UNK: That’s a good lass. Sleep tight little viper.
I was definitely tight—withtension—and didn’t sleep a lick. Every noise in my house made me jump. I gripped the biggest butcher knife I could find and held it flat against my belly underneath my sheets, wide-eyed until I couldn’t take it anymore. It was damn near three in the morning. I carried that knife back to the kitchen and made a cup of coffee, seeing no other option to relieve my pent-up stress than to start a good pace alongside my kitchen island. I’d shut my blinds hours ago, but still resorted to looking over at them every few seconds. I picked up my phone, seeing nothing new, but stared at the text Malek had left about a dozen times.
I debated on calling the police. But that idea flew right out of my mind the minute I started thinking of how the hell I was gonna explain it all. We’d both be in prison. He had me by my metaphorical balls. I have no idea what to do. How in the hell did he get this number? And my address? I like to think I’m an intelligent person. I’ve got several degrees to back that…andmaybe it’s just the grave I’m diggingmyselfthat’s got me in a tailspin, but what I did next was likely the most idiotic thing I’ve ever done. I entertained him.
Me: If this is your way of trying to woo me again…you profusely suck at it. Google that if you can’t understand English. I’m not yours to fuck around with.
Terrible idea. Just…terrible.
Ping.
UNK: That’s not very nice. Would it help if I told you that you looked beautiful tonight? And you’re supposed to be sleeping.
Looked…not look. Which might mean I’m good if I wanna catch an hour or two, but I’m still too fired up to try.
Me: No. It wouldn’t. This is never gonna happen. I don’t nark on my clients. Your secrets are safe. Leave me the hell alone and both of us can stay that way. Savvy?
I watched the three little dots dance above my keyboard and nearly chewed a hole through my bottom lip in suspense.
UNK: You should rest. Got a busy day tomorrow by the looks of it. Night sweetheart.
I’ve got two bodies coming tomorrow…thatbetternot be what he means. Jesus Christ. Does he know where I work? If he does, then that puts my parents, Greg…andmy babies in danger. My heart was testing my sternum, and I think I might need to lay down, or I’ll be spending my night on this kitchen floor. I stalked back to my bedroom and sat up in my bed, staring at the wall for what felt like five minutes, but must have been a couple hours. The sun was coming up. I’m not even tired anymore.
It’s not like me to bypass my family or not even let them know I’m here. I’ll either have breakfast with them, or at least acknowledge that they exist when I come in. Today, I didn’t. I know one of them is gonna come down here and know that something’s wrong. If that one is Greg Grey…my playlist today will be confirmation enough. It’s loud…it’s angry. It’s absolutely unkind for the sweet old lady I’m working on today. Even with the fuel of still being pissed enough to finish embalming her in record time, it’s still not gonna be enough for me to start on that second body until tomorrow morning.
I can’t get over theaudacity.
The fact that this bitch thinks he owns me just makes my blood boil, but…he does. I’m strapped, dude. The only thing that gives me any kind of joy right now is that he doesn’t own me the way hewantsto own me. And he never will, the son of a cunt. It’s taking everything in me not to continue throughout my day, occasionally ripping him a new asshole with every‘I should have said that instead’moment that’s been throttling me every few seconds. I might have dug a little harder than necessary with my arterial clamps because of it. Sorry, Mrs. Felton. I’m sure she understands, though. Not only am I sexually frustrated, I’m also every other kind of frustrated…and as bad as I don’t wanna admit it, I’m worried about my fam. I’ve seen what he’s capable of. Kit is also mouthy and annoying, but he’s not a bad guy…and while I generally only call him to use him, I don’t want him to become a kebab, either.
I need to come up with a plan. If he’s ballsy enough to start stalking me, I’m thinking that eventually he’ll come up with another way to try to get some face time. Especially if he believes, somewhere in that fucked up head, that this is gonna go anywhere other than that flower garden out front. I’m gonna have to be strapped in a different way from here on out. Carry anything I can hide on myself for the day this actually happens.He’s an experienced killer…I’m not. But you know…if you stick ‘em with the pointy end in the right place…it does the job. All I need is one opportunity. Nobody knows the ins and outs of a human body better than I do.
Checkmate, fucker.
I was sliding the eye caps under Mrs. Felton’s eyelids when my thrasher music abruptly stopped and I looked over by the stairwell to see Greg narrow-eyed, and staring at my phone on the table by the speaker.
“Slip…knot? Like the kind that sends clients into this basement?” I rolled my eyes and went back to working. “I worry about ya, Pipsqueak.”
“But if I were into boats instead of bodies…you know. We wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
“You say that like you’re not literally shoving plastic into somebody’s eyeballs. What’s wrong?”
I should tell him. I should tell him if for no other reason than to make sure he stays alert, but…I can’t. He’d blow a gasket, and rightfully so. There’s nothing in this world that means more to me than those girls, and they’re not even mine. No amount of money I’ve made off these cleaning jobs is worth this. I’ve never felt more guilty and pathetic in my life.
“Nothing. You won’t like the answer anyway.”
Ain’t that the fucking truth.
“Try me.”
I shot my head up and sneered at him. “It’s shark week, okay? Can you go? I’m about to start a mouth suture and I know you can’t deal with that.I’m fine. Tell everybody I’m fine.”
Greg looked like he was trying to read me like an open book. He knows I’m full of shit. “Okay. You know I’m here and I’m tougher than I look.”
“I don’t think you can be but so tough against Mother Nature, Greg. But thanks.”
“Yeah, alright.” He turned and shook his head, and I sighed hard through my nose while I got back to it.
The upstairs door slammed. That’s starting to be a triggering sound for me. And I don’t get triggered. Fuck this guy. My God, I wanna hit him so bad. At this point, he’s cost me a decent lay, a lot of sleep, a good side hustle, and now? He’s cost me the fluidity of my normal routine and the clarity of my mind. I never apologize for being who I am. I don’t keep things from my family…well…except my second job. I don’t question anything in what I consider normal in my life. He’s violated that.
