Just the city whore.
“You’re such a worthless piece of shit, you know that?” she said, mirroring my thoughts. “I gave you everything. All of it.Every dime we had went to your education, your chefs, your nannies, your horseback lessons. You always had the best of the best and you show me your gratitude by treating me like this?”
She sighed deeply and went quiet for several seconds.
“Okay, sweetheart,” she began again, her voice gentler, “I’m sorry about whatever you’re going through, but we really need that check. Please. We need it.”
I didn’t have the energy to answer. To tell her that I sent it the day after I had gotten it, but it takes a while to clear, and depending on the amount, it may take longer than normal. That she should check her bank account because it’ll show a pending statement.
I didn’t have the energy to fight, to stand, to do anything but sleep.
So, I hung up, I set the phone in front of the picture, and I headed for the front door without another word.
Everett was standing in the doorway of the kitchen, blood splattered across his face, the woman sitting on the couch, but I didn’t slow until I caught sight of the blood behind him.
I slowed to a stop, looking around him, taking in the body parts I could see.
He had gutted Steven, sliced him up with that butcher knife. He had set the heart on the ground beside the mutilated head, and I could see the hole in the center of it where the ring was buried.
That knife had been sharp.
I should get that brand.
He took my chin and tilted my head up, tearing my gaze away from the scene to find his eyes. They were cool, not chilling, just cool. I wondered if he expected me to be okay with this. To run to him like damsels in movies because he had saved me from the big bad boyfriend.
I didn’t feel like being touched right now though. Or everagain. I didn’t feel like talking ever again. All I wanted was to go back to my place and sleep for a very long time.
“Mine,” he told me. It was quiet, a low rumble of a threat that reminded me of the Colorado thunderstorms that wrecked through the state during Fall. Just one word.
One word that set my entire world ablaze when it shouldn’t have meant a fucking thing.
Sure, I was his.
His until the debt was paid.
His until he got bored.
His until he did to me what he just did to Steven Pelgard.
His until my time finally ran out.
I pulled my chin out of his grip and walked right out the door.
~~~
May 26th, 2022
I stared at the ceiling. I should have gotten stitches. If not in my hand, then certainly on my face.
The cut on my hand wasn’t healing, and Lucy was getting tired of going on walks with the dog walkers rather than me. I was sure the food delivery people were also getting tired of me requesting them to deliver food to my bed.
But what was the point of leaving? The man—Everett, he’d find me if I left the house, and the police? I was shocked they hadn’t come for me already. I would have checked the headlines, but with no phone, and a laptop in the living room, I had no access to the internet near me.
Just my books.
Just reading.
I wondered how angry Katie was.
