He can’t answer me, but I nod.
“I agree. We don’t judge each other for our preferences. I dismantled the last of your empire today, so I thought I’d stop by and tell you all about how it went down. On that first day, when we captured you and killed Viktor, who was a fucking child molester, by the way, we infiltrated your compound. Cut comms, got right in there and killed all of your highest-ranking men first. The soldiers scattered a bit, so it took some time to round them up. We executed the last three of those this morning.”
I grab the box cutter from my table and casually slice his Achilles, severing it completely.
“Your wife? Thanks for asking.” I cut the other one. He doesn’t make a sound. He stopped screaming two months ago. “Don’t worry, we didn’t rape her or anything. She got a clean shot to the head. You should know, though, that she was fucking her tennis coach at the time.”
I wince, as if I’m sympathetic.
“We took care of him too. Call it a favor to you. Sorry your wife was cheating on you, man. That can’t be a good feeling.”
I shake my head and cut the inside of his elbows.
“That was number nine hundred and ninety-eight. I’ve been keeping track.”
His eyes fly to mine and I nod.
“That’s right. Death by a thousand cuts. You’ve heard of it, I’m sure. The thing is, now I only have two left.”
I slice through his lower abdomen, deep enough that some of his intestines spill out and I chuckle.
“Make thatoneleft. Do I use it today, or do I let you suffer for another day like this.”
The man whines, and I tsk.
“You and your wife enjoyed making the love of my life hurt,” I say, keeping my voice calm and conversational. “Slap her. Punch her. Kick her. Take away something she enjoyed. But you didn’t do that for three measly months. No, you terrorized that perfect woman foryears.”
I set the box cutter down and choose my favorite fillet knife.
“I love her more than anything. And the fact that youeverput your disgusting fucking hands on her in any way really pisses me off.”
I face him, man to man, and with my eyes locked on his, I swipe my arm out and slit his throat, deep enough that it almost severs his head from his body.
Without waiting to watch the blood run from his veins, I turn and walk away.
I need to get back to my wife.
Epilogue
NATASHA
One Year Later
We never fuck at Rapture.Never.Even after more than a year, it’s not something that I can wrap my head around and do. No matter how safe I feel, I can’t relax enough for that, and my amazing husband is all about whatever makes me happy.
Tonight, though, we’re at the club, and we’re watching a man fuck the shit out of his ... wife? Girlfriend? Stranger?
I don’t know, and it doesn’t really matter.
They’re in a voyeur room, behind a closed door with a window that Julian and I are standing in front of, watching them.
We’re the only ones here.
The man has the woman on her side, her leg raised, and he’s fucking her from behind, rubbing her clit and making her bite the pillow.
I love that position.
I lean into my husband and feel him grin against the top of my head before he kisses me there.
