“Do you know her?” Logan questions, standing up to move out of the way for Tey, as he moves around behind Miguel's chair without a word and starts circling him like a shark in the water.
Judging from the wide smile spreading across Tey’s mouth, this is about to get messy. Miguel doesn’t say anything, refusing to speak as his lips form in a tight line and he glances around. Bad move on his part.
“Here we go,” Dalton says and leans down until his chin is on the top of my head as he watches with rapt attention.
“Should I get you some popcorn?” I say sarcastically, but gasp softly as Logan lifts his gun and shoots Miguel’s foot without warning.
“This is my favorite part,” Dalton’s voice comes out gravelly and he starts swaying us side to side as Miguel’s screams echo around the freezer.
“I’ll ask one more time and if you give the correct answer, I’ll make your death fast. If you don’t, then my brother here is going to take his time. He’s an artist after all.” Logan nods his head over to Tey, who just stands there biting his tongue as he places his fingers together like a frame as he stares at a whimpering Miguel.
“Tey.” Nicky grabs his attention by calling his name and points to the other side of Miguel’s chair. “This angle is better over here, the blood splatter will reach higher.” He waves over to the tarp and watches as Tey does that thing with his hands again, as if he’s really looking through a lens frame to find the perfect spot.
“Nicholas, you know me so well. I’ll use this side instead.” Tey blows Nicky a kiss and I catch the pink rise in Nicky’s cheeks, but look away as he glares at me when he notices me staring.
Miguel wiggling in his chair draws my attention back to him, as he tries to free himself from the rope tying his hands together, but that’s a useless waste of energy.
Rope is not easy to escape from, it just leaves a bad burn and scars behind. Now zip ties, that’s a different story. All you gotta do is pop your thumbs out of place and it’s home free.
“Are you ready to talk?” Logan draws out, checking the gun chamber before snapping it back into place and tapping the gun against his thigh in an impatient move.
“Fuck you! I don’t know her, but I know of her,” Miguel growls out and groans as Logan steps on his injured foot. “People talk, man, and everyone knows of the Demon Jokers. Her daddy is looking for her. I’m not the only one who knows she’s here.”
I can see Miguel’s lips moving but can’t hear anything else as it becomes difficult to breathe, every little aspect of my being focusing on that one sentence.
Her daddy is looking for her.
“No. No. No,” I chant under my breath as I start shaking like a leaf, and glance around fast for an escape route.
I need to run. Start running now. He knows I’m here.
“Calm down, right the fuck now.” Nicky suddenly appears in my line of vision, blocking Miguel and pushing me further against Dalton as he steps forward.
I start struggling against Dalton's hold, needing to leave, but he lifts my feet off the ground as he holds me higher against his chest. Nicky’s face is a blur. My world comes crashing down around me and hope drifts away, as I keep repeating in my head that Payne is coming for me. The sudden slap on my cheek brings the noise back all at once, letting me draw in a proper breath, and I see Nicky frowning inches away from my face.
“Do you want to help Tey?” Nicky questions and I don’t understand what he means until he steps aside and grabs my chin to direct my attention to Tey as he holds up two knives, waving them like a psycho. “Miguel’s a bad man who only wants to cause you harm, and hurt my family by stealing from them. Should we silence him?” Nicky makes me look at the gang member, squeezing my chin tighter.
“He’ll only run back and confirm it with his gang leader. A dead man can’t talk, little bitch.” Dalton slides me down his body until my boots touch the concrete floor again. He unwraps his arm from around me just as Nicky let’s me go.
They are letting me decide and it really all comes down to this moment. I told myself I’d stop hiding, running while looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life. This man is stopping me from living. I was trained to seduce a man with my body, but I was also taught how to kill one by the gang members who hurt me. I’m not good myself, so why try pretending? Since birth, I was a mistake, raised by a monster, and destroyed by those who I thought were family. I have nothing to lose.
I reach into my bra and place the warm unicorn in Nicky’s hand as I start to walk past him.
“Guard this with your life,” I repeat the same words Tey used and catch the small twitch of Nicky’s lips as if he wants to smile but wouldn’t dare at a time like this.
“There she is. I knew it,” Dalton mutters to himself, leaving me clueless as to what he’s talking about.
I walk up next to Tey, ignoring Miguel as he curses at me, and I look down as Tey offers the knife in the palm of his hand to me. I wrap my hand around the handle and take it, testing the weight as I spin it between my fingers.
“That’s hot. I've changed my mind. I want to be your baby daddy right the fuck now. Pop my cherry first and then let me spread my seed in your love tunnel.” Tey plays with his lip ring by flicking it with his tongue as he stares down at me with wide, blue eyes filled with intensity.
I think he’s serious and I can’t help but snort.
“If you're a virgin then I’m the freaking Queen of England,” I tease, feeling lighter now, and flip the knife until I catch the sharp end between my thumb and index finger.
He grabs his chest, right over his heart, and staggers on his feet as if he’s having a heart attack. I crack a smile at that and can’t believe we are joking around. I’m going to murder a man and yet I can smile. Maybe I’m not so far off the same kind of crazy as Tey is.
The sound of the gun going off again makes me jump slightly and glance over to see Logan glaring at us before focusing back on Miguel. If you’ve ever seen a man cry after getting his fingers blown off, let me tell you… it’s not pretty. I’m talking about a babbling mess, some screaming, snot, the whole works.
