“Wassup, motherfucker?” Boot snarled. “Not such a big man now, huh? How about I pin you to the desk and fuckyourass good and hard? How would ya like that, Rapey Richard?”
Sketch whimpered.
I rolled my lips inward because I knew by his turn of phrase that he was channeling Negan fromThe Walking Dead. Boot fucking loved Negan; it was weird, but then Bootneck was fucked in the head, so it fit. If my SAA could get himself a baseball bat, wrap barbed wire around it, and use it to smash heads, he’d be a very happy biker.
Sketch was shaking so hard his teeth chattered. His expensive silk shirt was streaked with sweat, blood, and probably a few tears, all dignity forgotten. One of his leather loafers was missing, his tie was hanging open and askew, and his bloody, bruised face was already swelling so badly that he was almost unrecognizable.
The boys had worked him over good before I got there, but they hadn’t gotten to the best part yet.
Bootneck reached into his cut and pulled out a hunting knife. “See this, Dickie?”
Sketch’s eyes widened with fear.
The SAA held up the blade, watching it glint in the light. “I’ve lost count of the number of fingers I’ve cut off with this baby. All taken from perverts like you who think it’s okay to touch what isn’t yours. What d’ya think, should I start with your thumb or your index finger? Left or right hand, or maybe a couple of fingers from each?”
A terrified squeak left Sketch’s throat.
“How would you design your fancy buildings with a couple’a digits missin’, Rapey Richard? I wonder if you could adapt, or take a step back from it all and leave all the work to the young, up-and-comin’, talented architects you’ve mentored, like the beautiful Aislynn? Shall we find out?” Boot bolted from his perch on the table and, with a grunt, brought the knife down on one of the arms of the chair Sketch was tied to.
Sketch’s muffled scream filled the room, and his eyes rolled in the back of his head.
Bootneck laughed as the ties fell away from Sketch’s wrist. “Why so fuckin’ dramatic? I didn’t touch ya. Saving that for my prez over there. See that big fucker with the shaved head? That’s the boss, and he’s not very happy with you for touchin’ what’s his.” He moved to the other arm and sliced through the other zip tie holding him down.
A smirk stole across my face.
That was why they hadn’t messed with his hands. My brother knew me almost as well as I knew myself. He suspected I’d want to do the honors, and he was right.
Boot hauled Sketch to his feet by the scruff of his shirt and slammed him face down on the desk. “Tie him down,” he snarled, glancing at Fabio, who pulled a handful of zip ties anda length of rope out of a gym bag, immediately getting to work, while ignoring Sketch’s stifled cries for help.
“Strip him,” I ordered.
Boot started to chuckle while he cut and ripped Sketch’s fancy suit off him until eventually, he was buck-ass naked. Then he pinned him down while Fabio stretched one hand out and tied his wrist to one corner of the table before repeating the action with the other. Lastly, he tied Sketch’s legs apart until the filthy bastard was spreadeagled over the table with his head twisted to one side, naked as the day he was born.
I pushed away from the wall and moved toward the table, getting down on my haunches until my eyes were level with the fucker who was tied up tighter than a Thanksgiving turkey. My eyes met Richard Sketch’s, and I laid out what I expected of him.
“Tomorrow, Aislynn O’Shea will walk into this buildin’, go to her desk, and start her day the same way she always does. You’ll call her in at some point, makin’ sure she has a person of her choice with her, and you will apologize for your behavior and reassure her that her job’s safe. At some point over the next two weeks, Aislynn will complete the hours she needs in order to graduate, and you’ll sign her off with a big ol’ bonus for a job well done. Then, you’ll personally call all your buddies in Northern Colorado and Southern Wyoming and recommend her as a young, up-and-comin’ talent that they can’t pass on. Do you fuckin’ get me?”
He nodded and let out a muffled whimper.
I glanced up at Bootneck and held out my hand, waiting for him to pass me the knife. It hit my palm, and I curled my fingers around the hilt, testing its weight. Rising to my full height, I stood over Sketch’s trembling form. One swift, practiced motion was all it took; the blade sliced through flesh and bone before embedding itself deep into the mahogany desk beneath.
His shrieks of pain were muted by the gag. I grabbed him by the back of his hair and forced his eyes to look into mine. “Stop fuckin’ whinin’, Dick. I didn’t hit anythin’ important; it’ll heal just fine. This is your first strike, so I’ll let you keep your hand, but next time you touch Aislynn, I’ll cut it clean off.”
I yanked his head back by the hair and drove his face into the desk with a force that sent blood spraying from his nose. The snap of cartilage breaking echoed around the room, and a satisfied grin stretched across my face as I pulled the knife out of his hand.
His scream was pitiful.
“Show him how it feels to be violated on a fuckin’ desk,” I ordered my boys.
Fabio began to laugh. “You want us to fuck him? I mean, it wouldn’t be the first time I played with Brad instead of Angelina, but you know my preferences lie with the ladies.”
“Same,” Boot muttered. “And I couldn’t even get hard for him.” Boot grimaced. “He’s a sweaty mess. Fucker needs a shower.”
My mouth twisted. “You don’t have to fuck him. Jesus, boys, use your imagination.” I looked around the office. “There’s gotta be somethin’ we can improvise with. We don’t wanna rip the fucker’s insides out, but I want him to know how it feels to be touched against his will. Need the cunt to think twice next time he lays unwanted hands on a woman.”
Sketch’s muted cries of protest filled the room.
Bootneck locked eyes with me, his head tilting while a mischievous grin crept over his face. He rummaged through one of the desk drawers until he pulled out a thick black marker pen, the type you used to scribble on whiteboards. He uncapped it and waved it in front of Sketch’s tear-streaked face.
