Page 92 of Deathtoll
The muscles in Asael’s face tightened at the name.
Okay, definitely don’t mention it again.
“Please let my sister go,” Kate begged, because the hitman might respond to that. He struck her like the type who enjoyed having power over others. “You have me to punish. You don’t need her anymore.”
“I’m not going to leave you with this creep,” Emma spoke up. And then, as Kate stared at her, she demanded of Asael, “What the hell is the operating table for?”
Don’t ask questions you don’t want to know the answer to.And Kate really didn’t want to know the answer. But she had to hear it anyway.
“New side business. There are people who’d like to do what I do, but don’t possess the skill.”
Emma stared at him. “Aspiring assassins?”
“Not many have the balls for that. More like voyeurs. Taking a life can give a person a certain rush.” Asael’s thin lips formed an übercreepy smirk. “Have you never thought about it?”
“Cut me loose,” Kate said through gritted teeth. “I’m willing to give it a try.”
“Glad to see you found your spark. It’s always more entertaining when the prey fights back.” His smile grew colder as he glanced toward the workbench set up with a wide selection of tools.
“You’re not going to break us.”
“Not down here. But be assured, by the time I’m done with you and your sister, youwillbe in pieces.”
Kate held herself rigid, locking in the panic. She was not going to cry in front of him. She was not going to show fear. The bastard was not going to see her cower.
“This here…” He gestured at the setup. “Is for a more private, more protracted performance. A client who likes to watch. Believe it or not, in parts of the world, there are some sick perverts who’d pay a good amount to see just how much torture an American soldier can take.”
Whatever Kate had meant to say next got stuck in her throat. Because she knew exactly what soldier Asael was referring to with that sick smirk on his repulsive face.
Oh God.
Murph.
When facing a deadly predator, play dead,had been the advice Kate had received during a family camping trip to Yellowstone National Park when she’d been in high school.
Her father had meant grizzly bears, but few predators were deadlier than the man Kate faced.
Do not challenge. Hold still. Keep your head down. No eye contact.
Couldn’t do it. Kate laughed into the bastard’s face instead.
“You’re seriously going to call Murph here?” She sneered.
She was done with the fear, the hiding, the running. Asael had killed her best friend, Marco, then taken years from her life. Kept her away from her sister, her parents. Messed up the best relationship she’d ever had with a man. If she and Murph hadn’t been forced to go into witness protection, if what was between them had been allowed to develop at a natural pace, under natural circumstances, she wouldn’t be having all these doubts. Asael had poisoned everything Kate held dear.
“I thought you were smart,” she taunted him. “Famous assassin. Never been caught. Always outwits everyone. But if you think you’re going to take Murph Dolan down…” She shook her head and flashed a pitying look.Come on. Get mad. Make a mistake. Step close enough so I can kick your balls behind your kidneys.“He’ssofar out of your league.”
“I’ll see how tough he is when he’s strapped to the table.” Asael offered that sickening psycho smirk again. “You and your sister will be joining the parade. I predict you’ll be an explosive success.”
“Ooh.” Emma took a turn, catching on. “You’re so brave. Blowing up two tied-up women and a bunch of innocent people. What a big boy you are. So tough.”
That did the trick. Asael stepped back to the nearest workbench behind him and grabbed a pair of pliers, then stalked back to them, dark hate dripping from his eyes.
“Did you know that pulling out someone’s teeth will not make them shut up?” he asked. “Not even if you take every last one. If you really want someone to be quiet, you have to rip out their tongue.”
Kate pulled her knees up as if in a self-protective gesture, but really so the man could step even closer. She held his gaze and put every ounce of defiance into her next words. “Then fucking do it, you chickenshit!”
His smile grew sickeningly excited as he dropped to one knee next to her and grabbed her hair with his left hand, then yanked hard, tilting her head. “Open up.”
