The Final Scene: A Thriller by Steph Nelson

Author:Steph Nelson [Nelson, Steph]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ticking Clock Press
Published: 2024-02-27T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 32

As soon as she’s inside the room, Brooke goes for it. “You want things and I want things. Let’s meet somewhere in the middle.”

“What are you talking about?”

His face is hard, but as long as he doesn’t set her off, she can stay the course.

“Not interested in violating you, if that’s what you mean,” Mitch says, and Brooke wants to laugh. This is the moral high ground he’s taking? Even though he’s a kidnapper, and probably a murderer, even though he’s no doubt watched her undress over the camera a thousand times, sleeping with her is somehow beneath him.

“Then what do you want from me?”

He stares at her, says nothing for a minute. “This a joke?”

“No. I don’t do jokes anymore. Haven’t for years. Surely you can understand why.”

“Well, if you’re serious, truth is I wouldn’t mind looking at you in person.”

In person.

Her stomach turns over. Why does he want this when he’s likely already seen everything? Brooke looks at the camera in the corner of Kinsey’s room.

“Is Grace watching?”

“No.”

Brooke will know if he’s telling the truth based on what he does next. Whether or not he goes for it.

“Okay, but if I have to undress, you do, too. At least your shirt,” Brooke says. She’s trawling for that remote at the end of the chain around his neck. It’s always tucked under his shirt and she’s never seen him use it. He has the gun, so why would he need the remote?

Mitch gives a little chuckle, and it makes her skin crawl, but at least he’s amused. He pulls his T-shirt off and what she thought was the remote, what Mitch has threatened her with for years, is just some military dog tags on a chain. The metal rests against gray chest hair next to a series of tiny scar lines.

She stares at the dog tags.

“No remote, I see,” she says.

“You thought this was a remote?” He taps it, smirks.

She wants to scream at him for making fun of her. But no, she can’t do that. Has to keep working him. She looks at her feet in mock shame.

“Hey.” His voice is shockingly tender. “I won’t let her do anything inhumane to you. You been through enough with her.”

What does that mean? Grace has done inhumane things for years and he’s never been able to stop her. Her spark comes back.

“What can you do? You think you can get in her way at all?”

His mouth twitches. Was that too much sass? He doesn’t answer, instead spins her around by the shoulders and drags her zipper down. “You said I could look.”

Brooke steels up inside. This is happening, and she’s going to do it. But he won’t win the long game.

Her dress falls to the floor, and she stands there in her bra and skirt slip. She turns to face him. Grits her teeth.

“I always liked the curvy ones better. More to hold on to,” he says, running his tongue along his bottom lip.

Mitch tries to reach for her bra strap, but she swats his hand away.

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