Page 51 of Broken Discipline
I put a hand on his chest, compressing him down. His eyes flicked open, but they were so swollen, I’d be surprised if he could see anything.
“The hell?” he asked. “What the fuck? I’ll—”
I swung the cleaver down, right at his wrist, amputating his hand. Then I smashed the cleaver against his other arm, taking off his other hand. He writhed on the bed, like a pathetic roach, his stomach flexing as he tried to find his curled hands, his mouth open in a scream. He got up in a kick of adrenaline and darted for the door, but I shoved him to the ground. He flipped onto his stomach, army crawling for the door. How was he still alive?
The fucker wouldn’t give up. I could give him that.
With my boot in the air, I steadied myself, balancing my entire weight above his head.
This was for threatening my kids. For thinking it was okay to hurt a child.
This was for Ramona. For the hell he had put her through. For making her think that she needed to marry Bruce to escape her debt.
And this was for me. Because Iwantedto.
I let my boot ram into his skull, the crack of his bone crunching under the rubber sole, still trying to resist the crushing weight. But I stomped again, and again, letting that bone and brain and flesh flatten into a pulp. It mashed around my boots. My shoulders were light, my cheeks tight. Carter Care had never been about emotion or desire. It was a job, one that no one wanted to do, but that we did for profit. It was a contract. It was how we were paid.
But this felt right.
I lifted my boot so that I could see the imprint of my sole in his flesh. Slimy red and pink guts crusted into the rubber bottom of my shoe, like dog shit. I’d have to get new boots soon.
I adjusted my gloves. His blood was all over my pants and sleeves, but I didn’t care. I wanted to get back to Ramona as soon as possible, to show her that I would always be there for her.
***
Ramona
When the door opened at the front of the penthouse, my stomach jumped into my throat. Dried blood stained Finn’s cheeks, his sleeves and pant legs soaked in dark liquid. I ran to him, grabbing his face.
“Finn! What happened?”
“It’s not my blood,” he said calmly. He held my hands, pulling them to his chest as if he needed me to feel his heartbeat. “Listen to me.” He pulled me over to the couch, guiding me to a seated position. Then he locked eyes with me. “Even if you run away, even if you take the kids with you, even if I die, youwillbe taken care of.Always.You don’t have to worry about survival. I’ll always look out for you.”
Even if he dies?
My stomach dropped, but he put a finger under my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze. His blue eyes shimmered like sapphires, burning with warning, like there was a thunderstorm brewing inside of him, threatening to break loose.
“My wife will do what she wants,” he said. “If you’d rather work in a bakery, then do that. If you want to be a stay-at-home mom, then do that. Do whateveryouwant, Ramona. I don’t care. But never force yourself to do something—whether it’s running away or waitressing at a shitty bikini bar—just because you think you need to scrape by. You don’t. I’ve made sure of that.”
The back of my neck tingled. Iwantedto believe him. I wanted someone to take care of me for once. But it was a fairytale. In my story, the prince always leaves, and the princess is left alone in the tower again. There is no happily ever after for someone like me.
“Did you kill Blister?” I asked quietly.
I knew the answer, but I still had to ask. For a moment, Finn didn’t say anything. But then he nodded. My heart clenched, unsure of how to process my emotions.
Finn was terrifying as much as he was fiercely protective. He wanted nothing more than to ensure that me and the twins were safe, and he was willing to kill for it.
But for once, I let myself be okay with that. I accepted my own feelings. That it was okay that Blister died. That Ilikedthis safety.
“It would kill me if we weren’t together,” Finn continued, “but I could live with itifI knew that life would be better for you and the twins. I’d get through it,ifI could guarantee that you were safe. But if another person hurts any of you like that? I will choke the fucking life out of them with my bare hands.”
I swallowed a breath, my chest releasing. His eyes held me, like he was angry, but there was something else there too. Something far more primal.
It was fear. Like he couldn’t bear to imagine a world without me.
He spread his knees, then leaned back on the couch. Blood stained his clothes, and yet he was confident, like a king relaxing on a throne.
“Give me a lap dance,” he ordered in a rough voice. My lips fell open, but Finn didn’t move.
