“No apology necessary. I remember smashing the TV in a bar after my favorite rugby team lost.”
“Well, I’ve never smashed a television.” I chuckle.
We lapse into silence, eyes glued to the screen as the actors meet gruesome fates. He caresses my thigh, and I freeze. The touch is foreign. My instinct is to shy away from the intimate contact, but it’s comforting, and I need to feel something besides desolation. The man I love rejected me. Finn can help me forget and is a perfect substitute. I aim to end the last thirty days of torture, tonight.
“Is this okay?”
“Yes,” I reply breathlessly.
His hand moves upwards, sliding under my dress.
“If you want me to stop, just say the word.”
I nod, leaning against the cushions. Finn skims his fingers along the edge of my panties. In the back of my mind, alarm bells boom. I ignore them, refusing to be swayed. If I have to seek pleasure elsewhere to move on, so be it. Finn gets on his knees and tugs my underwear off. I open myself to him, hoping he can transport me to the same erotic heights as my former lover. His tongue probes my labia. The siren in my head grows louder. My quest to reach orgasm is hampered by thoughts of Dom swamping me. This isn’t working. I should’ve known Dom would be irreplaceable. Before I can put a halt to my idiotic plan, there’s a loud bang and the front door flies open. Dom looms in the entryway, snarling like a rabid dog. His glowering countenance strikes terror in me. Danger thickens the surrounding air. It’s so palpable, the rancid taste of it clogs my esophagus.
“Who the fuck is this asshole?” Finn asks, anger lining his words.
Dom’s feral gaze zooms in on him, and he races towards us at top speed, unleashing a spine-chilling bellow. He catapults over the sofa, tackling Finn. They crash into the coffee table, obliterating the small wooden piece of furniture. The bowl of popcorn falls onto the carpet. Dom delivers a blow to Finn’s nose, and I hear a sickening crunch. The alpha males clash in a tangle of limbs, pummeling one another, but it’s apparent who’ll be the victor. Finn’s brawn is no match for Dom’s wrath. He’s quickly demoted to beta.
“Dom, stop it!”
Finn is getting beaten to black and blue. Dom leaps up and kicks him in the abdomen repeatedly. Blood spews from his nose and mouth. I’m to blame for putting him in this situation. I have to do something.
“You’re killing him!” I shout, launching myself onto Don’s back.
I’m effortlessly dislodged and hurled into the television. The forty-inch set careens to the floor, and I land on top of it, causing the screen to shatter on impact. Excruciating pain explodes in my shoulder. I think it’s dislocated.
“Your ass whooping is next,” he growls.
Finn uses the distraction to gather his senses and rise to his feet. He decks Dom across the temple. An elbow to the ribs followed by a jab to the gut is dealt swiftly in reprisal. Finn bends over, clutching his midsection. Dom takes advantage of his position and knees him in the face. Finn topples to the floor. I crawl to a safe spot and cradle my sore arm to my chest. I close my eyes and pray Finn lives to see tomorrow. The thrashing continues. I gag, listening to the vicious assault. Seconds, minutes, or hours could’ve passed. Eventually, blessed silence greets my ears. Is Finn dead, departing this world via a violent crime of passion? His spirit will surely haunt me for the rest of my days. Dare I confirm my fears? I count to ten and risk a peek. Dom towers above Finn’s prone form, but he’s breathing.
Thank God.
“You’re alive because your pants are on, but come near my property again, I’ll fry your balls and feed them to you.” Dom drags him to the door and tosses him out, then slams it shut again.
My prey cowers in the corner, knees drawn to her chest, frightened as a rabbit snared by a ravenous fox. Her trepidation is warranted. She lied and attempted to give away what belongs to me. I wouldn’t have found Pepper in this predicament had her proclamation of love held merit. The penalty for her transgressions is steep. Collection is due, and the only acceptable restitution is her withering in agony. Then I’ll be appeased.
“Your love expired in four weeks,” I grit out, visibly vibrating in fury.
“No.” Crocodile tears gleam in her eyes. “I still love you.”
“Lying whore!” I roar, flipping the sofa.
“I needed to forget.” Her voice wobbles. “Constantly thinking of you drove me crazy.”
Pepper has the ability to wrap me around her finger. How could I allow myself to fall under the spell of another conniving bitch? Unable to get a handle on my jumbled emotions, I punch holes into the wall.
“I missed you so much,” she sobs. “Please believe me.”
I storm into the kitchen and grab a knife, then go back to the living room. Pepper zeros in on my hand. To escape the apartment, she has to bypass me. She chooses the safer route and scurries to her bedroom, but a locked door won’t impede my revenge. A well-placed kick grants me access. She fumbles with her cell phone, struggling to dial 9-1-1 in her frantic state. I snatch the wireless device from her grasp and pitch it across the room. It smacks into the mirror, sending shards of glass and pieces of the mobile in every direction. She makes a run for it, but her bid for freedom is short-lived. I seize her hair and fling her onto the bed.
“My shoulder!” she wails.
I jump on behind her and slice the blade through her dress, cutting her in the process. I cast the tattered garment onto the carpet.
“You’re upset.” Pepper shakes like a leaf. “Don’t do something you’ll regret.”
“You were going to fuck him.” I place the tip of the blade at her clit.
