15. Lena
The elevator door whooshes closed, silencing the thumping bass from the club. The tension in here is thick as the three of us stand in the small space, Tasha and Devin throwing each other death glares as the elevator slowly makes its seemingly slow descent.
I let my eyes drift to Devin as he tries his best to keep that air of coolness about him, hands slipped in his pockets, leaning against the elevator's back wall. He’d have me fooled if I didn’t watch the muscles tic in his jaw. It’s like he’s chewing on the words that are sitting on his tongue, that would express his disagreement with me wanting to go and take part in whatever business he needs to take care of. That if he opens his mouth, his dissatisfaction will all come pouring out.
The ding of the elevator announces our arrival but doesn’t pop the bubble of tension that kept us suspended the whole ride. The doors open with Devin striding out, his demeanor all business. Tasha steps forward and holds the elevator door for me. I give her a smile as I follow Devin, her close in tow.
The space off the elevator starkly contrasts with the facade of the rest of the building. It’s dimly lit with yellow bulbs, the walls concrete, but where it’s chipped exposes dull red bricks. The floor has a slight angle, lowering us even further under the building .
“What is this place?” My voice bounces through the hall, a looming metal door waiting for us at the end of it.
“The basement,” Devin gruffs out, his entire demeanor that of a mob man, ready to take down his enemy.
Devin pulls a small fob out of his pocket, the lock beeping before he pushes the large door open. He walks through without a pause. Chivalry is dead down here, apparently.
Passing through the threshold with the door closing behind me, I nearly stop in my tracks. In the middle of the room, underneath a single bulb, is a chair anchored to the floor. The seat is filled with an unconscious, naked man, the same man who they targeted upstairs, with his head hanging down and blood trickling from his temple.
“Looks like he put up a fight,” Devin says coolly.
I stare down the man in front of me, and the shadows on the opposite side of the room seem to shift out of the corner of my eye. My head jerks over just as Tony steps into the circle of light. His eyes meet mine with furrowed brows as his gaze shifts to Devin, disapproval evident in his expression.
“She wouldn’t take no for an answer,” he says, nearly deadpan, as he approaches the man in the chair.
A smirk pulls up the corner of Tasha’s lips. “Damn, Destiny wasn’t joking when she said she really did a number on this guy.” She chuckles lightly as she takes a few steps toward him as Devin looks at her over his shoulder. She shrugs lightly. “She already filled me in before I found you.”
“What else did she say?” Devin asks as he wrenches the man’s head back, giving his face a once over, before letting it drop back down.
“She said that it was a shame that such a good-looking cock had to go to waste, given the things that his tongue could do while she rode his face.”
I choke on my inhaled breath because even though I knew that the woman was luring him in, I didn’t imagine that she would fuck him before ultimately luring him to his death .
“Sounds like I don’t need to give her a raise if she was already paid that well from this dipshit.” Humor filters into Devin's words as Tasha circles the chair, like a shark circling its prey.
“Oh, she’s going to get that raise because if this is who I think it is, then you put one of my girls at a very big risk tonight.” She runs her fingers down his muscular arm as she passes by him.
“And who exactly do you think this is ?”
She stops in front of him again, gripping his chin and whipping his head side to side. “If I’m correct, and I usually am, this is Cameron Gardner, one of Obsidian’s main cronies.” Her eyes flick to me. “Matt’s right-hand man.”
I look at the man again, shaking my head. Not a single feature of him is recognizable. I look up and see that Tony is staring me down, accusation in his eyes as if he’s catching me in the act. I feel my face flush as I take a step back, the room turning tense. “I have no idea who this is.” My voice shakes. “I’ve never seen him with Matt before or recognize him from anywhere.”
They all look at each other, their bodies relaxing, except for Tony. It’s Tony’s eyes that continue to swirl with rage and accusation. They narrow as I take a small step back, keeping myself in the shadows, and away from his prying eyes. My body starts to tremble, and I fight the instinct to run. Even though the floors are clean, there’s a distinct smell of bleach in the room that says there’s been a lot of blood shed down here.
As much as I want to leave, I can’t. I don’t want them to think that I’m weak and leave me out of things in the future because they think I can’t handle it. Apparently, I lived with a mob boss who had no problem killing people right under my nose, so I should be able to handle anything, right?
“Lena,” the way Devin says my name sends a shiver up my spine, “you can leave at any time during the interrogation.” He looks at me sidelong, the bright light making his mask shine. “It was your decision to come, but you are not required to stay. ”
He cuts a look to Tasha as if giving her the responsibility to be my babysitter if it comes to that, but no matter how gruesome it might get, I refuse to leave. “I’m staying.” My voice is stern as I square my shoulders, and Tasha gives me an approving smile.
She saunters back up to the man, my eyes widening as she straddles him and lowers herself onto his lap. She grabs his face, letting her blood red nails dig into his skin. Titling his face from side to side, she takes in his details, disgust creeping over her face. “Too bad he’s such a piece of shit, we could have offered him a job. I really do need more male escorts around here.” She looks at Tony, giving him a devilish grin. “The ladies like a big, strong man, don’t they, Tony?”
His eyes narrow, and his muscles tense in his crossed arms. He holds her amused gaze for a beat too long. “This is a little poetic of a position, don’t you think?” Her voice is filled with the light humor of an inside joke, one he doesn’t seem to find funny as he stands stone still, his eyes darkening as she chuckles, waving him off with her delicate hand.
“What are you going to do with him?” I ask as I work to keep my legs from buckling as anxiety courses through my veins.
Devin’s eyes cut to mine as he pulls his mask free from his face, laying it down on a small metal rolling table. “Interrogate him. Find out what he knows about Obsidian and who else might be involved.” He pulls the metal table closer to him. I gulp as the different instruments of torture gleam in the light. “And maybe I can get some answers of my own,” he mutters under his breath.
The sound of a slap cuts through the air, breaking our trance, both of us looking toward Tasha. The man's head is snapped to the side, Tasha’s hand coming back to grip his face again. “Wake up, you piece of shit,” she says in a sing-songy voice, bringing her face closer to his. “It’s not fun if you're not awake and we’re tired of waiting.”
“Good God, Tash,” Devin says lowly, shaking his head. But I don’t miss the amused grin that attempts to pull up the corners of his mouth.
She scrapes her nails down the man’s chest, leaving red marks, as she continues to try and rouse him. She slaps him again, his head snapping in the other direction before she reaches between them and grips his dick. Her eyes seem to glimmer as she pulls on his cock, bringing her face next to his ear to whisper, “Wake up, sleepy head.”
A moment later, the man groans, flexing his shoulders forward as he tries to adjust his arms that are tied behind his back. His head falls back as she squeezes his hardening cock, her other hand scratching down his chest, leaving lines of blood in their wake.
“Wake up. I’ve been waiting for you.” Her voice is so seductive. He moans again, his head falling to the side, his eyelids fluttering.
“Come on, you’re almost there.” The smile that takes over her face would have any man running in the opposite direction and has me on edge. “The fun can really start when you wake up.”
He starts to try and move his arms and legs, the ropes keeping him tied creak as he forces his eyes open, his lids still heavy. Tasha squeezes his shaft one more time, causing another moan to escape his lips. She lets go of him and pulls herself up to stand over him, a dark, amused look on her face.
This time his eyes fly open, letting out a scream as he yanks on the restraints holding him in place. “What the fuck ?” he grunts out, his pupils wide with panic. “Let me go, you crazy fucking bitch,” he bites out. The chair rattles beneath his weight as he struggles to loosen his bindings and fails miserably.
Tasha’s hand comes forward, gripping his throat and squeezing hard enough for him to choke on the next words he was about to say. “You only speak when spoken to, you piece of shit.” Her voice is smooth, like a spider’s would be if you were caught in her web. “Besides, we have some questions for you. ”
“I’m not saying shit .” His voice is strained around her hold, his breaths wheezing.
Devin steps into the light, his hands casually in his pockets as he pulls an ID card out. The man’s eyes flick up to his, a glimmer of fear in them. Devin leans down, holding the card up to the man’s face, causing his eyes to cross. “How cute for an ex-frat boy to use a fake ID to get into the club.” He shoves the ID into the man’s mouth before pinching his lips shut. “We all know your name is not Matt Chase. So, when I let go, you’re going to tell me exactly who you are.”
The man’s eyes flare with anger and his jaw goes tense. He attempts to wrench his face from Devin’s hold, but Tasha’s grip keeps him in place. They act as the perfect team, like they have been doing this kind of thing together for years, both playing the part of the bad cop.
Holy shit, what have I gotten myself into?
Devin slips his fingers from the man’s lips, wiping them on his pants. He looks disgusted as the man spits the ID out, the card clattering as it hits the floor.
“I’m not telling you shit,” he growls and attempts to spit at Devin, but it falls short. Tasha tightens her grip on his throat, her nails digging into his skin, blood welling around them. The man fights harder, looking like a fish floundering on the shore.
“You can make this easier on yourself and die with some dignity left to your name.” Devin looks in Tony’s direction, his eyes darkening. “Especially since all your fellow Obsidian members will get to see the show later tonight when we send them the video footage.”
The man’s face pales before he thrashes harder, trying to free his throat from Tasha’s iron grip. “Fuck. You,” he grits, gasping for breath. Sweat rolls down his face, mixing with the blood that continues to flow from his temple.
“It’s a shame we won’t get to. Your equipment is very impressive.” Tasha pouts. Her head whips in Devin’s direction. “Oh! Wait! What if we lobotomized him and then we could keep him as our pretty pet!” she exclaims. The man thrashes hard, a scream tearing from him.
I feel my face pale at her suggestion and note the bloodlust that fills her eyes.
“Are you sure Nate would appreciate you having a man pet?” Devin teases. All amusement falls from Tasha’s face, her eyes darkening as her grip tightens on the man’s throat even more. His breathless gags fill the air between them as blood trickles down his neck.
“He has his own pets to deal with.” She whips her head away, attention falling back on the man tied up in front of her. She cocks her head to the side before dragging a nail down his forehead and touching the spot at the corner of his eyes. “And all it takes is one quick little tap right here,” she murmurs as the man tries to pull his head away, fear filling his eyes.
Tony chuckles as a cruel smile pulls up the corners of Devin’s lips. He picks up a pair of leather gloves off the rolling tray and makes a show of tugging them onto his large hands. “We’ll see how much we get out of him.” Devin picks up a knife from the tray, the large blade glinting in the light. “Or how much is left of him.”
“You might as well just fucking kill me, you fuck. I’m not telling you shit,” the man bites out, his attempts to break free become less and less as his energy depletes, and what I imagine is a concussion takes over.
Devin turns the blade over in his hand, running a leather gloved finger along the sharp edge. The man’s eyes go even wider with panic, his body trembling, as he watches Devin’s every move, a bead of sweat rolling down from his temple. Devin runs the blade down the man’s face, blood welling in its wake.
“It will be a shame to have to cut up such a handsome face, boss,” Tasha says in a pouty voice. She lets her hand slip from his throat, and he sucks in a deep, shaking breath.
Devin grips the man’s ear, holding the blade at the base of it. “ Agreed, but I promise that we’ll send back the pretty parts for his friends.” As Devin begins to press the blade into the thin flesh, the man finally breaks his silence.
“Cameron,” the man blurts, “Cameron Gardner.” He breathes heavily as Devin pulls the blade from his ear.
Devin presses the tip of the blade into the man's cheek, a bead of blood welling beneath the tip. “Who’s Cameron Gardner?” he asks, his voice turning even more dangerous.
“I am!” the man screeches. “I’m Cameron Gardner.”
Devin looks to Tony and nods. “Good guess, T.” He smirks as he turns his attention back to Cameron as he shakes so violently that he rattles the chair. “Now was that so hard?” He slowly pulls the knife away from his face. “Now, tell us where we can find Obsidian and we’ll be on our way.”
“You’ll never find us, you prick,” Cameron spits, the words hanging heavy in the room.
Tony takes a step toward the man, but before he can take another, Devin grabs the man’s ear, slicing it clean off his head. His scream echoes through the room as Devin throws it at his feet. Bile burns up my throat as the urge to throw up has me slapping a hand over my mouth and stumbling a step back.
“Fucker!” Cameron screams. “You’re a fucker!” Blood pours down the side of his head, the spot where his ear was a bright crimson. At the sight of blood, I watch as Devin transforms from the charismatic man who has seemingly swept me off my feet to someone I don’t recognize.
Anxiety crawls across my skin like ants as they prod him with questions, blood running from open wounds, his screams filling the silence of his refusal to answer them. I slowly back further into the shadows, my back pressing against the cool wall, steadying me. Nausea roils in my stomach as Devin punches him in the nose, the crunch of it breaking nearly deafening as blood rushes down Cameron’s face.
I watch as Tasha stalks around behind him, toying with him, as his head whips back and forth trying to find her. She reaches down and I hear a snapping sound as she breaks one of his fingers that are tied behind him. He throws his head back, a howl ringing out. The sound has me gagging and my knees nearly buckling at the ease that they can inflict pain on him.
Devin chuckles as he lowers his face in front of Cameron’s. “Had enough, Cameron?” Devin watches him as Tasha stalks around the chair, waiting for Devin’s next move. “If you just answer us, you can put a stop to this.”
Cameron hocks and spits a bloody wad of spit at Devin. It splats onto his shoulder, running down his white shirt, leaving a crimson stain. “Fuck. You,” he grits out, blood coating his teeth.
Tasha growls as she comes up behind him and grabs under his chin, wrenching his head back and stretching his neck out. Devin stares at the blood on his shirt, a cruel smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. “This was my favorite shirt, you asshole,” he says with a quiet calm.
Cameron’s haggard breathing is the only sound in the room, but I barely hear it over the roaring in my ears.
Devin weighs the knife in his palm as he breaks the silence. “Well, Cameron, I’ll have to say that I’m impressed.” Devin’s voice is low. “I figured we would have broken you by now. Your buddies will be proud that you died withholding all their secrets.”
Tasha's lips curl into a sly grin as Devin moves around, positioning himself behind Cameron’s head. He presses the tip of the blade to his neck, blood welling. “Any last words?”
Time slows as the last five years of lies and deceit come rushing back to me, the knot in my chest pulling so tight that I can barely breathe. The questions I need answers to crawl up my throat, looking for a way out before this chance slips away.
“Wait.” My words ring out as I rush from the shadows. They all look at me in shock, Cameron’s eyes going wide as if he’s seen a ghost. “Don’t kill him yet.”
Devin’s expression is unreadable. I’m not sure if I’m even looking at him or someone else entirely. He looks deranged as he pulls the knife away and steps back. He nods curtly at Tasha, as she loosens her grip, making her way to Devin’s side. Cameron gasps and pants, his hair falling over his forehead as his head drops down, his body going limp in the chair.
I approach the chair, and adrenaline pulses through my veins, making me feel weightless. This is my chance to find my own set of answers and give me some closure from my past life, the one that I finally had enough courage to run from. I look the man over and even from behind the blood, I know that I’ve never seen him before. Another person who lived in Matt’s other life, the one he kept me locked away from. My limbs shake, but I stay steady on my feet, not giving this man the satisfaction of seeing me falter.
Cameron’s head rises as I ask, “Why does Matt want me back so bad? Why can’t he just leave me alone?”
Cameron’s eyes widen as he takes me in. He watches me carefully as the realization sets in as to who’s in front of him. He laughs darkly, his face changing from pain and panic to a handsome monster who would follow you down a dark alley. “No one takes what belongs to him.” Cameron’s voice is low, his eyes darkening as he continues. “And he’s angry. So fucking angry that you tried to escape him because, you know what, you pathetic little bitch? You fucking can’t.”
My pulse races, the sound like a train engine speeding down the tracks where I’m frozen in place, standing in the middle of them as his words hit me. “He knows every move you make, with eyes on you everywhere you go, and he won’t stop until he has you back. He’s been dreaming of ways to punish you for running. For being a fucking whore and sleeping with the first man who showed you any shred of attention like the pathetic little bitch you are.” His words hit me like a slap, a small gasp leaving me as he carries on. “He’s waiting for the perfect time to pounce, and when he does,” his eyes darken more, “he’ll tear you and your little boyfriend to fucking shreds.”
Tears prick behind my eyes, and I squeeze them shut, trying my best not to look weak. A loud pop rings in my ears and my eyes fly open. Blood and chunks of something splatter across the ground at my feet. My eyes widen and my head slowly floats up from the mess of blood and what I realize is brains, meeting Tony’s eyes as he stands behind Cameron’s now lifeless body.
His eyes are dark, his hood making them look even darker. His steely grays nearly glow with rage and malice. He takes a slow, deep breath, and puts the gun back into the holster hooked onto his belt. His eyes don’t leave mine as he takes a step back, cloaking himself in the shadows like a ghost, as if he were never there.
The loud ringing in my ears quiets as Devin says my name, his voice bringing me back. He cradles my face in his hands, the metallic smell of blood filling my nose from the splatters on his gloves. “Lena, are you okay?” He searches my face, but I continue to look past him, my eyes locked on the man in the shadows. The fire in his eyes only seems to burn brighter, burning into me and heating me to my core.
Hearing Devin’s question repeated, I nod my head, eyes still locked with Tony’s. Devin looks over his shoulder, anger rolling off him in waves as he commands the room.
“Cut out his little monologue, make sure you can’t see our faces, and send the footage where it needs to go.” He turns to Tasha. “You get some rest. The last few days have been a lot. And take tomorrow off.”
She nods and heads toward the door. “I’ll send down the clean-up crew.” She looks between us. “Any parts you want to send personally?”
Devin looks back at Cameron’s body, examining what’s left. “His eyes and dick. I’m sure they suck each other off enough, they’ll know exactly whose it is.”
Tasha snorts an amused sound and gives him a lazy two-finger salute. “You got it, boss.” She approaches me, her hand cupping around mine and giving it a squeeze. “You did amazing, Lena. Don’t let anything that fuck said to you get to your head. You have us now and that’s something little Matty didn’t bank on.” She gives me a kiss on the cheek, a soft smile on her lips as she turns and heads out the door, leaving me with just Devin and Tony.
Tony’s turned away, the backlight of his phone glowing around his head. Devin shakes his head and places his hand on my lower back, leading me to the door. “Let’s get cleaned up.”
I look back at where Tony hides in the shadows, his back still turned, Devin not bothering to say anything to him as we leave. Cameron’s words shook me, but they weren’t the worst thing that has ever been said to me. Hell, it’s not any worse than some of the threatening messages that Matt has been sending me. Do I believe that Matt will do anything to get me back? Yes, I do. But everyone in this room knows that, so I’m not sure what was said that would cause such a visceral reaction from Tony.
Even though his eyes were burning with rage, there was something off about the way he looked at me, as if he was looking at someone else entirely. He appeared out of the shadows after not saying or doing anything before that and point-blank shot a man, one who could have more than likely been broken and answered more of their questions under their torture tactics.
There’s something lurking under his hood and mask, something waiting in the water to strike. And I intend to uncover it before it drags me under.