Page 111 of Massacre Monday

“Fine. But I’m holding the weapon.”

Glock loadedwith one in the chamber, I don’t hesitate to bust into The Underpass’s inner hall that used to be a place for city equipment storage. I’ve never been allowed in the back room, but that’s about to change.

Oz trails behind my right shoulder, but at a far enough pace away that it doesn’t appear as though he’s on my side. My baby cousin, Wyatt Donovan, Ashlyn’s younger brother, stands in front of the door like he’s the guard.

“Move, kid,” I say before I even reach the end of the hall.

“Uh…” His big blue eyes glance at Oz, who doesn’t say a word.

“Wyatt, seriously. Shouldn’t you be in school right now?”

“We’re on fall break.”

“How many fuckingbreaksdo you guys get?”

He shrugs in reply, his oversized leather jacket swallowing his frame.

“Don’t make me hurt you.”

“Pip, you couldn’t?—”

Before he’s finished with his sentence, one of my arms is around his neck and twists his body until I can leverage it over my hip and onto the ground. “Should have moved,” I say with an annoyed sigh, standing over his writhing figure.

He groans and begs me, “Don’t tell Adal, please.”

Sliding right past him, I throw open the metal door, and my heart stops.

In the center of the malodorous room, tied to a wooden chair, is Ryan. Bruises of various colors coat his beautiful face. Blood seeps from several cuts on his bare chest, which heaves in breaths as if he can’t get enough air. His normally cheerful eyes look exhausted. I’ve never seen them so dull.

The stench of urine and feces hovers like a fog, and I wonder how long my brothers have been up to this torture, though I don’t see any instruments lying about. Perhaps they only used their knives.

Nico leans against the far wall, smoking a cigarette as Adal runs his hands through his short black hair and paces in front of my boyfriend.

Adal freezes when he spots me. “What in the actual fuck, Pip? What are you doing here?”

“Oz, get her out of here!” Nico yells at the same time.

“Pink cheeks… It’s okay. We came to an understanding,” Ryan says, but it’s clear his mouth has been busted so much he can barely enunciate the words.

I raise my Glock toward Nico. “Let him go.” With a wave of the barrel, I point toward my lover. “Nico, untie him now.”

“Oh, come on, Pip-squeak. You wouldn’t shoot me.”

Narrowing my eyes, I tell him, “I absolutely will.”

Adal stands between us and extends his hands out to his sides. Like he’s going to convince me to lower the weapon. Not happening.

“Pippi. Seriously. This guy is no good. He forced you to suck him off,recorded it, then ditched his appointed so he could torture you. Even gained Mom and Dad’s trust to do it.”

The way he puts it makes sense on one level. “I-I can see that.”

“Yeah…so put down the gun. He’s going to agree to let you be appointed to someone else.”

My eyes whip over to Ryan’s, but he can only shake his head.

I rush to stand between his thighs and gaze down at his face. My hand threads through his hair softly, brushing some off his forehead, and he closes his eyes at the touch. “Did you agree to that?”

He glances between Nico and my brothers. “No.”