Page 29 of Fatally Yours
“Not yet,” he said, walking past me and into the living room. “Make sure the doors are locked.” I gave him a nod and watched as he yanked a cord from the wall, making my stomach jump. Before I could witness what would happen next, I followed his command, making sure no one would disturb us.
When I returned, Devin was bound to a chair in the middle of the living room, with the cord keeping him restrained. There was a trickle of blood oozing down his nose, and his eyes were fluttering beneath his lids. Auguststared down at him with his mismatched gaze, his expression full of hate. He had probably waited his whole life to do this to Devin. Glancing at the couch, I noticed a few things placed atop it—a knife, some twine, and a few other items I didn’t want to think about.
My hands went to my face again as I swore I felt myself sweating. He wasn’t just going to kill him—he was going totorturehim. And for as much of a rotten person as he was, I wasn’t sure he deserved that level of brutality. My legs began to tremble beneath me as I felt the tears that I was holding back earlier slip down my cheeks. August took notice and walked over to me, taking my hand and kissing me.
“You’ll be okay,” he said with a reassuring smile. Devin let out a groan as he began to come back to consciousness.
“I don’t know about this…” My voice was barely a whisper. August remained silent and only gave my hand a comforting squeeze. I had a feeling that even if I put my foot down, nothing was going to change. With all this talk of killing and taking the world, I wasn’t sure anything I would say would sway him. Even if it felt a bit thrilling to have Devin at my mercy. Deep down inside, something was exciting about this, even if I didn’t want to admit it.
“What the hell?” Devin said as he raised his head. “You two were dead…” A steady flow of blood was trickling down his face. He blinked a few times as if that would wash us away and return him to reality.
“Were,” August said with a smirk. “I came back just so I can fuck with you.” Devin’s face crumpled with rage as he struggled against the restraints. His efforts were fruitless, and a sick excitement ebbed and flowed between the anxiety of the situation. Once he realized he would not be freed, he looked up at him with a scowl.
“Fuck with me? Is that what this is?” he questioned. “You always were a scumbag, August.” A sinister smile crept across his face as he leaned in.
“Oh, it’s much more than that,” he beamed. “I will ultimately watch you breathe your last breath. But we have to have some fun first, don’t we?” He returned to his standing position and clapped his hands, making me jump. I wasn’t sure how comfortable I was with what was going to happen next, orwhat my emotions were about it.
August was mischievous before, but this was different. And in my past life, I would’ve never felt such a spark of delight watching Devin squirm, but now, seeing him at the receiving end of misery felt good. August was right—being dead did change you. But at least he was back, and that was all I wanted.
“I never liked you, Devin. I could always tell you were a shitty person,” he said, glaring down at him. “So tell me, how many times did you call the love of my life a bitch during the time you thought she belonged to you?” My lips pinched. I couldn’t begin to recall how often he said something awful to me. If August knew the truth, Devin’s punishment would be much more painful. But perhaps he did, and that was why he was doing this.
“Not enough times.” His face twisted with anger as more blood leaked down his chin. “I’m not fucking scared of you, even if you’re supposedly dead. I don’t know what sort of shit you two are pulling, but it’s not funny.” With a familiar flick of his hand, August materialized a knife. My lip was being pinched between my teeth, and I swore I could taste blood, even though it was my imagination. Devin looked puzzled, but didn’t appear as shocked as I thought he would.
“You should be scared because we really are dead.” Before I could stop him, he placed the blade on his wrist and pierced his skin, dragging it down until his arm was opened and exposed. Looking over his shoulder, I saw his pale flesh split and curl, revealing his white bones and the tendons stretched around them. Despite this injury, there was no burst of red, and he appeared unfazed.
After a moment, the bloodless wound he inflicted began to stitch itself back together as I watched in awe. A moment later, it was nothing more than a thin line on his wrist, barely noticeable unless you knew he had sliced open his skin to demonstrate his new abilities. Once again, Devin’s brow furrowed, but he didn’t appear afraid. I was sure he thought this was all just some sleight-of-hand trick or elaborate prank to get back at him for being such a piece of shit. If only it were that simple.
“How often did you want to hit Natasha before I was resurrected?” Augustasked. Devin eyed him but stayed silent. I hoped his answer was zero, but I knew better. There were innumerable times I watched in horror as his fists balled when we argued, the way he would grab me when I made him mad, and even the way he behaved the night August was returned to me.
One evening, when I invited everyone to my place, he attempted to strike me after we got into yet another argument. Wes heard from the other room and stepped in. After that day, Mandy stopped coming over when he was around, and I didn’t blame her. There was no love between us. He wanted the old me, not the one that was saturated with grief and mourning a loss.
“Come on, Dev. We don’t have all night,” August said. “Well, we do. But you don’t.”
“I-I neverwantedto hit her, man.” His confidence was cracking, almost flowing into mine. As the conversation continued, I couldn’t help but enjoy how he was tormenting him. He deserved it after everything he put me through.
“Did you try to?”
“N-no…” he stuttered. August was toying with the knife, spinning it between his fingers and tossing it from hand to hand. Devin’s eyes were wide and glued to the shimmering blade, probably anticipating what he would do with it. Watching him crumble was almost as invigorating as having August back at my side.
I stepped forward, folding my arms across my chest. “That’s not true,” I said. “You tried to hit me once, but Wes had to stop you.” August’s uneven eyes flared with rage, and his previously impish expression faded. The fun was about to end with my one simple comment, but I felt no regret. After everything he had done to me, he deserved it. His fist tightened around the handle, and I held my breath, expecting a sight akin to the one that ended with me in the grave.
“In front of everyone? That’s bold, Devin.” His voice was flat as he ran his finger along the tooth of the blade. “Unfortunately for you, I was already aware of that. Back when I was in hell, there was a lot of information I learned that was used to torment me. Like how you tried to hitmywoman.”
“Hell…” Devin gulped.
“Yes,” he said curtly. “I was in hell. That’s where you’re going to be soon. And I assure you, it’s not fun.” I sucked in a breath, preparing to watch as August brutalized him for his sins. “But before you go there, I need to hear you repeat all the terrible things you did to her so I can dish out a just punishment.” This was how Devin was supposed to act with me: protective, supportive, and not treating me like an inconvenience.
August dedicated his soul to me, even in the afterlife. It was lovely to see him come to my defense after I felt so helpless. All the times I wanted to scream at Devin, but I was too afraid to, at least until the night August came back. Maybe there was something subconsciously that emboldened me. And now he was back here to bolster me and help me get my revenge. I wanted peace before, but death was warping me faster than I could comprehend.
“You didn’t do anything without her consent, right?” August kept the knife in hand, glaring down at him with a hate that made me want to kiss him. That got my attention, and I hoped he didn’t know anything that I didn’t. There were a few nights I had one too many drinks, but I didn’t think Devin would sink that low.
“Because when you’re in a relationship, boundaries are important. When Natasha and I first started dating, we established those things early on. It’s not right to coerce her or make her do something just because she thinks it’ll make you not miserable.” August glared at him, clearly thinking back to that pivotal night. I prayed my actions didn’t stick in his head like I feared they would, but I knew better than that. He would burn this whole world down for me, starting with Devin.
“And it’s not right to call her a bitch becauseyoumentioned me while being a piece of shit. Or because she won’tput out,” he bit. Devin’s eyes widened briefly, and then they returned to a glare. Blood was still dribbling down his chin, and there was a deep, beautiful pool atop his lap.
“You guys are fucked up. If this is some crazy revenge thing or to teach me a lesson, then I’ll stay away from her. You can have her sorry ass,” Devin snapped. “She’s a prude, anyway.” August chuckled and tossed the knife to the couch, along with all the other instruments of torture.
“You think so?”
