Whipping Girl Page 25

  “What’s the matter, Alex? Don’t like to share?” Peter laughs even though it sounds more nervous than humorous. Alexander lifts a brow, seemingly unaffected by the taunt but then he kicks out, sending Peter into one of the dead members of his team. Peter rushes to stand, slipping in the blood of his fallen as he tries to scramble away. He looks around desperately but all of his men are dead, nobody alive to help him out of his self-made mess.

  “I think you’re all alone Peter. There’s nobody to save you from me this time.” Alexander chuckles.

  If you’ve never seen Animal Planet then you could never understand what I am saying when I tell you that this is like watching a lion stalking its prey, every time Peter moves, Alexander counters. Peter tries to throw out a few punches but Alexander dodges each jab, smiling cockily while he plays with his food. They dance around each other, Alexander knocking Peter’s head back with a series of strikes to the face. Their movements become more and more difficult for me to process, becoming faster and harder as they fight on. Peter grunts when he takes a knee to the gut. Alexander chuckles when he avoids a kick to the face. Blood pours out of Peter’s nose and ears. Alexander’s eyes darken with each passing second. Peter’s face swells. Alexander’s bloodlust continues.

  Peter had no chance of surviving and with each moment that passes you can see it more and more clearly in his eyes, there is still fear there but now there’s acceptance as well. He rolls off of the ground, slowly pulling himself up by using the heavy metal table that I was tied to, he stumbles slightly but manages to shakily stand. Alexander strides slowly toward Ivan, then grabs the knife that his father holds out for him before leisurely walking back toward his foe. Peter looks toward the knife, his nose flaring with each panicked breath, his eyes fall to the ground in resignation but then a disgusted shiver runs down my spine as his eyes shift to mine, a slow, precarious smile lifting the perverts lips as he licks the blood from them slowly then blows me a provoking kiss that makes me wish for a scalding hot shower.

  Alexander witnesses everything, his darkness taking over as he grabs the short hair on the back of Peter’s head, his jaw clenched as he pulls back then slams Peter’s face into the tables edge over and over until that face is no longer recognizable to anyone. A low groan rings out from the mangled remains when my future husband places the nearly unconscious man’s lips so that the table’s corner is inside of Peter’s mouth. Stepping back, Alexander finally looks toward me, his eyes darker than I’ve ever seen them before as he nods in my direction as if to say ‘this one’s for you’. He brings his foot back then stomps it into the back of Peter’s head with so much force that most of the top part of Peter’s skull slides onto the smooth surface. I stare, stunned and unable to look away from the gruesome scene in front of me, the shiny red blood pooling out from the swollen mess of bone and meat. It makes my stomach swirl with sickness, even as my heart rate picks up in a weird form of black excitement.

  I know that Peter purposely provoked Alexander to gain a quick death, he had known that Alexander would have drawn it out for as long as possible so he pushed the killer’s buttons and Alexander didn’t hesitate to take the bait. As if all of that didn’t satisfy him nearly enough, Alexander raises the large knife still in his hand and stabs it down into the dead man’s skull, the sharp blade pierces through with a finality that rings out through the room as it punctures the metal of the table. My mind spins with emotion but my lips want to turn up at the corners. I feel sick. I feel enlivened. I feel repulsed. I feel vindicated. This is wrong. Why is my heart beating in delight?

  I clench my eyes closed to shut out the bloody episode but I end up heaving anyway, nothing comes up, making it feel even worse on my parched throat. I’m dizzy and everything that I just witnessed feels like someone else's memories. I feel a hand on the side of my face but I automatically yelp and flinch away from the touch.

  “Shhh… Angel, it’s me.” Tears start tracking down my face again, his voice is gentle unlike what I’ve just witnessed from him. I’m so damn confused by my enthusiasm for the gruesome scene that just played out in front of me. I still keep my eyes closed, the narcotics making it feels as though this could still just be a dream. Maybe all of this has just been a hallucination and if it’s not I hope that it at least dulls the memory of what just happened or at least my feelings about all of it. The gun that I still have clutched in my hand is carefully removed and I’m lifted from the floor into familiar, strong arms. “I needed you to see it... I needed you to know that I made him pay, baby.”

  Chapter 27 – Alexander

  It was stupid to let her watch what I did to Peter. I know that. In the heat of the moment I thought it would be a good thing, a way for her to find closure not only for him kidnapping her but also because of what he did to Candace. Ally had felt guilty when she found out that Candace had been abused and I had promised her that I would make that fucker pay, I kept that promise and I was stupid enough to let my non-violent, innocent girl witness it. Jesus.

  It’s hard to remember that not everyone grew up with guns and knives in their hands, it’s difficult to understand things like conscience and empathy when they were beaten out of you when you were a young boy. Anyone can try to judge me for what I did but I was just trying to show my girl that I will never tolerate anyone trying to take her from me –in any way- and that I will never lie to her when I tell her that justice will be served.

  “Babe, you have to eat something.” I sit on the edge of the bed, setting the tray on her lap but she continues to ignore me, staring out the window. It’s been a difficult several days since we’ve been back, a man with no patience and a woman who could test the limits of a saint wouldn’t normally go well together. Lucky for me, we aren’t normal. I sigh when she doesn't even acknowledge that I’ve spoken, much less that there is a sandwich on her lap. I take out my cell phone and hit the speed dial button with a grimace.

  “Hey, Boyfriend! Already on my way, be there in two.” She hangs up before I’ve said a word but instead of being annoyed, I’m grateful, Molly has been my biggest ally and the only way my girl will eat for the last six days. Six fucking days of this.

  “Molly is on her way.” I say softly, tucking an escaped tendril of hair behind her ear. She takes a shaky breath at my touch, unable to stop herself from responding to me even now. I want to grab her, I want to shake her silly and demand that she talk this out with me but the guilt is what stops me. It’s my fault that she was kidnapped, drugged and forced to watch things that no innocent person should ever see. It’s my fault that she’ll never look at me as anything but a monster ever again.

  I didn’t protect her, I let her down, and how is she ever supposed to feel safe with me again? I deserve to suffer for what she went through, so even though it kills me to see her so physically and emotionally distanced from me, I’m trying to give her the space and time to process everything. It may not seem like much, but I hope that she at least sees the self-control that I’m holding onto for her. Loud knocking has me taking my attention away from Ally’s gorgeous face as I stand and walk to the door, pulling it open for her noisy friend as she barges past me, Zeke following closely behind.

  “Oh. My. God! You’ll never believe what I have to tell you, Ally, not in a million years!” Zeke rolls his eyes at Molly’s proclamation and after offering him an appreciative nod I look back toward the bed to see my girl’s reaction to her friend, it feels like a stab to my heart when I see a small smile lift her plump lips as she listens. “Josh proposed to Ivy!”

  “What? But they've only-”

  “I know, right?” Molly cuts her off. “I told him it was crazy, and he just said ‘when you know, you just know’, he’s a dreamer.” She takes her jacket and bag off and throws it to the floor as she walks toward the bedroom then sits on the edge I’ve just vacated. “Anyway, Ivy said no.” She says casually as she picks lint off of her fuzzy yellow sweater.

  “Oh no, poor Josh!” Ally looks distraught until Molly waves
a hand at her dismissively.

  “Don’t worry about it, they’re totally fine. Ivy told him to ask her on their one year anniversary.” She giggles. “You should see the ring though... fucking gorgeous.” She sing songs making Allyanna laugh softly, the sweet sound is enough for me not to correct her friends language.

  Shit. I haven’t even bought Ally a damn ring yet… I’m completely failing at this protector/provider thing.

  “Let’s let the ladies have some privacy, man.” Zeke says, grabbing my arm to physically remove me if need be. I shoot him a glare but concede when he thins his lips as if to say ‘don't be a dick’. I glance once more to my girl but she seems to be in deep conversation so I reluctantly nod my head at Zeke.

  “I’ll be back, Angel.” I feel like a kicked puppy and it’s fucking embarrassing. She finally looks in my direction, barely acknowledging me with a short nod then turning her attention back to her friend.

  We’re barely out the door before I’m grabbing for the earpiece in the inner pocket of my suit jacket, placing it inside of my ear as we walk toward the elevators. Zeke gives me a judgmental look but I ignore him as I listen in on the girls while we board and descend. We no longer have an outside threat on our hands so I am comfortable enough to leave the room but I know myself well enough to know that I won’t be able to leave the hotel when we’re not on good terms, Ally is the threat to our relationship now. I can’t trust her emotional judgement at the moment.

  “I know you’re pissed right now, or whatever, but seriously? That man looks like he’s been photoshopped. YUM!” Comes through the earpiece. I know that I’m attractive but I eagerly wait for Allyanna’s response anyway, I’m disappointed when there’s nothing from her. “How long do you plan on punishing him, friend?” Molly asks gently. Like I said, she’s my biggest ally right now. I don’t even get headaches when she enters the room anymore.

  “You think I’m punishing him?” Ally barks out a sardonic laugh. “You weren’t there, Molls… you don’t know-”

  “I wasn’t there.” She cuts Ally off. “But Zeke was, he’s told me everything. I was scared at first when he explained what they do for a living… about their jobs. But I also realize that not everything is black and white, sometimes people don’t deserve to live and from what Zeke has said, Alexander is one of the good guys in their messed up world.” I’m buying that chick some fucking flowers. Zeke tries to speak when the doors to the elevator open but I physically stop him by placing my hand over his mouth then hit all of the buttons for each floor to give me more time.

  “What the fuck, Alex?” Zeke asks as if he thinks I might be losing my mind. Maybe I am.

  “Shut up.” I bark as I continue to listen with rapt attention.

  “He may have told you what happened, Molly... but adding color to their black and white world still wouldn’t make it a rainbow. It’s fucking scary.” My jaw clenches with the curse word, she knows better. “You were told what happened but I was actually there, I lived and witnessed it all.” She sobs once and I can tell that she’s trying to hold in her tears by her breathing, just like the last six days. “Molly, I liked it.” She whispers so quietly that I barely hear her but once it registers, my brows pinch together in confusion. “I watched him turn from hero to monster, I saw the shift in him and not only did it not scare me but I reveled in it! I felt sick to my stomach with disgust and also more excited than I had ever felt before… and that’s terrifying.” She does this little laugh/cry and I can no longer stand it, I exit the elevator at the next stop, knowing that it will be stopping at every floor and run to the stair case. I hear Zeke’s confused voice call out behind me but I don’t stop listening to the girls long enough to answer.

  “So, you’re scared that you enjoyed watching men die that would have happily done the same thing to you, and most likely even worse? Ally that’s insane! Like you said, I wasn’t even there and I’m over the damn moon excited that they’re dead!” Molly exclaims. I’m buying her flowers and a fucking house. I love her.

  “You seriously don’t see anything wrong with-” Ally starts out in disbelief but gets cut off once again.

  “No! You crazy, crazy girl.” I hear the rustling of fabric before Molly continues. “I would think there was something wrong with you if you hadn’t felt at least a little relieved. I mean, you said you felt disgust with it as well, it’s not like you’re going to suddenly become a mass murderer or something… you’re not, right?” She asks in mock apprehension.

  “You're ridiculous.” Ally giggles. She actually fucking giggles and I pick up the pace as I run up the stairs. “I wasn’t punishing him. I’ve been feeling sick to my stomach at my reaction to it all. Alexander makes everything better, he always has… I’ve just been punishing myself.” She says with another small sob.

  “I know.” Molly says on a sigh. Flowers, a house and I’m going to make sure that Zeke treats her like a goddamned queen.

  I rush through the door, the two of them curled up in a spooning position -Ally being the little spoon- they look up in surprise at my entrance but resume lying in their comfy state, I walk to the side of the bed and bend down to cup both of Molly’s cheeks, I plant a loud kiss on her squished cheek then pick her up bridal style, ignoring her surprised squeal as I hand her off to Zeke as soon as he walks through the door.

  “You ever hurt her,” I point my finger at his panting, dumbfounded face. “I’ll slit your goddamned throat.” I shoot a wink to Molly then usher the two out of our room as quickly as possible, they look at me like I’ve grown two heads as I shut the door in their faces.

  She’s sitting up when I turn back toward her, her face in the same expression as our departed friends before she finally registers what happened.

  “You were listening.” She rightfully accuses. I can’t deny it so I don’t. I shrug off my suit jacket, carelessly dropping it to the floor as I walk back over to the bed and take up the position that Molly was in, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her small body as close as possible. “You know, some people would say that privacy is a basic human right.” She says wryly.

  “Then those people have never loved anybody the way that I love you. You didn’t give me a choice when you shut me out.” I kiss the back of her blond head to soften my words. “You had me thinking the worst. That I was never going to be able to gain your trust again, that you would never be able to look at me without seeing a monster... it was my fault so I allowed you your damn space but I’m not going to sit here and do nothing while you punish yourself for your reaction to the death of your would be rapist.” She starts shaking with her tears as she finally lets them out, I turn her in my arms so I can kiss them all away.

  “Stop. Stop trying to make this better!” She cries out. She tries to pull away but it only makes me hold her closer and pull her tighter against me.

  “Never.” I say with promise, her cries loud in my ear as I hold her effortlessly while she struggles. She can be as pissed at me as she likes, rage at me, hit me, I don’t fucking care as long as she forgives herself.

  After several minutes she exhausts herself and finally gives up the fight, burying her face in my chest and soaking my shirt with her tears. Her nails dig into my chest through the thin cotton of my black button up but at least she’s holding me to her instead of pushing me away.

  “Is that what it’s like for you every time? Do you like it?” She asks after several minutes. When she pulls her face back, another tear rolls down her flushed cheek and I watch its trail while I contemplate my answer.

  “Not every time. We usually get a backstory for our targets,” I start carefully. “In the past the crime didn’t always fit the punishment, but I wasn’t given a choice. Now I get to choose whether or not I want to take the contract. That feels pretty damn good.” I offer a semi apologetic grin and her eyes light up with curiosity.

  “What kind of contracts do you usually accept?” I blow out a breath at her question, deciding to answer her honestly. Maybe it will h
elp her sort out her own feelings.

  “I have a special request for targets who harm woman or children,” her eyes go wide and I smile at the approval I see there. “I also take contracts for terrorist organizations, I’ve worked with the American Government on a few different occasions to help weed out certain people who’ve planned to do them harm.”

  “Wow. So you are kind of like a Super Hero.” A proud smile lights her face and I can’t stop myself from smiling back at her. I am definitely not a hero, I’ve killed people who far from deserved it and I can’t even remember half of their names. But I’m not going to correct her when she has that light in her eyes, the one that tells me that I am her world, I live for that light.

  “I don’t know about that, but I’ll never deny anything that puts that smile on your face.” I tuck her hair behind her ear as I stare into her eyes. “Molly was right, you know, it’s okay that you didn’t cry and beg for their lives while they died. They were scum, and the fact that you even feel guilty for enjoying it proves that you’re a good person.” I don’t tell her that I don’t feel even an ounce of quilt, there is not even a molecule in my body that tell me that what I did was wrong. They deserved to die, I killed them. The end.