His laugh filled the halls as we made our way out into the night. Answers were what I was going to get. And maybe, just maybe, I’d earn a seat at my grandfather’s table since he decided I was only good enough for his dirty work.

––––––––

“What the fuck is Jason Haines planning?” Reaper smashed the guy’s head in with each word. Clearly, he had a personal stake in getting me laid.

The screams of a grown ass man echoed through the room, and I secretly got some sick enjoyment out of it. I hadn’t been laid in a minute, so watching some torture would put some pep in my step until I finally landed Blondie in bed. Which I will very soon.

I sat back and watched Reaper continue his oddly satisfying assault, his fists connecting with increasingly wet thuds to Chris’s body. Blood was inevitable. The guy was relentless when it came to getting information–and me a love life, apparently. “Alright, alright,” I said, pulling him back a few inches. “Let’s not kill him just yet,”

Reaper brandished his ka-bar at him, waving it around. His eyes were crazy behind his mask, and he was in shark mode from smelling all the blood around us. Whoever fucked this guy’s head in the past did me a favor when I needed him to pull out every brutal stop.

Chris was panting heavily, his chest rising and falling quickly. His nose looked busted from how smushed and crooked it was, blood trickling out of it, dripping down into his mouth. Whatever didn’t go in his mouth went down his neck and painted the front of his shirt crimson. I was sure I saw purple beginning to appear around one of his eyes. Damn, Reaper could bludgeon someone. “Okay, I need a break.” His voice was pathetic, almost begging.

I raised an eyebrow. Did he seriously think he could ask favors? “You get a break if you give me information. Otherwise, my colleague here will continue.”

His hand went to his chest to steady himself. I saw so many self-comforting or defensive maneuvers from the guys we tortured, yet they all ended up looking the same–pathetic and begging for it to stop. “All I know,” he struggled to get out between breaths, “is that they hired someone to track some girl they kept calling Rose. She’s got to make a downfall before next year for some power transfer. It sounds like they’re planning a hostile takeover for the underworld right now. A lot of power struggles are happening; a lot of new players are entering the ring,”

Reaper stabbed him in the leg. I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose.

“What?” He looked back at me, yanking the knife out as quickly as he stabbed it in.