Page 94 of Lure

The skin at his wrists was raw from his struggles with the restraints. His feet were swollen, likely from sitting in the uncomfortable chair. The sallow color of his skin under the spray tan looked even more ill. He was pudgy in several spots, a man used to soft living, rich foods, and too much alcohol.

Gallo glared at me even as he teared up from the light. Then he looked past me to the others as they ranged out. I said nothing, not yet. Let him get a good look at who we were and where he was.

The moment his gaze latched onto Grace, it reflected in his eyes. Shock rippled over his face, his mouth opened and he tried to wet his lips. He shifted against the hard wood of the chair and his shriveled little cock twitched.

“Come—” The word came out hoarse as though he’d turned his throat raw from yelling. Or maybe it was just dry from lack of water. The dried yellow stain of urine on the plastic linerwe’d spread out on the floor below him said he wasn’tthatdehydrated yet.

Gallo coughed.

The dry hack was as unattractive as the rest of him.

“Grace,” he finally managed to wheeze out, though he added some reverence and lust to his rough voice. “Come closer.”

“Get a grip, Floppy.” I set the foldable tool bag down on the counter and unrolled it. “She’s not even here.”

“She’s right—” He choked off the rest of his statement when Voodoo just stepped forward, blocking his view. The man had a gift for looming when he so desired. Gallo’s eyes widened and he tried to retreat into the chair, but he couldn’t really go anywhere.

“As I was saying,” I continued, as I made a point of examining the tools I had with me. This wasn’t the full measure of them, just some that might come in handy—the ball peen hammer for example. “Get a grip, Floppy. We’re not here to answer your questions.”

Lunchbox shifted and moved to stand right behind Gallo now. Yes, the guys understood exactly what we were doing. They didn’t say anything or touch him. They were just there. From the corner of my eye, I caught Gallo beginning to tremble. Whether from cold or fear it didn’t really matter.

“Then why—” The man’s accented voice was a record scratch. The hints of Italian was nowhere near as profound as some I’d heard. Still, it was there.

“You’re here to answer our questions,” I informed him.

“Then you let me go?” Yeah, the man desperately needed a drink.Thatwould be a reward, if he was good.

“That depends entirely on you,” I said, drifting my fingers over to an ice pick. “Fuck around, and you’ll find out.” I pulled out the snippers. A tried and trusted tool.

Pivoting, I faced him and just tapped the device against my palm.

“What questions?” He jerked his gaze from me to Voodoo then tried to look back at Lunchbox before he flicked a glance to where Grace stood. I didn’t turn or say anything. Alphabet hadn’t closed in yet. He took guard position for now.

That worked.

Grace wanted to be here for this and she expected torture. Still, until you were face to face with someone else’s suffering, you had no idea how you would react. Alphabet could pull her out if this got bad.

I took one step and Galloshriekedlike I’d stabbed him. Even prepared for a reaction, the sound ripped through me like nails dragged over a chalkboard.

Lunchbox made a face behind ourguestand shook his head.

“What questions?” Gallo demanded. “What? You haven’taskedme anything?” His eyes were wild, I swore they were rolling around so hard it was like seeing balls struck in a game of pool. He couldn’t seem to decide where to look. “Grace,cara mia, we are friends, yes? I am always generous. Yes?”

Voodoo slapped the man with the back of his hand. An open palm slap was pretty damn insulting. The back of the hand was almost as bad. “Don’t talk to her. Talk to us.”

Gallo cringed. “Then ask me something?” It was as much a demand as it was a plea.

The stink of urine accompanied the trickling sound of fluid. Yeah, whatever force he was trying to imbue into his words was lost with that response.

Fight or flight.

Maurizio Gallo had no fight.

Maybe he only had it when he paid for everything and had his lapdogs around him.

How sad for him.

Oh well, moving on.

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