I let out a long, slow breath, taking in the carnage in front of me. Gina. Two dead goons. Solomon Danforth, slowly bleeding out in the corner.
Boner, his voice muffled, either cheering, or asking someone to untie him. Possibly both.
"That was epic, bro," Jules said to Cass. Admiration on his face, which was already starting to bruise. "Remind me not to piss you off when there's chairs around." He touched his face carefully and winced.
Cass shrugged. "I couldn't let him hurt you anymore. Any of you."
I brushed my lips over his and smiled. "That was perfect."
"You're perfect," he told me.
"Thank fuck," Boner said, shaking out his wrists, the zip ties sliced off by Archer. "That was absolute fucking bullshit. That asshole really got onto my shit list."
He waited for Archer to free his legs before staggering to his feet and standing over Solomon.
"Mine too," Archer said. "Him and his thugs were waiting for us when we got back from the gallery. Overpowered us." He looked quietly furious.
This was starting to feel like a social media video. The kind that start with, 'I came home and found my boyfriends tied to chairs, and then…'
I guess we know how that ends now.
"But now, we get to have some fun," Boner said cheerfully. "Who wants to help me get this asshole into the bath?"
"Actually," Archer said, turning his face toward Boner. "I have a surprise for Harlow. It's in the bathroom. Ready to be used."
I gaped at him. "You didn't?"
He shrugged with his eyebrows. "I figured you'd want it here."
I hurried over to him, pressed my hands to either side of his face and kissed him hard. "You're too good to me."
"Me too." Boner placed his hands on Archer's cheeks and kissed him soundly too. "I can't wait for this."
Archer's brow furrowed slightly, but if he was perturbed by the kiss from Boner, he didn't show it. Instead, he crouched beside Solomon and nodded for the others to do the same.
Solomon writhed and tried to fight them off, but between the four of them, they picked him up and carried him into the bathroom.
"You can't do this," Solomon insisted.
They ignored him, placed him in the middle of the bathroom floor and bound his ankles and wrists with zip ties before placing duct tape over his mouth.
"The ball gag would be wasted on him," Boner remarked.
Cass hummed his agreement.
They picked Solomon up again and lowered him into my beautiful torture box.
"I hope you don't mind. I don't have a water tap at this side of the bathroom," Archer said apologetically. He fastened the lock on the top of the box and gestured to a cylinder beside it.
"Is that acid?" Jules asked, his expression guarded. He was either disgusted or approving. Possibly somewhere in between.
"Yep," Archer said simply. "This is personal for all of us now, but it's more personal to Harlow, Cass and Jules. One of you should turn it on."
"Not me." Cass raised his hands and took a couple of steps back. He was getting better at this death and violence thing, but this was a step too far. I respected that.
"Harlow hasn't killed anyone today," Boner pointed out. "I think she should do it. Besides which, this is her box." He lovingly tapped the side of it.
When no one disagreed, I locked my eyes on Solomon and slowly turned the tap, letting the acid begin to drip into the box.
