32. Moment of Truth

Her hand is small in mine as I take her through the room where she slayed her attacker. After seeing her handle herself as a bloody queen, I knew for sure she was the one for me. I have no doubt she can handle what I'm about to show her, but will she be willing to do what I ask of her? Only time will tell.

We continue through the hall, connecting the back room to the warehouse next door. Most people who deal drugs hear horror stories about where I work. The folklore acts as a warning, so if they fuck up, they may end up under my scalpel in my makeshift Dr. Frankenstein lab. Rooms line the outer walls of the building, leaving a larger one in the center. That one I'll leave for last.

"Here," I say, pointing at the small rectangular window. She stands on her tiptoes, peering in. "What do you see?"

"Don't you know what's in there?" She glances at me, tilting her head.

"I need to know what you see." I shove my hands in my pockets and wait for her assessment. She's silent for a moment, lips pursed as she takes it all in.

She looks back at me with an arched brow. "Is this a trick question?"

"No. What do you see?"

"There's a man." She turns back to the small cut-out window in the door. "He's lying on a cot, sleeping."

"What else do you see?" I slowly position myself behind her to peer in at the scene before her. It's one of Archie's men I took care of a few days ago. He's on his side with his eyes closed, and what I need her to see is visible.

"He has a bandage on his arm," she whispers. "Did you do that? Do you hurt people?"

"I do hurt people, but I didn't hurt this man. He was shot by a rival family. I removed the bullet and patched him up. He's here recovering and is free to leave when he's ready," I inform her.

"Sooo, like the mob?" She arches a brow, skeptical. She's about to find out just how serious this operation is.

"Exactly that." I hook my arm around her waist. "Come. There's more."

She nods, taking a deep breath to possibly prepare herself for the worst. At the next door, she does the same, standing on her tiptoes to look in, but a loud bang causes her to step back.

"Let me out of here!" the man screams. His face is red and streaked with dirt. He's desperate to leave, but that will never happen. Once he's taken in the fact my living dead girl isn't alone, he sees me and immediately starts backing away. "No, no, no, stay away! I've given you all I know. I've given you everything!"

"I know you have, Carl. That's why only your arm is missing. Though you did just beg a stranger to set you free. I may have to start with your other one. Maybe remove each nail and work my way up instead of starting with your wrist," I explain with no elevation in my tone. I've grown bored with this one, but Archie isn't done with him yet.

"I'm sorry, Sir. I'm sorry. Sorry. Sorry," he repeats, curling up in the corner. He's lost to us now, withdrawn from the world. His words are no longer for us. They are for his family, who were killed due to his greed.

"What did he do?" Monica asks. Her face is as emotionless as my voice. I need to know what she thinks of this, but I know I won't know what she really thinks without having all the information.

"Does it matter?" I'm curious if it does matter to her. "What if I told you I did it for fun? Would that make you run?"

Her mind chews on that information for a moment before she shakes her head. "No."

"No, what?" I tower over her, wanting to see if I scare her now. Before, when I broke into her morgue and fucked her senseless, I knew she wanted that. She wanted someone who would break the rules, to bend the laws of society, to be with her, because she was doing the exact same. She wanted someone who could handle all her dark and immoral acts.

Her chest moves faster until she's almost panting. When she gazes up at me, I know she's not scared. Her pupils are full of lust. She's turned on right now. "No, I won't run."

"Then tell me why you want to know what he did instead of why I did it?"

"Because it doesn't matter to me why you did it. I just want all the information."

I push her hair behind her ear. "He was a rat. He tried to sell information to a rival and Archie is using him as an example. Now, there may be times when I don't have all the information, but I'll need you to trust me. Does that make sense?"

"Yes."

"Good. There's more to see. Come." I grab her hand and take her to several more rooms, showing her what I do. There are men sporting large incisions on their abdomens with large packs of drugs stuffed in them. Then there are those that need medical attention. I'm not only a fixer but also a destroyer. There's always a balance in my eyes, a give and take. When we are back at the start, standing between the way we came in and the door to the center room, I halt, stopping her with her hand in mine. "There's something else I need to show you."

"What else could you possibly show me? Are you still trying to scare me off? You should know by now that's impossible."

"We'll see." This is the final test. My heart is racing because I'm honestly not sure how she will react to this. We turn to stand in front of the final door, and I push her lightly on the small part of her back. "Take a look."

She peeks in like she did with all the rest, but unlike the rest, she looks for an extensive amount of time. It's a dimly lit room with a man chained to a wall. He's been mutilated, flayed, and starved, but he won't break.

The heels of Monica's feet land on the floor. She stares at her toes, inhaling deeply. My heart is slowly sinking into my gut. Is this where she draws the line? I'm not sure I can actually kill her. I'll have to chain her up and lock her away like my own alternative Rapunzel.

It seems like an eternity before she meets my eyes again, but when she does, I'm taken aback by her reaction. She's not sad. Or in shock. No, she's on a low-key simmer, and that pot is going to boil over, but who will get burned in the process?

"What's he doing alive?"