12.
I ’m so fucking livid that I can barely see straight.
If I’d gotten to her sooner, then this lowlife wouldn’t have dared to come close to her.
If I’d reached her a few moments ago, this dickwad wouldn’t have laid his filthy fucking hands on her.
But the minute I left Aras in search of Cignette, an upper class cornered me and asked if I’d take on a kill for tonight.
He obviously knew of me, and offered to pay twice as much as Aras, just to take one life.
It took a lot of patience, and a few vigorous handshakes for me to convince him to excuse me, and to assure him that I’ll take him on as a client, just not tonight.
I rear back my right arm, then punch the asshole again. And again. And again. When my fist connects with his cheek for the fourth time, I feel his bone crunching under it, and see his skin splitting open, blooming with my favorite shade of red.
Blood red.
The left side of his face is swollen now, and is starting to turn purple. I contemplate hitting him one more time, but I don’t want him passing out on me because I’m not done with him just yet.
He’s drooling blood and spit all over his chin, and there’s snot dripping down his nose, which means he’s crying. It’s hard to tell, given the fact that I’ve bloodied him to pulp, but I can’t say that I regret it.
I lower my arm and grab his collar, then read the name that’s printed on the badge he’s wearing. Shaking him once, I slap him when his head rolls sideways.
“Not so smug now, are we, Haroon?” I say, pulling him forward, and then pushing him back against the wall.
“What the fuck did you think you were doing, disrespecting my woman? Or were you na?ve enough to think that you stood a fucking chance?” I punch him in the gut, making him double over, then let go of him before taking off my jacket. “Cigs?”
I hear the click of her heels, and a second later, she’s standing next to me.
There’s tears on her cheeks, and her eyes are a little red-rimmed.
My anger multiplies at an immeasurable magnitude, and when I see her rubbing her wrists, I immediately grab one of her hands, and my vision fucking blurs when I see finger imprints on her skin.
“He did this to you?” I ask. I don’t know why I’m surprised; the motherfucker had the audacity of pinning her against her will before I threw him off her.
She nods, glances behind her, then looks at me again. “We’re in an open space,” she tells me. “Let’s just not create a scene, Dor, and maybe hand him over to Aras instead.”
“Are you out of your mind ?” I cup her face and scan her from head to toe. “Did he threaten you not to hurt him?”
“No,” she says immediately. “It’s just…I’m thinking about our job, and not about his wel–”
“Screw the job,” I grit out. “The fact that this… thing is still drawing breath – after having done the things he did to you – is fucking criminal .” I wipe the tears from her face and tuck a lock of her hair behind an ear. “Tell me you’re okay.”
“I am.” She touches my hand and presses a kiss on my palm. “I’m fine, Dor.”
I study her for a beat, then sigh and place a kiss on the space between her brows. “Okay. But I want you to stay back and hold my jacket for me, because I’ve got some trash that I need to take out.”
She smiles, and her eyes flash with the kind of madness that truly binds her to me. “Make it hurt, please.”
I grin. “Oh, sweetheart; you can count on it.”
She takes my jacket from me and holds it to her chest, then steps back, but not before giving me yet another smile – this one more relieved than dark.
I feel a tug in my chest, and even though I’m glad I made it to her in time, I’m still pissed at myself, because there’s a strong chance I would have been a few seconds too late in getting here.
But you weren’t , a voice in the back of my head says. And for now, that’s all that matters .
Maybe it does, or maybe I need to be, and do better, not only for Cigs and my crew, but also for myself.
I bring my attention back to Haroon, then clench and unclench my right hand as I look down at him. “So, where were we?” When he doesn’t respond, I nudge his shoulder with my foot, to which he grunts.
“Good; you’re awake.” I once again grab his collar, then pull him to his feet before leaning him against the wall.
“You…” he croaks out, then grimaces. “You don’t deserve her.”
I smirk. “And you do?”
“Yes!” he hisses. “I care about her. For me, she is everything. She should be with a man who knows her worth; someone who understands her.”
I laugh. “You don’t know shit about her, Haroon ,” I say, leaning in close.
“And the last man who tried to take her from me, ended up with a bullet in his head. Among other places.” I pull my switchblade out from my back pocket and flick it open.
“You, unfortunately, will not be given the same privilege.”
He glances at the weapon in my hand, and his breathing starts to quicken. “You are crazy,” he pants. “You’re a fucking lunatic .”
I grin. “Of course I am.” I run the pad of my thumb up and down the embossed handle of my blade, relishing in its familiarity. “Insanity is my favorite pass time. It’s a shame you won’t get to see more of it in this lifetime.”
His body shakes, seconds before he starts sobbing. I’m talking complete hiccups and all that shit. It’s an awkward thing to watch, I’m not gonna lie.
“She’s not worth my life, okay,” he says between bouts of disgusting cries. “She’s just a hot little thing I wanted to fuck, nothing more. I swear. Please, I swear .”
My grip on his collar tightens as my anger rises. “Now, now; where is your goddamn chivalry, huh?” I bring the tip of my blade between his legs, and he trembles like a leaf in a blizzard. “Manners maketh man, or did you forget?”
He shakes his head. “Please let me go. Just…please. I promise you won’t see me again. I… I’ll never come close to her. I’ll leave! I’ll fucking leave , okay?” He looks at Cignette. “Please! Please, tell him to stop! I’m begging you.”
How the broken-legged table has turned.
“Shut the fuck up .” I shake him again, and when he brings his wet, pleading gaze to me, I slowly drag my switchblade up, and let it rest against the middle of his stomach.
“You see, I’m a man of simple tastes,” I begin, tightening my hold on the switchblade. “But I’ve got one very basic policy…” I grin again. “You touch her, you die .” And with that, I push my blade forward, puncturing his skin.
Haroon’s eyes widen, and his mouth opens in a scream.
“Sh-sh-sh. Calm down; it’ll all be over soon.” The smell of blood fills the chilly air, making my heart pound. I push the blade in further, and when I feel a soft tear of muscles against it, goosebumps erupt throughout my body, zapping me with adrenaline.
I am so fucking back, baby.
Haroon struggles against me and screams louder, so I twist my weapon into his wound, then pull it out before shoving it into the same spot again. The blunt sound of wetness is music to my ears as my blade cuts through more of him, rendering him weak.
“What is it that you were telling her before I got here?” I muse, gliding the blade out and then stabbing him with it another time. “You wanted to break her in half by fucking her, just to prove a point?” I glance at Cigs. “That’s what he said to you, isn’t it?”
She nods.
I click my tongue. “Hmm.” I step back, taking my switchblade with me, then look down at Haroon’s bleeding stomach. “Gorgeous.” I cant my head to the side. “But not enough.” Driving my arm back, I bring it forward and stab him directly in the middle of his leg.
Cignette gasps, and Haroon howls in pain as blood starts pouring out of his groin and drips down to the marble floor. Tears bead on his waterline, then fall haphazardly down his bruised cheeks.
“Hurts, doesn’t it?” I look at him, and notice how his eye sockets are now covered in red blood vessels. The veins on his face and neck have protruded from how much he’s straining himself, and his complexion has all but paled.
“I’ve outdone myself,” I say, pulling out the switchblade, and chuckle when Haroon grunts at the impact. I bring the blade between us, then roll it between my fingers. “Cigs?”
“Yeah?” She grins when our eyes meet.
“Call Magner and ask him to come here, will you?”
She nods. “Sure thing.” Just as she pulls her phone out of her purse, I turn to Haroon one last time.
Making sure he’s looking at me, I finally give into the urge and glide my blade over my tongue.
The moment the thick, warm liquid enters my mouth, and the metallic taste of blood awakens my senses, I lose it.
A shudder runs through me as I swallow, letting the elixir slide down my throat.
Haroon’s features contort, and it seems as if he’s about to throw up, but one arch of my brow, and he swallows down whatever he was about to spew out of his mouth.
“How’s it taste?” Cignette asks me.
I laugh a little, then give her a wink. “Like dead security personnel, baby.”
She chuckles, just as Haroon rasps, “You two are disgusting . Fuck you both.”
I scowl as I face him. “Did we ask for your input?” When he gives me yet another silent treatment, I roll my eyes and let go of his collar. “Alright, I’m done with you,” I say, then with a quick slash of my wrist, I slit his throat.
He gasps, then clutches desperately at the open wound. Blood spurts from it and paints his fingers red, and he even starts gurgling on some of it as it fills his mouth. I move away from him as he falls to the floor in a heap, crawling away from the spot I had him pinned against.
“Jesus Christ , dude,” comes Magner’s voice as he rounds the corner and comes to stand next to Cigs. “That’s awesome work. A pain in the ass for the cleanup team, but awesome nonetheless. I see now why you’re so praised. It’s so fucking cool to see your work in person.”
“Thanks, man.”
We bump fists, and he then puts his phone to his ear, requesting the cleanup team to get here.
Haroon drags himself towards yet another random spot, leaving behind a trail of blood.
“Why isn’t he dead yet?” Cignette questions, staring at him. A second later, he falls flat on the floor and stops moving altogether. “Never mind that.”
I laugh, and she does the same.
“The team’ll be here in five,” Magner tells me.
I nod, then remember something. “Hey, where can I find some ice in his crazy estate?” I ask him.
He chuckles. “The kitchen. It’s on the other side of the hall. There’s an entire staff of chefs that’ll help you with anything you need. But…” He gestures at my soiled right hand. “You might wanna wash up before you go in there. For the sake of hygiene, of course.”
“Of course,” I quip, then point a thumb towards the corpse. “And, sorry about that. I know it’s extra work, but it needed to be done.”
Magner shakes his head. “No problem at all. I’m sure he deserved it.”
I glance at Haroon for a brief moment, just to enjoy the aftermath of the art I just created, then look at Magner. “Oh, I assure you, he did .”