LOVE COMES SOFTLY.

XLII.

"Why not kill her with the baby, or better still let me do an abortion for her?" Bridget asked Skylar as she wiped her bloody hands with a dishrag.

The soft cries of Annie could be heard faintly from down the basement where she was still laying in her own vomit cradling her belly, with her other arm limp by her side.

"I was wondering that myself," Jim said.

"Because an abortion wouldn't be painful enough for her," Skylar replied without hesitation. "I want to punish her for what she did to me. And I know the best way to punish her."

Bridget tossed the rag into the waste basket before joining them at the dining table. "And how do you propose we do that?"

"She will carry the baby, give birth to it, and I know she will come to love it, perhaps even relax her vigilance over it. And then after, I will kill the baby, let her wallow in her pain and misery then kill her."

"Wow." Jim breathed. "That's one helluvah punishment, if you ask me."

Skylar turned her flashing eyes on him. "Which is why you have to be careful with the way you hit her. If she looses that baby, I would have your head."

He shrank back into the chair. He didn't doubt her words for a minute, seeing as she killed her other partner just because he was lusting after the Mckade girl. The last thing he wanted to do was piss her off.

"The police are already searching for her." Jim said, trying to steer the conversation away from himself. "I saw it on the news yesterday. Her family looked sad and worried."

Skylar grinned. "As they should be. But I think this is about to get a whole lot better." She raised her brow at Bridget. "Do you have the video with you now?"

Bridget nodded. She pushed the white envelope on the table toward Skylar. "There's the disc. Shouldn't we contact Lukas to deliver it? I mean, the cops would have already figured that it was I that took her from the hospital."

"He's on his way." Skylar said as she opened the envelope and peaked inside. When she found what she wanted, she nodded before sealing it back. "Lay low for a while. No funny business, and don't ever try to show your face in public. I would not hesitate to eliminate you if you become a threat to my plans."

Whatever Bridget planned to say was lost in the sound of the doorbell. Jim pushed his chair backwards quietly, and withdrew his 9.mm from the waist band of his jeans as he cautiously approached the door.

"Who's there?"

"Open the door, you dimwit."

"Ah, right." Jim rolled his eyes. He unlocked the deadbolt and stepped back for Lukas to enter the house, then locked the deadbolt in place after making sure that no one was lurking outside. He joined the rest of the clique at the dining table.

"About time you showed up, don't you think?" Bridget scowled. "What the hell took you so long?"

"Watch your mouth or I might just set it on fire." Lukas deadpanned. "How is she?" He asked Skylar who was busy fiddling with her phone.

"Could be worse." She shrugged. "I had then roughen her up for a bit just to make the whole thing believe able. How are thing with the Mckade's?"

"Not good." He sighed as he combed his fingers through his hair. "That detective's onto me, I can feel it. And while I would have loved to set that bitch on fire, I would have to wait. Besides, who says you don't have to play with your food before having it?"

Skylar returned his smile. "No one. There's no fun in eating it all at once."

Lukas brows furrowed when he heard faint cries somewhere in the house. "Is that Annie?"