Skeleton King (The Dirty Heroes Collection Book 9)

by Charity B.

  Picking up a dirty rag off the floor, Jolt says, “Or we’ll tell Daddy.”

  “You’re being mean.” Cask hands a bat to Bolt as Jolt ties the soiled rag around the girl’s face to cover her eyes.

  She’s sniffling now, and while I wish they wouldn’t involve her, I know they won’t actually harm her. Not like Fink does. Climbing inside the tub with her, all three of them hit their bats against the edge, making her scream. They swing the bats right by her face, though, they don’t ever actually touch her while they sing.

  “Stay still.”

  “Is what we said.”

  “Move and we’ll beat in your head.”

  The little girl sobs, and I sigh. “They won’t really hurt you. Just play along, okay?” She doesn’t answer, but her crying stops as the triplets keep singing.

  An odd sound comes from upstairs. I can’t place what it is, so I hold up my hand to quiet them, which they of course ignore. Tilting my head to listen closer, I slowly climb up the steps. As soon as I open the door to the basement it’s clear someone is yelling.

  With the triplets busy torturing the terrified child, I lock the door and sneak to the kitchen. Fink’s voice freezes my shoes to the linoleum when he yells, “John! Stop!”

  My feet move before my brain can intervene, carrying me down the hall to the living room. Every wisp of breath escapes my lungs when I see John straddling Ogier while pressing a gun against his temple and screaming in his face.

  “Where is she?!” His voice echoes off the walls as his body shakes on top of Ogier’s. Is he…here for me? I shake my head because that’s such a ridiculous notion.

  “Ingvar, stop him!” Fink orders, gesturing toward John.

  “No!” Ogier demands. “I want to see what this little cunt is made of.”

  Fink calls off Ingvar as John digs the gun deeper into Ogier’s temple. His voice takes on a frantic tone. “The next time I ask it will be with a bullet in your brain.” John’s fury is something I’ve rarely seen over the years and never, ever to this extreme. It’s mesmerizing.

  Ogier’s laugh suggests he isn’t affected by John’s threat in the least. “You’re too pathetic to pull that trigger.” When John doesn’t respond, Ogier grins. “Get off of me, you fucking pussy.”

  John’s shoulders tense, and I’m scared if I don’t speak, he’ll actually shoot him. Killing a Hallows Grove resident, especially one as prominent as Ogier, is strictly forbidden. “Stop!” John whips his head around, his eyes widening at the sight of me.

  Time freezes me in place, refusing to grant me the ability to move. We stare at each other for what feels like an eternity when he suddenly lurches to his feet, rushing across the room to stand in front of me.

  A slow breath escapes from his lips as he reaches up to move the hair from my face. “Are you…are you okay?”

  His expression is pained as he jerks his touch away from me. Despite how kind he’s being in this moment, my mind replays the memories of the last time we were together. How he made me feel more alive than I ever have before only to hurt me deeper than Fink ever did.

  “Do you really care?”

  His eyes close with his sigh. “Sarah—”

  “What’s your plan here, Skeleton King?” A red faced Ogier growls. “It’s well within my right to have her. I purchased her fair and square. Now… if you want to make a deal, we can discuss it, but I highly doubt that your pockets are deep enough.”

  John’s jaw ticks as my eyes lock on the vein bulging in his neck. “She’s not one of your fucking whores! She’s Sarah, for God’s sake!”

  “And that’s why I wanted her as my bride. She’s beautiful, young, and infertile.” John’s eyebrows furrow before he looks down at me. He didn’t know. I always assumed he was aware of my inability to have children. “Absolute perfection.” Even with John’s hair in his eyes, I can tell they are full of sorrow, I’m just not sure if it’s from pity or disappointment.

  Keeping the gun on Ogier, he whispers, “I know you’re angry with me, but please, just go back to my house, okay?” I open my mouth to protest. I want to stay and see what’s going to happen, yet when he reaches out to place his hand on my cheek, all my oxygen is stolen, making it impossible to verbally protest. “I’m so sorry.” The sincerity in his voice and the pain on his face wrings all the blood from my heart. I nod to him when he tilts his head toward the door, turning all of his attention back to the men in the room. “Wait for me. I’ll meet you there soon.”

  Stealing a glance at Fink who is staring at me as if he wishes I were dead, I swallow and push past the fear of him I think I will always have and whisper, “There’s a little girl downstairs with the triplets. Please help her, John.”

  He tilts his head in confusion when something crosses his face that I can only hope is him making the connection that I need him to.

  When he nods his head, I obey his wishes and walk out Ogier’s front door, truly free for the first time I can remember.

  11

  Revelation

  John Skelver

  November 17th ~Midday

  I wait until she’s safe and the door is shut before I close in on Fink. Shaking my head, I attempt to steady my hands. “After everything you’ve done to her, you just toss her away like an old sweater?!” My fist clenches around the gun with every step I take closer to him. “I’ve sat by and watched you take her apart bit by bit for years, seen her eyes lose the sparkle they used to have, so I’m not blameless either, but fuck, Fink! I always thought you loved her…” Ogier moves toward me, and I point the handgun at him. “Don’t fucking move.”

  Fink leans against his cane with narrowed eyes, holding up a hand to calm me. “I’m not a fan of the tone, Skeleton King. She was mine to do with what I wished. Not that I need to explain myself, but she became insubordinate and more trouble than she was worth. And I did love her. That’s why I kept her for as long as I did.” Tilting his head, he takes a step toward me. “You’re walking on dangerous ground, John.”

  He’s right. If I’m lucky, I’ll be banished. If not, I’ll end up as one of the Skeletons hanging from the tree downtown. Honestly, I don’t care anymore. If it means Sarah is safe and free, they can do whatever they want to me.

  “Maybe, but I swear to God, none of you will ever hurt her again.”

  Fink drops his head with a sigh. “If that’s how you want to play this, John.” He nods to Ingvar who barrels toward me so fast, I’m not able to prepare myself before he knocks me backward.

  BANG!

  The gun goes off in my hand before I drop it and my head slams on the floor. I hear a loud thud as my fist lands against Ingvar’s jaw, which does literally nothing. He stares down at me with his dumb grin before punching me in the gut. The air is cut off from my lungs as I groan, wishing I could roll over. Without hesitation, he hits me in the face so hard, my head snaps to the side.

  “Ogier!” Fink yells from behind me, though, I’m too busy getting my ass kicked to see why. Ingvar is hitting blindly, and my vision can’t absorb anything past his swinging limbs. I take the dirty way out and jab my finger in his eye, giving me the break in his assault that I need. I slam my knee against his dick, which I know has been inside of Sarah, making him roll on his back, wailing in pain. As soon as he grabs his groin, I jump on top of him, grabbing his lopsided ears to bang his head against the wooden floor.

  The nightmare they put her through and the horrors I looked past weigh heavy on my shoulders and rip through my veins. Over and over, harder and harder. In the back of my mind, I register that Fink is speaking into the phone, but all I can hear is my own voice with every crash of Ingvar’s head against the floor.

  “Fuck you, you fucking fuck!”

  It isn’t until I realize he’s completely stopped moving that I release him. My breath is loud in my ears as I look down at the blood seeping from his skull. His eyes remain closed, though the subtle rising of his chest tells me he’s still alive. Panting, I climb off him, picking up my g
un on my way to Fink who’s sitting next to Ogier’s unmoving body. I’m not sure if it’s adrenaline or if I truly don’t care that I may have just killed him.

  “You will pay dearly for this, John,” Fink says through grinding teeth.

  It feels like I never truly knew him. Or maybe it’s myself I’ve never really known. I point the gun at his head as I back away toward the basement. “Follow me, and I’ll put a bullet in your demented brain.” Without Ingvar conscious, he doesn’t have his muscle to stop me.

  I don’t turn my back on him until I reach the kitchen. I know where the basement is because years ago, Ogier went through a meth cooking stint. He made it in a bathtub down there until he decided meth heads weren’t the most reliable businessmen.

  The door leading downstairs is locked, so I turn the thin metal piece to release the catch. The triplets are lined up in a row on the landing. Bolt gasps the moment he sees me. “Skeleton King!”

  It breaks my heart to watch their faces light up one by one.

  “What’s going on?” Cask asks with a furrowed brow.

  Jolt nods toward the ceiling. “We heard a loud noise.”

  What I’ve done finally settles over me. They have no idea that their dad is bleeding out in the living room, and I’d like to keep it that way as long as possible. They don’t need to see him like that. As I walk down the steps, I tell them the only thing that will make them listen. “Ogier wants you to stay down here to be safe. I’m just here for the girl.”

  The moment I step off the last stair, I see a child shaking in the old meth tub. The poor thing whimpers beneath her blindfold, shifting uncomfortably in her cord binding.

  “What the hell did you little assholes do to her?”

  Ignoring me, they’re right on my heels, shooting off their questions. “How long?”

  “Until we can?”

  “Go back upstairs?”

  Bolt’s fingers clench the edge of the tub, and I think it’s the first time I’ve ever seen his eyes appear so scared. Just looking at him makes me feel like I’m being smashed between two concrete walls. Fuck. Even though shooting Ogier was an accident, I had brought my gun here with that very intention. If Ogier dies, I’ll have not only killed someone, I’ll have orphaned three children.

  “What?”

  “Was that?”

  “Noise?”

  I hold my hand up to stop them. “Just give me a second.” Reaching behind the girl’s head to untie the rag, I realize her hair is the same bright red shade as Sarah’s. She blinks up at me, and when she meets my eyes, my skin goes rigid. That look. It’s the same one Sarah gave me the first time I met her. “Are you okay?”

  Her face is red and puffy, but otherwise, she seems physically unharmed. She frantically looks between the triplets as I unwrap the cord. “I-I think so.”

  “We were.” Jolt rolls her eyes and crosses her arms.

  “Just playing.” Bolt grins, giving the girl a wink.

  Cask shrugs. “With her.”

  Kneeling in front of the girl, I ask, “Did Fink bring you here?” Her eyebrows narrow in confusion, so I add, “The man with the cane?” When she nods, she confirms what I knew the moment I saw her eyes. Fink’s starting over. That’s all Sarah ever really was to him…an experiment. I point a finger to the triplets, “Stay here.” As I stand, I place a gentle hand on the girl’s back over her dirty nightgown. “Don’t be scared, I won’t hurt you.”

  She allows me to guide her upstairs, and I make sure the kitchen is empty before leading her to Ogier’s back door. I really hope she can follow directions because the last thing I need is for her to get lost.

  “Listen very carefully. I want to help you, but I need you to do exactly as I say, all right?”

  Her head nods hard, flopping her matted red hair around. “All right.”

  “Go to the street in front of this house and walk left—Wait, you know your left and right…right?”

  She frowns at me, deadpanning. “I’m nine and a half.”

  “Of course. So, you need to walk left until you get to a street called Wingdon. Go right for two streets and you’ll reach Nightshade Boulevard. Turn left and my house is the fourth on the right. The gray one with black trim. Go inside and find Sarah. I think you met her earlier.” Her eyes widen, and while I suppose I can understand why Sarah’s appearance could be discerning for the child, I still have to push back the anger it causes me that this Mundane girl could see her that way. “Don’t worry, she’s very nice. Wait with her until I get there, okay?”

  I gasp, throwing up my hands in shock when she wraps her arms around my thighs. “Thank you,” she whispers before spinning around and running outside.

  Walking back toward the triplets, I stop before opening the basement door. What the hell am I going to say to them? I can’t give them the answers to their questions. They’ve always looked up to me. After this, they’re sure to hate me. I rest my head against the door and slowly turn the lock. I can’t do it. Taking a minute to compose myself, I groan at my cowardice then turn back to the mess I’ve made.

  As soon as I cross the threshold into the kitchen, Mayor Greer lunges at me, grabbing my throat to slam me against the wall. “What the fuck, John?!” He has every right to be furious. How the hell am I going to explain my sudden change of heart when not even I understand it? “Do you know the impossible situation you’ve put me in?!” He’s yelling so close to my face his hot breath moistens my cheeks. When I don’t respond, he releases me with a growl. I rub the soreness on my neck as he paces the floor. Jabbing a hand to emphasize each word, he orders, “Tell. Me. What. Happened.”

  “I’m in love with Sarah Stein.” The words spew out on their own accord, leaving me gaping at my self-revelation.

  His smile is a confused one, clearly unsure if I’m bullshitting him. “But Sarah’s…”

  “Alive. I know.” I shake my head as I walk over to the kitchen table, falling into the closest chair. “I’m just as surprised as you are.” My tense muscles ache as my nerves continue to fray.

  He arches a brow, seemingly in an odd limbo over how to feel. “So, what? You find out she’s with Ogier, and you decide to storm in here like Rambo, shooting him and beating the piss out of Ingvar? What the hell did you think was going to happen?”

  “Shooting Ogier was an accident, and what was I supposed to do? Let Ingvar kick my ass? I didn’t come here with a plan, I just had to get her out of here.”

  He rubs his temples. “Jesus Christ, John. You walked into someone’s home uninvited, shot a resident, was violent with another, and according to Fink, you stole from him and Ogier.”

  “I didn’t steal shit. I freed two girls that were here against their will. This town is about giving in to our darkest desires, but that little girl and Sarah were never given a choice. Why are Fink and Ogier’s rights more important than theirs?”

  His chest rises with his deep inhale. “Honestly, I have no love lost for Ogier. If I could, I would cover this up and move on, but your dumb ass left a witness, two if Ogier survives. And while I am sympathetic, what you’re talking about goes against the way we’ve been doing things for over a hundred years.”

  While of course I’d prefer to stop Fink or anyone else from bringing in unwilling Mundaners, I’m also not stupid enough to waste time trying to appeal to Greer’s questionable conscience. Instead, I speak in terms he’s more likely to understand. “You’re right. In fact, it’s been exactly one hundred years. There’s been a ton of advances in forensic science since Hallows Grove came to be. And I’m sure the Mundaners will use those resources to locate one of their missing children.”

  He growls as he heads toward the living room. “I could kill you for making me deal with this horse shit.”

  The paramedics are loading Ogier into the ambulance when we enter. Fink glares at me one last time before following them outside. We don’t have a hospital; Fink has the resources to take care of most medical needs in his lab, and there are three or four trai
ned paramedics in town that always help with transportation.

  Baron Vendire, the police chief, kneels next to the pool of blood Ogier left behind, using a large turkey baster to suction the crimson liquid from the floor. Once it’s almost full, he tilts his head back, squirting a healthy amount into his mouth.

  Wiping the red from his lips, he nods to the Mayor. “Fink is taking Ogier back to his lab, says he needs surgery.”

  Mayor Greer grunts, crossing his arms and looking at me. “Give me some time to talk to Fink and feel out the situation. Where is the Mundane girl?”

  I’m nervous to tell him. I’m worried he’s going to order that I take her back to Fink, and that sure as hell isn’t happening. “She’s with Sarah, at my house.”

  “And what do you suggest we do with her? I do agree with you about her abduction bringing unwanted attention to the town, but it’s not as if we can just let her go.”

  “Why not? I doubt she even knows where she is. Besides, she seems to trust me. I’m confident I can take her home without risking the town any more than Fink already has.” I honestly have no idea if I can trust her or not, but I do know she doesn’t belong here, and for some reason, it feels like my responsibility to stop the cycle that I allowed Sarah to endure. I can’t have the little girl’s life on my conscience like Sarah’s is.

  Mayor Greer growls, balling his hands in to fists. “Goddamn it. Don’t do anything until I give you the go ahead.” He looks around as if suddenly realizing something. “Where are the Sanity Eaters?”

  I gesture my head toward the back of the house. “Still in the basement.”

  “Get them out of here. The last thing I need is to deal with those little pricks. Take them to their aunts’ house, then go home and wait for my call.”

  Not giving him a chance to change his mind and toss me in the jailhouse, I do as he says. The triplets are huddled together in the tub when I make my way to the bottom of the steps. They all frown at me, falling over each other in their attempts to stand up.