by Kennedy Fox
The images burn in my mind, but I force myself to look at them. I want the anger to fuel my every move, and I plan to make him pay for this. He’ll be sorry he ever went near her, and I don’t give a fuck about the consequences.
Mason: Hurt her and see what happens…I’ll be your worst nightmare.
He sends a text back with a cut down the length of Sophie’s arm. Blood is everywhere. It doesn’t look deep, but that doesn’t mean he won’t go deeper next time he feels like proving a point.
Dalton: You’re not very smart, are you? This is a game, fucker. And you’re losing.
“He’s cut her,” I wail, my heart lodging into my throat as I gasp for air. Liam steps on the gas, and we’re practically flying down the highway.
“Where are we going?” Hunter asks.
“Weston’s house. He lives close to Glenwood Meadows. That bastard probably took her there,” I reply, kicking myself for not thinking to go there earlier, considering he’s probably been staying there.
In no time at all, we’re pulling onto the street. The last time I was here was when I helped Sophie pack up her shit and move her to my house. The inside was a wreck from the fight they had before the wedding reception. The same day the gun went off and killed him. The same day he could’ve murdered Sophie. Dalton had gotten away with killing his wife, so couldn’t he do the same? I’m sure that’s exactly what Weston thought too.
“We should go in through the back,” Liam orders. “Don’t want to look suspicious and get the cops called on us by the neighbors before we get the chance to grab her.”
Liam leads the way, and Hunter and I follow as he walks around the side of the house. Liam pulls out his gun, then places his back against the brick, and whispers, “Everything sounds quiet, doesn’t it?”
I shrug. “That doesn’t mean anything. He had her mouth duct-taped,” I remind him.
Seconds later, he lifts his leg and kicks the back door in with the heel of his boot.
“Damn, dude,” Hunter says, impressed, but Liam’s built for shit like this. Liam keeps his arms stretched out as he points the gun in front of us and walks inside, then clears the room before walking into the kitchen. On the counter, we see Sophie’s phone with a piece of paper. My heart fucking sinks when I read the note.
You really think I’m that fucking stupid to let you track her number? If so, then you’re the idiot. Say goodbye to your little girlfriend, killer. See you soon, motherfucker. You’re next.
I suck in a ragged breath, but it doesn’t help. I lose my balance and lean against the counter, nearly falling to my knees. Liam and Hunter read the note.
“This is all part of his game,” Hunter says as another photo comes through my text.
Dalton has Sophie’s hair wrapped around his fist with a knife to her throat, and I try to choke out words, but nothing comes out.
“He’s going to kill her,” Hunter whispers.
“Not if we find him and kill him first,” Liam retorts as he helps me stand, and we rush out of the house.
“Are you sure we shouldn’t call the cops now? If he’s going to kill her either way…” Hunter says with concern written all over his face.
“The moment he hears or sees them, he won’t think twice about killing her on the spot. At least we can appease him while we look for her and shoot him first when we find them,” Liam says. I want to believe we’ll get there before something terrible happens to her, but with every second that passes, I fear the worst.
Chapter Three
Sophie
When I come to, my entire body feels as though I was thrown off a bull. When Caleb cut my arm and I saw blood, the world faded away once again. I’m not even sure how many times I’ve been unconscious. I was in shock, horrified that he could cut into my flesh as if I’m nothing more than a slab of meat. He found way too much satisfaction in my earth-shattering screams when he pushed the blade into my skin.
My eyes are nearly swollen shut, and my lips feel busted. My back hurts from being taped to this chair for so long. What Weston did to me doesn’t compare to what his brother has done tonight. I look up at Caleb and see the similarities between the two and wonder how I never noticed. I feel like a fucking fool. Same cheeks, same nose, and even the same coldness behind their eyes—they’re monsters cut from the same cloth.
“Finally,” Caleb huffs when he notices me stirring. He looks at me as though I’m a huge inconvenience, but I didn’t wish for this. All I wanted to do was support someone I thought was my friend, attend grief circle, and experience a first date with Mason. I should’ve known it was too good to be true—Mason and I. The timing is always wrong, but this is the most fucked-up way for the universe to show that. The thought nearly blinds me, but I try to push it away.
“Caleb,” I croak out, my throat dry as hell. The excruciating pain is causing my body to go into shock.
“Stop calling me that! My name isn’t Caleb, you dumb bitch.”
I swallow, not knowing what’s true and what isn’t anymore. At this point, I don’t care what his name is. I just want to get out of here alive and back to Mason, but I don’t know if that’ll happen. My heart races when I think about dying at the hands of this monster.
He watches me, amused.
“What should I call you then?” I ask, trying to keep him talking so maybe it’ll give me more time to live. Or, rather, figure out how to get out of here before it’s too late.
He snarls, then shrugs. “I guess you should know the name of your killer. It’s Dalton.”
I nearly choke on the thick air that fills the room. Does he really have it in him to kill me? From what I’ve seen already, I think he just might. I don’t doubt he’ll follow through with his threats, just as I didn’t doubt Weston. I have no reason to believe otherwise, not after he’s hit and cut me. I’m losing blood and hope.
“Your boyfriend must think I’m stupid as fuck.” Dalton snickers, pacing in front of me, turning up the volume on the police scanner. “If he makes a call about you missing, I’ll hear it, and he’ll regret it. I’m not a fucking idiot like he thinks.”
I try to swallow down the lump in my throat that’s quickly replaced with bile.
“No,” I whisper, but my response only pleases Dalton even more. “No one thinks you’re an idiot.”
I nod as he twirls the knife between his fingers. “Do I scare you, Sophie?”
No matter what answer I give, it won’t be good enough. It’s a loaded question because if I say yes, he’ll continue his sick, torturous game, and if I say no, he’ll change tactics until I am scared. After living with Weston and being pushed to my limits emotionally and physically, I never thought I’d feel fear like this again. When he died, I thought it was over, and I’d be safe.
The way my body trembles should be enough for Dalton, but it’s not. His ego drives him forward, just as it did Weston.
“Fucking answer me!” he screams, then slaps me across the face.
I wince but hold back from crying out. “Yes. You do,” I admit. “I thought I knew you, who you were. I thought we were friends,” I say with tears streaming down my cheeks because it’s the truth. I believed his whole damn story.
“And that was your downfall. Your issue is you trust too easily. You’re nothing more than a little lamb who so willingly followed a tiger into the jungle,” he mocks with a roar of laughter.
A chill runs up my spine when he smiles. I don't even recognize him with that crazed look in his eyes.
“You know…” He takes a step closer before pacing in front of me. “My brother loved you so damn much. So. Damn. Much. A month before he was murdered, he told me he was planning to propose. When I helped my parents clean out his house, I found the engagement ring. He talked about how you saved him. Little did he know, you’d be the reason for his death.”
“You’re lying,” I say between gritted teeth. I don’t believe a fucking word he says about Weston, especially that.
He’s in his element with a larg
e ass knife tightly gripped in his hand and a gun behind him. “I have no reason to lie. Weston spoke so highly of you. He loved you. And you pretended to love him back just so you could use him for his house.”
My emotions begin to spill over. “That’s not true.”
“He told me how he felt sorry for you because of your roommate situation and mentioned how you sucked dick like a champ. So he let you move in, though it seems you had an ulterior motive.” He narrows his eyes before rushing over and kicking me in my stomach with all his strength. My body and my arms feel as if they may break off as I slam against the hard floor. Even though my throat is dry, I let out a terrifying scream. Dalton stands over me with his arms crossed over his chest, laughing. Seeing me in pain is funny to him. Fucking sicko.
“I’m going to get more satisfaction ending you than I did Dacia.”
His words course through me like venom. “What?” I croak out, hardly able to look at him.
“I wonder if you’ll scream the same way she did, or if it’ll take just as long before you stop breathing.” He speaks as though he’s talking about the weather.
“No,” I whisper, forcing my eyes closed, wanting to disappear as he bends down closer to my face.
“She was getting in my way of getting to you and asking too many questions. I didn’t need her warning you about me, so I did what I had to do.” He gives me a wide grin. “Glad you reminded me. I need to get her body out of my trunk.” He purses his lips, then continues. “In fact, I can burn all your bodies together. Hers. Yours. And Mason’s. Hope none of his little friends get in my way, though, or I’ll have more bodies than can fit in my trunk. Hmm…maybe I’ll just leave you all in here while I torch the whole fucking house.” I’m not sure if he realizes he’s thinking aloud, but it’s terrifying.
“You’re a monster,” I spit out, but he smirks. At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if he has weapons hidden all over this place, considering the way he talks about taking out anyone who tries to stop him.
My gut twists as I think about my friends. I hope he’s just trying to scare me, but I have a feeling he’s telling the truth about Dacia. I haven’t heard from her in weeks.
This can’t be happening.
“Thank you.” He’s amused. “Want to know how I killed her? It’s really a lovely story.”
I keep my mouth shut as he stands over me. Swiftly, he brings his foot back and kicks my stomach with his boot, knocking the breath out of me. Pain shoots through my body as he kicks me again, and I’m scared he’ll break one of my ribs. After he’s worn himself out, and the pain becomes my new normal, he stands over me with the cell phone and takes pictures. My dress is bunched up to my waist, and I’m regretting wearing it since I’m exposed, and he has access to any part of me he wants.
“Wonder what your boyfriend is going to think about these? Want to smile for the camera?” He continues to take more as I lay in agony.
Dalton forcefully grabs me and yanks the chair upright. I keep my head slumped, hoping this is over soon, but beating me to a pulp won’t be enough for him. Dalton grabs a fistful of my hair and jerks my head back. I suck in a breath, but it hurts like hell.
“Dacia was smarter than you. I don’t think she ever trusted me and purposely forced herself between us, but unfortunately for her, she couldn’t stay out of my goddamn way. So when you invited us to dinner, she told me I needed to explain to you who I was because she’d figured out that my name wasn’t Caleb.” He shakes his head. “She threatened to tell you if I didn’t. That was the bitch’s first mistake. Don’t ever threaten me,” he spits out. “It never ends well.” He flashes a satisfied grin. “For the other person, that is.”
Dacia, protective Dacia. She was always so intelligent and observant. I cry for her. I cry for her mother, who already lost one child. I cry because I will have the same fate as her by the same man.
“Aww, are you sad for her?” he taunts. “Boo-fuckin’-hoo.”
I squeeze my eyes tight as he continues to ramble, giving me details I don’t want to hear.
“I waited outside her house, knowing she’d be leaving for work soon. When she walked to her car, I snuck up behind her. She put up a good fight, but she was too weak for me. Overpowering her was easy. Almost as easy as my wife, though Dacia didn’t beg me to stop like my wife did.”
“You…” I swallow, shocked that the part of him being married was true. “Killed your wife?”
He nods, proudly. “Threats, Sophie darling. No one threatens me.” He emphasizes his words. “She threatened to leave me after she found out she was pregnant with another man’s baby, and after the whore cheated on me, I wasn’t going to allow her to do that. She was mine. Now she’ll always only be mine.”
His sentiments echo Weston’s. More tears well in my eyes, and he cracks his knuckles. He’s killed two women with those hands. I’ll be his third.
The phone vibrates, and he laughs when he reads the message, loving every minute of this. “Oh, looks like your sister Maddie is texting you now. What should we tell her?” He taps the knife against his lips. “I should’ve taken her too, but I don’t know if I could’ve dealt with two of you feisty cunts at once. Maybe after I’ve killed you and Mason, I’ll go after her too. Seems like a good fuck. Bet she’d give good head with her arms and legs tied up.”
The thought of him being anywhere near Maddie makes my heart race, and I’m internally panicking because he knows where she lives now. All I’ve ever wanted was to protect my sisters and not bring people like Dalton into their lives. I become more frantic and uneasy, knowing he could’ve easily taken her too. Take me, hurt me, even kill me, but leave my sisters out of it.
“What do you want from me?” I ask, not wanting to play any more games, but he’s living for this.
“I’ve got what I want for now—you. You’re what’s going to bring Mason to me, and then I’ll be able to make him feel the same way I felt when I learned my brother was shot. After I knock out his teeth and tie him up, I’m going to make him watch me strangle the life from you. Maybe I’ll fuck your ass first. He can witness it all before he takes his last breath.”
His words are terrifying, and what’s worse is that he’s convinced he’s capable of doing this. Mason won’t go down without a fight, and most likely, he won’t come alone. I twist my arms, seeing if I can loosen the tape enough to wiggle free.
“Ooh look, speaking of the motherfucking devil.” He turns the phone around, and I see Mason calling. “Should I answer?”
He presses the button before I reply, then puts the phone up to my ear.
“I’m looking for you, Dalton, and when I find you…”
“Mason,” I breathe out, tears falling.
His tone instantly changes, and he speaks softly. “Sophie. Oh my God. Are you okay?”
Before I can respond, he rips the phone away and laughs.
“Hurt her? Nah, she’s fine. She’s tough. Can take a kick to the gut like a man. Right?” He turns and flashes me a wink, which has me swallowing bile.
My heart races as he nonchalantly walks around the kitchen listening to Mason. “You don’t want to threaten me,” he warns. “You’ll be sorry if you do. Trust me. Just ask your little sweet Sophie.” He chuckles darkly.
To anyone else, it would seem he’s chatting with an old friend. Dalton is hot one minute and cold the next. Laughing, then shouting. He’s unstable and the most frightening part of it all—unpredictable.
“Touch her, you say?” His eyes bore into me. “Actually, I was thinking of fucking her first. I’d like to know what my brother had and find out what’s so special about her that made you kill him.” He pauses to listen to Mason, then laughs again. “Oh, foul language, Mason. No, no. Don’t worry…I saw the way she looked at me the first day we met…” He continues talking shit, but I tune him out, unable to hear any more as Mason yells on the other end.
I remember the day we met like yesterday because I thought he was hitting on me. Instead of l
istening to my gut, I chalked it up to being jaded because of Weston. He invaded my personal space and acted too friendly. However, thinking about it now, I should’ve recognized the signs.
Dalton ends the call and lets out a cackle as he comes toward me. Placing his hand tightly around my throat, he digs his fingers into my skin. I gasp, struggling to breathe as he closes my airway. I try shifting my body, fighting against the duct tape and his strength, but it’s no use. I’m in so much pain that I’m weak and exhausted. The smile never leaves from his face as everything seems to fade away.
“Sophie.” I hear Weston’s voice. No. Not possible. “I warned you. I meant it when I said you were mine forever.”
I shake my head, looking at him standing in front of me wearing the clothes he had on the first time we met for brunch. “You’re dead.”
He grins and cocks an eyebrow. “No, you’re dead.”
I’m unable to focus on anything. Insufferable pain creeps over me, and my stomach starts to hurt. None of this is real. I know it’s not, but it seems real. In a blink, Weston is in front of me with both of his hands around my throat, choking the life out of my body.
“Weston,” I barely get out. “Weston, stop.”
It’s as if someone turns on the lights, and I’m brought back to my reality as Dalton towers over me. I’m so damn disoriented that Weston is haunting me from the grave. My hallucinations are merging memories of the past with my present.
“You just called me Weston, you skanky bitch.” The back of his hand slams across my cheek. My head is pounding so hard, and I wonder why he doesn’t just finish the damn job and end me. Why continue with this charade? I have no more tears; they’ve all dried up. My broken body won’t be able to take much more before it shuts down completely, and the blackness returns.
Blinking, I see his fuzzy figure in front of me, and when my eyes finally focus, I see the devil is still taunting me. “You’re such a little cock tease.” I hear the smile in his voice. He’s giddy as fuck knowing he holds all the power over me and can easily strangle me until I lose consciousness. I don’t even know how long I was out before, but I notice my dress is ripped, and my bra is showing. All I want to do is hide from him, but he’s determined to steal every last shred of my dignity.