Page 88 of The Phantom's Vice

Drip… drip… drip…

The sound makes me sick, and I pull out the scalpel and walk over to Jim, whose head now dangles a foot from the floor. Crouching down, I twirl the blade in front of his eyes, letting him get a good look at the tool that will bring his agony for the next hour or so.

“Are you ready, Jim?”

Jim shakes his head uselessly, flinching when I bring the blade within an inch of his eyeball. With acackle, I straighten, bringing the tip of my blade toward the skin on Jim’s ankles.

“Tell me, Jim. Do you have any experience with skinning?”

He shakes his head, useless screeching noises bubbling from his blistered lips. I sigh, adjusting my grip so the blade is at the correct angle. “It’s quite an interesting form of torture. You see, when a person is upside-down, the blood rushes to their upper body—toward important things like the brain, lungs, and heart. If done properly, a person can live through the entirety of a skinning. Although, in my experience, most people die around the time I get to the face…” I look down at Jim’s terrified eyes, a smile growing on my face.

“But not all.”

By the time I’m through with Jim, my body is spent. I trudge up the steep stone steps toward the main floor, my conscience weighing heavily on me. When Jim fails to report back, the Madam is sure to know I’ve turned against her.And that means war.

I glance down at my gloved hands, slightly brown by the amount of blood coatingthe leather. I’ve often wondered what it would be like to live a different life—a quiet life. But the possibility seemed so out of my reach, I never dared to dream. I’ve lived my entire life shoving my emotions down, doing whatever was asked of me at the cost of my own humanity. I never knew I had the capacity to love—the capacity tocarebefore. Before Brett.

Now, I know I’ll do anything for a sliver of a chance of a life with her. I’ll burn down this city—hell, I’ll reduce the entire earth to a smoking pile of rubble if it means I can have her. Smell her. Taste her.

Touch her.

I blink away the thoughts as Orion’s inquisitive blue eyes meet mine, a brow cocked in a silent question.

“It’s done.” I sigh, moving closer. “He put up a hell of a fight.”

“I still can’t believe you didn’t let me help,” Orion says, kicking his toe against the ground with a pout. “You know I love skinnings.”

“You say that, but you lack the patience for them,” I grumble, moving in the direction of the bathroom. “Is Brett awake?”

“Nope. Passed out with Venom and Rupert in your bed.” He wriggles his brows, an infuriatingsmirk on his face. “Should I bring out my headphones?”

“Do what you wish,” I mumble. “Just don’t bother her. She’s had a long day.”

“That’s putting it lightly.”

I chuckle, stepping into the bathroom and catching a look at my bloodied suit in the mirror. Streaks of red coat my forearms and chest, with some splatters managing to find their way onto my mask. The fine silk encasing my shoulders looks rumpled, and there are several busted seams around the jacket lining.

A deep sigh heaves my chest as I strip down, tossing the clothes into a pile in the corner of the room.No sense in saving them. No amount of dry-cleaning bill can get the stains out of those.I shake my head at the loss of a good suit and am about to step into the shower when the door creaking makes its way to my ears.

I look behind me, and my heart jumps as Brett’s sapphire eyes meet mine. There’s a tiny little smile playing at the corner of her mouth, and when I move my gaze to where hers is pointed, my cock jumps to attention.

“Did you have a good nap?” I ask, my voice hoarse. Brett is wearing nothing but one of mysleeping shirts, the hem stopping just above her knees and baring her delicious legs.

“Kind of,” she says, her voice soft as she steps into the bathroom and locks the door. “I kept thinking about what was happening, and I…”

My chest squeezes. “I’m sorry if I’ve frightened you. It was never my intention?—”

“No, not that,” she murmurs, looking up through her lashes. “I kept thinking about how… hot it was.”

“Hot?”

“Yeah,” she mumbles, taking her bottom lip between her teeth. “I’ve never had someone, like… torture a man for me. It’s kind of nice.”

I chuckle, dipping my forehead down to rest on hers. “You’re not upset about your partner?”

“What? The asshole that tried to kill me? Fuck him,” she growls, looking up inquisitively as my chest shakes with laughter.

“Good. It would certainly make things more difficult if you were pissed at me.”

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