Page 76 of Burn Me Down

Deciding to sit the argument to the side for now, I turned on the television, and it was already on the news channel. Lights were flashing in the background as yellow tape fluttered in the wind.

“The police haven’t released many details yet, but we do have the eyewitness who called the police.” The camera and microphone were shoved in a man’s face. His eyes were wide, and he looked frazzled. “Mr. Harris, can you tell us what happened?”

“I…I don’t really know. I was taking the garbage out like I always do, and her body was just lying there, not moving. I walked over to see if she was okay. I thought maybe she was drunk or on drugs because she wasn’t wearing a jacket or anything. When I got closer, I realized that she was covered in blood and….” The man swallowed as he shoved his hands into his pockets. “It was really weird. She was wearing a fishtail.” My hand froze. The steak I’d grilled, forgotten. “And…I’ll never be able to unsee it.”

“Unsee what, Mr. Harris?”

“She was gutted like a fillet. Her bones were all removed.” He shivered and closed his eyes. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Wow, I lost my appetite,” Beck said, setting the meal aside. “Why has the world gone so crazy?”

I looked at Beck as she continued to talk, but I was staring past her to the darkened windows. Unable to handle it any longer, I stood up and pulled all the blinds down.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I just hate having them open at night,” I said, not wanting to say anything about my suspicions.

Beck’s head bobbed as she started to nod off, and I pulled her onto my body to rest. I kept the television on but muted the volume.

“Do you trust me to hold you while you sleep?”

The small, disgusted snort made me smile. “Shut up, you know I do.” I kissed the top of her head. “I love you, Derek,” she said through a yawn.

“I love you more,” I said, and she snuggled tighter to me.

Within moments, she was sound asleep, but there wouldn’t be any sleep for me until Adam was dead. My eyes were fixed on the door as I ran through all the possible ways he could get in and the locks that I’d triple-checked after making dinner. Holding Beck tight, I listened for any noise out of the ordinary but only heard a couple of cars driving past.

“Why did I let you live?” I almost expected Adam to pop up and answer me.

You knew it was going to bite you in the ass to set him free, but you did it anyway. You’re not going to be able to protect her and you know it. Adam will take away all of the happiness you’ve built and you deserve it for what you’ve done.

I shook my head as the voice continued to rant, but tuned it out and refused to respond. I wasn’t going to listen to it anymore, and I would protect her, I had to.

For the first time, I didn’t know what to do. Being the hunter was what I knew, and I didn’t like being on the hunted side of the game, but no matter what hand I was dealt, I would wipe Adam from the face of the earth once and for all. At this point, it felt like it was my duty to clean up the mess that I had created.

Derek

Even though the house was still dark, the birds singing told me that the sun was starting to come up. I shifted and placed Beck on the couch, then covered her with a throw.

“What’s wrong?” Her eyes fluttered open, and I leaned over and kissed her forehead.

“Nothing, go back to sleep.”

She gripped my hand and kissed my knuckles. “You promise?”

“Promise,” I said, staring into her eyes.

Something was definitely wrong. I could feel the earth shifting under me like everything was about to be yanked away. I waited until her eyes closed before wandering over to a window and looking outside. The sun was just starting to push out the dark shadows and let the glow of its rays scream that it was a new day. No matter how many times I’d tried to stop the sun from setting or from rising, it always did. The world turned and didn’t care about anything we did or what happened to us. It had become so unsettling that instead of shrinking into just another body moving around on the planet, I wanted to be seen, to be feared, to be known for what I could do. Or I had.

I glanced back at the couch and the woman, who was once more sound asleep, and knew that I would do anything to keep her safe. I would do the worst that I needed to and be the best at it. I would be the man she needed, even if I didn’t deserve her. From the first smile I’d seen on her face in the diner so long ago, a crack had formed in the darkness of my soul. With a single look and a gentle touch, Beck broke through all my scars. From what my brother’s betrayal did to my trust, to what Dr. Wallace did to my mind, to what Adalyn did to my heart, and, of course, what my father had done the moment he first laid his hand on me.

I pulled on my boots and a hoodie before stepping outside and sending Chase a text.

Dragon: You got the things I asked for ready?

Cherry Popper: It’s fucking six in the morning, man.

Dragon: It’s a simple question. Yes or No?