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“You are stupid man, Harold. I do not care about the money. I do not care about anything you have to give me, which is nothing. I have enough money to buy me whatever I want for plenty of lifetimes. What I have an issue with, is being lied to.” His face fills with confusion.

“Penelope. I asked if you had any kids, and you said no.” His face fills with so much fear and turns so red it looks like he’s ready to explode. Walking to him, I kneel down and take his hand in mine. Positioning the pliers on his thumbnail, he starts squirming.

“But here it is to my surprise when you offer your daughter to pay a debt.” I pull the pliers fast, his nail coming along with it. His screams pierce the air, echoing off the rocks and right into my already bleeding eardrums. “And you, of all people, should know. I loathe liars and so did my father, Harold.” I pull another nail out, relishing his screams.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! Please, I’ll do anything!!” Oh, you definitely can. I smirk under my mask. Plucking another nail, I stand up and retreat into the darkness, still being seen from the glow of my mask.

Putting the pliers down, I reach in my pocket, grabbing a large dagger. The handle is wood, with skulls and a single rose carved into it. It’s my personal knife.

Walking over to him, I don’t give him time to react before I plunge the knife in his groin. He screams bloody fucking murder. His screams echo, no doubt reaching the house upstairs.

Whatever staff is passing by will not be hearing fairy tales being told, they hear death at the hands of the fucking Grim Reaper. Maybe I should change my alias to that. “Tell me what you did to her,” I growl, my voice almost not sounding human.

“What do you mean?!” He screams.

“Did you beat her, rape her, keep her prisoner?” His eyes are glazed over, the pain probably blinding. The thoughts in my head solidify. He killed Lily. He killed Penelope’s mother. I thought he was the one to do it, but father believed his story about her falling and hitting her head on the counter. It was so fucking obvious he did it. The marks around her neck, the amount of blood, and the wound on the back of her head on its own.

“You killed Lily too, huh? You took Penelope’s mother away from her,” I growl.

“No, no! I swear! Please, stop!” Pulling the knife out of his groin, I plunge it into his stomach in one fluid motion. I stabbed somewhere so that he won’t die quickly.

“Now, Harold, didn’t I just say I don’t like liars? Yet, you lie.” Sweat lines his hairline, dripping down his miserable face.

“I swear I didn’t touch her, PLEASE!” He bellows, and I chuckle, the sound reverberating in the hollow room.

“Another lie, Harold. Is that what she told you every time you touched her?” My voice taunts, almost sounding like I’m trying to tease him. I’m not fucking playing no matter what my voice sounds like. I’m fucking seething, blood pretty much boiling.

“Also, I figured it out. You did kill Lily. I helped you clean it up. I was stupid boy, but not anymore.” His eyes widen, head shaking as he sputters his denials like rapid fire.

My father made me go with him that night. I couldn’t disobey him. I didn’t want the beating that came with it. So I did whatever he wanted, like a good fucking dog.

I go back to my table, picking up a sturdy pair of scissors. Plucking up his hand, I snip the flesh in between every fucking finger. Blood pools under his chair, mixing in with his piss.

“Now I will give you one more chance. Did. You. Touch. Her.” My voice is smooth, calm. I’m everything but fucking calm. He doesn’t answer. That’s all the answer I need.

I plant my dagger so fucking far in his eye, angling the knife upwards, it breaks his skull and comes out the top of his head. “Harold Russo, you are a coward. I will enjoy the day I find you in hell. I will kill you for eternity. You will forever feel my fucking wrath. Enjoy the fate you deserve,” and with that, I spear the knife into the top of his head, and he falls slumped within seconds. His throat gurgles with blood still lodged in it, and his muscles spasm. He is dead. Penelope is safe from him forever.

I know she thinks she’s damaged. Used, no good for anyone else. But she is the strongest person I’ve ever met. I can’t hate her because awful people hurt her, especially one who was supposed to love her. As long as she is safe now and forever after this, that’s all I care about.

I change my clothes with the spare pair kept down here before heading upstairs, passing one of my men about to interrogate someone. I bark at him to get that cell cleaned up and cut his head off for freezing. Penelope deserves to know her father is dead. No matter how awful he was, unfortunately, he was still her parent. And as far as we know, she has nobody. Just Mama, Viktor, and me.

I stand in front of her door, taking a deep breath and opening the door. She lies on the queen-size bed in the middle, curled into the fetal position.

Her head snaps up at the noise, and her face breaks me more. Her face is blotchy and swollen, telling me she hasn’t quit crying.

I sit on the edge of the bed, taking my mask off and setting it next to me. She doesn’t move from her position. I never thought I’d be nervous to tell someone their awful family member has been killed, at my hands. Here we go, I guess.

*This book is an advance reader copy and is to not be distributed anywhere. [email protected]*

14

Chapter Fourteen

All I Wanted - Paramore

Penelope

I’m cuddled into mommy’s side, my favorite show playing on our small TV. My favorite show is Strawberry Shortcake, sometimes Care Bears. Strawberry Shortcake will always be my number one, though.