She asks it like a dental hygienist confirming procedure with her supervisor.
I love her so goddamn much.
"Teeth first."
She nods once and gets to work.
The molar doesn't come out easy. She has to wiggle it, work it back and forth, applying steady pressure while Calder's frozen body trembles. When the roots finally tear free from the gum, the sound is so off that it would make a normal person gag.
It's a good thing we're far from normal.
Calder's eyes roll back. His body goes slack against the restraints, consciousness fleeing from a pain too big to hold.
I grab the prefilled syringe from the side table and jam it into his thigh. Pure adrenaline, straight to the bloodstream. His eyes snap open, face flooding crimson as his heart kicks into overdrive.
"Can't have you taking a nap while Keira's trying to fix your mouth." I twist the needle slowly, pushing it deeper before pulling it out. "That would be rude."
Keira extracts another tooth with a wet pop and drops it into a metal bowl on the side table. The clink of enamel on steel is strangely satisfying.
"Did Cat and Aaron get everyone on their list?" She reaches for another grip on the pliers, already onto her next target.
"All seventeen of them. Several major trafficking operations wiped out in a single evening. Record numbers, really. Cat's very pleased with herself."
"Good."
"Marchetti tried to make a deal." I examine my fingernails. "Offered to give up his whole operation in exchange for a quick death."
"How generous of him."
"Aaron thought so too. Gave him a slow, painful ending anyway. Right after Cat extracted everything she needed."
"She's efficient."
"She's a giver, that one." I watch Keira work the third tooth loose, her movements more confident now, finding her rhythm. "Mendoza went less quietly. Apparently he had a cyanide capsule hidden in a crown. Bit down on it before anyone could stop him."
Another wet pop. Another tooth in the bowl.
"Coward."
"That's what Dom said."
Keira pauses, pliers still positioned in Calder's mouth. "Where did they dump the bodies?"
"Let's just say the Hudson had a very productive night."
The smile that spreads across her face is something I haven't seen in years. It's her old, carefree smile—the one she used to wear when she'd beat me at darts and steal my whiskey in the same breath.
It's breathtaking.
She'sbreathtaking.
"And what about Dashkov?"
I arch a brow, letting my mouth curve into something mischievous. "Cat saved him just for me. He's already pretty useless—been deteriorating since the drink incident in Iceland—but I still want to give him a proper send-off."
I glance down at Calder, at his ruined mouth and tear-streaked face.
"This one's the main event." I gesture at the beautiful carnage we're creating together. "Dashkov gets to be dessert."
