Roman pursed his lips, eyes narrowed as he slapped Cedric across the face, sharp and deliberate. When that didn’t work, Maxim stepped forward.
“What are you… oh, fuck,” I muttered as my face twisted, watching Maxim casually clip metal clamps to Cedric’s nipples like he’d done it a hundred times before, the other end attached to what looked to be a adapted car battery. “Ah, I get what you mean by conductive now.”
One flick of the switch and Cedric convulsed violently, a ragged screech ripping from his throat as his body jerked against the chains. Maxim’s expression remained detached, but I swear there was a glint in his eyes. The sick fuck.
“Nice of you to join us,” I drawled the moment Cedric’s bleary eyes found mine.
“Ryder…” he growled, but it lacked its usual venom. Probably because Maxim was currently pulling down what remained of his soaking wet trousers until his cock was out. “Please,” he whimpered when Maxim grabbed his balls, stretching them down. “I’ve told you everything I know!”
“Really, Max? No gloves?” I muttered, wrinkling my nose.
Maxim didn’t even flinch. He actually met my eyes, calm, unbothered as he clipped the clamps onto the tender flesh of Cedric’s testicles.
Moving towards the monstrosity of a battery, I leaned against the table it was sitting on. “I didn’t know you were into this,” I commented, flicking at the wire attached.
Cedric hissed as it tugged on his skin.
“Hot,” I chuckled. “They say it’s always the quiet ones.”
Cedric grunted, baring his teeth at me as if it was supposed to be some sort of threat. With a tut, I looked over at Roman. “See, we wouldn’t get this sort of attitude if you’d brought your snakes, Rome.”
Roman didn’t look at me, his attention remaining on Cedric. “It can be arranged.”
I flicked the wire once more, just to savour the responding screech. “I hear venom is excruciating when you’re bitten on your?—”
“I’m telling you everything I know!” Cedric cried, his toes stretching to try and keep the weight off his arms. “Please, I don’t know who Mr C is. We only communicate through text.”
“How did he offer you the job in the first place?” I asked.
“He found me on the dark web.”
“How much are they paying you to find the USB drive?”
“No… no drive. The woman. I was paid to find the woman.”
“Geraldine Hoffman?” I continued while Cedric was being reasonable.
But he seemed to be lagging, his words beginning to slur as blood loss and whatever the fuck Roman had done to him took its toll. Not to mention he was stabbed less than eight hours ago.
“Not just… not just Geraldine,” he managed to wheeze out, blood bubbling from a cut on his chest. “They… they want the girl.”
“Violet?” I asked, ignoring the weight sinking into my gut. “Why do they want her?”
When he hesitated, I snapped the wire again, harder this time so the metal teeth of the clamps really tugged against his balls.
Cedric screamed, his voice cracking as sweat poured down his face. “I don’t know!” he choked out. “I’m just paid to find shit. They offered me a quarter mil to retrieve her!”
Quarter mil? Holy fucking shit.
He sucked in a ragged breath, words spilling faster now. “At first, it was just the mum. That was the job: find her, rough her up a bit, and then take her back. They didn’t even know the girl existed, not untilyoufound her.”
“Anything else I should know?” I asked, my finger rubbing the switch suggestively.
“No… no. Please, let me?—”
“Oops.” I flicked the switch, wincing as Cedric convulsed so violently his teeth cracked down on his tongue, blood spilling past his lips. His eyes rolled back, whites showing, while the skin around the clamps began to split and char. “How many volts is this?” I asked casually.
The scent of burning flesh began to perforate the room. Either Cedric was just being dramatic, or no way was this a normal car battery.
