Stalker - Clarissa Wild Page 0,113
says these words cuts into my heart, almost ripping it out of my chest. I can’t believe what she’s saying because I don’t want to. I don’t want to hear it, and I won’t.
I grasp her neck just below the collar and push down, squeezing tight. “You don’t want to be with me? You hate me now?”
She grabs my wrists, fighting with everything she has, but she’s no match for my strength. I choke her until she’s gasping for breath. “Say it again, Vanessa! Say it! Prove to me how much you fucking hate me so I can kill you right now and get it over with because I don’t fucking care anymore,” I growl, squeezing her throat tight. “If I can’t love you, no one can.”
“I … I …” she sputters, unable to produce more sounds.
I fucking hate her for doing this to me. For doing this to us. She lied, but I won’t let her get away with it. Not this time.
Suddenly, the sound of sirens in the distance alarms me.
I look up and let it sink in. Then I gaze down at her. “What did you do?”
“You know they’re coming.”
“Goddammit, you called the fucking police? Are you insane?”
“I told you that you wouldn’t get away with this.”
“They’ll fucking take you in too after they find out what you’ve really done,” I spit.
She shakes her head. “I had to. It was the only way I knew I’d be safe from you once you’d awakened and noticed I was gone.”
“Except you didn’t count on that collar to have a wire, didn’t you?” I shake her. “They can’t protect you from me. I can kill you within three seconds, and I have plenty of fucking time before they get here.”
“And then what? They know the address. They’ll come here and kill you, too.”
“I don’t give a fuck!” I shout. “Let them kill me. I don’t care anymore. I’d rather die knowing that you’re still mine than give you up. All I ever cared about is you and it ruined me!”
She’s quiet for a second.
“Now tell me the truth, goddammit. Tell me that you’re as much of a killer as I am.” I wrap my hands around her throat again. Her eyes shoot up to my face as she still tries to slap me and crawl out underneath me, still fighting for her life. “I fucking know what you’ve done, but I want you to say it to my face,” I growl. “Say it!”
“All right,” she coughs between gasps. Her muscles relax as she lets go, no longer clinging to her freedom. She gives up fighting me.
I squeeze one more time then stop, letting her breathe. A tear rolls down her cheek. “Fine. You want me to say it out loud?” she spits, her face darkening like I’ve never witnessed before. “You already know. You’ve always known. But I didn’t … I didn’t know you were the one who would come.”
“But you asked for it,” I hiss.
“Yes. I did it. I paid to have my husband murdered.”
CHAPTER 29
VANESSA
It’s true; I wanted my husband dead.
It was my plan all along to have him killed.
Planning was meticulous. I had to search for a means to make it as inconspicuous as possible, as to ensure my own safety. I didn’t want to go to jail, even though I was going to commit a heinous crime.
So I searched … and then one day stumbled upon a forum where they discussed these things. An anonymous source gave me the number to an organization who would take care of everything for me. Just one payment was all it took to get the deal done.
Phillip was going to die.
My trophy-wife life would end, and I would get my freedom back.
Not to mention it was adequate payback for him treating me like a vile person. All these years of neglecting my heart … abusing my body … it leaves bigger marks than one can see with the naked eye.
My bruises were on my soul, and they weren’t easily scratched off.
The moment I pressed the send button, I knew his fate was sealed.
I just didn’t know it would involve mine.
Neither did I know that Phoenix would be the one to claim his life.
“Yes, I had him put on a hit list,” I hiss to him.
“You hired us,” he growls.
“No, I hired a company to get rid of my traitorous, abusing, evil husband. And then they sent you.”
“Don’t tell me you didn’t fucking know that I worked for them.”
“I didn’t. I