I am civilized. Mostly.
I peel my eyes away from Jax and Kit and find my way out of the guardhouse, moving through the fog and into the shed. As soon as I step inside, I breathe a sigh of relief. It’s dark and dank down here. I like it. I feel like I’m home.
Without thought, I navigate through the tunnels until I’m finally in my space, the scent of blood and bleach hitting my nostrils.
If anything, I could be more cleanly. Georgiy taught me that.
But it seems like a lot of unnecessary work. Why bother with it when the next one is just as messy?
I move into the room with the man who was completely unhelpful and find that he’s bled out. Shame. He had a really nice falsetto.
I untie him and drag his body into a tiled room, the one where I’m able to melt people down into goop in large plastic barrels. It’s really quite useful, and you don’t have to deal with the bones this way. Pulling some goggles and gloves on, I get to work, and when I finally manage to get the big lug into the barrel, I pour the chemicals onto him, watching him sizzle and burst.
It’s quite loud and very satisfying.
Then I meander out of the room, pulling off the goggles and gloves as I go. I need to talk to Virgin again. To see if she can tell me anything else. I don’t want to disappoint Anthony.
Not him. Not when he’s brought me into the fold and has given me a family.
I move into her room and see her slumbering, her head tilted forward, her chin on her chest.Must be nice, I think. To sleep through all of that.
I wasn’t so lucky.Ropes tight around my wrists, pain moving up my chest, rats squeaking in the corners of the room. So tired. I just want to sleep. I just want to die. But they won’t let me. They won’t let me leave.
I blink away the memory and focus on the present as I glower at her. She really is quite rude. Honestly, is this any way for a guest to behave?
“Do you have anything you’d like to say now?” I ask, holding out a saw in front of her as she blinks awake. I don’t plan on chopping her up yet, but frankly, I’m getting quite bored waiting for answers.
“I—I just serve drinks. I swear,” she murmurs.
I pull up her head so she’s looking at me and notice that she has a welt under her eye and is bleeding from her temple.
Jax or Kit must have done that. Because I didn’t bother with her.
“I don’t believe you. Because Tish, who is dead right now, by the way, wouldn’t have just anyone hanging out with her after hours when there was an important meeting going on.”
Virgin shakes her head. “I swear. I swear.”
“You swearing means nothing. I don’t believe you.”
She lets out a sob as I hold the saw up toward her, her eyes widening. “I can’t take pain. I’m not made for it.”
I bend down slightly and pet her cheek. “If I’ve learned anything, it’s that pain’s an acquired taste.”
“Who hurt you?” she whispers, and I stand up abruptly.
“No one. And if they had, its none of your business. Mostly. I mean, you’re going to die, so I guess I could share.”
“You mean I’m not leaving this place?”
I shake my head and flick the metal of the saw. “No. You can’t. You’re going to die here, Virgin. You’ll be turned into the goo in the barrels sitting in the other room.”
“I’m not ready to die,” she says, her eyes watering, and I almost feel bad for her. But then I think about Luca and Viktor. How burned they were after the latest attack by Henry. And I think about how Henry has been working with the Sirens to take down the Costellos—my family.
It makes something ugly boil up inside me.
You’re a disgrace, boy.
“How would you like to go? A drill bit to the temple? Or maybe a quick decapitation?”
