He watched as she momentarily looked surprised, but she quickly regained her composure. Impressive, considering her circumstances, he thought.
"I told them. I told them about you," she sneered. "The cops will be beating down your door when they figure out how you set me up for that embezzlement rap. And you know they'll tear your camp apart looking for me if I disappear."
Anthony pulled a huge knife from his belt and played with the edge of it as he answered her. "No, you didn't, and no, they won't." Without missing a beat, he asked, "Who is Ben Diamond?" He didn't bother to explain he had more than one contact in law enforcement who was able to verify that his name or camp had never been mentioned by Veronique during her interrogation. He'd had X and Brooks wait for the perfect opportunity to abduct her after she'd been released on bail. And it was all arranged to look like Dr. Dubois had skipped town rather than face prison time. Her disappearance would never be traced back to him or his crew.
She looked momentarily confused and he noticed when recognition dawned in her eyes. "He came into my ER for a cut on his hand. He's who you're after. He's the one who told me about you and your silly little girl whore."
"Go on," Anthony told her. "You tell me how to find Ben Diamond and it might save your life."
After Veronique told Anthony everything she could remember about the elusive Mr. Diamond, she sighed and said, "Can we end this now? Can you please untie me?"
He crouched beside her. "Silly little girl,” he tossed back at her, “I'm only getting warmed up."
He started with her thigh and didn't even flinch when she let out a blood-curdling scream. He held up the long piece of skin he'd peeled away and said, "If you're going to scream every time, I might have to have X gag you."
The reality that she was going to die a slow and excruciating death caused her to break out in sobs and apologies. They fell on deaf ears. He easily peeled off another long sliver of skin when he thought about finding Andrew on top of a nude Christy that night at his camp.
"The only way this will end is when you beg me for your death," he told her, his voice void of emotion. "And when you do, X will light you up and feed what's left of you to the gators. They aren't so picky that they'd refuse some barbecue." He nodded toward a jug of gasoline that was sitting next to where X was standing.
A flock of birds fluttered away after her next scream. Alexander had dragged her so far out, Veronique knew there was no chance of being heard, let alone rescued. She was going to die in the middle of the Everglades and be fed to the alligators. Her friends and family would believe that she'd fled after being released on bail. Her family would be shamed. And all because she was jealous of a woman.
Anthony took his time peeling away the next piece of skin. This time from the underside of her armpit to the inside of her elbow. Her crying was so heavy she started to choke on her own phlegm and Anthony thought she might throw up. He hoped not. He didn't want her to die choking on vomit. That was too merciful as far as he was concerned.
Veronique managed to endure several more visits from Anthony's knife. She was becoming delirious with pain. Even the sun taunted her open wounds. "Kill me," she moaned.
"That doesn't sound like begging. Oh, and I forgot. You need to tell me that you're sorry for what you did to my woman and that you wish us nothing but the best."
"Please, please, end this," she cried.
"And?" he asked, his tone mocking.
"And, I'm sorry for what I did to...to..." Even in her ominous situation and debilitating pain, she could barely bring herself to utter the next words. "To your woman."
"My wife," he interrupted and took satisfaction in the anger he saw reflected in her eyes. Despite her dire state of affairs, Veronique still couldn't disguise her hatred for Christy.
"I'm sorry for what I did to your wife...and I wish you both the best. Now please, please end this!"
Anthony stood up and nodded at X who proceeded to douse her with gasoline. The liquid seeping into her exposed wounds caused more hair-raising screams.
Anthony lit a match and right before he dropped it, Veronique said in barely a whisper, "I never loved anyone but you, Anthony."
“You never loved anyone but yourself, Veronique,” he said dryly.
“No. No. You’re wrong,” she countered, shaking her head from side to side. “I was in love with you.” The last comment came out as a sob.
"Then you loved the wrong man, Veronique."
Anthony dropped the match an instant after he noticed she'd lost consciousness. A feeling descended on him he didn't recognize. He didn't know how to identify it and wasn't sure if he wanted to. A voice inside his head taunted him, telling him that he'd purposely withheld the flame until Veronique passed out, sparing her the agonizing moments of fire meeting her exposed flesh. The truth came to him instantly. For the first time in his life, he'd shown mercy to someone who'd wronged him, or in this case, wronged someone he loved. He shook his head at the revelation and headed back to camp leaving X to clean up the evidence.
Chapter Forty-One
Naples, Florida 1979
It was a beautiful spring morning when Christy received the heartbreaking news that Nadine was moving to marry a man she'd met through mutual friends. Although Christy was devastated, she would never deny Nadine and her children the opportunity for happiness. Even if it was several states away. Nadine had fallen in love with a man named Scott who'd been vacationing in Florida. A friend from Nadine's job had invited them both to a dinner party and there was an immediate attraction. So much so that Scott had made almost ten trips to Florida just to spend time with Nadine and her family. Christy and Anthony had both met Scott and thought he was perfect for Nadine. He showed genuine kindness and love for Nana and the boys. He had a good job and a solid career with an upscale engineering firm in Indiana.
"I don't see why she has to be the one to move," Christy sobbed into Anthony's chest.
"You know why, Owani," Anthony said as he gently stroked her hair. "He can't find a job here, and they don't want to wait. They want to be together."