by Izzy Sweet
I don’t know how he survived the punches Johnathan just threw at him.
The man should be dead.
He coughs and hacks, and sounds like an old man when he wheezes out, “They fucked her in the ass.”
Johnathan pulls his arm back, prepared to take another swing when I scream out, “Johnathan, stop!”
Johnathan freezes in place and shoots a worried look back at me.
“The more she cried,” Sasha coughs out. “The harder they fucked her.”
Johnathan’s face contorts with rage and I’m afraid he’s about to follow through with his swing.
“Johnathan, please,” I plead and his face falls.
Slowly, with a look of regret, he lowers his arm and then walks over to me. “You okay, baby?” he asks while pulling me into his arms.
I shake my head and feel the tears I’ve been crying splashing against my cheeks. How could I possibly be okay after hearing all of that?
“You want to leave while I finish him off?” Johnathan asks as his arms squeeze protectively around me.
Johnathan is big and warm and safe, but I can take no comfort in him.
“Is it true?” I hear myself whimper.
Johnathan goes stiff and I know the answer before he mutters it. “Yeah.”
Fuck! I can’t believe Amanda had to go through all of that. I don’t want to imagine it, but after everything Sasha just said, I can’t stop the horrors she must have endured from filling my head.
Amanda cried so much, and she was the most afraid out of the three of us…
“I thought you said she was safe,” I sob, a fresh wave of sorrow slamming into me for my friend.
“She was,” Johnathan explains reluctantly. “Once we rescued her.”
“Oh god,” I groan.
I push away from Johnathan and he lets me go. Bending over, I start to dry heave, overcome with sudden and intense nausea.
“I’m sorry, baby,” Johnathan apologizes as he pulls my hair back for me. “I was just trying to protect you…”
His big, warm palm comes down on my back, rubbing in soothing circles as my stomach clenches and my body tries in vain to force something up.
Thankfully, or not, I haven’t eaten in hours so the nausea passes with no results.
A shadow appears over me and I look up to see Lucifer. He holds out a bottle of water for me.
I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand and straighten.
“Thank you,” I croak out as I accept the bottle.
Lucifer nods his head and watches me with keen interest.
I take a moment to gather my composure and drink from the bottle. Johnathan continues to rub my back and lingers by my side. Once I think I can handle it, I look back to Sasha.
Just the sight of him makes me sick, and it’s not because of his poor physical condition.
“Come on,” Johnathan says, his arm coming to wrap around me. “Let’s get you home. This was a bad idea.”
I nod my head and can’t help but agree with him. This was a very bad idea, and I have no clue what Johnathan was thinking.
I don’t belong here. I don’t belong in this kind of world, and right now all I want to do is escape it.
The thought of returning home, of curling up in Johnathan’s arms and crying my heart out, gives me the energy to put one foot in front of the other.
We make it halfway to the office door before Sasha starts laughing.
And that fucking laugh will haunt my nightmares.
“I let them fuck your friend before I fed her to the pigs!” he yells out with glee.
I stop in midstep and it feels like someone just ripped open my chest and yanked all my insides out.
“What?” I gasp in horrified shock and spin around.
Vaguely, I’m aware of Johnathan murmuring, “Don’t listen to him,” but it’s so hard to focus on him over the roar in my ears.
I take another step towards Sasha and have to shrug off Johnathan’s arm. “What did you just say?” I nearly scream at Sasha.
Sasha tries to grin, but it ends up just a horrifying spread of his mangled mouth.
He has the gall to shrug his shoulders. “She was still warm and beautiful, even with her brains leaking all over the place.”
Oh god.
Oh god… oh god… oh god…
I know he’s not lying, he’s too damn smug about it, and I don’t know how to process it.
How? How could someone do that?
Only a monster…
The majority of my brain has shut down, overloaded by the information. I’m not even aware of walking up to the cart and facing Sasha until I have the gun in my hand.
I look down the barrel and aim it at his ugly head.
My hand is shaking as I stare at him.
I’ve never wanted to kill someone so much in my life. I would be doing the world a favor by putting an end to his evil existence.
How many times did I wish I had a gun when they held me captive?
My finger twitches over the trigger as Sasha stares back at me, and there’s a look of such pleased triumph in his eyes that I wish I could kill him twice over.
With the gun in my hand, staring at his forehead, I can’t help but remember my last vision of Lindsey.
Her hair spread around her face.
The blood staining it red and leaking into the carpet.
Her empty eyes.
Her life snuffed out like she was nothing.
To them, she was just an inconvenience.
Something to get rid of.
And knowing, even in death, they abused her fills me with such a sad rage my entire body is shaking from it.
Sasha spits out another glob of blood mixed with spit and leans forward in his chair.
His eyes are focused and intense as he says, “She was the best fuck I ever had.”
I blink at him, seeing the lie instantly for what it is.
Does the evil fucker actually want me to kill him?
My eyes roam over his body, and it’s kind of funny, I was so focused on what was happening to his head I didn’t even realize he was naked.
He’s been stripped of all his clothes. His ankles are strapped to the legs of the chair and his wrists have been strapped to the arms.
Both his toes and fingers are bleeding.
Someone has pulled every single one of his nails off.
His upper thighs are an angry red and it looks like someone singed all the hair off with something hot.
Bruises are beginning to bloom all over his body. Most notably across his chest and lower stomach.
His private parts may be bleeding as well, but I don’t want to look too closely at them.
If I had to guess, I’d say he’s been in here awhile.
Good.
Noting my hesitation, Sasha’s eyes narrow and he hisses angrily, “Do it.”
And I want to, more than anything.
I want to kill him so bad I’m fucking crying, but I just can’t seem to do it.
I try and try to pull the trigger, and Sasha goads me on but it’s not right. He deserves so much more than a quick death.
He deserves to suffer like my friends and I have. Like Charlie has.
“Beth…” Johnathan’s voice comes to me. “Do you want me to do it?”
I shake my head and my sobs intensify. My body is shaking so hard now, the gun in my hand is swaying wildly.
If I’m not careful, I might shoot someone accidentally.
“Give me the gun,” Johnathan says gently, and I feel my arm being pushed down before the gun is slid out of my hand.
“Do it, you ugly fucking bitch!” Sasha screams, fighting the bonds of his chair. He’s hissing and spitting, and fighting with all his might.
Johnathan pulls me into his arms and turns me away from him.
“It’s okay, baby,” Johnathan murmurs, stroking my hair back. “We’ll take care of him.”
“No,” I sob out in misery and cling to him. This is the gift
Johnathan gave me, and now that I understand what it is, I can fully appreciate it, “I want to be the one to do it.”
I owe it to my friends. I owe it to myself to see that this man gets the justice he deserves.
“Baby…” Johnathan says, his coarse voice too gentle for the thoughts I’m thinking.
Grasping his shirt in my fists, I look up at him and say, “I want him to suffer, Johnathan.”
Johnathan looks down at me and slowly nods his head, but his eyes are full of hesitation. “What do you want to do?”
I take a deep breath and I know the choice I’ve made is right. After everything I’ve learned tonight, it feels right.
“Do you have any pigs?”
It’s the dead of night. We drove for three hours to reach a secluded farm after a call was put in to some guy named Harrold.
Above me, there are so many stars in the sky. Stars I can’t normally see and they’re beautiful.
“Fuck, he’s heavier than he looks,” Andrew grumbles as Johnathan helps him lift Sasha’s body.
“Doesn’t help that the fucker won’t stop fighting,” Johnathan grunts as he struggles with Sasha’s bound but still kicking legs. “Stop moving, fucker.”
“On three,” Andrew says.
Johnathan nods.
“One… two… three…”
They swing Sasha’s body in unison and send him flying over the fence, straight into the pigpen.
There’s a great deal of squealing and grunting as the pigs are abruptly awoken from their slumber.
Johnathan wipes his hands on his pants and walks over to me. Though this whole sick idea was my idea, I don’t think I can actually stomach watching what is about to happen.
I stand about ten feet away from the pigpen, keeping my distance.
“You okay?” Johnathan asks, walking up to me and pulling me into his arms.
He’s been asking that a lot. And during the drive here, I’ve had plenty of time to think about what’s about to happen.
I nod my head and look back up at the sky. The stars twinkle and sparkle, and a part of me hopes that Lindsey is up there, watching what I’m doing for her.
For all of us.
The noise coming from the pigpen increases in volume. The pigs are agitated and loudly grunting their displeasure.
“Shit, I don’t know how long something like this is going to take. You sure you want to stay?” Johnathan asks.
I nod my head again in answer, afraid to speak less I burst into more tears.
“Come here then so I can keep you warm,” Johnathan says pulling me closer.
Muffled cries begin to emanate from within the pen and I can’t help but shiver.
Are they eating him now?
I glance towards the pen but I can’t see anything except for the pigs swarming around something.
Lucifer stands right up next to the fence with Andrew beside him. There’s this strange grin on Lucifer’s face as he watches what’s happening, and I swear, in the moonlight, it almost seems like he’s glowing.
Shaking my head, I turn my head back and bury my face against Johnathan.
Suddenly a piercing scream slices through the quiet and I tremble.
“Shit. The pigs must have gotten the gag off,” Johnathan mutters.
The screaming goes on and on. Sasha cries out, begging for someone to help him.
I burst into tears.
Johnathan’s arms tighten around me. “You sure you’re okay?”
I nod my head up and down and cling to him.
I just can’t stop thinking about how many women begged Sasha and his men to stop.
How many children begged him…
Did they cry out for help? Did they plead for mercy like he is?
Did they hope that someone would magically appear and save them? Someone like Johnathan?
I heard at least one child crying for their mother, but I know there were others. Others like my Charlie.
“Help! Please! Somebody please help me!” he cries out in English before switching to Russian.
How many are still out there? Sold to the highest bidder? Trapped in some hellish nightmare?
“Fuck, this shit’s messed up even for me,” Andrew grumbles. “I’m outta here.”
“Have a good night, Andrew,” Lucifer snickers at him.
I hear a car door opening then slamming shut. The car starts up and then tires are rolling against the dirt.
The screams go on and on, and I cry and cry, but I feel like something is finally being purged from me. Some horrible sick thing I’ve been carrying around inside of me ever since I was taken.
By the time Sasha’s cries begin to weaken, I’m no longer sobbing. My body is filled with this warm, fuzzy numbness.
“It’s almost over, I think,” Johnathan says gently.
I nod my head, wipe some of the tears from my eyes, and look up at him. “But the guy in charge, Alexei, is still out there…”
The man who wasn’t willing to get his own hands dirty, but who is truly responsible for all of this.
Johnathan’s face hardens and his eyes darken. “We’ll get him,” he says with such conviction I instantly believe him. “That fucker is number one on my shit list. It’s just a matter of time before I find him.”
And there he goes again, offering me the things I’ve never had before. Safety and protection and justice. He’s so fucking amazing, I’m not sure I even deserve him, but I’m not giving him up.
No, he’s mine now and I’ll do anything to keep him.
I stare up at him in amazement. I’m pretty sure I love this man. No, I’m fucking sure I love him.
Johnathan starts to frown and shifts uncomfortably. “What? I got something in my beard?”
I shake my head and laugh a little.
His eyes instantly light up. “I do, don’t I?”
I laugh again, and I’m on the verge of telling him what I’m feeling when the headlights of an approaching car draws our attention.
I look over to see a big, black Escalade rolling through the grass. The car stops just before the grass becomes dirt.
The car idles for a couple of minutes before the driver’s side opens and Simon steps out.
“Holy shit,” Johnathan says with awe. “I can’t believe Lucifer got him to a fucking farm.”
Simon scowls down at the dirt like it’s somehow offended him before slamming the door of his car.
“Simon,” Lucifer calls out. “So glad you could join us.”
The look Simon shoots Lucifer is pure murder.
Lucifer chuckles and motions him over. Simon walks stiffly towards him, cursing under his breath.
When he finally reaches the fence, after avoiding every little dip and groove in the ground, he stands so tall, so stiff, I just blurt out, “That guy seriously needs to get laid.”
Johnathan gives me a surprised look and then bursts out laughing. “He so fucking does.”
Lucifer and Simon glance at Johnathan, probably wondering what the hell is so funny.
Lucifer smirks but Simon is glaring daggers.
“Something funny, Johnathan?” Simon asks, obviously not amused.
“Yeah,” Johnathan says and then bursts into another fit of laughter. “Fuck it, James is off the hook.”
“What the fuck does that mean?” Simon snarls.
“It means you’re next, motherfucker!” Johnathan continues to laugh. I don’t think he can stop himself at this point. “You’re about to get wifed up, Simon!”
22
Epilogue
Beth
Christmas
“I want one,” Johnathan breathes into my ear, leaning over the back of the couch I’m sitting on with Amy.
His hot breath sends a delicious shiver up my spine as I stare down at the baby in my arms.
Noah, Amy and Andrew’s infant son, is wrapped up in a fluffy blue blanket, his eyes full of wonder as he peers up at me. He has his father’s dark hair and his mother’s warm eyes.
<
br /> “He’s so beautiful,” I gush to Amy. “And so small.”
Noah’s little fingers are wrapped around my index finger and he keeps trying to pull it into his mouth to suckle on.
For such a small guy, he’s surprisingly strong.
“He is,” Amy agrees with proud pleasure.
“Can I keep him?” I ask, half teasing and half serious.
Seriously, I’ve never held a baby before and there’s just something extremely satisfying about cradling his warm weight in my arms.
Amy tips her head back and laughs. “Maybe you can babysit him when he’s a little older.”
“I’d like that.” I smile, and then look back down at Noah. “You hear that, big guy? You and I are going to have lots of fun.”
Noah smiles up at me and my heart melts.
I don’t know what it is, but I’ve been feeling extremely sensitive lately. My emotions are heightened and sometimes out of control. It could be because of all the crazy events that have happened over the past couple of months, but I just seem to feel everything a little more now.
There was a memorial a couple of weeks ago for Lindsey that was hard as fuck to get through, but with Johnathan by my side, I survived it.
Honestly, I don’t know how I made it through life up to this point without him by my side. He’s become my rock. Always there to offer his support and catch me when I fall.
And I love him so damn much for it. So much, sometimes I think I might burst from the force of it.
Ever since the night at the farm, things seem to have settled down a bit. Johnathan and I were officially married in a small, secret ceremony hidden from the press, and I no longer have to worry about my father coming after me if he decides to ignore Johnathan’s warning and gets a wild hair up his ass.
We also legally adopted Charlie. I have no clue how Johnathan managed to pull it off so quick, but he’s officially ours now. And every day, we’ve been growing closer and closer as a family.
I lean my head back and peek up at Johnathan. His eyes are molten and his expression is scorching.
He’s made no secret that right now his mission in life is to knock me up. In fact, it’s all he tries to do. I think if he could get away with it in Lucifer’s house, he’d try to get me to sneak off with him right now and have a go at it.