Page 86 of Nemesis
“Sleep tight, Herrera,” I taunted him before pulling on the imaginary trigger.
His eyes roamed over my face, the three words finally triggering recognition to wash over his features, a sense of understanding downing on him.
His face paled drastically, as if he’d just seen a ghost. I guessed that’s what I was for him, since I was supposed to be dead and not alive and well, holding his life in the palm of my hands.
“That’s…impossible,” he whispered, watching me in complete disbelief. “It can’t be. I killed you. You’re supposed to be dead.”
I shrugged my shoulders. “Well, I survived.”
His shock slowly faded and morphed into pure disdain.
“I guess your aim just wasn’t that great after all.” I chuckled, shaking my head. “Such a rookie mistake not to check if your target’s still breathing before leaving them to bleed dry.”
I stepped closer, dragging the knife across his temple. “Guess that’s what happens when you get too comfortable letting other people do your dirty work. When it was your turn to get your hands dirty, you couldn’t even follow through. Like many other things actually.”
Hatred burned over his features as his rage took over. He looked murderous as he launched himself at me, but he didn’t get very far, the bindings keeping him put.
He pursed his lips and spat. “¡Asquerosa!”he said through gritted teeth.
Wet saliva sprayed across my cheek and dripped down my face. I used the back of my hand to wipe it, then smeared it on his pants.
“Ah, ah, ah,” I tsked. “Now, where are your manners?”
I flashed him a dark smile, and before he registered the movement, I rammed my knife into his other thigh, matching the other side. I twisted it once before ripping it away.
He whined in agony, pressing his lips together to contain his scream.
He finally stopped whining when the slow creak of the container’s door opening filled the room, a sliver of moonlight filtering through, shimmering against the blood pooling under Morales.
The door shut soundly behind the person who made all of this possible. I didn’t bother to turn around to know it was her, her familiar scent drifting to me.
“It’s nice of you to finally join us,” I said as she stayed hidden in the shadows, her low chuckle echoing against the walls.
“Please, help me,” Victor whined, believing someone might be able to help him, might have come to his rescue.
Little did he know that she would be the last person to answer his pleading call.
Ignoring his plea, I stepped up closer and used the edge of the blade to tip Morales’s chin up. He stared up at me, insults collecting at the tip of his tongue.
“Isn’t this the prettiest view?” I said, reaching for the back of his head and wrenching his perfectly coiffed hair, exposing his neck.
I slid the knife in just a tad bit farther down, right along his jaw until I met with resistance. A sense of gratification filled me as I watched percolating sweat drip down the side of his face, his body trembling.
The blade sank into his skin and a drop of blood slid down the slope of his neck. “Look at you bleeding so well, and me being the cause of it.”
He growled in defiance. “What do you want? You want money?”
Letting out a dark chuckle, I shook my head, withdrawing the blade from under his jaw. “What I want is answers. I couldn’t care less about your filthy money.”
I paused. “Not that you have any left.”
He frowned. “Excuse me?”
I gave him a sheepish smile. “Your accounts are empty, dear husband. The schools in our neighboring districts areverygrateful for your generous donations.”
He let my words sink in before his eyes narrowed, his gaze filling with a new wave of rage.
“You wouldn’tdare.”
