Page 63 of Dangerous Silence
He groaned. I pulled him down to the ground, kneeling on his chest. No one fucked with what was mine. And you sure as hell didn’t fuck with my girl. It didn’t matter if she wasn’t and would never truly be mine. No one would ever be allowed to fuck with her.
I knocked him in the face, each blow harder than the last, my knuckles numb to the pain, until he laid still, his eyes swollen shut. I took my knife and brought it down over his stomach, splitting it open, and he coughed up blood, gurgling to the side, trying hard not to drown. I stuck my hand into his stomach, the warmth sucking me in. I knotted his intestines in my fingers, then pulled them out like a ball of yarn.
He opened his mouth, trying to say something, but couldn’t. And I didn’t say a word. Those bloodshot eyes barely opened, and I held up his insides, making him look at them, then twisted them around, watching each convulsion of his body with glee until his eyes went blank.
It felt good. Better than it should have.
My hands were wet, covered with his blood, and cooled by the still air. I stood up and kicked him to the side. A double M was tattooed on his neck. This war needed to end.
I got the cleaver from the holster, then brought it down on his arms. That sense of serenity washed over me, though it was different this time. I wasn’t used to this… Whatever it was. This insatiable need to make sure Demi was safe. Hating those who hurt her. I needed that space where nothing mattered. Where I could live or die and nothing would change. I hadn’t had that since Shep died. Since Demi came into my life.
Right as I dismembered the other arm, my phone buzzed. I pulled it out, wiping a smear of red across the screen.
“Margot placed the tracking device,” Derek said.
“That was—” I paused, wiping my hands on a cloth, “—fast.”
“We’ll keep an eye on his location, make sure it’s accurate.” I brought down the cleaver in a loudthwack!Chopping off one leg, then the other.Thwack!“We’ll see what happens. Make a move soon.”
“Soon,” I said.
“The last time,” he said, resignation in his voice.
I hoped so. I hadn’t expected Muro to send more of his men into our territory after how it had gone down today. But Muro was a beast.
And so was I.
We hung up. I wanted to enjoy tearing the corpse to pieces, but I knew time was precious. I had to be economical. Once he was in transport size, I brought in a barrel from the work van, getting him ready for acid. I couldn’t enjoy torturing him, but I could watch his body burn. That was one indulgence I would allow.
When I returned to the workroom, I disabled the alarm. My men stayed posted as I entered. Demi immediately sat up.
“Where were you?”
I didn’t answer. I went to the sink to wash my hands again, better this time. Though I had gotten most of it off in the apartment, the water still ran pink. I would have to call the landlord to explain the broken window. Luckily, he knew who I was and didn’t mind the protection that came along with a mafia tenant. Still, no one liked dealing with maintenance requests.
“Was it that man from the apartment?”
I stayed silent, which was an answer itself.
“You killed him, didn’t you?” Demi asked. “You did. Did you know his name? Why he was there?”
I wiped my hands on a black towel, then threw it in the corner of the room.
“I am what I am, Demi,” I said as calmly as I could. “This is in my blood.” I pointed to the wall of cabinets. “Do you know how many tools are in there becauseIknew they would make people talk? Tools your father didn’t dare to think of.” I slammed my palm against the wall. “Unthinkable ways to hurt people so that all they do is try to stay alive, and every time, I kill them anyway. I chose this.”
“Your brothers didn’t,” she said. I stared at her, those stormy gray eyes watching me, flickering back and forth. What the fuck did this have to do with my brothers? “Derek doesn’t enforce. Neither does Wil. He runs the gambling hall,” she laughed. “But you? You choose to enforce. To kill people. You—”
I punched the cabinet behind her, denting it in a large crash. Seeing red. Everything painted red.
For the first time, Demi’s eyes widened at me. Her pupils were dilated, and that rancid scent of fear came into my nose. I breathed it in, taking a deep, slow breath. Finally.
I had almost hurt her. I couldn’t let that happen ever again.
So I did the only thing that made sense.
I grabbed her hips, then forced her down to her knees. I fisted her hair, digging my fingers in tight, until she cried out and I yanked her head back. A primal noise erupted from her throat. I twisted her neck to make her look at me, sneering down at her. With one hand, I unbuttoned and unzipped my pants, pulling out my heavy cock, never taking my eyes off of hers. Then I leaned down, shoving my hands into her pants, her folds slick with heat. My cock twitched.
“This will shut you up,” I growled.
