Page 175 of Darling Psycho

“Let us talk, discuss it like men. What do you want? You already took my wife. What more do you need?”

“A wife you didn’t give a fuck about. Wasn’t it you who slapped her earlier? So yeah, you don’t care if she’s dead.”

He proved he didn’t when Ruiz snapped, “so what the fuck do you want?”

“Be a good maggot and raise your arms, and then we’ll talk.”

The relief stole through Ruiz’s eyes because he did just that. The fool thought he had a chance of living.

There was a better chance of Jesus Christ appearing to anoint Lawless in holy juice.

It took seconds for Lawless to duct tape Ruiz’s arms to the headboard. The stab to the ribs came suddenly and made Ruiz scream out in agony. That was when Lawless’ gloved hand grabbed his flailing tongue, yanking it out of his head, and without hesitation, he sliced it off and shoved it in Ruiz’s mouth. “Swallow it, you piece of shit.” Then, using his fingers, he shoved with callous intent while the choking man thrashed and tried to gag up his own tongue as blood splattered all over his mouth and chin, running down his bare chest, staining like a fucking Picasso.

Lawless wasn’t done.

The anger he felt was unmatched.

Brand fucking new, sizzling his veins to dust.

In Spanish, he growled in his enemy’s face, “I should cut your fingers off and fuck you with them. I should skin you alive and pour acid over your bones. The second I get to Hell, I’m hunting you down and doling out eternal torture. It’s not that you took from me. It’s that youthoughtabout taking from me. It was enough to seal your fate.”

The words were weaponized.

But from Lawless, the deadliest man in the room, they were a promise.

It happened all within a minute.

Ruiz didn’t stand a chance to beg for his worthless life.

A red mist came over Lawless’ vision.

A block of ice trickled through his veins.

He wasn’t out of control, but he relished every cut and stab he punctured on Ruiz’s body with his knife. Then, carving the back of his knee ligaments, he incapacitated the man if he could get free by some minor miracle from Lucifer.

“You took something from me,” trailing the sharp blade along Ruiz’s chest. The skin opened like it was butter. “Bad maggots don’t get a second chance.”

The garbled, choking noise sounded like an apology.

Ah well.

Lawless didn’t buy into apologies from the likes of cowardly, begging men.

What the fuck was he meant to do now, huh?

Oh, yeah, he knew.

He sat on the man’s chest, held down his head while he screamed, and cut off each eyelid. This son of a bitch didn’t deserve an open casket for his precious family to weep over.

Ruiz was a bloody sack of shit on his bed when Lawless climbed off, examining his handiwork. Not bad. It had been a while since he’d tortured rotten meat.

An unfeeling man never lost his skills, no matter how much affection the angel was throwing his way.

She hadn’t tamed him.

Not where it counted.

Not when he needed to call on his talents to right a wrong.

---