“Let’s play a game?” Carlito draws my attention back to him as he leans against the window ledge.
“I ask a question, and you answer—“
“That's not a game. That’s called a conversation.” I snark, immediately regretting it when he pulls out his lighter.
“I’m in charge, so I’ll say it one more time before we leave you here to burn. Shut. The. Fuck. Up.” He snarls like an animal, and I swallow the lump forming in my throat.
“Now, how long do you think it will be before he comes for you?” He pouts his lip out in question. I don’t answer, and he tenses his brows for a second before looking like he remembers something.
“You can answer me.” He folds his hands over his chest like he’s hugging himself, and I grind my teeth at his eyes trailing over my body.
“He thinks I’ve left already, so I think it’s safe to say you’ll be waiting here a while.” I scrunch my nose and narrow my eyes. His face twitches angrily, and he looks to the guys guarding both sides of the stairs.
“Lee’s such a prick. He’ll definitely tell the boss about not picking her up. And that note you left. Genius.” Barnes is kissing ass, but it works. Carlito nods slowly before looking back at me.
“But, I’m so bored.” He shrugs, getting up from the wall and squatting down beside me. I lift my eyes to him, not turning my face, but he does it for me, grabbing my chin between his fingers and aggressively yanking. I meet his eyes as he takes out his knife. He brings it up to my throat and presses hard enough that I'm struggling to breathe again for fear that if I move, it will slice right into my flesh.
“If you weren’t the best god-damn bargaining chip in LA, I would slit your throat for pushing Pops to retire before I could prove myself to him.” He says through grit teeth before pulling the knife away. Time ticks by, but I feel as though we are suspended between reality and death. If I die today, it won’t just be my life the world is parting with. I know this, but I hold it tightly to my chest because I know a secret like that will evoke instant action.
Carlito watches me as I slump against the bricks, helpless, weak, dizzy, defenseless. He has some nerve to try to kill his way to the top. I know I don’t fully understand his messed-up world, but I know enough that betraying family isn’t how they do business. The security he’s stolen is enough to enrage Vince. Still, even with wanting me gone, I know him well enough to know that this is an abhorrent act against him. He won’t view it any other way. Carlito will be lucky to make it out of here alive with his head in one piece. (And I don’t mean that metaphorically.)
“Fuck.” Carlito eventually yells at an echoing volume. “This is taking forever.” He groans, before crouching over me again, knife in hand.
“Maybe he needs a little motivation.” He narrows his eyes, and I gulp another time. He can’t be this insane. The man who was silent most of our dinner, the one who rarely made eye contact and looked as level-headed as an even scale. I watch as he brings the knife up to my chest, slowly dragging the back of it over my collarbones, across my shoulder, down my arm, to my wrist.
“Maybe we cut here?” He looks back to the guys who don’t say a word.
“Or here?” He brings it down to my stomach, and I immediately react.
“Fuck you,” I growl, and he tilts his head in question.
“No.” He breathes a laugh, shaking his head a little.
“The perfect girl.” He bit his lip, looking at my stomach, and I’m not confident we’re on the same page, but I really don’t want to find out.
“Well, then that’s just it, isn’t it.” He flashes a devious grin, looking into my eyes.
“You can’t expect me not to…” his eyes trail back down to my stomach in realization.
“Does he know?” He whispered, still looking at it intently.
“Know what?” I jeer, and his eyes flicker with an even darker look that makes him unrecognizable.
“Know that you’re pregnant with his child?” he looks up at me with a dark grin, every semblance of humanity erased from his face.
“Don’t lie now.” He laughs, holding up the knife to remind me of my position. I swallow again, watching as he brings the tip of the blade to my chest. Slowly he moves it down, getting closer and closer to my baby. I grit my teeth, and a tear leaks from my eyes as he covers my mouth with his free hand, preparing to do the unthinkable.
I squeeze my eyes shut and call Vince as if he could hear my thoughts scream for him to come before it’s too late. Maybe it’s already too late.