said shit about this to Phoenix or my father. I’d stake my life on it. If he had, there’s no way he’d still be collecting.
Right?
I mean, Dad is a businessman. He wouldn’t accept a loss without doing something about it.
But Jase doesn’t want to be demoted and he knows if he shows up short, Dad will take a foot to his ass.
Here I was, thinking he was just too dumb to notice.
Maybe he’s smarter than I give him credit for being.
He grabs the manager, a guy named Joey, and turns his head toward me. “Joey has some paperwork to show us,” he hisses.
I glance at Joey, who looks like he’s about to shit himself. I slide a hand into my pocket and my fingers close around my trusty box cutter.
Fucking A. Shit is gonna get bloody.
I follow Jase and Joey into one of the back offices and Jase slams the door shut behind us. “I’m gonna make this nice and easy, Joey,” he says in a gruff voice. “Where is the missing cash? I know what was delivered during the week, and I know what was sold.”
Joey looks from me to Jase and walks over to his desk. I can see his Adam’s apple bob in his throat even though he stands straight and tall, like he’s got a rod stuck up his ass.
Does he really think he’s gonna be able to protect himself from us using that desk as armor?
And that rod thing...with Jase, anything is possible.
“I wasn’t here for a couple of days, so maybe someone got into the safe and—”
“Bullshit!” Jase bellows. “You know exactly what happened to the money. Tell me and you save your tongue.” He snaps his fingers at me and I pull out the weapon, sliding the stainless steel blade up. The tip gleams under the ceiling lights.
Joey claps a hand over his mouth, eyes so wide they look as if they’re gonna pop out of his skull.
I can make that happen, too.
Adrenaline courses through me as Jase berates the guy for fucking around with our cash. My fingers twitch as we get closer and closer to the best fucking part of the visit.
The part where all of the rage eating away at my insides gets to be unleashed.
It’s like an orgasm...of the fucking explosive and mind-numbing kind.
Before Charlotte, I used to think it was the best kind of release since no pussy ever came close to making me feel the way I do when I slice off extremities.
Now it's a far second.
Still good, though.
“Tell me,” Jase yells, stomping toward Joey and grabbing a fistful of his hair. “Where’s the money?”
“I don’t have it!” Joey yelps. “I swear!”
“Then who does?”
“I wasn’t here! I don’t know who took it!”
“You’re fucking lying to me,” Jase says in an eerily calm voice, tugging Joey’s head backward and motioning for me to step closer. “Xander, show Joey what we will do to him if he doesn’t give us our answers.”
I smirk, holding out the box cutter in front of his face. I dangle it in front of his eyes for a few seconds, then with one sharp motion, I slice at his cheek.
And then again.
X marks the spot.
Joey shrieks like a bitch, his hand flying up to his face. Blood dribbles from the cuts, spilling over his fingertips. “Please, stop!”
“Stop?” Jase says with a snicker. “We’ve only started. I told you what’s gonna happen to your tongue if you don’t start talking. Do you need some more proof? Because I’m sure my brother would be happy to show you how skilled he is with that thing.”
“I didn’t take your money!”
“Then who did?” I slide the blade against his other cheek, puncturing the skin with the bloody tip. Tears spill from Joey’s eyes, panicked sobs making his chest heave.
Jase rolls his eyes. “Enough with the bullshit, Joey. Where’s my goddamn money?”
Joey sputters and chokes a little as Jase clutches his head and slams it face-first on the top of the desk. He forces Joey to his knees. “Stick out your tongue,” he says.
Joey’s mouth shuts and Jase cups his chin, forcing his mouth open. “If you don’t stick it out,” he hisses. “I’ll have to poke your fucking eyes out first so you can’t see the box cutter coming.”
Another bloodcurdling scream shakes the walls. Jase smirks at me. “Good thing the music is so loud.”
“Better that the place is soundproofed,” I say with a dry chuckle. I position the tip of the blade right at the center of