Page 38 of Fatally Yours
My eyes widened as he tossed me to the floor. I let out a cry, hoping August would hear and come to my aid—that was if he successfully made it in here. There was no way I could defend myself, especially if he were still fumbling with a lock or screen.
Officer Wilson caged me between him and the floor, forcing his knee between my legs until they were spread. His breaths were primal, making panic rip through my body. I let out another scream, attempting to strikehim in the face, but to no avail. He pinned my hands, rendering me helpless. I was no match for him, and he knew it. I was missing, gone, insignificant. He could do whatever he wanted, and no one would believe a word I said. His fist closed around the hem of my shirt as I squirmed beneath him, trying to free myself from his oppressive touch.
“No! Stop it!” My voice continued to go unheard as he pulled it up, exposing the puckering scars from where the man I loved ingrained his passion into me. There was no mistaking what they were—the mark of a fatal wound. His lustful face fell as his brow furrowed, trying to comprehend how I had obtained such gnarled marks.
“What the fuck?” he questioned. Just then, there was a spine-tingling popping sound, and he let out a groan as August appeared behind him with a hammer in hand. Officer Wilson’s eyes rolled back as he went limp, falling beside me. Taking my chance, I wormed my way out.
Once I was on my feet, I pulled my shirt back in place and turned to August. My hand drew back without hesitation, and my palm met his face. The sound reverberated through the room as Officer Wilson muttered something beneath his breath as he passed in and out of consciousness from the blow.
“I deserved that,” August murmured.
“What the hell took you so long?!” I snapped. “That asshole tried to fuck me!” He recovered quickly from my assault, knowing it was well-earned. His face was dark as his rage emanated from every pore in his icy, dead body.
“I know,” he said coldly, staring down at Officer Wilson with a hate-filled expression. The hammer was still gripped in his hand, its head splattered with a hint of crimson. Never before had I seen him so bitterly angry, not even the night he returned and witnessed my betrayal.
“He’ll get what’s coming to him. Just like everyone else.”
XVIII
“I hope his wife doesn’t come home,” I muttered, staring at Officer Wilson’s limp form. It turned out he had a home gym, and August removed a punching bag from a hook. Of course, the force paid him well enough for him to afford that, but not enough to bring his killer to justice. Now, the feeble officer was suspended from it. His head hung limp with a splash of red cracking along the top of his scalp. Bright beams of light were filtering through the lone window, reflecting off the damp spot on his skin.
“Me too,” he said. “I’m notentirelyexcited about killing an innocent person, let alone a woman.” My eyes burned holes in him. I was mostly innocent, but he took that from me. Perhaps I still held a hint of resentment towards him for hisimpulsive actions. Dying was painful—agony personified—but that didn’t matter all that much. It only mattered because he was the one who did it.
My condition made me lose a lot of the normal functions that I had in life, including my period. I was supposed to start it the day after I died, and yet, it never came. I had no history of irregularities, and I knew in my heart that it would never return. Some things you justknow.Sure, it was nice not to have to deal with it anymore, but that meant there was no way I could achieve my simple dream, no matter how much I wanted it.
“Then what the hell happened with that Kelsey chick?” I asked. “I seriously thought you were going to kill her.” August gave me a smirk that could’ve melted my heart had I not been so irritated with him.
“Just a show, baby,” he said. “I needed her to stay quiet, and fear is a good motivator, isn’t it?” I let out a breath. If only it didn’t make me shudder when he said that. Officer Wilson’s voice interrupted our conversation.
“W-what the hell is going on here?” he asked. I glanced at August, hoping he would provide a suitable answer. There really was no easy way to explain coming back from the dead. The officer blinked a few times as if stunned. “August? What the hell? I thought you were dead.” He smiled in response, staring down at him, surely enthralled by his vulnerable position.
“Lots of strange things have been happening recently,” he said emotionlessly. “Like what you did to Natasha.” I could see his fist ball, thinking about what had happened only a few moments before. Officer Wilson jostled the binds above his head, but he did a lovely job again, just as he always did.
“They put you in the ground,” he said. “I saw your body. We took you to the morgue.”
“Yeah, they did,” August affirmed, glaring down at him. I thought for a moment that he must’ve hated him more than even Devin, and that was really saying something. The officer’s leer turned suspicious.
“What kind of prank are you two pulling? Whatever it is, you’re going to be in big trouble for it.” I almost wished it was just a trick or illusion. This could all just be some terrible dream, and I would wake up beside August as he soothed me back to sleep.
If only.
“I really am dead, creep,” he chuckled. However, his expression was more cynical than joyful, and a chill crawled down my spine.
“Oh, I’m sure,” he said. “Why are you even here? Is it because you want to know whokilledyou? Because we know. The records are here. But getting justice for some minimum wage bum like you isn’t exactly on our list of priorities.” I thought my face flushed. Glancing at August, I noticed his brow raise at the idea of finding out who set this abhorrent series of events in place. Yes, if that person had never taken him away, none of this would’ve ever happened.
“We were going to make an arrest soon, but your slut went missing, and we only have so many resources to deal with you fucking delinquents,” he snarled. August and I shared a look. Neither of us was sure about what to do with that information.
“I should cut out your tongue for talking about my woman like that.” He stepped forward, making my heart leap to my throat. “She’s not missing. She’sdead.Maybe if you fuckers figured that out sooner, you wouldn’t end up in the same state.”
“Yeah, right. What a bunch of shit,” he said, pulling on his binds again. That stain of blood atop his head never left my gaze, sticking to the back of my eyelids even when I blinked. “When I get out of here, you two are going to prison for a long, long time. I can’t wait to finally watch you rot like you always deserved.” His words were sickeningly ironic. August must’ve also found it funny as he broke into a roar of laughter. Then, silence fell on us as he wiped away a tear. In his empty hand, a knife appeared, making me take a step back. I didn’t want him to make me do it this time.
My chest tightened as he turned to me, beckoning me to join him. With a gulp, I stepped forward. Sure, I hated the guy, but I still wasn’t ready to kill someone. I wasn’t fully corrupted by death and obsessed with revenge yet, at least not on the same level as he was. He pressed the handle into my palm, and I looked at him, pleading with my gaze for him not to make me do it.
“Hey, Tash. Remember when I killed you?” he questioned, stepping forward and running his thumb along one of the scars on my neck. “I’llnever forget that.” My lips thinned as I slowly nodded, unsure where he was going with this. What he said next utterly baffled me.
“Do the same thing to me.”
The officer’s face was suspicious, his expression bewildered. Who could blame him? My hand still trembled as I held the knife, unsure if I could do something as simple as that.StabAugust? Even if it wouldn’t kill him, the idea nauseated me.
