Page 98 of Unhinged
He takes a slow drag, exhales like he owns the air. “So could you. But I’m still here.”
Slick.Immediately.
I roll my eyes. “Ha ha.”
“So tell me,” he says, a little too amused, “did you stab Gears? Did he like it?”
“It’s not funny,” I snap. “And how do you even know I?—”
“You were talking out loud, babe.”
Shit.
“Well, I didn’t,” I mutter. “I held the knife to his side… but I let him go.”
Now I just look like an unhinged psychopath.
“Did he deserve it?”
I pause.
“Yes… no… fuck—I don’t know. He was teaching Judge some self-defense moves, and I walked in and just—went on high alert. It was instinct.”
Acid shrugs, like it's nothing. “You’re his mom. You should be ready to go to war for him anytime.”
“What do you know about it?” I snap.
“I know I had shit parents. Super shit mom. Would’ve killed to have her stand up for me—even once.”
I blink. That hits somewhere deep and ugly.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know,” I lie.
“Doesn’t matter. Bettie’s my mom. Always has been.”
He flicks ash onto the floor. “Don’t beat yourself up about it. Gears’ll be fine.”
“Yeah? Well, I don’t feel fine. I feel like a fucking idiot.”
“Maybe I can help.”
I snort. “You?”
He nods once. “You are, after all, in my domain.” He motions around to the basement like it’s his twisted throne room.
“How?”
He pushes off the wall, walks over, and drops into a chair.Thatchair. The one they had me tied to.
“There’s rope, handcuffs, whatever you want in that cabinet over there,” he says, jerking his chin toward it. “Pick your poison. Tie me to the chair.”
My brow furrows. “What the fuck?”
“You’re pissed off. Upset. Ready to kill something. You need to work it out. You and me, we’re the same. Now, go grab something and tie me up.” He flicks his cigarette off to the side somewhere.
I hesitate. He’s the one who hit me down here. The one who tested me, tried to break me, but I proved I wasn’t weak. And I forgave him.Sorta.Even if he doesn’t know it.
And the worst part? The idea doesn’t sound bad.
