Chapter 51
Chapter Fifty-One
Atlas
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Rhett looks from me to Aidan.
He’s currently slumped over in the chair I tied him to, only in his T-shirt and jeans.
I took his coat off when we arrived so I could tie him down properly.
It doesn’t matter if he gets cold; hopefully, this won’t take long.
I smile when I notice the bat left a bruise on his neck.
Seth maintains a workshop on his property, where he works on his car projects during his downtime. He offered to let me use it, saying, “Don’t worry. There’s a drain and no neighbors around.”
When Aidan attempted to walk up to them in the parking lot, I think something changed in Seth.
He went from thinking I was crazy to being fully on board with whatever I had planned.
I know he feels partially responsible for the shit with Cora and me, as he should, so this is his way of making up for it.
“There is no doubt in my mind that he has something to do with Cora going missing, and he tried to snatch Noah from Seth. He’s going to tell me what I want to know, or I’ll hurt him.
” I pause to think for a minute. “Actually, I’m gonna hurt him anyway.
I heard their conversation, and he hurt Cora.
Broke one of her fingers,” I seethe. I’d love nothing more than to wake Aidan up with a bat to his knee, but Rhett stops me.
“He broke one of her fingers?” he asks in disbelief. “Like, Cora? The sweetest person alive, and he broke her finger…on purpose?” Rhett shakes his head. “I’ve heard of some fucked-up shit, but this ranks high up there. Atlas, once you do this, there’s no going back.”
“I’m not worried about that. I’ll do anything to protect Cora and get her back. There’s no line I won’t cross, but if you can’t handle it, then feel free to leave. No one will come between us. She is mine, and no one messes with what’s mine.”
Nodding in understanding, Rhett’s eyes look from Aidan to me. “What do you need?”
“We’re going to wake our friend up.”
“You’ll never find her.” Aidan snickers.
My gaze swings toward him, now leaning back in the chair, fully awake. His eyes ping-pong between Rhett and me before finally landing on Rhett. “That was some right hook,” he quips. “I haven’t been caught off guard like that in a long time.”
Rhett offers him a big grin. “I haven’t felt that good in a long time, so I appreciate you taking one for the team,” he jokes, earning a glare from Aidan.
“Back to what you said before,” I start. “You’re wrong. You’re going to tell me where Cora is.”
“I don’t think I will. If I don’t get back soon, Bea will just take matters into her own hands. She hates your girl.” He laughs. “Fuckin’ black roses,” he mutters and shakes his head.
Motherfucker. “You sent her those flowers and notes?” I seethe. “What about her car?”
“I don’t know shit about a car, but Bea gave her a warning and tried to reason with her. It’s not my fault she didn’t listen.” He shrugs, his arms pulling against his restraints.
“What do you mean?”
“Bea’s been after her for a while. I thought I’d be nice and send her a warning gift,” he explains, as if he’s a pillar of innocence.
“The flowers. That was you?” I glare at him, daring him to deny it.
“Well, the first set was. I knew her mom liked roses, so I thought it was fitting.”
“How the hell would you know that?”
“Because I do.”
Lunging forward, I hit him in the face, feeling immense satisfaction when he howls in pain.
“She doesn’t like roses, you stupid shit. Her dad beat her mom and used them as an apology. Fuck me, you’re unbelievable.” I shake my head. “If you had been around, you would have known that.”
“Fuck you.” He spits at my feet. Blood is trickling out of his nose, but it’s not enough to sate my rage. “I went to jail because of her piece-of-shit father!” he shouts.
“Boo fucking hoo. Where. Is. Cora?” I question in a low voice. I don’t care who or what he went to jail for.
“Hanging out with ole Bea. She hates that girl something fierce.” He laughs. “Cora’s no better than her worthless father. Thinks she’s more important than everyone, taking shit that doesn’t belong to them, little bitch.”
“Oh fuck,” Rhett mutters behind me. I briefly wonder if I could pull Aidan’s head off his body but hold back. I need him to tell me where she is first, then his head is going on a spike. They’ll all know she’s off-limits.
“What the fuck did you just say?”
Stepping forward, I swing the bat into his leg so hard I can feel the give of his leg underneath and swear I feel the vibration of his bones shattering.
It brings me almost as much pleasure as when Aidan howls in pain a moment later.
He’s trying to break free of his restraints, no doubt trying to get to his broken leg.
“You want to try that again?”
I grab his hair and yank his head back.
“That looks painful.” Rhett laughs, earning him a watery-eyed glare from Aidan. “I’d watch how you talk about Cora, buddy.”
“Now. Let’s try that again. Why’d she take her?”
“It’s all about her precious son. I couldn’t care less about that bastard, or the kid. He was so awful to my sister, and he—”
“What’s your sister got to do with anything?” Rhett interrupts.
“She was Cora’s mom,” he states.
Holy shit. This piece of shit is her uncle. “You’re her uncle, and you’re helping Bea?” I ask incredulously.
Stepping back, I raise the bat and swing it at his opposite kneecap. He’s not walking out of here anyway.
“Fuck!” Aidan shouts, thrashing in his chair again. “You’ll pay for that.”
“Not likely,” Rhett responds. “I’d say the only one paying for their sins right now is you, so be a good boy and confess, and it’ll all be over soon.”
“Fuck you.” He spits at Rhett but misses, saliva landing at his feet.
“That wasn’t very nice.” He moves forward and hits Aidan in the face, making his head fly back. Something Aidan said piques my curiosity. It brings my attention to a very interesting piece.
“Her mom was your sister. That’s who the tattoo was for?” I gesture toward his arm, where my work sits among piles of shit.
“Yeah.” He sniffles. “My Mandy was a good girl when we were younger, but she got lost when she met Samuel. They fought, and she had an oopsie. Cora ended up being that oopsie.” He shakes his head. “Course, we didn’t know the baby daddy was a rich fuck from town. Too bad Bea found out first.”
“What’d she do?” Rhett asks.
Aidan levels a look at him. “She had them killed, dipshit. They were going to take Cora away from Amanda, and Bea couldn’t handle the fact that someone could have a good life, so she did what she’s always done and protected her precious son’s feelings.
Whole family, poof, gone. Can’t take shit if you’re dead. ”
Holy shit. If what he says is true, then Cora isn’t actually related to Bea, and she won’t hesitate to hurt her as punishment for her mother’s sins. “What about Noah? How’s he fit into this?”
Aidan cackles. It’s loud and crazed. I’m so sick of his shit; it’s like he wants me to hurt him. Fine, I’m all too happy to oblige.
I lift the bat, preparing to swing again, when he starts talking.
“Good ole Noah is only her half-brother. Cora was getting older, and she needed a bargaining chip.” He shrugs, lifting only his shoulders.
“So, she gets pregnant to keep the asshole around, and that’s it? That doesn’t explain why you’re helping Bea, though,” Rhett points out.
“The money.”
“What money?” I ask in confusion. I share a look with Rhett, and he seems just as lost as I am. Cora was working two jobs to support her and Noah. “Cora doesn’t have money.”
“My dear old bag of a mother left it to Cora. We didn’t find out about it until she went to pick up the check. Bea knew someone at the bank and heard the name. She told Mandy about it, and she went to try to get it. That asshole she stayed with called the cops. It wasn’t hers.”
“Seriously? This is all over money?” I scoff and shake my head in disbelief.
“It was over $200,000. It wasn’t HERS!”
It could have been a million, and it wouldn’t have mattered. They didn’t deserve it. Snatching a hammer from off the workbench, I slam it down onto Aidan’s extended hand, smashing a few of his digits.
He thrashes and howls in pain.
Seizing him by the throat, I cut off his air supply and shove his head back. “I wonder if that’s how Cora felt when you broke her finger,” I ponder out loud as I finally see fear settle into his gaze. It doesn’t matter he’s double my age; he knows he’s fucked.
“She shouldn’t have gotten that money! It should have been mine and Mandy’s!”
“Tell someone who cares.” I squeeze his throat one last time and shove him back in disgust. ‘So, what was the deal? You get the money, and Bea gets the kid?”
Aidan shrugs and pulls at his restraints a bit more. Turning toward Seth’s wall of tools, I pick up a long blade. Not sure what he uses it for, but I know what I’m doing. I’ll have to get him a new one.
“Grab his arm and hold it down,” I order Rhett.
Rhett gives me a concerned look, but nods. Moving toward the arm I tattooed, I start at the back and slide the blade under his flesh. Aidan starts screaming as I meticulously work my way under his skin and remove the tattoo I put there.
The blue shapes curl together as I focus on not messing up the design.
Rhett doesn’t blink as I peel the flap of skin off Aidan’s arm, even though blood is pouring down and coating his hands.
I didn’t think I was the type of person to torture someone, but here I am, peeling the skin off someone’s body in the name of my girl.
I feel zero remorse and doubt I ever will.
“Fuck!” Aidan howls in pain, jerking in his chair.
When I finally slide through the last inch of skin, the tattoo comes free. “You don’t deserve to have this,” I mock, tossing his blood-soaked skin onto the floor at his feet. The smell of ammonia permeates the air, and Rhett shakes his head.
“Did you seriously piss yourself already? Weak.” He laughs.
Aidan’s head dips down, and I see tears welling in his eyes. I know he’s hurting, between the bat, hammer, and missing artwork, but I’m running out of patience.
“Tell me where she is,” I demand, shoving the knife into his leg. “You tell me, and I’ll end it. Keep talking shit, or going in circles, and we’ll be here as long as it takes. I’ll cut as many pieces off your body as it takes.”
Blood pours down his arm, and I lean down, smacking his cheeks when he doesn’t answer right away.
“It’s not time for sleep yet. Tell me where she is!” I yell, grabbing hold of his wounded arm and squeezing. The wails of pain coming out of him don’t sound human.
Rhett’s voice breaks through the red haze filling my vision. “Atlas.” He looks at me, then nods his head toward the window. Snow is starting to fall in heavy flakes.
Fuck.
“Tell me where she is, you miserable piece of shit, and I’ll let you go.”
“You’re lying,” he cries.
“I’ll set you free, but only if you tell me where she is, now. No more fucking around.” I use his shirt to wipe the blood off the blade in my hand. My hand is coated in it, and it’s making the handle sticky.
“She’s at Bea’s. In the basement,” he whispers.
“And where is Bea’s house?” I ask, letting go of his arm.
Aidan rattles off an address that’s not far from here. If we leave now, I can get to her before the snow starts to set in.
“Thanks, Aidan. You’ve been the worst,” I scoff, then plunge the knife into his chest, straight into his heart.
Blood runs in a dark river, as his eyes widen in shock.
I vaguely hear Rhett swearing behind me, and then the door opening and closing.
Keeping my eyes on Aidan the whole time, I yank his hair back so he’s looking at me as he takes his last breath.
He touched my heart and soul, so now I’m destroying his.
“Don’t worry. Keep an eye out for Bea when you get where you’re going. She will be joining you soon,” I promise as I watch the light leave his eyes.
Looking around the room, I grab a towel and quickly clean off my hands. Aidan’s now lifeless body is bloody and bruised, stuck to the chair. I expect to feel remorse for taking another life, but all I feel is relief—one less obstacle standing between Cora and me.
Heading out the door, I call Seth. After a few rings, he picks up. “Exactly how secure is your place?”
After a beat, Seth responds, “What’d you do?”
“What I had to,” I answer truthfully. If he really wants to know, I can give him the gruesome details later.
“I’ll take care of it,” he promises.
“You sure?”
“Positive. I have a local farmer friend. Good guy. Doesn’t like guys who hurt women or kids.
” Nodding, even though he can’t see me, I climb into my car and start the engine.
Rhett is sitting in the car already, staring at the workshop I just came out of.
Looking out at the snow-covered road, I check with him about how things are going.
“Noah’s good. Eating dinner right now with Emma and Kash.”
“Good. I’ll be in touch.” I disconnect the call. Pulling onto the road, I pray I can make it to Cora in time.
“You good?” I ask, driving as fast as I can in the current conditions.
“Dude. You fucking killed him.” He says it softly, like he doesn’t believe his own words.
“He threatened and hurt Cora. I’d do it again and again and again. You don’t get it.”
“I think I’m starting to,” he admits, looking out the window. “I called the police and gave them the address.”
Quiet falls over the car as we head toward the address Aidan gave us. I don’t know if the cops will make it there before me, but I’m going to ensure Bea doesn’t get away with this. She will pay just like Aidan did. Hell has plenty of room for one more.