Page 71 of Beneath the Midnight Sky
Wyatt scoffed. “Yeah, me, too.”
I stared at him for a moment, unsure what that meant exactly, but now wasn’t the time to have a brotherly bonding moment.
“So, I’ve been wracking my brain with questions the last few days, sitting in the hospital room watching my girl come in and out of a drug-induced sleep,” I said casually.
Sam stared down at me before arching a brow as if asking me to proceed with my questions.
“What the fuck is your problem? Truly. You had an amazing girl who loved you, and you treated her like shit, abused her, and then chased her halfway across the country trying to drag her back. So truly, what the fuck is the deal?” I asked, my tone calm and curious.
He didn’t respond for a moment before he let out a breath. “She was easy. Easier than the others, at least. Didn’t ask questions, didn’t complain. I trained her well, and I didn’t feel like training another one.”
I rolled my eyes. “Truly, that’s pathetic. I was hoping for something…more, to make this sweeter.”
“To make what sweeter?” he asked.
“Your death, obviously,” Theo chuckled.
Sam’s eyes widened for a moment before he let out a disbelieving laugh. “You’re not going to kill me. Seriously? You’ll leave me here for a few days and then throw me in my truck…” His voice stumbled off at the end when he looked around at all of our faces. “You can’t be serious,” he whispered.
“Oh, some may saydeadlyserious,” I replied. “You hurt my girl. The girl I plan to make my wife and carry my children. The girl I love with every fiber of my being. You came after her, hurt her, terrified her, and then tried to do it all over again. So yes, I plan to kill you. Anything to make sure my little angel gets her full amount of beauty rest.”
His mouth was gaped open for a moment before he started chuckling. “Oh, well, I guess she didn’t tell you, huh? I wouldn’t count all your chickens before they hatch. That’s the backwoods saying, right?”
I left my face blank, knowing he’d elaborate just to give himself more time to talk and stay alive.
“She can’t have kids, you dumb redneck. Doc said it’ll be next to impossible from all the…well, you know. Terrible accidents she had. The stairwell one really did her in for whatever reason,” he said with what I assumed was a shrug, although it wasn’t successful with him hanging the way he was.
The rage started boiling in my veins—not at the prospect of never seeing Aspen pregnant with our children. No, I wasn’t even fully sure she wanted kids of her own, and it was her choice too. I was happy either way. We could adopt if need be, or even just enjoy life as a family of two. Maybe get a cat. I just wanted her.
No, I was angry that it was one more thing this fucker had taken away from her. One more thing I couldn’t fix or heal or help with.
I gripped the branding iron tighter in my fist, and I heard Wyatt and Theo take a step back. I knew Oliver was behind me as well, there if I needed a hand, but for this, I didn’t. I walked up and swung the iron along his thigh, chuckling when I heard a sick cracking sound. I swung again and hit him in the ribs, pleased when I heard another crack.
It took me a moment to really register that he was screaming. No words, just loud screeching noises coming from his mouth. It sounded as if he was gasping for breath. Broken rib must’ve hit something.
“I should’ve brought duct tape. I didn’t think about it. I’m new at this, ya know?” I said calmly. I looked up at his face and smiled as the tears streamed down them, and once he finally stopped wailing, I continued. “Just so we’re on the same page and you go out of this world knowing how I feel—I don’t give two fucks if Aspen ever gives me children. That was simply because you’re a piece of shit.” I swung for the other side of his rib cagethis time, and then I just went in like he was a piñata, and it was my tenth birthday party.
Theo stepped up next to me once I stood back, panting. He was looking at Samuel from a few feet away. “Well, say your goodbyes, boys. He won’t last much longer. Shocked he hasn’t croaked yet, honestly.”
I shrugged. I didn’t need some splendid torture session; I just needed to see the light fade from his eyes. I needed to see him disposed of and gone so I could tell my little angel that she was safe now. That was all I cared about.
So that was what I did. I stood there and watched as he paled and took his last breath. My brothers helped as I pulled him down, and we carefully dismembered his body to dispose of it around the many acres of our family ranch that weren’t fit to be built on.
No one would find him, and my girl would be safe.
Two hoursafter Samuel took his last breath in this world, I walked back into my house. It was a little after two in the morning, but I was in clean clothes again. The ones I had on had been burned in a burn barrel with my brothers. Some more family bonding time for us this evening.
I walked into the living room, and the girls were all sprawled out on the couch, sound asleep. I smiled and pulled the blanket up over my sister’s shoulders. I couldn’t even begin to tell her how full my heart felt knowing that Aspen had her in her corner now, too.
Ivy was already burrito-bundled at Aspen’s feet. Her eyes opened slightly when I leaned down over the top of my girl, and she smiled, going back to sleep. I slowly scooped up my angel,though. I wasn’t going to sleep without her next to me—ever again.
I cradled her against my chest and carried her upstairs to our room. Tucking her into the plush bed, I undressed and curled up behind her. She jumped slightly, but when I whispered against her ear, she immediately calmed down. I hadn’t asked what had happened when Sam had taken her. I had no intention of pushing her unless she wanted to talk to me about it.
She cuddled back against me, and as soon as I started to close my eyes, she spoke. “Did you shoot a tracking device in my ass cheek?” she whispered.
I felt my body freeze, unsure of how to go about this question at two in the morning. I assumed she’d ask me eventually how I’d found her; I just hadn’t come up with a single story that made any damn sense.
“Yeah, I figured as much. Thanks for being such a thorough stalker, cowboy, goodnight,” she whispered after a moment.
