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“Good, Richie. This is good.” Father looks at the space around him, impressed. It’s been six months since he brought me here. He’s been teaching me how to clean up efficiently and now that I’ve scrubbed down the storage container and all traces of his latest victim is gone, I hate myself for taking pride in his praise.
“We’ll take her to the special place.” He looks down at the body on the floor. I took more time to wrap the body this time. After what happened last time with the blood in the trunk, I don’t want to take any risks.
Mama had suffered for my mistake that night with twelve thrashes of his belt, and I won’t let that happen again.
I nod before I set to work putting all my products away in the other lock up.
Then when I’m done, I help Father load the body into the trunk.
Sinnerman’s Quarry is a beautiful spot. It’s also miles away from any civilization. Surrounded by an open plain. The track the trucks must have traveled years ago has long grown over, and I look at my father confused when he parks close to the water's edge.
“You can’t dispose of each body the same, Richie,” he explains, staring out over the edge. “This water is deep, there are three-ton machines down there,” he explains as we get out of the car and open the trunk. I slide on a fresh pair of gloves and help him lift the dead weight out.
“We’ll tie some of those rocks to her and send her over,” he instructs, and I do as he says. Picking out some rocks and tying them to the plastic smothered body. When I’m finished, he checks my work, and nods when he tests my knots.
“What did she do?” I’d never asked him this question with the other four. I don’t really ask anything. I stay quiet because I’m learning his skill. I’m protecting Mama.
The more he teaches me, the closer I get to ensuring when the time comes and he needs to disappear, that no one will ever find him. I’ve already decided it won’t be here. This place is far too pretty, and he’d probably get a sick satisfaction from being so close to them. These women, despite their sins, deserve to rest in peace.
“She was a mother. But not a good one. She chose to use her body for money, and instead of feeding her children, she fed her habit.” He grabs the bottom half of her body and I take the top, without any more words we launch her from the edge and I watch her fall into the water, slowly sinking, lower and lower to join whoever else my father has judged.
“Why do you fuck them before you kill them?” I ask, I’m curious. He claims this is God's work, but if that’s the case, why does he need to take pleasure in them?
“Control. It comes with the rage, Richie. When you're older you’ll understand. There is nothing more powerful than consuming a woman’s body. To hold the power to decide if she lives or dies. Drawing pleasure from their fear is our reward for what we do.” He stares down at the water, numb to his words.
“I’ll let you come with me, once you have mastered this. I saw the way you looked at those photographs. You can make ones for yourself.”
The thought sparks panic inside me. I can’t let that happen. I can’t become the monster that he is. He’s wrong, this isn’t a gift. It’s a sickness. A curse. And I can already feel it spreading inside me.
“You look real nice,” Grimm tells me when I step out of the bedroom. I’m wearing white jeans and a black lace top that shows off my tattoo sleeves. I’ve spent extra time getting ready, and it feels a little pathetic that I’m so nervous to go hang with a bunch of people who I’ve been working around for years.
The club atmosphere isn’t new to me, but I’ve never had to worry about belonging here before. I’ve always kept myself private and helped out when needed. But I’ve never worried about anyone here liking me. Now I want to be liked, I want to be accepted, because he may not show it all too well, but I know these people mean something to Grimm.
We ride down to the club on Grimm’s bike together and although it isn’t my first ride with him, I feel every eye drawn to us when he parks up his bike beside all the others.
Some hangouts are crowded around the huge fire that’s been made up from the storm debris, and Grimm must sense my sudden discomfort because he slides his hand into mine as he leads me past them into the clubhouse.
Inside is busy too, most club members have chosen to hang in here rather than out by the fire, and I know it’s only a matter of time before Grimm does something to show them all that I came here with him.
What I don’t expect is for him to lift me up, land my ass on the bar, and kiss the fuck out of me within seconds of us being in the room.
The stares and dead silence all vanish from my conscience. Grimm's lips on mine are a distraction from everything around me. I kiss him back, and when I feel his fingers digging into my thighs, I wonder how far he’s prepared to take this little claiming ritual.
When he pulls away from me, his face is so fuckin’ serious it’s almost threatening. A silent warning, that this is it, there's no going back even if I want to. I let my eyes skim around me to see the effect of his actions. Nyx and Troj are the first people I get a glimpse of, they’re sitting on stools at the bar, and both of them look equally as shocked.
“Skid knows about this?” Troj narrows his eyes, seeming unsure.
“Yeah,” Grimm answers him without moving his eyes from mine.
“And he’s okay with it?” Troj checks.
“Yeah,” Grimm repeats, seeming a little lost.
“Nyx,” a loud female voice shouts over the music. I feel a huge relief when all the attention shifts from me and Grimm onto Prez’s daughter, Ella, who’s marching toward Nyx like she’s gonna knock him clean off the stool he’s sitting on.
“What’s up, baby?” Nyx looks calm considering the murderous glare his wife’s giving him, and he takes a sip of his beer before he swivels his body round to face her. Crack… her fist smashes into his jaw, and he shakes his head, dazed, before sliding his hand over where she just hit him.
Maybe me and her could get along after all.
