doing this?” he asks her, then plucks another one of her nails off, grinning when she begs him to stop. “Because you won’t be needing your nails, not after people find you burnt to a fucking crisp in your own car.”
She shakes her head, then screams when Dorran pulls off her ring finger nail.
“You were on your way to the airport – all by yourself – when your car caught fire,” he continues. “Due to an electrical issue, of course. A few loose wires in the engine, along with some built-up hydrogen, and…boom. Goodbye, Miranda Adler.”
Mom mumbles something, but it’s not clear what she’s saying. She’s barely got any strength in her, let alone a voice.
Dorran throws the plier back into the tray, then leans back in his chair. “I’m bored,” he says plainly, and takes a cigarette out of his jeans pocket. He puts it between his lips, then lights it up with a familiar lighter. The one I had planned on giving him, but hadn’t had a chance to.
Death
Note.
He takes a drag of his cigarette, and runs the pad of his thumb over the golden skull embossed on the lighter, all the while scanning Mom from top to bottom.
“You know, I thought I’d enjoy torturing you,” he tells her.
“But you’re not fun enough. You beg for mercy one minute, then curse people in the next.
Where the hell is your consistency?” He laughs to himself as he takes a second pull from his cigarette, then brings it in front of him.
He twists it left and right as if assessing it, then presses its still-burning tip to the bleeding nailbed of one of Mom’s fingers.
Her cry reverberates through the walls, making a chill crawl up my spine.
“Jesus,” Mave mutters from next to me.
“Jayce,” Dorran calls, then throws the cigarette on the floor and looks at me. “And you – come here.”
I walk over to him, just as he straightens in his chair. When I’ve reached him, he gestures at his thighs. “Sit.”
I do, and wrap an arm around his neck. He places one of his arms over my thighs, and rests the other one on my lower back.
“Remove the ties from around her wrists,” he says to Jayce. “Let’s give her a final fighting chance, even though she isn’t merited to one.”
“You are sick,” Mom grits out, directing her words at Dorran as Jayce unties her.
“What I am, is dangerous,” he tells her. “And the man who’s about to put a full-stop to the never-ending chapter of your life.” He nods at Jayce, who moves behind Mom, pulls his curb chain out of his jacket, and wraps it around her neck.
I hold my breath as I watch him, and my nails dig into my skin as my anticipation grows.
Mom’s frail body jerks at the initial contact of Jayce’s weapon, but when she realizes what’s happening, she starts clawing at the chain.
When that doesn’t seem to work, she tries to break Jayce’s grip by banging her fists against his hands.
He in turn pulls at the chain, tightening it, and with a very subtle twist of his wrist, he ends up breaking Mom’s neck.
Her body goes limp, and her hands fall on her lap. Her mouth opens in a silent scream, and her eyes roll upwards.
She’s gone.
I let go of the breath I was holding, and let the rapid beating of my heart soothe me as I stare at my mom’s dead body. Gone – she’s fucking gone.
“Cigs.”
I force myself to look away from the sight before me, and face Dorran.
He assesses me slowly, as if he wants to make sure I’m still with him.
“I’m fine,” I say, then swallow. “I promise.”
“You just lost the only parent you had, Cigs. And even though she was a monster, Miranda was still your mother.”
“True, but would you blame me if I told you that all I feel right now, is relief?”
He smiles. “Of course not. I’d never blame you for feeling liberated.”
My eyes turn misty at his choice of word. Wanting him closer, I slide my fingers into his hair and touch my forehead to his. “Thank you.”
He tilts his head and presses a kiss on my lips. “I’ll do it all over again, and then some, if it’ll result in you not having to get hurt again.”
I’m speechless, helpless against his devotion. And so, instead of answering him – because I don’t think I can – I kiss him, relaying my gratitude the only way I’m able to right now.
My mom is dead, and that’s going to change things. It may not seem like it right now, but I’m pretty sure the impact of her death will hit hard. And when it does, it’ll put me, and the people I’ve come to love, in serious danger.