I sigh and shake my head. “They never make it easy on themselves, do they?”
Walking over to the crank in the ceiling, I start raising her up. The tension forces her to walk back to the center of the room, so she doesn’t choke to death. Once she’s in position, I move to her, taking the chain from around her throat, enjoying the pattern of bruises already marring her skin.
Jude helps me chain her arms, knowing how I like my subjects.
“Marcus, if you would be in charge of the crank, please?” Once he’s in position, I say, “There are two levers, please lower the second one.”
Threading another chain through the hook, I wrap it around her throat again. “Now, lift her, please.”
With her arms above her head, her toes barely touch as Marcus lifts her off the ground. Her head and neck are stretched, as he uses the other hook without needing instruction. I’m sure he can guess at my plan. I don’t need her too high, but her throat…too much pulling and we’ll surely choke her to death. What a sad, bloodless way to go. She better not make us resort to that.
“Where are Roman and Emilio?” I ask.
She laughs. “You actually think I’ll tell you that?”
Turning to Jude, I tell him, “Pick out whatever catches your attention, Agnellino.”
For a moment, I wonder if he’s going to use his cane, as he did once before. The way he tightens his hand around the walking stick makes it seem that way, but he ends up heading towards one of the cabinets at the far end of the room.
He returns with a rolling cart containing pliers, a set of long, thick needles, and a sharp knife.
“You hurt someone I love,” he tells Cecily casually. “We don’t normally go after family members, because that’s a waste of our time, and we much prefer getting revenge directly from the source. However, had you not already killed your brother, I would be giving him the same treatment as you did my Bel Fiore.”
She jerks in her chains, choking herself. “My brother was an idiot, but I’m glad he’s dead if it keeps him away from you.”
“Aww.” I step closer. “Is that real emotion I hear in your voice?”
She glares at me, but sadly, doesn’t say anything.
“Are you going to answer our questions?” Jude asks.
“Go to hell.”
Jude shakes his head. “Mind getting me a chair, Ten?”
Grabbing a stool from the corner of the room, I set it in front of Cecily.
“Please, raise her up, so she's no longer touching the floor,” Jude instructs Marcus. “If she tries to kick me—choke her.”
Jude grabs one of her legs and sets her foot in his lap. “Such a nice pedicure is wasted on you,” he mutters.
Cecily tries to extract her foot, but he holds it tightly, and Marcus gives a pull of the chain, making her gasp and choke as her face turns red. Jude grabs one of the needles and teases her foot with it, leaving light scratch marks across the top.
“So? Roman and Emilio?” he asks.
“Fuck off.”
He shrugs and tightens his grip on her foot, bending over it a little to carefully slide the needle under the nail of her big toe. She squirms and he squeezes her foot until she stops.
“Tell me now before this gets painful,” he says softly.
“You’ll never get them back…and if you do, they sure as hell won’t be the same.” She smiles, as if she’s in any position to be so smug.
Jude shoves the needle deeper underneath her nail, making her scream. He winces and reaches up to adjust his hearing aids, before grabbing another needle. He shoves two more beneath her toenails before looking back up at her.
“So? Where are they?”
“I’m not telling you shit,” she spits.
