The mansion was as arrogant as the man who lived in it - towering Victorian architecture perched on the edge of Darkmoor's border with Overoath. Too much glass, too much space. Tobias Duskbane wanted people to know he had power. He wanted to be seen.
I would make sure no one ever saw him again.
I moved through the shadows of his estate like I belonged there, the security systems already disarmed. Eden's information was flawless - schedules, routines, every weakness laid bare. His private guards rotated out hours ago. He thought he was alone.
He was wrong.
I found him in his study, slouched in a dark leather armchair. A half-empty glass of whiskey rested on the mahogany table beside him. Arrogant bastard didn't even lock his doors.
I took my time. He didn't hear me until the rope slid around his throat.
Tobias lunged, instinct flaring to life, but I was faster. I yanked the rope tight, the rough fibers biting into his skin. His body arched, a choked, wet gasp clawing from his throat as he fought against the pressure.
"You're weaker then I expected," I murmured against his ear. I wanted him to hear me. I wanted my voice to be the last thing echoing in his mind before I broke him. His fists slammed against my arm - useless. His legs thrashed, kicking the table hard enough to send the whiskey crashing to the floor. I twisted the rope, tightening it inch by inch until the fight started bleeding out of him.
"You like hurting women," I said, dragging him back against me. "Let's see how you like it."
When his knees buckled, I let him drop. He hit the floor hard, sputtering, sucking in frantic, broken breaths. His eyes blazed with rage as he glared up at me - until he saw the hammer in my hand. He tried to speak, but I didn't care what he had to say.
The first swing connected with his left knee. The sound was beautiful - a wet, meaty crack as bones shattered beneath the weight of the hammer. Tobias screamed, the noise raw and ugly as his body jerked violently against the floor. Blood spread beneath him in a sluggish pool. I smiled faintly. "That's one."
The second blow came harder. I wasn't gentle. I wanted him to feel everything - the pain, the helplessness. His right knee exploded beneath the hammer, fragments of bone crunching as I ground the metal head against the damage. His scream fractured into a whimper.
"You never let her run," I said softly, circling him. "Now you can't either." His hands twitched - still trying to fight, even as his legs refused to work. I admired the attempt, but it wouldn't save him. I knelt beside him, revealing a butchers knife in my back pocket. I dragged the blade of the knife across his jaw. "How many times did you hit her?" I asked. "How many times did she beg you to stop?"
"F-fuck you..." he rasped, blood bubbling over his lips. I drove the knife through his palm, pinning his hand to the floor. The flesh split easily, the blade sinking to the hilt. His body jerked violently as agony ripped through him.
"You're not in charge here, Tobias," I said, twisting the knife. "I am."
I took my time carving through him. Tendons sliced apart beneath the sharp edge, rendering his hands useless. Every movement was precise - deliberate. I wanted him to understand what it felt like to be powerless. By the time I finished, his hands were ruined. Shaking. Useless.
I let the silence stretch, savoring the wet sounds of his broken breaths. Blood ran down his wrists, soaking into the expensive floorboards.
"You thought you'd get away with it," I said quietly. "Didn't you?" His mouth opened - to beg, maybe. But I wasn't interested in his apologies. I drove the hammer into his ribs. One by one, I broke them, each strike sending tremors through his whole body. The wet crunch of bone filled the air, and the pain finally shattered what little fight he had left. When I reached the seventh rib, he stopped screaming.
His body trembled, blood dribbling from his mouth as he sagged against the floor. The light in his eyes flickered - fading. I crouched beside him again, the butchers knife slick with his blood as I traced the edge down his throat. "This is mercy," I told him, my voice cold and final. "Because if it were up to her, you'd suffer longer." And with that, I slid the knife deep across his throat.
His body convulsed - one last, weak twitch as the blood poured out in thick, black waves. The copper scent filled the air, clinging to my skin as the last breath rattled from his lungs.
When it was over, I stood in the middle of the room, breathing slow and steady. The mansion was silent again, except for the soft drip of blood hitting the floor. I wiped the blade clean against his shirt before tucking it back into my pocket. No traces. No loose ends. Eden wanted it clean, and I never left a mess.
I walked over his lifeless body to the mantle where a singular picture stood out to me. It was Selene in her wedding dress. The white gown covered her from head to toe, no skin showing at all. She looked miserable. She looked sickly. At the same time, she looked gorgeous. Stunning in the white dress. I felt a crave dig inside of me. I turned around, looking at the once alive, arrogant fuck who used to beat this woman. I looked back at the picture, and I felt satisfied. A thought rummaged around in the back of my mind. She's gorgeous enough to be mine.
By the time Selene Duskbane returned home, her monster would be nothing but a memory. And if anyone else thought to hurt her - they'd know exactly how far I was willing to go.
****
I left Tobias Duskbane's corpse cooling on the floor, his blood still seeping into the polished wood. The air was thick with a metallic tang to it - heavy and cloying - but beneath that, there was something else.
Satisfaction.
I'd taken my time. Made sure he felt every ounce of pain he deserved. But now? It was done. And now one would ever lay a hand on the gorgeous Selene Duskbane again. I moved through the mansion as silently as I came, slipping out through the servants entrance. The cold night air hit me as I crossed the sprawling grounds, the dark swallowing me whole. No cameras. No witnesses. Nothing to trace back.
When I reached my bike, I pulled the burner phone from my pocket, my fingers steady as I typed.
Me: It's done.
I sent the message to Eden and waited. It wasn't long before my phone vibrated with her reply.
Eden: Is it clean?
I smirked faintly. She asked because she had to - but she already knew the answer.
Me: No loose ends. By the time you bring her home, he'll be nothing but a memory to her. To everyone.
Three dots blinked on the screen, then her final response came through.
Eden: Thank you.
I slipped the phone back into my pocket, revving the engine. The roar of it cut through the silence as I pulled away from the estate, leaving the broken body of Tobias Duskbane behind. He thought no one could touch him. I hoped he knew, in those last, agonizing seconds, just how wrong he was.
And for Selene, she was free now.
She just didn't know it yet.
ns 15.158.61.4da2
