Thatsound.
He isn’t.
He hasn’t.
Sai doesn’t play a visual memory. No.
He shares a sound.
Her soft gasp, edging onto a whimper, on the cusp of—
It’s hardly a second, but I’ve memorised every nuance of it, painted a thousand images to compliment such a tantalising utterance.
Shadows spike out around Ezekial. “I’m going to fucking murderyou.” He strikes, his hand around Sai’s throat in an instant, too fast for any of us to intervene.
Oh dear.
Sai grapples with it, teeth bared in a vicious grin. “Choke me… harder.”
Ezekial scowl deepens. “You sickfuck.” The room darkens as his grip tightens and blue sparks crawl up Sai’s arms.
“You’ll have to try… harder than… that…Lord.” Sai’s eyes blaze bright blue even as he struggles. “Come on… Do it.”
Ezekial’s jaw tightens, his light surging until it burns the edges of Sai’s skin as he snarls, “By the time I’m finished, you’ll wish I had, you psychotic little shit—”
A new jingle. Longer, louder, erupts around us.
All our eyes dart to the sound and its owner.
The sound is cut short as Kane answers, then listens.
“I did. It isn’t me,” he says, but he’s cut off. He waits. “We were, but that’s Ezekial and Sai. Why? Well... Because...”
Kane’s black gaze darts over us, landing on his brother and Sai, studying Ezekial’s hand still gripping Sai’s throat—albeit looser now.
I can’t make out her voice from this distance, just a small hum that fluctuates in volume as Kane listens intently.
I take a step closer.
“I know. I am. It’s just—” He stops. She’s interrupted him again, which is a shame, because I quite enjoy seeing my darkest brethren behave in such a way. “He shared a sound—of you—with us all.”
“What?!” We all hear her as Kane pulls the phone back from the sheer volume of her shout.
Sai uses the distraction to zap Ezekial’s hand, and the second he’s free from his grip, he rushes towards Kane. But justwhen I think he’s about to attempt another phone snatch, he stops right in front of him.
“Red, I only did it to make one of these fuckers snap and look. It worked,” he says, loud enough for her. Then, grin still in place, red marks around his throat, he slides to his knees. “Baby, I’ll kneel, I’ll beg, anything to—put the fucking camera on and show her.”
Kane stares down at him, impassive. “I’m not doing that, Sai.”
A new sound. One that makes my entire body tense, apprehensive to hear more. Did she…? Another step closer. Was that…?
Did she laugh?
No one speaks; we can’t. We’re too busy consuming that sound and picturing the way she looks when she makes it.
Sai recovers the quickest. “Red, I should’ve told you sooner. I know. I begged the guys to let me.” Ah, so he’s going to throw us under the proverbial bus. “I fucked up, and I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have touched you, I know. That’s why I never let you touch me, because I knew if you did, I’d lose it. I’m just not as controlled as these old fucks. I’m weak when it comes to you, baby.”
“Wow.”Ezekial rolls his eyes.
