“You’ve got this all wrong,” he trembles. “I don’t—”
Before he can finish, I knock the stool out from underneath him. The pull of the chain yanks his shoulders out of socket and snaps his wrists.
The pained wail he lets out doesn’t even phase me as I watch him dangle from the ceiling. He wiggled around, trying to get in a position that doesn’t hurt so badly, but he won’t find one. “Keep flailing like that. It’s only going to hurt more.”
“Please,” he begs. “I was just following orders.”
“Which time? When you beat my wife and left her for dead? Or the time you shot a gun into a park crowded with families and put a bullet in my son?”
“Both.” His voice is hoarse as he gasps for air.
I grab a set of brass knuckles off the nearby table, sliding them onto my fingers. “I know how these things work. I can appreciate the fact that you were following orders. And if you tell me where they came from, I might consider letting you go.”
I won’t, but I need to see how hard I’m going to have to push him for information. This guy is just a small piece of the puzzle.
“I don’t know. I swear.”
“Wrong answer.” I chuckle. Rearing my fist back, my first punch lands squarely on his jaw. Blood and fragments of his teeth fly across the room.
The hit releases something inside of me. Almost comfort. Solace. Satisfaction. Seeing that bastard bleed feels every bit as good as I thought it would, so I do it again. And again. And again until he can’t even muster a scream or a cry. Barely any reaction at all.
His head falls forward in defeat. I fist his hair, jerking it back up. “I want to know why.”
“It was nothing personal,” he squeaks out. “I’m sorry.”
He sputters blood as he speaks. The guy is in bad shape and if I don’t stop soon, he won’t live for me to do this another day. Quick and easy isn’t something I’m good at. Punishment and retribution is my specialty, and this is just a small dose of what this guy has coming over the next few weeks.
“Get him out of here.” A jagged growl escapes me.
Dante and Joe cart him off to one of our nearby holding cells while I rinse off. I can’t go home with his blood all over me, and a shower will clear my head. By the time I’m done, the two of them are waiting for me in my office.
“What now?” Dante asks, leaning against the edge of the table.
“He didn’t give you anything?” I rake my fingers through my hair. As fun as that was, I still don’t have the answers I’m looking for.
“We know the name of his boss, but from what I can gather, he’s just a low-level banger himself. We have no idea who’s calling it from above.”
“Then let’s get eyes on anyone associated with the gang. Maybe even put somebody inside.”
Both nod in agreement.
“So, how are things with the naughty nurse?” Dante smirks, trying to lighten the mood.
“She’s a doctor, Dante—a highly skilled trauma surgeon, to be exact. And the immature nicknames are gross and misogynistic, so don’t let me hear you disrespect her that way again.”
“Sorry man!” He holds his hands up. “I just thought—”
“No, Dante, that’s exactly the problem. You didn’t think.” I roll my eyes. “Don’t let it happen again.”
Dante recoils away, afraid to even speak now, but Joe eyes me suspiciously. Pretty soon, he chuckles and shakes his head. “I knew this was gonna happen.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You really like this girl, don’t you?” he asks.
Dante’s eyes widen as he catches on. “Wait, you’re fooling around with the…Erm, sorry. You’re fooling around with Maddie?”
Jesus Christ.
