Page 77 of Little Fury

I break the kiss, bringing my hands to his face and forcing him to look at me. He’s panting and staring at me.“Marcus,”his eyes focus on me finally.

“Let me do this for you,”I beg him. “He deserves to hurt just as much as he hurt you and her. Let me inflict that pain. Then when he's broken, crying and bleeding, you can put abullet in his head.'' He's staring at me intensely; I can’t read him. I think maybe he’s going to say no, that he will do it himself, but instead, he blinks and nods.

“Make it fucking hurt, Ava.”

“Baby, I will have him begging for you to kill him.”

He drops his forehead to mine and breathes for a moment. He kisses me quickly, grasps my waist, lifts me off the counter, and places me back on my feet. Then, without glancing at the man who was once his sorry excuse for a father, he leaves the room.

I watch his back as he leaves. I stare at the door until I hear him on the stairs waiting for the other door to open and close. I grab my phone and text Matt, asking him to bring me some things. I may as well kill two birds with one stone. I need to know for sure Matt can stomach this shit, and I want a bottle of water, my speaker and my bag of goodies. I hop back up on the counter while I wait for Matt to bring me what I need. I sit there looking at Enzo. I remember the day Marcus came to the ranch. I remember hearing Harry and Beth speak about him and how he had threatened to kill Marcus rather than raise him.

I hear Matt on the stairs about five minutes later.“Oh, thank god, he’s a mouth breather, it’s a real trigger for me.” I grab the bag, find the speaker, and connect it to my phone.“What do you want to listen to, Mr. Rossi?”I ask the older man because I was raised with manners. I lean to my right to peer past Matt to see if Mr. Rossi has any requests.

“Fuck you, Ava.”Matt tenses at Enzo’s words. I’m starting to see Matt is not a fan of men who speak poorly to women.“You are just as fucking useless as every other woman. Your dripping cunts are the only things about you that have real worth.”

“Mr. Rossi,”I say as I lean back to my centre and start scrolling through my phone to find a playlist that feelsright.“You really shouldn’t insult the woman who is about to start hurting you.”I show Matt my playlist to see if he likes it. He raises one side of his mouth and shakes his head.“I think it’s in bad taste and stupid on your part,”I tell Enzo. Matt takes my phone and scrolls, finding something he likes because he smiles and nods his head.

I almost laugh out loud at his song choice. I look up at him with a smile I can’t fully contain.“You’re kind of funny for a grumpy asshole,”I tell him quietly as“Stuck in the Middle With You”by Stealers Wheel plays in the room. He doesn’t say anything. He just gives me a wink.“That wink probably drops a lot of panties for you, doesn’t it?”

“Panties and boxers. They all melt for it, and I don’t discriminate.”

“I bet they do. All right, Matt, will you be staying or going?”I ask him as I get off the counter.

“Is there a wrong answer for me to give?”

“No. I’m just wondering.”

“Wondering if I have it in me to watch or help you hurt a man who threatened to kill his seven-year-old son? Wondering if I have it in me to help or watch you hurt an asshole who had his wife raped repeatedly and then beaten to death?”

“Pretty much.”

He doesn’t say anything. He looks at me and nods.“I’ll be back. I need to get something from my car.”He then heads up the stairs. I turn to the man in the chair, and I cock my head to the side, letting the smallest of smiles cross my lips.

“So, Enzo, just us girls for right now. Are you excited? I don’t think we have ever really talked, you and me. I have a question for you. Would you indulge me while we wait for Matt to return?”He nods at me.“Great. Did you and Alexi really think two idiots would be enough to kill me? Eight. Eight would be a good number of men to have sent. Eightwould have probably got you guys the desired outcome.” He glares at me.

“My son is too weak to do this himself, eh?”

I sigh audibly, needing him to hear how much he exhausts me.“1. Not your son, and you telling him he's not your son directly led to you being here alone with me. 2. He’s not weak. He’s just man enough to understand that his hate for you will overpower his want to make it hurt. Bloodlust is a real thing, dude.”I nod at him, hoping he understands how sincere that statement is.“3. He loves me and knows I kinda enjoy this part of things. He knows I won’t lose control and break my promise to him.”

I nod at Matt as he enters the room. He puts a bag on the counter and starts to put on gloves.

“Enzo?”My voice is no longer playful as the older man looks at me.“I’m going to hurt you now. And when I’m done, you will be begging and crying for Marcus to kill you. Just like his mother begged you.”

“I know who his father is,”he blurts out.“I’ll tell you if you let me go.”

“Mr. Rossi, nothing will make me let you go. Nothing is going to save you from this. And besides, I know who his father is. It’s all in the eyes.”

He looks at me, and genuine fear blanches his face for the first time since we entered his office. I smell something, and I groan,“Fucking hell, did you just piss yourself?”And sure enough, a large wet spot has appeared between his khaki-clad legs. It runs off the seat of the wooden chair he’s tied to.“That’s fucking gross, man.”I sigh.“You need to get it together, Mr. Rossi. I haven't even started yet.”

Would it be really horrible of me to place a wager with Matt on how long it’ll take Enzo to lose his bowels?

Iemerge from the room with Matt an hour later. Wiping my hands on a towel, I go up the stairs and see Marcus sitting at the table with a bottle of scotch and two glasses.“One of those for me?”I ask.“Where are Ben and Caden?”

“Outside. Ben said you have shit taste in music.”

I look at Matt, and he glares at me.“Find them. Get a read of the room.” Matt nods at me and goes to find Caden and Ben.

“Marcus."

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