Picnic in Someday Valley (Honey Creek #2)(78)

He touched her hair in a gentle stroke. “I don’t bother women like you. It’s the trash who hang out in bars that I punish. Women should be home with their children, not out picking up men. My goal in this life is to fix them so they won’t be attractive to any man.”

Piper saw the insanity in his eyes. His thin body was jerking with excitement.

He moved closer, as if he needed to explain himself. “Once they’ve got scars, they hide away and don’t go looking for trouble. Sometimes I have to circle back and remind them to be good.” He laughed. “They don’t like that much. Their eyes tell me they know what’s coming when they see me. But women like them have to be taught how to behave. I wash away the evil in them with their own blood.”

Piper looked around, trying to figure out where she was. A trailer home. It was neat except for the floor around her chair. She could see dead branches, newspapers, wadded-up clothes built up like a bonfire.

The creep kept flipping a lighter on and off, as if he couldn’t wait to light the place up. While she watched he pulled a strip of a rag off the pile and lit it. He waved it close to her hair, as if playing with a trapped mouse.

He jerked her dress down over her knees, then burned a hole in the hem as if testing to see how fast the material would burn. “Marcie’s on her way to save you. If she gets here in time, she doesn’t know it yet, but she’ll get to take your place atop the bonfire. I plan to teach her a few lessons first. By the time I finish she may not even feel her skin burning.” He pointed with a jerk of his head to a pile of belts and ropes lined up along the couch. “You’ll have to stay tied up until I finish with her. She’s got a few things to be punished for before I put her in the chair and light up this place. You can watch if you want to.”

He leaned closer and she smelled the whiskey on his breath. “If either of you gives me any trouble, I light the rags and dead weeds under you. You’ll try to scream because it’ll burn your feet first. She’ll be tied up over there and she’ll have to watch you burn.”

“I got this all figured out if you turn out to be more trouble. Once you’re burning, I’ll carry the tramp outside. A few blows to the head and she won’t even wiggle. I’ll put a blanket over her and take her to my house. Then I can take my time raping her and every time I do, I’ll cut her in a few more places that no one will see as long as she keeps her clothes on. As more and more blood comes out, she’ll settle down. If she dies I’ll bury her where no one will ever find the body. All they’ll find of you is ashes, so you better be good, hear.

“If Marcie and you don’t give me no trouble, I’ll take you out and put you in the trunk of my car while I burn the tramp. Someone might find you, maybe if they think to look. If not, and you die, you’re not my problem. I’ll just dig another hole. You wouldn’t be the first to die on me.”

A car pulled up outside, with dirt and gravel flying against the outside of the trailer.

The bald man jumped with excitement. “ ’Bout time she got here.” He waited, a knife in one hand and ropes in the other. He pointed the blade at Piper’s throat, pushing just enough to draw blood.

Footsteps ran up the steps, and Marcie barreled through the door.

The moment she saw Piper, horror registered in her hazel eyes. Then she saw the man who’d been pestering her, and the knife in his hand. Shock and anger flared but she couldn’t seem to move.

In the silence the timer on the stove went off. Three dings to say the time was up.

Piper stared as Marcie took a step toward them. “I made it on time, Leon. Let the mayor go. This fight is between you and me. Leave her out of this.”

“I’ll let her go, but first I got to tie you up on that couch. I don’t want you bothering me. No one knows where you girls are, so we can take our time.”

Piper slowly shook her head, trying to tell Marcie he was lying. She felt the blade at her throat press further into her neck, but she had to warn Marcie. She wanted to scream for her friend to run while she still could, but no words escaped the gag.

“Hold your hands out in front of you, tramp, or I’ll poke a hole in the mayor’s neck right now.”

Marcie lifted her arms high, but when she turned to face Leon, Piper saw no fear in Marcie’s eyes, only determination.

Leon didn’t notice. “Now you mind just like that, tramp, and we won’t have no trouble.” He lowered the knife and lifted the noose-shaped rope. “I’ll bind your hands first, then I’ll tie this noose around your neck. That way I can lead you around, and if you try to run I’ll cut off your air.”

He was so excited he made a mistake. He switched the knife to his left hand.

When he was within reaching distance of her hands, Marcie raised them higher.

He moved closer, so excited that his hand shook as he reached to loop the rope over her hands.

Piper tried to scream. She rocked in the chair, making a sudden thud against the floor.

Leon glanced back.

In that second, Marcie shifted her left shoulder forward as her body turned slightly and her right hand dropped behind her like a pitcher throwing a fast ball. Her fingers curled tightly when the momentum powered her swing.

Before Leon could react, her fist slammed into his gut. She was not aiming for him, but for the wall behind him. Just like Brand taught her.