back to her. “No, Zella. Mr. Murray is my associate.”
She kept her attention on Mason. “You killed my dad. I saw what you did. Darrell should have killed both of you.” When we didn’t speak, her volume rose. “Why’d you do it?”
“Why do you think?”
“I don’t know. He was a good man.” The chain clanked as she paced back and forth, pulling on her hair as she shook. “You lied to him. You said he won money. He never lied.”
Her display continued for a few minutes, recalling the happenings of the day before, sprinkled with accolades for a man who didn’t deserve them. Through it all, she worked herself into a frenzy, kicking the chain and pulling at her hair. Finally, Mason stood. “Zella, I’m Mason Pierce. Do you remember me?”
Her eyes opened wide. “You’re dead. I read about it. Your mom said you died.” Her body quaked. “Am I dead?” She looked at me. “I saw you shot.” She began to scream. “I’m dead.”
“No, Zella.” Mason spoke calmly. “You’re alive at this moment and so am I.” Mason sat back in the chair, still straddling the back. “What can you tell me about Nancy?”
“She’s a crackhead piece of shit who would do anything for a hit.”
There was a saying about a pot and a kettle that was on the tip of my tongue.
“When did you see her last?” Mason asked.
Zella’s head again shook from side to side. “No. I can’t talk about that.”
Mason looked at me and lifted his chin toward the duffel bag. Following his lead, I went to it and picked it up. Mason stood and took the bag, placing it on the seat of the chair.
“What is that? What do you have? I don’t like kink, but I’ll do it. No whips. I don’t like whips. Is that what you have?” Zella’s questions continued as Mason removed items from the bag.
The first item was a rope, thick and strong, made of a tough blend that was less likely to result in marks. Next was a ball gag. I continued to watch as various instruments were revealed, including but not limited to dental extraction pliers, wire cutters, knives, and scalpels. By the time he had everything laid upon a felt sheet, Zella’s questions had ended. Or at least, she’d stopped vocalizing them.
Her complaints changed to whimpers as together we secured her to a different metal chair, her legs attached to the legs, her hands attached to the arms. The undersides of her arms were littered with needle marks. Her mouth opened wide to accommodate the ball as he secured the gag behind her head.
“I told you that I need answers,” Mason said once she was in place. “First, I want to remind you of who I am.”
I stood back and watched as a combination of Mason Pierce and Kader went to work. Initially, he sliced the front of her top, revealing her sagging tits and post pregnancy stomach. It wasn’t so much fat as stretched non-elastic skin on her too-thin frame. Next, he cut the pants. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit I was relieved she was wearing underwear. Her thin legs were covered in small bruises and scabs, indicative of heroin use.
With her skin now exposed, Mason picked up the scalpel. It sliced her skin with the ease of a butter knife going through warm butter. No incision was anything more than superficial as crimson dripped from various wounds over her arms, torso, and legs.
As he worked, he reminded Zella about their childhood. The stories he told turned my stomach even more than Zella’s offer of sexual pleasures. Though Mason spoke without emotion, I couldn’t help but picture a young and helpless Mason and Lorna.
My heart ached with the pain that he wasn’t vocalizing. As I watched, my mind was on Lorna, wanting to get back to her, wanting to hold her and do whatever I could to make up for the shit I’d never known she’d experienced.
Finally, Mason removed the gag.
Zella spit and coughed as she moved her jaw back and forth. “You son of a bitch.”
“Technically, you’re right.” Mason brought the scalpel to her cheek. “If I didn’t want to hear your answers, I’d cut out your tongue.” He smiled in an alarming way. In that moment, I understood the comments Patrick and Sparrow had made about Kader and agreed wholeheartedly that we were fucking lucky that he was on our side. “Do you have any idea how much a human tongue bleeds?”