“Take the bloody weapon off her,” Robbie growls as Zach steps away, swiping his phone screen. “Un-fucking-believable.”
His friend growls, “Shut it.”
I know when he gets to the video. The sounds are lodged deep in my memory. Angry tears stab behind my eyes, and I tilt my head back. Now’s not the time.
More footsteps enter the warehouse. Caylon and Trent, though I don’t waste a glance to confirm their identities. Zach is at twenty seconds and still watching. Am I meant to wait? Is he going to give me the go-ahead?
The part of my brain that remains invested in self-preservation holds me steady, poised for a signal. My head spins, and I brace my legs farther apart. I went without sleep, food, socialising to get to this point.
My body hates me. Hates this vendetta with a passion. Not that it makes a difference. I didn’t choose the obsession.
The video ends and Zach picks it up from the beginning, watching the whole clip through again.
“Come on, man,” says one of his friends. “Sort out this bitch so we can get going.”
“This look like Robbie to you?”
He passes the phone across and my stomach seesaws, releasing a sickening burp of acid. Robbie’s mask slips again, this time exposing the smirk from before. The expression says he knows which way the wind is blowing. It says my time’s nearly up, and I still haven’t achieved my desired result.
I shift my grip, briefly releasing each finger so blood can flow to them again. A drip of sweat curls into the corner of my eye, stinging, and I jerk my chin to forestall any of its colleagues making the same trek.
The video starts again. A vice squeezes my temples.
I choke out an order. “Stop the video.”
“We’re not finished.” Zach sounds amused. He’s only a metre to my right, slightly behind, so I have to glance away from Robbie to see him and I can’t afford to let my eyes stray too long. “Caylon, take a look. Since our friend is facing a death sentence, I think the wider the jury pool, the better.”
“That’s certainly his cock,” Caylon says with a snort. “Nice camera work. If I had the choice, I’d avoid his face, too.”
Zach steps closer to me and I raise my free hand to stop him. He ignores the gesture, moving fully behind me, near enough to run one hand around my waist.
His breath is hot against my ear. Hairs tingle on the back of my neck, awakening with startled joy from a years-long asexual slumber.
“I’m convinced. You have my permission to shoot this sorry excuse for a human being any time you like.”
Robbie’s mask falls away entirely. “What?” He steps forward and I yelp, trying to force my fingers to obey my command.
“You’ve been caught, fair and square.” I feel Zach’s lips curl into a smile against my oh-so-sensitive skin. “Now take whatever punishment Ms…? Sorry, I didn’t catch your name.”
He runs a finger along my backbone, dragging down the neck of my t-shirt until the front pulls tight against my throat.
“Lilac… Lily Tanner.”
“Take the punishment Ms Tanner feels appropriate to dish out to you.”
“You can’t be serious!” Robbie strides towards me, shaking with rage. “Give me the gun.”
I try to move my finger. To slide it onto the trigger. To squeeze.
It won’t budge. Frozen in place along the barrel.
“Don’t you want to splatter his brains all over the floor?” Zach curls the fingers of his left hand around my throat, tensing but not applying pressure. “Where did you even get the weapon?”
“From a very fat man with a very large motorcycle.”
“Panda man,” he whispers into the curve of my neck. “You have friends in very low places, Lilac.”
“Don’t… It’s Lily. Nobody calls me that name.”
