Slither’s brows almost touched his hairline, his palm placed on his chest. “Such aggression. It’s hurting my feelings.”
“When I’m done with you, it will be much more than just your feelings hurting.” The threat hung between us, thick and toxic, and I wanted it to explode. I wanted it to take control of us so we could end this once and for all. “You sure have a big mouth when all of us here have at least one reason for wanting to slice your throat.”
Slither laughed, and his legion of delinquents joined in. He pulled out a cigarette and lit it, the smell of nicotine and deadly tension wafting over us.
The cloud of smoke he blew out drifted away in the breeze, and I stood there hoping he would choke on his next goddamn breath.
“I thought we had a deal.” He looked straight at Granite. “I tell you where your girl is, and you stay out of my fucking business. Was that not our deal?”
“It was.” Granite finally removed his arm from my chest, stepping closer to Slither. “We have a deal.”
“Then why go behind my back, setting up a meeting withmybuyers?”
“Buyers you stole from us by enforcing a deal that, in my opinion, means nothing,” I spat. “This fucking deal you’re referring to would never have happened if you didn’t kidnap Alyx in the first place.” I was ready to rip his fucking head off, practically smelling the stench of his rotting corpse. There was no word in the dictionary that could aptly relay the magnitude of my hate toward this motherfucking demon.
Slither shrugged. “What can I say? My plan was brilliant.”
“Your plan will soon bite you in the ass.”
“Is that a threat?”
“Sure is.”
He smiled, his split tongue darting out of his mouth, the tentacles twisting and curving like devil fingers. “Oh, I doubt you’ll ever have the balls to make good on that threat…little brother.”
More than anything, I wanted to wipe that mocking look from his face by peeling his skin off, one tattooed snake scale at a time.
He turned his attention to Granite. “But maybe the little brother will do better at keeping his word.”
“Fuck off, Slither,” Granite snarled. “You’re not exactly the one who can take the moral high ground around here.”
“True.” He flicked his cigarette butt a few feet away. “But I’m not you.” He lurked closer, menace oozing out of him like pus, his existence as vile as a septic wound. “I’m not the notorious Granite, president of the American Street Kings. The man known for his underhanded dealings with the rich and his noble acts toward the poor. You have a reputation to uphold, people to impress. Me? I don’t give a fuck what people think about me. And the best part? I don’t have to give a fuck because no one expects me to be,” he licked his lips, “a man of my word...like you.”
Dutch moved closer, Ink and Manic now flanking us. Everyone’s instinct was on high alert, my senses tuned in to every threat. Hate and rage pulsed between us and them like the heartbeat of hell. We were on the brink of cold-blooded carnage, and I desperately wanted to be tipped over that edge so I could unleash the bloodlust that seethed inside me.
Granite stood strong, the epitome of cool, calm, and collected. It was something he did well, pretending to be unfazed and settled in extreme circumstances. But I knew all too well what kind of turbulence stormed under that cool façade. Granite was two seconds away from ripping Slither’s tongue out.
Slither cocked his head, never taking his eyes off Granite. “What’s the matter, big man? Cat caught your tongue?” His split tongue slithered out of his mouth, moving around like insect feelers in the fucking wind.
Granite took an intimidating step forward, close enough for Slither to drive a blade in his abdomen if he wanted to. But Granite held the tension, like a pebble in the palm of his hand, controlling where it would land next.
“You might think you have the upper hand, Slither. That you’re one step ahead of us. But that ill-placed confidence of yours will be your downfall.”
“Listen to that. Two threats in one day.” Slither grinned, amusement sticking to his face like dirt. “Must be my lucky day.”
“You bet your ass it is,” Ink interrupted. “If it wasn’t, I’d be standing with your spine in my hand right about now.”
Slither looked his way. “Such hatred.” He closed his eyes and let out a moan. “Hmmm. It’s giving me a hard-on.”
“Fuck you,” Ink spat, his entire body shaking.
“I know you have more than enough reason to want my head on a spike.” He shrugged. “After all, I did ruin one of your own. Or was it two?” He feigned a thoughtful look. “Well, three if you count the girl with the unicorn pussy. What’s her name again? Magenta? No. Indigo—”
“Neon, you sick fuck!” Ink’s words practically bled out of his mouth.
“Oh, yes.” He pinned his stare on Ink. “Neon.”
“I’m going to gut you, I swear to God.”