Page 56 of After the Chase

"Six months. Maybe seven."

"And he knew you were operating in Kozlov territory?"

"Yes and he said it was fine. Said the Kozlovs wouldn't notice."

I almost smile at that. "He was wrong."

The man's breathing is ragged now, anxiety setting in. "Look, I'll stop. I'll disappear. You'll never see me again."

"That's true."

Then he says it as his good eye finds Chase against the wall. "Wait, I know you. I've seen you before at that bar, Starlight. You were with…" His gaze swings back to me. "You're his boyfriend?"

The room goes silent and I feel it, the shift inside me. The cold rage that has no bottom.

"What did you say?"

He realizes his mistake immediately. "Nothing. I didn't mean…"

"You saw him. At Starlight?"

"I just…I was at the bar one night. I saw you two together, that's all."

"And what did you think when you saw him?"

"Nothing. I didn't think anything."

"You're lying." I press the blade against his throat, drawing a thin line of blood. "What did you think?"

"I thought he was good-looking, okay? That's all. I thought he was attractive."

The anger floods through me with such heat I’m surprised I haven’t burst into flames.

"You looked at him."

"No…"

"You thought about him, fantasized about him."

"I didn't say that."

"You imagined what he'd look like on his knees."

"What? No!"

I pull the knife away and turn to Marcus. "I need a baseball bat."

Marcus doesn't hesitate and he nods to Blade, who disappears and returns thirty seconds later with an aluminum bat. I take it, feeling the weight. Perfect balance. Good heft.

"You looked at what's mine," I say quietly, turning back to the prisoner. "That was your mistake." I swing the bat into his knee and the crack is audible as the bone shatters, nearly drowned out by his scream.

I swing again. Other knee. Another crack.

"Please, God, please,"

"God isn't here," I tell him. "Just me."

I move to his hands next as the bat comes down on his fingers and I don't stop, as I continue to break his elbows, his shoulders and finally his ribs. Each swing is done with intention to cause maximum pain.