The moment Tristan’s orgasm fades, he grabs hold of my shoulders and flips me onto my back. Covering me with his body, he sucks my tongue into his mouth. He doesn’t stop until my lips are numb with tingles.
Lifting his head, there’s a look of absolute love on his face. “I could fuck you all night long, but you need sleep, or you’ll be dead on your feet tomorrow.”
“Okay,” I murmur.
Wrapped up in each other, we finally fall asleep.
Chapter 16
TRISTAN
I’ve been learning the fine art of torture for four days now.
During the day, I work, and before I see Hana, I pay a visit to Ballmer.
Standing in front of him, I take in the masterpiece I’ve created.
The knives in his knees.
The missing teeth I pulled out with pliers. His screams… Christ, his screams.
The missing fingers on his right hand. The begging.
The blood coloring the whites of his eyes. The fear… it only fed the darkness.
The broken nose.
“Please,” he whimpers weakly where he’s sitting in his own shit and piss.
My eyes snap to Alexei, and he nods slowly. “Now’s the time.”
Walking over to the table, I finally pick up the sledgehammer.
When I come to a standstill in front of Ballmer, I say, “I’ve heard sledgehammers are excellent for heavier jobs.”
“They are,” Alexei agrees.
“Don’t,” Ballmer wails pitifully. “Please.”
Even though I’ve tortured him, and he has nothing to live for, he’s still scared out of his mind to die. The fear vibrating from him is palpable.
My lips curve up as I grip the handle with both hands. Lifting the hammer above my head, I remember Hana’s tears. Letting out a growl, I use everything I have in me, bringing the hammer down on his head.
I’m rewarded with a dull thud and blood trickling down his face from his cracked skull. He twitches, a gargling sound escaping his gaping mouth.
My growl turns to roars as I begin to bash his head in until blood, bone, and brains splatter everywhere.
Breathless, I stumble back. I drop the hammer and then take in the sight before me. My top lip twitches as I drink in the destruction.
Alexei comes to throw his arm around my shoulders. “Breathe it in, brother. There’s nothing like the smell of death, especially when it’s your first kill.”
Having finally taken my revenge, I lift my bloody hand and pat Alexei’s back. “Thank you.”
“My greatest pleasure,” he chuckles. “First we clean up, then we drink.”
I let out a chuckle and watch as Alexei signals for Mr. Wan and his crew of cleaners that have been waiting for me to finish off Ballmer. They get to work, dismembering the carcass. Piece by piece, they throw it in a container of acid.
My smile grows as I watch the fucker dissolve bit by bit until there’s nothing left. When the warehouse has been cleared of any trace of what happened here, I walk to the back of my car and take out the leather bag with the agreed-upon amount inside.
When I hand it to Mr. Wan, he tips his head and hands me a bottle of paint thinners. “A gift for you.”
I nod. “Thank you.”
Mr. Wan and his crew take care of any cleaning jobs Alexei has. I get a feeling I’ll be seeing them often in the future.
I use the thinners to clean the blood off of me and the remainder to burn the clothes I was wearing.
Once everything has been taken care of, Alexei turns to Demitri. “Take my car home.” He opens the passenger door to my car. “We’re going to celebrate.”
I feel restless when I walk into the offices of Indie Ink. It’s been two weeks since I got rid of Ballmer, and the hunger for more still crawls under my skin.
I don’t belong at Indie Ink anymore. The work is tedious and soul-crushing.
I ignore everyone as I make my way to my office, and I’ve just shut the door behind me when it opens again.
“Morning,” Ryker says, and while I’m taking off my jacket, he takes a seat in front of my desk. “You’ve been quiet lately.”
I smile at him as I sit down in my chair, rolling up my sleeves. “Hana.”
Ryker’s one eyebrow lifts. “That serious?”
“If it were up to me, she’d be living with me already.”
Ryker lets out a low whistle, then he jokes, “Damn, from playboy to committed in less than a year.”
I let out a chuckle. “How are things with you?”
“Same shit, different day,” he answers. His eyes lock with mine, and then he tilts his head. “There’s something different about you.”
I shrug and open my laptop.
His eyes narrow, then he murmurs, “You really love her.”
“More than anything,” I admit.
A wide smile spreads over his face. “I’m happy for you.” He gets up, then asks, “Drinks this weekend?”
“Sure. Friday?”
Ryker nods, and then I watch as he walks to the door.