Giving her a half-smile, I nodded.
“I should change,” she said. She was bare under the silk pants and matching top.
“Nah, you’re perfect. We’ll be back before you know it.”
“Okay.”
Patiently, I waited for her to finish, then she slid her pretty feet into some slippers. Already dressed, I simply grabbed her hand and headed out of the front door. Russ was parked at the edge of the driveway. Pretty waved while I ducked my head at him.
“When is it going to get cold?” she asked.
I chuckled. “There’s absolutely no telling. We’ve experienced warm Christmases many times.”
Her mouth parted in shock. “But this area had snow last year. I saw it on the news.”
“That’s the first time I’ve ever seen snow here, baby.” I grinned at the face she made.
“Well, I’ll hold out hope.”
As we entered One Bell Place’s yard, Pretty glanced at me.
“You have a surprise for me?”
Seeing a few lights on and a van parked in the driveway, she got excited.
“There’s something I want you to see,” I stated.
I let us into the front door, past the dining room and living room, then into the hallway. Confused, Pretty glanced at me as I opened the only steel door along the hallway and walked inside of the dimly lit entrance. We descended the stairs leading to another door. Her hand tightened in mine as the door opened to reveal the interior of the dungeon. Alli, Dothan, and Duval stood off to the side, waiting for my orders.
Turning to a wide-eyed Pretty, I lifted her chin, then kissed her lips.
“Don’t be afraid,” I told her. Even as she nodded, her eyes grew wider at the look in my eyes. I knew that my eyes were black and completely void of emotion. I knew what I looked like. I knew that this man wasmyworst fucking nightmare.
He…was present. Pretty looked like she wanted to run from me, and honestly, I wouldn’t blame her. I tightened my hand on hers and led her farther into the dungeon. Her audible gasp at seeing the man strung up from the ceiling caused the man’s eyes to slowly open. Fear seized him.
Walking up to him, I stood close enough where I could smell the fear seeping through his pores. It brought me great joy.
“Officer Buchanon… I believe you know my wife, Pretty.”
The officer’s bloody face turned beet red. “Help me,” he tearfully pleaded.
I chuckled. “Nah… I’on think I can do that.”
He whimpered and cried as his eyes rolled back.
“Please!” he hissed to which I laughed a little harder. In utter shock, Pretty stared at the side of my face. She didn’t mumble a word.
“Let ‘em down,” I requested. While DJ and Dothan handled the officer, I moved Pretty back far enough to where nothing could taint her.
“Stay here,” I said to her. She offered no response, prompting me to briefly glance at Alli. He would make sure she didn’t make a run for it.
Leaving Pretty with Alli, I went to stand behind the officer’s naked and mutilated body. He was a decent sized nigga compared to me. However, I wrapped my arm around his neck and brought him to stand as if he weighed nothing. Not a cell inside me stopped to feel anything for this nigga as he cried. He smelled like three-day old shit and vomit.
“Look at my wife,” I demanded.
His terrified eyes reluctantly looked at Pretty. She was afraid and unsure of what she was witnessing. I was someone she didn’t know—a man who’d fought hard to keep her from seeing this side. However, I needed her to understand that this was the consequence of crossing a nigga like me.
“Apologize to my wife.”
