A grin tipped the corner of my mouth. “Then you better not miss.”
He studied me, tilting his head to the side, curiosity brimming in his dark eyes. “You actually care for my daughter?”
I turned my back on him, his question hanging in the air.
“Don’t make it obvious. She’s still nervous about what happened,” I said, headed for the stairwell.
A white metal door came into view, where a woman’s voice could be heard on the other side. I leaned against the cold surface, a hand on the leather of my blade.
“I’ve called you a dozen times and left messages,” she said in a loud, angry whisper. “It’s her. She’s here.”
Betrayal.
“Of course, I’m sure. Evangelina Cruz, right?” There was a pause. “What do you mean, you can’t risk it? What about the money you promised?” The bitch had sealed her fate. It had been a while since I’d had a female mark. “I want my fucking money. You said to let you know when she shows up, and that’s exactly what I did,” she shouted, slapping a hand on the door.
I peered up and noticed a surveillance camera at the corners of the hallway. I couldn’t risk gutting this bitch in the stairwell, so a little home visit was in order.
* * *
Social media was an interesting place. It had taken less than thirty minutes to figure out all the relevant information I needed without accessing more resources. Leslie R. Almonte. Twenty-eight years old. Divorced. Bar and club hopping every third Saturday of the month. As a cop, one would think she’d know better than to post her entire life online like a sweet little crumb trail. I was sure she regretted informing her followers about her plans to pick up Chinese take-out after her late-night shift.
I rested an ankle over my knee as I waited for her to wake. After all, what fun would this be if she was unconscious?
The young woman was shackled at the wrists, chains hanging low, allowing her body to rest on bent knees. Bleached blonde hair pooled on the tiled floor in front of her as her head lobbed forward.
I didn’t particularly enjoy taking the life of females, but there wasn’t an ounce of sympathy for the woman before me. Once she intended to harm Eva, she’d become just another stain on these hands of stolen souls.
A splash of ice water saw her snapping awake, arms yanking on her restraints as panic set in. She threw her head back, eyes wide and frantic, attempting to see through the strands still sticking to her dampened skin. I let her scream and thrash for several moments before volts of electricity pulled a hard gasp from her throat and forced her body into a silent, trembling heap.
“Screaming is futile. These walls are soundproof, and we’re a good fifteen feet underground.” I leaned forward and clasped my hands together. “So, I suggest you conserve your energy.”
“W—who are you? What do you want with me?”
Her chest was heaving as she attempted to catch her breath.
“What do I want? With you, Officer Almonte? Nothing. Nothing but to watch you die the way you intended for her.”
Her eyes narrowed as she studied my face through the shadows, brows shooting up to her hairline upon making the connection.
“Oh, God… I didn’t have a choice. They threatened me!”
I got to my feet and rounded her naked form. “Did they now?”
“Yes! They told me they'd kill me if I didn’t keep them informed. I swear that’s the truth.”
She probably wasn’t lying, but her demands for payment and follow-through had sealed her fate.
I pulled at the lever, adjusting the slack on the chains to position her arms above her body. Crouching, I grabbed a fistful of hair and lifted her head. “Who contacted you?”
Tears streaked her dirtied cheek. “I don’t… know.”
My grip tightened. “Wrong answer.” The heat of my blade sliced a vertical line down the left side of her face. She cried out and thrashed. “I’m going to ask again.Whogave you those orders?”
“Please! I’m telling you the truth.” Another gash. Blood poured from her wounds, mixing with her tears. “Why… are you doing this? You’re a sick fuck.”
I chuckled close to her mangled face. “I’m glad you’re aware of what I am. Silly expectations only prolong your suffering.”
Her eyes flew wide with terror. “Who are you? Please, let me go.”
