Chapter 38 #2
He comes back with a propane torch while I put my brand together for my human canvas. I nod in thanks as I check my spelling. It would really suck to have it memorialized on Ophelia’s body misspelled.
I run the torch over the brand until the metal begins to dull and then lift the heavy handle and bring it over to Ophelia’s forehead to press it tightly against her skin. Ophelia seizes as I roll my eyes at her limitations, and I hope that she’ll hold out until I can cut her heart from her chest.
The only way to kill the vampire of sorrow who feeds from your trauma is to make sure it won’t come alive again, right?
The girls stare at the word as I lift the brand, and Wren smiles slightly. It says Traitor across it. I firmly believe that Ophelia is a traitor to her designation.
Placing the brand on the table, I begin to use my knives to mark up her body. I counted every cut on my inner thighs recently, and there are forty-three of them. So I cut and stab her the same amount of times, watching as the blood flows from her wounds.
Her arms and legs are stretched so far that I’m afraid the muscles may completely tear apart. While I wouldn’t normally care, I know that she probably wouldn’t live through that. Time to get moving.
Yanking the bat from her cunt, I enjoy the way it tears her insides. This is how you ruin someone’s ability to create life, while reminding them of every bad thing they’ve done. I’m not gentle, and there are large pieces of her insides that come loose along with the bat.
Dropping it to the side, my only regret is not using it on her asshole instead. The angle just isn’t right. Looking through the bag, I find a grenade and grin.
Turning down the music, I look around the room.
“I was going to cut her heart out, but I think I should crack open her chest and have the boys fish for the grenade’s pin,” I decide. “The first one who yanks it out wins an explosion.”
Quinn nods. “Evil can’t come back when it’s in a million pieces. The guys are competitive fuckers too. I need some water and a snack, I’ll tell the guys to go find some fishing poles.”
Wren gazes at me for a second, and I wonder what she’s thinking about before she comes over and hugs me tightly.
“You’re even better than therapy,” she whispers fiercely before letting me go.
The three of them leave me alone with Ophelia, and I think about how odd my life is. I don’t think I’ve ever made friends while killing before. I usually scare the shit out of people with the aftermath.
Maybe omegas really will save the world one day.
Washing my hands free of the blood with the sprayer, I also clean off Ophelia’s chest area so I can begin using the hand saw to open her chest. I’m grumbling to myself that she’s passing out again when Lucas walks into the room, surprising me.
“Grant said that he could feel that you’re frustrated. What’s wrong?” he asks, staying out of the bloodied areas as he gazes at me clinically.
I love that he can turn off his feelings to what is happening and give me this side of him.
“Do you know of anything that’ll keep her awake while I do this?” I ask. “I am not above spraying her in the face to keep her awake.”
Annoyed as her eyes begin to droop again, I watch as Lucas picks up the sprayer and does just that.
“I didn’t bring any drugs with me, so I’ll spray her for you,” he shrugs.
“Thank you,” I gush, putting the hand saw down. I’m annoyed with it and need to snap three ribs that are being stubborn.
Finding a pair of tree pruners, I open them and snap them shut around the bones, grinning as it works better. I move her organs around until I’m happy with the placement, giggling each time Lucas wakes her back up.
“I heard that we’re holding a fishing tournament,” Jed says, chuckling as he finds me elbows deep in Ophelia’s chest.
“Yeah, let me just clean up, and then I’ll fix her so you can play,” I say easily, holding out my hands so that Lucas can help me clean up.
I finish with soap and water at the sink, and then dry my hands and arms before picking up the grenade.
“I’m going to put this in her chest and close it up just enough that you won’t yank it out while playing,” I explain.
Ophelia is still wide awake, listening to every word pensively as I pack her chest cavity with gauze and then make a nest for the grenade. I fix her ribs around it as well, gently pulling at the grenade before I’m happy that it won’t come out easily.
“You’re going to make a fucking mess for my men to clean up, aren’t ye?” Corbin grumbles.
“Aye,” I tease him, winking. “Who’s in the dog house and needs really gross manual labor?”
“Ugh, I can think of a few people,” he says. “Carry on and thank you for the teaching moment for them. Boys, find a way to spring the door so it’ll close just as she blows up.”
“You can’t go first, Kane,” Jed says, shaking his head. “I have a feeling you’re going to win.”
Stepping outside, despite how messy I am, I lean against the wall and watch these alphas make a line with a fishing pole. I don’t know if any of them can fish, but I love the enthusiasm.
Ambrose goes first, and I frown as I realize Ophelia is too far back.
“Roll her forward carefully, and then try?” I suggest.
Wren’s alphas do as I recommend, and then Ambrose tries again while Morris sets up a way to spring load the door so he can shut it closed. Ambrose still misses, though the hook gets stuck in a piece of loose skin, and he has to yank it free.
“She looks better this way,” he grunts, handing off the fishing pole.
Shaw smirks in agreement, casting the line in a much more professional manner. Damn. Maybe they do fish. Never judge a book by its cover, I suppose.
Unfortunately, he aims too high, and it hooks into Ophelia’s eye.
“Do I get points if I get it to come out?” he asks.
“There’s no way it comes out cleanly,” I challenge.
I’m unfortunately correct as he yanks hard, though it does get some fun screams.
“Close, but no cigar,” Everest crows. His blue eyes are emotionless as he takes the pole next. “One abstract omega painted on the walls, coming up.”
“Fuck yes,” Wren says, bouncing on her heels. She’s starting to come out of her shell, and I’m enjoying seeing it. Even Shaw hides a smile as Everest shoots his shot.
“Fuck,” he growls. The hook harmlessly slides off the grenade pin ring, but it’s closer than anyone else.
Ophelia is still breathing despite the renovations I made to her chest, her ruined eye adding to the horror of her body. I think the outside is beginning to match the inside of her evil self.
“Next!” I say excitedly, anticipation running through my body.
“You’re going to be very late for your appointment,” Lucas murmurs as he watches Callum take his place.
“Oops?” I say unrepentantly. “I know I have to go, but I’m also worried about what they’ll find.”
“We’ll face it together,” he says, watching as Callum misses entirely. “You make very interesting friends, darlin’.”
“You started it,” I shrug. “I’m just feeding into the alpha male need to one up each other. Plus, she never knows when her card will be punched. This makes it more fun for me.”
“I can’t even begin to argue with that,” he murmurs. “If I was a betting man, I would say that Kane is going to win.”
“Fuck!” Duncan groans. “I swear this is rigged.”
“Hush, that’s my fishing pole, and I lost too,” Shaw chuckles.
“Can I show you all how this is done?” Kane asks.
“You’re going to make us all look so bad,” Duncan sighs, handing it over.
True to form, he has a black wrap around his body, his baby doll on his back.
“I’m going to be bugging you for a tutorial on back wrapping,” I tell Kane. “My kid only wants to be held.”
“Since I know that your pack won’t kill me on sight for touching you, I’m down,” Kane says, dramatically stretching.
“Are you trying to tell me that the secret to this is stretches?” Shaw asks.
“Maybe. Let’s see if this works,” he mutters.
Lucas looks very amused as he watches. “There’s a delay before this thing explodes, right?”
“Yep,” Kane says, chewing on his bottom lip. “It’s about three to five seconds. You ready for me, Morris?”
“Mmhm,” Morris says, watching as Kane casts his line. The hook lands on her chest, and he begins to slowly reel it in. “It’s not over till it’s over…”
The hook slides under the pin and Kane grins as he tugs on it.
“Now, for the real fun,” he says, yanking up on the pole. It takes several tries since he has to make sure the grenade doesn’t come with it, and we are all dumbfounded when the pin finally flies out.
“Morris!” I yell as I watch it.
“Fuck,” he grumbles, pushing the button to force the door shut. Kane has to sacrifice his hold on the fishing pole as the door slams on the translucent fishing wire, but at least we won’t have to wear Ophelia this way.
It’s just enough time for me to watch as Ophelia’s chest explodes, but still keeps us from being splattered with her remains.
“Ding, dong, the bitch is dead,” I whisper.
We all stand in disbelief that it’s finally done, and I feel lighter.
“That’s the look of someone who slayed a few demons tonight,” Corbin whispers near me, and I nod as I watch Quinn, Adira, and Wren hug their alphas.
We’re all a mess, me most of all, but Lucas still kisses my forehead.
“Let’s get cleaned up, and I’ll phone ahead and let the doctor and his nurses know that we’re running behind, huh?” he asks.
I just killed one of my fears, may as well keep my big girl panties on and make it two.
While Ophelia is dead, her torture still may have long reaching effects.
“I forgot to grab my bag,” Kane snorts. “I’ll hang around and make the grunts clean it.”
“Well, I don’t even want to look,” Corbin mutters, pulling out his phone to call the clean up crew.
“I will,” I shrug, grabbing the handle and pushing it open enough that I can see inside.
The rack has gone to heaven, and I wince in remorse as I see that there’s wood everywhere along with human flesh and limbs. She’s definitely dead, even if her spawn is walking free.
One problem at a time, and Avery isn’t mine until she makes herself my issue.
For her sake, I hope she runs as fast and far away as possible. Her brothers won’t be giving her any mercy either.