Page 39 of Capture Me
“Wait.” Matteo shoves to his feet and stalks over to me, eyes simmering with darkness and a hint of the monster beneath the flesh. “If you do this, you’re agreeing to be a hundred percent honest with us. You’re going to see things, hear things. Fucked up things. Things that will haunt you andstay with you for life. Revelations that will turn your whole perfect world upside down.”
I grit my teeth. “My world is far from perfect, but thanks for the concern. It’s not needed. I can handle whatever happens.”
Matteo lifts a brow, but it’s Declan that speaks up, curling around Matteo with an arm flung over his shoulder. “You willing to prove it then?”
“Prove that I can handle what Cerberus is capable of? I think I’ve already seen enough when you had me locked downstairs.”
Declan laughs low and deep, sending chills down my spine. “That was nothing, Poison.”
Akio steps up to Matteo’s other side, all three towering over me now, just like they had that night in the club. My heart beats wildly, and it suddenly feels like I’m on the edge of a cliff. If I take one step forward, that’s it. There’s no going back.
I lift my chin, looking them each in the eye. “Show me your worst.”
They do. Down in the basement, in one of the cement rooms, screams split the air as the guys tear the man from the videos into literal pieces with bloody tools and their bare hands. He confesses to everything. Who he purchased the women and drugs from – a name, I told the guys I honestly didn’t recognize. How many women he bought and then violated. Seventeen. He hurt seventeen innocent women.
I don’t look away as the guys do their worst, mutilating his body until he’s hardly recognizable. When he screams that he’s a father, a brother, a husband, I push my sympathy down deep, locking it away. He doesn’t deserve it. He definitely didn’t show any mercy for those girls. Any family he has is probably better off with him dead.
When they’re done, and he’s nothing but a bloodied corpse with missing hands, Akio staples a note and the evidence of his crimes in the middle of his forehead for when they haul him away to be found later. Then the three men – Cerberus, because that’s who they are at this moment – look back at me, gauging my reaction.
It was hard, I’ll admit, watching it all. At several points during the torture, I went to the trash can and vomited up my dinner. But I didn’t leave, I’m not broken, and I’m not rocking in the corner wishing I hadn’t been here to see him brought to justice. This man deserved what he got. If anything, I regret not getting a few good punches in myself on behalf of his victims.
Declan steps forward, his shirtless chest wet with blood. He tilts my chin up with his forefinger, so that I’m looking at him. He assesses me for a moment, then must approve of what he finds because his full lips split into a dangerous smile that makes me weak in the knees. “Let’s drink.”
A quick shower later, I’m outside, breathing in the cool night air with a full glass of wine in hand. Akio, hair slightly damp from his own shower, places a blanket over me before he takes his seat across the firepit from me. The heat warms our souls back to life after what the four of us shared downstairs.
“Well?” I say, breaking the silence. “Did I prove myself?”
Akio kicks his feet back and folds his hands behind his head, exposing those fucking ridiculous biceps. This IT guy has some major muscle hiding beneath those clothes. “Hell yeah you did.”
“I admit, you managed better than I thought you would.” Matteo tips his beer at me before taking a swig. “Now, about our end of the deal. We won’t help you with whatever it is you need from us until after wesee some progress with nailing those who are in charge of the trafficking operations in Axton Harbor.” He narrows his gaze on me. “Got it?”
I purse my lips but nod my agreement. I’ll have to trust that they uphold their end of the bargain just as they will have to trust that I’m being honest with them when they ask me questions.
“Good.” Matteo sets down his drink and all three men give me their undivided attention. “Now, tell us. What had you searching for Cerberus?”
“Uh-uh.” I shake my head. “I’m not spilling my secrets without getting some of yours in return.”
“I’m not sure you’re in a position to negotiate.” Matteo’s eyes sear into me.
I shrug. “Too bad. You want my deep dark secret, then I want something from you. Something real.”
“What do you want to know?” Akio asks, earning him a glare from Matteo. “What? She’s got a point. There needs to be some level of trust established here. She deserves that after what we’ve put her through.”
Matteo takes another long swig of his drink, then grumbles reluctantly, “What exactly do you want to know?”
I glance between the three of them. These men are a mystery to me, and I want to know what makes them tick. “Why did you start Cerberus? And don’t give me the vague answer you would spout during your monologues you film for the city talking about justice and taking down evil. I want to know what happened to make you three… the way you are.”
They go still, each of them looking decidedly uncomfortable. Guess they weren’t expecting that question. Too bad, I’m sticking with it. WhatI have to share is personal. Beyond personal. The least they can do is open up too.
Akio visibility swallows, looking to the other two. “Well, we can start with how we all met.”
“She doesn’t need the nitty gritty details,” Matteo tells him. “Just the summary.”
Akio jerks his head in understanding then takes a deep breath. “Not many people know this about us, but we all met when we were fostered together in a rundown house on the outskirts of Axton Harbor. For all intents and purposes, we consider ourselves brothers.”
“But it wasn’t always just the three of us,” Declan adds. “We had a sister too.”
Had.My heart sinks, knowing this story is going to end in tragedy.
