Chapter 8
Isaac
My knuckles are covered in blood and my fingers ache as agonizing groans echo throughout the room.
I draw back and swing again, his nose crunching beneath my fist. Blood flows down his face and spills onto his silk grey shirt, staining it crimson.
The last blow lands on his split cheek and he falls over to the ground, still tied to the chair I put him in when I dragged his sorry ass here. A sickening crack fills the room when his head connects with the cement ground of my basement.
My black combat boots slap against the floor as I walk behind him and pick him up.
I circle around to the front of him, assessing the damage. The tissue around his eyes is swollen, the whites barely visible. His nose is crooked from when I broke it, and blood drips steadily from his split bottom lip.
I grab his face in my right hand, squishing his cheeks and causing his lips to purse, and bring him closer to my face.
The smell of copper mixed with cigarettes invades my nostrils.
“I’m going to ask you one more time, where is your buddy that likes to prey on innocent girls?”
The man chuckles. “You’re going to have to be more specific.”
My left fist connects with his temple, and his face turns to the side. He spits blood on the floor and leers up at me with a grin.
“I’m not playing games with you dickhead. I want the name of this man, and I want to know where I can find him.” I held up my smart phone to his face and show him a still frame I took from the security footage the night Serena and Jules were there.
After my shift, I told Cole that I needed to review the tapes. I appreciate the fact that he doesn’t ask many questions, not that I would answer them if he did. If he asked, all he needed to know was a guy got rowdy and I wanted to find him so I could make sure he doesn’t come back.
Since I didn’t know exactly when it happened, I had to take my best guess.
Eventually I got to the part where Serena approaches the bar. Not even two minutes later, the man and his minion step up behind her. They exchange some words, and at some point, I can see the frustration growing on his face.
I can pinpoint the exact moment that Serena says no, and I am so proud of my girl.
From the time I have gotten to know her, I’ve noticed she is hesitant to push back when something, or someone, is upsetting her. Something we are going to need to work on.
She deserves to be treated with respect, and I plan on being the one to show her that. I won’t always be there to protect her, and I want to make sure she can stand her ground if needed.
The moment she turns away and he grabs her arm, I tense, and when I see his hand slip under her dress, I fucking lose it. My gaze locks on his hand, and then on him. He doesn’t know it yet, but the second he touched her, he sealed his own fate.
I rewound the tape and my anger deepened. That bastard was following Serena around from the moment she got there. He stood in the corner while they dropped their jackets off and then followed them to the cocktail tables. His eyes never leave Serena.
I took the tape with me, told Cole I would be back later and headed straight to Theo’s apartment.
He has always been my go-to guy when it comes to finding people for Cole. He has this affinity for technology and for the last four years, he has been using his gift to not just find people. He’s been using it to create people.
When Cole needs to create a new identity for the girls, he goes to Theo. He can make a person disappear, as if they never existed, and then turn around and create an entire new life for them. Down to fake reference for their new jobs.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t find the man who put his hands on Serena, but he was able to find his friend. Within two hours I had his name, address, and popular hang outs. I could even tell you the exact time he wiped his ass. Anything you wanted to know about him, I’ve got it.
David now sits in front of me, bleeding all over my basement floor. I can feel my patience slipping, and that’s not something that happens often.
“I’m going to ask again. Where. Is. He?” Bracing my hands on my knees, I lean forward, my voice low and deliberate as I hold his gaze.
“Why do you care?” David asks, his voice rough as he struggles to lift his head, just enough to look at me.
I grab him by his hair and yank his head up closer to my face. “Because he put his hands on my girl. And nobody gets away with putting their hands on her.”
“Get in line man. He’s fucking a new girl every other night. He probably pegged her for an easy lay and was trying to cash in.”
My knee smashes into his face and I shove him onto the floor. His breathing becomes shallow and I can hear him choking on his blood.
“She pro-probably... li-liked it too.” He sputters. “She probably is su… sucking his dick right now.” He manages to laugh before more blood sprays from his mouth.
“Are you really so loyal to him that you’d be willing to die for him?” I say slowly. His eyes widen, well as much as they can being swollen shut, and he shakes his head vigorously.
“Please… please no. Please don’t fucking kill me.” I let the silence stretch between us. Giving a chance to let the panic settle deeper within him.
“What is his name?” I cut his arm free from the rope, tying it down to the arm of the chair, grab his hand and single out his middle finger. A slow, controlled breath fills my lungs and leaves just as easy.
“I… I can’t tell you man.” He’s scared. Good. He should be. Now he just needs to decide what’s more important to him. His loyalty, or his survival.
Snap.
The sound of his finger breaking followed by his screams fills the basement.
I grab his ring finger securely in my hand. “I will give you one more chance, David.”
“If I tell you, he’s going to have me killed.” He whimpers as I start to bend his finger.
“You’re dead anyway. You didn’t think you were going to be leaving here alive, did you?” I tilt my head, a small, humorless smile tugging at my lips. At this point I’m just playing with my prey.
First, he’s going to beg for his life. He will get pissed, probably say some stupid shit, and either cry or piss himself. Sometimes both. Either way, I get what I want and they… well they get a swift ending.
It’s the least I can do for them after torturing them for hours, sometimes days.
“I’m waiting.” His finger bending closer and closer to the edge of breaking. Right on cue, I smell the tang of urine and look down to see a puddle mixing with the blood on the ground beneath his legs.
Pathetic.
“Okay! Okay, please. I’ll tell you anything. Just please, please don’t break my finger again.” David whimpers. “His name is Christian. He’s into some underground shit. All I know is that he is tight with some crime lord running a sex trafficking ring in Seattle.”
“What’s the last name?” I urge.
“I don’t know man. He keeps to himself.”
“Bullshit!” I shout and slam my foot into his side
He doubles over and tears start streaming out of the corners of his eyes and down his face. “Blake! His last name is Blake!” He manages to choke out.
“See, that wasn’t so hard, now was it?” I pat his cheek three times and then snap his finger anyway.
He curses and writhes on the floor. “What the fuck you fucking prick?! You’re a sick bastard!”
I put my hands on my knees while still in a squatting position next to his face. “Maybe I am. But at least I’m not preying on innocent women.”
“Fuck you!” He spits in my face. “You’re going to regret this you motherfuck-.” I don’t allow him to finish his sentence before my boot is in his face. I stand up and he starts crying. There it is.
“I’m getting bored David. Where can I find Christian? Do you have a location? A number? ANYTHING that can actually help me find the guy?” I circle back around and pick the chair up, placing it back on its feet. I take out my pocketknife and open the blade.
Slowly, I trace the tip of the blade from the base of his ear, down his jawline and to the soft spot on where his neck is pulsing.
He whimpers and pulls his jaw upward. “Fuuuck. Please man, I don’t want to die. I swear that’s all that I know. He always comes to me. I don’t know where he lives.” I pull my knife away from his throat, close the blade and put it back in my pocket. His shoulders sag with a sigh of relief.
“Th-thank you. You won’t regret this.” His words shaky and desperate.
“Oh, I know I won’t.” I wrap one of my hands around the front of his neck and he struggles in my grip. My other hand goes to the back of his head and I twist.
Finally, some silence.
Releasing his neck, his body falls on its side, still tied to the chair.
I probably could have dragged that out and eventually gotten more information to help me. But I was tired of hearing his voice and the more time I waste in here, takes away from valuable time I can be spending looking for Christian.
My next problem, getting rid of the body.
My phone chimes from my back pocket. Shit. I almost forgot I have a shift at the bar tonight.
“Well, my friend, looks like you and I are going to have to continue this later.” I have at least 48 hours before I have to start worrying about the body. That gives me plenty of time to work my shift tonight.
I swipe open my cellphone and find who I’m looking for. Two rings are all it takes before a woman’s voice greets me on the other end.
I leave David on the floor and lock the door to my basement. “Charlie. I need to call in a favor.”