Page 24 of Soft Tissue Damage
I don’t need to kill him. I just need to knock him out and get to Elena.
Kill him.
Elena is screaming. The knife is glinting in my hand.
Kill him for Elena.
The stench of blood is thick in the room.
Why not kill him?
Elena’s not scared of violence.
She wants me to kill him.
Kill them all.
She stabbed one of the men herself. She likes violence. She craves blood.
The only way she’ll feel safe is if all these men are dead.
My pretty girl needs to know how far I’m willing to go for her.
Kill him.
An invisible choker chain that I’ve been straining against all my life falls away, and I can finally breathe. I take a deep, cool lungful of air and grip the man beneathme by the hair. Holding the blade to the man’s neck, I slash him across the throat right under his jaw.
Bright red blood sprays everywhere.
The man makes a choking sound as he drowns in all the liquid that’s pouring from his throat. A gleeful feeling bubbles up inside me. I want to savor his last moments, but there’s chaos around me, Elena to protect, and three more warm bodies to obliterate. I get to my feet and see the man who hit me over the head. My gun is in his hand, and he’s about to aim it at me. He’s standing close enough for me to twist the weapon out of his hand, point it at his head, and put a bullet in his brain. His head snaps back. The light in his eyes goes out, and he falls to the ground.
The man with the head wound from the broken lamp has his arm locked around Elena’s neck, and he’s using her body as a shield as he shouts a warning to me. He’s panicked and desperate, while I feel calm and cold as steel. I’ve spent hours at the shooting range, and a target the size of his head at this range is no problem. It’s a pleasure. I aim and shoot. There’s a bang, and a satisfying red circle appears between his eyes. He releases Elena and goes down.
There’s only one man left, and he tries to run. It’s the man with the knife stuck in his shoulder. He’s bleeding profusely, drops spattering everywhere, and he couldn’t look more like prey as he tries to flee.
I have a gun in one hand, and a knife in the other. The gun would be quicker, but I really like this knife. I take two long strides over to him, and plunge the knife into hisback. He screams as I pull it out. He’s hunched over and stumbling, but he’s still trying to get away. For a moment, I enjoy his pathetic attempts. I’m filled with the feeling you get when you know an orgasm is coming. My mind clears, and I’m only attuned to pleasure. Lifting the knife once more, I yank the man around to face me. There’s shock and pain on his face, and a whole lot of fear. I stab him in the chest, a dozen times in quick succession. Maybe more. It’s overkill, but I’m enjoying myself too much. The knife punches through flesh and bone. He goes limp, and I let him fall.
I throw the knife aside and my head tips back. Euphoria washes over me. I feel as though I’ve climbed Mount Everest, and I’m looking out from the highest peak in the world. There are bodies strewn around me, and their silence is perfect.
I look down at myself, and I see that I’m splattered with blood. My hands are wet with red. It’s under my fingernails and pooling at my feet. How beautiful. Why did I wait this long to experience such pleasure?
There’s a shaky breath behind me.
Elena.
Shit, Elena.
After what I’ve done, she’s going to start screaming. I turn around and see that she’s pressed herself into a corner. The exhilaration I’m feeling evaporates.
Sometime during the fight, her torn top fell off and she’s standing there in just her bra and jeans. I find the top, pick it up, and approach her. I have to cover her eyes. Ican’t let her see me like this. She’s going to think I’m a monster.
But before I can blindfold her, Elena pushes away from the wall and rushes into my arms. Both her arms are tight around me and her face is pressed against my chest.
“I’m so sorry, Mr. Grant.”
I stare down at her in shock. She’s sorry?
She looks up at me with desperation in her face. It’s like she doesn’t see the blood all over me, or she doesn’t care. “You’re never going to want me around your daughter again. I was stupid, and I got myself into danger.”
