Chapter 13

ChapterThirteen

Asher

My hand twitches with the need to slice flesh from bone. River enjoys theatrics. Alaric enjoys quick deaths. But I like slow, methodical torture.

“Can I have some lube?” Benjamin asks.

How fucked up is it to ask for lube when you’re about to fuck your own son? But I guess degenerate rapists don’t have a tangible moral compass.

“Pull his cheeks apart and give that asshole a little spit,” River says, laughing.

To my surprise, Benjamin follows his orders and spits in his son’s ass before lining up his dick.

David screams as Benjamin penetrates him. Being fucked with no lube hurts bad. I should know. Celeste let her friends put me through similar torture once. She probably would’ve done it again had it not been for Alaric telling her that if she did, he’d walk and report her to the cops. Back then, Alaric was under Celeste’s power. That he would’ve done it says a lot.

“That’s it, Benji. Shove that shriveled old dick in your baby boy,” River gloats. “Show the rapist what it’s like to get his ass torn up. Good thing this booth is soundproofed. With the way Davey boy is yelling, you’d think it was the end of the world.”

My gaze falls on Ella. I expect her to look away. To be a little squeamish about the scene in front of her. But to my shock, her lips turn up as she stares unblinking. She’s enjoying this, probably as much as River. That realization makes me sad and jubilant. Sad because it means the last of her innocence is gone forever. Jubilant because it means she won’t run away when all is said and done. She’ll stay.

The booth door opens, distracting us from the two men.

Celeste.

“What’s going on here?” she demands, her hands on her hips as she taps the toe of her leopard-print shoe. It’s almost humorous how she thinks she’s still in control. She walks to River, tapping him on the shoulder. “Stop this right now. Benjamin, get off David.”

River taps Benjamin’s ass with the ax. “Don’t you dare move, Benji. It’s just getting good around here now that Davey’s bleeding from his rectum.”

“Alaric!” Celeste snaps. “Stop him.”

Alaric chuckles. “I’ll do no such thing, Mother. The last time I heard River laugh like this was when he was a child before you ripped the joy from him. I think it’s past due for you to shut up and let him have his fun.”

“Alaric, you know who they are. You know what will happen to us,” Celeste pleads.

Alaric barks out a laugh. “They won’t do shit. You see, Benjamin’s wealth comes from his second wife. He doesn’t have two pennies to rub together. When we sent her the files you had on Benji Boy, she was more than happy to look the other way.”

“David is her son. She’d never do that,” Celeste hisses.

“Stepson, Mother. He’s her stepson,” Alaric corrects as he moves toward her. He fists Celeste’s hair and pulls. She screams as he drags her toward the viewing. “And you should know better than anyone that some stepmothers can be truly evil.” He slams Celeste’s head on the table. “Don’t worry, Mother. We’ll treat you just as gently.”

Celeste screams again—ear-bleeding screeches of horror.

“Oh, please shut up, Mother,” Alaric says. His warning only makes Celeste yell louder. “Oh, for fuck’s sake.” Alaric presses his gun to her arm and pulls the trigger. The silencer dulls the sound of the bullet tearing through her flesh but not her screams. Alaric stuffs the barrel of the gun into her mouth. “I’ll blow your brains out right here if you don’t shut your fuckin’ mouth.”

I step up to Celeste and bend so my face is in front of hers. “Open your mouth and stick out your tongue.”

Celeste shakes her head.

I grab her ear and place my blade behind it. “Do as I say, or I’ll take this ear.”

Truth be told, it doesn’t matter if she does what I want or not in the grand scheme of things because I plan to skin her like a fish.

Celeste opens her mouth, assuming the meek one won’t do anything bad to her. She probably thinks I’ll spit in her mouth or on her face. Instead, I lift the knife and stab it through her tongue and into the wooden table.

Celeste gargles another scream, yanking her head back instinctively and slicing her tongue in half. Blood pours from her mouth in rivulets as she stares in horror at the inch of flesh from her tongue pinned on the table.

I step toward her, and she retreats until her back hits the wall behind her. Crowding her, I hold the knife under her eye and drag it across her face, making a superficial cut on her cheek. “You’re going to shut your mouth while we finish what we started.” Celeste’s eyes widen, and she nods as unintelligible words tumble from her mouth. “I’m going to take that as a “Yes, sir.’”

My hand twitches with the need to cut until her crimson blood surrounds me. I don’t think about what I’m about to do. I simply walk over to Benjamin, shove the blade of my knife up his rectum, and pull up. Benjamin’s mouth opens in a silent scream. I watch in morbid satisfaction as streams of blood cascade down his legs and flow onto the floor, creating a red pool by his overpriced leather shoes.

River grips my hand and pulls it back, the bloody knife now covered with chunks of flesh. “Why the fuck did you do that? You ruined my fun.” He glares at me, his bottom lip jutting in an absurd pout. “Get off your son, Benji.”

Benjamin shuffles away from David, and River swings the ax, severing David from his rectum to his ribcage. David bleeds out in a gush, and his guts splatter on the floor. He convulses before his body goes limp.

“You think he’s still alive?” River asks conversationally.

“David!” Benjamin screams his son’s name right before River decapitates him. His head rolls along the ground and comes to rest at Celeste’s feet.

River shrugs. “I was getting bored.” His lips turn up in a sinister smile as he turns and focuses on Celeste. “Who’s next?”