I think it’s something that’s completely out of this world. A power so vicious that it could send me to my knees.She could bring me to my knees.
My palms begin to sweat and I can feel my lungs screaming for the taste of fresh air. With clammy hands I unclip the helmet and yank it off my head before resting it on the tank, then I switch off the engine. Silence surrounds me, mixing with a faint whisper of wind blowing past my ears. Instantly I inhale the sharp air to fill my scratched lungs. After a few more deep breaths, I can finally focus on Brynne.
Carefully she slips out of the SUV with a holdall bag over her shoulder, the hood of her hoodie shielding her face. I watchwith intent as she turns on her heels, scouring over the empty street– probably to check if she’s in the clear. Obviously she’s not that great at scouting her surroundings because she still hasn’t clocked me.
You need to be more careful, love. You’re not the only monster out tonight.
Lifting my hand from the tank, I carefully slip out the key and kick down the stand to balance the bike, then I swing my leg over the heavy machine and unclip my phone from the mount, sliding it into the back pocket of my jeans. All the while I keep a careful eye on Brynne, she softly closes the door of her truck and shrugs the bag further up onto her shoulder, then she’s off, taking careful steps through the front garden. I can’t see much of the house from where I’m standing and instead of second guessing what she’s walking into, I head down the path, keeping my back against the fences until I reach what seems to be Leroy’s house.
I stop at the edge of his garden and slowly turn my head around a dead bush. The leaves are dry and brittle, with one soft touch they’d fall from the branches. From between the dead leaves, I can see Brynne on her knees as she picks the lock of the battered front door, wood panels are littered with cracks. One gust of wind and that thing will blow right off its hinges.
I could boot the fucker down but I want to see my woman at work. I want to see the deadly spider catch her prey, with me as the sidekick, of course.
Bright red spray paint covers the white exterior of the house, the wordrapistbeing the focal point of Leroy’s home. Just looking at the word has all the puzzle pieces that make up Brynne, clicking together in my mind. That has to be the reason why she chose Leroy, why she chooses any of her‘victims’.Something horrific happened to her and now she’s on a war path, a vicious journey of revenge to write the wrongs of these men, these fucking pigs.
I know what I’ve done in my life isn’t right, and it’ll never be right. I’ve come to terms with that, that maybe I’m not a good person in my core but I would rather die than ever lay my hands on a woman the way Leroy probably has. If I could change the actions of my past, I would but I can’t. I can only live with the choices that I’ve made, that were forced upon me. The actions of another who has made me who I am today, and I’llforeverhateherfor that.
Anger floods my system. If I could dig up my mother and kill her all over again, I absolutely would do, without a second thought. Instead I’m left with the broken pieces that she left behind, and I can only hope that once Brynne finds out why I am the way I am, that she doesn’t mind cutting her hands with my sharp edges because I’d happily bleed out holding hers.
Click!
The sound of Brynne finally cracking the lock on the door throws me right back into the present. She makes quick work of throwing the metal pins back inside the bag and entering Leroy’s home. Darkness shrouds her as she steps over the threshold and just the thought of her going in there alone has my heart threatening to fall out of my ass.
This fucking woman..I think to myself.
I roll my eyes and crack the muscles in my neck before stepping out from behind the bush and make my way up the path, keeping my steps silent as I follow in behind her. Sour sweat and pungent urine hits me like a brick to the face. It’s so strong that I’m ready to throw up all over the grimy floor. Instead, I keep to the shadows for a moment and watch as Brynne takes careful steps over the rubbish that litters the carpet and just before she can enter into what I think is the living room, I sneak up behind her and wrap my arm around her waist whilst my hand clamps over her mouth.
Fear threatens to suffocate me whole as I struggle in the arms of my captor. Air flushes out of my nose in rapid bursts as I try to relax my breathing and then, a voice as smooth as whiskey hits my ear in a soft whisper.
“You should be more aware of your surroundings, love. I’d hate for anything to happen to you.”
I shove the tears back as I battle with my mind, convincing it that we’re not in danger. That I’m not being hurt again, that my captor isn’t going to tear me apart but I can’t stop the images from flashing across my mind. Horrific flashbacks from my attack stab into me, puncturing my insides like serrated blades.
I feel my body begin to tremble. Hands shaking like stray leaves in the wind.
No, no no.. please, not now.
Panic drowns me from the inside out and I’m too weak to stop it. It fills my lungs with black tar and my nails claw against Kincaid’s skin. Tearing at the intricate ink and metal rings. I know it’s him behind me but my mind won’t believe my thoughts, it refuses to believemebecause all I can see is Chris.The way his grimy hands grappled against my flesh, how he shoved me down onto the wet ground.
“Pl.. please.. don’t hurt.. me.” I whimper against the palm of his hand, words stuttering. “Ch.. ris.. I.. I.. don’t want.. this.”
Kincaid freezes behind me, at least I think it’s him. It has to be, Chris isn’t here anymore. I made sure of that. I made sure that he would never hurt another living soul, I..
“Baby, it’s me,” his calm voice washes over me as he slowly peels his hand away from my mouth. “It’ll always be me. I’m right here.”
My bottom lip trembles as I turn in his arms to face him. I’m so scared at what I might find but I need to know. Guilt like I’ve never seen before floods his handsome face, even in the darkness with just a shard of moonlight slipping through the window, he’s still so beautiful. Hurt swims in his dark eyes and I want to brush away the crease that’s forming between his brows but I can’t move.
“Kin.. what are you doing here?”
How come I didn’t see him following me? I’m so fucking stupid, and now I’ve brought him into this.
“You need to leave. You can’t be here.” I say, attempting to wiggle out of his hold but he refuses to budge. Kincaid uses his arms to pull me closer. “I’m not going anywhere because what the fuck was that? What just happened then?”
Shame overflows me because Kincaid was never meant to see me like that. So vulnerable, so raw and open. My gaze drops from his face and I try to turn my head away but he doesn’t let me. Rough fingers grasp my chin and I’m forced to look at him, and only him.
“Don’t hide away from me, love. I know I shouldn't be here, and I know I shouldn’t have sneaked up on you like that, andI know..I shouldn’t have followed you here but..” His voice trailsoff. Anguish and confusion causes the crease in between his brow to deepen further.
“I think you–”
