Page 52 of Beneath Her Skin

I sigh harshly, sounding more like a growl when I get in her face. “No. You listen to me. All my life you have tried to tell me what I can’t do, what I’m not capable of. I’m here to show you what the fuck I’m capable of. You should’ve killed me when you had the chance, because now I’m the nightmare you can’t escapefrom.” I lean back with a satisfied smile. “Open your fucking mouth, or do I need to drill a bigger hole in your face?”

When her mouth opens to retort, I shove the funnel inside, cocking a brow when she tries to fight it. The putrid scent of the milk has me holding my breath while I pour it down her throat. The reaction is almost instant, pushing back against the funnel until I have to toss it aside and hold her mouth shut with my covered hand.

“Swallow, like the whore you are,” I seethed.

I wait, unmoving until she manages to swallow everything in her mouth. Squeezing her cheeks with extra pressure on the wound, I pour the rest of the curdled liquid over her entire face. Seconds later, I just miss her projectile vomit.

“You…” Bianca says through a cough. Her voice is croaky and hoarse when she speaks again, blood mixed with bile leaking from her mouth and cheek. “You won’t…get away with this.” I roll my eyes, turning away from her and removing my gloves. “Estás loca!People will look for me and they will find us. What will you do then?” Her voice cracks on the last word, sending her into a fit of uncontrollable sobs.

Her grating voice drives me insane. I’m only crazy becauseshemade me crazy! My palms press over my ears tightly, but nothing drowns out her voice. She won’t shut up. Won’t shut up.

“That’s IT!” I yell, flipping the table over with all the contents crashing to the ground. In one swift motion, I yank the belt around my waist off in the same way she does.Crack!Without warning I whip her relentlessly, my breaths getting heavier with each sharp slap.

“Please…Stop,” Bianca cries in a weak, strained voice.Crack!“You’re…a monster.”

That pulls a crazed laugh out of me. Finally, she’s listening.

“Youare the monster that created greatness through her hate.”Crack!“I let your hatred spread through my veins likethe poison it was and take root. After all…I am my mother’s daughter.” When she opens her mouth to get another word in, I continue my assault with her belt. “Why? Do. You. Keep. Talking,” I punctuate each word with a crack, each one harder than the last until I’m sweating from the exertion with a deafening scream. It’s cathartic. “Púdrete, maldita perra.Rot in hell, bitch. I’m sure they’ll welcome you with open arms.”

Only my mother would use her last breath just to taunt me. “At least…I’ll see…you there.”

With a new twitch in my eye, I rummage through the dusty drawers under the staircase until I find my grandmother’s sewing kit. “You never did know when to shut the fuck up, Bianca,” I say lowly as I approach. “Let me show you what it means to be quiet. You listen tomenow.”

Taking the needle with the thickest thread, I slam her head back against the pillar, holding her mouth in place. I pierce through her upper lip and then into her bottom lip, pulling it taut with a painful tug as blood begins to leak down her chin. Bianca trembles from the anguish as I loop the thread from one corner to the other and tie it off, leaving the remaining piece to hang. Tears mix with the crimson dripping from her face as nothing but a faint mumble can leave her now.

Releasing a satisfied sigh, I say, “Perfect. My pretty, bloody doll.”

“What…have you done?” Elias croaks weakly behind me.

Twisting my head to throw a glance at him, I roll my eyes. “Ugh, I thought you died already. Why did you wake up?”

With heaving breaths, he tries to speak, but all that comes out is a hard sigh. Both of my dolls are barely hanging by a thread, soaked in the essence of my rage and stewing in the ripples of my pain. It’s a beautiful sight to see my demons slaughtered.I did that, and all I feel is triumph.

Walking to Elias, I tip his chin up to meet his eyes. “This will all be over soon. Since you’ve been so good for me, you can be the first to die while she watches.” When I turn to grab my favorite knife, I stop short to take in the room.

Oh dear, what a mess.

Side-stepping the pile of junk in my way, I skip up the staircase in search of the butcher knife. It calls my name, leading me to the final pieces of their reckoning. Humming my way to the garage, I locate the big, red jug that will clean this whole mess up for me in a neatly singed present.

At least, that’s the goal.

My grip on the knife tightens when I freeze, the blood draining from my face at finding the door to the basement ajar. I slammed this door shut when I came up, I remember it clearly. The front door is locked and I’m home alone, so how the hell…My eyes shoot to the back sliding door that leads to the garden.

Fuck! Somebody is in here. Somebody knows what I’ve done.

Light, hurried steps take me to my laptop screen, but the feed is dead. I have no eyes down there. With a deep inhale, I hold it in as I creep down the steps silently. How does that saying go? Two can keep a secret if one of them is dead, right?

“Help! Please!” Elias uses the last bit of his strength in his begging and it makes my thundering heart pick up speed.

They’ll be dead before they can try to help. It’s time to finish what I started.

Until I see her, and my world comes to a screeching halt. Every last thought in my mind quiets until all I can hear is the air particles around me singing to the melody of my pulse.

Rhea Andino.

The girl who confused my heart, then ran away with it. She left to join the military abruptly five years ago and hasn't been heard from since. I sent many letters that went unanswered, but no matter what I’ve always hoped she was safe wherever shewas. Asking Elias about her got me nowhere, like he didn’t know or even care to. Her new tactical fashion look is undeniably sexy with the all-black short-sleeved button-down, combat pants, and boots combo.

Is she really here? I can’t believe it. Rhea, in all her divine glory. She’s beautiful, a stark contrast to Elias. Her features are unique and resemble her mom, whereas Elias is the spitting image of his father. He has a sharp, defined countenance where hers is soft and round, with the cutest freckles sprinkled across her face. Though, now she carries a new air of stoic confidence with her. Even in stillness, she radiates energy—something untamed, something impossible to pin down.

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