Chapter 16

The Fix Or Fire.

Sage

His blood hit the floor in thick, syrupy drips, soaking into the cheap carpet like spilled wine. My knuckles were raw from the last punch, my blade slick with his blood, I’d tied him to the rusted radiator with zip ties and wire, and his shoulder was already dislocated from the way he thrashed when I carved into his thigh. Still, he said nothing. Not a fucking word. His eyes were wild with pain, but there was something colder beneath it, pride, maybe. Or fear of someone bigger than me. That made my stomach twist. I was a nightmare in flesh, a trained killer, a walking fucking ghost and this asshole was still more afraid of someone else. Unacceptable.

“You’ve got five seconds to start making sounds that mean something,” I growled, dragging the blade slowly across his collarbone, just deep enough to sting. You know how many nerves are in the shoulder? I can make your arm twitch like a fucking puppet.”

He spat blood at me, grinning with cracked teeth. “Fuck you.”

I kicked him in the gut so hard he heaved. “Wrong answer.”

1 yanked his head back by his hair, pressing the blade beneath his jaw, just under the bone. “You’re already dead. You know that, right? This is just… bonus time. The pain? That’s the interest.”