Thorns (Sequel to A Dozen Roses)

Chapter 25 My Way

Chapter 25

Flashback

Brice and Seto's one year wedding anniversary was the starting point of it all becoming too much. Seto stopped coming home every night when he did he wasn't right, he would come home in a state of such a high energy burst he wanted nothing more than to run a marathon or scale a mountain. It was killing that brought him this joy.

Seto strutted in the door, blood staining the puffy white shirt he wore, and clutching a bouquet of Tulips behind his back. Kicking the door shut he made his way to the living room, where Brice sat waiting for the last four hours, and presented him with the flowers.

"Happy Anniversary Baby" Seto leaned in and pressed a sticky kiss to his husband's cheek. When he pulled away he could see the bloody marks his lips left behind. Instinctively he licked his lips to get the blood off.

"Seto. Where were you?" Brice asked setting the flowers down and standing up, "We missed our dinner reservation by three hours."

"I just...Ghost sent me on a case and I had to deal with it. But don't worry it's handled so we don't have to worry about any more cases this weekend." He moved closer and wrapped his arms around Brice's neck. "Just you and me baby, all alone all weekend."

Brice sighed and peeled Seto's arms off his shoulders and gripping his hands tightly. Seto could see the concern in his eyes, but he didn't understand why. Seto was just so happy and energetic and excited over all to be home to his husband.

"Except I don't get you all weekend. I get serial killer Seto. Not my husband Seto who likes Disney moves, and making not too sweet desserts at four in the morning, and writes like a poet." He sighed, "Where's my Seto? That's the one I want for our anniversary. I want my best friend. Not this. This is not the real you."

Seto POV

Kidnapping Hadyz was easy. It was like child's play.

We caught him on his way out of the store. Myself and Sidearms each caught a shoulder; and I could just see the fear in his eyes. I could feel his entire body stiffen under our arms.

"Hey, Haydz. How you been old buddy?" I asked smiling and lacing our arms together. He nearly dropped the plastic bag in his hand but Sidearms caught it, swinging it over his other shoulder.

"S-Seto??" He stuttered. "You're supposed to be dead. Ghost said you were dead." I smiled feeling the adrenaline in my body spike. It was like taking too many drugs or having one too many shots of espresso in my coffee.

"I'm afraid Deadlox doesn't like it too much when his family is, how you say, 'dead'." I patted the back of his hand walking him around a corner away from the main road. "Let's go for a little drive buddy."

Three steps away from the main road and he started screaming bloody murder. He kicked and screeched and he was starting to draw attention.

This looked even worse when you realize Haydz is 18 but looks like a tall 14-year-old. So it looked like we were kidnapping a child. But hey we're kidnapping a legal adult thank you.

"Shut up!" Side arms snapped shoving his sleeve between the boy's teeth. "Don't make me have to properly gag you because I will break your fucking jaw in the process understand me?"

Sidearms caught Haydz by the hair and we proceeded to forcefully drag him away. We managed to get him a few blocks away before we started to hear the sirens.

We snuck in the back of the apartment with Haydz muffled screaming the entire way. I slapped him down into a chair and smacked him hard on the mouth.

"Will you SHUT UP Haydz." I snapped typing a rope around his wrists to strap him to the chair. "You're being loud and I don't like it when my victims are loud."

Haydz cowered in fear pressing himself further and further against the chair trying to look smaller. It was a weak attempt because it did nothing to protect him. It didn't make me feel sorry for the little guy, it didn't make me want to let him go. It made me want to hurt him. It made me want to hurt him more.

"Now." Sidearms voice was soothing but also alarming in its own way. "You're going to tell us everything we want to know, and if you do that we might let you live long enough to see your 20th birthday." Haydz gulped and nodded like the terrified animal he was.

While Sidearms riled him up, I took the time to compose myself and take off my jacket. I took a deep breath, or three, and withdrew my knife from its box on the counter. A plain dagger, no designs, no color, just a plain silver dagger. It was simple. It was what I wanted right now.

"Now Haydz. " I approached his chair, his hair was tousled from being grabbed, "You're going to tell me where Ghost is hiding. Or I'm physically going to cut the answers out of you."

I grabbed a fist full of his hair yanking his head back to force him to look at me. The fear in his eyes left a warm feeling inside me and just encouraged me even more.

"Seto please." He whispered, "You dont have to do this. I wont go back to Ghost. I-I shouldn't have gone with him in the first place. I dont know why I did. I just-"

I placed my hand, the one with the knife, over his mouth; effectively silencing him. I pulled both my hands away and sighed twirling the knife.

"You know Haydz. Honestly I forgive you," his eyes lit up,  "I really do. I understand that in stressful situations you can make choices that aren't always the best."

I smiled and with one flick of my wrist I took the knife and impaled it deeply into the left arm. It took. 3 seconds for the shock to pass and he screamed.

"I mean I'm in a stressful situation right now and I really need answers. Not a sob story."

"Your not in a stressful situation!" he screamed, "You get off on this bullshit! Your fucked up!" I hummed and twisted the blade slowly.

"Thank you I know." He gasped and tears started to drip down his face. He was shaking and sobbing like a child.

I pulled the blade out of his skin slowly, flicking the blood off of it onto the floor. Blood erupted from his arm and ran down the side of the chair to the floor.

"You're a fucking serial killer!" Haydz screamed in pure agony, "That's all you'll ever be! A serial killer!"

I smiled and shrugged to myself. That's all I've ever been and it's all I'll ever be. I am a serial killer.

"Yes I am. And that gives me every right to kill you doesn't it?"