Page 86
Story: Playing With Fire
His head lolled back and he squinted up at me. “Rob? What the fuck, man?”
“I need you to fucking tell me about when Cassie died.”
“What? Why?”
“Because Giulia is doing it to me too!”
He blinked several times, shaking his head at me. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about the fact that Giulia is trying to kill someone I love!”
“Giulia who?”
I kicked his chair, sending him flying to his back. Then I marched over to Knight’s work table and grabbed the first knife I found. If Ryan wouldn’t talk, I’d make him. I knelt down beside Ryan and pressed the tip of the knife to his cheek.
“Listen, I don’t want to have to hurt you, but I will. Tell me what I want to know!”
Ryan’s eyes filled with tears. I really didn’t want to do this to such a nice guy, but there was a time when every man had to stand up for what he believed in.
“I can’t tell you anything!”
I sucked in a deep breath. “I’m really sorry about ruining your pretty face.” Then I sliced from mid-cheek to his jaw. He did everything he was supposed to. He screamed and cried, but the problem was…there was no blood.
I held up the knife and pressed my finger to the tip. “It’s a fucking rubber knife!” I shouted, throwing it hard against the wall. I stormed over to the bench and grabbed another, this time checking it. The blade sank into the hilt. It was one of those spring-loaded knives that was used for show.
One by one, I checked each weapon, praying I could find what I was looking for, but not a single weapon was real. “Fake,” I muttered. “Everything is fake.”
I spun around and marched back over to Ryan, grabbing him by the hair. “Do you believe me now? Everything in this room is fake!”
“Because Knight has a fake chamber he uses!”
“Bullshit! Don’t you think I would have known about that? Why would a man who loves to kill people have a fake torture room?”
“Because he promised Kate he wouldn’t kill anyone!” Ryan cried. “He can still let off steam, but won’t hurt anyone!”
“You expect me to believe that? She just wrote that in! I bet she’s watching right now.”
I stood suddenly, looking around the room for cameras. She probably knew I was trying to turn Ryan, and was forcing the situation in her favor.
Ryan lifted his head, the panic clear on his face. “Whatever’s going on, you need to calm down. Maybe…maybe we can get someone to help.”
I spun around and glared at him. “That’s what you’re here for. I need your help.”
“Okay, okay,” he said, trying to calm me down. “So…just…explain it again. Tell me what’s going on.”
I knew he was just leading me on, trying to pretend that he really cared, but it was only so he would stay alive a little longer. I didn’t need to kill him to prove my point.
Then again…
If I tried to kill him, Giulia wouldn’t allow it. It wasn’t part of her master plan. I strode toward him, looking down at him and feeling guilty, but it was the only way to prove to him that I was telling the truth. “I’m really sorry about this.”
“About what?” He asked, his eyes growing wide.
I grabbed the chair and hauled him upright, then stepped behind him. “You won’t feel a thing. I promise.
“Don’t—“
In a flash, I torqued his neck, snapping it instantly. I heard the horrid crunch just before his head fell limply to the side. Stepping back, I stared at my handiwork, running my hand through my hair. “Come on,” I whispered.
“I need you to fucking tell me about when Cassie died.”
“What? Why?”
“Because Giulia is doing it to me too!”
He blinked several times, shaking his head at me. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about the fact that Giulia is trying to kill someone I love!”
“Giulia who?”
I kicked his chair, sending him flying to his back. Then I marched over to Knight’s work table and grabbed the first knife I found. If Ryan wouldn’t talk, I’d make him. I knelt down beside Ryan and pressed the tip of the knife to his cheek.
“Listen, I don’t want to have to hurt you, but I will. Tell me what I want to know!”
Ryan’s eyes filled with tears. I really didn’t want to do this to such a nice guy, but there was a time when every man had to stand up for what he believed in.
“I can’t tell you anything!”
I sucked in a deep breath. “I’m really sorry about ruining your pretty face.” Then I sliced from mid-cheek to his jaw. He did everything he was supposed to. He screamed and cried, but the problem was…there was no blood.
I held up the knife and pressed my finger to the tip. “It’s a fucking rubber knife!” I shouted, throwing it hard against the wall. I stormed over to the bench and grabbed another, this time checking it. The blade sank into the hilt. It was one of those spring-loaded knives that was used for show.
One by one, I checked each weapon, praying I could find what I was looking for, but not a single weapon was real. “Fake,” I muttered. “Everything is fake.”
I spun around and marched back over to Ryan, grabbing him by the hair. “Do you believe me now? Everything in this room is fake!”
“Because Knight has a fake chamber he uses!”
“Bullshit! Don’t you think I would have known about that? Why would a man who loves to kill people have a fake torture room?”
“Because he promised Kate he wouldn’t kill anyone!” Ryan cried. “He can still let off steam, but won’t hurt anyone!”
“You expect me to believe that? She just wrote that in! I bet she’s watching right now.”
I stood suddenly, looking around the room for cameras. She probably knew I was trying to turn Ryan, and was forcing the situation in her favor.
Ryan lifted his head, the panic clear on his face. “Whatever’s going on, you need to calm down. Maybe…maybe we can get someone to help.”
I spun around and glared at him. “That’s what you’re here for. I need your help.”
“Okay, okay,” he said, trying to calm me down. “So…just…explain it again. Tell me what’s going on.”
I knew he was just leading me on, trying to pretend that he really cared, but it was only so he would stay alive a little longer. I didn’t need to kill him to prove my point.
Then again…
If I tried to kill him, Giulia wouldn’t allow it. It wasn’t part of her master plan. I strode toward him, looking down at him and feeling guilty, but it was the only way to prove to him that I was telling the truth. “I’m really sorry about this.”
“About what?” He asked, his eyes growing wide.
I grabbed the chair and hauled him upright, then stepped behind him. “You won’t feel a thing. I promise.
“Don’t—“
In a flash, I torqued his neck, snapping it instantly. I heard the horrid crunch just before his head fell limply to the side. Stepping back, I stared at my handiwork, running my hand through my hair. “Come on,” I whispered.
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