Page 57 of Death Kiss

He’s masked but unmissable, and my heart leaps at the sight of him. His chest is rising and falling too quickly. He should probably be resting. The eyes behind the pink hearts assess the situation as Hugh begs his brother to get up. They snag on my still-open trousers and rise to my bruising face.

‘Kat,’ Liam growls so deeply that the little dog cowers, his tail tucking tight.

‘I’m okay,’ I say. But I so nearly wasn’t. I wait to see him lose control again.

But he doesn’t.

Liam crosses the room quietly, grabbing a knife from his belt and twisting it round his fingers before gripping the handle. He doesn’t say a word to Hugh. Hugh’s last words die in his mouth as Liam slashes him across the throat.

My heart skips as he walks toward me, my bloody, monstrous soulmate.

He pulls his mask up and kisses me. What his journey here cost him is written all over the paleness of his perfect face. And I love him all the harder.

‘Looks like you just got things under control. Do you want this one?’ he says when we break the kiss.

Truth is, I’m shaken. That was far too close. ‘He’s all yours.’

‘Did he…?’ Liam trails off, pain etched in his dark features.

‘No. The sedative hit just in time.’

Liam tugs his mask back in place and crouches over Gregory, tilting his head.

‘Do you know I was sedated just like this a few days ago? It’s fucking terrifying, isn’t it?’ Liam pats Gregory's cheek roughly. ‘Aware of everything, but unable to escape it. It’s going to be so, so much worse for you. First, I’m going to cut off your disgusting cock and force it into your mouth. You’re not going to be able to cough, or splutter, or scream. You’ll just have to lie there with the taste of your rotten dick in your mouth until I put my knife through your god damned eyes for looking at my girl.’

After fastening my trousers, I walk to where the little dog shivers and scoop him into my arms. He whimpers at first, but as I soothe him, he licks my nose.

‘There’s a good boy. Are you a boy?’ I lift him up, trying to avoid looking as Liam uses his blade to give Gregory a cockectomy next to the sofa. Gregory can’t move, but the horror is visible in his eyes, with streams of tears escaping them. Ah, the dog is indeed a boy.

Good.

I bury my face in the scruffy dog’s coat as Liam stuffs Gregory’s mouth full, true to his word. He watches as Gregory’s eyes twitch.

‘Now you know what it was like for all of us,’ Liam whispers, and the hurt in his words is palpable.

Using his blade, he shoves the withering flesh deeper into Gregory’s mouth. It’s a sight I’ll never forget.

Unfortunately.

‘Don’t look, poppet,’ I tell the dog, placing a hand in front of his eyes, which he starts to lick.

Liam shoves the knife into Gregory’s eyes. Deep.

When he finishes, Gregory’s on a one-way ticket to meet eternal damnation. Or at least unable to hurt anyone else. A win either way.

Blood drips from his knife as he stands, his masked face turning to me. Despite the horror of the evening, that familiar flame ignites inside me.

There he is.

He crosses the room, wiping his blade on his hoodie and pocketing it.

‘Kat.’ It’s a feral growl. ‘I’m so sorry.’

‘No, I’m sorry.’ I use my free hand to push his mask up, noting the dark rings below his eyes. My own pain comes into sharper focus as the adrenaline starts to wane. ‘You came.’

‘Always. I will always come for you. And I will never lie to you again as long as we fucking live. God, I’ve been such an⁠—’

‘We’ve both been struggling. This is so much harder than I thought it would be. I had to come back after seeing the body outside.’