Slashing Away: A Dark Psychological Thriller (Gushers Series Book 2)

by Chuck Buda

  Zoe giggled, eliciting a few more spasms of pleasure out of Ryan. He slowly slid out of her ass and back away to pull up his pants. Zoe stood up. Ryan’s hot seed dripped down her leg. She dressed herself and prepared for the exclamation point.

  Ryan finished getting his pants on. His breathing still heavy, he leaned back against the support of the swing set. Zoe strolled up to him and kissed him deeply. Her tongue probing his mouth, overpowering his own tongue. As she kissed him, Zoe squeezed his crotch tightly. Ryan winced and turned his face away from her. He started to whine about her grasp. But she shushed him and squeezed harder.

  “I’m not playing around, Ryan. You go along with Todd and that fucking whore, Jordyn, and I will cut these off. I might even use your own junk to fuck your ass. Am I clear?”

  Ryan nodded quickly, breathing hard against the pain. Zoe felt the sudden desire to cut his balls off right now. The rage and the domination fighting to take control of her mind. She teetered on the edge of allowing deep-seated monsters to use her hands as their instruments.

  Zoe laughed and crunched Ryan’s balls stronger.

  Chapter 25

  Jordyn found her mother as soon as she walked in the door. She had been in the kitchen snacking on a fat free yogurt. Jordyn tried to keep her smile at bay but it was difficult. Her mother stared with a lost puppy expression on her face. Jordyn knew her mother was begging for an apology.

  Jordyn grabbed a bottled water from the refrigerator. She acted as if her mother no longer existed. She started to leave the kitchen to head to her room. Jordyn felt her mother’s eyes through the back of her skull, pleading for attention. She paused beyond the doorway, spun on her heels and came back to her mother.

  “Can I help you with anything?” Jordyn laced the sarcasm through the question.

  Her mother held a fresh helping of yogurt on the end of the spoon, like she had frozen in time. She placed the spoon back in the cup of yogurt and rested it on the counter.

  “Please let me explain.”

  Jordyn snickered. “What’s to explain? I’m not a child. I know what I saw. And it disgusts me.” She lowered the bottle to the counter and leaned across the island. Jordyn held her mother’s gaze.

  “Listen, the other night, when the Fisher’s came over...”

  Jordyn respected her mother for going for the truth. But she wouldn’t allow her to finish the explanation.

  “I know. You and daddy had sex in the hot tub. And so did the Fishers.”

  Rebecca’s jaw dropped open. “How?”

  “Mr. Fisher told me about. Or should I call him, Holden?”

  Jordyn enjoyed seeing her mother try to piece it together. She knew her mother wondered why Holden would tell Jordyn about it. And probably when did Jordyn speak with him?

  “When did you speak to him?”

  “Just now. I had coffee with him.” Jordyn soaked in her mother’s discomfort.

  “Did he ask YOU to go for coffee?”

  “No. I asked him to meet me.” She sipped her water. “I wanted to know the truth.”

  Rebecca sighed. “You don’t think I would’ve told you the truth?”

  “I don’t know.” She shrugged. “I thought I’d see what he said and then compare his story to yours.”

  Her mother shot her a look. “We’ve always been honest with each other. I’m hurt you would think I would lie to you.”

  “Hurt. Interesting choice of words.” Jordyn glowered at her mother.

  “What else did Holden say?”

  Jordyn wanted to stretch out the game but her impetuousness rose to the surface.

  “He said he liked my pussy.”

  Rebecca’s face sank. Jordyn grinned across the island at her mother. She could see the images drifting before her eyes.

  “What?”

  “He said...he liked...my pussy.” Jordyn strung the sentence out so each phrase buried itself under her mother’s skin.

  Rebecca stepped toward Jordyn. Her eyes, which had been red, began to mist. They darted back and forth across Jordyn’s countenance, trying to understand what Jordyn told her.

  “You...slept with him?”

  Jordyn cackled. She drank some more water. “Oh, no.” She waited for the relief on her mother’s face. Then she swung the hammer down. “I fucked the shit out of him.” She sipped some more water. “In the restroom of the coffee shop.” She placed the water bottle down and turned slightly to the right, preparing for a physical confrontation.

  Her mother trembled and cried. Her hand covered her lips as she realized what Jordyn had done.

  “I’m sorry, mother. Does that HURT you? Because you never mentioned he was off limits. I assumed since there was nothing going on between you two that he was fair game.”

  Jordyn felt a momentary sadness for hurting her mother. It passed quickly, knowing what her mother had done to her daddy.

  “How...could you?” Rebecca picked up her napkin, dabbing at her eyes and nose.

  Jordyn relaxed a bit. Her mother was too stunned to strike her. She hoped her mother remembered the fight they had the other night. Maybe it was enough to keep her from coming at Jordyn.

  “Why would you do that? Why get involved in this mess?” Rebecca blew her nose and continued to cry.

  “I wanted to see what was so fascinating my own mother couldn’t keep her hands to herself. It was okay. His dick is much bigger than the boys I know, but his performance wasn’t the best. I kinda liked having a redhead. The carpet matches the drapes...”

  “ENOUGH!” Rebecca blew her nose again. She tossed the used napkin in the trash and grabbed a fresh one. “What are you going to do now? Tell your father?” Despite her sadness, Rebecca’s anger showed up.

  “It depends.”

  Rebecca glared at Jordyn. “Depends on what?”

  “On you. Whether you are willing to pay for your sins or not.”

  Rebecca sighed. Spittle strung between her upper and lower lip from all the crying. “What do you want?”

  Jordyn grinned. She grabbed her water bottle and went to the living room. She plopped on the couch and used the remote to change stations on the television. Her mother must have been watching something before grabbing a yogurt.

  “I need you to help me with some trouble I’m having with my friends. You still want to take care of your little girl, don’t ya?”

  Rebecca nodded with trepidation.

  “Good. Friday night, we will most likely have another hang out session. And I’m going to use you as a buffer against Zoe.”

  “Okay. I can do that. She’s more trouble than she’s worth, huh?”

  Jordyn thought to herself the same could be said for her mother. “And whatever I say, you have to go along with it. No hesitating. If you can do that, then I will keep your dirty secret from daddy. But if you piss me off, then I’m not only going to tell daddy about what you’ve done. I’m also going to walk across the street and tell Mrs. Fisher. I think both you and Holden would want to stay on my good side from now on.”

  Her mother held the napkin to her face. She continued to weep and make sad noises. Jordyn had driven her point home. She had avenged her father and put herself in a position to get what she wanted from her mother. And Holden.

  Jordyn liked the new power she had accumulated. The thought crossed her mind that this must be what Zoe feels like. No wonder she craved the spotlight and the top spot. It was fun to get what you wanted and to force people to do things they despised. Jordyn felt like she could get used to this new...confidence.

  She watched her mother leave the room. The sound of her sorrowful feet climbing the stairs. Jordyn was relieved she didn’t have to look at her mother’s face anymore tonight. She was exhausted after a long day at school and the preparation for the coffee shop. Jordyn wanted to relax and watch some mind-numbing television.

  Her heart ached. The remorse for what she had done to mother weighed heavily upon her. She regretted her actions now that it was over. The fulfillment of her angst
was hollow, less than satisfying. Jordyn thought about her behavior. Instead of erasing the pain of discovering her mother’s infidelity, the revenge sex just made things worse.

  Chapter 26

  Samantha labored to read her book. Her mind was preoccupied with the conversation she planned on having with Holden tonight. When she discovered he would be home late again, she cleaned up the kitchen, took a shower, and settled into bed with her book. As the words blended together and refused to sink in, Samantha closed the book. She stared at the cover art which contained a hot coffee mug. Inside the mug, the layer of creamer at the top resembled a skull. Samantha thought it was a cool concept to pair coffee and horror stories together.

  She tensed when she heard the heavy footsteps approaching the bedroom. The time to face the music had arrived. All day Samantha was distracted with confronting Holden. She knew it needed to be done so she could deal with things one way or another. But it didn’t make her less frightened to learn the truth. What Samantha expected would be the truth.

  Holden opened the door and smiled at her. Samantha kept the book in her lap as a defense mechanism. Symbolically, the book was a shield to protect her, a barrier between her and Holden.

  He hung up his suit jacket and approached the bed. Holden bent down to kiss Samantha on the forehead. She took a deep breath to see if she could catch the scent of another woman’s perfume upon him. All she picked up was coffee. She almost giggled since she just happened to be reading a horror book about coffee.

  “Sorry I’m late again. I had to stop for a quick meeting over coffee.”

  Samantha let out her breath, not realizing she had been holding it for so long. At least his story seemed to jive with the aroma she had picked up on. Maybe she was just paranoid. Maybe she was making too much of nothing. Samantha’s conscience attempted to talk herself out of the potential battle until she remembered the stare between Holden and Rebecca.

  “Who did you meet with tonight?” She was careful to withhold any sound of judgment from her voice.

  “Uh, one of the guys from Accounting. Clearing up some discrepancies on the budget.” Holden spoke without turning to face her. He kept himself busy with hanging up his tie and suit pants. He turned toward her as he unbuttoned his dress shirt. “I’m going to grab a quick shower before I join you.”

  “Want me to join you in the shower?” Samantha risked putting him on the spot. If he had nothing to hide, she knew he would accept her offer. Holden never turned away hanky panky.

  “That would be great. But I’m tired. It was a long day. I’d rather just get it over with and grab some sleep. How about a rain check?”

  Samantha’s radar went up. Even if he were tired, Holden was frisky. She thought about asking him to take off his clothes and join her in the bed so she could scent check him more closely. Again, the fear of what she might find sealed her lips.

  “Holden, before you go shower, can we talk?”

  Samantha noticed the stiffening in Holden’s posture. Maybe she was on to something after all. There would be no reason for him to become apprehensive about talking with her. Unless...

  Holden sat on the bed in his underwear. He rested a hand on Samantha’s knee which was buried under the comforter. “What’s up?” His expression softened like he had nothing to fear.

  “I couldn’t help but notice how things went Saturday night.” She kept her eyes on the book in her lap.

  Holden chuckled. “It was pretty wild. I...guess you haven’t been good with it though, have you?”

  It was Samantha’s turn to tense up. “The sex was fine. I mean, it was kind of exciting to be with you in public.”

  “But?” Holden squeezed her knee gently.

  “But you and Rebecca stared at each other. And I know it wasn’t just your curiosity about her amazing body either. Was it?”

  She watched the seriousness flood Holden’s cheeks in a reddened blush. When Holden felt sorry for something between them, his face usually matched his hair color. Samantha felt the spit catch in her throat.

  “I...had a feeling you noticed that.” He kept his hand on her leg but faced the wall.

  “Well, it’s kind of hard NOT to notice it when you both held the connection for so long. And if you had a feeling I noticed, why haven’t you spoken to me about it? Or did you prefer my silence and distance?” Some of her frustration leaked out in her tone. She found it difficult to hide her emotions now that the conversation neared the mark.

  Holden sighed. He stood up and paced the room. “I’m so sorry, Samantha. I’m an awful husband to you.” He rubbed his face with the palm of his hand. “I never should have done that.”

  “Done what? Slept with Rebecca? Or gazed longingly into her eyes while you made love to me?” The tears started to roll down her cheeks.

  Holden knelt beside the bed. He held her hand in both of his. “I have been attracted to Rebecca. She’s beautiful. I admit that. I got caught up in the moment...and I thought maybe something might happen...” His words trailed away.

  Samantha pulled her hand free. She grabbed a tissue from the night stand and wiped her eyes. “What? Like an orgy? Isn’t it enough to do it in front of strangers? Now you need to have sex with her too?” She dabbed her face some more.

  “No, I don’t need to have sex with her. I love you, Samantha. I would be a fool to do something stupid like that. I don’t want to lose you. What can I do to make it up to you? Name it. I want to show you I love you and I am devoted to your happiness.” Holden’s eyes begged her for forgiveness.

  Samantha felt relieved. Holden admitted to being attracted to Rebecca. But he reassured her he loved her and wanted to be with her. She suddenly felt much better. She realized she had made the whole thing worse in her mind. Holden had always been a good man. He wouldn’t cheat on her.

  Samantha couldn’t fault Holden for desiring Rebecca. The woman had a phenomenal body and movie stars in Hollywood would be so lucky to look like her without the surgery. Samantha even stole some peeks at Rebecca’s nudity on Saturday. Partly to compare herself and crank up the self-pity. But partly because even Samantha could appreciate beauty in all its forms.

  Holden kissed her hand and rested his forehead on her knuckles. He squeezed her hand a few times like he did when he was being amorous.

  “I’ll tell you what. Let me go shower and then I will come back here and see if I can find something sweet to eat.”

  Samantha laughed and swatted at Holden. “You’re fresh.” She was so happy she wanted to jump around the room.

  Holden smiled down at her. “I’m glad we cleared the air tonight. I missed your bubbly self these last few days.” He removed his undershirt and swung it around his head like a lasso. Holden tossed the undershirt onto Samantha before going to the bathroom.

  As happy as Samantha felt, she sniffed his shirt just in case.

  Chapter 27

  Zoe waved Spencer over. She had waited for him after the final bell at school rang out. Students funneled through the parking lot and the school yard. She wanted to finalize the plan for Friday night. And feel Spencer out.

  Spencer’s shaved head stood out above the crowd of students. He gave Zoe a simple nod to acknowledge he’d seen her. Spencer peeled off from the students walking the sidewalk. He cut across the grass and met Zoe on the side of the building.

  “How was that Physics quiz?” Spencer tugged the strap on his backpack.

  Zoe didn’t want to talk about school. She had more important stuff to consider. “Fine. About Friday night, I want to make sure we are on the same page.”

  Spencer narrowed his eyes. He didn’t speak a word, waiting for Zoe to continue.

  “I’ve done a lot of thinking. I’m going to allow Aiden back into The First Cut. I’m sure Leah will return with him.”

  Spencer glanced at the lot. “What about Todd and Jordyn?”

  “They’ll be there. Besides, we need Jordyn’s backyard. But here’s what I want to happen. In order to prove himself to The Fi
rst Cut, Aiden will have to sacrifice himself to the ritual.”

  Spencer grinned. “You’re going to kill him? That should keep everyone coming back.”

  Zoe ignored his sarcasm. She wished Spencer would keep his comments to himself.

  “I’m not going to kill him. Not yet. But he is going to have to provide us with his blood. Like pouring salt in the wound, I want to re-open the slash on his neck. It’ll definitely scar on him down the road. And he’ll bleed a ton for us.”

  Spencer smiled.

  “So you’re going to have to do the dirty work.”

  Spencer nodded. “Don’t want to dirty your hands?”

  Zoe bit her tongue. She wanted more than anything to lash out at Spencer for being wise. Zoe had to get a grip on Spencer. He was overstepping his bounds lately.

  “My hands are plenty dirty. However, the ritual needs a focal point to preside over the ceremony. I can’t do both at the same time.”

  Spencer huffed. His eyes scanned the school yard. Zoe waited for him to complain or protest. Instead, he agreed. She could sense something behind his words. Zoe would have to make sure she kept an eye on Spencer.

  “Okay. What if Todd and Jordyn step in again? How do you want me to handle it? Since, I assume it will also be my job to keep order.”

  Zoe smiled. “You were always a quick study, Spencer. Together we make a formidable team. As far as the others, I don’t think they will be trouble this time. First of all, everyone wants to continue The First Cut. Plus, I will make sure Aiden’s bloodletting is understood as a personal sacrifice he must make in order to come back into the fold. If he is as contrite as he makes himself out to be, he’ll submit. And nobody will have a reason to step up in defense.”