“So you do know who I am. Shocking.”
“Joe, you don’t understand.”
“I think I understand just fine. You and your psycho friends have been doing this for a long time. It’s over as of today. We caught Larry Wade, and now we’ve got you. But before I call the cops in here to drag your ass off to prison, I have a question for you. Who the hell is the third guy who abducted my brother?”
Tom pursed his lips into a line.
“Just like Larry. You’re not talking. What the hell does this guy have on the two of you?”
His lips remained closed.
“You know, I wasn’t in the Marines like Talon was. I don’t have any experience torturing people. But I do have a very imaginative mind. I bet I could get you to talk.”
He shook his head, his lips still pursed.
I was talking a big game. I had no idea if there was anything in the tiny house that I could torture him with, and I didn’t really relish the idea of doing anything other than pummeling him into tomorrow. But I had to do something. Something that would hurt him enough to talk.
“Ever been fucked in the ass, Tom?”
Tom stiffened. He was trying to remain unfazed, but this got to him. I could tell. The sweat was meandering down the sides of his face now, and he inhaled a swift breath.
“Don’t get too excited. I have no intention of doing the deed myself. Unlike you, I can only get a hard-on for women I feel something for. Not some poor soul down in the basement, and certainly not little boys and girls. And definitely not you. But I bet there’s something around here that I could shove up your tight virgin ass. Something big. Something to make you feel what it felt like to my brother all those times.”
“Joe, please…” Tom strained against his duct tape bindings.
“Begging? Really? You? The quintessential iceman?” I paced around the living room, eyeing everything, looking for something long and thick. “Do you really think I give a fuck? You’re delusional. How many times did Talon beg you? How many, Tom? How about Luke? How about that poor guy in the basement?”
He opened his mouth again, but I slugged him with a right hook.
“Not interested. Let’s just say that every time you open your mouth, I’m going to torture you longer.”
“You could never torture anyone, Joe.” He lifted one corner of his mouth in a half smile. His face went stoic. The iceman had returned. “You don’t have it in you.”
Rage swelled within me. “You have no idea how mean I am. Part of me died that day when you took my brother. Part of my humanity…and it never fucking grew back.”
That was a lie. Melanie had nurtured what was missing within me, and I had been on the road to becoming whole again.
But she was gone now.
And right now, I wasn’t feeling real human. In front of me sat one of the monsters who had tortured my brother.
Payback time.
I walked into the kitchen and zeroed in on an old broom standing in the corner. Not thick enough, but it would have to do. I broke it over my knee and regarded the splintered ends.
Yeah. One of those would do it.
Weapon in hand, I returned to the living room, where Tom had hopped to the door. I grabbed him by the arm and yanked him back down onto the couch.
I held up the splintered piece of broom handle. “What do you think I can do with this?”
His eyes widened. Only slightly, but I noticed. Then his irises flicked to the right and back. The iceman was melting again.
“I see you’re getting the picture. But first—” I channeled every bit of strength I had and whipped Tom across the cheek with the stick.
He grunted, but still, his countenance was unfazed.
“Enjoy that? We’re just getting started.” I whipped him again, this time on his shoulder.