Chapter 3
Monk
Once he’s all settled into his new home, I remove the duct tape from his mouth— wanting to hear his fear clearly when he comes to.
I’m envisioning it now. The look in his eyes when he finds himself locked in a cage, wondering what the hell happened and who the fuck attacked him.
I wonder how long it will take for him to figure it out.
And once he does, I wonder how long it will take for the fear to settle in.
A split second? A minute for him to realize that he’s not going to be walking away from this alive?
I sit in the dark corner, my patience running thin as I scroll through his phone, reading emails and making mental notes.
I intend to set off a catastrophic bomb.
One that spreads like a slow virus and kills everything it touches.
I want Hunter to watch as the horror show unfolds.
His entire life and everything he built imploding before him.
Business crumbling. Reputation destroyed.
Money completely gone. Then once it’s all ripped away, we’ll see how long he lasts before he begs me to put him out of his misery.
But like I said, this man will get no mercy from me.
He won’t cease to breathe until I’m no longer seeing red every time I open my eyes.
I need my blood to run clear first, then I’ll kill him.
A low groan has me placing his phone down and shifting forward in my chair.
The room is only lit by a few candles. The ambiance perfect for my scene.
Rain’s splattering on the metal roof. The smell of mildew hangs thick in the air, and my pet is locked inside his cage. Just like the fucking dog he is.
His body starts to twitch, and another low sound comes from his throat, but his eyes still remain closed.
It’s as if he’s slowly coming out of a deep sleep or a coma.
Finally, he rolls to his side, coming up against the metal bars.
I sit back in the shadows, so he doesn’t get a glimpse of my face.
We’re going to play a little game first. See if he can guess who his attacker is.
A loud clack of thunder strikes and it’s like a blaring alarm.
His eyes shoot open, and then it begins.
Him slowly taking it all in, looking around the space, realizing that he’s bound and imprisoned in a cage.
He sees that his wrists and ankles are knotted and that he’s in a dark, dank room.
The panic is chasing him faster as he starts to comprehend what’s happening—that he’s at the mercy of whatever sick fuck brought him here and has him locked up and defenseless.
I’m sure a million different things are flashing in his mind, one scenario worse than the next.
None of them coming close to what’s in store for him.
“Good morning, my little pet. Sleep well?”
He quickly struggles to sit up, his eyes flaring in panic. I went with the largest dog cage I could find, but he’s a big man and eats up most of the space.
“What do you want?”
What do I want? The panic in his eyes is what I want. The terror locking up every nerve, making his body shake. I want him to know what it feels like to be tortured by fear. I want him to suffer in pain. His body aching for days. I want him to know what it’s like living in my shoes.
He’s been out here living in the lap of luxury, never once thinking twice about what he did to me.
Never once suffering a consequence for his bullying.
He lives in a fancy condo. Drives a fancy car.
And dines on the most decadent foods. He’s worshipped by his friends, his employees, and no doubt by women. He’s living the American dream.
Meanwhile, I’ve been suffering day in and day out. Tortured by my thoughts. My sanity fueled by my need for vengeance. I’ve become a shell of the person my mother brought into this world. She’d roll over in her grave if she saw me now.
“If it’s money you’re after, I’ll give you as much as you want.”
No. I don’t need money. Money, I have plenty of.
I have more than I’ll ever be able to spend in a lifetime.
Nothing he could give me will give me my life back.
Nothing will give me the last fourteen years, or the years I lost with my mom before she died.
The only thing I want is for him to pay for his crimes.
“I’ll give you a million dollars if you let me go. I haven’t seen your face. You can give me an account and let me wire it to you through my phone.”
The desperation clings to his voice, a striking contrast to the voice that’s haunted my memories.
“I don’t need your money, faggot.”
His body jerks at the word, and I wonder if there’s a dawning of recognition starting to rise. If there’s an inkling of who his captor might be now tickling his thoughts.
“I’m not holding you here for ransom.”
“Then what do you want?” He struggles against the ropes on his wrists, but the knots are unyielding.
Another valuable lesson learned on the inside.
A fellow inmate taught me how to tie seven different types of knots that could be used on your victims, and it looks like I was an excellent learner because Hunter will never get out of his restraints.
“Are you a former employee or something? Did I fire you? If I did, I’m sorry. You can have your job back.”
Ha ha ha. The chuckle comes barreling out of my chest. Does he really think someone who went to all the trouble of kidnapping him and putting him in a cage, would want to work for him again?
Hunter would have the man arrested, not give him a raise.
But he thinks everyone is an idiot, so his offer doesn’t surprise me.
“I’m shocked you bothered starting a company,” I state. “Figured you would’ve lived off daddy’s blood money.” Then again, I should’ve guessed Hunter would want to hold a position of power. He always had a thing for bossing people around.
His jaw tightens. “Is that what this is about? My father? What? Did he prosecute against you, and you lost? Now, you’re trying to get revenge?”
Oh, I lost all right. I lost five years over stealing a few thousand dollars from this entitled brat’s bank account.
I’d made one slipup, allowing my IP address to be revealed on the transfer from accounts, and that’s how this fucker busted me.
But now, I’ve learned the error of my ways.
Raid actually showed me where I went wrong.
And my newfound skills have served me well over the last five years.
No one’s discovered a thing, and I was doing it right under their noses, using the state-provided piece-of-shit computers to steal money and set myself up a hefty retirement fund.
“Oh, your dad will definitely get what’s owed to him.” I smile at the thought. “He’ll be generously repaid for raising a bully.”
There’s a spark in his eyes. I think we may be getting a little warmer in his search for understanding. Let’s give him one more clue and see if he finally gets it.
“You know”—I stand from my chair, remaining hidden in the shadows, not wanting my size to be revealed just yet—“I should actually be thanking him for the five-year sentence. It was time well served. I learned some invaluable skills behind bars. Like how to slice through a body without hitting a major artery. Therefore, ensuring my victim stays alive.”
“So that’s what this is about?” His shoulders stiffen, and by the sound of his cocky voice, I think he’s figured it out.
“You just can’t get enough, can you, faggot?
” He shakes his head. “What? You got out of prison, and came straight to me? To what, hatch some little revenge attack? Put me in a cage like the one you’ve been living in?
” He lets out a snide chuckle. “I’ll tell you what, I’d like to see you try, loser. ”
Incredible. Even after all these years, he still hasn’t changed. He still thinks he holds the power, that he’s the one in charge, but he’s wrong. I’m the one in control of his destiny. He’s now my pet. My little toy to fuck with until I grow bored.
I step out of the shadows, allowing the dim light to reveal the monster I’ve become.
From the shift in his expression, it’s safe to say he still assumed me to be the scrawny twenty-two-year-old “kid” who was crying in the courtroom, weak and pathetic.
But that scared little boy is gone. He turned into a madman.
“I think it’s time to take you out of your cage, pet.” I move in slowly, allowing him to drink up every thick inch of my power, watching as his Adam’s apple bobs. “It’s time for me to take the dog on a walk down memory lane.”
I unlatch the lock, and crouch down, getting eye level with the fucker once and for all. No more hiding behind computer screens trying to seek my revenge. This time, it’s face to fucking face. Monster vs. bully. An unfair match in my opinion, but fair is a word that no longer exists in my world.
“You’re pathetic.” He shakes his head. “And when they catch you, you’re going to pay. Five years was nothing compared to what you’ll get. They’ll be locking you up for life this time. Life without parole.”
I look around the room and return my glare to his face. “Who’s they?” We’re out in the middle of fucking nowhere. I covered all my tracks. Not a soul even knows he’s missing, and when they finally catch on to the fact, all signs will point to his father.
“You don’t get it.” He shifts his head forward, pinning me under a stare that no longer holds an ounce of intimidation.
“As soon as they realize I’ve gone missing, they’ll check the surveillance footage at the gym and find out that I was accosted in the parking lot.
Then they’ll use the GPS locator on my car and track it down.
” He smirks. “I’m guessing by tomorrow, there will be a knock on your door with a search warrant.
And then you’ll be going back to the pen where you and all the other animals belong. ”
It’s really unfathomable. His self-assurance knows no bounds. Honestly, if I didn’t despise him with every atom in my body, I’d respect his confidence. I’d find his bravery admirable. But his cockiness is just more fuel on my fire, making my blood run hot.
I reach into the cage, grabbing him by his neck, locking my thumbs right on the exact pressure points, having learned from him exactly how to cut the air off.
He struggles to kick and punch and fight against my hold, but his attempts are useless.
I yank him forward, squeezing him just right so his windpipe closes off, getting up close so he can see the soulless depths of my eyes.
It truly is a shame that his handsome features are about to be marred. He could easily find himself on an America’s hottest men list. But soon, he’s going to look just like me. He’ll be grotesque. An ogre no one can bear to look at. Even he will shudder at his own reflection.
“Another thing I learned behind bars is how to disable a security system. It’s really quite simple actually, which is kind of terrifying.
” I can see his face starting to turn purple, so I ease up on my grip, not wanting him to pass out on me just yet.
“And as far as locating your vehicle, you shouldn’t underestimate the one who got you all those As back in school.
According to your GPS, your car is parked at your condo, having returned there nearly fifteen minutes after you were seen leaving the gym. ”
Again, his eyes flare. I think he’s finally seeing just how extensive my plan is.
I took everything in consideration. Spent months working on every little detail.
And it worked just like a charm, because here I am with the asshole locked within my clutches, starting to lose consciousness, feeling the burn in his lungs as the blackness starts to creep in around the edges.
The fear is taking hold of his heart, pumping faster and faster.
“Oh and get this.” My eyes light with excitement. “Your phone signal is still bouncing off the tower right by your house, so no one”—I squeeze harder—“is going to come looking for you.”
His eyes start to close, so I release his neck, grabbing his wrists and yanking him from the cage.
He gasps for air, coughing and sputtering as he struggles to get to his knees. “Your plan has one big hole in it,” he rasps out, turning his head up. “People will start to worry when they don’t hear from me. My assistant, my father, my friends. Everyone will send out a search party by noon.”
I reach down and yank him off the ground, holding him at eye level, the air being choked out of him again. “Word of advice. You really should let the hope go. It’s a false sense of security that will not serve you well.”
I drop him onto the hard cement, knowing that his tailbone will be feeling the bruising pain for days.
“Your assistant and father have already been notified that you tested positive for Covid and that you’ve been quarantined for two weeks.
I’ve been keeping up contact, ensuring your messages get answered.
So, I hate to break it to you, but no one will be saving you, pet.
And by the time they come looking, your body will be gone. ”
“You’re not going to get away with this,” he seethes. “They’ll eventually figure it out. And you’ll be the first suspect on their list.”
“I bet you’re right.” I smile. “But ask me if I care.” The laugh that comes from my throat is evil to my own two ears. Void of a soul. Even if my plan backfires and they string me up by my ankles, I don’t give a shit.
“God, you really are pathetic.” He shakes his head, tucking away the fear that just shook his frame two seconds ago.
“Spending all this time obsessed with me. You probably spent every day in that cell thinking of this day, didn’t you?
” He smirks. “What a loser. You now have freedom, and you’re about to piss it all away just because your feelings got hurt when you were a kid.
Wah, wah. One thing you didn’t learn behind bars was how to be a fucking man.
You’re still that weak kid holding on to some grudge, still trying to get back at me. But guess what? I can fucking take it.”
I pull my foot back and kick him right in the side, knocking him down to the ground on a grunt. I crouch down, grabbing him by the neck and squeezing, this time not letting up. “Good.” I grin. “I hope you can. It wouldn’t be fun if I broke my pet just yet. We haven’t even gotten started.”
As soon as his eyes shut, I release him and shove his limp body back into his cage. Our game will have to wait until tomorrow. It’s time for me to call it a night. I’ll need my rest for play time.