Page 75 of Psycho

I speak low, so only he hears me, because I’m not looking to humiliate Hadley.

“Did you stick your dick in my girl?”

His eyes dart back and forth, and the anxiety he exhibits is enough to answer the question for me, but I wait for the word.

“Yes,” he says, low, and white hot burning fury travels through me, but I hold it together, for her. Stepping back from him, I rub my chest, feeling like my world just imploded.

“Can everybody leave for a minute, please. Except Reaper. I need a second with my girl.”

Silently, everybody steps out, other than my youngest brother.

“Do your thing, but do not let him die. Strangle him repeatedly, but he lives.”

Reaper rolls his sleeves up, with a glint to his eye, and says, “Gladly, brother.”

Walking over to Hadley, I kneel in front of her, and speak words I’ve never said to anybody.

“I’m sorry, baby. I’m so fucking sorry. Everything he did is my fault.”

Her eyes well up with tears, as she reaches down and gently strokes my cheek. A tenderness I don’t fucking deserve. It changes nothing. I have had few regrets in life. I live on my own terms, and apologize for nothing, but this, it fucking guts me, because I did this. I put her in his path.

“This isn’t your fault, Massimo. The other things you did are, but not this. Are you sorry for those things too?”

I know she wants me to say yes, but I can’t.

“No, baby, I’m not sorry for anything else. This piece of shit, putting him in your path and allowing him to hurt you, fuck, baby, for that I’m sorry. My guilt is my penance. I’ll live with that for the rest of my days, while it consumes me. I know it’s not enough, but it’s all I have.”

She darts her eyes away, as Jimmy’s coughing, and sputtering for breath, interrupts us. I take her hand and kiss her palm, before I get back up and relieve my brother of his duties.

“Did you have fun?” I ask, as I glower at him. He shakes his head profusely.

“I agree, Jimmy. Strangling people is not fun, but cutting them is.”

I push my knife into his flesh, and pull it down, as he screams.

“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!”

Chuckling darkly, I say, “You took what’s mine. You touched what’s mine. I’m not even pissed about the fire. If I had any use for touching your dick, I’d do what my sister-in-law did once. A man hurt her, I’ll spare you the details, but she cut his junk off.”

A smile crosses my face at the memory.

“And then she choked him with it. Imagine dying, by choking to death on your own fucking dick.”

“I’ll do it,” Hadley says, causing me to grin with pride.That’s my girl.

I cock my head at Jimmy, who now screams louder than anyone I’ve ever heard.

“I know. She’s fucking amazing, isn’t she?”

Bones walks back in and arches an eyebrow at me, having heard my conversation with Jimmy.

“I told you, your wife is a goddamn inspiration.”

Turning my gaze to Hadley, I tell her, “This will be the one, and only, time, I let you touch any dick, but mine.”

A slow smile forms on her battered face, and it starts the rage all over again. I’m an asshole, but I would’ve never done this shit to her. Again, she surprises me.

“He made me watch him eat, while I starved. He likes his steak well done. Maybe he’d prefer his dick that way too.”

---