“Out?” Broadway scoffs, pinching the cigarette between his lips. He inhales deeply, exhaling the cloud in Amadeus’s face. “You think you’ll come out of this alive? Think again.”
The guy coughs, blood spattering the dirty floor and forcing Broadway a step back. “They won’t stop looking for me. You have no idea how deep the shit you stepped in when you kidnapped me is. Do you know who I work for?!”
Broadway sneers before glancing over his shoulder at Koby and me. “You didn’t tell him why he’s here?”
“We grabbed and went,” I say, running a hand through my hair. “Was I supposed to read the charge sheet? Maybe you’d have liked me to read him his rights as well?”
“You know perfectly well he doesn’t have any.” Broadway points his cigarette at me. “This isgolden,” he chuckles, leveling his girl’s rapist with a pointed stare. “Well,Amadeus, I know exactly who you work for. I know who you are, who your mother, father, and sister are and where to find them. I know where your current girl lives, who she fucks, and that she’s pregnant, but the kid’s not yours. I also know you boughtmygirl and raped her forhours. I know you won’tget out of this alive, and I know your boss will drape his arm over my shoulders when I’m in Chicago this weekend and pour me a glass of his finest Bourbon. And you’ll still be here. Dead or alive, I don’t necessarily give a shit as long as you suffer.”
Amadeus’s body thrashes against the restraints. “You’re the guy who’s been picking off Noretto’s private buyers?! You’re a dead man walking whoever the fuck you are.”
Koby chuckles beside me. “You heard about Carter Willard, didn’t you?” he asks while Amadeus thrashes some more, trying to look over his shoulder.
“We’re Willard’s crew,” Koby supplies. “And the guy you’re looking at is Viera’s boyfriend.”
“Violet’s,” Broadway corrects automatically.
“I doubt he knows she changed her name,” Koby protests. “He deserves to know why he’ll die here, right?”
“He deserves pain.” Broadway exhales another cloud of smoke, his cigarette expiring.
Instead of dropping it on the ground, he puts it out on Amadeus’s forehead.
The scream is fucking ungodly.
“Jesus, gag him, will you?” Koby mutters, holding both hands over his delicate ears.
He can spend the whole night atScarlettwhere the speakers boom so loud the bass shakes the entire building, but screams of agony give him a headache almost instantly.
“You’ll pay for this,” Amadeus spits out. “Sooner or later, someone will find you and kill you. I bet it will be Blaze.”
That gets Broadway’s attention. He lights another cigarette, cocking an eyebrow. “If Noretto had the balls to pull the trigger, he would’ve done so a long time ago.”
“Desperate men do desperate things. There’s word on the street that Grey’s fuming. Private buyers are pulling out of Noretto’s auctions left and right since the rumors about more and more of us disappearing began floating around.”
I cross my arms over my chest, wondering why he’s telling us any of this. Is it fear? Some kind offuck youtoBroadway?A scare tactic? Maybe he hopes we’ll let him walk if he divulges enough information?
Fear does funny things to people. Loosens their tongues and clouds their judgment.
The look on Broadway’s face hasn’t changed one iota. He’s still as bloodthirsty as he was when he entered the warehouse almost an hour ago, locking eyes with Amadeus.
“They say Grey threatened Noretto’s life if the auctions don’t start raking in as much cash as they used to. He has a deadline to fix this mess. Can you guess what that means?” He spits on the floor, a mix of saliva and blood. “It means gutting the man responsible for almost bankrupting his business.”
“That man being me,” Broadway supplies. “Noretto’s many things, Amadeus. Stupid isn’t one of them no matter what people say. Heknowswho’s behind the kills. The dead men have one thing in common: my girl. Tell me...” He bends low enough to level his gaze with Amadeus’s. “Did he warn you? Did he say you better hide?” Without waiting for a reply, he chuckles, straightening up again. “I didn’t think so. See, Blaze knows he can’t stop this. He knows every fucker who laid a hand on my girl will end up six feet under. He’s glad he hasn’t made the list.”
Broadway adjusts his sleeves, unrolling one before rolling it back up again. He’s growing impatient.
“Did you think telling me all this would spare you? Nothingcan save you. Youtouchedmy girl. You’ll die no matter what you say or offer.”
Amadeus stops rattling his wrist against his restraints. He spits once more and cranes his neck before meeting Broadway’s deranged stare.
“She enjoyed it,” he says, weighing every word for impact. “That little slut you call yours begged me for more.”
Instead of sneering, or sending his right hook into Amadeus’s face, Broadwaysmiles.
You’d think saying shit like that would be the worst idea our guest could come up with. That taunting Broadway would speed our guest’s demise...
I bet that’s what he’s counting on.
