Chapter 57 #2
“I wouldn’t move if I were you,” I murmured. “Right now, this isn’t a life-threatening injury, but that will change if you make it worse.”
“Dani,” Susan shrieked. “What are you doing?”
“Getting answers.”
“This is unacceptable,” she stumbled out. “We have laws here—”
“Miles doesn’t abide by those laws. I’m doing it in a way he’ll understand.”
The front door creaked when it opened, but I didn’t dare take my eyes off Miles. I wasn’t going to give him a chance to regain the upper hand. The scissors were still buried in his stomach, his warm blood seeping onto my hand.
“Harry, stop her.” Susan’s hysterical words alerted me who the newcomer was. “She’s going to kill him.”
“He’s the killer,” I gritted out. “The one responsible for the murders in this town. And if I don’t do this, Kole will be the next one to die. Both of you better stay the hell away from me, or there will be a problem.”
“You can’t threaten us—”
Harry cut her off. “I think she’s serious, Susan. Why don’t we wait for backup?”
“Backup?” she stammered. “What backup? There is no one else here.”
“Then call someone,” Harry said gruffly, and I heard the sound of his lighter being flicked. “I’m sure as fuck not going near her when she just stabbed someone.”
They continued to argue, but I focused back on Miles. His face was pale, his lips pressed tight from pain. I slowly pulled the scissors from his stomach, putting the bloodied metal back to his throat.
“Where is Kole?” I asked.
“I won’t fucking tell you,” he heaved out.
My grin grew, filled with malice. “I bet you will.”
I pressed harder, making sure it was enough to break skin. I was careful not to hit his artery yet, but the cut was deep enough to start bleeding. He hissed out a breath, squeezing his eyes shut.
“You don’t get to block me out,” I growled. “You deserve this and so much fucking more.”
This time I brought the scissors to his thigh, before ramming the blade into his leg. His entire body jerked involuntarily, and I took my time pulling the scissors out of his leg.
“Where are they?” I asked again.
“Kill me,” he forced out through clenched teeth.
My heart skipped, worry setting in that he wouldn’t tell me, no matter what I did to him. It would take me far too long to find Kole without help. I needed to play this a different way.
“I understand,” I told him softly, bringing the scissors back to his throat. “You’re scared for your father.”
His eyes narrowed. “He would never let you survive this.”
“No?” I cocked my head. “You don’t want me to find them because you know I’ll kill him.
How does it feel to have a woman holding your life in her hands?
” I lowered my head, my stare turning vicious.
“All these years of watching and planning is wasted. Would you have ever guessed that I’m a better killer than you? ”
“He would never lose to you,” he yelled, his voice catching when I nicked his throat with the scissors. “He will fucking ruin you.”
I laughed. “If he’s anything like his weak son, I doubt it.”
Rage blazed in his eyes as he glared daggers at me.
My pulse thudded as I held his stare. If I was right about him, my words would have a huge reaction.
The unhealthy relationship between father and son could work to my advantage.
Leo raised him to be a killer. Miles idolized his father—he believed Leo was better than anyone—that he could do anything and get away with it.
“He is not weak,” he choked out, spit flying from the corner of his mouth. “I can’t wait until he gets ahold of you—”
“Well, that won’t happen if you don’t tell me where he is,” I whispered.
“Susan isn’t going to let me leave after this.
Your father will either spend his life on the run or get arrested.
He’ll never get a chance to face me. Not unless you tell me where to find him.
” He lapsed into silence, both of us ignoring Susan’s demands to let him go.
“You want him to have a chance to get me? To do the things he planned. Then tell me where he is. Unless you really do believe I’m better than him. ”
Doubt swelled in my chest. My words might not mean anything to him. But making him bleed wouldn’t either. By now, he’d lost so much blood, he was as pale as a sheet.
“The woods,” he spat out weakly. “A hunting cabin near the bridge. Tell him what you did to me. He’ll make sure you pay.”
I didn’t have time to think about how fucked their relationship was for him to say that. My monster had no connection to anyone—including his son. Everything he did was for his twisted selfish desire. But Miles didn’t know that.
Could I trust that he was telling the truth? No. But I could see it in his eyes; he wasn’t going to give me anything else.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to tell him how I sliced through you like he did to me all those years ago.”
“Dani, stop. He told you what you wanted,” Susan said, her voice high.
“I’m not letting him walk away,” I hissed, rage simmering through me. Miles deserved a death worse than this. But finding Kole was more important.
“He won’t,” she promised frantically. “He’ll pay for what he did.”
“No,” I screamed, pressing the scissors harder to his throat. “He doesn’t get to live.”
Miles didn’t move a muscle, his eyes wide, unable to hide his fear. My lips lifted into a cruel smirk. For years, he and Leo stalked and chased me. Their egos didn’t allow them to think I would ever be able to fight back—and win.
“You don’t want to do this,” Susan tried again to calm me. “If you kill him, that’s cold-blooded murder. There is no going back after that. You’ll end up back in prison.”
“That’s where you’re wrong,” I told her softly. “I do want to do this.”
“You’ll ruin your life for revenge?” she asked, taking a different approach to shake sense into me.
She didn’t understand. If I let him live, I would never feel safe. I’d fear the shadows and the dark. I’d rather spend my life behind bars than live like that. Nothing she’d say would change my mind.
“I know you care for Kole,” she continued quietly. “You’ll never see him again if you do this.”
“But he’ll survive.” I leaned down, giving my next words only to Miles. “Save a seat in Hell for your father. He’ll join you soon.”
I stabbed the scissors into his neck, hitting his artery.
He flailed under me when I ripped the metal from his throat.
Blood sprayed across my cheek and my clothes as I turned away, taking a step back.
Susan rushed past me, putting her hand on his wound.
Red dripped between her fingers as she tried applying pressure.
“It’s too late,” I informed her in an emotionless voice. “Nothing you do can save him.”
“What did you do?” she shrieked, her expression horrified as she stared up at me. “Murdering people isn’t the way, Dani. Coming here was supposed to teach you that.”
“Sometimes it’s the only way.”
I spun around, turning my attention on a panicked Harry. “Give me your truck keys.”
“Don’t,” Susan ordered sharply, keeping her hand to Miles’ throat even though his life was quickly fading. “She does not leave.”
“Give them to me, Harry,” I demanded coldly, holding out my hand.
I didn’t even have to threaten him before he pulled the keys from his pocket, fumbling with them before tossing them to me.
“Is there really a hunting cabin near the bridge?” I asked him.
He pursed his lips, shooting a glance at Susan before nodding his head. I gave him a small smile before scooping up the walkie-talkie off the floor and striding away, ignoring Susan’s screams at me to stop.
I slammed the door open, barely noticing the mayhem of main street where everyone was still gathered. I began jogging to the hardware shop, my plan forming as I moved. Once I got a few items, I’d be going to the cabin.
Susan was right about one thing. Revenge was fueling me.
And this time, I wasn’t stopping until I was staring into my monster’s lifeless eyes.