Page 25 of Arseni
I cry against his leather-clad palm while the hooded man walks up.He throws the hood off his head and leans down to peer inside the car, his reddish hair messed and lopsided grin mocking me.
He holds up the envelope.“What are you, a fucking drug dealer?”
“What is it?”Arseni asks.
“Two thousand in cash.She taped it underneath one of the tables.”
My eyes lock onto the envelope as tears spring to my eyes.I try to fight and kick, in spite of the knife, but the man just reaches in to turn the car off and looks around to make sure all is well.
“I’m keeping it,” he says to Arseni.“Consider it my fee.”
No!I try to screech through the glove, but Arseni’s hold is too tight.
“Good.Buy your own damn pizza.”
The man chuckles while something pinches my neck.My head starts to feel heavy, my body slumping against Arseni’s hold.
The last thought I have before I fall asleep is that we aren’t alone.
He’shere.And he saw everything.
9
ARSENI
Iwait an hour after Margot’s arrival to go to her.
For the first thirty minutes she was awake, she was crazed.The volume on my phone’s surveillance feed was kept off to avoid annoying Nikita, but I didn’t need it to enjoy her screams.Her mouth opened so wide, I could picture her throat shredding.
Her body jerked every time she stomped far enough to lose all slack from the chain on her ankle, but it didn’t seem to slow her down.It wasn’t until ten minutes ago that she sat down on the bare mattress, hugging her knees.She ducked her face out of view from the camera and has been shaking with sobs ever since.
As I open the basement door, a chill climbs on top of me like the ghosts of Nikita’s victims are trying to escape their dreary confines.The cold temperature isn’t by design, but it’s a nice coincidence that the chamber of horrors is frigid in winter.
Margot appears from her spot on the mattress when I take the last step, her head peeking up from her knees.She says nothing as I approach, just stares at me with bugging eyes that hold her uncertainty.
The mattress lies on the floor without a frame, so I tower over her when I’m a foot away.There are few things kept in this room, and I only brought the mattress down this morning, just for her.I wonder if she’ll be grateful.Eventually.
I gesture to the bed.“Lie down.Legs spread wide.”
Her arms lengthen around her knees as she lowers her shoulders.“Why are you doing this?”
“Lie down.”
“No.”Her voice is soft at first.Unsure.But then bravery washes over her, pinching her lips and pushing her to her feet.“No.If you don’t take me homeright now, I don’t give a shit how badly you think I wronged you, I’m calling the police.”
I’m calling the police.
I mimic her bold tone in my mind while ensuring I keep my lips stiff.She is so fucking precious right now.So scared.I’m a bastard, but I’m certain I’ll enjoy every moment of her being here.
Staring her down, I say nothing.And I won’t until she does what I want.
Her lip quivers ever so slightly until she scrunches her face more, like she’s fighting her fear.She cracks her palm across my cheek once, then goes to do it again but struggles when I catch her wrist.She pants and shoves at my chest until I set her free, sending her stumbling into the mattress.She waves her hands to balance herself while hunched over, then she steps onto the bed and puts several feet between us.
“What the fuck do you want from me?”she asks, her bravado cracking.“I didn’t do anything to you, you psychopath!”
“I already told you what I want.”
Her eyes widen as her shoulders pull back.“Fuck you!You fucking pervert!”
