Breaking the silence, Bunny asks in a hushed tone, one that doesn’t echo. “Are you afraid?”
Yes. But I smile regardless. “Always… but it’ll be over soon.”How about you?“Are you?”
“Always.”
Taking her other hand this time, I dot the same number of kisses on each finger. “I got you,” I promised. We’ll get out of this together.
I think both of us needed to steady our breathing before taking another step, but with each passing moment, we wasted valuable time. Who knows who will walk through that door? I want this over before anyone has a chance to.
Having been here before, I let her take the lead on the stairs, but I keep my hand on hers at all times—a reminder, not just for her, that I’m here and we’re almost done.
“You think he’s still here?” The question comes to me when we’re nearing the top. After all the deaths of his associates, you think he’d stay where he knew she could find him?
But Bunny’s confident. “I wouldn’t be surprised.”
At the landing, Bunny takes a left, but all the sinister energy comes from the right. “It’s not down there?”
Bunny gives the direction one glance before vigorously shaking her head, horror dancing in her eyes. “No.” It’s sure and scared enough to keep me from questioning it again.
We stop in front of a large wooden door, carved with ornate designs. Hand wrapping around a masterfully crafted doorknob, Bunny takes a deep breath, steeling herself before entering the devil’s den. She’s a foot past the threshold before I drag her behind me.
She got us here. It’s my turn to take the lead.
Taking the gun I stole from the car, I rest my finger on the trigger and slowly creep inside. The inside is pitch black and lifeless until I flip the switch. Now it’s just dull, with no sign that anyone was ever here.
“Maybe he did leave?”
I don’t think she heard me, too focused on the quality of the linens and how they feel against her skin. After experiencing the hole we escaped from and the less-than-comfortable sheets at the inn, it’s no surprise Bunny loses herself in something soft. She deserves it.
Maybe I can give her that one day.
“What are you doing?” I laugh.
Sprawled all over the mattress, Bunny coats every inch of the high-quality material in thick, crusted blood. “Relaxing.”
“You do that,” I continue to chuckle as I explore the room. I find myself in the connecting bathroom, avoiding my reflection as I gaze at the glittering marble countertops. His initials are engraved in the stone—a big I.M.—to remind everyone who belongs here. Taking my blade, I scratch through it.
“I’m here too now, bitch.”
I take my knife and make sure to leave my mark on every inch of the bathroom. I don’t want him to look in this room and feel even an ounce of peace. I want him to see me and the blade he created. I do the same thing to the grand closet, shredding all his fancy suits—ruining every expensive leather shoe until strips and scraps mar the floor.
From outside, I hear Bunny release a sudden string of curses and screams. I run out, knife and gun in hand, but when I see she’s just having the same kind of fun I am, I toss her the knife for a more thorough type of excitement and leave her be, having another closet to explore.
Opposite the bathroom, this closet is filled with mementos and treasures. None of them makes sense to me until I open the garment bags. Each one contains an outfit, a preserved condom, a lock of hair… and an album. My gut sinks at the sheer amount in this room. After counting, there’s well over two hundred, and that’s in this room alone.
I feel my knees weaken, but I force myself to straighten, tearing open each one until I find strawberry hair that could only belong to one person.
A green dress, decorated with jewels.
A condom filled more than most.
A lock of perfectly coiled hair.
And an album.
I don’t stop myself from collapsing this time. On the ground, I hold the book to my chest, feeling my heart threaten to break. After one, two, three breaths, I crack open the spine and am met with a broad smile and unbroken eyes.
She wanted to be a model… and God, was she a natural at it.
