Page 149 of I Never Stopped Loving You

The words are barely heard. He gasps, sputtering and choking, as blood starts to spill from his lips.

“NO!” I scream as he pulls away from me letting the blood spray all over my mask and chest before he falls to the floor.

I drop to my knees and can already feel the pooling blood soaking through my jeans.

“No. You’re not allowed to die this quickly. You abused her for years. Why should you get the easy way out? No!”

He doesn’t speak again. His eyes glaze over as his head lolls to the side, his gaze finding that photo on the ground by the dead end.

This isn’t fair. He deserved so much more pain. I should have tortured him more last night, but I couldn’t. I…

“Fuck!” I scream as I stab the knife into him over and over again.

Each time I rip it free, more blood sprays coating the white skeletal face red.

“No! No! No!”

A raspy laugh breaks my mental spiral as it echoes through the tunnels. It wraps around me, like a noose tightening around my throat. This is all his fault. If he hadn’t rattled me last night, I would’ve been able to torture Rayes more. I would have been able to make him bleed and suffer for what he did. But now…Fuck!

“What’s wrong, Killer? Was his blood not good enough this time? I’ve never heard you scream like that after a kill,” Parker shouts loud enough for me to hear before he starts breaking out into a coughing fit.

I stand slowly while wiping the blade clean on my jeans before turning away from the body. I need more. More pain. More blood. More screams.

“Come on, Killer. Where are you?” he sings, causing my lip to curl and my spine to tingle.

It’s like claws of ice dragging along my back as I take another step closer, then stop. I can’t. If I go near him right now, I’ll kill him.

“Hey, Killer. I actually hope you do find Willow. That way, she can see the monster you’ve become. No longer the sweet boy she used to run to for protection. No…You won’t be her protector anymore. You will be the monster that haunts her nightmares…Not me. No, not me.”

His laugh carries through the darkness as I shut off the remaining lights and close the door locking him inside. I’ll dispose of Rayes’ body tomorrow. I can’t be down here anymore. If he keeps talking, I’ll slit his fucking throat. I’ll slice every fucking limb off his body before burning him alive.

He's the monster in her nightmares. Not me.

I’ve only ever wanted to save her.

Protect her.

Love her.

I’ll find her and show her what I’ve done for her, how long I’ve searched for her.

How much I love her.

She will understand, because she’s mine.

CHAPTER 67

WILLOW

NOVEMBER PRESENT DAY

Throwing that first bottle and hearing it explode, sending the ignited liquid spraying all over the kitchen was the most satisfying thing I’ve ever done. The room that has caused me to wake up in a cold sweat crying and screaming more times than I can count. It’ll finally be destroyed.

I can hear the sirens cutting through the icy air. I'm shivering. The dampness has soaked up my legs past my knees, and I can hardly feel my skin I’m so cold.

The firetruck, police, and EMS pull into the driveway blocking us in. Multiple men and women jump out of each vehicle and come rushing over to us demanding to know what happened.

I want to speak, but I can't. I'm too stunned watching this hellhole be turned into a pile of smoldering debris right in front of my eyes. There were enough old, half-drunk bottles of alcohol hidden throughout the house to help feed the fire.