Page 8 of The Sins That Bleed
“Yeah.” I sigh, rubbing my hands over my face and smoothing out my moustache. “Read the licence plate to me and I’ll see what comes up in the database.”
He reads aloud as I punch the numbers in, there’s an instant return in results and I curse under my breath.
“I don’t fucking believe it,” I mumble mostly to myself, but Nico picks up on it anyway.
“Don’t tell me it’s a dead end; I had a good feeling about this being the missing piece of the puzzle. If we take any longer those people will be long gone, and I can’t?—”
“It’s not a dead end.” I cut him off before he voices what we’re both thinking. “It’s our lucky fucking break.”
I turn the screen to him and watch the moment it all clicks into place, multiple parking tickets in the same spot at the same time each month. The car is always the same black SUV, registered to a Jai Coltrane, and it’s located a block away from the docks.
We’ve taken a look around there before, but with nothing solid to go on, we could never get a warrant signed to do a full search. This changes everything.
Nico claps and rubs his hands together. “We’ve got ’em; let’s go ruin their day.”
CHAPTER 4
Welcome to the Underworld
VALESKA
There’s something about seeing the worst of humanity and slowly snuffing that darkness out of society that brings me a delicious high.
The reedy ex-boyfriend of Sally hangs before me, his arms tied behind his back and pulled upward as he hangs from them. No doubt the awkward angle dislocated his shoulders and I’m upset I missed it. My men have done well but I love to hear my victims scream.
There’s no point gagging them, nobody can hear them this far down beneath the earth except the maggots and the rotting corpses of millions of insects on the other side of the walls. There’s enough concrete above us that the invisible weight is tangible in the air.
I’d done my research on the guy hanging before me—he’s left a trail of broken women behind him for most of his adult life; a long list of crimes that are heinous enough for me to know I’m doing the right thing by taking him off the streets.
“Welcome to the underworld.” I step out of the shadows from where I have been watching him. Not that he could do anything to get free, but he would have stumbled across me in his attempt to escape
“Fucking bitch!” He spits at me but I’m too far away for it to reach so it lands pathetically on the floor between us, dots of saliva wetting his lips.
“It’s Lilith to you, human.” I sneer, causing his head to snap up, eyes locking onto mine as I confirm his suspicions. “That’s right, motherfucker, I’m not one of your kind. You walked into the wrong establishment, hurt one of my girls, and now you’ll lose your pathetic little life.”
“No, pl-please! Let me go, I’ll leave Sally alone. I won’t say anything about this, I promise.” He sniffles as tears roll down his cheeks.
“Oh, I’m sorry. You seem to have misunderstood me, youwilldie today, there is nothing you can say, do, or offer me that will change my mind. However, I will give you two options.”
I hold up two fingers to be sure his dumbass understands what two means. My sharp nails painted oxblood-red glint in the low fluorescent lighting.
“The first option is you die a slow and painful death as I tear you apart. Piece by piece, while you’re aware of every single nerve being tormented and torn. The second, play my game and I will give you a swift death. So, what will it be, mortal?”
“They’re not options! You fucking crazy bitch, you’re going to kill me either way. People will come looking for me, you know. You won’t get away with this!” he shouts, and it grates against my ears. I would have heard him even if he whispered.
“Fine, a slow and painful death it is. I think I’ll start with your nails. I’ll prise each one from your fingers and I’ll store them in a jar. They’ll make for a lovely addition in my collection.”
I take another step closer to him and drop all pretences of having any humanity. His body picks up on the shift and I watch as the hairs stand on end along his bare arms, his heartrate kicks up to a drumming beat, sweat beading along his brow.
A low guttural snarl bubbles up my throat and the smell of urine hits my nostrils. Cowards always end up pissing themselves when they realise they aren’t truly at the top of the food chain. I soak in the power trip and commit this moment to memory.
“I’ll play your game, I’ll play!” he cries out, snot running down and over his lips as mine curl in disgust.
I flick my long, black hair over my shoulders before bracing my hands on my hips. I tilt my head while I consider his choice, assessing him and whether this will be worthwhile. I wouldn’t normally reconsider, but I’m feeling generous today. Besides, I’ve got somewhere to be later. I don’t like to rush the art I create when dismantling the human body if I can help it.
“Today’s your lucky day, motherfucker.”
I slip his blade from my blazer jacket where I stashed it earlier. The cheap plastic case would be so easy to crush in my fist if I wanted to. I flick my wrist and the blade pops out—I got it cleaned up real nice so I could watchhisblood coat it this time.
