Page 12 of Nine

“It’s a painkiller. You’re in pain. Take it,” he commands.

I look at him in hesitation, and then I stare down nervously at my bare bruised legs. I’m clenching my mouth closed in fear. I don’t want it, but I need it.

“I’m not asking you, Nine. I’m telling you.”

He puts one finger under my chin and gently tilts my head up to look at him. “Now open.”

He runs his thumb over my bottom lip and pulls it down. I cooperate and let my mouth drop open wide enough for him to push the pill in. I lock eyes with him as he tips the water bottle up to my mouth. A few drops dribble off my lips. He takes his warm thumb and rubs it across my chin. The sensation of him touching me makes me hold my breath. He quickly pulls his hand away when he realizes what he’s doing. I have to remind myself to breathe again.

“You said someone ordered you to kill me. Who? Why?” I blurt out.

Just as I say that, something dawns on me.

“Shit. You’re a hitman, aren’t you?”

“Don’t ask me questions you can’t handle hearing the answers to,” he replies.

“You killed a man last night, and I’m currently wearing his blood. I think I deserve a few answers.”

“I saved your life. I think that’s more than enough if you ask me.”

I watch as he pulls out a cigarette from his pants pocket and lights it up.

“You expect answers from me, but you won’t answer any of mine. Pshh.”

“That’s not how it works. You don’t get to make demands. You don’t get what you want here.” Trig takes a puff of his cigarette and blows out the smoke. He’s slightly pissed.

My brain is spinning. I start thinking of Victor and how a maid probably found his dead body.

“Oh my god. My fingerprints and blood are all over that room. It’s going to look like I did it. This is a setup, isn’t it?” I close my eyes.

“We swept the hotel. That is the last of your worries right now.”

“Swept, as in cleaned up the place, or swept, as in you moved the body?” I ask.

“Stop!” he shouts. “Enough with the questions.”

I jump at his booming voice. The room fills with silence.

“Just kill me already,” I quietly say, as my head drops.

“Just kill me. Take away the pain. That’s what you kept mumbling throughout the whole night. I’m starting to think I should have just shot you at the hotel.”

“You actually stayed awake all night, watching me?” I question.

Trig pretends not to hear me and looks around the room.

“I was drugged, beat, and stabbed. What else would you expect a victim to say?” I continue.

His dark brown eyes burrow into me as his head tilts to the side.

“I have a hunch that’s not what you meant when you said take away the pain.”

He’s sure quick with the comebacks. I shoot him a look that I’m not even sure of. He keeps his eyes on me. He’s staring hard, almost like he can see through me.

Right then, Bones walks in. “We got trouble upstairs.”

Trig takes a puff of his cigarette and blows the smoke up to the ceiling.

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