Page 112 of The Unravelings

“Oh, goody! You’re awake. Just in time for the festivities.” A grin splits my lips when I turn around and face the woman of the hour. “Welcome to the party, Dr. Lohr. We have a lot of fun topics to discuss.”

32

Malic

The good doctor stares back at me from the metal chair in the center of my super-secret basement torture chamber. Sweat glistens on her crinkled forehead. Her dimmed, hazy eyes blink rapidly as I take a step closer to her. Anticipation roars through my veins at the sight of fear sparking in her widening eyes.

Oh, yes, Good Doctor, you’re in danger.

And I’m in fucking heaven.

“So what do you think?” I ask the doctor as her delightful squeals echo through the basement, desperate to flee the situation. Too bad for her, she’s not going anywhere, and no one can hear her pleas for help. Ever Again. “Do you think Oliver Davenport is hiding things?” I wiggle my brows when she squirms in the restraints and tries to talk through her gag. “Righto, Doctor. I’ll help you out with that,” I sing-song, checking over the glasses and badge one more time for good measure.

Who would have guessed Oliver Davenport was hiding such delicious things in his dresser drawers, tucked beneath his boxers and chest binders? It’s a shame, though, that I couldn’t take the vibrator tucked beside the badge. But my keeper’s voice became my conscience, and it told me to leave it be. Damn Keeper. When did he crawl into my brain and start making sense? I huff. Besides, I wanted to continue standing over her while she slept, gazing at her when she thought she was safe. Tossing and turning, whimpering in her dreams. Old habits die hard, as they say. And mine? Well, mine never dies. I could watch her for eternity.

And I will.

One day.

As I set down the two new prized possessions that belong to my little ghost, I make my way closer to the doctor. Her eyes widen even more, almost making her look bug-eyed, staring straight at my dick swinging between my legs.

Right. I’m naked. For reasons, of course. I don’t need my new pair of shoes covered in blood splatter. I’d have to toss them out. And that’s a goddamn tragedy to do.

“He’s a shower and a grower,” I quip, yanking the gag out of Dr. Lohr’s mouth with force. Tears leak from her pathetic eyes, streaming down her pale cheeks.

She takes several deep breaths. “What do you want?” she blurts, trying to back away from me. Not that she can. She has to face the devil himself, now. It’s what she deserves, especially if my sister is on her list of innocent people. Well, time to pay up. “I-I can pay you!” she shrieks, trying to shake her head. “I have money! Lots of money. I can-can write you a check. Whatever you want,” she wails more, sniffling and snotting everywhere.

I grin. “How much for your life?” I chuckle, taking a step toward my weapons lying out on a metal cart. Ah, my babies. They call my name, begging for bloodshed. Well, me too, pals. Me fucking, too. Especially with her. I want to rip her apart. But I can’t yet. I have to hold back so I can gather vital information.

“How much would you be willing to give me to walk out of this room unscathed?” Not that she will. Doc isn’t aware that she’ll be ribbons after I’m done with her.

I raise my brows when her lips quiver, and her beady eyes glue to my every move. She flinches back when I collect my favorite hunting knife, thick with sharp edges, and perfect for splitting flesh like butter. My mind wanders to the knife I found in my little ghost’s drawer alongside her badge and vibrator. She and I have good taste. Now, if only my knife were engraved with such a powerful word as hers.

That would be fun. Matching couple’s knives. I wonder if my little ghost would want it as a wedding gift? Eh. No matter, I’ll figure it all out later once I’m done with my current adventure.

“Hello, beautiful,” I hum to myself, bringing the clean knife to view it better in the light. “Isn’t she gorgeous, Doc?” Satisfaction roars through me when the good doctor whimpers from behind my back, desperately pulling at her restraints and trying to run from me. “Is this how you feel when you look at your scalpels? Does your blood pump through your ears to the beat of your heart?” Because mine sure does. Every time I touch my precious knife, I come alive. The numbness floating around inside me evaporates. Poof! Gone. Replaced by a light that should probably be there all the time, but isn’t.

“I have a lot of money, and it’s all yours. Say the word,” she shrieks in garbled sentences, nearly choking on her own saliva. Unacceptable. If anyone is going to choke the life out of her, it won’t be by her own fluids. No. It’ll be me with this knife in the torture room. I grin when she reels back, banging the back of her head off the chair. Her eyes are filled with so much terror I could probably swim in it.

“You’re so afraid,” I say, sniffing the air with a grin. Any humanity she thought she might have seen before disappears before her eyes. The real Maniac has come to play, and boy, does he love a good screaming prey begging for her life. “Nothing to be afraid of, Doc.” Lies. There’s plenty to be afraid of, but I can’t scare her out of her skin yet. Nope.

So I settle for placing the sharpened edge of the knife at her throat, loving the way it bobs against the edge and pricks her flesh, forcing blood to dribble from her self-inflicted wounds.

“Delicious,” I murmur to myself, standing above her. “Now, Good Doctor. I want to play a game called tell me everything I want to know, and you get to keep your esophagus. Okay?” She doesn’t dare nod when I lean in further, staring straight into her panic-filled eyes. “So, tell me, where exactly do you get your endless funds?” I hum with a delightful sense of resolution coming my way. Knock, knock, Malic. Your sister is right around the corner. I feel it in the damn breaths I take. Or maybe that’s the sweat and sickness coming from the good doctor practically shitting herself at the sight of me.

Oh, well.

“I-I…” she stammers, flinching when the knife digs deeper into her flesh with her own movements. “My-my purse,” she stiffly gestures with a finger to the big black bag she was carrying out of the blood drive when I finally caught up to her. How smart of me to have included that in the kidnapping. “The m-m-money is in there!” she shouts again, snotting everywhere as she cries.

“Hmm. Not exactly what I asked, Doc.” I shrug, taking a step back. I eye her up and down, taking in the mess she’s made.

Snotty face. Tears everywhere. Blood dripping from her throat. It’s a beautiful combination and well deserved.

For someone so confident, she’s crumbling under the pressure quickly. I thought doctors were supposed to be composed in the face of danger. Eh. Whatever. Bravery will get her nowhere now. Only the truth will set her free.

Sometimes I want my playthings to fight tooth and nail for their freedom. Other times? I want them dead quickly after spilling their secrets.

This is one of those times.