But we’re going to the base level, where I know no one will be, not at this time of night.
When the lift stops and the doors open, Raleigh pushes past us, trying to run, and Maverick barks out a laugh. “I love it when they run.”
His eyes light up as he stalks after our prey. I stroll casually from the car, knowing that Raleigh isn’t getting far. Even if I did doubt that Mav would catch him, there’s no way out of here except the way we just came in.
The lights along the walls of the circular room flicker on, starting at the doors as they close behind us and slowly making their way to the opposite end of the expanse.
A strangled scream fills the room, followed by the crunch of bone, just as the last of the lights flicker on, illuminating Maverick standing over Raleigh’s quivering body.
I move toward the single metal chair in the middle of the room, nodding to Mav who drags Raleigh toward it by an ankle that juts at an unnatural angle. I move to the left of the room, running my hand over the hidden panels in the wall to open the cubbies I want access to, and grab cable ties and lighter fluid before closing them.
Between the two of us, we have everything else we need already.
By the time I get back to them, Raleigh is trembling with his ass firmly planted in the chair. I throw the cable ties to Mav, who catches the pack in one hand, his sadistic smile widening. “Move again, and I’ll cut you open and play with your insides while you watch.”
I don’t doubt Maverick would do it either. A smile plays on my lips at the squeak Raleigh lets out as Mav binds him to the chair. Mav steps back, admiring his handy work before nodding. There’s no way Raleigh is leaving here without us.
“It’s not so fun being the one with no control, is it?”
I tilt my head as I ask the question, letting him see the monster I keep caged inside of me. He gulps audibly and I smile.
“I wasn’t going to—”
“Ah, ah. Do not lie to us,” Maverick says, waving the tip of his blade in Raleigh’s face. “Digging for the truth is one of my favorite things to do.”
He cuts through the QB’s t-shirt until he’s sitting topless, then does the same to his jeans so he’s sitting bared to us.
That’ll teach him to go commando.
Mav bounces giddily once he throws the cut up clothing across the room.
“What are you going to do to me?”
I move across the room to lean on the wall, letting Mav have his fun. I won’t let it go too far. While the Knights might overlook us maiming him a little, I’m pretty sure the punishment for killing him is more than either of us are willing to pay.
“Nothing less than a rapist deserves,” Mav replies, dragging his blade from the hollow of the worm’s throat, down to the bottom of his abdomen, laughing as Raleigh roars in pain. “What’s wrong? Don’t like being defiled? Made to bleed? I told you she was off-limits, you should have listened.”
I watch as Mav works his blade like a master. There really isn’t much worse than death by a thousand cuts. Raleigh’s skin peels open like butter under the knife, and blood runs from his wounds like a gloriously macabre waterfall, mixing with the pool of piss beneath the chair.
Some of these scars will fade, but not all of them. Maverick avoids his face—the Knights don’t usually like it when you mess up the pretty faces that belong to them.
“Should I peel your dick like a banana? I bet my knife would enjoy that real good,” Mav taunts before I tune him out and ignore the scene playing out before me. I don’t enjoy this shit like he does, but I’m not about to hide from it either after what this asshole tried to do to V.
After a while, the screams Mav tears from him don’t even really register. Except for when he pours on the lighter fluid and they get even more high-pitched. But when Raleigh falls silent and looks like he’s going to pass out, I step in. “Enough.”
Mav steps back, covered in almost as much blood as Raleigh. “I was barely getting into it.” I quirk a brow at him and he barks out a laugh before shrugging. “At least let me finish what I started?”
He motions to the cuts on Raleigh’s crotch, and I look, trying not to laugh. “Go on.” I wave, encouraging him, and Raleigh cries out as Mav finishes carving the T of rapist into his skin.
Ink can be removed. Scars are forever if you cut deep enough.
When Mav is done, I pull one of the guns from the holster and point it at Raleigh’s head. I smile as his screams turn hysterical. “You said you couldn’t kill me. I heard you from the trunk. You said he couldn’t kill me!”
“I guess I did, didn’t I? Though I didn’t say I couldn’t kill you.” I tilt my head and laugh before lowering the gun, levelling it at his dick and letting off a round. “That won’t kill you at least.”
His screams echo violently off the distant walls, almost matched in volume with Maverick’s laughter.
“Next time you’re warned… Pay fucking attention. Do not touch things that aren’t yours. Especially when they’re ours.” I holster the gun as his head lolls to one side, his eyes unfocused and glassy, before heading back to the elevator with Maverick on my heels. When the car arrives, we climb in and I hit the number three.