Slice (The Elledge Family #1) (55 page)

“What errands have you ran undressed?”

“I went on a run.”

I snatched the shirt from his pocket and it was drenched with blood. “What the fuck!” I yelled.

“I got cut.”

“Where?” I stared at him. “Where did you get cut?
      
“Why?”

“You're lying to me. Who the fuck did you kill? My heart raced. “I told you to come to me whenever you felt like you couldn't control yourself. And you what? Who was it?”

“No one!” He yelled.

“Ugh, you're lying to me? You said you would never lie to me.” a small cry escaped from Willow and he walked towards the stroller. “Don't touch my kids.” I growled.

“Your kids?” He yelled.

“Yes, my fucking kids. You're drenched in blood, Lucas… your pants… your fucking hands are tinted. Go clean yourself up!”

“Lower your voice.”

“Or what?” I stared at him and he shrugged his shoulders. “Go clean yourself up right now. And you better not get blood on any of my linens.” I rolled my eyes. The thought of him actually killing someone had made me sick to my stomach. “Who was it?”

“It doesn't matter.”

“It matters.” I yelled. “Who was it!”

“Shia!”

My heart stopped. Shia, one of the only people in this world that I had developed a friendship. My hands shook and I felt my knees grow weak. “What the fuck?”

“She said she was going to turn me in… if I didn't convince Mark to stay with her.” He whispered. “I couldn't and I didn't want her to ruin everything that we had together. She compromised.”

“Don't talk to me right now.”

“Baby.”

“I mean it.” I wiped my face. “Is this going to happen every time we get close to someone. You killed a friend. Is Asher next? What about Mark or Lydia? Once they get fed up with all the shit that you are playing and they say he has to be stopped.”

“They wouldn't do that.”

“Are you sure?” I whispered.

“Yes.”

“I feel like I would.” I added.

“You don't.”

“I do Lucas. I can't even have a life in America with you. My family is here. Everything that I love is here, but I am moving so you can be comfortable and we can raise our babies together.”

“Love is about sacrifice.”

“You don't sacrifice enough for me.”

“What does that mean?”

“Figure it out.” I snapped.

Lucas

The kill from Shia was still fresh. My adrenaline still pumped and I couldn't think of anything else, including the fact that Cypress was once again mad. The shower, washed off anything that still lingered and the hunger would not die down. I shook with it. I paced around the room and my mind rummaged through my thoughts. Persephone, she wanted a death wish and she knew that it could be given. I should give it to her. I pondered with the fact, as I laid out my black outfit. Cypress in anger took the kids both with her and I was free for a moment to lie in the fucking moment. I dressed quickly burning the gloves in the fireplace. I grabbed my keys and made my way to the car.

Cypress would never know if we left quickly enough. My car roared to life and I made my way into town and sure enough, there she was wasting her limited life on shit she didn't need.

      
Persephone spent more time worried about her appearance than anyone else I had ever known in my life. She was manicured and pedicured. Her time in the tanning bed done nothing but make her look even more natural. It was like she totally unhappy with whom she was. I would be doing her a favor. I would set her self-loathing free.

She bounced around the city buying more than she afford in purses and makeup. There was a need for all of that shit. She was a pretty girl once upon a time. Before she was so envious of everything that she could not see straight.

I headed to her home and canvassed the place. There were some older neighbors and there was no roommate, she had left when the semester ended like Persephone was supposed to do but didn't. Stupid bitch should have followed directions; she would have lived longer.

The bricked home in its secluded area was perfect. Surrounded by trees and her neighbors, elder had made their way to bed. There were no signs of an FBI car. I had not been tracked and it had immediately turned into the most perfect kill. The outsides were dimmed enough for me to see the door and let myself in by quickly picking the lock. The door opened and I walked into the home, the smell of pumpkin hit my nose and it hit me she was one of those women that loved everything pumpkin. It irritated me more than anything. I rolled my eyes and made my way through the pastel themed home. The darkest item in her home was the black television screen. I entered her room. Her bed made and her shoes lined the side of the wall. It was full of material items that would do her no damn good after tonight. I sat on her bed, my gloves on and knife in hand. Not the knife I wanted it to be but it would do. It was perhaps better that it wasn't my knife. My alibi was tight. And this kill would be final. Then it was goodbye to the Americas.

I waited for her patiently. I read through her diary, a few lines about me and the fear of me. She was right to be scared, but she caused this herself. The instructions given to her had been simple really. I just wanted her to leave fucking town and leave Cypress and I the fuck alone.

The door clicked open and my heart raced. She was here.

“No mom, I am almost done packing. I can give you a call back here shortly okay. I love you too.” she threw her bags on the couch. “Bye babe.” She placed her phone down on the counter and made her way to her bedroom. She clicked the light on and the bright yellow just about hurt my eyes.

“Turn the light back off will you?” A smile appeared on my face. “Hello Persephone.”

Her feet hit the ground quickly as she turned to escape. I scooped her up in my arms and restrained her arms to her chest. “Let me go!” She squirmed.

“Don't make me, make this quick.” I held the knife to her neck and she went still. “Good girl. Sit down.” I said.

“Lucas, don't do this.” she shrugged. “I can recant everything.”

“You'll do no such thing.” The smile on my face could not be hidden. She fell back on the bed. “You don't know how to keep your mouth shut.” Persephone opened her mouth to speak again and I placed my finger over her mouth. “You should just shut.”

“I swear!”

“You lie.” A growl escaped my chest and I clenched my fist. “I'm leaving for Ireland in a few days and I have to tie up every loose end and you my dear are extremely loose.” I slashed into her arm lightly and watched the blood spatter hit the wall.

She screamed and I pushed her on her back. “Please,” She held her wound and plead to me.

I could feel nothing. There was no remorse, I could see her fear and it ignited something more from me. My knife pierced into her leg it pushed past the bone and the blood gushed from her. Her scream was like a nail on a chalkboard, but it did not phase me. I twisted until my hand could not turn anymore.

I stuffed a one of colorful socks from the night stand in her mouth. She fell to the floor not knowing what to clench her leg or her arm. She made a half effort getaway and a chuckle escaped. “Where are you going?”

Her cries were muffled, I snatched her back towards me and her nails clawed into my arms taking blood. Everything went dark as I kicked her to the ground and removed the sock. “Help please!” Persephone cried as she wept.

I snatched her by the hair. “I gave you simple instructions and you could not even follow those!” I growled. “Shut your fucking mouth!” I yelled. “No one can hear you and no one cares! I have learned that here recently. The only person that truly loves you is yourself. Do you love yourself?”

Her tears flowed from her face and I nodded my head. “People always waste their tears. For what? It is not going to change anything. I am going to kill you. Today was your last day on earth and how did you spend it?” I nodded my head and restrained her arms. I pushed the black sock into her mouth. “You fucking scratched the shit out of my arm. I don't understand why you don't take hints well. I told you that I would end you and you talked to the feds anyway. And you see where that got you? Where the fuck are they anyway?”

Her eyes closed.

“Exactly nowhere to be found. They are fucking useless. Probably off somewhere looking for me. But they can no longer save you. Plus, I don't think you want to be saved.” The sliced into her neck with one quick thrash and her blood hit my face.

I could hear her screams as if she was still making them. They replayed in my head over and over and there was no silence. I stared at the red splashed on the walls. Her blood was everywhere. I closed my eyes and then reopened them. Monster. Something inside of me grew to life. It made an appearance for the first time in a while. It was the real me, a fucking monster.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Asher

Dare I ask what was going on with Lucas? No, I had no words or no way to make this catastrophe disappear that lay before me. Mark had no idea yet, but when he did there was little that I could do to prevent the fight from happening. I sat in the bedroom I had claimed as mine for the past month and exhaled. Too much shit had happened and it needed to process.

Cypress paced in front of me. “Has he lost it?”

“I don't know.”

“He has,” She answered. “He's been gone for hours. I have not heard from him in hours?” Cypress had worried herself into a frenzy and had drug me down with her. “Why does he do it?”

“Cypress,” I paused. There were several clinical reasons that I could give her, but she didn't want to hear those. There was no way to help him and I didn’t want her to hear that either. I just wanted her to calm down so I could calm down. “He is bored. He has to have something to take the edge off of being him. Lucas… is selfish. You should just leave him to deal with this mess and stop worrying yourself. Please?”

“How am I not supposed to worry when he came home with blood on his body.” She shook from anger or nerves. I could not tell the difference between the two. “We should have just left weeks ago. He has an anger problem.”

“It's not just anger.” I added. “When Mark finds out I don't know what his reaction will be. She was pregnant and I felt like he wanted to be with her, but he doesn't know how to cope. Something that he has in common with Luke.” My hair fell on my glasses. It was beyond time for a cut, but these past few months had me everywhere but in my element.

I switched on the television. “The University is mourning this morning as it remembers two fallen students. Persephone...” The words hit me like a wall. Fuck. Fuck. FUCK.

Cypress turned toward the screen. “What the fuck!” She stared at me. “Did you know about this? Asher, please tell me you didn’t know about this?”

“I have been here with you since yesterday!” I said. My hands trembled at the mere thought of what was to come. “Dear fucking God. The entire FBI is about drop down on him.” Was he insane? I shook my head. Who was I kidding, I knew he was insane. I exhaled and grabbed my phone. Cypress didn’t need this to be on her at this time.  “Stay here, okay, don't talk to anyone and don't answer the door. If he comes by let him know I'm looking for him. And he better call me.” I took my keys and turned towards the television. “And if Mark calls tell him I said that we need to speak like…now.”

“The main suspect in this case is twenty-six-year-old Lucas Elledge. Police are warning the public that at this moment that he is considered armed and dangerous to not approach him but to contact the authorities immediately.”

Perfect, I didn't even turn around to see Cypress’ reaction, I could hear it as the sob filled the room. There was no time to try to deal with her. The police would be here in a few minutes to destroy her apartment and take us both down for questioning. “Is there anything upstairs that could harm this case?”

“Gloves, but he took them with him.”

“Alright, hang tight.” I slipped my hat on and walked towards the elevator. The doors of elevator opened and a very disarrayed Mark stood before me. “Please, tell me what the fuck is going on?”

“I don't know.” I shrugged my shoulders.

A crackling sound pierced throughout the room and we turned to the side door as it was busted open. An army of suits stormed into the apartment with their guns aimed at us. “Hands in the air right now!”

Nathaniel's cry filled the white halls behind us. “Shit!” I lifted my hands in the air. “They're up.”

Mark dropped his briefcase to the ground and held his hands up above his head. “What the fuck? I hope they'll replace that fucking door.” He grumbled.

Our world had crumbled in front of us and the only damn thing that lingered in his mind was the door being replaced. A laugh escaped from my mouth. “Dumbass.”

“Well, boys we meet again as promised. I had hoped it would be a friendlier way though. Sorry about the door.” McMillan smiled at us both. “Where's your brother?”

“He’s right there?” I pointed to Mark with a small grin on my face.

“You think this a fucking game! Where is Lucas? Where the fuck is he?” He lifted me by the collar and then tossed me to the ground with one swift movement.