93. Cassandra Fairview
It wasn’t my monster that smiled at the reverend as he finally came to.
No.
It was me.
All me.
I gripped the hilt of one of my switch blades as the man who had raped my wife sputtered back to life in my brother’s arms.
Why was my brother holding the man?
Well, because he’d been unconscious, and if Cal hadn’t held up all the dead weight, the reverend would have hung himself before any of the fun could begin.
As it was, Callum promptly released the man as soon as he took his first rasping breath.
He stumbled, confused, and I grinned as he struggled to regain his footing as the noose tightened around his throat.
He struggled and failed because he wasn’t used to standing in heels.
Or that’s what I assumed, at least.
So I couldn’t help but laugh as my brother was forced to catch him and help him find his footing in the large, shiny red heels we’d crammed onto his feet before hanging him from the hook that normally held Theo’s gym bag.
Once Callum was sure the man could stand on his own two feet, he left him and came to stand next to me so we could watch him as he slowly came to terms with the reality of his situation.
It didn’t take long for him to start shouting threats, though I was sure even he knew on some level that they were empty.
His hands were bound in front of him, so even as he shouted at us, he had to work unreasonably hard to keep his balance in the heels so he didn’t fall.
He seemed to understand that falling meant death, which was going to make this game even more fun when I started cutting pieces off of him.
“Ew. Looks like you got yourself a whiney one. Those are the worst,” Callum complained as he rolled his eyes. “I recommend a gag of some kind. You’ll still hear his screams, they just won’t be as distracting.”
“Mmm. I was going to put a razor blade in his mouth, then tape it shut,” I mused, and Cal glanced at me, grinning.
“You know, sometimes I forget just how fucked up you are. This version of you is way more fun than the version that walks around like she has a stick rammed all the way up her–”
“Enough, Callum.” I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose in irritation as the reverend’s stream of threats suddenly turned to loud, obnoxious promises.
‘I’ll pay you! I’ll give you anything you want! I have money!’
And so on, and so forth.
Cal grinned at him, his already blown pupils getting even wider.
“That didn’t take long. We’re already in stage two. Stage one is always threatening, stage two is bartering, and then stage three is my favorite. That’s when they usually start begging… Assuming you haven’t already accidentally killed your victim by that point.”
He held up a finger as if he were about to impart some great wisdom upon me.
“It’s much harder than most people realize to keep torture victims alive.
You can’t go all Hollywood and start shoving razor blades in people’s mouths or slicing off cocks if you want him to last long enough for Theo to get a turn.
Not unless you cauterize the wounds, which…
I mean, we can try. But tongues are tricky, and this guy seems super wriggly.
It’ll be hard to get the torch in his mouth while he’s thrashing around in agony, and I can’t guarantee a 100% chance of success. ”
I stared flatly at my brother as he rattled off his torture tips like he was trying to teach a toddler how to ride a bike for the first time.
“Okay, can you tell me what you do suggest?”
Cal glanced at me, his jovial expression darkening to a sinister, evil look of pure glee.
“Stuff one of his socks in his mouth and tape it shut, then start with his fingers. Once you’re done with those, I can teach you a few other ways to make him beg.”
There was a moment where I expected my monster to make some sort of snarky comment, and I felt a small pang in my chest when I remembered that it was gone.
It was just me now.
Me and the man who had raped my wife.
“Sounds like a plan,” I said, before snatching the roll of duct tape and one of the socks we’d peeled off the reverend’s feet before stuffing him into the heels.
His promises quickly turned back to threats as I stalked toward him, but he stumbled as he tried to shuffle backward, and the noose forced him to remain still for me.
“Do you have any idea who I am!? You think you’ll get away with this! The attorney general will have your ass up on charges so fast your blasphemous little head will spin!”
I smiled and held the tip of my switchblade up, slipping the tip into the corner of his mouth.
He froze and immediately stopped talking.
Much better.
“Shhh, quiet,” I hummed as I slowly forced the knife between his trembling lips. “Open up…”
He started to shake his head, and I intentionally jerked the knife to the side, slicing the corner of his mouth open until he began to bleed.
“No, no. None of that. If you don’t cooperate, I’ll just have to get started without the gag… and don’t you want something to bite down on when it starts to get bad? Come on, open for me…”
I’d never seen a man manage to look so hateful and afraid, but his eyes flickered over my shoulder to where I knew Cal was staring, ready to jump in and help if things got messy, and finally, he complied.
Shaking like a frightened little mouse, the man opened his mouth so I could stuff his disgusting sock in against his tongue.
“Good boy,” I purred. “Now close. Let’s get you taped up.”