Page 49 of Eden's Joker

I must’ve bumped my head at some point last night. That’s the only explanation for these insane thoughts.

He suddenly yanks the knife away and now I don’t even have that by way of touch.

“Fine, you wanna act tough,” he says. “We’ll do this another way.”

He takes a phone from his pocket.

“You’re gonna torture me with a phone now?” I ask and maybe the grin that flashes across his face isn’t all malice. It almost looks like the smiles he gave me on our dates. But it vanishes almost as fast as it appeared.

“You could say that,” he says. “We’re gonna video call your daddy.”

“This is all about him, isn’t it?” I ask. “Man, talk about daddy issues.”

Something bright pierces the ice in his eyes. Too bad it’s actually pure rage.

“I didn’t know my dad long enough to have daddy issues,” he says. “And yeah, this is all about your father and the Devils.”

“And the war?”

He inclines his head, his eyes burning into mine, clearly answeringyes.

“But you don’t actually see me killing anybody, now do you?” I ask.

“And what, that makes you innocent?”

“As much as anyone can be.”

He’s not innocent either. He’s got me chained up here and who knows how many he’s killed before we got to this point.

Why do these guys always think they have the right to do whatever they want? I feel like a traitor to my family thinking that, but seriously, someone’s gonna have to take a step back or this war will never end. Too bad that it probably won’t happen in my lifetime, which despite my crazy fearlessness right now, doesn’t look like it will last much longer.

“You’re not here for a philosophy discussion,” he says.

“Right,” I scoff. “I’m just here to die.”

He pierces me with his gaze. “So you do know what’s going on. Now tell Daddy that. And maybe try to shed a tear.”

He dials and it rings only once before dad’s voice answers the call in a cracked hello. He’s holding the screen away from me so I can’t see Ice’s face.

“Say goodbye to your daughter, Ice,” Joker tells him before turning the screen in my direction. I’ve never seen my dad this tired. Or his eyes that hard and tortured.

“Eden,” Dad says, and that simple word holds volumes, holds years of conversations.

“I’m sorry, Dad,” I say, and tears are rising for the first time since this happened. “I trusted the wrong guy. His name is Tyler, they call him Joker and we’re in some old, abandoned town in the desert. There’s a house on a hill?—”

The knife is suddenly at my throat again as Tyler snatches the phone away from my face.

“We’re in a house she’s never leaving,” he says as he slides down on the floor next to me, so both of us, the knife, and the chain I’m bound with are visible on the phone’s camera.

“You little piece of shit!” my dad snarls. “You hurt her and I’ll tear you apart.”

“Oh, I’ll hurt her,” Tyler says and licks my cheek. I hate how unbearably good it feels. “I’ll hurt her and make her beg for more. And then each of my brothers will do the same.”

He kisses me then, full on the lips. And it’s as sweet, as good, as mind-numbing as the first time it happened… back when I still believed we were destined for each other. Tingles are dancing all over my skin, warming me up, and the warmth is quickly eating up the last of my fear. Why does he have to be such a good kisser? I hate my stupid brain and my stupid body for reacting this way. I hate that my father has to watch.

I try to push him away, but my hands are too tightly bound. I try to turn my head, but it won’t go.

“You’re dead, Joker!” Ice yells. “You and everyone you love.”

---