It’d changed over three years, grown and hardened, but notes of it were still familiar enough that hearing it always had Flix’s heart skipping a beat before his mind reminded it to calm the hell down.
“Not being fucked at the moment,” he pointed out. “But I’m sure it’s coming.”
“It’s been three weeks already,” he sounded tired, more so than Flix, ironically. “Just answer the questions.”
“Nah.” If his neck hadn’t been secured to the wall already, he would have made a big show of leaning back just to irk his interrogator.
“You really want to keep doing this?”
“It’s not that,” Flix admitted. “I’m just better at the long game than you. Don’t take it personally. I’m better at it than everyone.”
“So, you fully intend to take what you know about Russ to the grave, is that what you’re saying?” he demanded.
Flix sighed and went quiet.
“Answer me!” A palm slapped against the wall at the side of Flix’s head, but he didn’t flinch. “Damn it!” The man spun away and cursed.
Flix waited for him to collect his thoughts, prepared for the next threat when it was finally delivered.
“I filmed it all, you know?”
He’d sort of had an inkling, but Flix kept that to himself.
“What if I leaked the footage? How scared of you do you think the rest of the world would still be if they saw the things I did to that sweet ass of yours?”
He smirked. “I don’t think that’s as menacing as you mean for it to be.”
“No?”
“No.”
“Should I call your bluff?”
“By all means,” Flix said. “Leak it. Not only will it not embarrass me, but you’ll also be doing me a favor by alerting the Brumal about what’s truly going on. Have you heard of my bestie Berga? Love that guy. No matter how tight your security here is, he’ll find me within twenty-four hours of that video getting out. And then you and I will be having a different kind of fun.”
The burn mark on his ass from a couple of weeks ago still pissed him off when he thought about it.
He’d for sure be returning that favor.
Along with a few others…
“You’re right,” the man agreed. “Which is why I’ve come up with a plan b.”
Flix admittedly wasn’t a huge fan of the sound of that.
“You’re a patron of the Seaside Cinema.” It wasn’t a question. “Ever see any of the Bind films?”
His eyes widened some behind the blindfold, and he was grateful for it a second time. Of course he’d watched those films. They were some of the most popular in the city, even if they were relatively uncomplicated.
Each film featured a masked redhead getting tied up and pounded by another masked man. The partner sometimes changed, but the redhead was a constant feature.
And the whole reason Flix had bothered with the films at all.
Not that he’d be sharing that detail.
“Hasn’t everyone?” he said instead, trying to sound unimpressed even though he was starting to feel a twist of excitement.
“My partner canceled on me,” his captor drawled, “so I’ve decided to use you. How’s that sound? I get to leak a sex tape of you anyway, and without the risk of your dangerous friends discovering what’s going on. Still think it’s funny?”
