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“Don’t even think about running. You’ll just piss me off, and you don’t want to deal with me if I’m pissed off. As it is, I despise men like you. It would be nice if you went to prison and I could just let those guys handle you, but the justice system doesn’t always do what it should.”

“I-I won’t do it anymore. I swear.”

“Oh? How do you plan to fight the urges?”

“I’ll go to therapy like Steph wants me to.”

“Hmm. How many times has she asked you to do that? What did you say when she did? Did you hit her?”

“I’ll do it now, I swear. And I’ll stop drinking. That’ll help.”

“We both know it’s not the drinking. You’re not drunk when you go cruising for sex workers, right? You decide to go out and hunt for people to hurt. I know your kind, Ty. There’s no fixing it. Now take your fucking clothes off.”

Nervously, he pulls his t-shirt over his head then peels off his clothes until he’s in his underwear.

“Those too.”

“Fuck,” he mumbles, pulling his briefs down. He stands in front of me, covering his junk with his hands, which is just fine with me. I don’t want to see his gross naked body, but I do want him to be found this way.

The reports will talk about how he was found naked, and though he won’t be around to see it, there’s a humiliation factor to being found this way that I hope pleases all those he abused.

I step forward and he flinches. He thinks I’m going to sexually assault him, like I’m a disgusting predator too, but he’s very wrong. I raise my gun and press it to his forehead, but then move it down, choosing instead to make a point.

“Move your hands,” I command as I step back slightly. When he drops them, I pull the trigger, blowing his dick to pieces.

He screams, falling to his knees, shrieking in shock. “My dick, my dick!”

“You won’t be needing it anymore.” I kneel in front of him. “I could let you bleed out like this, but you’ve used enough oxygen on this planet.”

Lifting my gun and pressing it to his forehead again, I smile. “Any last words, Ty?”

“Please, no,” he groans. “I can do better.”

“No. You can’t.”

I pull the trigger and watch him collapse backward, then I stand, hovering over him, pleased with my work. Someone will find his body in the next day or so. The summer heat will make him smell, then they’ll report how he was found. They’ll probably consider some of his many victims as suspects, but they’ll find nothing and end up closing the case. One less monster to hurt innocent people.

I take my pictures then slip from the house, looking up and down the street before I hurry down the sidewalk back to my van. As I suspected, there’s no one around to identify me or my vehicle.

Inside the van, I pull off my gloves, check my face for blood, then put it in drive and make my way home.

My thoughts immediately shift back to the stunning man I left in a hotel bed, wishing the night hadn’t ended when it did. He was fun. Vibrant, talkative. I wanted more and I still do, but I’ve been keeping tabs on Ty Simmons for weeks and had to act when I had the chance.

Blush says he wants to see me again, so I’ll try. I didn’t expect him to want to—I assumed it would be a one-and-done hookup, but I’m definitely down for another night with him. I’m glad I gave in to something I really wanted for once. Blush was a very pleasant surprise.

When I arrive at Crestvale House, I’m not surprised to see light coming from the den, but I am surprised when I see who’s up.

“Stealth?”

He turns and looks at me, offering a slight smile. “Hey. I couldn’t sleep. Were you working?”

“Yeah. Finally got this asshole who likes to beat women and kids.”

“Those are always good. Killing someone’s boogeyman is awesome.”

“It is.” I walk over and sit next to him. “You okay?”

He nods. “Feeling almost normal again. It’s nice to get back to work and be around you guys.”